I don't own DC or a Christmas Carol… wait, that's public domain anyway…
Marley was dead, to her mostly… What possessed her to trust that guy in the first place? She'll never know… Okay, that's not true. She was Orders, she knew everything, what was her problem was that she trusted Jessica when she made the pitch. She made such a compelling argument, it was hard not to listen to her when she was so excited…
But that was then. This was now. And now Orders was sitting in her comfy chair in her warm bathrobe… she kinda liked the cold. Something about it soothed her nearly consistently raging headaches. There was a chill in the air and a fog on the ground outside her comfy home… and for once in a long while, it wasn't become some mystical bullshit or a semi-justifiably angry at the world freeze doctor… It was because it was Christmas… Orders closed the restaurant, but currently it was open as the girls were having their own little party…
Orders sighed audibly, purple eyes closed, brain throbbing PAINFULLY… almost in rhythm with Darcy's descent down the stairs. "I'm off to the party, Mother." She declared as Orders raised her hand, and waved her away. "See you in approximately-"
"Just GO Darcy." Orders said coolly, rubbing her head as Darcy stared at her. "And turn off the light as you go." For the first time in a long time, Darcy didn't immediately obey her mother. But after a second, she finally reached for the light by the door and flicked it off. Their eyes glowed in the dark as with a SNAP a tiny flame illuminated Orders' moderately attractive face as she lit an old-fashioned candle in a silver candle pan.
"...Mother, where did you get that?" she asked in the low light as Orders waved out the match she used and tossed it into the candle pan. "It looks like it came right out of a Victorian era Stage production."
"Darcy." She said firmly as Darcy actually SIGHED.
"Yes, Mother." She said before opening the door, the chill wind, thick fog, and slight coat of snow on the ground, ahead of her, the Gynoid promptly stepped outside and shut the door as Orders went back to her humbuggy sulking by candlelight.
Time passed, Orders remained unmoving, the candle melted lower, and lower… clink… clink. Orders Purple eyes flashed open in the rapidly dimming candlelight. Clink. Clink… clink. The strange sound echoed from somewhere in the house… Clink. Clink…
"Oh God damn it." She sighed audibly… Clink. Clink. "…I wear the chain I forged in life," Orders announced to her 'empty' house. "I made it link by link, and yard by yard; I girded it on of my own free will, and of my own free will I wore it…" There was something just out of range of the candlelight… a rather antique-looking pair of boots stepped toward her.
CLINK. CLINK.
He was tall, and paunchy, with his arms and legs long and thin with spindly strangling fingers that hung clawed at the side of his Victorian trousers and waistcoat… he was bound, and chained with cashboxes, keys, padlocks, ledgers, deeds, and heavy purses wrought in steel dragging behind him. "That better not scratch my flooring." She said bluntly as the gaunt specter before her stared into her purple eyes with blank ones of his own.
"Cassandra Morrigan." Her eyes flashed, "I come to give you a warning-"
"Can we skip this part?" she asked, and the ghost hesitated, frowning at her.
"…Pardon?"
"I'll be visited tonight by three spirits blah-blah…" she sighed audibly, "…Can we skip it? I have plans." She declared dismissively.
"Your immortal soul-" he began.
"Has a reserved spot in the circle of greed." She said calmly, "Or so I'm told CONSTANTLY. I know the routine, Jacob Marley." He seemed to hesitate, and his hand lowered.
"…I take it you've read Dickens?" Orders nodded slowly, looking bored.
"…Would it surprise you to know I've been expecting this for YEARS." She replied as the corner of his lips, previously locked jawed in a deep, depressing frown, twitched slightly. "Seriously. Can we skip this part?" Jacob Marley hesitated before replying gauntly.
"…I usually have ample time to haunt you, before I must continue my wandering…" he said as Orders shrugged.
"…Then you can take a break." She said, gesturing to her couch, "Have a seat." Jacob Marley stared at her before shuffling to the couch. CLINK. CLINK… and soundlessly sitting down.
"…I cannot recall sitting down for almost 200 years." He said hauntingly as Orders sighed.
"…So… what?" she asked, glancing at him. "…You just herald the ghosts now?"
"They call upon me when one does not have a significant relation to make the warning." He said, turning his blank stare onto her. "It breaks the tedium of endless wallowing."
"Sounds like a good deal." She said sarcastically as he stared at her silently. "…What?"
"You are… quite steeled." He said as she scoffed.
"You are FAR from the scariest thing I deal with daily." She said tiredly, "I have to deal with Veronica Morehead." After another minute of silence, she sighed audibly. "WHAT?"
