Chapter Text
“Filthy, rancid, Rotling!”
That was what the Virtue Diligence had called him on their first encounter and now those words kept repeating in his head.
He knew they were insults. He also knew that the Virtue had looked at Mud like he was an insignificant pile of maggots. But even then the gangster couldn’t stop thinking about Diligence.
That shiny metal plating, smug smile, and casual display of violence.
Beautiful.
And in the middle of the night, as he lay in bed wide awake. Mud understood that what was keeping him up wasn’t the sweltering heat, or the broken ceiling fan above squeaking as it turned.
But the desire to see Diligence again.
But how?
M O R N I N G
9AM
His chance came sooner than he thought.
At nine in the morning, Mud was hanging out at the front register of the Whale Belly Butcher Shop, trying to pinch some change from the cash register when Ken walked up to him. The Butcher grumbling and holding a scrap of paper.
“What kinda halfwit delivers forty gallons of divine juice to the wrong address? Why here of all places?” The large man said scratching his head as he turned the scrap of paper over, showing Mud it was a delivery slip.
“The Virtues are going to kill us if we’re caught with this stuff.”
“It needs to be sent to Paradise Lost pronto. Only problem is no one in The Gaslight District is insane enough to go deliver this shi.."
Mud launched himself at the butcher and snatched the delivery slip straight from Kens hands. “ME!” He shouted, crashing into the side of the counter. It winding him.
This was it, he could use this as an excuse to see Diligence. Mud held the delivery slip up high and cackled like a mad man. It was only when he seen how the Butcher was looking at him, like he’d lost his marbles did he pull himself together.
“I said I’ll do it, being stuck here with you bloody lot is driving me up the wall.” Mud said with a lopsided grin and Ken returned with one of his own.
“Fine, fine. Try not to get mouthy with the Virtues though got it? I’m not saving you if one of them turns you into a shish kebab.” Ken said waving him off. “Go, before the customers come in.”
The gangster couldn’t have left faster.