Winfrey really did enjoy party-planning, it was one of the few things in her life she took seriously. Because she sure as hell didn't take the mayhem she caused or the damage she inflicted with her antics seriously. She was pondering on this as she walked over to the orcs wearing black t-shirts and matching slacks holding a large black table. They were moving it into the club area.
"Then again Neither do any of my fellow gods for that matter. At least I can say I wasn't trying to be maliciou- hold up, before I even go there, let me think." She ended up getting accosted by intrusive thoughts and memories that distressed her greatly. She took out a flask from her suit jacket and drank the contents down in a hurry. It was a special brew she concocted that helped her repress those pesky memories. Healthy? No. Completely understandable? Well depends on your point of view.
"And my point of view is not thinking about things that will sends me into a state of sadness." Winfrey happily thought to herself as She instructed the orcs where to put the table for the DJs and then walked over and gave a pep talk to the twin succubus dancers. They were wearing skirt and bras made out of sequins and covered in body glitter. A succubus's skin colors ranges in various tones that you will find in a human to the more out there colors like light purple and dark red. They were both crimson. One of them look to be very nervous.
"Are you doing ok? Do you need some drinks?" She asked as she pulled something out of her right breast pocket that was located inside the jacket. There was multiple pockets inside that suit jacket of hers.
"Um thank you Goddess-" The succubus with the crimson skin and long amber colored hair was interrupted by Winfrey.
"Oh shush. Just call me Winfrey." She said happily.
"Thank you Winfrey but we can't get drunk before the performance." The twin sister of the amber haired succubus explained, her short green hair a contrast to her sister's longer hair.
Winfrey gasped.
"Why I never!" She claimed slowly placing the small bottles of tequila back in her pocket.
"You two seem to be nervous but don't be! I know you two will be just fine!"
"It just such a big event and what if i mess up?" The amber haired succubus asked of the Goddess.
"You won't mess up, you been practicing this for two months. If anyone going to mess up it going to be me." The green haired sister comforted her younger sibling.
Winfrey started humming a boy band song she heard on Earth.
"Don't say that! You going to be great!" The amber haired sister hyped up the older sibling who smiled.
"You both are going to be fine! Just rehearse a little and you two will get it no sweat. And even if you do screw up, It not like she going to break your spines."
They both gulped, the older sibling gripped the younger sister hand tight. They remember what happen to her last backup dancers.
"Listen up, you going to be dancing for The Swano Loxtia! So make sure you give it your all!" She finished as the colorful succubus dancers nodded and headed for the dressing room.
"It seems everything is going well." Dialoco said behind her, admiring her work.
"Oh this? It nothing, just wait till the party starts, Malakai almost done with the mecha-bouncers. He already fixed the effects machine, he even upgraded it! You haven't seen nothing yet." Winfrey said as Dialoco smiled widely, rubbing a hand through his smooth hair. His Golden goat pupils looking the alien sight of such a free spirit in a uniform that more suited for office work. But that what he loves about her, you never knew what to expect.
"If you don't mind me asking, how did you and Malakai meet? you two seem like the complete opposites yet i seemed to see you two together more often than not." Dialoco asked, perplexed.
Winfrey thought about it. The day she met him or more accurately the day they truly became friends, she was completely wasted (When was she not?) and was trying to pet a auburn colored fluffy cat that she been following for a minute and it jumped into Malakai's opened window. She look upon the seemingly futuristic abode of Malakai's house. He clearly liked chrome if the material of the house is anything to go by, but the inside was the complete opposite. It reminded the Goddess of a cozy, warm log cabin, it had a fireplace, a purple couch, the walls were made of sturdy wood. She remember being so amazed at the contrast when she first came to his house with Krania, the Goddess of War. For Krania it was to pick up some weapons, for Winfrey she was picking up a wine dispenser for a party she was organizing.
Now before this, she seen him around before, but interactions never went further than the usual greetings. She did know that Cheelege was his brother and she liked Cheelege, he really knew how to have fun and question your fragile reality. She also was glad to hear that he got with Thermes, her former lover and the Goddess of Death.
"Well, I was trying to pet a cat, but it jumped into his window, i went in afterwards and..." Then Winfrey remebered the rest. She was chasing the cat downstairs into his workshop. She heard sobbing, intense sobbing. The cat stopped in front of the scene that stood before her, thus allowing Winfrey was able to grab the cat.