"The fact that I am the one to deliver you the warning… is not a good sign for you." He said as she eyed him. "It is implied that no one among the dead, care enough to speak."
"Or it implies that all the people I do, or don't care about, the ones that actually MATTER, are still alive." Jacob Marley nodded slowly, conceding the point. "For fucks sake I'd thought I'd be geriatric when those three got around to preaching at me. Not like they gave me a lot of time to develop relationships…" Jacob Marley just sat; the chains bound to his body moved more than he did, clinking on the floor. "Next time you see them, tell them to hurry this shit up."
"…I will pass along your complaints," Jacob said, standing slowly and floating towards the front door, his chains rattling irritatingly as Orders sighed. "For what the words of a tortured soul are worth, Cassandra Morrigan." Jacob Marley began, "…I do hope you redeem yourself."
"Orders." She said as Jacob Marley stared.
"Pardon/"
"Orders." She repeated, "I prefer that monicker to the name Cassandra Morrigan." Jacob Marley stared into her purple eyes, piercing into her very soul… she didn't even flinch.
"I stand by what I said. Cassandra."
"You're lucky you're already dead." She noted with a twitch of her own lips as the door flew open and the wailing of hundreds of tortured souls screamed in dismay. Howling Lamentations of the dead, crying out for penance… damned and bound of tortured soul, screaming apologies or curses, but mostly apologies as Orders rubbed her head in ECHOING irritation.
"Stop! She already knows!" Jacob said, and collectively the wailing stopped. "She knows." He repeated, before he flew out of the house, the door slamming behind him as if a sudden vacuum slurped him out. The cries of the damned didn't exactly fade, but instead of wailing horror and regret, there was only now that of dismay.
"Oh, come on, this is literally the highlight of my afterlife!"
Orders rolled her purple eyes, picked up the candle, and blew. "PHEW!" snuffing the light.
…
The First Ghost
The house of Orders was pitch black darkness… until something bright flickered past the windows of the upstairs room. The will-o'-wisp floating light, which was outside, appeared at the top of the stairs, before travelling from room to room, and then-
"Down here." Orders' voice echoed from her chair, and the ball of blinding light hovered out of her room and floated down the stairs as Orders opened her purple eyes, glowing in the dark as the light floated towards her. "…I don't suppose I can save you time and tell you I'm well aware of my childhood?... also, turn it down, will you?"
The light floated for a minute, then dimmed… a small sprite-like being appeared… it wore a pure white night gown, its tiny, adorable feet kicking in the air as if swimming. It's tiny androgenous head, though in Orders' opinion it looked like a girl, had hair of literal but softly flowing fire… giving the sprite the appearance of an anthropomorphic candle.
"Cassandra Morrigan." It said in a sweet youth voice. "I have-"
"Can we HURRY THIS UP?" Orders said stubbornly, as the tiny child sprite ghost thing floated in front of her. "…Seriously. The less time I see my parents, the better."
"You cannot rush this Cassandra Morrigan-"
"STOP. CALLING me that." She said coldly, "Orders."
The ghost of Christmas past seemed unaffected by Orders' malice, "I am but the messenger, I cannot change your past or-"
"You are not listening to me. I DO NOT care." Orders said viciously, "I WANT to get this over with." Orders sighed audibly and stood up, holding out her hand. "Let's go." The tiny ghost reached out with its nightgown sleeve, no hand, letting Orders grab onto it as the Ghost then lifted them both into the air, together as if weightless. FLEW out the closest window as it opened on its own, and slammed shut behind them.
Once they were out of foggy, snowy Gotham, the stars flickered rapidly overhead, spinning as the Ghost of Christmas past, flew them to the past… and not just anywhere. Orders closed her purple eyes, and when she finally opened them… she was in a far too familiar room. It was BURNED into her mind as she audibly sighed, staring at the occupant of the hospital bed.
…Because it was her at 8 years old. Staring blankly at the ceiling, and deeply thinking about what she should do as the man outside her door hissed into his cheap burner phone, telling her mother to bet on a specific horse, sports time, and dog.
"This is-"
"The moment I disowned my parents, abandoned them, and found my way to a sorcerer in the middle of the desert to send me to Gotham." Orders' sharp purple eyes flickered to her hostage taker. "Can we GO now. I KNOW what happens."
The tiny version of Orders abruptly sat up, she said nothing, looking around the room as her 'father' or the man that used to be her father, left her door. Leaving her even more alone than before after a catastrophically bad headache. She unplugged herself, hopping down from the bed, before making her way to the window… looking outside and leaping out of it. Hospital gown and all. Landing in a tree, leaping down further before climbing in the back of a specific Traverse truck as an older man followed out soon after, got into the driver's seat, and drove off.
