The Ninth Degree Part Two -- Nine Degrees

[Voxxx]

Dear God, could you be any more boring?
I'm about to high-tail it for the door. I've been here for hours now. What I want is a big cup of coffee and some Advil. What I'm getting is a lecture.
I'm sitting in another office—this time, it's a chat with Beez, Lou’s second-in-command, about the rules and the company uniform. Beelzebub is the less glamorous man with the less glamorous job. He’s an albino, red-eyed and balding on top. A very thin, nervous sort of person. He never stands—he hovers. Constantly.

He finished talking a few minutes ago, but he hasn't moved yet. I wonder if he's waiting for applause--he's looking at me expectantly.
"Um... right." I say uncertainly, trying to mask the fact that I hadn't just tuned out to his entire spiel. He nods brusquely and walks over to his desk, flicking through my papers as he goes.
“Miss… Butlar?”
I nod my affirmation and give him a smile. He remains expressionless, his long fingers continuing to search through the clutter on his desk. I wonder once again how someone like him ended up in a place like this. He’s not your typical demon. He wears pocket protectors, for crying out loud.

He straightens, handing me a black duffel bag. The company logo is etched on the front. Next comes a slip of paper, a blue ballpoint pen. I take it from him uncertainly.

“Your contract,” he clarifies.

I set it down on the corner of his desk and sign it with a flourish.
“Well, thanks, Beez, but I really have to be going…”
“No so fast, Miss Butlar. You don’t really think we’d release you on the poor, unsuspecting populace without training you first, now, do you?”
I gulp. “Training?”
“That’s right,” he says, nodding. “Training.”  

[KirbyVictorious]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!  

[Voxxx]

AHHHH? Was it that bad? I know I haven't written in a while, but jeez... sweatdrop  

[lidless_i]

I thought it was interesting... Though demons have been portrayed like that before. Not that it really matters, still an entertaining read.  

[KirbyVictorious]

AHHHHHHH means AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHTRAINING!  

[Oukow]

O_o; Training? WHat type of training? ><;  

[in the flicker.]

this is pretty neat. i'm not sure how i feel about the description of Beelzebub lumped in with the beginning, which seems to be sort of a "plea" or somesuch thing to God.

i like how he's described, though. very nice. but if he always hovers, why does he walk to his desk? i suppose you could hover-walk, but it seems like a different term might be better (and it could be a little funny, too).

but seriously: continue. i wan to know about this "training"  

[lidless_i]

I think hover is supposed to be figurative here.... though I may be wrong...  

[KirbyVictorious]

'Tis.  

[Voxxx]

"Hover" is a figurative term, they were right. You know, like, those people who never sit down and read over your shoulder? That's Beez.

Originally, I had written him to be a lot more manic than he is, with a dash of bad-humored sadism, just for the appeal, but it didn't really fit with where I wanted the story to go. Now he's just my little nancy-boy.  

[Voxxx]

Dazed and exhausted, I finally made my way from office to office and back to the Avenue of Eternity with only five hours gone. After Beez came a lot of lesser demons welcoming me to the company, a few introductory speeches from some higher-ups, and finally, another meeting with Lou, who “wanted to see if the uniform fit.” From the way the other trainees kept looking at me, I’m pretty sure it’s a foregone conclusion I’m supposed to sleep with him. I’m not sure yet how I’m gonna get out of that one.

Curious myself, I headed back to the waiting room to try it on. It was empty, thank God. I slipped off my old clothes and unzipped the black bag, rummaging around a few other tools of my new profession—what am I supposed to do with a three pronged dagger, anyway?—and finally found it wadded up at the bottom. I pulled it up and postured in front of the large mirror, holding it up to my chest.
“HOLY s**t!”
“Is it that bad?” The familiar voice ambushed me from somewhere behind the concrete wall that partitioned the room. I spun around.
It was Nicole.

She looked… fantastic. Dressed freshly in a white tank top and jeans, the bruises had vanished and the cuts on her face had disappeared completely. I gaped in surprise. She must have noticed the look on my face, because she grinned.
“I got a new job.”
“No s**t,” I replied, whistling. “Who hired you?”
“I’m with Michael and Sons. You know, the big white building uptown?”
My face fell. I hadn’t noticed the slim silver disk that hovered about her head, the white clothing hadn’t registered. This was cosmic irony at its finest. My best friend and I work for rival firms. I’m pretty sure someone in administration is having a laugh over this.
“So … You’re an angel now?” I ask lamely.
She rolls her eyes. “You always did have a talent for pointing out the obvious. Now come on, let’s see that uniform! Who’s got your contract?”
I gulp. “I, uhh…” The last thing I want to do expose myself as a fledgling demon before my goody-two-shoes friend.
Luckily, at that moment, her pockets started to buzz. She fumbles around for a few seconds before retrieving a slim pink phone.
“This is Nicole,” she says into it, her tone suddenly business-like. She continues to listen for a few minutes before snapping the phone shut. “That was my boss,” she tells me, biting her lip. “They’re sending me out on my first assignment!” She stuffs the phone back into her jeans and begins to hunt for the rest of her things, the very picture of nervous excitement. Her face is flushed with pride and her movements are jerky. I stop her long enough to congratulate her and give her a hug. A few seconds later, she’s running out the door.

As I watch her go, I realize that there’s a knot of anxiety in the pit of my stomach. Angels and demons have always been rivals.

What will she think of me when I tell her?  

[KirbyVictorious]

o.o

Oooooooh.

Wasn't I in this story, somewhere? No, I was the one that lived.

.......right?  

[Voxxx]

You're listed in the backstory. You're the one that lives.  

[KirbyVictorious]

Oh yeah. :/