She then saw him there on the ground, his face buried in his hands. His back against the cool metallic walls, if it wasn't for the lava flow in the back there would be no light. There was dark blood everywhere on the steel floor. It seemed to give off steam, there was something off about his usually mangled legs that was were misshaped and crooked. They weren't there at all, replaced by shiny metal ones. The sheer despair in his crying was enough to sober her a little bit. She saw his old legs, in the metal trashcan, sticking out like sore thumbs. The smell of metal and despair mingled into a unsettling concoction.
She didn't know what to do, so she went with her gut instinct. Haven't fail her so far. Except for all the times that it had but that not what important right now.
"Hey Malakai, look what i found." She said softly. Malakai was shocked out of his downward spiral into despair to see Winfrey walking up to him, a cat in her arms. Malakai didn't look her in the eyes, for he was ashamed of himself. He chopped off his legs, the legs his mother Eris said made him who he was, the legs she thought was so beautiful. She would be so disappointed in him.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
"It jumped into your open window, so you know i had to follow it." She said, trying to keep her voice upbeat. Malakai looked at the cat for what seem like an eternity. She nervously shifted on her feet, the cat look at Malakai with pity in her eyes.
She softly meowed at the broken God before her. For some reason this sadden Malakai greatly and he couldn't figure out why it did. He turn his attention to the patron saint of parties that stood before him, a awkward smile on her face as she did her best to remedy this situation, bless her heart for trying.
He had seen Winfrey around before. Honestly, he was envious of her. How can someone like her be so confident? So unburdened? Everything about her intrigued him to no end. Her personality, her happy attitude, on some shameful occasions he fantasized what it was like to be her, to have her confidence. She was proud and loved herself for who she is. That was something he couldn't achieve without the help of his mother Eris. He wishes he was more like Winfrey. More Like his brother, the cool and sly Cheelege. More Like his mother, the bombastic and mischievous Eris.
But how can he be? When he just his useless , ugly self who even Aphros couldn't find any reason to love him, not even physically. He looked toward Winfrey who was still smiling. His eyes move towards the cat with it purple eyes with yellow spirals. Maybe he just imagining things. Wouldn't be the first time.
"May...I hold it?" Malakai asked, his voice heavy.
"Of course you can." She said, gently putting the cats in his outstretched arms. The cat purred and snuggled into his chest as he brought it closer. It was strange, it was like this cat had some sort of healing effect.
"Let go upstairs. I imagine you don't want to be here anymore than i do." Malakai said, composing himself as he gently stroked the cat. He didn't want to be here anymore, wallowing in his despair. His failures sticking out like a sore thumb in the trash can not too far for him. The heavy air of his pathetic sadness threatened to choke him.
"Will you be able to stand?" Winfrey asked concerned.
Malakai smiled. Tears rolling down his face. It was time to pick himself up. Just like his brother always told him when their mother passed away for the first time.
"We can't wallow in despair forever, that no fun." Cheelege said with tears running down his face, yet his smile was still ever present.
"I might need some help." Malakai admitted.
Winfrey nodded. She extended her hand and He held onto to it, her grip was firm yet soft. With some difficulty, he managed to get up. Malakai stumbled quite a bit, trying to gain control over the "improvements" he made to himself. Winfrey guided him up the stairs, and they sat on the comfy black (Winfrey could swore on her life it was purple when she was saw it.) couch. It felt like another eternity had passed before Winfrey decided to break the spell of silence.
"So...you like to drink?" Winfrey asked, slowly pulling out a bottle of cinnamon whiskey.
"Well...I never drunk liquor before." Malakai admitted, kind of embarrassed. Although these past few weeks in general made him wished he had a bottle. Winfrey gasps in absolute horror. She jumped up and grabbed him by the shoulders.
"Do you have cups? DO YOU HAVE CUPS?!" Winfrey practically screamed at him, shaking his shoulders.
Malakai was scared, but answered her question.
"Yes, in the kitchen cabinet!" He said, hoping she will stop shaking him as he felt light-headed. She smiled widely, the cat jumped on the shoulder of Malakai and snuzzled into his neck.
"I'm going to get you so fucked up." She said excitedly, savoring each word.
Malakai nodded. Scared but curious.