"But you see. You are unaware of what happened after you ran away from your father." The ghost said as Orders rolled her eyes, and tried very hard not to SMACK the stupid ghost in the face. "You brought unending trouble to them." She said as her 'father' returned, looked at the empty bed, and panicked, desperately looking around the room before plucking the burner phone from his pocket. "See how panicked he is? How-"
"SHE's gone!" he gasped into her phone as Orders blankly watched him panic. "She's gone! What are we going to do?"
"You should embrace your past, and forgive your-" but Orders held up a finger, looked the ghost DEAD in the eye, and pointed.
"Of COURSE I don't know where she is! What do you think is going to happen if we don't have her to make our MONEY!?" he snarled as the Ghost blinked. "Okay… okay, this is what we do after we win: we head to Central City. There's bound to be a few schmucks we can convince to invest in us-"
Orders didn't even register the ghosts' pure and utter bafflement as her former 'father' proceeded to scheme with her former 'mother'. However, as he rushed out of the hospital room, coldly declaring 'At least we don't have to pay for her hospital stay' Orders said, in the COLDEST voice she could manage. "Can we GO now?"
"That… should not have happened." The ghost said, almost confused as Orders stared at her.
"…Some people are assholes for no reason. Like my parents. Others become assholes because of those assholes… and in the end. Perspective is what is needed…" Orders stared at her. "Now, can we GO?" The ghost flickered and so did the hospital room… but when the world came back into focus. Orders blinked around, and her cranky scowl lessened a little as she stared at the new bed…
It was her younger self, a couple of years older. She was reading numerous business books, from 'Business for Dummies' to advanced employee relations, and you. Orders said nothing, watching herself read in her bed as she sighed and rolled her purple eyes.
"…Perhaps this one will help you change for the better." The Ghost said thoughtfully, completely ignoring the recent trauma as her door knocked.
"My little Oracle." The door opened, and her mama, several years younger and still just as gorgeous, entered the room, glamorously dressed in red and green, and a piece of mistletoe in her dark hair as her beautiful ebony skin glistened in the light of the bedroom. "Cassie? Candice said You're not coming out of your room?"
"I'm busy, Mama." She said, reading her book as Mama sighed, and promptly walked into the room. Sitting on the bed and reading over the younger Orders' shoulder quietly, until Orders turned the pages to the next chapter. And Mama snatched the book from her hand. "Ah!"
"My Little Oracle." She said fondly, marking her page and putting the book down. "I want you to come downstairs and join the party."
"But Mama-" Orders said, sounding desperate, but the woman sat back down and pulled Orders into a hug, burying her face into her chest and squeezing.
"You CAN NOT just turn yourself into a business phenom overnight, my Oracle." She said, "…And I don't want you to stay up here alone." Orders frowned as Mama pulled away, then smiled as Orders sheepishly looked away.
"…They don't really want me there."
"Bullshit. Who told you that? I want you there. Candice wants you there. Misha, Clara, Jojo, Francine…" Mama scowled, "My little Oracle. That is just not true." She kissed her forehead again, leaving a bright green lipstick print on her brow as she stood up, collected the business books, and promptly shoved them all haphazardly onto Orders' bookshelf. "But if you INSIST on being a party-less scrooge." She plucked an old, weathered edition of A Christmas Carol from the shelf and handed it back to Orders. "Then you're going to read about him, instead of those boring business books." She said, "Whatever you need to learn about business, you come to Mama. Mama's orders." She said proudly, "And I'm going to be just downstairs at the party…"
She blew Orders a kiss, "I hope to see you there, my Little Oracle." She said, before leaving Orders on her bed, and opening the old book…
"…That was surprisingly more wholesome than a brothel madam should have been." The spirit said, surprised, and Orders turned on the little sprite, her eyes flashing angrily. "All things considered, I expected the whore monger to-EEP!" Orders was already lashing out to grab the sprite ghost before it could even finish.
"DON'T YOU SHOW MY MAMA DISRESPECT." Her purple eyes BURNED with fury as the tinier Orders marked at least 10 pages in the book, before leaping from her bed and rushing to the door, ready to join the party. "You keep your filthy opinions about my Mama out of your FUCKING mouth!" shaking the little sprit, "My Mama is a SAINT you little-"
The sprite screamed in terror and suddenly, in a blinding flash. Orders shot upright in her chair, gasping as if she had a nightmare, but it was just pure fury as she looked around in anger, then roared. "COWARD!" she scowled and slumped into her chair, rubbing her forehead. "Talking shit about my Mama." She growled spitefully and sighed loudly. "NEXT."
