Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It stood out as a normal day, except this day isn't in Hell. This day was taking place somewhere rather… different. Today was taking place in the world above; the human world, which was more commonly known as the Earth, the very birthplace of every Sinner who has died and arrived in Hell, falling from the land of living and into the pit of eternal damnation…

Bright, beaming lines of soft yellow sunlight streamed from the window and through the gap between curtains, illuminating the dim environment with their radiance. This dim environment was a bedroom, a bedroom belonging to…

“Anastasia!” 

At the call of the name, a mess of tangles emerge from under the blankets of a bed. But, this so-called “mess” had a face, a face that had two sapphire-colored eyes, eyes that swiftly shut tight from the sun's rays glaring at their blue color.

“Ugh, so bright..” the mess moaned, tired and irritated after having awoken from its slumber and come to face its opponent; the sun of the morning day. The irritation of this mess grew as a creaking sound filled the room, followed by the sounds of footsteps tapping against the smooth, hardwood floors. This creaking came from a door and the tapping came from a figure, the same figure that opened the door and stepped onto the carpet inside of the spacious yet small bedroom, revealing itself, or herself, to be the slender figure of a woman.

“Anastasia, it's time to wake up,” The figure spoke out in a female voice.

“Mmmm, five more minutes, mom..” the mess, who was named Anastasia, mumbled and groaned, flying the sheets of her bed over her body once again before they were pulled off.

“Sweetie, c’mon. It's already six-fifty. You can't sleep in. Get up and ready and come on down for breakfast,” the figure, who is Anastasia's mother, said as she gripped onto the covers and held them up in mid-air.

Anastasia slowly rose up from her bed, sitting up and revealing more of her bird's nest of hair. Her mouth opens and she raises her right hand over it as she yawned before she rubs her right eye with her fist. 

“Okay, okay, I'll be right down in a minute..,” Anastasia said before Anastasia's mother smiled, dropped the covers back onto the bed, and sat foot out of the room and closed the door.

She turned over, sitting up and sliding her yellow slippers onto her feet before she stood up and walked step after step towards a second door in her room. She rests her hand on the knob and turns it, opening it to reveal another room, a bathroom to be specific. She sat foot on the tiled floors, closing the door behind her and switching on the lights. She stares at the mirror, viewing her reflection, seeing every detail of her from her sapphire eyes to her bird's nest of hair. She took a breath in and then she breathed out, letting out a sigh.

White paste covers a bed of soft, white bristles spread upon a toothbrush, scrubbing is done upon multiple white walls surrounded by pink hills, white froth spills out into a drain, a blue tide enters and exits and falls into that same drain. Anastasia had finished her teeth routine. She admires her small, toothy smile in the mirror.

She picks up her orange-colored hairbrush, brushing her hair with its white bristles, getting rid of the bird's nest in her hair, her antique brass brown-colored hair. Within the passage of what feels like minutes, her hair was less unkempt and more wavy-looking.

Upon finishing her hair and teeth care routine, she stood foot out of the bathroom and back into her bedroom, taking several single steps over her double-door closet, putting her hands on the handles and opening it, revealing an array of clothes hanging on racks on a pole connected to the left and right walls of the closet.

In a matter of minutes, Anastasia slipped on a pair of blue-colored jeans, a white dress shirt, a gray crop top with a white outlined picture of a fluttering butterfly, and a pair of white shoes. She may have had to do it again, but she had to rebrush her hair after getting dressed, ensuring to keep its neatness.

After her dress-up, she took several steps down the stairs, entering into the living room, where she met her mother. 

“Hey sweetheart. It took you long enough to drag yourself out of there,” her mother said, a smile on her face. 

“I'm not much of a morning girl..,” Anastasia tiredly jokes.

“Well, don't let that ruin this day. C'mon, in the kitchen,” her mother said, taking several marching steps into the kitchen, walking past Anastasia, where the latter follows. 

While walking, she smelt something, something intoxicating… A crisp scent coming from the kitchen.. What was it? Anastasia walks into the kitchen and she spots a whole breakfast buffet on the table.

“Woah, mom, did you-.. Did you do all this?” Anastasia asked. Her eyes couldn't believe the sight of food on the table, ranging from pancakes to sunny side up eggs to sausages and to just about every bit of food on the table, all laid out on separate plates and bowls.

“Of course I did! It took a few very, very grueling hours, but I went and whipped all this up! Go on and sit down. Your plate’s already set,” Anastasia's mother said, gesturing her left hand over to the seat at the table by the window. 

Anastasia walks over and she sits down, taking a glance over at her plate of pancakes, eggs, and bacon. However, she noticed some writing on the stack, “Happy Birthday” written in maple syrup and decorated with strawberries, blueberries, and whipped cream. Her eyes widened slightly in disbelief as she gazed at the syrupy message.

“Wow, mom,” Anastasia commented.

“Happy birthday, sweetheart. You're officially eighteen years old now!” her mother said.

“Well damn, I completely forgot..” Anastasia said, dumbfounded and a hand put on top of her left temple. Her mother ruffles her hair. 

“Sweetheart, it's okay. I forgot about my 18th too,” her mother said and chuckled, followed by Anastasia’ chuckle. “Anyways, eat up, or else you'll end up missing out on eating, or catching the bus, or both.”

“Oh crap, you're right!” Anastasia said in realization. She sat down and picked up her silverware as she went and began to eat her food at a fast pace. Not fast enough to make you sick, just fast enough to finish up if you have some sort of schedule set, like when you're a high school student who has a schedule of getting dressed, eating breakfast, and then waiting out for the bus. 

After breakfast, Anastasia rushed away from the table and picked up her black denim backpack and swung a strap onto her left shoulder. She was just about out the door when she felt her mom's hand on her shoulder. 

“When you get back, I'll have everything ready. Your cake, presents, and a whole party waiting for you,” her mother said. 

“Is the cake lemon-flavored?” Anastasia asked. 

“C'mon, I know my daughter,” her mother said, nudging her as she smiled. Anastasia chuckled. 

“Okay, well, bye mom. Love you,” Anastasia said. 

“Love you too. See you later,” Anastasia's mother said.

The two exchanged hand waves and then Anastasia turned away and walked down the white porch stairs, through the concrete path in her yard, and down the concrete sidewalk to the left, all the way down to the bus stop. 

She stood by the bus stop sign and bench, patiently waiting. A strand of four minutes passed and the bus finally pulled up in front of her. The doors slide open and Anastasia raised a foot and stepped on the first stair, putting her hand on the railing and walking the next two steps up and into the bus, where she is greeted by the sight of kids chattering, playing games or listening to music on their phones through headphones, and sometimes throwing paper airplanes or crumpled balls of paper at each other for the fun of it. She walks through the aisle, where she is greeted by a familiar voice. 

“Anna! Over here!” 

Anastasia looks in the direction of the voice and she sees a hand waving from the left side of the aisle. She approaches the seat where the hand waved from, and she is greeted by her friend, Sophie. 

“Hey girl, happy birthday,” Sophie said. 

“Oh, you remembered too?” Anastasia said, sitting down by Sophie. 

“Of course I remembered, duh! What kinda friend would I be if I didn't?” Sophie asked with a chuckle. “Anyways, while I have you here… “ 

Sophie opens her backpack and pulls out a yellow card and gives it to Anastasia, where the latter holds the card in her hands and opens it, revealing the words “Happy Birthday to my bestest BFF in the whole world!” written in red crayon and under the message was a silver necklace with a half-heart pendant taped down on the paper, where Anastasia removes the tape and lifts the pendant up, holding it by the chain. The silver surface of the heart pendant shone with the sunlight of the window next to her.

“Cool, right? I got it for both of us. Now we're a match!” Sophie said, revealing her other half-heart pendant from under her sweater’s neckline. 

“Sophie, you didn't have to do this,” Anastasia said, looking at the pendant in her hand. 

“Aw but c'mon, I wanted to! Go on, put it on already,” said Sophie, waving her hands in encouragement and persistence at Anastasia, in which the latter succumbed to her friend's plea and put the necklace on around her neck. Then, Sophie lifted her pendant near Anastasia's, connecting the two halves. A smile plastered on Sophie's face as she looked at Anastasia, to which Anastasia returned the look with a smile. 

“Anyways… just one more thing before I forget, I'm planning a party for you tonight, so are you gonna come?” Sophie asked. 

“Well, I kinda have plans with my mom after school and-”

“It's gonna be a late-nighter, so you don't have to worry about double-booking,” Sophie said with a chuckle. 

Anastasia was in thought for a moment. 

“Hmm… I think I may be able to come by,” Anastasia said. 

“Eeee! Great! I can't wait to see you there, bestie!” Sophie said, enthusiastic. 

“If we can make it through school,” Anastasia joked with a chuckle. 

“Well, it's Friday anyway, so who cares?” Sophie said. 

“Fair enough,” Anastasia chuckled. 

Upon the bus’ arrival to the front of the school, every student stood off and walked inside of the school, including Anastasia and Sophie. 

The day was slow, but it passed by pretty quickly. Anastasia and Sophie walked out the double doors and down to the bus. 

“Damn, I thought that day wouldn't end,” Sophie griped. 

“I warned you about if we could make it through the day or not, didn't I?” Anastasia said. 

“I'll admit it, I should've listened to ya on the bus this morning,” Sophie said. 

“Glad you could admit it, Soph,” Anastasia said, making her way to the bus at the front until Sophie stopped her.

“Wait, Anna. I know about a faster way home,” Sophie said.

“Really? And you waited this long to tell me?” Anastasia teased.

“I just found out about it yesterday,” Sophie said.

“Hm…” Anastasia hummed before she shrugged her shoulders. “Okay. If you say so.”

“Great!” Sophie said, a smile stretched onto her face.

After a few minutes, Anastasia and Sophie were walking down the concrete sidewalk down the street. The two pause and Anastasia turns around to face Sophie.

“Alright, Sophie. I’ll see you later. I’m gonna go meet with my mom and-” Anastasia felt a sharp prick in the back of her neck before her vision went blurry and her legs turned to jelly. She fell back after her vision turned black as her eyes shut closed, falling unconscious as she was caught by three pairs of hands and pulled into a gray van. The van's door slid closed and the van's wheels spun, making it move down the street and turn the corner. 

Eventually, Anastasia opened her eyes, where she found herself in the middle of a dark room. Her arms and her wrists were tied down onto a wooden table she laid down upon. She looked around her surroundings, finding herself in that very room and seeing the only sources of light in that room: several red and white candles. She looked up at the ceiling over her and saw a large pentagram drawn in red. 

“Ah, you're finally awake,” a cloaked person standing over her said before they removed their hood, revealing themself as Sophie, an emotionless expression written on her face. “Bestie.”

“Soph!?” Anastasia said in confusion. Her arms and legs squirm and writhe in a desperate attempt to break out of the ropes. “Soph, if this is some kind of cruel birthday joke, it’s not funny!”

“I'm sorry, Anna. As much as I wish it was, unfortunately, this isn't a joke.. We need you as our offering tonight,” Sophie said, her eyes narrowing down at Anastasia before she turns around and walks away from the table and over to a wooden podium.

“Hang on, “offering?” “We?”” Anastasia asked, confused. 

A group of hooded people emerge from the shadows.

“I'm sorry. I should have told ya a while ago, but I didn't want you to hate me. Last month, I had joined a new cult group, and I didn't know what I would be getting into, and I couldn’t leave, no matter how badly I wanted to. Otherwise, well, I'm sure you can guess what would happen. But, in simple words, I would-” Sophie was cut off by the sound of a clock chime. 

“It is officially the witching hour. Prepare the book..” a cloaked person said. Sophie turns around and she approaches a stand, walking behind it and standing behind it. Another cloaked person walks over to Sophie towards the stand, carrying a black book with a white, dripping pentagram symbol on the cover, giving it to Sophie before they walk away.

“Sophie, you don't have to do this. You said we were besties. Besties don't do this to each other,” Anastasia said, desperately attempting to plead for her freedom.

“I did, and we are. And I really wanted to spare you, but I had no choice. It had to be either me, or you. I panicked. I wasn't thinking. And now that it's gotten this far, I can't take it back now..” Sophie said, looking down, visible anguish on her face. 

“Enough. Now, let us begin the dark chant.,” one of the cloaked people spoke out, forcing Sophie to wipe the anguish off of her face and make her plaster a cold demeanor as she looked at Anastasia. 

“As per our tradition, new members always start the first chant..” another cloaked person said, gesturing a hand to Sophie before retracting their hand and walking away.

“I'm sorry, Anna. I hope you can forgive me. On the other side..,” Sophie opened the black book in front of her, turning several pages until she reached the thirteenth page, where the page was written with an incantation. 

The thirteen cloaked people, excluding Sophie, were all surrounding the table, surrounding Anastasia, in a circle and holding hands together. 

Sophie took a trembling breath before she shook it off and began to chant. 

“I call tonight, this hour of witching, I beg thine Satan to come in sight. To we have placed a meal for you, a girl who has become the age of eighteen. We beg of thine to come here tonight, and spare us all once again from the deadliest of mights. Come forth, dark one, the great lord Satan..”

Sophie and the cloaked people recited that same chant several more times. After a total of ten chants, they had ceased their sounds, filling the room with a brief second of silence. 

“Is the dagger ready?” A cloaked person asked.

“I got it right he-”

Suddenly, a chill ran through the room before swept through were gusts of wind, the blows picking up strength and force as it spun around the room, making every flowing thing, paper, sheets, clothing, wave, blow, and flow. Everyone in the basement felt this breeze blow among them before they were basked in a red lighting, forcing them to tilt their heads up. The red pentagram on the ceiling began to illuminate in a red glow, basking the basement and everyone in it in red. Red sparks of lightning bolt out from the pentagram. Then, suddenly, a huge red swirling portal emerged and grew from the center of the pentagram, and the winds in the room became like that of a great hurricane storm. 

Everyone in the basement were all shocked and aghast, watching the very thing unwind in front of them as if they couldn't believe what they were seeing.

“What the hell!?” one of the cloaked men said, a large blow of wind knocking the dagger out of his hand, causing a ding, a clank, another clank, and a knock to echo as the dagger bounced backwards on the floor before falling and lying flat among the smooth, wood surface.

When they weren't looking, one of the restraints on Anastasia's wrists were torn off by the wind's force, allowing her to break free and untie and pull off the other ropes, freeing herself.

“Hey! Stop right there, you!” One of the cloaked men said, rushing over in an attempt to stop Anastasia before a bolt of lightning struck him and sent him straight to the wall, knocking him out. More lightning bolts shot out, striking and knocking out other cloaked people before other ones took cover behind knocked over furniture.  

The storm-like winds picked up and Anastasia was being lifted up, before she grips her hands on to the table, holding on for her dear life. Her fingers dug into the wood, leaving dents and marks from her fingernails. But when the winds became too strong, her fingers slipped off the wood until Sophie made it in time to wrap her hands around Anastasia's hand.

“Sophie?” Anastasia said. She was glad someone had caught her, but when she saw that it was Sophie, she suddenly grew angry and confused. “What the hell!? Why would you save me!? After all this!?”

“I didn't think this would happen! I thought all it was was just… I-I just- I..” Sophie was cut off when she gasped and she lost her grip on Anastasia's hand, her eyes widening in horror as she saw her being yanked back by the wind.

“Anna!!”

“Sophie!!”

Anastasia was pulled back by the force of wind, sucking her into the red, swirling, lightning-filled portal until she disappeared. And with that, the portal immediately squeezed closed in a flash, leaving a whole wide mess in the whole room, and leaving Sophie standing there, right in the middle of the room. She was in a state of catatonia, her hand raised to the ceiling and a tear falling from her left eye as she stared up. 

Her thoughts echoed in her head, guilt and sorrow flowing with each one. 

‘What have I done..?’

Chapter Text

Anastasia's eyes flutter open.

“Ugh… What.. happened?” She groaned and turned, lying down halfway. “Did I just.. die, or..?” She flutters her eyes again and she lets them adjust to her surroundings. Upon finishing said adjustment, she looked around and she saw several green, red, and dark-colored fauna and plants and trees in the area. She was in a forest, but it wasn't any sort of forest she'd seen before. She tilted her head up, looking up at the sky. The sky she saw above was a blood red upside-down sea with two orbs in it, one that was white with some sort of wings and one that was black with a red star pentagram on it.

“Why is everything so… red?” she asked herself before she stood up before she was hit in the left ankle with a jolt of pain. “Ah!”

She had sprained her ankle upon landing, and the pain was burning whenever she applied pressure on it, heavy pressure to be specific. After short seconds of twinging in pain, she found a large dead branch on the ground. She limps over, picks it up with her hand, and she perches herself on it, standing up and letting less pressure fall on her sprained left ankle.

“Dammit..,” she mumbled to herself in frustration.

She limped a few steps ahead, using the branch as a cane, and she looked around for any sort of civilization nearby. She walks through a thorny bush.

“Damn thorns..” she uttered to herself in silence as she walked through the bush and used her free hand to pick out any thorns stuck in her pants. After picking the final thorn out, she noticed something. A road and two sidewalks on the other side of the bush she had just walked through.

“A road? Finally.” She walked towards the road, stopping when she stood onto the concrete sidewalk, before a car drove by and the tire ran through a puddle and splashed her. “Agh! Oh, come on! Really!?”

“Up yours, bitch!” The driver of the car stuck his head out the car and flipped his middle finger out at her as he drove off. When Anastasia saw the driver, the driver didn't look human. The driver looked like some sort of green eel-like creature with blood red sclera, green irises, black pupils, sharp teeth, webbed fingers, claws, scales, and fin-like appendages on the sides of his head.

“What… the fuck?” Anastasia quietly uttered in confusion at what she saw. “That.. wasn't a human…”

Anastasia was at a loss for words, struggling to try and comprehend what she saw and trying to figure out everything. The sky, the fauna, that driver of that car… What did it all mean? Then, a thought popped up.

“Okay.. this must all be a dream! That's it!” Anastasia chuckled. “Well, surely I'll wake up, in my bed, in my house, and mom is about to wake me up any moment!”

“And.. now?” Anastasia said, awaiting what she was hoping for, to be in her room and her mom wakes her up. But that didn't happen. She started to worry. “And… now? C'mon now, mom. Wake me up before I sleep the day away.”

A thought of realization had hit Anastasia, but it was a delusional type of realization, as what she was thinking next wasn't the truth.

“I… I'm dead… That ritual Sophie did-” Anastasia gasped for a second. She looked down and she saw the silver half-heart necklace that Sophie had given her. She holds the pendant in her hand, looking at it, the pendant’s silver shine reflecting in her eyes. Her hand trembled and clenched her hand, covering the pendant in her fist as Anastasia's eyes squinted in anger, but under that wave or anger was a layer of sadness… A tear started to form in her eye before she spoke again.

“I’m not dreaming… or dead…” She wiped the tear off after she came to a realization upon looking at the pendant. But, she couldn't really bear to look at it right now, so she hid the pendant under her top.

She looked around at her surroundings again, looking for any helpful landmarks, or even some sort of sign at the very least. Anything that could lead to any sort of civilization, as Anastasia thought that there would be civilization nearby if there was some sort of anthropomorphic creature driving a car like how a human would. Then, she actually did it. She spotted something. A sign. A literal sign, that is. She approaches the sign, limping her left ankle and using the branch to perch herself.

After a few frustrating limps and steps, she made it closer to the sign.

“Now entering… Pentagram City,” Anastasia read on the sign. She was perplexed about the city's name. First, she saw a pentagram on the ceiling back at that ritual, then an orb in the sky with a pentagram, and now a sign with a city called “Pentagram City.” After a moment's worth of thinking, she decided to walk past the sign, in the north direction, whereas lies her next destination… Pentagram City.

Chapter Text

It has taken several grueling, painful, painstaking steps among the concrete blocks that are the sidewalk.

“God, this ankle…” Anastasia had to stop taking the steps, perching herself with the stick before reaching a nearby lamp post that was rugged and the light was broken and cracked and bound to drop glass pieces at any moment.

She put her free hand upon the pole, using it as a second perch next to the stick she was using as a cane. She took a breath, feeling a short wave of tiredness washing over her. She had been walking several minutes on a sprained ankle and a non-sprained ankle. Just imagine how much exhaustion one could be in from having to endure such an inconvenience at the worst place at the worst time, the worst place being a huge, red-hued place and the worst time being that you have to walk from a forest and along a sidewalk all the way to civilization. And just as extra salt, you have to walk in wet clothes and slightly soaked hair at that same moment.

“Man, how many more steps do I need to.. take?” Anastasia had noticed some sort of town. Or a city, maybe? She lifted herself back up, standing up from against the pole and she began to move her legs, walking and limping up ahead, approaching this town, or city, in front of her.

Upon the entrance to the city read a sign saying, “Welcome to Pentagram City! Enjoy your stay! Or don't. We don't care.”

'What an incredibly weird sign..,' Anastasia thought to herself before making it past the sign, crossing the invisible border between the entrance to the city to the actual inside of the city, stepping in and taking a view of it in front of her eyes.

In a sudden shift of surprise, a crow flew at her, interrupting her view.

“What the-!? Shoo, shoo!” Anastasia tried to shoo away the crow by waving her hand in the very slightest way possible, but it had an opposite effect than what she wanted. This attempt at making the crow leave had just angered it, making it release an angered “screech” from its vocal chords before it flew at her again and assaulted her with its razor talons. Anastasia shielded herself with her arm, but she received sharp contact with the talons, the razors scratching her arm and leaving tears in her sleeve.

“Ow! Hey, knock it off!” Anastasia yelled before using the stick she was previously using as a cane to shoo it off, waving it at the crow, scaring it and making it fly away, its wings flapping as it zoomed away.

Anastasia let out a soft yet irritated growl before she felt sharp pain in her left ankle again. “Ow! Dammit!” Anastasia dropped the stick next to her as she kneeled down on the concrete, her left leg erected and her hands holding her sprained left ankle. She lets out an angered groan as she picks up her stick and stands herself up, looking at the scratches that had been inflicted on her right arm, exposed through the tears of her sleeve.

She sighed in frustration. “I wish I had something for this..”

She stood back up, using the branch as her perch, and she raised her right foot forward, taking a step upon the concrete sidewalk and walking while limping on her left ankle at the same time.

At a strange convenience, she stumbled upon a clinic. The clinic was set in a small, run down yet functioning building, and a sign above the entrance said “Discount Clinic” with the statement “Come on in, or whatever. We're cheap enough for you.” written under the name.

“Huh.. That's pretty… convenient,” Anastasia said, a little skeptical over the strange sign with its strange name and its strange quoted statement. Despite her skepticism, she chooses to just brush it off, given the circumstances regarding her ankle and her scratches and this was the closest and also the only medical spot in her reach.

The door slowly swung open to the right, hitting the bell above the doorway, the dings and rings being heard in the building. Anastasia walked inside the clinic. She looked at her surroundings. So far, it was rather barren, except for a non-human man in one of the chairs, who was donning the appearance of some sort of humanoid creature, bearing yellow-ish eyes, slit pupils, brownish-gray skin, a pair of light gray horns, black hair with dog ears and tail and nose, and he was wearing black and blue ragged clothing and no shoes on his feet. He was holding a newspaper in his hands, reading over the pages. He glanced over at Anastasia when she walked in, albeit a rather rude or nasty look, which Anastasia returned a subtle yet offended look before turning her attention away and saw the desk at the front, walking over and placing her hand on the desks bell, ringing it.

“Hello?” Anastasia quietly yet audibly called.

“Hang on, hold your horses, I'm coming,” a voice called out from a dark hallway by the desk. Then, a short second later, a person, or at least someone, emerged from the darkness of the hallway. The person emerging from the hallway was a tall, anthropomorphic female humanoid who dons the appearance of a purple cat with four arms, green sclera, red irises, and she donned a nurse’s outfit. She approached the desk as Anastasia walked in slight surprise of her height, her extra set of arms, and her cat appearance.

‘Why am I always getting surprised at seeing people who aren't human here?’ Anastasia thought to herself.

“So, like, what brings you here this hellish day, girl?” the nurse cat in front of her spoke with a very laid-back, teenage voice. She was speaking to Anastasia, but her attention seems to be directed towards a device in her hands, a phone to be specific, while her extra two arms were also occupied, her left hand filing down her right hands nails with a nail file. Anastasia looked a little perplexed over how casual and less formal this nurse was being.

“Hi, miss ehm..” Anastasia hesitated on her greeting, not knowing the nurse's name.

“Surmine,” the cat nurse, Surmine, said, her gaze lifted from her phone and onto Anastasia.

“Miss Surmine, yes. Anyways, I kind of got hurt when I came here and-”

“Did you or did you not get hurt? I need a yes or no, not a “kind of.” There's not really any need for sugarcoating here,” Surmine said, interrupting Anastasia, annoying her a little.

“Yeah, I did get hurt, ma'am. I got a sprained ankle and I got scratched by a crow..,” Anastasia said, keeping her composure in check despite Surmine's rude demeanor just now.

“And are you new here? Not just to the clinic, but to Hell and this city,” Surmine said, holding a pen in her left hand while filling out a paper on the flat surface of the desk in front of her.

“Yes ma'am,” Anastasia said. She had the kind of look on her face where she couldn't believe that she was hearing the kind of world she was in now, but at the same time, she would believe it as well, and she was already putting together puzzle pieces about everything; the red environment, the name of the city, the non-human citizens, and, the final one altogether.. the name “Hell.” Her thoughts were interrupted as soon as Surmine spoke.

“Alright, you can follow me to the back and I'll see what I can do,” Surmine said, finishing writing on the paper and gesturing behind herself.

“Hey, what the fuck? I was here before that bitch!” the dog-like demon sitting down said.

“Like, totally sorry, but I, like, made a new policy for new arrivals in Hell where they, like, get tended to first,” Surmine said.

‘Well, ain't that my luck, ‘cause I don't wanna have to deal with an infection in my arm or my sprain worsening,’ Anastasia said with some relief in her mind.

“Okay now, like, let's go. Follow me,” Surmine said, turning around and one of her extra arms gesturing Anastasia to follow her as she walked, and Anastasia did so and followed her towards the hall, where Anastasia stood behind.

“You think you can turn the lights on in the hall? My night vision isn't that great,” Anastasia asked.