"And that how we became friends!" Winfrey said happily, although she was confused at Dialoco's horrified expression.
"Oh snap did I say the fucked up part of the story out loud or was that part of the flashback?" Winfrey thought, the last thing she wanted was for people to think she was a sociopath who just casually mentions her friend cutting his legs off.
"Not like they would be far off though." A voice said in her head before she smothered it.
"Now, looking back on it, maybe it wasn't the best idea to soothe Malakai's sorrows with liquor." She thought to herself, he came up with the plan to get revenge on Aphros and she was cheering him on, completely validating his ideals. But the more she thinks about it, any other God would've did the same, maybe even worse. Well nobody died, so it all good.
"Gods, I had no idea. I hope he alright now." Dialoco said, he remembered the story of Aphros and Malakai dating and wondered if the the two incidents are related.
"Listen, when you see him, don't tell him i told you the story of how we met." Winfrey pleaded.
"N-no need, I've been standing here for quite s-some time now." They both heard Malakai said awkwardly. They both turn around. Malakai was standing there, dressed in his orange suit, but there was a equally orange hood attached to it, covering his face completely.
Winfrey paled.
"Malakai I-" She started to apologize but got cut off by the God of Blacksmithing.
"It alright Winfrey, I made a mistake, now I have to live with it." He explained, Winfrey nodded, still feeling bad for exposing him like that. Malakai hoped that she didn't feel bad about what she said, it needed to come out. Not like it would damage his reputation further, he was already a joke in the eyes of many. But it was because of her that he started to claw out of the hole of despair he found himself in. And for that he will be eternally grateful to the Goddess of Wine.
Behind him stood the ten mecha-bouncers, all of them a sleek sliver color, their fine armor were made to look like fine suits, they stood at 6'ft tall and they had blue glowing eyes.
Dialoco and Winfrey was impressed. How did they not noticed the bouncers walking up?
Malakai seemed to read their minds because the next thing he said was this.
"I-I powered them with shadow dust, that why you didn't hear them, You have my friend Jag to thank for that." Malakai explained.
Dialoco nodded, shadow dust. It was a really expensive, if not useful tool for infiltration, assassinations and other equally questionable activities.
Not that he would know of course.
Winfrey gasped in surprise.
"Wait those metal assistants you be having help around the workshop? They're also your friends?" Winfrey questioned as Malakai winced, preparing for ridicule. Just like with Apollo, Aphros, and Krania when they found out.
"That so freaking adorable!" Winfrey exclaimed, surprising Malakai and making him stutter even worse.
"Th-thank y-you." he said, rubbing the back of his head and proceeds to talk to the mecha-bouncers and inform them on what to do. Winfrey saw the wide smile on his face and grinned.
Dialoco found it more sad than adorable, but he was one to talk, considering he been alone for the past five years now. But tonight wasn't about him. Tonight was about good music, drinking until you can't feel anymore, and having a good time.
"Welp Dialoco, I have to prepare my famous mix, I see you tonight!" Winfrey said as she skipped to the kitchen, where the finest chefs make their magic happened.
Dialoco listen to the crowd that was currently on the dance floor, despite him and the two gods being in the private section upstairs and the fact it only 6 P.M , he could still hear the crowd from down there. A harmony of cheers and shouting brings a joy to his heart.
Winfrey skipped into the kitchen, she saw Orcs cutting meats to Elves seasoning it right after, a man with bear ears and a large nose with a massive frame walked up to her and bared his teeth in a ear to ear smile. Winfrey saw that he was wearing a chef outfit. Winfrey deduced that he made a deal with a bear familiar.
"Well if isn't the Goddess of Wine herself, Here to brew up that special batch?" The Man said exuberantly.
"You bet Harbodale! This shit will get you fucked up beyond that of your usual blackout drunkenness. In fact trying to drink it in one sitting will make your liver explodes." Winfrey said confidently as Harbodale just laughed.
"That sound horrible! I Like it!" He said excitedly.
Winfrey did a bow.
"I live to please! Now can you show me to the mixer?" She sked.
"For the notorious Winfrey? Anything for you!" Harbodale said as he guided her to the mixer. Winfrey had a rueful smile on her face, he couldn't see it but anybody who knows Winfrey know that she hated the idea of being notorious.
"But not like I didn't have it coming." She thought to herself sadly as she begin to prepare the drink.