…
The Second Ghost
With an EXPLOSION of light and joy, Orders actually jumped, glancing around as her room was filled with scrumptious foods. "Ho-Ho-Ho!" jovial laughter echoed in her house as she groaned. Orders just sighed and looked upward, filling her tiny house with bulk and jovial giant laughter. She stared up at the personification of Christmas Present, who was essentially Santa Claus… or perhaps the modern interpretation of Santa Claus was based on Christmas Present?
Well, it didn't really matter ALL that much; what DID matter was that Orders was currently buried in food, and the giant filling her house looked rather awkwardly crunched up against the roof. She blew a puff of whipped cream near her face, away from her face, and glared up at him. "Will you SHRINK already?"
The jolly giant wearing a wreath as a crown and a green robe of stars, he plucked a honey-glazed ham from a nearby table of Christmas dinner and shoved the whole thing into his mouth, before shrinking in size from a house-sized man to a towering 7-foot-tall lumberjack. "Ho-Ho-Ho!" he chuckled jovially. Or Santa… also Santa.
"Get me out of this pile of food, before I start throwing it at you." Orders ordered, her purple eyes positively glowing with repressed rage as the former Giant easily reached into the pile of scrumptious food, grabbed Orders in a powerful fist, and yanked her from the pile, all the food crashing to the floor as she stared down at it.
"There now. No harm done!" he said happily with a twinkle in his eyes and a smile under his bushy red beard.
"Someone is cleaning this shit up, and it won't be me, OR Darcy…" she said, but the Ghost of Christmas, spilled food everywhere, just chuckled and wrapped his arm around hers and began leading her away. "I'm fucking serious. Someone other than me or Darcy is cleaning that shit up."
"Never mind that smorgasbord! Let's go and see what you're missing out on!" Orders groaned as the giant man's aura kept her warm and led her through the fog… until a familiar neon sign appeared before her, which was odd since they had only walked in a straight line. Her house and Superbabes both faced southward… so seeing the front of the store was chalked up to mystical Christmas magic.
Orders scowled as she viewed the front window and saw probably half the delivery girl staff. The ones who haven't left Gotham for the holidays. Maria, Zoey, Sierra, Jackie, and Tom, that lucky bastard, Lucia, Lori, Jae-Hwa… literally half the delivery girl staff as they ate food cooked by Luke 'Rock-a-Bye' Ryback, stoically cooking in the kitchen.
"They appear to be having a good time without you." The jovial Santa expy said as Orders gave him a cool side-eye, trying to figure out if he was serious or not. "If you weren't such a greedy miser, you could have-" he hesitated, and looked around, wondering where she had gone, only to find her walking in through the back door. He stroked his beard thoughtfully and followed her in.
"DARCY!!" cheered Jenny, swinging an arm around the Gynoid's waist as she couldn't, currently, reach her shoulders. She had lost her shoes playing strip poker with Demona, Ashley, Tasha, and Bessie. "Where is that purple-eyed bitch?" Orders glared at her but said nothing; the busty blonde was CLEARLY drunk.
"Mother is currently at home," Darcy replied casually as Jenny laughed.
"Being all Scroogey the miser." Orders rolled her purple eyes, and walked over to her counter, and was about to sit down… but with a flicker of her eyes, she stopped herself. She would've flopped right through… so she was going to have to stand through this garbage.
"Ho-Ho… quiet the party." The Ghost of Christmas Present walked through the wall, holding an entire pizza, cramming it into his mouth as she frowned at him.
"You'd better have paid for that."
"We're here to deal with your miserly ways and greed! Be generous!"
"Generous? Are you…" she stared at him. "Do you really have no idea who you're talking to?"
"Cassandra Morrigan." He said, hands in his belt and grinning as she stared at him indignantly.
"Oh, you're going to be CUTE." She snarled sarcastically, only to be interrupted by Veronica as she stormed through Orders with a Santa sack over her shoulder. Orders shuddered, suddenly feeling dirty even in corporeal Christmas magic mode. "Ugh…"
"Okay, ladies!!" cheered Veroncia, slamming the sack onto Orders counter. "I have presents!"
"Oh, good god." Alice groaned, "V? Seriously." She put her cards down. "Come on, we're here to have fun."
"It is a very Rare occasion when that purple-eyed Harpy lets us have any fun without charging us for it." Demona smiled, hiding her lips with her own cards. Veronica, however, ignored them and reached into the sack.
"You know how Orders doesn't do Employees of the Month? Well, now we do!"
She yanked what appeared to be a little sign-like plaque that said 'Employee of the month' before hanging it over her neck and smiling as it bounced on her breath. "Since it was my idea, I get to wear it first."