“Sure, whatever,” Surmine casually said, flicking the light switch on the wall, turning the lights on in the hall, illuminating the hallways in a light blue glow.

Surmine and Anastasia walk through the hall and to the room on the right end of the hall.

“You can sit over there,” Surmine said, gesturing towards the exam table in the room, where Anastasia acquiesced and climbed onto the table and sat down.

“So, left or, like, right ankle?” Surmine asked.

“Left. And the scratches are on my right arm,” Anastasia replied.

“I see. Okay, like, roll up your sleeve and I'll see what I can, like, do for those,” Surmine said, gesturing her hand for Anastasia to show her her scratches, which Anastasia complies and rolled up her right sleeve, showing the scratches on her arm, where Surmine touches and holds her arm, examining the scratche s“Hmm. These are small, nothing serious. But I will have to, like, clean these and wrap them up.”

“Okay. Go ahead,” Anastasia said, agreeing to let Surmine clean and bandage the scratches.

With those words of consent, Surmine pulled out a box and opened it, pulling out an antiseptic spray bottle and a roll of white bandages.

“This is gonna burn. Like hell, specifically,” Surmine warned, opening the spray bottle and spraying Anastasia's scratches.

“Ow! Dammit!” Anastasia exclaimed, feeling the burning and stinging of the antiseptic liquid on the scratches.

“I warned you, didn't I?” Surmine said before she holds up the roll of bandages and begins to wrap them around the arm, covering the scratches on Anastasia's arm, or more specifically her forearm.

“Sorry, I didn't think you'd be serious about the “burn like hell” thing,” Anastasia said.

“It was the best I could get from Sloth,” Surmine said.

“Sloth?” Anastasia asked.

“The Sloth Ring. I can't go there, but I get my supplies delivered from there,” Surmine said, finishing up wrapping the bandages.

“Well-” Anastasia was about to speak again before she was interrupted.

“I’d love to, like, answer your question, but I have to, like, keep all questions medical-related at work. Okay, besides that, I’ll, like, go get you a splint for your left ankle. You'll need to wear it for, like, a week, totes tops,” Surmine said, before she turns to the door and walks out of the room, followed by Anastasia's eyes watching her as she did.

“She is just about the most casual, and kind of rude, nurse that I've met so far,” Anastasia said to herself as she sat on the exam table by herself in the office.

After a second or so, Anastasia began to think to herself as she awaited Surmine's return. She was thinking about the new environment she was in. Surmine said that she was in Hell now, so… That means she is in the afterlife, where damned souls have gone when they died. She began to contemplate the idea on how the damned souls in Hell would most likely be bad considering what may have gotten them down this pit before they had died. She decided that she should be wary of the demons down here, especially Surmine, even if she seemed like a chill person to be around given that she was willing to help her, ‘cause she would never know if she could harm her later and this helpful and casual attitude she had could be a ruse. And given that her “best friend” Sophie betrayed her back on Earth, even if she tried to help her from getting sucked into that portal that brought her here, there was no doubt that she would be wary of the overly nice ones, knowing that they could be someone else different underneath…

After a moments notice, Anastasia was pulled out of her thoughts as soon as she heard Surmine come back with an ankle splint and a glass jar of lollipops.

“Okay, like, I got the splint. And also a jar of lollies. You can, like, take as much as you want. I don't care,” Surmine said as she walked over, placed the jar on the table, lifted her left ankle, and then takes her shoe off, slipping the splint onto her ankle and patching it. “There ya go. And, like, like I said earlier, just wear that for a week and your ankle will be better in no time.”

“Thanks. And, well, how much do I owe you, in cash?” Anastasia asked.

“Well, I can take whatever amount you have. This is a discount clinic, hence the name I, like, gave it,” Surmine said.

Anastasia digs through her pockets, but she couldn't find any money in them. Not a single penny.

“Ugh.. I don't have any money..” Anastasia said, irritated.

“Hm.. I, like, don't want to force you to do this, but, what about that silver pendant you have? Surely it's, like, worth something at least,” Surmine asked, leaving Anastasia speechless.

Anastasia looked down at the pendant in her hand. It was the same half-heart pendant that Sophie had given her for her birthday, and on that same day that she had betrayed her too.. Should she even..? She shouldn't.. But should she keep it..? No, it would just be too painful of a reminder of Sophie and what she did that day… She couldn't make up her mind. She couldn't decide…

Anastasia took off the pendant and gave it to Surmine. She had a cold, indifferent look on her face and in her eyes, but underneath it was pure sadness and regret, giving away something from her best friend.. She wanted to cry, but she just couldn't. She just held in all the tears, keeping them from pouring out. She didn't want to cry, let alone in front of someone.

“Okay, I hope you, like, have a nice day, or, like, a hellish one, or whatever,” Surmine said, putting the pendant in her uniform breast pocket as she walked away. Before she could walk out of the doorway, Anastasia stopped her.

“But, I don't have a place to stay,” Anastasia said.

“Oh yeah, I, like, nearly forgot that you're new here. Well, I can't really help with that. Like, sorry, and stuff. It's out of my hands,” Surmine apologized, albeit apathetically before she walks out of the office. Anastasia grumbled a bit in irritation, not because of Surmine’s refusal to help her, but because she was right about it being out of her hands considering her job as a “discount nurse.”

“Okay.. I understand. I’ll go and figure this out myself. And thank you again,” Anastasia said, stepping down from the exam table.

“You're, like, welcome,” Surmine said, before Anastasia walked out of the office and then left the clinic.

Chapter Text

Anastasia exited the clinic, walking down the sidewalk by the street despite her current state, her ankle specifically. Even in the splint, it still hurt like hell when she walked. But, at least she was able to walk without that stick she had.

When she was walking, a lizard-looking demon walked past and bumped into her.

“Watch it, bitch,” the demon said to Anastasia.

Anastasia showed a glare to the demon as a response.

“Oh, well aren't you a feisty thing,” the demon said, turning back to Anastasia and walking towards her. “You have a nasty glare there. Show that to the wrong person and you’ll get murdered down here.”

“Well, you didn't seem that different when you had that tone when you bumped into me earlier. I would've appreciated a simple “excuse me” or a “sorry,”” Anastasia replied, a hint of attitude in her response.

Suddenly, the demon grabbed Anastasia by her shirt and lifted her up to his face.

“You got a smartass mouth, don't you? Guess I should teach you to keep it shut, shouldn't I?” the demon said, raising a fist up, clenching it and ready to throw at Anastasia's face.

“Well, now, is that any way to treat a young lady?” A voice spoke out from behind the lizard demon.

Both the demon and Anastasia turned to the direction of that voice. The voice was coming from behind the lizard demon. Not to Anastasia’s surprise, it was another demon. Except this “demon..” Well.. He looked less brutish than some of the male demons that Anastasia had met, including the lizard demon that was ready to throw a fist at her just now.

This demon looked more gentleman-ly. He had illuminating red eyes and red hair in a bob cut with what looked like.. Deer ears and antlers on his head? He also donned a red suit, a red monocle on his right eye, and he was holding some sort of staff with a red microphone behind his back. He also had a sharp yellow-toothed grin on his face.

“Oh fuck!” The lizard demon panicked, dropping Anastasia and then running away, running into an alley, climbing the fence in the back, and just running away.

“Ow…” Anastasia grumbled a bit, sitting on the sidewalk after having been dropped by the lizard demon.

“My dear, are you alright?” the deer demon approached her, plastering that same charismatic smile on his face. He extended a hand towards Anastasia. “Here, allow me.” 

Anastasia looks at the demons hand, hesitant to take it. Then, in short hesitation, Anastasia placed her hand on the demons and the demon pulled her up gently, helping her stand up. When Anastasia stood up, the demon before her was towering over her height, a lot. Maybe at least seven feet?

“Ah..” Anastasia sharply breathed, feeling pain from her ankle.

“I see you have injured your ankle there,” the deer demon said, pointing his hand towards your splint.

“Yeah, I know..” Anastasia said, feeling a little annoyed about how she had to be reminded of that damn pain.

“Well, that's nothing to fuss over, dear. It heals later, right? Ha ha!” The demon chuckled, seemingly mocking over Anastasia’s minor misfortune.

“Yeah, the nurse at that clinic said it should be a week until then,” Anastasia said, keeping her composure despite the demon mocking her.

“Ah, only treading into this realm and you choose to visit a medic after being injured. Not many do that here, but I should've expected that from a mere human,” the demon said, surprising Anastasia.

So far, no demon she's met had immediately identified her as a human until now.

“H.. How did you-?” Anastasia stuttered, surprised.

“Well, your appearance is what allowed me to figure it out. I suppose it's quite likely that most demons would not be able to tell a human right away, especially ones that have already been human before. Ha ha! Quite ironic, isn't it? But, my dear, I am a lot sharper than all those dimwitted buffoons, and I've been here for years,” the deer demon spoke.

“Uh-huh… And you are..?” Anastasia said, slightly hesitant given the demon's demeanor.

“Alastor. Pleasure to be meeting you, sweet heart. Quite a pleasure,” the deer demon, Alastor, spoke as he grabbed Anastasia's hand, shaking it. “And I pardon getting involved in your little “ordeal” a moment ago. I was strolling by and I couldn't help but notice it and I simply just couldn't stand by and see a young lady get hurt, now would I?”

“Okay.. I'm Anastasia, Anastasia Winfield,” Anastasia said, introducing herself.

“Well, Anastasia, I am curious as to know how and why a human like you would be here in a dangerous world of Sinners,” said Alastor.

“Well..” Anastasia was about to explain before she hesitated. “Actually, I don't want to talk about it.”

“Hm, intriguing..” Alastor spoke.

“Well, I should get going,” Anastasia said, turning around. Suddenly, Alastor stood in Anastasia's way, blocking her path and keeping her from walking away.

“Now now, you're leaving so soon? Didn't you say that you were new here?” Alastor asked.

“I didn't say that, yet at least,” Anastasia said.

“Ah, well then I don't expect you to have already gotten yourself a dwelling immediately after coming here, right?” Alastor said, creaking his head to the side as he looked down at you with that same sharp-toothed grin. You could hear the creak from him.

“Well.. No,” Anastasia said, looking to the side.

“Well then, I may know of a place you could stay at, if you are interested, that is,” Alastor said, pointing at Anastasia with the end of his mic.

“Go on..,” Anastasia said, curious yet skeptical about this “place” that Alastor was speaking of while she slowly moved his mic away with her finger.

“Well, my dear, I am operating a mere hotel establishment with the one and only Princess of Hell, Charlie Morningstar. She would love to meet you, given the anomaly that you are,” Alastor said, tapping Anastasia's nose, slightly annoying her.

Anastasia rubbed her nose a little.

“The princess? And what is this “hotel” about?” Anastasia asked.

“Well, if you must know, Charlie is running the hotel for Sinners to try and reach Heaven through mere silly redemption, trying to clear them of their sins and then that is when they are introduced to the gates. Quite comical, isn't it, my dear?” Alastor said.

“You don't sound like you believe in-” Anastasia was about to speak before Alastor stood closer to her.

“But enough of that, dear. Would you be interested in staying there and, perhaps, we can figure out a way to help you back to your realm? Or would you rather sustain worse harm from the next Sinner that crosses your path? Your choice,” Alastor said, looking over at her with a smile and his illuminating red eyes, waiting for her answer.

Anastasia looked back at Alastor's gaze, thinking. Should she even accept this demons offer? You got to admit, she was in a tight spot and she had nowhere else to go and she did get hurt and she did almost get pulverized by a demon. And, who knows? She could end up in worse hands than this demon who may do who knows what to her. It took a moment's worth of thinking before Alastor had pulled her out of her thoughts.

“Now, I don't have all day, my dear. I do have to go back and help Charlie and-” Alastor spoke before Anastasia spoke out.

“Okay, I’ll stay over. But only until I can find a way back home, at least,” Anastasia spoke.

“Wonderful, my dear. Come along, I’ll lead the way,” Alastor spoke, gesturing for Anastasia to follow him as he walked away. Anastasia followed behind him, walking along the sidewalk.

‘This demon is so.. odd. But I can't let that distract me. He is a demon, so he must be up to no good. Ugh, why did I even-?’ Anastasia was cut off from her thoughts as Alastor stopped her in her tracks.

“Alright, my dear, we're right by the gate,” Alastor said, standing by a gate.

As Anastasia looked up past the gate, she saw a cliff with a tall building at the edge of it. She was confused and concerned as to why someone would build something at the top of a cliff, since there was the possibility of that cliff breaking and that building could fall and break into pieces and become a pile of rubble.

“Is that thing on a cliff? Isn't that dangerous?” Anastasia asked.

“Oh, don't worry about that, dear,” Alastor said, dodging Anastasia’s concern as he led her up the hill and to the cliff above, approaching the said building on top.

Anastasia stood behind Alastor and she looked up at the building and took notice of the sign above the entrance.

“My dear, welcome.. To the Hazbin Hotel!” Alastor said eagerly with that same grin as he raised his arm up to the hotel dramatically.

Then, he reached his hand to the door handle.

Chapter Text

The door opened, welcoming Anastasia with a bright light before it dispersed and revealed the inside of the hotel. The inside looked a lot more classy than the outside. The walls and furniture were red with gold accents, and white lamps were on the walls, illuminating the inside. There was even a chandelier of white luminescent crystal glass on strings hanging from the ceiling.

“Wow, this looks, uh… nicer on the inside,” Anastasia said, somewhat complimenting the Hotel's interior, albeit saying that the inside was better than the outside.

“Isn't it, though? I helped to fix it up myself,” Alastor said. “But you shouldn't be focused on the building itself. You should me-”

“And maybe we can get Sinners to stay here with some sort of advertisement? Maybe posters, a billboard, or..?” A voice spoke out.

From the left emerged a tall woman with white skin, red rosy cheeks, a black puppy-like nose, long blonde hair in a two-banded ponytail, red eyes, and she was donning a red tuxedo, but it was a lighter shade of red then Alastor's. Stood by her was a shorter woman with purple skin, light pink eyes, long white hair, a red bow in her hair, an eyepatch decorated with a big “X” under her bangs covering her left eye, and wearing a schoolgirl-like outfit consisting of a red shirt with black detail, black choker necklace, gray long socks and long gray fingerless gloves, a black skirt, and white shoes.

They were both walking when they noticed Alastor and Anastasia by the door.

“Oh, Alastor. Welcome back. And-” the blonde woman gasped in awe, her eyes glistening brightly, as she saw Anastasia by him. She happily skipped over to them, followed by the purple-skinned woman behind her. “Who is this? A new guest? Hello there!”

Anastasia took mental notes of the blonde woman’s happy and cheery demeanor. It felt all too familiar to her. “Hello there!” were familiar words to her, making her remember meeting someone that acted just like her…

“Ehm..” Anastasia uttered, not certain of what words to speak out of her mouth in response.

“Oh, she’s being shy,” Alastor said in a fast yet easy-to-understand manner before she gripped both the sides of Anastasia's arms and pushed her in front of him towards the blonde woman in front of her, eagerly introducing her. “Charlie, this is Anastasia Winfield. A newcomer to Hell and a new resident of the hotel!”

“”Anastasia,” that's a pretty name. I'm Charlie Morningstar. It's so nice to meet you!” Charlie spoke, introducing herself as she raised her hand towards Anastasia for a handshake.

The sound of silence had occurred at that moment. Charlie had her hand extended, but Anastasia was reluctant to return the gesture. But after a few seconds of soundless yet audible silence, Anastasia finally raises her hand up and places it in Charlie's, their palms touching and then Anastasia slowly moves her hand up and down, hereby shaking Charlie's hand.

“Nice to meet you too..,” Anastasia said, albeit reluctantly.

“So, Al, where did you find her??” Charlie asked Alastor curiously.

“Well, Charlie, I was on my afternoon stroll when I saw her in a quarrel with a brutish Sinner. Honestly, he had the nerve to try and hit a woman. If I hadn't stepped in, who knows what would have happened to the poor thing,” Alastor said, albeit in a mocking way.

“I am not a “poor thing,”” Anastasia remarked while Alastor looked at her, that same grin plastered on his face.

“Of course you're not, my dear,” Alastor said, patting Anastasia's hair, annoying her.

Charlie suddenly gasps.

“Oh my gosh, are you hurt?” she asked in a concerned tone, noticing and pointing out the splint on Anastasia's left ankle.

When Anastasia realized what she was talking about, she looks down at her ankle splint and she raised her head back up at her.

“Oh, this? I just hurt my ankle and, well-” Anastasia was interrupted when Charlie zoomed over by her, placing her hands on her shoulders.

“C'mon, you should sit down, give that foot a rest!” Charlie said, gently but swiftly and eagerly pushing Anastasia in the direction of the hotel's lounging area, pushing her towards one of the red-cushioned seats and she promptly sat her down on the couch.

“Charls, you shouldn't really be pushing people around like that.. Literally. She had just hurt her ankle,” the purple-skinned woman said to Charlie, which Anastasia surprisingly agreed with in her mind.

“I'm sorry, Vaggie. I just didn't want her to stand on it any longer and make it worse,” Charlie said to the purple-skinned woman, who she called Vaggie.

“Well, that is a good point, babe,” Vaggie said, agreeing with Charlie despite her concern about Anastasia and her ankle.

“Anyways, Anna- Wait, can I call you “Anna?”” Charlie asked, looking over at Anastasia.

“I guess..” Anastasia responded.

“Okie dokie! So, Anna, when did you step here in Hell? How did you die? Oh, I'm sorry. Forget that last question. I shouldn't be asking that,” Charlie said. She wanted to know more about Anastasia, but she felt guilty over being nosy, poking her nose in where she shouldn't be, especially in a person's personal business.

“Well.. This may be hard to believe, but..” Anastasia was about to explain before she heard someone speak while they were walking down the tall stairs.

“Damn it, my phone disconnected from the Wi-Fi. Hey Charlie, what's the Wi-Fi password.. again?” a voice spoke out from the stairs until the sight of Anastasia stopped their tongue.

The person that spoke was a very tall, maybe around eight feet, male demon with an effeminate appearance. He was white with wavy hair, sharp teeth with a gold tooth, magenta eyes with a yellow-ish white sclera on the right eye and a black-colored sclera on the left eye, magenta freckles, and he had four arms. He was wearing a pink shirt that exposed his chest, a black now on his neck with a magenta center along with a black choker necklace, a pair of long magenta gloves on two of his arms and a pair of white long gloves on his other two arms, a black miniskirt, and black thigh-high heel boots.

A moment of silence occurred.

“Who's the new girl?” The white-haired demon asked.

“Ah yes,” Charlie clapped her hands together as she looked over at the white-haired demon. She gestured back and forth between Anastasia and Angel Dust as she introduced them to each other. “Angel, this is Anastasia. Anastasia, this is Angel Dust.”

“Isn't “Angel Dust” a drug?” Anastasia asked.

“Yep, it is, toots. Anyways, she staying here now?” Angel Dust asked, pointing at Anastasia.

“Of course she is,” Charlie eagerly said.

“Alright. Anyways, what's the password to the Wi-Fi again?” Angel Dust promptly asked, raising his hand up, holding his cell phone as he looked over at Charlie.

“Just hand it over to me. I'll take care of it,” Vaggie said, reaching her hand over to Angel Dust, gesturing for him to hand her his cell phone, in which Angel complies and lied his phone on her palm. Vaggie looks over at the phone in her hands and she begins to tap, swipe, and glide her fingers across the screen.

“Anyways, Anna.. What were you going to say?” Charlie asked, turning her head back over to Anastasia.

“Well, what I was trying to say earlier is that I.. well..” Anastasia was hesitant to speak, so Alastor had to step in and speak for her.

“She isn't dead like every human soul here,” Alastor said.

Anastasia looks at Alastor, a little mad.

Curiosity to pierces Charlie's head like a needle.

“Not dead?? What does that mean?” Charlie asked curiously, looking over at Alastor before she turns her eyes and head towards Anastasia.

“Well, “not dead” means… I'm a human,” Anastasia said.

Angel Dust and Vaggie froze up, eyes widened and turning their heads towards Anastasia. Charlie was wide-eyed and surprised upon hearing this as well.

“Did.. I just hear her correctly? Did she just say that she's a-?” Angel Dust was speaking before Charlie bursted out.

“A human!? Oh my Gosh, a live human? Here in Hell!? I can't believe it! How is that even-? I can't- Oh my Gosh, this is amazing! I've never seen a human before!” Charlie was ecstatic upon hearing the words “I’m a human” coming from Anastasia's mouth. Charlie had lived in Hell for several years and never once had she ever met a human before.

“But, if she's a human.. What are you doing here? And how did you get down here?” Vaggie asked as confusion overflowed within her.

“I already asked her. Apparently, she said that that’s personal,” Alastor said, speaking for Anastasia.

“I don't need you speaking for me, Al. But, yeah.. I don't really want to talk about it,” Anastasia said.

“What? But I really wanna know!” Charlie eagerly yet desperately pleaded her eyes and words out, before she brushed it away in one mental sweep with an imaginary broom and then regained her composure. “But.. We all must respect one's privacy, ‘cause if they don't wanna talk about something, we can't force them to.”

“Thank you, I guess..” Anastasia said, thanking Charlie.

“So a human came here? As if today could get any more interesting..” A male voice, a gruff one at the very least, spoke out. Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw a bar with walls and decor a very different color from the rest of the hotel, green color and all. There was a tall black and white cat with yellow eyes with black sclera, long red eyebrows, red wings with black and white patterns, a black hat, a red bow necktie, and black pants with suspenders. The cat must've been the hotel's bartender. He was wiping down a glass cup on the bar’s counter.

“Your bartender's a ca- Actually, never mind. I dunno why I even said that,” Anastasia said, annoyed and dismissive over the fact that she keeps being surprised of everything in Hell when she should've at least gotten a little used to the strange things.

“That's Husk, the hotel's bartender,” Charlie said, gesturing her arm straight at the cat, Husk, at the bar as she introduced him to Anastasia. “Oh, and I think there's one more you have to meet-”

Charlie was speaking when she heard a puff sound coming from the fireplace. Black clouds of dust, ash, and smoke came out a small black figure. After a second or so, the figure shook and all the black ash and dust fell off of them, leaving only a few particles on them as they were revealed. The figure was a short woman, maybe around three feet, with white skin, pinkish red dots at the corners of her mouth, short red hair, a single eye with a yellow iris, black pupil, and an orangish-red sclera. She was wearing a pink and white maid outfit, a dark purple-pink scarf, and she had black arms and legs.

“Hee-hee, I finished cleaning the chimney,” the small maid said, covered in particles of ash and dust as she held up a feather duster with white feathers and a black handle. Everyone looked over at her before Charlie broke the silence.

“Anyways, Anna, this is our maid, Niffty,” Charlie introduced Niffty as she gestured her arm towards her.

“Ooh, who's the new girl?” Niffty asked, scuttering over to get a look at Anastasia, slightly creeping her out.

“This is Anastasia, or “Anna” for short. And, she is the first ever human to arrive in Hell!” Charlie said in enthusiasm as she gestured both arms to Anastasia.

Niffty gasps in surprise. “A human? A live one? Ooohh…”

Niffty's demeanor was visible creeping out Anastasia, especially with that stare she gave her.

“Don't worry, Anna. We're sure that she's mostly harmless,” Charlie said, reassuring Anastasia about Niffty, seemingly putting some emphasis on the word “mostly.”

“Uh-huh..” Anastasia said.

“But, besides that, we kinda need an explanation on how you got here. I mean, a human can't just pop up in Hell without an explanation. And I know you don't want to tell us what exactly happened, but at least we should know the method of how you came here,” Vaggie said, adding a little logic as well as the consideration of Anastasia's feelings.

“I guess I can tell you the method, I guess.. So, how I got here, yeah.. I came here through a portal..,” Anastasia said, explaining the method of how she got here.

“A portal, you say? How interesting,” Alastor spoke, chiming in.

“So a portal is how you got here. That is a logical enough explanation..,” Vaggie said, rubbing her chin as she looked down to the side as she thinks to herself, letting thoughts flow on her mind like a flowing stream.

“Okay, well, since we have all that covered, would you like me to show you to a room?? If you want, I mean,” Charlie said, offering to give Anastasia a room to stay in.

“And here's the best part. You ain't gotta pay to stay here. It's totally rent-free,” Angel Dust spoke out, much to a little bit of Vaggie's annoyance.

“Hm.. Well, I do need a place to sleep,” Anastasia said, thinking for a moment about the situation.

“Okay, I'll go ahead and grab a room key for you!” Charlie said promptly before she skips away in glee.

Anastasia watched as Charlie skipped away.

“She's pretty.. cheery,” Anastasia said.

“Well, I love that about her, ya know?” Vaggie said, looking in Charlie's direction as she spoke to Anastasia, admiring Charlie and her positivity from afar.

Anastasia, on the other hand, looked over at Charlie from afar, a little doubtful about if this happy and positive demeanor was genuine and not just a facade. She becomes lost in her streams and rocks of thoughts until Charlie came back with a key.

“Okay, I got you a key! You'll be on the same floor as Angel,” Charlie said, approaching Anastasia and handing her the key in her hand before she looked at Angel Dust with a smile. “Angel, help her up to her new room, if you please.”

“Eh, fine, whateves. Let's go, kid,” Angel Dust said as he gestured his first left hand up, signaling for Anastasia to follow him, in which Anastasia complied and stood up, but fumbled because of her sprained left ankle.

“Ow..” Anastasia mumbled.

“Maybe take it easy on the foot there, sweetie,” Angel Dust said, a hint of worry in his tone as he walks over and held onto Anastasia, wrapping an arm around her waist and holding her up by her side. “I'll go ahead and help ya out. You're new here, so.. eh, it's a courtesy thing, like what dollface says.”

Charlie nodded and gave two thumbs up while plastering a smile on her face, happy that Angel was applying a lesson she taught her in real life, especially the lesson of “courtesy” with new tenants of the hotel and helping them out when needed.

After a moment or so, Angel Dust and Anastasia walked up the stairs.

After minutes of walking each step up the stairs and to Angel’s floor, they both stood in front of a door.

“Just to warn you. The rooms are bland here. You'll have to buy stuff to decorate around. It took me a while to do mine,” Angel Dust said. “Well, have fun. With settling in, that is.”

Angel Dust walks away, his legs strutting as he did.

After watching Angel Dust walk away, Anastasia looked back at the door in front of her, standing there before her. She looks down at the key she was holding, turning it around and looking at both sides of it before she lowers her hand to the handle, sliding the key info the keyhole and turning it. She rests her other hand on the knob and turns it, pushing the door open, allowing the room to unfold in front of her.

The room was bland, like Angel said, but it was in good condition, at least. It was inhabitable, you could say.

“Hm. I guess… I can make this work,” Anastasia said, admiring the room past the door, before she sets her first foot in there and then waving the door closed behind her.

She admires the interior and every detail of it, big and little. She saw the lavish-looking bed, the wallpaper, the windows, the mahogany shelves, the closet, the drawers, and a second door in the room, which, when opened, revealed a built-in personal bathroom, a very lavish-looking one.

After several minutes, or perhaps half an hour, Anastasia stepped over to the bed and sat down on the side edge, rubbing her hand against the soft silky fabric of the blankets.

Thoughts ran through her mind again, but positive ones, or at least neutral-positive ones. She could actually get used to this type of living arrangement. She could do some decorating around, like Angel said, but of course that would be the least problematic for her, as her main problem was returning home. But, she should at least settle in until the day comes.. Where she finds a way back home, to Earth.

Hopefully, the day will come.. Someday..

Chapter Text

Anastasia was in her room. Her hand touches the fabric of the curtains as she pulled them open, looking outside. She could see the… chaotic environment of Hell. Several buildings had broken windows, some cars were rammed, some of the streets were in some level of destruction, and she could see some fire and smoke emerging from the place. She even saw demons fighting from afar.

“Animals...” Anastasia muttered to herself, looking displeased and irritated over the environment on the other side of the glass barrier of the window.

“Heyyy, Anna!” a voice emerged upon the open door, revealing Charlie at the door. “I'm sorry to bug you. I just wanted to ask if you're hungry or anything. I was so focused on being excited about you being a human here in Hell that I didn't even think about if you've had anything to eat or drink since you've got here, and-”

“Well, I haven't really had anything, yet. I am kind of famished..” Anastasia said, being honest, until the audible growl of her stomach echoed into the room. She held her hand over her stomach, a visible look of pinkish red on her cheeks from embarrassment.

“Okay, I can find you something in the kitchen, Anna,” Charlie said.

“I can come with, that way-” Anastasia tried to speak upon her offer until Charlie interrupted and stopped her.

“Oh no, no, you still need to rest your ankle. You don't wanna hurt it any more than it is. Believe me. I'll be right back. And I promise that Niffty will make something good, no, great, for ya!” Charlie said with an eager smile before she waltzed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

“‘Kay, thanks,” Anastasia said, slowly waving her hand up side to side after Charlie left the room.

A moment had passed by, perhaps an hour? Half an hour? Over half an hour? Who knows?

Anastasia had been looking through some of the drawers, looking at the hollow-looking interior, feeling the smooth yet rigid mahogany wood surface through her fingers, tracing the lines along the wood.

The door reopened.

“Hey, I'm back!” Charlie said, holding a tray in her hand.

She walks over to Anastasia 

“I didn't know what you liked specifically, so I asked Niffty if she could make something simple, so.. Is mushroom stew.. Agreeable to you??” Charlie said, a drop of visible sweat visible on the side of her forehead while she had a nervous smile plastered on her face. She had the look of someone who was nervous, worried about upsetting someone. Even her eyes said it.

Anastasia thought a second, looking over at the tray she held. She saw the silverware and the porcelain bowl filled with a cluster of vegetables, especially the mushrooms, a dark brown-colored sea surrounding the cluster, and the green leaf-like seasoning lying upon the vegetables in scattered fragments. Next to the bowl was a tall glass cup of water, and in it were two small blocks, or cubes, of ice floating to the top, bopping to the surface.

“I'll eat it. I don't mind mushrooms,” Anastasia said, keeping her words simple and clear as her arms reach over to the tray in Charlie's hands, to which her hands handed her the tray, allowing her to grab it and set it upon her legs, on her lap.

“I'm glad you don't mind it. I was so worried that you would,” Charlie said, relieved over how Anastasia said that she didn't mind it.

“It's really no big deal, Charlie,” Anastasia reassured her, lifting up the silver-shining spoon from the tray while looking down at her meal. She scoops up a small chunk from the cluster and lifts it to her mouth. Her lips and her teeth clamp down on the spoon for a mere second before she slid it out, the spoon passing through the crevice between her lips as she moved her jaw up and down, chewing the chunk from the stew, slowly..

“Mm, mm.. Hm,” Anastasia hummed and chewed, approving the stew's taste.

“Do you like it?” Charlie asked, her hands clamped together in front of her while she bent over a little towards her, opening her ears to hear Anastasia speak her wordful truth of the meal.

“Yeah. It's delicious,” Anastasia responded, a short smile on her face as her mouth was no longer chewing chunks.

“That's great! It took Niffty several grueling minutes to make it,” Charlie said, happy that Anastasia liked the stew.

“Give her my compliments then,” Anastasia said.

“I already heard,” Niffty said, her head peeking through the door as Anastasia and Charlie turned their eyes over to her. “I was chasing a bug when I heard ya.”

A bug scutters by before Niffty pierced the carpeted wooden floor with a giant needle, trying to stab the bug, only to miss and allow the bug's escape to become successful, it scuttering away as Niffty bared a psychotic look on her face along with a sharp-toothed grin.

“Stab stab stab!” Niffty said, as she stabbed the floor where the bug was, missing it at every hit before she chased the bug, giggling as she did.

Charlie and Anastasia watched while Niffty was antagonizing the bug, before Anastasia chimed in.

“Is she pest control too?” Anastasia asked, a short smirk on her face.

“Oh yeah. She happily takes care of all the bugs around the hotel so that we wouldn't have any pests scaring the residents,” Charlie said.

“Well, not to damper, but I noticed how there isn't that many residents. Unless they stay in their rooms all day,” Anastasia said.

“Well.. We're kinda mostly empty.. But we're trying to encourage other Sinners to come and stay so that they can be redeemed and sent to Heaven,” Charlie said. “We're still working on the encouragement, though..”

Anastasia puts her tray on the bed before she stood up and walked over to Charlie, standing in front of her.

“Hey,” Anastasia said, demanding. It caught Charlie's attention, making her turn her head from the side and straight to Anastasia. “You just keep it up. ‘Cause if there was anything I learned on Earth, it’s that encouragement is key to motivation. And motivation is key to success. And you never know. It might pay off one day.”

Charlie smiles at Anastasia's words before she lifted her up and hugged her, wrapping her arms around her tightly.

“Thanks, Anna,” Charlie said.

“It's no problem. I just thought that you needed it..” Anastasia said before Charlie put her down on the floor.

“Ow,” Anastasia said, feeling pain in her left ankle when she was put down.

“Oh, I'm so sorry,” Charlie said, with minimal panic in her tone.

“No no, it's okay,” Anastasia said, her hand open and in front of Charlie. “It's fine. I think it's getting better though.”

“Phew..” Charlie sighed, feeling a sense of relief wash over her at how Anastasia wasn't mad and that she said her ankle was getting better. “So glad to hear you're getting better. Maybe tomorrow it'll be all healed?”

“Hm, maybe. If it does, it meant that that nurse at the clinic must've just scammed me over how it would heal in a week,” Anastasia said, regarding her visit at the clinic and her interaction with Surmine, who may have been scamming her or was just inexperienced in the medical field.

After a second or so, Anastasia and Charlie shared a short laugh.

“I see you're getting along there,” a voice emerged from the door. It was Vaggie. “Anyways, this “nurse” you mentioned definitely was scamming you or something. A lot of people in Hell do that kind of thing.”

“Doesn't sound any different from Earth,” Anastasia said, jokingly and shrugging her shoulders, even though what she said was true, as scammers and con artists are just as common on Earth as they are in Hell.

“Well, here, it's more chaotic,” Vaggie said, in which Anastasia nodded.

“Yeah, I agree. I've been here less then a day and I already saw so much. The environment, a scam nurse, a demon ready to throw hands at me..” Anastasia was listing her experiences so far while counting her fingers when Alastor chimed in after showing up, emerging from a shadow.

“Quite the experiences you had. And just a reminder, I was there too,” he said.

“Yeah, I know, Al,” Anastasia said, slightly uninterested given that she didn't need any sort of open reminder of anything small or big in her experiences.

“Anyways, I mainly came in here to hand you these, Anna,” Vaggie said, pulling out a small stack of clothes that had a pair of pink slippers on top. “They're pajamas. We store these away until new patrons come in, so, here.”

Vaggie gave Anastasia the stack, and Anastasia reached out and grabbed them, holding them in her arms as she looked over at the stack.

“Thanks, Vaggie,” Anastasia said, thanking Vaggie.

“You're welcome,” Vaggie said, before she turns and then walk away.

Alastor also walks away from the scene, his legs strutting forward as his sharp-toothed grin emerged on his face.

“Well, I gotta go now. I can check up on you later, okay?” Charlie said.

“‘Kay,” Anastasia said, giving her a thumbs up before Charlie walked away, walking out the door and shutting it closed.

Shortly after they all left her alone, Anastasia sat down on the bed, looking down at the stack of clothes as well as the tray of her meal on her bed, thinking to herself as she did so.

‘They seem.. Nice,’ Anastasia thought to herself, rethinking her doubts that she had over everyone in the hotel. However, one side of her chose to stay wary of them because she doesn't know if they can be fully trusted despite all the kindness that they had given her since she came here to Hell, giving her a place to stay, food, clothing.. All that. She felt a little conflicted, not being able to decide between trusting them or not.

Maybe for now, she'll show her trust and hide her wariness until they're worthy of her trust, unlike all the people, except her family, that she had trusted in the past and then turned against her. She would never know if the next person she meets will turn their back on her at the next minute.

She reminisced about her childhood. She had been friends with a girl before Sophie. The first friend she made. Her name was Maria. They were friends in elementary school. But Maria met new ones. New, mean ones. They made her turn against Anastasia, tripping her at lunch and making her spill her food while they laughed. Anastasia had seen the look on Maria's face, the evil grin and eyes on her, and Anastasia felt an ache in her chest, like her heart had bursted, no, broken..

Anastasia had made other friends later, hoping to start again in order to forget her first experience of betrayal. But they all turned on her in the end, leaving her with a fracture in her heart. A deep fracture..

She couldn't trust anyone ever since those experiences. She couldn't make friends. It wasn't until she met Sophie in middle school, when she was in art class in a group project. She had defended her from bullies, both old friends from the past and new people who Anastasia didn't know, even going as far as to fighting them despite getting in trouble. She was the first that Anastasia felt she could trust, at least until the day after her eighteenth birthday that is…

She lets out a sigh, a slow sigh, as she gripped tightly onto the clothes on her lap, a grip not out of anger, but just… a grip.

Chapter Text

While Anastasia was in her room, Charlie and the hotel staff were in the lobby.

“So, our new guest seems to be having trouble fitting in,” Charlie said.

“Because she’s a human?” Angel Dust asked.

“Well, yes, that and, well, ehm..” Charlie was thinking about what to say next before Vaggie chose to chime in.

“She doesn't seem to trust us that much,” Vaggie said.

“What makes you say that?” Charlie asked Vaggie.

“It was how I was when Angel and Al moved in. I could tell by her body language,” Vaggie said, pointing to herself to emphasize her point.

“Oh. Well, maybe we can show her that she doesn't have to be scared of us,” Charlie said.

“I didn't say she was-” Vaggie was about to speak before Charlie interrupted her.

“We should throw a party for her. Help her feel more welcome here,” Charlie said.

“And you mean here at this hotel, not in Hell, right? ‘Cause I'm sure not even a human would feel welcome in Hell,” Angel Dust said.

“Well, I do mean at the hotel, but it won't hurt to help her feel welcome either way, right?” Charlie asked. “So, I was thinking-”

Charlie was about to speak before the sound of a ringing phone echoed and silenced the room of voices . It was Angel Dust’s phone. He pulled it out of his pocket, looked at the screen, and the caller ID present on the screen.

“Oh hey, it's Cherri,” Angel Dust said, pressing his phone on the screen as he stood up, walked away, and raised his phone to his ear.

“So, Charlie, what ideas do you have for this party?” Vaggie asked, turning her head over to look at Charlie.

“Hm.. Maybe classic stuff. Cake, decorations.. Oh, maybe a welcome banner,” Charlie said.

“I'll happily take care of that,” Alastor said, chiming in.

“Only the decorations, Al. Last time you did food, you served nothing but raw meat and body parts and you drove away the last new tenant,” Vaggie sternly said as she raised a finger to Alastor, while Alastor just looked at her with the same toothed grin but with an opposite expression in his eyes. “And this new tenant we have is a human, so she probably isn't going to be interested in eating body parts, or raw meat.”

“Hm. Fair enough,” Alastor said, shrugging his shoulders.

Charlie clapped her hands together. “Okay, now that that's been settled, how should we go about it?”

Before anyone spoke up to respond to Charlie, the sound of Angel Dust's voice can be heard. It was quiet, but you could still hear it. However, the words couldn't be understood, but you knew a conversation was happening. But, there were a few words that you could hear, clear as water.

“Alright, Cherri. Bye,” Angel Dust said, moving his phone away from his ear and pressing his thumb on the screen, hitting the red button and ending the call. He struts back over to the others.

“What was that about?” Charlie asked.

“What time do you wanna do this party?” Angel Dust asked.

“I was thinking tomorrow, how's that sound?” Charlie said.

“Well, Cherri called and she asked for a hang-out day tomorrow, and I probably won't actually make it, since I just told her that I'd be there to hang,” Angel Dust said.

“Of course she had to ask you right now..” Vaggie said, annoyed.

“Wait…” Charlie said, before she grabbed Vaggie and turned her and herself around. “I have an idea..”

After a second, Charlie whispered into Vaggie's ear before they both stood and turned their attention back to the others.

“So, a quick change of plans. Angel, if you don't mind, I was thinking that you could bring Anna along with you and Cherri?” Charlie asked.

“Why?” Angel Dust asked.

“Well, she could use a little fun time out, and while she's busy, we can set up the party for her,” Charlie said.

“Eh, Charlie, I need to be honest. This is sort of a me and Cherri thing…” Angel Dust said, uncertain.

“Come on, please?? She should at least know the city a little better,” Charlie said.

“Well, me and Cherri only have enough dough for the two of us, so–” Angel Dust tried to make up an excuse, a believable one at least, to get out of having to bring Anastasia along until Charlie presented a huge stack of bills in her hands to Angel Dust. Surprised, he takes the bills and was easily persuaded. “Oh, okay, whatever you say, toots.”

“Great then!” Charlie said with a smile.

“Since you're gonna take Anastasia out with your friend, make sure she doesn't get into any trouble, okay?” Vaggie said, her voice sounding like a parent telling their child's older sibling or older cousin to watch over them while they go out.

“Relax, Vagina. I can handle this. Me and Cherri will make sure nothing will happen to her,” Angel Dust said, Vaggie honing a look of clear annoyance at the nickname he gave her.

The hours pass by, and the morning red sky had shone through the window. There weren't any beams of sunlight, not that Hell had a sun like Earth or anything, but light of some sorts had shone in the window, shining through the crack of the curtains of Anastasia's bedroom and upon her sleeping form under the silk blankets of her bed.

Upon feeling the glare upon the skin of her eyelids, she slowly fluttered her eyes open, the room around her blurry and foggy before her eyelids fully spread open and the blurry vision turned into a clear one. She rose up, sitting on the bed, her hair a frizzy mess, and she slowly opened her mouth, a yawn escaping the hole and echoing in the room.

She lets out a sigh, a tired one at that. She fully looked around her surroundings, remembering where she was. Part of her had hoped that it was a dream, but sadly, it wasn't.

Upon grasping back onto the reality she was in, she slowly slid the blankets off of her, turning and sliding her legs to the side as she sat on the side edge of the bed.

The door opened, and a head peeked through the crack.

“Morning Anna. You're up a little late,” Charlie said.

“Really? What time is it?” Anastasia asked.

“Around eight thirty-three,” Charlie replied.

“I have a bit of a habit sleeping in..” Anastasia said, looking over to the left side.

“That's no problem. But you should hurry and get up and ready or you'll be late for breakfast!” Charlie eagerly said before she zipped her head out the crack and promptly walked downstairs.

‘This feels almost like home,’ Anastasia thought to herself, remembering how her mom always woke her up whenever she slept in, or at least tried to sleep in, especially on “that” day..

Within a mere ten seconds, she slowly stood up from the bed. She tapped her left foot against the floor, trying to feel any sort of pain. She didn't. Her ankle was finally healed.

“Well I’ll be..” she muttered to herself, her quiet tone showing surprise. She sat down on the soft plush cushion of the mattress and bent down to her left ankle, sliding her splint off, revealing her foot covered by nothing unlike her right foot, which wore a sock. She slid both of her feet into her slippers, stood up, and then she turned and walked step by step to the bathroom.

In the bathroom, her routine was standard, similarly back home, but this time was a short adjustment.

First, she slowly slides her black and white dot-patterned night gown off and she folds it and puts it down on the toilet seat lid. Next, she slid her off her slippers and socks, stacking them on top of each other. Once her garments were off, all she had to do was slip her undergarments off. She unclasped the hook of her black nighttime bra behind her back, slid the straps down her shoulders, and slid the bra off of her torso until it was in her arms. She folded the bra up and put it on the stack of clothes on the closed toilet. After sliding her bra off of her torso, she reaches her hands to touch the waistband of her panties, sliding them off of her hips and down her legs, dropping them in the dirty clothes hamper next to the sink. Upon stripping herself of her clothes and undergarments, her naked form was exposed, the lights from the bathroom shining on her skin at nearly every angle, including behind.

Upon bringing herself bare and o natural amongst the white marble bathroom, she turned to the glass shower enclosure on the other side of the bathroom. She approaches the shower, raises her hand onto the handle, and opens the door, stepping her bare foot onto the tiles in the enclosure as she walks in as she closes the door behind her. She touches the knobs with her hands, turning them, and then feeling the warm pouring rain of water falling into her hair, head, body, and toes. She ran her left hand across her right arm, rubbing the water onto her soft, delicate skin, feeling the soak of the warm water. She could feel the water soaking the rest of her body besides her arm. It was a soothing sensation against her skin from head to toe.

Her hair became soaked, slick, and smooth yet wavy as the rain fell from the shower head. She picked up a pink bottle from the shelf that read “Berry-Scented (or Something) 2-in-1 Shampoo & Conditioner.” She flips the cap open, flip the bottle upside down over her open free palm, and squeezes the bottle, allowing the pink-colored slime that is shampoo & conditioner to flow and fall into her palm, making a coin-sized drop onto her hand. She put the bottle back and she rubs her hands together, causing the pink drop to froth up, bubbly and soapy, before she raises her hands up and scratches and lathers her scalp in the bubbly froth and then running her fingers through her locks, promptly washing and also finger-brushing her hair before she returns under the shower rain, making the frothy bubbles stream and slide down her hair as she assisted by rubbing her hands and fingers down her hair until it was clean and clear of the froth.

Shortly after washing her hair, she turned her attention back to the glass shelves, spotting a blue bottle of shower gel, the label reading “Underwater-Scented (or Something) Shower Gel.” She lifts the bottle with her hand, lifts up a yellow loofah from the small racks under the shelves, squeezes a clear blue drop onto the loofah, puts the bottle back onto the shelf, and she begins to scrub herself. Starting with her arms, rubbing and scrubbing as the soap frothed into white bubbles. After her arms came her legs, feet, torso, waist, back, and then came her more.. personal areas, which were her two breasts, her womanhood, and then her backside. All these parts being washed had the same bubbling froth from the soap that end up streaming off of her as she rubbed and scrubbed under the raining water of the shower. All the soap that had streamed off of her body landed onto the tiled floor, streaming besides the water and to the drain, sinking and flowing down the holes of the silver circle.

She turns the knobs, shutting down the rain from the shower head. She opens the door of the enclosure and steps out, leaving trails and drops of water on the marbled floor, all of it coming from her soaked body. She grabs a towel and scrubs and rubs all over her body, rubbing the water off and drying herself off until she begins to rub and squeeze her hair onto the fabric, drying it off some as well. She drops her towel onto the closed seat of the toilet and she grabs onto a bathrobe that was on a hook on the wall, slides the sleeves onto her arms, wrapping the robe right to left on her body, and then using the tie to tie the robe up.

She steps over to the sink, stepping onto the rug in front of the cabinet under the sink as she faces the mirror, staring at her reflection in the mirror. She picks up a nearby yellow blow-dryer, lifts the white outlet connected to the long line of the cord, and plugs it into the socket by the mirror. She flips the switch on, turning the blow-dryer on, feeling the large pressure of the heated wind from the snout as it hit her before moving it to face her hair, blowing her hair all over and making every group of locks bounce, flutter, and fly in the hot, heated breeze and blowing all of the leftover water off of her, making it so that not a drop is left on any of her locks as her hair dried up. By the time her hair turns as dry as hay, but not that dry literally, she shut the blow-dryer off and put it in the small closet behind her. She plays with her hair, using her hands to make it wave from the back to check if it was dry, and it was. She takes a breath, feeling her face heated up from the blow-dryer until he decided to continue with the rest of her routine.

She picks up a toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste, squeezing a line onto the bristles before putting it in her mouth and moving it back and forth across her white teeth, the paste upon the bristles frothing up until she spits the froth out into the drain. She lifted a hairbrush to her hair and slid it down her antique brass brown-colored locks, straightening them out temporarily before they bounced up to wavy locks.

She stood out of the bathroom, stepping out of the doorway and back into the bedroom, where she took several steps to the closet, opened it, and found her clothes. The ones she wore yesterday, specifically. She didn't have anything new to wear, so she had to make do with the ones she had right now. She slipped her robe off and on came her bra and panties first. Next, she slid on her jeans, her white dress shirt, her gray and white butterfly print crop top, and finally, her white shoes.

She exits her room through the door and down the stairs, stepping down each step.

Niffty zoomed on over to Anastasia.

“There you are, human!” Niffty said, excited.

“It's Anna..” Anastasia said, kindly reminding Niffty of her name.

“Oh, oh! Follow me!” Niffty said before she yanked Anastasia's hand and pulled her with her and zoomed off, making Anastasia follow her in a zoom.

“Wah!” Anastasia yelped in surprise when Niffty zoomed off and pulled her with her.

They both entered the kitchen, where they're greeted by everyone. Well, everyone except Alastor.

“Glad you could finally make it, Anna! It took you long enough! We're having omelettes,” Charlie said with a smile, holding a plate with a purple omelet on it.

“Omelettes, huh?” Anastasia said, sounding like she didn't believe it, even though she did.

After a moment or so, Anastasia held a plate in her hands, and on that plate was a purple-colored omelet seasoned with rosemary and pepper. She looked at the omelette for a minute, noting its different color from the usual yellow from Earth.

She sat at the table, laid her plate down, lifted her silver fork, cuts a piece of the omelet, stabbed the four points in the piece, lifted it to her mouth, and then she chomps down on the piece, eating it.

While Anastasia was eating, Angel Dust walked in, holding his phone in his hand.

“So you finally woke up, huh?” Vaggie said to Angel Dust.

“I needed a few extra hours of beauty sleep, hun,” Angel Dust replied as he strutted over to the table and sat down across from Anastasia, taking a bite from his omelette on his plate while looking over at his phone, before his eyes moved up to look at Anastasia. “So, hey, how'd you sleep, doll?”

“I slept alright,” Anastasia replied.

“So anyway, I wanna go ahead and ask you this. How do you feel about hanging out with me and a friend of mine later today?” Angel Dust asked.

Anastasia paused before she took another bite of her food. She looks up at Angel Dust.

“What?” Anastasia asked, wanting to make sure she heard him right.

“I said, you feel like hanging out with me and my friend today?” Angel Dust asked, repeating himself.

“What brought this on?” Anastasia asked.

Angel Dust looked at Charlie for a moment, to which Charlie signaled him to not to say anything about the plan. He looked back at Anastasia.

“Me and the gang talked, and we agreed that you might need some help getting used to the city. Get to know it a little better and, ya know, all the shit,” Angel Dust replied. “So, I had the idea of taking you out, having a little fun, making sure to avoid any trouble, ya know what I mean.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean. I used to do those kinds of things back home,” Anastasia said, taking a bite of her omelette and taking a sip of her orange juice.

“Great, so you're familiar with nights or days out then. So, whaddya say? You feel like hanging out later today?” Angel Dust asked, leaning against the table with his elbows against the wood and his arms folded.

Anastasia thought for a moment.

“Hm, I guess so. Just as long we avoid trouble, like you said,” Anastasia said, pointing her fork at Angel Dust.

“Eh, alright then. Cool,” Angel Dust said, slightly shrugging his shoulders before taking a bite of his omelette while he scrolled on his phone with his thumb.

“What time do we leave?” Anastasia asked.

“Around maybe.. Two o'clock,” Angel Dust replied. “That sound good?”

“Yeah, that works,” Anastasia replied, feeling casual and willing to work with the time set.

‘That'll work.. For my first time actually going out somewhere that isn't really like home..’ Anastasia thought to herself as she finished the rest of her omelet and drank the rest of her orange juice. She sat the glass and silverware on top of the empty plate together.

“Do these go in the sink or–” Anastasia was about to ask where she should put them, as per to her manners, until Niffty scuttered and zoomed over, yoinked the dishes off the table where she was sitting, and scuttered off.

“Nevermind,” Anastasia said with a chuckle.

Chapter Text

Anastasia was downstairs, sitting on the couch in the lobby. Angel Dust's boots clopped down the stairs as he walked down each step.

“Sorry I took so long. Had to make sure everything was in check,” he said, slicking his hair back and letting it bounce back up forward as he grinned.

“You took two hours up there,” Anastasia said, a little annoyed.

“Come on. You can rush sexiness like this~,” Angel Dust spoke in a rather sultry tone as he posed, one leg bent back and toe pointed up, two hands under his chest and propping it up, the other two on his hips, and one of his eyes winking.

“No one wants to watch you show yourself off,” Husk said, standing behind the bar as he wiped a glass with a cloth rag.

“Oh, what’s wrong with showing myself off, whiskers?~” Angel Dust said, a flirty yet baby-like sound in his voice.

“I’m outta here..” Anastasia said, walking away a few steps, making Angel Dust promptly drop the posing and flirty demeanor.

“Hang on there, Anna. We're still hanging out, you know,” Angel Dust said, stopping Anastasia in her tracks.

“I know. I just don't feel comfortable with your poses and flirts and shit,” Anastasia said, making Angel Dust chuckle.

“All right, I’ll knock it off for now,” he said, before his phone chimes. He pulls it out of his pocket and looks at the screen. “Okay, we should go. Cherri’s waiting.”

Angel Dust puts his phone back in his pocket before looking back at Anastasia.

“Anyways, for the agenda, we might be doin’ some shopping,” Angel Dust said, before he threw a few pink-colored bags in Anastasia's face and they fell in her arms. “You can use some of my tote bags, sweetheart.”

“Okay..” Anastasia said, holding the bags. “But I'd probably appreciate it if you didn't just throw them at my face..”

“Don't worry, you look fine. C'mon,” Angel Dust said, a hand on Anastasia's back, turning her to the door and leading her out the door. “I called a cab earlier. They're waiting out front.”

The taxi cab was out by the gate, waiting for the two as they walked down the hill.

“Ya know what? Maybe we should do a salon session first. You look like you could need it,” Angel Dust said, gesturing his hand to Anastasia.

“Why would I need to go to a salon?” Anastasia asked, confused.

“‘Cause it looks like you need the confidence if you're gonna be down here for a while. Not to worry. I know a guy who knows a guy who can take care of it,” said Angel Dust, before Anastasia pouts for a second.

Upon several minutes of stepping, they made it to the gate, where a gray and black car awaits them.

“Ladies first?” Angel Dust said, reaching to the car door and pulling it open, gesturing for Anastasia to step in and take a seat. He looked pretty reluctant in doing this, like he's not used to using these types of mannerisms.

Anastasia steps in, not saying a word of gratitude after she noticed the reluctance in Angel Dust's actions. She sat her butt down on the leather seating of the cab as Angel Dust lowered himself a little just to step inside and sit down. He gets in, sits on the leather seat next to Anastasia, and the two grab onto the belts, pulling them and buckling up. The driver turns the keys, the engine purrs, the wheels spin, and the cab moves forward.

“So, where to, sweet cheeks and sugar tits?” The cab driver asked, visibly creeping Anastasia out, her brows furrowing, her eyes narrowing, and her mouth contorting to a furrowed frown.

“Just head down to the Entertainment District, doll,” Angel Dust replied.

The cab moved forward continuously.

Anastasia was sitting by the car window, looking out of it and viewing the streets, alleys, and people, or demons, that passed by.

“I wonder how you even manage living down here in all… this,” Anastasia said, gesturing her hand and open palm at the window to the environment that passed by them.

“I know, it's hard at first, especially the first day. But, you'll adjust to it soon. Don't worry,” Angel Dust said, raising a hand over to Anastasia’s shoulder, laying it down, as a form of reassurance. Anastasia looked over at Angel Dust's hand on her shoulder before looking at him, forcing him to move his hand away. He turns his head to the opposite direction before directing his eyes back to her. “I'm sorry. I didn't know if you were a “touch” person. I just figured you needed it, or, ya know.”

Anastasia sighs a bit as her head turns back to her window. “It's okay..”

The tires roll, rolling over the road underneath them, rolling over cracks and pebbles. The car passed by street lights. Some broken, some sturdy, and some knocked down. A pair of demons were fighting over a black duffel bag. Who knows what is inside it that they're fighting over?

After minutes of rolling and rolling, the car becomes illuminated by a blue light.

“Alright, we're here,” Angel Dust pointed out as Anastasia looked out her car window.

While the cab drove through, Anastasia spotted several lights, signs, buildings, stores, clubs, and studios, but what caught her eye the most was a large tower in the distance. This tower in particular had pink-tinted windows, a satellite on top, and a sign illuminated in different lights that spelled out three of the same letter “V.” The V in the center was blue with what looked like lips in the middle of the shape illuminated in pink and the blue V was noticeably larger than the other two, in which the left V was illuminated in red and the right V in purple.

Her eyes were illuminated in visible awe as her attention had been drawn to all the lights in the district, until her attention had been erased when Angel Dust gently shook her shoulder.

“Hey, Anna. We’re at our stop,” Angel Dust said before he took his hand off of her shoulder. Apparently, Anastasia had been so busy looking at everything in the district that she had completely lost focus on the car’s movement.

“Oh,” she said.

Angel Dust slowly swung the door open and stepped out, followed by Anastasia. He walks over to the cab driver at the driver seat and bent down to look at him.

“Do I owe ya anything? Money, handjob, a BJ?” Angel Dust said, the last two words having a more sultry and flirtatious tone in it.

Anastasia was standing on the sidewalk, ignoring this interaction, as she didn’t want to listen in on any of it. All she did was patiently wait for Angel to finish up.

After a minute or so, the driver drove off and Angel Dust struts over to her. “Driver said he saw one of my movies, so he said I don't have to pay.”

“Movie? You're an actor?” Anastasia asked.

“Ehh, something like that. Anyways, Cherri should be down-”

“Angie!” A voice said, an Australian accent present in it as it spoke. “There you are, Angie!”

A woman with long light pink hair with a ponytail, white skin, a single eye with a yellow X pupil and reddish pink sclera, freckles, and a pink and black punkish-styled outfit approaches Angel Dust and Anastasia.

“Oh, Cherri. I thought you were at the corner,” Angel Dust said.

“I was, but then I decided to look for ya. And, uh, who's this runt?” the pink-haired cyclops girl said, gesturing to Anastasia.

“This is Anastasia. Anastasia, this is my friend, Cherri Bomb,” Angel Dust said, trading gestures back and forth between the two. “Cherri, she'll be joining us tonight.”

“Well, couldn't I have at least gotten a text that we'd have a plus one?” Cherri Bomb asked.

“Yeah, I know. She's a last-minute plus one because she's new here and she needs some help getting to know the joint and everything,” Angel Dust said.

“Well, hope she doesn't cram up our style with any goody-two-shoes shit,” Cherri Bomb said.

“Hey, I’ll come over there and show you “goody-two-shoes shit,”” Anastasia said, responding rather fiercely.

Silence broke out in the atmosphere for a few seconds.

“Ha-ha! Forget that . I think I can get used to this bitch hanging with us,” Cherri Bomb said, amused by Anastasia's ferocity. “She’s got spark, and I can chill and hang with that. Alright, let's go.”

Cherri Bomb gestures to them to follow, and the two comply and follow her. All six of their legs walking foot by foot and step by step along the sidewalk.

“Wow, one fiery comment and you already got her to like you,” Angel Dust said, looking down at Anastasia next to him.

“Oh hush,” Anastasia said, slightly tired and annoyed, which made Angel Dust chuckle, followed by Cherri Bomb’s chuckle.

“Well, Angie, what's on the agenda?” Cherri Bomb asked.

“I was thinking we take the new girl to the salon. Give her a confidence boost,” Angel Dust said, flicking some of Anastasia's hair, followed by Anastasia letting a small irritated sound escape from her mouth.

“Don't be like that now. I think it'll do ya some good,” Cherri Bomb said.

The three arrived at a small yet extravagant-looking building illuminated in yellow. The sign above read “Snair n’ Hair Clippings.”

“You'll like this guy, trust me,” Angel Dust said, gently pushing Anastasia in as Cherri Bomb followed behind.

Upon entering the building, the inside was just as extravagant as the outside, if it wasn't for all the hair on the floor, at least.

Angel Dust approached the front counter. “Hey, is Guerrero still here? I got a friend who needs a work on her top.”

“Hey, Guerrero?” The demon at the front counter yelled out to the back of the room.

Then, a very tall demon, tall enough to reach the ceiling, emerges from a door. This demon was anthropomorphic, with the appearance of a black raven with four red eyes. He was wearing a white dress shirt, black pants, brown boots, and a dark pink apron. He even had what looked like shiny, slicked back hair. His head turns over to the front, where Angel Dust, Cherri Bomb, and Anastasia stood.

“Angel, darling. You're back so soon? Did you have another last minute appointment before work?” the raven demon asked in a rather refined tone as he walked over to the front.

“Oh no, Guerrero. My hair is fine, and gorgeous,” Angel Dust replied as he slid his hair back and let it bounce back front again as he chuckled. “I just wanted to stop by and ask if you could give my friend a little work-up.”

“Oh, and who is this little friend of yours?” Guerrero asked. Angel Dust promptly pulls Anastasia over and in front of him, letting Guerrero have a full eye view of her.

“This gal here. She's new here, so she needs the “new girl confidence” down here,” Angel Dust said, Anastasia looking over at him.

“Oh, a new little one down in this fiery realm? Well, I will certainly give her the best treatment. Here, I offer newcomers to Hell the “new arrival discount.” How does that sound, my dear?” Guerrero asked, his eyes peering over Anastasia and her form.

“Uh-huh.. I can take a discount on whatever you'll be doing with this,” Anastasia said, holding and showing a few strands of her hair. She was taken by surprise when a hand reached under hers, holding it. The hand's fingers touching and almost caressing her delicate skin.

“Fabulous. Now, right this way, my dear. Your chariot awaits,” Guerrero spoke, a gentlemanly tone in his voice as he gently pulled and led Anastasia past the counter and over to a chair in front of a vanity. “Now, sit, sit, my dear. I have to make sure that you're accustomed so that I can work my magic.”

“Okay, okay, hold your feathers..” Anastasia said, a tad bit calm yet impulsive as she spoke those words. She climbed onto the chair and sat down, followed by a tarp flying and lying on top of her, and two straps of it wrapped around her neck, showing nothing but her head and hair on top.

“Alright, let's see the canvas,” Guerrero said, his hands running through Anastasia’s locks, feeling and lifting up her hair, getting an idea and image in his head as he hummed a tune to himself. “Ah, yes. I think I have the best image in mind. Don't fret, my dear. You’re in my hands. I’ll have this canvas painted in no time. Now, close your eyes for me. Wouldn't want any hair to fall in your lovely eyes now, would we, my dear?”

Anastasia sighed and rolled her eyes to the right upon hearing the instruction, but she went ahead and complied with it, closing her eyelids until she saw nothing but black darkness.

The feeling of something running through her hair from the top of her head to down below flowed upon her. It was a repeated action all over her head, left to right. This something running through her hair felt like multiple tiny pointy bumps, touching upon her scalp and sliding down her wavy locks. The feeling of pointy bumps riding along her hair went away, followed by the sound of snipping. Multiple snip sounds were heard around her, overflowing and filling her ears until a tenth snip, where the sounds have stopped, and the feeling of pointed edges ran across her locks. They weren't bumps like the first time, but they were solid edges. Not sharp, but pointed enough to be felt along her scalp and down her hair and to the back of her ears and returning to the front at the sides. The same pointed edges came to the top of her head, brushing and moving up. These edges continued for minutes until they came to a halt.

“Alright, you may open your eyes now, my dear,” Guerrero said.

Anastasia opened her eyes and she looked at herself in the vanity, moving her eyes around to look at her reflection.

“It just looks the same..” Anastasia said.

“Ah yes, it is. I went with the classic. But I did have to fix some hair that just wasn't fitting on you and your pretty head,” Guerrero said. “A simple trim, fixing some uneven hairs. I just don't see them bringing out all your pretty features.”

“Uh-huh, yeah..” Anastasia said. Guerrero took the tarp off of her and she stood down from the chair, where Angel Dust approached her.

“Well, Anna, you look good,” he said.

“It's just the same hair,” Anastasia said.

“Still. Looks good. It makes me jealous and wish I could pull off your hair,” Cherri Bomb said.

“Well, don't be,” Anastasia said, reassuring Cherri Bomb.

“Anyways, so this “discount” you mentioned, Guerrero. How much are ya needin’?” Angel Dust asked Guerrero.

Guerrero hummed. “Hmm… Does a 60% discount sound good?”

“All right,” Angel Dust reached into his pocket, pulled a pink wallet out, pulled out a twenty-dollar bill and a ten-dollar bill, and handed them to Guerrero, where he promptly took the thirty dollars.

“I hope you come back sometime, dearies. Especially you, Angel,” Guererro said, waving goodbye to them.

“Oh, I definitely will later,” Angel Dust said, waving bye as he, Cherri Bomb, and Anastasia step outside of the salon.

Chapter Text

The three step out of the salon.

“So, what'd you think?” Angel Dust asked. “About my stylist, not your hair.”

“He was nice, and generous..” Anastasia said, a neutral look in her face from her eyes to her mouth.

“‘Kay, now where we off to next?” Cherri Bomb asked.

“Shopping,” Anastasia replied, before she gestured to Angel Dust with her thumb. “He suggested it.”

“Yeah, I did. Especially since you literally have a tear in your sleeve,” Angel Dust said, pointing to the tear in Anastasia's right sleeve.

“I was attacked by a crow when I got here. Of course I got a tear,” Anastasia said, annoyed.

“Haha, I like ya, kid. You're not being scared to speak shit out your mind. You should definitely hang with us more. Hey, how about you give me your number and we’ll do a group chat?” Cherri Bomb said, pulling her cellphone (or Hellphone) out of her pocket.

“I don't have a phone. I left it back ho-..” Anastasia stopped herself before she could speak any further, and she immediately spoke again and used a different set of words. “I came here without a phone, naturally.”

“Oh. Well, that's cool. How about we stop by the store and get you one? And then we can go get clothes afterwards,” Cherri Bomb said.

“You don't really have to–” Anastasia tried to speak until Angel Dust spoke.

“We insist. If you're gonna be down here, you should at least have some form of communication, and maybe something to scroll social media on, and that shit,” he said.

“Yeah, c'mon, you gotta adapt down this hell hole,” Cherri Bomb said, before she walked off. “Let's go.”

As Angel Dust and Anastasia follow behind her, Angel Dust looked over at Anastasia, a question burning in his mind, bursting and waiting to be asked. Not able to keep it in, he tapped her shoulder.

“Hey, toots. I noticed that you were hesitant to tell Cherri about where your old phone was. How come you didn't say anything?” he asked, a whispered tone in his voice.

“Look, Angel. I can't just go around telling everyone I meet down here that I'm a human who came down to Hell from Earth, alive. I can only afford six people knowing this. You, Al, and the others at the hotel,” Anastasia whispered.

“Ohh, I got it. If any sicko down here heard about you being a human, who knows what they'll do to you and that kind of information,” Angel Dust said. “I mean, imagine that shit all over the news down here.”

“Okay, good. You understand me. Right now, just.. not a word to anyone else. If so, you need to be careful who you choose to tell. You'd never know if they'll turn on you the next chance they get..,” Anastasia said, before picking up the pace on her steps.

“Huh?” Angel Dust said, confused about the last Anastasia said, raising a hand towards her like he was trying to stop her, but she was already out of Angel Dust’s mid-reach, making him lower his hand, followed by his footsteps picking up the pace behind her and Cherri Bomb.

“I was wondering what took you two so long to speed it up,” Cherri Bomb said, finally noticing that they finally picked up the pace.

“Sorry, we had to talk about something regarding our outing today,” Anastasia said, covering up her and Angel Dust's actual talk.

“Oh. That's cool,” Cherri Bomb said.

After minutes of walking, step by step, over and over on the sidewalk, they approached a store illuminated in blue, purple, pink, and red light. The sign above, illuminated in red lights, said “Screen Store.” The trio walk through the doors inside of the store.

“Okay, feel free to look around, find a phone you like, and we'll get ya set,” Angel Dust said.

“Alright, whatever,” Anastasia said, shrugging her shoulders before she walked over the smooth tiling over the store's floor. She approaches a sector in the store that had a sign hanging from the ceiling with the words “Phones” written on it. She walks over towards a few stands, looking at the names of each brand. “Doriyama,” “Hellfyra,” “BiTechi,” “Zylar,” “KeeWi”... Many brands were in the store, but one with the most eye-catching stand was “V-Phone, from VoxTech.” Anastasia looked over at the stand, reading the price tags and a sign talking about each detail of the phone brand: “High 4K resolution, fast system, easy to use and set up.” The entire sign was filled with different benefits and details on the phone. When Anastasia read the sign on the VoxTech advertisement and its slogan “Trust Us,” she turned with her arms crossed.

“Yeah, no,” Anastasia said.

“What's up? Not interested in that brand or something?” Angel Dust asked, albeit a hint of joking, while walking over to Anastasia.

“They need to work on their slogan. A company saying “trust us” right off the bat? Major red flag,” Anastasia said, before an entire horde of demons rushed over to the stand, nearly running over Anastasia and Angel Dust. Luckily, they immediately stood out of the way before they were trampled by the dozens of feet in that horde.

Within seconds, the horde broke up and scattered away, leaving only five boxes of V-Phones left on the stand leaving Anastasia and Angel Dust baffled, and not in a good way.

“Jesus..,” Anastasia muttered silently, amazed that even crazy shopping hordes happen here in Hell like how they happen on Earth.

A second after that scene, Anastasia’s eyes were caught by a stand featuring a phone brand called “FrütPi.”

“Hm..” Anastasia walks over to the stand and holds a box that holds the phone in it while looking at the sign featuring the details: “3.6G, 60GB, high 4k resolution..” In addition, the price tag for the brand was only $55.99.

“How about this one?” Anastasia said, holding the phone up to show Angel Dust.

“Huh, you picked a good one, I see. Alrighty, let's go,” Angel Dust said, leading Anastasia to the counter.

The ant demon at the counter ran Anastasia up, set up her new phone number, and handed her the phone back, in which she promptly held it back in her hand.

“Wanna find a case for it?” Cherri Bomb asked.

“Sure,” Anastasia asked.

“The cases are in the other section,” the ant demon said, gesturing his hand to the right.

Anastasia, Angel Dust, and Cherri Bomb walked to the section in the store where phone cases were. They were in an aisle with a sign saying “FrütPi Phone Cases” hanging from the ceiling. They looked through different shelves and plastic boxes for a case.

“How about this beach one?” Cherri Bomb asked, holding a phone case with a beach design on it.

“Nah. How about this one with cute little froggies on it?” Angel Dust said, holding a phone case with kawaii-looking frog prints.

“I'm not a fan of frogs,” Anastasia said.

“Oh, alright,” Angel Dust said, putting the frog phone case away.

Anastasia looked around and she found a phone case with a golden glitter frame, blue gradient background and white cloud pattern and yellow shimmers. She picks up the case and looks at it.

“Hm,” she hummed. Angel Dust looms over her shoulder.

“Ooh, that's a pretty one,” he said.

“It just caught my eye, that's all it was,” Anastasia said before she walked ahead.

Shortly after buying a new phone and a new case, the three had exited the store. They were by a bench near a lamp post. Anastasia sat upon the wooden seat, fitting her new phone into her new phone case, sliding it in with a “plock” sound.

“Okay, you got yourself a phone. What do ya think?” Cherri Bomb asked.

“It's cool,” Anastasia said, looking over at the screen of her new phone as it turned on. “I'm just glad I have a way of contact and a way to keep up with anything new. Trends, news..”

“Yeah, yeah, all that important shit. Let's just set up our group chat,” Cherri Bomb said, taking Anastasia’s phone, looking at the screen, and looking at her own screen as she began typing with her thumb on her phone. A few seconds later, she hands Anastasia her phone back. “Alright, I got it set. We'll be able to text each other later.”

“You can hand me your number later for our own one on one chats,” Angel Dust said, looking over at Anastasia.

“That's fine. I just prefer being asked before letting someone else touch my phone..,” Anastasia said, visible yet tiny disdain and irritation in her tone.

“Sorry. I didn't know you were a tad bit touchy about your stuff,” Cherri Bomb said.

“It's just a thing I have that everyone else has too. It's nothing,” Anastasia said, reassuringly.

“All right, let's go on. The best clothes store on the street is around the corner,” Angel Dust said, eagerness in his tone as he struts off past the two girls.

“God, wait up, Angel,” Anastasia said, sounding irritated and tired as she rose herself up from the bench and followed behind him, and Cherri Bomb followed behind them, giggling over Anastasia’s irritation.

The three stood in front of a huge mall-like building, but this building was half the size of a mall. The building was illuminated in several lights in different colors. The sign in the center of the store was written in LED lights, “FashionVilla” was the name illuminated in these very lights, yellow lights specifically.

“”FashionVilla,” huh?” Anastasia said, looking at the sign with her left hand resting on her hip.

“Yep. This is one of, if not, the best clothes stores here in the district,” Angel Dust said.

“Hey, check this out. One of those V people are here,” Cherri Bomb said, gesturing to a poster on the store window.

The two, Anastasia and Angel Dust, glance over at the poster.

The poster was mostly pink and blue, and there was a woman in the image. The woman had dark brown-colored skin, a pair of eyes with red sclera, white irises, and black pupils, black lips, and red and black hair in a large ponytail along with a white streak in her bangs and a white swirling streak in her ponytail. She was wearing a pink and white dress, a dark blue periwinkle denim vest with red heart buttons, and striped long-sleeve fingerless gloves, the left was white and pink and the right was black and pink. In the poster besides the woman was writing. The writing said: “Special Visitor and CEO of Velvetté, Velvette!”

“Velvette?” Anastasia said.

“Eh, she’s just one of the three in charge of this district,” Angel Dust said, being nonchalant as if nothing big or surprising had happened.

“Wait, three?” Anastasia asked.

“Look, I won't let this ruin our day, okay? Come on, let's check out some threads,” Angel Dust said, guiding Anastasia to the door.

“Yeah, forget that picture-perfect Barbie. Let's go,” Cherri Bomb said, following behind Angel Dust.

Anastasia sighed. “Okay..”

The three walk through the glass doors of the store. The inside taking in the space of their eyesight. The interior was very extravagant, even for a clothes store. The walls, floors, ceiling, and indoor columns. All white-colored and polished to perfection.

“Wow.. And here I am used to going to thrift shops,” Anastasia said.

“Well, you'll definitely like it here,” Angel Dust said with his arm wrapped around Anastasia’s shoulder.

“Yeah, c'mon,” Cherri Bomb said.

“But, there's, like, a whole lot of departments here. Where do we start?” Anastasia asked, her hand pointed towards several stores and departments within the clothes store, each one with a name of their brand, such as “Underland Ursh,” “CandiStrings,” “Demanya Mish,” and especially.. “Velvetté.”

“Hm, how about one of my fave stores? PinkVallis,” Angel Dust said, holding Anastasia’s hand and guiding her over to the “PinkVallis” clothes store. Cherri Bomb follows behind them.

The three had entered the store.

A hand slides in between hanging pieces of clothing before sliding to the left.

“I know, the name was misleading for some first time shoppers here. Not everything in the store is pink,” Angel Dust said.

“I am well-aware of that now,” Anastasia said.

“Hey, Anna. Check out this set. It definitely looks like your kind of fit,” Cherri Bomb said, holding up a clothes hanger with a red and black outfit on it. It was a red blouse with a black skirt.

“No thanks, I don't wear skirts,” Anastasia said, waving her hand in dismissal.

“Not even dresses?” Angel Dust asked.

“Oh no, I'll wear dresses, but only for special occasions,” Anastasia replied.

“All right, that's fine,” Cherri Bomb said, putting the outfit away back on the racks. "Everyone has their own style."

“I'll just go ahead and look around on my own,” Anastasia said.

“All right,” Cherri Bomb said as Anastasia walked away.

Anastasia stood by a rack, looking at different tops.

Minutes drift by like clouds. The white clouds in the blue skies on Earth, specifically. As the minutes drift, they slowly storm into hours.

Angel Dust walked through a pair of pink curtains out of a changing room.

“All right, I just got a text from Charlie or what not. She said she wants me and Anna to head back,” Angel Dust.

“Aw, really? Forget about her. Let's stay out some more,” Cherri Bomb said, nudging Angel Dust's shoulder.

“I just promised the guys back at the hotel that I'd keep her out of trouble down here,” Angel Dust said.

“Ugh, fine. You gotta keep your promise, that's fine,” Cherri Bomb said, a sour yet bummed look in her face and eye.

“Now, where's she?” Angel Dust said, looking around. His eyes dark past several racks and shelves and stands, looking for Anastasia, but he couldn't see anything.

He uttered. “Uh oh.”

Chapter Text

“Couldn't she have at least given us some warning that she was gonna wander off on her own?” Cherri Bomb said, walking on her feet around the store with Angel Dust.

“Look, this isn't that serious. Just some newbie walking around in a store in Hell where, regardless of the environment, she could end up in trouble either way,” Angel Dust said, Cherri Bomb giving him the eye. As in, the “sounds pretty serious to me” eye. “Look, we’ll find her. She can't have gone that far off. I mean, there are only ten departments in this big-ass store.”

Angel Dust and Cherri Bomb exited the “PinkVallis” department holding pink bags, looking around the walkway and center of the store’s plaza.

“Damn it, where could she be?” Angel Dust said.

“Where could I be?” a familiar voice said. Angel Dust and Cherri Bomb turned to the right and they saw Anastasia standing right there, holding two pink bags that Angel Dust had handed to her back before they left the hotel. She raised an eyebrow at them.

“Damn, bitch. Where were you?” Cherri Bomb asked.

“I was shopping, what do you think?” Anastasia responded.

“Well, you can't just walk off like that without telling us. You almost gave Angie a heart attack,” Cherri Bomb said. The part she said about Angel Dust having a heart attack sounded like a tease. She even pointed her thumb at him while plastering a smirk on her face.

“I was not about to have a heart attack. Ana, I just wanted to make sure you didn't get into any harm. Anyway, Charlie just texted me and she wants you and I to head back,” Angel Dust said.

Anastasia sighs. “Alright, let's go.”

Anastasia began to walk away to the entrance, where Angel Dust and Cherri Bomb followed before their steps got toned out by the sound of crowded footsteps and chatter filled up the plaza.

“Alright, alright. No need to get excited, everyone. And easy with the flash photos,” a feminine voice spoke out in the distance. The voice had a British accent to it. A woman emerges from the crowd. She looked familiar.. The red hair, white streaks, the dark brown-colored skin, the eyes, the outfit.. She was Velvette, the same woman on that poster on the store window.

“Antonio, do something, please,” Velvette asked, an irritated tone in her words.

“Yes, miss Velvette,” a tall male blue humanoid demon with yellow hair and red eyes and a black outfit said, before he pulled out a spray bottle at the flashing and chattering crowd of demons, pulling and pressing on the trigger to make it release water drops multiple times at the crowds, making them shun, hide, and back away from the two. “You heard her. Back away, please.”

A chime emerges. It was Velvette's phone. She pulled it out of her pocket, pressed her thumb upon the glass screen, and held it up to her ear.

“Yes Vox?” Velvette said, speaking over the phone as she and Antonio walked side by side.

“Vox, I'm just about already heading back. I had to do a special guest appearance at FashionVilla today, remember? I'm honestly amazed you actually forgot, even when I had it marked on the calendar, in red. Oh, you're just now seeing it? Your bad? Ugh,” Velvette said over the phone, annoyed.

In the distance was Angel Dust, Anastasia, and Cherri Bomb by the store doors. Velvette noticed them.

“Oh, Val's lil’ pet is here with his friend. Tch, that's nothing new-” Velvette was speaking when she was interrupted over a sight. A sight that surprised her. She noticed Anastasia near Angel Dust and Cherri Bomb. She seemed.. intrigued. Anastasia didn't look like any sort of humanoid Sinner Velvette’s seen down in Hell, and she has seen and met a lot of those kinds of them, but not any that looked directly like a human like Anastasia did. If Velvette’s suspicions are correct, then maybe...

“Hmm,” she hummed, raising her phone back to her ear. “Vox, you still there? Great. Wait up for me, ‘cause I think I just found out that Angel Dust has a special little friend with him.”

When Velvette spoke, she listened to what Vox said on the phone. Her expression shifted to irritation.

“No, it's not his boyfriend. He doesn't even have one,” she said.

While Velvette was on the phone, Anastasia, Cherri Bomb, and Angel Dust stepped out of the doors and back outside.

“So, what all did you buy?” Angel Dust asked.

“I'll show you when we get back at the hotel,” Anastasia sighed.

“Oh, you're one of those,” Angel Dust said.

“Ok, the next taxi spot is a few feet away,” Cherri Bomb, said, pointing it out on the left. Angel Dust and Anastasia walked ahead while Cherri Bomb stood behind, not walking. Angel Dust looked over behind him, noticing Cherri Bomb's lack of movement.

“Hey Cherri, you coming?” Angel Dust asked.

“Eh, nah. You two go on. I'mma just stick around here,” Cherri Bomb said, her arms crossed and a chill smile across her face.

“Oh, alright. Well, see ya later, Bomb,” Angel Dust said, waving a hand at her as he walks with Anastasia to the taxi stop. He looks at her, his arms crossed and his head tilted down to look at her. “So, not to bug, but did you have fun today?”

“Not really,” Anastasia answered.

“Wow, that's a pretty blunt response,” Angel Dust said.

“Sorry. Today just didn't feel like fun to me,” Anastasia said.

Angel Dust sighed.

“Look, I get it. You're still adjusting down here and I know you want to get back home,” Angel Dust said. “But ya know, it probably won't help if you, I dunno, just mope the whole time.”

Anastasia looked over at Angel Dust.

“I-I didn't mean it like that. I..” Angel Dust stuttered, struggling to find the words. “I just… Well.. It's just.. The thing is.. I feel like one of the worst things you can do down here is make someone feel like they don't fit in, or that they aren't safe, when.. Well.. You know, it's not like as if no one down here has done some kind of shit to end up with the rest of every other Sinner here, and it technically isn't very safe down here unless you know the right person or place to look to, or just the person or place, good or bad, just so you could survive or get by.. And I mean.. I know you're not exactly a Sinner, or dead, and–”

“Angel,” Anastsia spoke up, stopping Angel Dust from speaking. He looked down at her. “It's fine..”

A pair of lights appear in the distance followed by a gray-ish black cab, where the lights originate. The cab pulls up in front of them, where Angel Dust grips the door handle, opens it, and then he and Anastasia stepped in and sat down.

“Where to?” The driver asked.

“Uptown, by the gate at the Hazbin Hotel,” Angel Dust replied.

“That hotel? Okay,” the driver said before his foot pressed down on the gas pedal and the car's wheels spun and the car moved forward and around past a curve.

Silence besides the sounds of the streets and wheels filled the car.

“Was there a reason you brought me out?” Anastasia asked, breaking the silence.

“Huh?” Angel Dust responded.

“Do you and the others have something going on? Specifically for me?” Anastasia asked, suspecting something.

“Well… Charlie said to bring you out because she wanted to do something special for you,” Angel Dust said, having partially admitting it.

“Special, huh?” Anastasia asked. She turned her head to the side, looking at her reflection in the mirror. “I cannot wait..”

“You don't sound so happy to hear about it,” Angel Dust said.

“It's nothing,” Anastasia said.

“It doesn't sound like nothing,” Angel Dust said. “You sure you don't want to, I dunno.. talk about it?”

“It's really nothing,” Anastasia said, looking back at her reflection in the car window.

Angel Dust looked over at her, a sympathetic look in his eyes. He raised a hand up towards her shoulder before he retracted it and turned his head to the car window next to him, crossing his arms and removing the sympathetic look in his eyes as he watched the passing streets.

After several minutes of driving, the cab stopped in front of the gates, right near the Hazbin Hotel. The door opened and Anastasia and Angel Dust stood out of the vehicle. Angel Dust approached the front seat where the driver was and he paid him. In money, that is. The cab drives off shortly afterwards.

Angel Dust and Anastasia began to step forward, walking under the entrance of the gate.

“Okay, how about this? Next time, we’ll actually have a hang-out day, better than this shitty one we had,” Angel Dust said.

“I never said that today was shitty. I said that it didn’t feel fun,” Anastasia replied.

“Okay, but still,” Angel Dust said. “Next time, I promise it'll be a wee bit better.”

Angel Dust and Anastasia walked up the pathway amongst the cobblestone, pebbles, and rocks until they reached the one of the two sets of double doors.

“Okay.. We made it back at… 6:50 o'clock pm. I dunno why I even pointed that out. Curfews aren't really much of a thing down here anyway,” Angel Dust said, reaching a hand to the door handle, gripping onto it, and then pulling it open. He looks back at her. “Ladies first?”

Anastasia rolls her eyes a bit, not in anger or irritation, and she steps through the doors, walking into the lobby. Her attention was at the doorway when she was watching Angel Dust walk in until she turned her head to the front.

“Welcome back, Anna!” Charlie brightly greeted.

Behind her was an array of bright and colorful decorations. Streamers on the walls, balloons taped to some walls, and confetti particles and ribbons scattered. There were three tables covered in white tablecloths with balloons attached to them. There were various food and drink items lying on top of them. The gang, Alastor, Charlie, Vaggie, Niffty, and Husk were standing by the tables. In addition, three animal-like demons, a black and white cat sitting by a table and two winged goats flying in mid air.

“Glad you got back in time for the party we made. Just. For. You!” Charlie said, touching Anastasia’s nose with her finger in a “boop” manner.

Shortly after Charlie removed her finger from Anastasia's nose, Anastasia blinked a few times, looking a little surprised over the party in front of her. Angel Dust walks over next to Anastasia.

“Yeah, this was what Charlie had planned for ya,” Angel Dust said, slightly nudging Anastasia’s shoulder.

Chapter Text

“We know it’s hard for you to be new here in Hell, so we just wanted to do something special for ya,” Charlie said to Anastasia, using a silver cake knife to cut a large rectangle-shape cake covered in beige frosting, decorated with blue frosting at the edges and sides, and doodles in various color icing to depict a rainbow, a few balloons, and dots, and writing in pink icing saying “Welcome, Anastasia!” She rests the slice on a paper plate and she hands the plate over to Anastasia, where she accepts it.

“Thanks, but you didn't have to do all of this,” Anastasia spoke before a shadow appeared beside her. And out that shadow popped out Alastor.

“Oh, the modesty of a young lady. It's no troubling matter. I mean, what's so bad about making a new guest feel welcome?” Alastor said.

“Nothing. It’s just.. a party just seems so.. maybe a little.. much,” Anastasia said.

“Ugh, you sound like Vaggs,” Angel Dust said, his face full of pigs and blankets.

“Hey,” Vaggie said to Angel Dust, taking offense.

“Vaggie, he was just kidding,” Charlie said, her hand resting on Vaggie's shoulder as she reassured her.

“Ah yes, quite the pageantry. No harm in making humorous comments at a gathering,” Alastor spoke in flattery.

Niffty scutters around the floor, chasing a bug, surprising Anastasia when she scuttered past her legs.

“There she goes again,” Husk said, an uninterested look in his face as he sips from a green-colored bottle.

“Uh-huh..” Anastasia said, agreeing with Husk's comment before she took a bite of her cake from a plastic fork. “Mhm, this is good.”

“Thanks. Me and Vaggie worked on it together,” Charlie said, a smile on her face.

“It wasn't that hard if you use four instead of two hands,” Vaggie said, a small smile on her face.

“Sooo, Angel, what did you and Anna do while you were out?” Charlie said, she and Vaggie's attention directed to Angel Dust.

“Nothing. We just stopped by the salon and went shopping..” Angel Dust was speaking when some of Anastasia's thoughts clouded out the noise around her while she was looking down at her plate, right at the barely eaten slice of cake that rests upon it.

She began to think about how this party could've been just like the one she would've had on her birthday if she hadn't been kidnapped. She would've had so much fun with her mother, just like how they would with her father before he passed away when she was in middle school. But, then again, she thought about her mother again, how she’s doing and, more importantly, how she's feeling..

Anastasia thinks about how torn and sad her mother must be back on Earth after hearing that she went missing. She could already imagine it. The scenarios going on in her cinema of a mind… The tears, the look of horror, the pure devastation after being told by the police that she went missing. The way she must be begging for them to find her and make sure she's safe, her praying to above that she would return safe and sound… She could hear all those in her head…

“Please, bring my daughter back. Please, find her. Please God, bring her back to me...”

Every word.. every plea.. every single possible one.. All loud and flooding her head…

“..nna? Anna..” a voice emerged. “Anna, dear.”

After the noise cleared in her head, she could hear the voice, that and the source of it.

“Is something troubling you there?” the same voice asked. It was Alastor.

“Oh, nothing. I was just thinking, is all,” Anastasia said.

“Perhaps homesickness is the cause of this “thinking”?” Alastor said.

“Look, let's not discuss this, okay?” Anastasia said, dismissively waving away the topic.

“Hm.. Very well then, dear,” Alastor said before he turned his back and walked a few steps away from her, before stopping a few feet away. His head turns back to her. “But I just want to warn you. I hear many times that it is rather unhealthy to keep anything bottled up for so long, as they could burst out at the worst time..”

Anastasia scowls at Alastor while he just keeps a grin on his face as always. He promptly walks away.

“Hey Anna. You feel up for some party games?” Charlie asked as she walked over to Anastasia.

“I guess, sure,” Anastasia replied. “What games do you guys have here in Hell?”

“How does pin the tail on the donkey sound?” Charlie asked.

“‘Kay, Hell isn't too different from Earth after all,” Anastasia commented with a small grin on her face and her eyes narrowed. She was amused over how Hell has games similar to Earth, like pin the tail on one donkey. She promptly puts the half-empty plate down on the table. “Okay, let's go.”

She promptly steps away from the table, following behind Charlie to where the said game shall commence.

A piece of orange cloth covers Anastasia's sapphire blue eyes, allowing her to see only darkness and nothing more or less.

“Aanndd… there. All you gotta do-” Charlie was speaking until Anastasia interrupted her.

“I know how to play. I've played this, like, five times,” Anastasia said as Charlie gave her the tail.

“Aaaannndd.. go!” Charlie prompted aloud. With that, Anastasia stood forth, holding the tail in her hand. However, as she walked, her vision was covered, so she went off the grid real fast, walking in Husks direction.

“Woah,” Husk said, backing up from her, much to the others amusement. When the proximity between Husk and Anastasia got too close, Husk promptly rushed off past Anastasia and she followed behind him, not knowing where she was walking or who she was chasing.

“Am I getting warmer or colder?” she asked.

“Uh-” Vaggie was about to speak before Angel Dust stopped her.

“Shh. This is gonna be hilarious,” Angel Dust said.

Husk rushed off by one of the couches in the lobby, climbing on top of the red cushions and he looked behind him and saw Anastasia approaching, blindfolded and with a tail.

“Okay, am I getting colder or warmer, guys?” she said.

“Warmer!” Angel Dust yelled out with a smirk on his face.

“Dammit, kid,” Husk irritatedly said. Without any other options, he ducked down on the couch, his rear hiney directed to everyone.

Anastasia approached him from behind and she hovered her hand over Husk’s hiney, barely feeling it, but she knew her hand was near something.

“Okay.. I'm going to stick it right… here,” she announced before sticking the tail onto Husk’s hiney. Lucky for him, it was stick-on and not an actual pin, otherwise his butt would be in a whole world of hurt right now.

“Did I get it?” Anastasia said raises her hand and grips to the blindfold covering her eyes as she moves it up, unveiling her sapphire blue eyes.

“Not quite,” Husk said, grasping Anastasia's attention, making her look at him, ducked down on the couch partly raised up and the stick-on donkey tail stuck onto his butt, just above his own tail.

“Well you can't get close enough then that,” Angel Dust said, laughter overflowing his voice before he actually bursted into laughter.

Anastasia took a moment to process the situation. I mean, pinning the tail on someone's butt and not the poster? Isn't that funny or just rude, even if it was unintentional? Anastasia stood silently, thinking, before her face contorted. The said contortion on her face, however, was one of positivity. Her eyes squinted a moment as her mouth shut tightly, a few giggles and chuckles escaping through the small gaps between her lips until they finally bursted out of her. Her laughter, her joyous sounds, overflowed the room, echoing between herself and everyone else in the room. As her laughter bounced to the others, the infectious sounds along with the situation overflowed their systems, making the rest of them, except Husk and Alastor, laugh out loud alongside Anastasia.

Husk growled in irritation. “Okay, ha-ha, very funny.”

“It is quite comical, my good man, isn't it?” Alastor spoke, that same grin on his face while Husk looked at him in annoyance.

With all this laughter and such, Anastasia's negative thoughts and feelings swept past her. A river over stone, passing it and not moving it. Not once had she thought back to it all.

Angel Dust's boots tap over the floor, growing audible as the sounds passed over to Anastasia.

“That was funny though. You thought you stuck it to the poster, but you stuck it on someone's ass,” Angel Dust chuckled.

“Yeah, heh. That was funny,” Anastasia said, a smile on her face.

“Well, it's not funny to me,” Husk said as he plucked the donkey tail off of his butt. After a second, his scowl turns into a smirk followed by the sound of giggles. “Okay, it’s a little funny.”

Then, it turned back into that scowl on his face. “But on the other hand, I felt violated when you stuck this on my ass.”

“Your sense of humor is stale, old man,” Anastasia said, her arms crossed. Angel Dust chuckles at her remark.

“You're not kidding. His sense of humor really is stale,” Angel Dust said, Husk grumbling in response.

“Well now, this attitude is rather unprecedented. I didn't expect such a remark to come out of you,” Alastor spoke as he approached.

“Psh, that's nothing. Those just pop up whenever,” Anastasia said in response.

“Hm, ya know, I wonder what that reminds me of,” Angel Dust sarcastically spoke as he glanced his eyes over to Vaggie. Vaggie sighs.

“Uh-huh, I already know what you're thinking, Angel,” Vaggie said in slight annoyance, much to Angel Dust's amusement.

“I can't tell if you're psychic or sarcastic,” Angel Dust said. “So, Anna, you having fun now?”

“I'm gonna be honest here,” Anastasia said, adding a form of dramatic hesitation to her sentence before she could finish. Everyone awaited her response, a few hoping for a positive response and not a negative one. It took several seconds, but a response was announced.

“So far, this is the most fun I've had since I've got here,” Anastasia said.

“Oh, thank goodness. I really hoped you would say that. I really wanted you to have fun here,” Charlie said as she approaches her, a sound of relief in her voice.

“Well, congratulations Charlie, ‘cause I am,” Anastasia said, a smile on her face before she and Charlie shared a laugh.

“Oh, I almost forgot. Alastor said he has something for you,” Charlie said, gesturing his hands to Alastor.

“Really?” Anastasia said, curious yet skeptical.

“Why yes. While you were out, I sat out to meet my friend Rosie in Cannibal Town and she provided me with a little ensemble for you,” Alastor spoke as he approached Anastasia.

“”Ensemble?”” What ensemble?” Anastasia asked.

With that question, Alastor's hand reached out to Anastasia’s, grasping onto it, much to her surprise, as he lifted her hand up and over as he twirls her. A green-colored swirling mist and aura surrounded Anastasia’s form as Alastor twirled her, enveloping her for a brief ten seconds before the aura and mist vanished and revealed Anastasia's no-longer-twirling form. Her outfit had changed greatly. She was wearing a red dress with a white bib collar, black bowtie, and black slip-on shoes.

Anastasia looks down at her form, her eyes trailing over her new outfit, or ensemble in Alastor's words. She was speechless, at a loss of words. She was surprised by her outfit and also Alastor's ability to just change her clothes like that.

“Wa.. Wow,” she spoke.

“Well, doesn't that look lovely on you, dear?” Alastor asked.

It took a minute before Anastasia responded.

“Yes. This dress is pretty,” Anastasia said, bluntly and straight to the point at her compliment. “I didn't expect this to be put on me like it was.”

“Well, I'm pleased you like it. I will send the word to Rosie later that you love the ensemble,” Alastor said.

“You can just call it a “dress,” ya know,” Anastasia said.

“Oh, I like using the fancier type of words, you see,” Alastor spoke.

“I do see,” Anastasia said. “Hey, Charlie. Are there any other party games to play?”

“Uhm… Hm..” Charlie said, thinking.

“I have an idea. How about target practice?” Angel Dust said as he pulled out a gray tommy gun decorated with what looked like glowing white spider web accents.

“No!” Vaggie said sternly.

“Yeah, I agree. And do you just carry that with you all the time?” Anastasia asked.

“Yep,” Angel Dust said.

“Where do you even put that bulky thing?” Anastasia said.

“That's a story without an explanation, dear,” Angel Dust said as he put the gun away, seemingly behind his back with no sort of physical indication that it was there. No lump under the back of his shirt. Nothing.

“Hmm… . Oh! How about some charades?” Charlie said. “Sorry, I didn't have many ideas..”

“It's fine, babe,” Vaggie said, patting Charlie's shoulder.

“By the way, a few ground rules. Nothing dirty. I'm talking to you, Angel,” Vaggie sternly, pointing at Angel Dust.

“Ugh, you're such a party-pooper. Well, a party-pooping bomb,” Angel Dust said.

Suddenly, an explosion occurs. It came from a wall. A wall had been broken by something. Or someone…

“Show yourself, Alastor! Come and face my wrath!” A voice yelled out from outside.

“What the hell?” Anastasia said.

Anastasia, Charlie, Angel Dust, and Vaggie walk outside to see what the commotion was, who was speaking, and what caused that explosion in the wall. They look up and they see what looks like a steampunk-styled blimp.

“The fuck. Is that?” Anastasia asked before a shadow trails past her, and that shadow was revealed to be Alastor as he emerged from the shadow.

“Why, I would ask the same, dear,” Alastor said.

“Oh, you know who I am, Alastor. I am the great Sir Pentious! Villain extraordinaire, architect of destruction. And I am here to slay you once and for all!” the voice spoke. Revealed inside the blimp looked like a demon that appeared as a black and yellow-colored cobra with pink sclera and black slit pupils, a gray and yellow pinstripe tux, and a top hat that had an eye and teeth.

“My, my. I wonder why you would come here to kill me. I've never heard the likes of you even once,” Alastor spoke mockingly, that same grin on his face.

“I attacked you multiple times the past few months..” Sir Pentious said, trying to explain and help Alastor grasp his memory, only for Alastor to tilt his head to the side in confusion, not knowing or understanding. “We've done battle, like, at least around twenty times.”

“Well, you must have been doing a poor job at this,” Alastor said, mockingly.

Anastasia looked over at Alastor with a slight WTF expression before her attention turned back to Sir Pentious and his blimp in the sky. She took a few steps forward, where the others were watching her, wondering what she was going to do.

“Alright, maybe you should just go and skedaddle before someone gets hurt,” Anastasia spoke, not a hint of fear in her tone, as she looked up at the blimp and spoke to Sir Pentious.

“Well, my dear, what can you do from down there? I am the one with the weapons here,” Sir Pentious spoke, arrogant and confident.

Anastasia rose an eyebrow at him, unamused and sour-looking.

“Now, putting that aside. Once I've slain you, Alastor, once and for all, the almighty Vees will finally acknowledge me and my greatest skills and achievements, like killing you!” Sir Pentious announced with an evil laugh.

“Ooh, a bad boy~,” Niffty said, peeping from behind Alastor on his head. “Wait, who are the Vees?”

“Oh, nobody important,” Alastor said, dismissively with a wave of a hand and a raised eyebrow.

Chapter Text

From the red skies illuminated by blue light causing a magenta tint, we move our scenery from the hotel to somewhere more… intriguing.

As the sky descends by color, where do we find ourselves? Not at the hotel, but.. the Entertainment District. But, why here? Shouldn't we find out what happens next at the hotel? Perhaps, we shall find out why we've returned here.

In the center is that very tower Anastasia had seen when she arrived with Angel Dust, that very same tower with three V letters illuminated in different lights, blue in center, red on the left, and purple on the right.

The sound of clomping footsteps across the floor are heard. And these sounds are coming from a pair of pink shoes, walking across a smoothly-tiled floor of peach.

A tall door opens, revealing a pink department filled with cloths, racks of clothing, mirrors, stands, etc.

“Miss Velvette. You're back,” a female demon said.

“Uh-huh. I was out at FashionVilla as a guest visit,” Velvette spoke.

“Ah yes, you were,” the female demon spoke. “And, not to press matters, but Mister Vox and Valentino need you upstairs.”

“Good, I expected them to be waiting for me,” Velvette spoke before she turns and walks away, her shoes clomping across the pink floor tiles.

She approaches a double-door, where stood a pair of twin female demons, who walk to the doors and open them, allowing Velvette to walk past and enter as the two twins close the doors behind her.

“Alright, I'm here,” Velvette spoke.

“Ah, Velvette. You've actually made it back,” a tall male demon spoke. He was wearing a black and blue pinstripe suit with black pants, red and black horizontal stripe vest, white dress shirt, red bow, and blue and black shoes. The most notable feature is that this demon had a flat screen TV for a head, and rested on his head was a hat with antenna, one bent and one normal.

“Yeah, Vox. And what's up?” Velvette asked.

“Well, you just said earlier that you caught sight of Angel Dust’s “new friend.” And who’s this “new friend” anyway?” spoke another male demon. This other male demon was very tall, taller then Vox. He had light purple skin, red eyes, four arms, sharp pink-colored teeth with a gold tooth, black hands, and he was wearing a red coat with white and black fur, a red hat, and a pair of heart-shaped glasses with gold frames and red frames. He had a pair of antenna, one black and small and the other larger and black and white.

“Well, I was on my way when I saw Angel and his friend at the store about to leave when I noticed this second friend of his. And get this, she looked way different than any other human-looking demon here,” Velvette spoke, a hand resting on her left hip.

“And what are you implying?” Vox asked.

“I'm more concerned about Angel Dust,” Valentino said, irritation in his voice.

“Ugh, here we go,” Vox spoke in irritation.

“I'm worried about his new living arrangements. He upright chose to walk out on me to live at that hotel. I wanted to go and fuck everyone over there an hour ago, but Vox wouldn't let me!” Valentino spoke.

“Because it's gonna ruin our reputation, Val. Besides, it's not like he's gotten out of your contract,” Vox said, putting a hand on Valentino's side to reassure him.

Valentino sighs. “You're right..”

“Good. Now Velv, what were you saying?” Vox asked, returning his gaze to Velvette.

“Well, before hot-head here interrupted me, I was about to say that this “friend” of Angel's looked a lot more like, well…” Velvette spoke, seeing if she can say it without some sort of freak-out repercussion from the two in front of her.

“Okay, since you're gonna hesitate, maybe I should go ahead and maybe, well I dunno, tell you two that there is someone else over at that hotel with the little princessa,” Valentino spoke, a smirk approaching on his face when he spoke.

(Translation: Princess)

“I swear, if it's someone that owes you money…” Vox said, irritated and rubbing the bridge of his nose, or at least the center of his screen between his eyes.

“Well, someone that owes us much more than money, Voxxy. The Radio Demon is there~” Valentino said, freezing Vox in his actions.

Sparks of electricity emerged from Vox's television head as his left eye emerged in red and black swirls. Even Velvette tried to steer clear of how Vox is gonna respond.

“So, you're saying… Alastor came back.. And he's with Lucifer’s daughter… and YOU DIDN'T FUCKING TELL ME THAT FIRST!?” Vox spoke, enraged. His tone started as calm before it crossed the border between calm and angry, emerging his last sentence in anger as he he grabbed the collar of Valentino’s coat and pulled him closer as his screen looked visibly brighter as sparks emerged from his head and his left eye spiraled.

“Well, killing Alastor has been your kink, Vox,” Valentino said, teasing Vox as he got out of his grasp, unfazed.

“Okay, can we get back to what I was saying?” Velvette said, annoyed.

“Ah, yes.. What were you saying?” Vox asked, hints of anger in his voice despite keeping a slightly calm demeanor.

“Ah yes, we completely got sidetracked for a moment there. Please continue,” Valentino spoke.

“Well, as I was saying a moment ago before you two just spouted out and about, I was gonna say that Angel Dust's friend looked like a human,” Velvette said. Vox and Valentino stood silently, trying to process what Velvette said.

“Velvette, you can't be serious. A human? In Hell? How can a human be here in Hell?” Valentino asked, not believing Velvette.

“I'm serious. I died a while after you two, and I believe I know a human when I see one,” Velvette spoke.

“We can get back to how a human can be in Hell later. But for now..” Vox spoke for a moment before he turned into a spark of electricity and darted to the desk that had several monitors. Velvette rolls her eyes and sighs as she and Valentino approach the same monitors.

Upon the screen was the outside of the hotel, showing a top view of Charlie, Vaggie, Angel Dust, Anastasia, and Alastor, who appeared as a glitchy image.

At the hotel, in person, a black and blue drone was hovering above the hotel, spying on them. There floating or just near the drone was the blimp, Sir Pentious’ blimp.

The blimp was entangled in two black tentacles, or tendrils, of some sorts and a third one emerges and punches it while the snake, Sir Pentious specifically, was screaming and begging for it to end while Alastor, the one behind the tentacles, stood below, chuckling and laughing.

“Alastor? I think that's enough..” Charlie spoke, trying to de-escalate the situation.

“Nah, I think he can handle a few more hits,” Angel Dust said with a grin.

A moment after, Sir Pentious slipped out of the blimp through the broken glass of the windshield at the front of the blimp, and he falls face-first in the ground, cracking it as he lied there, seemingly immobile.

“Wow, did he die already?” Anastasia asked.

“Nah, he, well “we,” except you, can't die from fall damage,” Angel Dust said.

“I was being rhetorical,” Anastasia remarked before Alastor spoke up.

“Thanks for another forgettable experience,” Alastor said to Sir Pentious, grinning and leaning against his cane as he looked down at him on the ground. Then, an egg, one of Sir Pentious’ living egg servants that he dubs as “Egg Bois” fell and broke, yellow yolk-like blood splattering on the ground by Charlie’s feet.

“Thank… you… For letting your guard down!” Sir Pentious said, slightly risen up from the ground as his tail rushed over to Alastor and tore off a piece of fabric from his coat. He looks at the piece as he cackled in triumph. Then, suddenly... 

“Oh shit..”

Sir Pentious cowered back a bit when a shadow emerged over him, Alastor's shadow specifically. Alastor's antlers had grown and his eyes changed drastically, reddish-pink eyed with radio dial-shaped pupils and black sclera as his teeth looked noticeably sharp, sharper than normal.

Suddenly, a burst of green smoke and green clouds emerged in front of the hotel, and there sent flying in the distance was Sir Pentious. He had been blasted away, far far away across the city, where he landed somewhere with an echoing yet quiet and yet audible thud.

“Well, it looks as though I need a visit to the tailor,” Alastor spoke.

“You look fine to me,” Anastasia spoke.

“Oh no, my dear. That ruffian tore my coat. I need it repaired. Best of luck, chums!” Alastor said as he started to walk away.

“Wait, you're leaving?? Alastor, we need your help. We need you to do your job,” Vaggie said, stopping Alastor on his tracks.

“We need a wall,” Angel Dust said, gesturing one of his four arms to the large hole in the wall of the hotel.

“Ah yes, of course. I can't let my new project fall into disrepair already. Just what would the papers say?” Alastor spoke before he made a snap of his fingers, creating black and white shadow and/or doll-like creations before he walks away, down the cobblestone path.

Anastasia looked annoyed and she sighs and facepalms.

The moment changes shortly after, as the image of Anastasia’s annoyance appears on a screen, on a monitor, back at the V Tower.

“Right there, see that? That's her,” Velvette said, her finger pointed directly at the monitor.

“My my, Velvette-cakes, you may actually be right. She looks more human than any other human-ish Sinner down here,” Valentino said, looking at the monitor. “You getting any of this, Vox?”

Vox didn't answer.

“Vox? Vox!” Valentino said aloud again.

Vox didn't answer again. He was too enthralled, although angrily, at another monitor that showed Alastor's distorted form. Sparks emerging from Vox's head, his eyes fueled with anger, and his left eye spiraling.

“That fucker is back! It's been seven years!” Vox said, his clawed hands digging into the board of the desk.

“Are you still pissed he nearly kicked your ass at that time?” Valentino asked, teasingly as he pulled onto the corner of his screen.

“Uh, fuck you!” Vox said.

“Just saying..” Valentino said, teasingly.

“Oh, grow up, Vox..,” Velvette said.

“Easy for you to say,” Vox said.

Then, a knock on the door fills the room before a creak. An eel-looking demon peers his head through the door.

“Mister Vox, sir? Your next appointment is-”

“Cancel it. I'm in the middle of something with my co-workers,” Vox said, interrupting the eel demon.

“Yes sir,” the eel demon spoke again before he slid his head back behind the door and shut it closed.

“Alright, meeting downstairs. Now,” Vox spoke.

There was a fade. A shark-looking creature swims about in water. But where was this water? This water was contained by a glass container, a giant fish tank. A fish tank that filled up the walls more than normal walling.

A glass filled with a brown-beige-colored liquid with ice cubes floating at the top was laid on a table before a glass with red liquid. The one laying these glasses out was a jester-looking demon, or robot. There sat at the table were Vox, Valentino, and Velvette.

“We have a few problems. First, Alastor is getting close to little princess Morningstar and then a human's gotten in their mix. So, our main concerns are finding out that human’s deal and making sure that no deal is ever struck between Lucifer’s brat, that human, and that smiling freak,” Vox said.

“Well, what, pray tell, are we supposed to do?” Velvette spoke, her eyes mostly directed to her phone before looking over at Vox as she spoke.

“Put something inside them. That's how I get the bitches to behave,” Valentino said, decorating a pink-colored gun with sequins and glue.

“Hm.. Well, maybe someone on the inside isn't such a bad idea. You think Angel would do it?” Vox asked Valentino.

“He won't even call me back,” Valentino said as he shrugged his two top arms shoulders as Vox sipped from his glass.

Vox promptly puts his glass down on the table before he stood up and moved his arms behind his back.

“We need someone who Little Miss Bleeding Heart would take in..” Vox spoke as he walked away.

“Perhaps someone pathetic, desperate, with no direct links or ties to us,” Velvette spoke.

“I've employed every down-on-their-luck loser this side of Hell. Who the fuck is even left?” Valentino asked.

A chuckle releases Vox's lips. The shark-looking creatures behind the glass slowly approach as Vox turns to face Velvette and Valentino, a menacing and sinister look in his eyes.

“I think I know just the one..”

Chapter Text

The next day came by. Another day had passed. In fact, it was Anastasia's third day in Hell.

When morning came, she surprisingly had a change of routine. She didn't sleep in, but woke up earlier than she usually does. She woke up at the crack of 8 am.

She slowly rises up, her hair a morning mess of tangles. She rubs her fist over her left eyelid before her eyes flutter open, opening a blurry view of her room until it cleared up, creating a clearer, more perfect image in front of her.

Her mouth slowly opens, a yawn escaping the gaping hole.

She slowly gets up from her bed, standing up and sliding her feet into her slippers. She turns around, sliding her feet around, and she walks away from the bed, her feet moving step by step past each other in a form of unsynchronized yet steady rhythm.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

The sound of boots echoed. A pair of boots that are walking one foot after the other down the stairs. Whose boots were these? They weren't Angel Dusts..

The boots were Anastasia's. They were brand new, something different from her previous white shoes. The boots were black and had laces like sneakers and they reached up to her ankle. Followed by these boots were a pair of beige high-waisted wide-legged palazzo pants with a bow belt along with a black turtleneck sweater top. What a change of looks from her outfit when she got to Hell.

Anastasia walks step by step from the staircase and into the hotel lobby. As soon as she reached the final step, she was greeted by an emerging shadow. Out of the shadow, comes…

“Why, good morning, Anastasia!” Alastor spoke, greeting her.

“Were you down here all night?” Anastasia asked.

“Well, my dear, I don't necessarily sleep. It makes me miss out on everything,” Alastor. “And as for you, you're up earlier than you were yesterday.”

“Even I'm surprised. I usually sleep in until past nine. Guess it must be one of those kinds of nights..” Anastasia spoke.

“Perhaps it is,” Alastor said.

“Morning guys!” a voice spoke out. It was Charlie, speaking from the curtain.

“Morning Charlie,” Anastasia said.

“Oh, are those clothes new? They're so cute,” Charlie said as Vaggie appeared behind her.

“Yeah. Bought these yesterday,” Anastasia replied, looking down at her own outfit.

“Sup,” another voice said. It was Angel Dust. He stood at the top of the stairs before he walked step by step down, his boots making clop sounds with each step.

“Morning Angel,” Anastasia said as she looked over at Angel Dust.

“So, new threads?” Angel Dust said, pointing at Anastasia's clothes.

“Yeah,” Anastasia responded.

“Hm.. I can't tell if you're trying to impress someone or that's just your style,” Angel Dust spoke teasingly, a smirk on his face. Anastasia looks at Angel Dust with a deadpan yet irritated look in her eyes.

“Ugh..” Husk groaned, rising up from the back of the bar's counter, his fur a mess and a tired look on his face. “Keep it down, will ya?”

“Have you been asleep behind there all night?” Anastasia asked.

“I dozed off and it turned into sleep,” Husk responded before he took a sip from a green beer bottle.

“Are.. Are you.. drinking? In the morning?” Anastasia asked.

“Okay, it's too early for all these questions. I need a fucking minute..” Husk said, rubbing the bridge of his nose before his head dozes and bops before falling face first onto the counter.

“Okay, everyone. Me and Niffty are gonna make breakfast. Oh, hey Anna, you wanna help us?” Charlie asked, surprising Anastasia.

“Me? You want me to help?” Anastasia asked.

“Yeah!” Charlie optimistically replied. “In fact, you can pick what we can eat.”

“Are you sure?” Anastasia asked.

“Yes, I'm sure,” Charlie said.

“Well, you don't have to fix anything for me. I already had breakfast before all of you,” Alastor spoke.

“Okay, we minus one,” Charlie said.

Charlie and Niffty step through the doorway and into the hotel kitchen, where Anastasia follows behind them. Charlie walks over to a cupboard and places her hands on the brass-coated handles and swings the doors open slowly, revealing red mahogany-wooden shelves that were mostly empty except a few books on the top two shelves and other miscellaneous objects on the other shelves. She reaches her hand to the top shelf, gripping onto a red book and taking it off of the shelf, holding it both of her hands before she walks over to the island in the kitchen, where stood Niffty on the counter and Anastasia next to the structure.

“Here, you can pick something from here, Anna,” Charlie said as she rested the book onto the island counter near Anastasia and opened it to the first page, which was blank and separated the next page from the cover.

Anastasia walks over to the book, flipping and turning through some of the pages in the red book. Each page she turned had a recipe for a breakfast food; omelettes, frittatas, French toast..

“Hm.. How about some simple waffles?” Anastasia said as she reached a page for a waffle recipe and she tapped her fingers on the page, pointing at the title of the recipe.

“Just waffles? Are you sure?” Charlie asked, a little confused.

“I just want to make something simple. I’ve never cooked for anyone but myself, so I think the first time I did would be something as simple as waffles, you know?” Anastasia said.

“Ohh, okay. I get it now. Okay, let's do it then!” Charlie said eagerly.

The trio scatter around the kitchen, grabbing ingredients, tools, dishes, and utensils to start making the waffles.

“Go ahead and preheat the waffle iron,” Anastasia said.

“On it!” Niffty said, scuttering to the waffle iron, plugging it in and turning it on, allowing it to preheat.

“‘Kay, first is two cups of flour,” Anastasia said. She reaches to grab the measuring cup (the one for dry ingredients), lifts it up by the handle and scoops two cups of flour and pours it into the bowl, allowing a flowing waterfall of white powder to descend into the red bowl. She darts her eyes back to the recipe.

“One half cup sugar,” Anastasia said. Charlie reaches to the measuring cup and lifts it, scooping up a half cup of sugar and pouring it in the bowl with the flour.

“Two eggs,” Anastasia said. Niffty grabs a pair of eggs, cracks them open, and the yellow fluids with the orange mushy pearls in the center drip and fall into the contents of the bowl.

“Two cups of milk,” Anastasia said, prompting Charlie to grab a second measuring cup (the one for liquid ingredients) and pour milk from a gallon into it and measuring it carefully. She measured two full cups of the liquid and pours it into the bowl.

“Two teaspoons sugar,” Anastasia said, grabbing a teaspoon and scooping two teaspoonfuls of sugar and tapping the silver surface of the spoon into the bowl.

“And one stick of butter,” Anastasia spoke again as she picks up the yellow stick of butter and drops it into the bowl. “Anyone got the beater?”

“I do! Let me beat it! Let me beat it!!” Niffty yelled out in joy as she held the beater in her hands and over her head as she jumped onto the island counter.

“Eh, Niffty.. Thanks, but we got this. We don't need to be making a mess,” Charlie said in a delicate tone as she gently took the beater from Niffty's hands.

“Aww,” Niffty said, pouting with her eye rolled and her arms crossed.

Anastasia takes the beater from Charlie's hands and she began to gently mash down the stick of butter in the mix inside of the red bowl. Once the yellow rectangle block was reduced to mush, she began to stir the contents, mixing and mixing them until a very light yellow-beige batter had evolved from its ingredients.

After making the batter, it's poured into the waffle iron, making a cooked, golden waffle.

The entire process repeats until many waffles have been made, stacks of two for each person, except Alastor.

Six plates of two waffles are set for the six who agreed to breakfast. A few put maple syrup and/or a small square of butter on top.

They all began to eat. Eat and chat.

“Y'know Anna, these are not bad,” Angel Dust spoke.

“Yeah, I guess they're good,” Husk spoke.

“Thanks. It's not really anything interesting,” Anastasia spoke.

“Well, it's still tasty,” Vaggie spoke. “Also, Charlie, any plans for the agenda today?”

“I was thinking we could discuss ways to bring in new patrons to the hotel. I was thinking about handing out flyers to anyone who could be interested,” Charlie spoke. “I just gotta print them out first..”

“Not to worry. I'll help you out,” Vaggie said, Charlie smiling in return.

“You need an extra hand?” Anastasia asked.

“Oh no. You're a guest here too. I couldn't ask of you to help,” Charlie said.

“You sure?” Anastasia asked.

“Yes I'm sure,” Charlie replied.

After breakfast had concluded, the day continued.

Anastasia walks into the living area of the lobby. Angel Dust was sitting down on one of the chairs, scrolling on his phone.

“Can you pass me the remote?” Anastasia asks as she sat down on the couch.

“Here toots,” Angel Dust said, tossing the remote to Anastasia. “I'll just warn ya. Not much is on TV in Hell.”

“Thanks for the tip,” Anastasia said as she presses the red button with the “On” symbol on it.

Charlie and Vaggie walk down the stairs, Charlie holding a stack of papers in her arms.

“Okay guys, we're heading out,” Charlie said. “We’ll be back soon.”

“And try not to wreck the place while we're gone,” Vaggie said. “That means you, Angel.”

“Alright, alright, I get it,” Angel Dust said, annoyed.

Shortly after the small conversation, Charlie and Vaggie step out of the double doors, exiting the hotel and closing the doors behind them.

Anastasia pressed a button repeatedly, flicking through the channels on the television. After the twentieth flick, a channel from the human world pulled up.

“Woah, Lifetime's on the TV stations down here?” Anastasia said.

“Wait, it's on Earth too?” Angel Dust asked.

“Yeah. You didn't know?” Anastasia asked.

“No. I mean, I died a while ago, and I never caught up on how shit down here gets added and updated over the years,” Angel Dust said.

“Oh,” Anastasia said.

“Anyways, what's on?” Angel Dust asked.

“I dunno, a movie about a woman who's survived a home invasion?” Anastasia said.

“Hm, I'm in,” Angel Dust spoke, standing up from the chair and sitting down on the other end of the red couch next to Anastasia, but not too close.

Both Anastasia and Angel Dust turn their attention to the TV, where the Lifetime movie began to run and play, projecting onto the television screen.

An hour or two had passed. Anastasia rested her elbow on the armrest handle of the couch and her head on her hand, her knuckle pressing against her cheek gently. Her eyes were narrowed and her boredom was written all over her face. Her mouth opens, a yawn escaping as her left hand tried to stop it, holding the palm in front of the open gaping hole.

“Ya really bored, huh?” Angel Dust asked.

“Yeah,” Anastasia replied.

A chime occurs on Angel Dust's phone, he pulls it out and looks at the screen, reading the caller ID. It was Valentino. Angel Dust promptly tapped his finger on the red button on the screen, declining the call.

“Who was that?” Anastasia asked.

“Just my boss..” Angel Dust said.

“Your boss?” Anastasia asked.

“Well, I haven't told you exactly about my work yet. I didn't think you'd be able to handle it, since you're human,” Angel Dust said.

“You think I can't handle it?” Anastasia asked. “Well, actually, I may handle it or not, but I won't know unless I know what it is.”

“Well, if you insist.. I'm a porn star. A famous one,” Angel Dust said. Anastasia sat there on the couch, nonchalant and not saying a word.

“Is that it? You think I can't handle you telling me you're a porn star? On Earth, porn stars and pornography are a thing,” Anastasia said. “And you have no idea how much it changed over the years..”

Anastasia spoke that last sentence like she was subtly mortified over however way porn has developed.

“Well, glad to hear Earth isn't too different from Hell,” Angel Dust said, shrugging his shoulders as he plastered a grin. “Anyways, wanna take a peek at one of my films? I have tapes upstairs.”

“No thanks. I’m good,” Anastasia replied.

“Yeah, no one wants to see you getting fucked on video,” Husk spoke from the bar, holding a green bottle in his hand as he slowly twirled it around.

“Eh, okay. That's fine,” Angel Dust said.

Anastasia stands up and she walks away.

“Where ya going?” asked Angel Dust.

“To the kitchen to get a drink,” Anastasia replied.

“The bar’s over there,” Angel Dust asked, gesturing to Husk and the bar.

“I'm good,” Anastasia replied before she continued her footsteps amongst the carpeted floors, making her way to the kitchen.

Minutes pass. The doors of the hotel opened, and walking through them were a tired Charlie and a not tired Vaggie. The two approach the living area and Charlie flopped over face first onto the couch, dropping the stack of flyers she held onto the floor as she sighed.

“So.. how’d it go?” Angel Dust asked.

“No one was interested,” Vaggie replied.

“Hm, perhaps we need a different approach?” Charlie asked as she raised her head up from the couch cushions.

Anastasia steps out of the kitchen and back into the lobby, and she notices the three talking in the living area.

Knock, knock, knock.

Anastasia heard a knock at the doors. She turns her head and raises an eyebrow as she looks at the doors. She begins to walk over to the door, her boots walking step by step across the carpets.

As she approaches the door, she raises her hand to the door handle, gripping the smooth golden handle and swinging the door open to see…

“Why hello, my dear!”

It was Sir Pentious, that snake demon who showed up yesterday and crashed the welcome party for Anastasia. What was he doing here and why does he suddenly want to stay at the hotel? Perhaps a short interrogation was in order?

Suddenly, a fist was thrown at Sir Pentious’ face, Anastasia’s fist… Sir Pentious yelped in pain when she punched him, holding his face in his hands. Then, Anastasia tackled him, making him hit his back upon the cobblestone ground. She straddled over his body, her legs on either side of his hips and lower waist as Anastasia gripped onto the collar of his shirt and readied another fist, holding it in the air over her.

“What are you doing here?!” Anastasia questioned, demanding an answer.

“Wait! I come in peace!” Sir Pentious said, making peace signs with his hands and plastering a smile, albeit a nervous one, on his face.

“Anna, what's going on?” Vaggie asked, approaching the scene. She gasped as soon as she saw Sir Pentious. “You again?”

Vaggie looked over at Anastasia, an impressed look on her face. “Nice job pinning him down there.”

"Guys, what's the problem?” Charlie asked, approaching the scene. She notices Sir Pentious, making her show a smile. “Oh, hi again.”

"Miss, could you get off me so I can explain?” Sir Pentious asked Anastasia.

“Fine,” Anastasia said before she got off of Sir Pentious.

“I didn't come looking for a fight.. And, I, uh.. Apologize for alarming you with my presence, especially after my most recent impression yesterday. But I did some thinking after I was, sort of, blasted away.. And, uh.. I heard that you want to help people who want to be better?” Sir Pentious spoke.

“Well, you heard right!” Charlie said before she rushes over and grabs Sir Pentious’ hands and began to lead him to the doors. “Welcome to the Hazbin Hotel. Our home of healing, our resort of restoration, and our-”

Angel Dust stood in the way of the two, standing through the doorway.

"Are you fucking nuts? You want to bring in a guy who tried to kill us literally yesterday?” Angel Dust asked.

“I'm with Angel. There is no way a guy wants to change that quickly, especially when they tried to do what that chump tried to do,” Anastasia said, standing over near them.

"Guys, this place is about second chances! Everyone deserves one, especially this special little man right here!” Charlie spoke in enthusiasm with a smile. Sir Pentious smiles behind her.

“Aren't you supposed to be this place's guard?” Angel Dust asked Vaggie.

Charlie looks over at Vaggie with big puppy eyes.

Vaggie sighs.

“I guess he isn't much of a threat without the war machine. Or even with the war machine,” Vaggie said.

“Eee!! Thank you thank you thank you!” Charlie cheered, hugging Vaggie before going back over to Sir Pentious. “Sir Pentious, come on in! Your journey to redemption is underway! Come on!”

Charlie skips inside through the doors.

“Oh no, darling, thank you. You won't regret this,” Sir Pentious spoke with a smile as he followed Charlie inside the hotel through the golden doorway. Angel Dust begrudgingly follows inside along with Vaggie. Anastasia, however, stood back for a moment, shooting a glare.

She knew that there was something rather fishy about that snake…

Chapter Text

Anastasia walks back through the doors and into the lobby of the hotel, where she sees Charlie showing Sir Pentious around.

“This is the bar and the bartender, that's the curtain, this is the new wall after you broke the last one, and this-” Charlie was about to show Sir Pentious something else before Vaggie grabbed her hand and stopped her.

“You don't have to show every detail to him, babe,” Vaggie said.

“Sorry, I'm just really excited to have a new guest here,” Charlie said, gesturing to Sir Pentious with a smile.

“Well, we had one a while ago, but Alastor drove them away,” Vaggie said. “And isn't Anastasia a new guest?”

“I mean a new guest who is a Sinner,” Charlie said. “Now Angel won't be the only one on the path to redemption!”

Angel Dust looked over at the two as they spoke, looking a little disinterested and suspicious of the "new guest," Sir Pentious.

“Angel, a word?” Anastasia said, peering from around a corner, catching Angel Dust's attention. He tilts his head in confusion, wondering what was up. She walks over to Anastasia and turns the corner, approaching her.

“What's up?” Angel Dust asked.

“I don't trust that snake one bit,” Anastasia said.

“Oh really? And what makes you say that?” Angel Dust said, sarcastically.

“Well, for one, he attacked us yesterday, and now he suddenly acts like he wants to make amends? I know for a fact that no one would ever want to change that quickly,” Anastasia spoke.

“Woah, where's all.. this coming from?” Angel Dust said.

Anastasia sighs. “Just.. instinct.”

“Are you sur-” Angel Dust was about to speak before Charlie appeared and spoke up.

“Anna, there you are! Come here, I have to properly introduce you!” Charlie spoke as she grabs ahold of Anastasia’s arm and pulls her away.

“Woah!” Anastasia yelped in surprise.

“This is Anastasia. You two already met earlier and yesterday, right? Well, she's an extra special guest here!” Charlie said.

“Oh, and why is she so “special” specifically? I want to know more..” Sir Pentious said.

“Well, uhm..” Charlie said, Anastasia shooting an unnoticed look saying that she didn't want her to tell Sir Pentious.

“She's a human!” a voice popped up, surprising the three. It was Niffty.

“A human?” Sir Pentious asked. “How strange. How is that possible?”

“We still don't know much quite yet,” Charlie said. “But she said she came through a portal.”

Anastasia gave Charlie a WTF look on her face. She clearly didn't like anyone just telling strangers, let alone any demon, about her being a human.

“Oh..,” Sir Pentious said, intrigued.

“Now, let me introduce you to Niffty, our maid,” Charlie said, gesturing to Niffty.

Niffty suddenly jumped on Sir Pentious’ shirt, gripping onto the collar as she stared at him with her one eye.

“Never leave me again, please, bad boy..~” Niffty said in a creepy whisper.

“We're about eighty percent sure she's mostly harmless,” Charlie spoke reassuringly with a slight nervous chuckle. Then, Charlie walked over to show Sir Pentious around some more, only to bump into Alastor. “Oh! And this is our facility manager, Alastor.”

Meanwhile, Anastasia walked back over to the corner near Angel Dust.

“Great.. A seventh..” Anastasia spoke.

“Yeah, now that's a total of, what, seven demons down here to know what you are?” Angel Dust asked.

“Yes,” Anastasia bluntly responded.

“Look, Anna. I get why you don't want people down here to know, and, so far, it isn't going too well with trying to keep your human status a secret and all, but just believe me when I say this; if even the whole world down here knew about it, me and, if I'm right, everyone else here will make sure you don't get hurt, okay?” Angel Dust said.

“Wow.. That was so cheesy just like one of those movies..” Anastasia spoke. “But.. Thanks, Angel. I'll be counting on it.”

Angel Dust smiles at Anastasia reassuringly.

“But don't be lying to me,” Anastasia bluntly said, pressing a finger on Angel Dust's chest, or abdomen? It's kind of hard to tell with the height difference between them.

Angel Dust looked surprised and intimidated, which turned into an impressed look. He was impressed that she had so much spine in her. He watched as Anastasia walked away.

A few hours had passed. The group was in the living area of the lobby, watching a small play unfold.

Angel Dust wore a trench coat and hat. Sir Pentious wore a sailor outfit.

""I am a bad man on the streets who never got enough hugs. Where is an innocent kid I can sell crack to?"” Angel Dust spoke, reading it from a script. “Wow, who wrote this?”

“It's great, right? Keep going,” Charlie spoke.

“"Hey you,”" Angel Dust said, pointing at Sir Pentious in front of him

“'Who, me?”" Sir Pentious spoke.

“"Yeah, you look like someone who could use some.. devil's dandruff??--" Oh for fuck's sake..” Angel Dust said. Anastasia was sitting on the floor in front of the couch, facepalming over the obviously cringey play and dialogues in front of her and the others.

"“Oh no, not me! I have to go home and study!”" Sir Pentious spoke.

“"Come on, kid. It'll make you as cool as me.. The crackhead.."" Angel Dust said.

"“The only cool thing here is saying no to drugs! Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to not have sexual intercourse before marriage!”' Sir Pentious spoke.

Charlie begins to clap and stand up.

“Yes, yes! Bravo! Bravo! That was amazing, Pentious! You'll be redeemed in no time!” Charlie appraised.

“Aw, shucks,” Sir Pentious spoke.

“My God, that play was so cringey..” Anastasia said under her breath while rubbing the bridge of her nose.

“Right?” Angel Dust whispered to Anastasia, overhearing what she said under her breath.

Anastasia looked over at Sir Pentious interacting with Charlie. Her eyes shot a narrow glare.

Time passed, turning daytime to night time. Anastasia walks downstairs holding her phone in her hand as she swipes her finger across the screen a few times. She was on a social media platform called “Sinstagram.” She had her own profile handle, “annawinnie65.” Her profile picture was currently blank and she didn't post anything on her page yet. All she was doing was looking through posts and pictures.

She took one more step on the stairs until she noticed something as soon as she reached the bottom. Something off..

She saw a silhouette. It looked as if it was slithering away. This caught Anastasia's interest, so she followed the silhouette in the darkness.

Up the stairs and through the dimly-lit hallway. Anastasia sees the silhouette slither inside a double door into a room. She peeks through the crack of the doors, the crack illuminating part of her face as she sees an office-like room past the doors. But, that wasn't the only thing she saw past the doors..

She saw Sir Pentious inside the room. What was he doing in there?

Anastasia sees Sir Pentious put something on the bookshelves. What was it? What did he put there? It looked like…

A camera!

Anastasia kicked the double doors down with her booted foot, startling Sir Pentious.

“Why you slippery little snake!” Anastasia said. Sir Pentious yelped and looked at her, caught red-handed in the act. Anastasia walks in and she slammed one of the doors shut behind her.

“I uh, uh..” Sir Pentious stammered.

“Someone sent you to spy on us?!” Anastasia asked as she approached Sir Pentious. “I knew I smelled something fishy the second you stepped foot in here.”

Anastasia was now in close proximity of Sir Pentious.

“I'll give you ten seconds to start talking if you want to keep one of your fangs,” Anastasia asked.

“Why, I have nothing to explain to you,” Sir Pentious said in denial as he slithered a few inches away with his arms crossed. He turns back to face her.

“Human.”

It was that moment that Anastasia finally fumed up. Her eyes shot with a flaming anger. She tackles Sir Pentious to the floor, throwing a fist or two at him, bruising his face. The two rolled along the carpeted mahogany floor, Anastasia back on top of him and grabbing his shirt collar.

“You better talk right now, fuckhead!” Anastasia demanded before slamming Sir Pentious onto the ground, hitting the back of his head on the floor.

“Get off me, psycho!” Sir Pentious said, pushing Anastasia off of him.

She landed on the carpet floor and looked back at him with an open-teethed scowl, followed by the sound of a bear's growl.

“Uh oh,” Sir Pentious uttered before he was shoved against the bookshelf by her again, causing a book or two to fall from the shelves.

Anastasia throws him to the floor and she jumps on him again, only on his back this time and she grabs onto one of Sir Pentious’ arms and holds it back behind his back with a vice-like grip, her fingers digging into his arm painfully.

“Get your soft aggressive mortal body.. off of me!” Sir Pentious was able to get out of Anastasia's tight grasp and roll back onto his back with Anastasia over him. His hood opened up, exposing his multiple eyes besides the two on his face and the one on his hat and what looked like.. one on his bow tie? They were all a magenta-like color, and spirals appeared in them, staring straight at Anastasia.

“Fuck!” Anastasia yelled. It felt like her eyes had been flashed with some sort of bright light. A pattern of black and white spirals appeared in her eyes and she backed off of Sir Pentious, giving him the chance to slither away. She immediately shakes her head, shaking off whatever kind of trick Sir Pentious pulled on her and she looked back at him, her normal sapphire blue eyes returning as she had a look of anger.

“Oh, you are so dead, shithead!” Anastasia yelled out as she walks forward in the room to Sir Pentious.

Footsteps approach doors. The one door of the double doors that Anastasia closed had opened, revealing Charlie and Vaggie, who were in their pajamas.

“What’s all this noise?” Charlie asked. Her blonde hair was a mess and one of her eyes were stuck closed. She was tired. Vaggie, on the other end, had her eye closed too. The two eventually lost the tiredness when they had to scope the scene.

“This bastard's a traitor!” Anastasia said, gripping onto Sir Pentious’ upper arm tightly, her arms digging into his sleeve as she looked at Charlie and Vaggie. Sir Pentious pulls his arm away from Anastasia's grip.

“Preposterous! I would never betray you,” Sir Pentious said as he approached Charlie and Vaggie and hugged the two. “You are my best friends.”

“Uh-huh, yeah.. Explain this, then,” Anastasia said as she raised her hand to a book on the shelf and moved it aside, revealing the camera that Sir Pentious had planted, shocking Charlie and Vaggie.

In a second, Sir Pentious panicked and began to slither to the window.

“Ah, ah! Abort, abort! SOS! Agent Pentious in need of immediate evacuation!” Sir Pentious exclaimed, trying to pry the window open as he spoke into some sort of watch on his left wrist. This watch had a screen, like one of those spy watches in spy movies. And the person he was contacting was.. Vox.

“Pentious? Wait.. You were caught?! It hasn't even been.. a day!” Vox spoke from the screen and speaker of the watch, incredulous and slightly laughing over how Sir Pentious had been caught within just a day.

“Please, you've got to get me out of here!” Sir Pentious pleaded.

“I can't believe we thought you could handle even something this simple. Do us a favor. If they don't kill you, go ahead and DO IT YOURSELF, YOU MISERABLE FAILURE!” Vox said from the watch, static appearing around the screen before the screen dims and turns to black.

“I… I…” Sir Pentious uttered, drops of water, or tears, forming in his eyes right before his arms dropped and he turned to the three in behind him, facing them. “Just make it quick, I guess.. not that I deserve it..”

Sir Pentious lies down upon the carpeted floor, ready and awaiting his incoming demise, drops of water in his eyes as he did.

“Gladly,” Vaggie said, raising a spear up in her hands.

“Wait.. There's another way..” Charlie said as she stopped Vaggie. She looks down at Sir Pentious’ fetal position on the carpeted floor. She approaches Sir Pentious and she bends down, extending her hand to him. “Pentious?”

Sir Pentious turned, lying on his stomach on the carpeted floor as he looks up at Charlie, who was reaching her hand to him. His eyes were tearstruck.

“We don't have to kill you.. All you have to do is start with sorry..” Charlie said, a soft smile in her lips.

“But… But… I don't deserve your amnesty.. Who could forgive someone like me? I'm a dirtbag, a traitor.. A liar..” Sir Pentious said, downtrodden and self-deprecating.

“He's right. Let's just kill him,” Anastasia bluntly said, rolling her nonexistent sleeves.

“Yeah, let's just get it over with,” Vaggie said.

“It's something we could choose..” Charlie said.

“Sounds good to us,” Anastasia said.

“But guys, we don't have to end this in bloodshed. We can end it with a sorry, and begin a new and clear all the sins from him. So… Sir Pentious?” Charlie said, looking back at Sir Pentious with a hand extended to him. “What do you say?”

Sir Pentious hesitated. He doesn't believe that he deserves pity or forgiveness. He looks up at Charlie's eyes. He could see the kindness gleaming and piercing through them. He felt a pang in his heart. Charlie's kindness had touched him. He promptly takes Charlie's hand and she helped him stand up.

“I'm.. sorry..” Sir Pentious said.

“Come on, Pentious.. Dig deeper and say it from the core,” Charlie encouraged.

“I’m so sorry, everyone,” Sir Pentious spoke, sincerity and remorse dripping from his tone.

“Yes!” Charlie said and she hugged Sir Pentious.

“Are you kidding me?” Anastasia asked.

“Sir Pentious, are you ready to make up for your sins?” Charlie asked.

“Yes, I am,” Sir Pentious said with a smile.

“Man, why are you so lame!?” A voice said from the doorway. It was Niffty in her pajamas. She stomped a foot on the floor before she turned around and walked away with her arms crossed and her back facing them. “Not a bad boy.”

“So, guys?” Charlie said, her and Sir Pentious looking over at Vaggie and Anastasia, awaiting an answer.

“Hm… alright,” Vaggie spoke.

The three look over at Anastasia, who looked to the side with her arms crossed.

“Anna?” Charlie asked.

Anastasia looks over at Charlie. Her eyes glance back and forth between Charlie and Sir Pentious. After a moment, she sighs.

“Fine. He gets another chance,” Anastasia reluctantly said.

Sir Pentious smiled. “Oh, thank you.”

“But you're on thin ice,” Anastasia said, a finger pointed at Sir Pentious.

“Okay then..” Sir Pentious said, intimidated.

Eventually the four had left the office and the lights had turned off, leaving the room dimly dark.

Minutes later, in the shadows of the hallway appeared a pair of glowing red eyes and a glowing yellow sharp-toothed smile, filled with malevolent intent. The eyes and smile disappeared from the shadows and Alastor sat foot inside of the office, approaching the watch previously worn by Sir Pentious. It had been left on the floor after the ordeal. Alastor picks up the watch and he activates it, making a puff of green clouds appear around the watch's screen frame. The screen had turned on.

“What!?” Vox said as the watch had been turned on. He appeared angry at first, but after seeing Alastor as the one who called him, he froze, a look of shock and fear on his screen face.

“You'll have to try harder than that next time, old pal..~” Alastor taunted. With a clench of his fist, he crushed the watch, breaking and cracking the screen before he dropped it back on the ground as the sound of Vox's yell of rage echoed distortedly from the watch before the sound of Alastor's evil laughter blocked it.

Alastor disappears into the darkness in the hall, leaving the watch broken in the office on the floor.

Chapter Text

A burst of laughter filled the living room.

“I can't believe you got your ass handed to ya by a human!” Angel Dust, the one responsible for the laughter, said from his seat on the couch.

“She was a psycho! She would have finished me off if she had the chance,” Sir Pentious spoke in defense.

“You mean when I had the chance,” Anastasia said as she stood next to Sir Pentious with her arms crossed.

Today, Anastasia wore a grey and lavender plaid diamond-patterned sleeveless vest-like sweater with her usual blue jeans and white shoes.

There was silence from where Anastasia and Sir Pentious stood together.

Anastasia makes a grunt sound as she raises a fist at Sir Pentious, like she was ready to punch him.

“Eep!” Sir Pentious yelled as he flinched and shielded himself from the fist.

“Heheh..” Anastasia chuckled as she lowered her fist.

Sir Pentious un-shields his face to look at Anastasia before she makes another grunt sound as she raised her fist again.

“Eeeep!” Sir Pentious shielded himself again, only for Anastasia to chuckle and lower her fist again, where Sir Pentious un-shields his face again.

Charlie and Vaggie walk down the stairs. They were talking about something under quiet murmurs.

“Maybe we can tell her about it,” Charlie said.

“Charlie, I don't know if she, let alone any human, should know about Hell's real history..” Vaggie said.

“But if she's gonna live here until she finds a way back home, shouldn't she at least know just a teeny tiny bit?” Charlie asked. “Come on, I mean, maybe she could be the first human to know the real story.”

Vaggie sighs in response.

“Okay, maybe a little bit. Just leave out… you know,” Vaggie said.

“Yeah.. She shouldn't need to know about… that, yet,” Charlie said.

“You know what's funny, Pentious? You-” Anastasia was about to mock Sir Pentious when Charlie and Vaggie approached and stopped her.

“Hey, Anna. Can we see you for a moment, please?” Charlie asked.

“Alright,” Anastasia said before she turns around and approaches Vaggie and Charlie.

“Phew..” Sir Pentious sighed in relief. He was worried about what Anastasia was gonna say, and he was very glad not to hear it.

“Aw, I wanted to hear what shitty thing she was gonna say about you,” Angel Dust said.

“Yes, Charlie?” Anastasia asked.

“I was thinking that since you’ll be staying here a while, maybe..” Charlie was hesitant to speak.

“Charlie was hoping that maybe you’d want to learn a little bit about Hell,” Vaggie said.

“And, well, I know that you and every other human on Earth have very creative ideas and stories about Hell already, but-” Charlie spoke until Anastasia interrupted.

“I’m interested to know the truth about Hell and what it really is,” Anastasia said. “I know that the entire environment is different from how people wrote about it in the bibles and stuff, so..”

“So you want to learn more??” Charlie eagerly asked.

“Yes,” Anastasia said, causing a squeal of joy to escape Charlie's mouth and she grabbed her hand.

“Great! Come on, I want to show you something firstoff!” Charlie eagerly said as she pulled Anastasia upstairs, followed by Vaggie.

At the top of the stairs, the trio approach a picture. Wait, no.. Not a picture, but a portrait. A portrait of three people. The person sitting in the chair in the middle was.. Charlie. And the other two who stood next to either side of her looked like… her parents?

Anastasia looked at the portrait, her eyes reading and taking in every detail of it. But the details that she paid close attention to were the two who stood by Charlie’s sides in the picture.

The person on the left side of the portrait was a short or average-heighted man with an appearance similar to Charlie's. He had pure white skin, rosy cheeks, red eyes with yellow sclera, short blonde hair, no nose, and a literal sharp-toothed smile, almost like Alastor's. He wore what looks like a white and red circus ringmaster outfit, a tophat, and he held what looked like a cane with… an apple on top of it?

The person on the right side of the portrait was a tall, elegant-looking woman with light pink skin, long flowing blonde hair, purple eyes, a pair of long red horns, black lips, and she wore an elegant purple dress, black long gloves, a white pearl necklace, and a golden crown on her head.

“So, are those two..?” Anastasia was hesitant to ask her question, knowing the obvious answer.

“My parents, yep. Lucifer and Lilith, the king and queen of Hell themselves,” Charlie said. She looked at the portrait in reminiscence. She takes a breath after a few seconds before she turns to Anastasia.

Vaggie stood behind Anastasia, gesturing for Charlie to go on and speak, showing encouragement and a smile on her face. Charlie looked back at Vaggie with a smile before turning back to Anastasia.

“I assume that, well, humanity is aware of the story of Lucifer?” Charlie asked.

“A lot of us, yes,” Anastasia replied.

“Well, a very long time ago, before Earth and Hell came to be, Lucifer Morningstar was one among many of the Angels in Heaven. He had dreams. Many, many bright and shiny dreams. Fantastical ideas for creation. The elders didn't approve and they saw his dreams and ideas as danger to their world's order. So, all he could do was stand by and watch as they created and expanded the universe how they wanted, and that was when Earth came to be, that and the first of Mankind, Adam and Lilith,” Charlie spoke.

“Wait, Adam and Lilith? I thought it was Adam and Eve who were the first man and woman on Earth,” Anastasia said.

“Well, it's almost correct, and well…” Charlie said.

“Humans don't know the truth. The real truth,” Vaggie said.

“Vaggie, it's not her and her kind's fault that they don't know,” Charlie said, defending Anastasia.

“It's okay, Charlie. I'll admit, humans, like me, are often oblivious to almost everything and we often tend to imagine things that may or may not be true, so don't be ashamed of it,” Anastasia said.

“That's what I mean when I say that humans are creative when it comes to what they think,” Charlie spoke in some sugarcoating praise.

“Yeah, “creative.” Anyways, you want to continue with the story?” Anastasia asked.

“Oh, yes, of course! Now where was I? Oh, right. Adam and Lilith were created as equals, but Adam wanted control. Lilith refused to listen to him and she left him and the Garden. Lucifer was drawn by her independent spirit and he flew down to Earth and found her. Sharing their rebellious dreams, they fell deeply and passionately in love. They wanted to share their dreams, share the magic of free will and independence with humanity. That was when they met Adam's new bride Eve, the second woman on Earth, in the Garden of Eden. They gave her a gift, a gift she gladly accepted. The gift was the Fruit of Knowledge, a fruit that could grant free will to those who took a bite. But sadly, such a blessed gift had come with a curse, a curse that opened a gateway for evil and sin to pass through and enter Earth, causing corruption in humanity and opening a realm of darkness, Hell… As punishment for this reckless action, Heaven cast Lucifer and Lilith into the pit that had been created, where Lucifer couldn't see the good that came from humanity's free will. Only the cruel and the wicked.. Feeling ashamed, he lost his will to continue dreaming. However, Lilith thrived in Hell, using her voice and her songs to make Hell grow and thrive over the years. And now, her dream has passed on to their daughter, the Princess of Hell. Me,” Charlie said, placing a hand on her chest while referring to herself.

Anastasia was left speechless after hearing that story. She had heard many stories on Earth about Hell and everything, but the real story was the only one that left her at a loss of words.

“Wow, I.. Just, wow..” Anastasia said, her mind and voice at a loss of words and unable to think and speak.

“Do you.. have any questions?” Charlie asked. Anastasia thought for a moment before she raised a close hand over her mouth and coughed, clearing her throat. She lowers her hand after.

“So, uhm.. About your parents.. How are they doing now?” Anastasia asked.

“Well, my dad is at my old home and my mom… Erm.. I haven't seen her in a while,” Charlie responded, looking to the side when she mentioned her mother, Lilith.

“And, how long has it been since you’ve last been in contact with her?” Anastasia asked.

“Anna,” Vaggie said. She felt as if Anastasia was starting to touch on a subject that she shouldn't be.

“Vaggie, it's fine,” Charlie said to Vaggie. She turns her attention back to Anastasia. “It hasn't been that long. Just… seven… years. But, I’m sure she’s just busy with something important. Important enough to not really, you know, call me or dad back any...”

Charlie looked to the side for a moment, her hand on her other arm.

Anastasia looked at Charlie empathetically. She thinks about her mother back on Earth, how she misses her and how Anastasia misses her mom back. She understands what it’s like to miss your mom and not be in contact with her, even if the reasons why are different.

“That must be hard. And, I know that my mom back home must miss me. I can't call or text her that I'm okay or where I am. And I don't think she'll believe me if I told her that I’m in Hell. The Hell,” Anastasia said, looking to the side after mentioning her own mother.

Anastasia leans against the edge of the balcony of the stairs.

“I know it can be hard to be away from home. I remember moving out of my old home just to start this amazing hotel,” Charlie said, standing by Anastasia. “It was lonely for me, too. But I get to meet people who would help me and support me.”

Charlie looks over at Vaggie, the two exchanging small smiles on their faces before returning their gazes to Anastasia.

“Heh, yeah. It was easy for you to know who to pick and keep as your friends, after all,” Anastasia said, looking to the side. “I mean, back home, I don't have many friends, let alone any.”

Anastasia remembers her past experiences with making friends and her more “recent” experience, the experience that landed her in Hell as a living human and not a Sinner.

“And at this point, I can't even tell who would be friend-worthy because, well.. You just don't know if they'll stay with you or leave, whether they would drift away naturally over time or… or they’d just leave you lying in a ditch alone..” Anastasia said, her eyes narrow in sadness.

“Ohhh, Anna…” Charlie said, reaching a hand out to Anastasia’s shoulder, before pulling her into a hug. “You don't have to worry anymore. We won't ever, ever, EVER leave you.”

Anastasia was caught off-guard when Charlie hugged her from behind. She wasn't very used to that kind of close physical contact with anyone but her mother or anyone that seemed like her friend, but, strangely in a way, she felt reassured and comforted.

Charlie looks over at Vaggie, who looked left out of the hug.

“Come on over here,” Charlie said before she grabbed Vaggie’s arm and pulled her into the hug group.

Anastasia smiles a little.

The moment got broken by a voice calling out to them.

“Hey, uh, not to interrupt this little hug fest, but don't you wanna get back to saying whatever shit you were gonna say about Pentious over here?” Angel Dust said from the bottom of the stairway.

The hug ended. Anastasia thought for a moment.

“Hm, no. I forgot what I was gonna say,” Anastasia said.

Sir Pentious sighed in relief.

“But he's still treading on that thin ice,” Anastasia said, pointing at Sir Pentious, intimidating him.

Sir Pentious gulped a bit.

“What's up with you? Why are you getting scared of a human?” Angel Dust asked Sir Pentious.

“She just terrifies me..,” Sir Pentious.

“Well, grow a spine, bud,” Anastasia said.

“Okay, I see there's a wee bit of tension here… Maybe we can, I dunno, work on it?” Charlie asked.

“Like how?” Angel Dust asked.

“How about some exercises and activities?” Charlie asked. “Get to know each other, learn about one another, all that.”

“Yeah, I mean, we all barely know one another that well and, well, it could help at least,” Vaggie said.

“Yes, exactly!” Charlie eagerly said. “So I was thinking.. How about we do a sharing circle?”

“I see where this is going,” Anastasia said under her breath.

Chapter Text

Everyone was sitting in the lobby in a circle. Charlie was by the fireplace with Vaggie next to her.

“Okay, this activity is simple. We each take turns talking and sharing something about us. Easy peasy!” Charlie said.

“So, uh, where's Smiles?” Angel Dust asked.

“I went up and he said that he was busy, so we'll be doing this without him,” Charlie replied. “Okay, I'll go first. I like to sing. Vaggie, your turn.”

“Okay, um.. I don't.. like when.. someone tries to fuck our plans of redemption,” Vaggie said, a struggle in her choice of words present. Her eyes, or more specifically her one eye, look over at Angel Dust.

“Yeah, I know what you're looking at me for, Vaggs,” Angel Dust said, two of his arms crossed while the other two were in his lap.

“Okay… Angel?” Charlie said, pointing at Angel Dust.

“Hmm.. Alright. Sooo… Something about myself, huh? Okay, how about this? I love to suck-”

“I swear to fuck, if you say “dicks..”” Husk angrily blurted out, cutting Angel Dust off before he could finish his sentence.

“I was gonna say “popsicles,” ya sicko. You need to get your mind out of the gutter,” Angel Dust said, a smirk on his face. His eyes glistened with mischievous intention. He definitely had that planned out just to get a reaction out of someone, like Husk for example. “But, y'know, dicks too.”

Husk growls and grumbles after that last sentence. Anastasia looked unamused and uninterested by Angel's turn of “sharing.”

“‘Kay, new guy. Your turn,” Angel Dust said, pointing to Sir Pentious.

“Well, I like building,” Sir Pentious said. “Okay, who's going next, now?”

“Uh, Anna?” Vaggie asked, gesturing to Anastasia.

“Sure. Just give me a minute to think,” Anastasia thinks for a moment, trying to find something in her mind to share in this little share circle they were having.

But, just what should she share? She knows that she doesn't want to share the cause of the portal that she mentioned that got her here. Just what should she share…? Her mind was flowing with ideas, one popping up after another like stars in her dark abyss of a mind composed of nothing but stars and planets of memories and other miscellaneous things about her.

Then, something came up that seemed “shareable.”

“Well, back on Earth, when I was younger, I was on a baseball team,” Anastasia said.

“Oh, so you played sports?” Charlie asked.

“Well, mostly nowadays, I just hit rocks with a bat or stick when I'm bored and outside,” Anastasia said.

“Must be boring having to waste that kind of skill, right?” Angel Dust asked.

“Sometimes,” Anastasia said.

“Well, who says that it needs to be wasted?” Charlie said before she stands up. “How about we try playing a game?”

“Baseball?” Anastasia asked.

“Yes. It'll be a good exercise for learning to work in a team. Even if, well, you have to go up against another team..” Charlie said, nervously speaking at the last sentence.

“Sounds interesting,” Angel Dust said.

“Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt. As long as the human isn't on my “team,”” Sir Pentious said, showing some spine.

“Well, I don't expect you to be on my team either, snake,” Anastasia said. “You're still on thin ice.”

“Well, I'll happily tread upon that ice until it breaks,” Sir Pentious replied.

“You see, this is exactly why we're gonna have to do this,” Vaggie said, pointing out Anastasia and Sir Pentious’ wavering conflict. “If the Sinners here wish to be better, then we'll need to learn about teamwork and trust within teamwork.”

“Just one quick question. Where are we gonna play? I mean, you can't expect us to try playing indoors,” Husk pointed out.

“Of course not. We don't want anything to break. So.. I have an idea,” Charlie said.

After a moment's notice, the group, except for Alastor, was in a huge field. The red skies above and the gray reddish purple grass below. In front of them was a baseball field. It looked barren, old, unused, and abandoned. The painted tracks were chipped, the bleachers in ruins and crumbling, the bases in withered shape, and the fence gates were rusted.

“This is where we're gonna play? It looks like a dump,” Angel Dust said.

“Well, it hasn't been used in a while.. But, it's no problem, really. We can still make it work,” Charlie said.

“You sure you don't mean “work its way towards wasting away completely?”” Angel Dust asked.

“Look, let's just.. Go over things. Charlie?” Vaggie asked, looking over at Charlie.

“Actually, I thought.. Maybe you could take the lead this time,” Charlie said, wrapping an arm over Vaggie's shoulder. “I think you may know better about this kind of thing.”

“Uh, um, I don't know if I'm qualified for–” Vaggie tried to protest, but seeing Charlie's adorable and irresistible puppy eyes made her stop. She sighs. “Okay, I'll.. I'll give it a shot.”

“Yay!” Charlie said, clapping her hands cheerfully.

“Now, if you're gonna lead this little bout, shouldn't this field be renovated to your needs?” A familiar voice said. It was Alastor, having seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

“Oh, Alastor,” Charlie said in surprise. “I thought you were busy.”

“I was, and then I decided to go down and happened to have noticed your absence. And then I caught sight of the note you left on the fridge,” Alastor said.

“Yeah, I didn't want to leave and not let you know,” Charlie said.

“And, well, Alastor, the field could use some work,” Anastasia said, looking at the field while pointing her thumb at it. “And we also need equipment. And uniforms.”

“Well then, it is not a problem. I shall fix it up in a jiffy,” Alastor said, trotting over to the field. “And you don't have to worry about paying me back, dear.”

When Alastor walked past Anastasia, he put a hand on her head and ruffled her hair, annoying Anastasia. She moves her hands on her head and fixes up her hair shortly afterwards as she watches Alastor walk towards the field step by step.

Alastor stood in front of the desolate and ruined field, looking around at it, taking in each detail with his red eyes. While resting his left hand on his microphone staff, he raises his right hand, his index finger and thumb pressing against one another. Then, snap.

A snap was all it took. A green glow surrounded the baseball field, coating it in green light and demonic energy. That same energy built up and surrounded the field creating a blazing twister of wind, green light, and green electricity. Winds thrashing, gusting, nearly blowing everyone away before.. poof! It vanished into the thin air, leaving behind a new and improved field. New pearly bleachers, new white tracks, new white bases, and a newly fixed silver steel fencing.

The gang admired and took in each detail of the newly renovated baseball field.

“Wow, Alastor, this is wonderful! It's just like when you helped me renovate the hotel,” Charlie said, admiring the field.

“What can I say? I have quite an eye for making sure things such as this to one’s liking,” Alastor said.

“Well, it’s not that bad a job,” Angel Dust said, looking at the field. “And, uh, what about uniforms? Just asking.”

“Well, who’s teams are you on? You’ll have to wear the colors of your appointed group after all,” Alastor said.

“Oh! Right! Our teams! Vaggie?” Charlie said, looking over at Vaggie.

“Okay, uhm..,” Vaggie said, looking around to pick her team.

“Hang on. If there are gonna be two teams, there has to be at least nine players each. There's only eight of us,” Anastasia said, pointing out the number.

“Oh, don't worry. I can assist with that!” Alastor said, promptly snapping his fingers.

Pools of shadows appear in the grass and eleven humanoid demonoid figures made of shadowy matter appear.

“Problem solved,” Alastor said before he turns around and walks away.

“Hey, aren't you playing?” Anastasia asked Alastor.

“I personally don't partake in sports. I prefer to watch. Also, you do require someone to keep score, I assume?” Alastor said, standing by a huge scoreboard.

“Fair enough,” Anastasia said, shrugging her shoulders.

“Okay, now that that's settled.. Vaggie? You wanna help with picking teams?” Charlie asked.

Vaggie sighs and nods “yes.” She places her arms akimbo on her hips as she walks in front of the group in a line, speaking in a military general-esque manner. “Alright, so today, we are playing baseball. Each of you will be placed into one of two teams; Team A and Team B, and we're going to play one game. Whichever team wins is the victor. Now, before we start, Anna, would you like to explain the rules for those who don't know how to play?” 

“Yeah,” Anastasia said before she walked over and stood next to Vaggie, facing towards the group. “So, the rules are that there are nine innings a game, and…”

Tick tock, tick tock. Several minutes passed through the clock as Anastasia explained the rules to everyone.

“And so forth, the team with the most runs per game wins,” Anastasia said.

“Seems simple enough. So… Who's on whose team?” Angel Dust asked.

“I'm Team A captain and Anastasia is Team B captain. Angel Dust, Niffty, and six of those shadows are with Anna. Sir Pentious, Charlie, Husk, and the other five of those shadows are with me. May the best team win,” Vaggie said.

“May the best team win,” Anastasia said with a nod.

Niffty was distracted by a yellow butterfly. Her single eye stared at it as it fluttered around with its wings.

“Hey, Niffty?” Anastasia said.

“Hm?” Niffty hummed, turning her head back to Anastasia. The yellow butterfly flutters its wings and flies away.

Moments later, the group and the shadow people were separated into two teams, nine on each team. The people on Team A (Vaggie, Charlie, Husk, Sir Pentious, and five of Alastor's shadow demons) wore red and the people on Team B (Anastasia, Angel Dust, Niffty, and the other six Alastor's shadow demons) wore blue.

Alastor stood by and sat on the edge of the bench by the scoreboard, observing as he sipped from a mug filled with coffee.

“This is going to be very entertaining,” Alastor said, his smirk present on his face.

Team A were on the infield and outfield while Team B were benched and only one of them was the batter/runner; Angel Dust.

“Alright, toots. Throw,” Angel Dust said, two of his arms gripping onto the wooden baseball handle before lifting it, readying it for swinging.

Vaggie took a breath and lifted the ball in her hand, straightening her arm back behind her head, her fingers gripping the white leather, and then.. Swoosh! The ball was thrown. Angel Dust swung, his bat hitting nothing but thin air as the ball hit the brown leather glove of the striker; Husk.

“Strike one..” Husk said in a grumble as he rolled his eyes to the side. He stands up, takes the ball out of his hand, and he raises his arm back and throws it back to Vaggie, where she catches the ball and Husk crouches back down, his gloved hand raised up to catch the next ball.

“Time out. Okay, Husk, maybe add a bit more spirit to when you call a strike?” Vaggie said.

“Look, I don't play this shit, okay?” Husk said.

“Aw, c'mon babe. I'm sure you'd have enough spirit in this game like how you probably do under the covers~” Angel Dust said, flirting with Husk.

“Angel, no flirting either,” Vaggie said, making Angel Dust frown.

“Fiiinnee…,” Angel Dust moaned in irritation.

“Okay, game is back on,” Vaggie said, preparing to throw the ball. She clenched her hand on the ball, her fingers pressed against the white leather and the red strings. She raised her arm back behind her and she threw the ball once again, sending it straight through the air.

Angel Dust swings his bat, a loud “whack” echoed. The ball was struck. Angel Dust dropped the bat and he began to run. His cleats brushed against the dirt as he ran.

The ball flew as Angel Dust ran. The four shadow demons in the outfield attempt to catch it, but to no avail, allowing Angel Dust to make it all the way around to the home plate, sliding across the dirt and lying on his side, propped up on his left elbow, and his hand supporting his head as he smiled.

Charlie, standing at second base, began clapping her hands with a smile on her face.

Angel Dust stands up, brushing the dirt off of his clothes.

“Okay, who's up next?” Angel Dust asked his team by the bench.

“I'll go. I've got this down to a science way ahead of ya,” Anastasia said, approaching the home plate and then lifting the bat in her hands as Angel Dust walked away to the bench with the rest of Team B.

“Best of luck, kid,” Husk said. Anastasia nods in response.

“Wait, do captains even become batter or pitcher?” Sir Pentious asked.

“Well, I'm pitching already, aren't I?” Vaggie asked Sir Pentious.

“Yeah, the normal rules about the roles of baseball from Earth don't necessarily apply here in this game, Pentious,” Anastasia said. Sir Pentious frowned a short bit.

Anastasia readied her bat, ready to swing. Vaggie, clenching onto the ball, raised her hand back behind her and then.. she threw! Anastasia swung her bat, hitting the ball and sending it flying as she dropped her bat and ran across the bases.

Sir Pentious, standing in the outfield, raised his hand up in the air and the ball landed in his gloved hand.

“And that's an out!” Sir Pentious declared.

Anastasia stood at second base, looking over at Sir Pentious.

“Well played,” Anastasia said as she nodded and walked away back to her team at the bench, her hands in her pockets.

“Uh.. Okay,” Sir Pentious said. He approached Charlie and whispered in her ear. “I thought she was gonna go crazy again.”

“Isn't that a good thing?” Charlie asked.

“Okay, the game’s going back on,” Vaggie declared.

“Okay. Niffty, your turn to bat,” Anastasia said, standing by the bench and looking over at Niffty.

Niffty quickly zooms past Anastasia at lightning speed while giggling as she rushes to the home base and picks up the wooden baseball bat. Despite her size, she was able to lift it up with ease. She was already ready to swing. Then, the same yellow butterfly flew by and distracted her.

Vaggie threw the ball, and due to Niffty's lack of focus, it went straight past her and into the gloved hand of Husk.

“Strike one!” Husk said, his tone louder than earlier.

Anastasia facepalms at Niffty's distraction.

“Niffty, eye on the ball!” Anastasia said from the bench. Niffty heard her and she nodded with a literal sharp-toothed smile. She turns back to Vaggie and gets ready to swing the bat.

Vaggie readied, raising her hand up to throw the ball, clenching on the white leather before… whoosh! She threw it.

Niffty swung, but she missed and hit thin air, allowing the ball to pass her and land in Husks gloved hand.

“Strike two!” Husk said. He stood up, took the ball out of his hand, and tossed it back to Vaggie.

Vaggie jumped and she catches the ball.

“I guess I should've guessed that Niffty doesn't have the depth perception to actually hit the ball,” Angel Dust said from the bench. Anastasia hits his shoulder, making him rub it due to the slighy pain. “Ow..”

Vaggie readied to throw the ball, clenching it in her hand again before raising her arm and then throwing it forward.

Niffty readied to swing, but the yellow butterfly came back, catching Niffty’s eye.

“Ooh…” Niffty said, distracting her as the ball hit Husk’s gloved hand.

“Strike three!” Husk said.

Anastasia facepalms over Niffty’s distraction again.

“Niffty, c’mon, you're out,” Anastasia said, catching Niffty’s attention and then she scutters back to the bench.

Alastor watched from the scoreboard, an amused smirk on his face.

Moments pass. Whacks of a bat echoed in the air. Strikes and outs have been called. Cleats slid and brushed across dirt.

The scoreboard was at a tie, eight to eight.

“Okay, We're at a tie. The team who wins this final inning with a run is the victor,” Anastasia said, standing side by side with Vaggie as the two were speaking to both teams A and B.

“And also, no sore-losing. That's one next thing we won't tolerate here,” Vaggie said.

“That will be noted,” Sir Pentious said.

“Wish you luck,” Anastasia said to Sir Pentious before she walked away.

“Huh, she’s being nicer to ya,” Angel Dust said, looking at Sir Pentious.

“I noticed,” Sir Pentious said.

Minutes pass once again. Anastasia was up for the bat. She walks over to the home base and lifts the wooden bat with her hands. She brushes her cleats back along the dirt as she readied herself to swing. Behind her was Charlie, the new striker.

“Wish ya luck, Anna,” Charlie said with a smile as she gave a thumbs up with her gloveless hand. Anastasia nods in response.

The new pitcher, Sir Pentious, tossed the ball in light air and catched it in his hand a few times before he prepared to throw it.

Anastasia stood in a ready stance, holding the bat.

Sir Pentious took a breath and he raised his arm back and then..whoosh! The ball took flight! It zoomed as a jet!

Anastasia swings her arms, swinging the bat. The bat struck the ball, sending it flying way high! She drops her bat to the dirt and she runs throughout the bases, her cleats brushing against the dirt with each step.

The rest of Team A in the outfield and Team B at the bench were wide-eyed and mouth agape-d as they saw how high the ball soared. It flew through the red skies and through several clouds, making them vanish and disperse.

Within seconds, Anastasia made it to home base, her cleats creating clouds of dirt and dust as they slid onto the base.

Alastor sat by the scoreboard, a smirk present on his face. He stands up.

“I think we all know who the winner is here,” he said before he snapped his fingers, changing Team B’s score from an eight to a nine, making the score eight to nine.

The eleven shadow demons disperse and disappear.

The two teams disperse and disband, turning from players to normal non-players, back into the normal hotel group.

Minutes pass, Angel Dust, Husk, Sir Pentious, Niffty, and Anastasia were in a group, talking and praising each other.

“You all did pretty great out there,” Angel Dust said.

“I’ll admit, that was fun. I guess you all aren't so… unpleasant after all. Especially you, human,” Sir Pentious said.

“You're not bad either, Pentious. And, sorry about.. you know. Sometimes I can be a little..,” Anastasia said, finishing her sentence with a cat hiss sound to describe her recent behavior towards Sir Pentious.

“I never say this much, but that little game we had.. It was pretty fun. You all did good out there,” Husk spoke with a smile before he looked over at Anastasia. “Especially you, kid.”

Anastasia smiled a little.

Charlie and Vaggie stood behind and watched the group talk.

“Wow, Vaggie. They're getting along now. That game was the most perfect idea yet!” Charlie said.

“Yeah, it was… But, to be honest, I kinda doubted myself for a minute. I didn't think I could actually accomplish something like this until now,” Vaggie said.

“Aw, it’s okay, Vaggie. I’ll admit, I shouldn't have put that kind of pressure on you in the first place, but-” Charlie was about to finish her sentence until Vaggie spoke again.

“Charlie, it’s fine. You meant well and good,” Vaggie said.

Alastor approaches the two girls.

“And I must say, you two’s well and good did a great job here,” Alastor said.

“Thanks Al,” Charlie said as she smiled. Vaggie smiled too before turning her attention towards everyone.

“Okay, everyone! Time to head on back!” Vaggie announced.

“Way ahead of ya, toots,” Angel Dust said.

The group of eight began to walk off home, but Niffty stood behind. Her eye caught the same yellow butterfly again. Anastasia walks over to Niffty.

“C’mon, Niff,” Anastasia said as she held onto Niffty’s hand and walks away with her, following the rest of the group. Niffty's attention shifted from the butterfly and back to the group as she and Anastasia walked off.

The group were standing together.

“Al, will you do the honor of getting us back home?” Charlie asked.

Immediately, Alastor snaps his fingers and a surge of green magic surrounds the group before it and the group disperses, vanishing in thin air.

The yellow butterfly flew away, fluttering its wings through the air. It glided. The wind brushed against the scales of its bright yellow wings. It flew over civilization; Pentagram City. It flew through and past the ruined and destructive streets, approaching a peculiar building.

There lying within the building is a dimly-lit room, the light of the outdoors being the only light source. That and very few illuminating lanterns hanging down amongst the ceiling.

There within the center of the room was a silhouette of a person sitting at a table on the floor. The silhouette raises and lowers a hand, their fingers gripping to a pink handle of a cup, slowly lifting it up to their lips and taking a sip.

The yellow butterfly flew through an open window and into the room, fluttering its wings as it flew through the room and landed onto the table in front of the silhouette.

The silhouette lowered the tea cup from their lips as a pair of sharp, pink eyes illuminated from their shadowed face.

Chapter Text

It was the afternoon of the next day, the day after “baseball day.” Everything has been normal, or at the very least slightly a bit normal, as usual.

Anastasia wore another different outfit today. She wore a black long-sleeve shirt, a grey tank top with a single yellow flower print in the center above the black shirt, beige pants, and white shoes.

A hand was rubbing and petting the head of a small pig-like creature, skin brushing against skin.

“This little fella is cute. Where did you get him?” Anastasia, the one petting the pig, asked.

“My boss gave him to me as a present. I call him “Fat Nuggets,”” Angel Dust said, holding the little pig, Fat Nuggets, in his hands.

“”Fat Nuggets?”” Anastasia asked.

“A silly name, huh?” Angel Dust asked.

“Oh, no. On Earth, people gave all kinds of silly names to their pets. One example is “Goldie,” which I mostly hear is given to pet goldfish,” Anastasia said.

“Did you have any pets back home?” Angel Dust asked.

“No. My mom wouldn't let me have any pets ever since money became a sort of a tight thing ever since my dad passed away a little while ago,” Anastasia replied.

“Sorry to hear about that,” Angel Dust said in sympathy as he rubbed Fat Nuggets head with his hand.

“Well, the only pets I ever really had were pet rocks. And they're not alive like actual pets,” Anastasia said.

“You mean like you just decorate a rock and stuff and call it a “pet?”” Angel Dust asked.

“Yeah,” Anastasia replied.

“That's kind of a bum,” Angel Dust said. Anastasia nods in agreement in response.

Anastasia pulls out her phone from her pocket and she presses her thumb on the screen, opening the Sinstagram app. She scrolls through posts and images on her “For You” page.

“You seemed to have been on that app a lot,” Angel Dust said.

“Only when I'm bored,” Anastasia replied. She scrolls on her phone for a few seconds before she stands up from the couch. “I'm heading out for a little bit.”

“Wait, by yourself? Don't you need me to come with you?” Angel Dust asked.

“No thanks. I can handle myself. Plus, I'm bringing this with me,” Anastasia said as she picked up a baseball bat that was conveniently standing by. She puts it behind her back, like it was put behind her and suddenly disappeared.

“Where are ya going, anyways?” Angel Dust asked.

“Just to this cafe I saw on its Sinstagram page,” Anastasia said as she walked to the entrance. “I'll be back as soon as possible. So, don't wait up too long for me. And if it makes you feel better, I'll call if anything happens.”

Angel Dust, although still unsure of this, decided to give an “okay” thumbs up gesture to Anastasia before she slid her blue coat over her arms and shoulders, pulled up her hood over her head, and waltzed out the door and shut it behind her.

“So, you really just let her go outside? Alone?” Husk asked from the bar as he looked over at a beer bottle.

“She said she'd be fine. Plus, she's got a weapon on her,” Angel Dust said.

“Uh-huh.. You really believe it's wise to let a live human, who's weaker and more fragile than us, out in the chaotic shithole that is Hell, where any demon could waltz up to her and hurt or even kill her?” Husk said.

“Hey. She's tougher than she looks, asshole. But, of course, I can text her every now and then to check on her,” Angel Dust said as he pulled out his phone and decided to walk away. “Ya know, just to make sure for sure.”

Several, several minutes have passed. Anastasia was at the cafe she saw on Sinstagram; “Latte Up Your Day.”

Latte Up Your Day had quite a reputation for being “one of the few “actually good” cafes in the entirety of Pentagram City”; the interior was casual and yet classy, the furniture was in good shape, the business’ cleanliness was exemplary, and even the food and beverages were worthy of meeting with one's taste buds.

“Do you serve mocha cinnamon lattes?” Anastasia, standing at the counter, asked the barista.

“Sure. I can make that,” the barista, a dog-looking demon replied before he walked towards the coffee machines and supplies.

As Anastasia waited, she directed her eyes towards her phone screen. She swipes and slides her fingers on the screen while looking at photos on Sinstagram. On her “For You” page were a bunch of posts and pictures from other demons in Hell. She saw a few posts with a familiar face; that Velvette person from that poster at the FashionVilla store she, Angel Dust, and Cherri Bomb shopped at a few days back. One post was some form of advertisement or preview of a new line of clothing coming to "Velvetté.” Anastasia’s eyes spoke and reflected disinterest. She was used to seeing these kinds of things on Earth on Earth social media, and she didn't show that much interest in these things, as she wasn't that much interested in being "fashionable” and she would rather choose her own style.

A brown coffee cup with a black lid and white label was placed on the white marble counter.

“That’ll be $6.78,” the barista said.

Anastasia puts her hand in her pocket and she pulls out a green ten-dollar bill and she puts it on the counter in front of the barista.

“Keep the change as a tip,” Anastasia said before she picked up the brown cup with her hand.

“Sure,” the barista said as he took the bill from the counter and inspected it.

The door swung open and the bell above rang. The door swung back closed and the bell rang once again. Anastasia stood outside of the door, holding the cup in her left hand and her phone in her right hand. She sips from her cup as she walks to the left direction amongst the sidewalk. She opens her texting app, presses Angel Dust's contact, and she taps her thumb repeatedly along the screen on the keyboard, writing; “On my way back. CU shortly.” Then, she pressed the send button next to the text as she walked step by step.

The sound of wheels emerged from the air; four wheels made of plastic or polyurethane of some sorts. Rushing along the concrete sidewalks, speeding and speeding, sliding and sliding, rolling and rolling, tumbling and tumbling…

“Heads up!” A voice yelled out. It was coming from behind. Alerted, Anastasia turned around, darting her attention to behind her and she immediately dove to the side after seeing a kid on a skateboard.

The kid zoomed past her and stopped a few feet away.

“What the heck?! Watch it!” Anastasia yelled from where she was sitting, her drink spilled on the concrete and not a drop on her or her clothing.

“My bad,” the kid said before he hops off and dismounts on his skateboard. He stomped his foot on the edge and the board flips up and he grabs it and hold it under his right arm. “Was in the zone there for a moment.”

Anastasia looked at the kid. He didn't look like any normal kid Anastasia had seen, at least in Hell. This kid had white hair, red skin, a pair black and white striped horns, red eyes with yellow sclera, sharp-looking teeth, and a long tail with an arrow-shaped tip. He was wearing a blue sweater with the picture of an orange skateboard, a red short-sleeve hoodie, black pants with one hole in them, black fingerless gloves, and red and orange sneakers.

“Elijah!” a voice said from a distance. It was a lady, perhaps in her 40s or 50s, and she looked similar to the boy, but her skin was a darker red with white freckles, her eyes were black with yellow sclera, her hair was black, and her horns were all black with white rims. She wore a green dress, brown sweater, blue leggings, black boots, and blue glasses. She approached Elijah and Anastasia from where they stood. “You wandered off again. I told you for the hundredth time you need to stay with the group!”

“Sorry, teach. I was getting bored,” Elijah said, shameless and blunt.

“Sorry you felt that way, ‘cause the rest of the field trip is gonna be boring,” the lady said.

“Not with me around, it won't,” Elijah shamelessly said again as he points at himself with his left thumb, gaining laughter from all the similarly-looking children from the bus nearby. The lady growled in irritation.

Anastasia stands up and brushes dirt off of herself. The lady looked over at her, a light bulb over her head, an idea..

The lady approaches Anastasia.

“Hey, miss. You interested in adopting a kid?” She asked.

“What? No,” Anastasia replied.

“It's not that big a price, I promise,” the lady immediately switches from a persuasive tone to a pleading one. “Please, for the love of Satan, I can't handle this brat anymore than the eleven years I've had him..”

“Wait, eleven? You look like you're at least seven,” Anastasia said, surprised at Elijah's age despite his height.

“Imps heights don't always match their age, ma'am,” Elijah said.

“Please, just take him off my hands for me, please,” the lady pleaded, her knees on the ground and her hands clasped together.

“Look, I can't adopt him. I'm way too young to be a parent,” Anastasia insisted.

“Not adopting him as your son, but more like a… Little brother. Yeah, a little brother,” the lady said.

“It's a “no.” I'm sorry. Now, if you don't mind, I need to go and get back to my place,” Anastasia said. She directed her attention away from them for a second as she went to pick up her spilled coffee cup and dropped it in the trash can near the door. Elijah taps on her shoulder.

“They just left,” Elijah said.

Anastasia turned and she saw that the lady and the bus had vanished already. She looked incredulous, not believing that they seriously just left Elijah with her.

“They also left this,” Elijah said, holding up a paper for Anastasia to see. It was a pre-signed certification of adoption.

“Oh for the love of…” Anastasia mumbled as she facepalmed and rubbed the bridge of her nose.

“So, it looks like I'm stuck with you now, “sis,”” Elijah said, a small smile on his face.

“Look, uh, “Eliza,” was it? Isn't that a girl's name?” Anastasia asked.

“That's just how my name is pronounced. It's spelled E-l-i-j-a-h, but pronounced as “Eliza.” Weird, huh?” Elijah said.

“A little. So, look, uh,” Anastasia sighs. “Hand me that certificate and let me look it over.”

Elijah gives Anastasia the paper and she holds it in her hands and reads it. Ther certificate had the title and location of the orphanage; the “Imp Child Orphanage” in the Gluttony Ring. There was information about Elijah, including his birthday. There were even lines of signatures; the lady's name and a signature written as “Bee.” There was even an empty line, most likely for the signature of the “adopter.”

“Need this?” Elijah asked, holding up a black fountain pen.

“Where did you even get that?” Anastasia asked.

“I took it from the teacher when she wasn't looking,” Elijah replied with a mischievous smile. Anastasia had a disapproving look on her face. She rolls her eyes, sighs, and she grabs the pen with her right hand before she writes down her name in cursive upon the empty line in black ink. Elijah peeks over at her name.

“”Anastasia Winfield…” That's a nice name. Well, the first name is nice. Last name is just.. eh..” Elijah said, tilting his hand in a side-to-side gesture.

“It’s.. mostly a family name,” Anastasia said.

“So! Now that I’m officially your new little brother, what should we do next?” Elijah asked, his arrow-pointed tail whipped/wagged one time.

“I don't know,” Anastasia replied, still feeling a little irritable.

“How about ice cream? I’ve been having cravings the whole bus ride,” Elijah said.

“Okay, that works,” Anastasia said.

“Neat!” Elijah said. He sprints behind Anastasia as she walks along the sidewalk.

The next moment, Anastasia and Elijah exited an ice cream parlor called “Creamy Bites.”

Anastasia had a small cup of vanilla ice cream while Elijah had a waffle cone of rainbow sherbet ice cream.

“Hey, how come you got the most boring flavor?” Elijah asked.

“Why does it matter?” Anastasia asked in response.

“That's fair,” Elijah said. “And the ice cream here isn't as good as what they had in Gluttony. Gluttony always had the good sweets.”

“Gluttony?” Anastasia asked.

“The Gluttony Ring, my old home. Never heard of it?” Elijah asked.

“No,” Anastasia replied before her phone began to ring and ring. She reaches into her pocket and pulls her phone out.

“Who's calling ya?” Elijah asked.

“It's just a friend,” Anastasia replied before she pressed her thumb on the screen onto the green circle button. She holds it up to her ear. “Hello?”

“Hey, Anna. I just wanted to call in and check on you,” Angel Dust said through the phone.

“But I just said earlier that I'd call you if something happened,” Anastasia said.

“Well, Husk pressured me,” Angel Dust said, glaring irritatedly at Husk, to which Husk replied with nothing but disinterest. “So, anyways, what's going on with you right now?”

“Long story. I’ll, uh-” Anastasia noticed that Elijah had suddenly vanished.

“Anna?” Angel Dust said.

“Look, I’ll tell you back at the hotel. Right now, I need to deal with something. Bye,” Anastasia hung up and slid her phone back in her pocket. She hears clattering from a nearby alley next to the parlor. She approached the alley and looked in it. She looked unamused and annoyed.

“Elijah,” Anastasia called out, annoyed.

Elijah sticks his head out of the open dumpster lid.

“What the hell are you doing?” Anastasia asked as she approached him and the dumpster he was sitting in.

“Just a little dumpster diving. I do it whenever I snuck away during field trips whenever I get bored out of my mind. You wouldn't believe the crazy insane things people just throw away,” Elijah said before he sunk himself back down into the dumpster.

Anastasia rolls her eyes.

Elijah pops back up out of the trash holding a plush raccoon in his arms.

“Like this thing. A racoon wearing a tophat. I wonder why someone would even throw this charming little guy away,” Elijah said, before making a voice impression while playing with the plush raccoon. “”Ello gov’nor, how do you like my mona-kle?””

“It’s pronounced “monocle,”” