𝓨𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓢𝓽𝓪𝓻 (Vox x reader)

1

In a world with no rules, one might assume everything's been turned upside down. In the case of this hell I call home, where the concept of rule and law is foreign, such an assumption would be correct. 

A chaotic frenzy of honking and screaming fills my ears as I drag myself down the sidewalks of Pentagram City. It's a day like any other, but that doesn't make it a good one by any means. Demons fill the streets, some talking surprisingly civilly, others exchanging punches to the face, though I try to ignore that unpleasant sight. The afterlife is shitty, at least if you're stuck in hell, and there's nothing to do but get over it. Though, I can't say I'm the happiest soul to be on my way to work at the moment. It's not that I don't enjoy what I do— it's more so the stress I feel because of it. Money has always been a problem for me, and if I don't want to end up sleeping on the streets alongside these lunatics, I just have to suck it up. I never wanted it to become this big of an issue, but who would? Like I said, hell is shitty.

I step through the automatic doors to the Vees' headquarters and go to my office. As I set my bag down on my desk, I peer inside and rummage through it. I pull out some files before sitting down to get a closer look. My eyes skim the paperwork, and I groan quietly in frustration. Somehow, I managed to forget that the deadline for submitting the new clothing designs is tomorrow. With Velvette's new collection release coming up, she had given me the important task of creating the fashion pieces. I started but haven't gotten past the rough sketching stage yet. I dig a hand in my bag, pull out my sketchbook, and open to the most recent page to pick up where I left off. Right as I place my pencil on the page, a buzz emits through the room. 

"Y/n, are you in yet?" I hear Velvette's thick accent through the speaker of the phone on my desk. Before I can even open my mouth to answer, she continues. "Well, you better be. Listen, darling, I need the collection by tomorrow morning, got it? Though, if you have them ready now, you can stop by my office."

My eyes widen at her words, and I quickly press the button on the phone to speak. "I'm just making some last details, but I assure you everything will be done by the morning."

"Uh-huh. Hun, I'm not looking for it to just be done— I'm looking for it to be done perfectly." Her voice plays to me in her usual unamused tone.

"And they will be. I haven't ever disappointed you, have I?" I ask with slight confidence, hoping she'll give me that much.

There's a brief pause before I get a reply. "Hm. You haven't. But there's still time. I actually-" She pauses mid-sentence as I overhear her yell something inaudible on the other side of the line. I assume she must be scolding some coworker again. Her voice finally returns, and she speaks as if nothing happened. "Anyway, that's all. I'll see you tomorrow, darling. buh-bye."

At that, my office goes silent again. As I sit still in my chair, I wonder how I'll possibly get this done in time. I glance down at the simple sketches in my notebook and feel a sudden urge to make this project my best yet. Velvette didn't exactly give any reassuring words, but I didn't expect her to anyway. I know I'm good at what I do. Velvette wouldn't have given me such a big responsibility if she didn't at least see a sliver of talent in me. I pick up my pencil and get to work.

⋆⋆⋆

The alarm on my phone goes off, and my eyes instantly widen. I sit up abruptly and glance at my phone, noticing the time of 6:00 AM. I rub my eyes and rotate my head to look at the six intricate outfits displayed on the mannequins. In the short span of 14 hours or so, I was somehow able to get everything done and not have the pieces look like shit. In fact, the designs look gorgeous. Or maybe I am too sleep-deprived to think otherwise. My procrastination will definitely be the end of me, but at least I got the job done. I feel a strong desire to lean back into my chair and let sleep claim my body again, but I know there's no time for that.