"Booooo!" the girls bemoaned, however they did give her their full attention as she reached in again.
"Ah! And here we have the award for the Best Ass in Gotham!" she said, holding up not a hanging sign, but a belt of some sort with a Superman 'S' as the buckle, but on the back was emblazoned in gold lettering 'Best ass in Gotham.'
"HAAA." Tasha immediately stood up before Veronica could even announce the winner, as she danced around the counter to wrap the belt around Tasha's waist, as the girls hooted and cheered her 'victory'. Tasha waved her hands, "Thank you! Thank you!" she said, waving sarcastically, shaking the best ass belt as she danced away back to the poker table.
"And the NEXT award-" Veronica went back to the sack, and pulled out a similar but smaller belt with silver letting. 'Second Best ass in Gotham' "Goes to Jae-Hwa!"
"Fuck off…" Jae-Hwa groaned tiredly, but was laughing as Lori snapped back cheekily.
"Recount! I demand a recount!"
"You can have it," Jae-Hwa replied, but the other girls around her pushed her towards Veronica. "Alright! Alright. Fuck…" She begrudgingly accepted, but laughed as the Super Slut, as she put it on her. She and Tasha then posed side by side, letting the girls take pictures of the first and second Best asses in Gotham.
Veronica clapped before grabbing the sack again and reaching in. "Okay! Next up is Softest Boobies! And that goes tooooo!" She pulled out a medium-sized trophy. "Sierra!" the busty blonde laughed and jiggled up to the counter as Veronica presented her the trophy.
"I didn't even know I was in the running!" she joked, "Tom! Look! I'm the softest!" She then jiggled back to her boyfriend as Veronica went back to her sack.
"Most Huggable goes to Grace!" she said as the girls started cheering now, treating this as actual awards as Grace walked up to the counter and Veronica presented a large comfy sweater that said 'Hug me' on the front.
"Awe…" Grace chuckled before immediately putting it on and was immediately tackled by Zoey and Brielle, squeezing her as she laughed.
"And Biggest Titties go to Bessie!" Veronica produced what appeared to be a golden jacket with 'HUGE' on the front of it in glittery silver.
"No-NO!" Bessie groaned, but she was pushed to the front, as she groaned and put the jacket on… "It doesn't even fit…" she said as the HU and GE refused to close and form the word properly, her massive breasts framed by the jacket as Veronica just smiled and hugged her, resting her face in Bessie's tits and snuggling lovingly as the 'biggest' Delivery Girl rolled her eyes.
"That's how you know it's true!" Bessie, surprisingly, took it in good spirits as Veronica smiled and pulled away. "And last but not least. The award for Bestest Best Friend Ever goes to ALICE!!" she cheered, clapping loudly as her Big Titty Goth Best friend scowled at her.
"Fuck." She got up and slumped up to the counter, but she ODDLY… seemed rather flattered as Veronica reached into the sack and pulled out… a Dakimakura of Veronica… with an Alice-approved Dildo attached to it. "OH what the FUCK V?" Alice groaned as everyone laughed good-naturedly. But Veronica put the pillow down and gave an annoyed Alice a tight hug that, oddly enough, Alice returned… reluctant or otherwise. It was Christmas, she'll let it slide…
The Ghost of Christmas Present seemed somewhat confused, but then Veronica pulled away. "I had an award for Orders, but she's not here yet."
"Mother is at home." Darcy said cryptically, "I will take the award for her." She added rather diplomatically
"It's not the same unless she's here herself to retrieve it," Veronica said, pouting as Alice sighed, while stuffing the Veronica Dildo Dakimakura pillow back into the sack.
"Just let Darcy take it. Orders probably isn't coming."
"Don't say that you'll jinx it!" Veronica said as Orders herself watched the scene descend into minor Chaos as she sighed, and promptly turned to walk through the wall back into the snow as the Ghost of Christmas Present did a double take, realizing Orders was leaving.
"Are we done here?" Orders said coldly as she walked through the snow in the direction that would NORMALLY lead to her home.
"You see your fellows enjoying their time, and yet you wallow in your home and stew in loneliness! Would it be so difficult to embrace them?"
Orders, however, stopped walking and turned to him. An eyebrow cocked over a glowing purple eye as she stared at the Ghost; his beard was greying as she frowned at him. "…Are you serious right now?" she asked bluntly, turning to face him now and scowling. "…You're lecturing me because I'm not at the party?" The Ghost frowned sadly as she narrowed her eyes. "…Oh my god, you have no idea, do you?" she said harshly as she groaned in frustration. "Do me a favor, spirit." She said harshly. "Tell the third one to hurry it up." And she turned again, walking away from the rapidly aging ghost, vanishing in the fog… briefly. Before suddenly finding herself back in her home. She stared at the dark, cold home before promptly turning to sit back in her chair… rubbing her forehead. "…Idiots." She scoffed.
…
The Third Ghost.
Orders stared at the ceiling, waiting… and waiting, ignoring the low fog seeping through every crack and crevasse of her house. It was oddly different from the Gotham fog outside, though at first glance there wasn't a visual difference…
Orders didn't move, however, even as the inside of her house basically became the outside of it. She sighed, audibly, not even acknowledging the appearance of a black-robed… thing. Standing in the fog, watching her sitting in the chair. No hands. No feet. No Face. Unnervingly tall and thin, the jet black burlap hooded robe stared at her from her hallway as she stared at the ceiling.
After an uncomfortably long silence, Orders took a breath, "You might be my favorite… because traditionally you DON'T TALK." The spirit of Christmases yet to come just stood imposingly as she slapped the chair arms and pushed herself out of it. "Alright, let's get this over with." She walked up to the robed figure, the empty hood stared into her purple eyes before it turned around and gestured for her to follow him with a swish of its right robe arm…
They walked to the backdoor of her house, and opened it, stepping outside… but then inside to a semi-unfamiliar apartment viewing a futuristic City in the distance, flying cars sped by as she glanced around distinterestedly… in the middle of the fancy room they walked into, there was a large poker table… behind the poker table was a large shelf FILLED with painted Warmechs and a door next to it opened and out walked Darcy.
She looked exactly the same, and considering she was a gynoid, that wasn't surprising. Her hair was shorter, though, that was nice. She casually checked her watch, frowned, then went to the kitchen just as a door literally appeared and opened.
"Hello Darcy!!" Arwa swung the door open and skipped inside, smiling at the Gynoid and ALSO looking no different. "Am I late?"
"You're early, Arwa," Darcy said with a very human smile.
"Oh? That's odd." Arwa frowned, "Well, do you need help with anything?"
"No, I'm fine. I'm just making tea. Would you like some or perhaps another drink?"
"Please! Surprise me." Arwa said sweetly, taking a seat at the poker table as Darcy returned with a bottle of champagne and a glass. "Oooh. Good choice."
WHOOSH! The window suddenly opened, and the roar of air outside was drowned out by the demonic form of Demona as she slipped into the house. "Hello, Dee," Darcy said as the blue demoness stretched her black wings and shut the window.
"Hello, Darcy." She said politely, before sitting next to Arwa. "Arwa, how are the kids?"
"Oh, they're doing great!" she said happily, "Want to see pictures?"
"Not remotely," Demona said, but smiled sweetly at her… it was unnerving. Arwa frowned at her, and she sighed resignedly, "…You can show me later."
"Good," Arwa said, smiling again. "How's hell?"
"Hellish." Demona shrugged, "Honestly, no idea. Haven't been back in a while, I've been spending most of my time in Gotham Heights…."
"OOooooh." Arwa said cheekily as Demona rolled her eyes again, "Should I ask about YOUR kids?"
"Shut up, you horny djinn." The demoness replied coolly, picking up the cards and shuffling, "Are we expecting anyone else?"
"Lori's off-world." Darcy said, "She's spending time with Herman and Ukyo."
"Jane?" asked Arwa as Darcy shook her head.
"Spending it with family." She said, "She'll come next week. Everyone else I asked was too busy." There was then a knock at the door and, after a moment of hesitation, they all said together.
"SUPERBABES!" the door hissed open, and an older woman, full of grace and dignity, entered confidently, her purple eyes flicked at them… and a small smile stretched across her face.
"Ladies." She said coolly, as Orders watched herself sit at the poker table.
"Welcome home, Mother," Darcy said with a smile as Orders smiled at her.
"Thank you, Darcy, sit." She then smiled at her fellow table members. "Usual rules?" she said as Arwa promptly SNAPPED her fingers, and Older Orders sighed in obvious relief, "…Ha… Thank you, Arwa." She said as Arwa smiled back.
"Of course, master. My pleasure."
"Stops you from cheating…" Demona noted, dealing cards. "You purple-eyed harpy."
"You both don't need to call me that anymore." Older Orders said, picking up her cards.
"Maybe I want to," Arwa said silkily, with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes as Demona replied coldly.
"I certainly do. Darcy, are you playing?"
"Yes." Darcy said, walking through what appeared to be a sort of magical field, sitting down at the table, and handing Older Orders a cup of tea in a 'World's Best Boss' Mug, just as what appeared to be a futuristic Batmobile flew by.
"Thank you, Darcy…" Orders said, and paused after seeing the Batmobile, before speaking again. "Excuse me for a moment." She then raised her hand and seemingly at random flipped off the Ghost of Christmases yet to come.
The Ghost seemed surprised, and, almost humorously for an ominous spirit, began to shift himself, but the middle finger followed him. Younger Orders watched him stoically, her lips twitching, "Oh, this is fucking funny."
"What the bloody hell are you doing?" Demona asked bluntly.
"Mother, are you finally going senile?" Darcy noted, concernedly, but Older Orders shook her head.
"No, Darcy. I am flipping off the Ghost of Christmases yet to come." Orders said coolly as Demona suddenly perked up and laughed.
"Oh, is that TONIGHT's Christmas?!" she laughed raucously. "Oh Hells BELLS I remember that!" she kept chortling happily as the Ghost of Christmases yet to come turned to younger orders… and if they had a face it would be one of utter confusion. "Bloody funny."
"Catching ON yet?" Younger Orders asked as the Ghost just froze.
"You need to explain it. They're slow on the uptake." Older Orders said, as Darcy sighed softly.
"It's times like this, Mother, that make me truly dislike the supernatural." But Arwa hugged her, and it made the beautiful gynoid smile.
"But I still love you, Darcy!"
"Yes, yes, let go." She said with an oddly Orders' like mannerism, and it was then that the ghost of past, and present, now an older man, appeared, and Orders' future house vanished, and the current one appeared around them. The Younger Orders sighed almost in relief, then glared at them.
"SIT. DOWN." She ordered as the Ghosts seemed somewhat nervous.
"You can't just command-" Began Present, but Orders glared.
"SIIIIIIIT." She hissed, enunciating her T and glaring at them with burning, purple-eyed fury.
The Ghosts of Christmases sat on her couch as she glared at them. Like she would when any Superbabe SEVERELY Disappointed her. "Now that we have gotten through this COLOSSAL waste of time. Let me make something apparent, to ALL of you." She said, gesturing to them as they fidgeted. "Number 1. I… am. CLAIR-VOYENT!" she shouted as they flinched, "I can SEE the future. I've SEEN the future. More TIMES then you've seen OTHER peoples." The squirmed uncomfortably. "Now… would you like to know the reason why my past, my present, AND my future are not as bad as you made them out to be? Because at the end of the day, I am NOT Ebenezer Scrooge."
Past tried to speak, but Orders, like a stern mother, held up her finger. "No. I am TALKING." Her purple eyes flashed, and the spritely specter went silent. "I am Greedy." She said, "I am so fucking greedy. I have a reserved spot in the Circle of GREED." She said, hissing the word. "But the big fucking difference between MY greed and Scrooge's greed. Is that I USE my greed to benefit those around me. Which, if you IDIOTS actually paid attention, rather than preach, would know that."
"My girls are the highest paid and most well taken care of employees in Gotham. ALL of Gotham. I give them benefits, paid time off, I cover their medical, insurance, and, god forbid, if they get pregnant, maternity leave. I don't shove my money in a vault somewhere or pour it into my pool so I can swim with it. That money goes to my girls, it goes to my Mama. My surrogate sisters. It goes to DARCY!" she said irately as she suddenly picked up a Christmas present, a big one, that said from 'Mother' to Darcy. She tossed it onto her chair.
"I am Greedy because of my past." She snarled at the sprite. "And I saw what endless greed did to my parents, but they were WASTEFUL and STUPID." She snarled the words at Past before turning on Present. "I take care of my girls, because the world around them would NOT accept them anywhere else. They would SHUN them, THROW THEM ASIDE! Offer to protect them and then ignore them the SECOND they are themselves." Present shrank nervously into the couch, trying not to wet himself. "I secure the Future for THEM." Turning on Future, who was… mostly unresponsive. "Their children, and their lives. Because they're not going to be so fucking PRETTY forever!"
…Most of them anyway.
"I am content in my greed, not just because of money bringing me joy. But because to IGNORE it would be so much fucking worse for me and everyone else if I WASN'T. You. IDIOTS… Wasted THREE hours of my time…" Orders replied, "And I want to know. WHY?" she glowered at them, and they were silent.
But slowly, Present and Future turned to Past, who flinched nervously as Orders' purple eyes lingered on her. "…We received an… anonymous tip." She said, "That you needed a bit of Christmas spirit-"
"…And did any of you CONFIRM the tip before bothering me?" They fidgeted and squirmed uncomfortably. She then paused her rage. "…Who could even SUBMIT an anonymous tip-" she paused. "…Someone supernatural who knows me." She sighed again, then eyed the spirits. "Get out." She said bluntly, "Go home. Wherever, I'm late for the party." She glowered at Present, who flinched again, "Which FOR THE RECORD. Before I knew you IDIOTS were coming, I was going. To. ANYWAY!" She then gestured around. "There better not be a SPECK of supernatural gunk in this house when I get back." She snapped, before grabbing her coat, swinging it over her body. "Happy. FUCKING. Holidays." She sneered before opening the door and slamming it shut behind her.
The Ghosts sat on her couch, and Present nervously rubbed his hands. "So… we need to stop taking anonymous tips?" Past nodded.
"…Yes, I think so." They then looked at Future, who was somehow holding a broom and dustpan, staring blankly at them as Present shivered uncertainly.
"…She IS very scary," he agreed with the silent Future.
…
Time: 12:01 AM. Place: Gotham (Superbabes)
"Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas!!" cheered Veronica, "Hanukkah! And Kwanza!" bouncing around with mistletoe over her head and kissing girl after girl on the cheek as they laughed, drank, ate, and cheered as Orders finally walked in through the back door.
"ORDERS!!" they cheered at her in greeting as she sighed, shut the back door, and gave them all a smile.
"Sorry, I'm late." She said, still a little humbuggy as Veronica clapped and approached her happily, "Kiss me and no delivery shifts for a week." Veronica skidded to a stop and removed the mistletoe over her head.
"…It's Christmas." She replied with a smile, "Oh!" She then grabbed Orders by the hand and dragged her to the mostly empty sack. "I got you a present!"
"I know." Orders said, but then Veronica reached into the sack and pulled out a mug.
World's Best Boss was stamped on the cup in purple lettering on white ceramic. Veronica, with as much innocence as a woman who's suck more cocks than an entire company of gay male pornstars could manage. Handed Orders the mug as she looked at it… and gave Veronica a warm smile.
"Thank you, Veronica." She said, which actually STUNNED the sexy redhead. "Darcy."
"Yes, Mother?" Darcy replied, already beside her and answering robotically.
"…Make me a cup of tea, please." She said, handing Darcy the mug. "In this."
"Yes, Mother," Darcy said as Veronica looked teary-eyed. Orders then sighed.
"...It's Christmas. Just ONE," she said, accepting her fate, and Veronica glomped and squeezed her. But Orders looked Demona DEAD in the eyes over Veronica's sexy shoulder. And pointed to her office and mouthed the word.
"NOW."
Demona shut the door behind her as Orders sat at her desk, "…So. Enjoying your Christmas?" Demona asked with a smile as Orders sat down, and glared at her. "No?"
"I just want you to know. That I know what you did… and I will make you regret it." Orders said, with calm, tranquil fury, that Demona unsurprisingly didn't respond to them in her usual manner.
"With the bottle?" Demona asked calmly as Orders shook her head.
"No. By adding a few months to your contract." Demona frowned, but after a second…
"…worth it." She said with almost a PROUD smile on her face. "…Especially since I got to show up those Ghosts of Preachy shit." Orders rolled her eyes.
"…I did enjoy yelling at spectral personifications of charity and Christmas magic. Which is why it's months and not years. Enjoy the party." She added as the door abruptly opened and Darcy handed Orders her tea in the World's Best Boss mug. "Thank you, Darcy. I'll be out in a moment."
"Yes, Mother." She said as Orders' eyes flickered onto Demona, who hesitated at the door, raising an eyebrow as Orders scowled.
"…I'm not saying it." She said.
"Come on. You know you want to." Demona replied as Orders glowered at her.
"I'm not saying it." But Demona smirked. "If I say it, will you piss off?"
"Yes."
"God Bless us, everyone."
"WORTH IT," Demona said, flinching slightly as if the very WORDS utter by Orders hurt her. The purple-eyed boss sighed, sipped her new mug… and leaned back in her chair.
"…Should've added years to her contract as a Christmas Present to myself."
"By the way, mother." Darcy began, and Orders jumped, remembering she was still there. "Jessica called me earlier." She waved her fingers in a shaka-like phone motion. "She said you're not answering your phone."
"I was busy." Orders replied, "Was she asking about Marley?"
"Yes. Do you have a girl for Hector?"
"No. I'll find her other breeders." She sipped her tea, and he said he'd get back to her before Christmas, but that was several weeks ago. "The Dog Breeder Jake Marley is dead… to me at least."
Happy Holidays
End
I'm not a 100% yet, but I am glad I managed to do this before Christmas. Next up, definitely probably SHOULD be White Rabbit.
Regardless. Happy Holidays Everybody from all the Girls at Superbabes… except Maybe Demona.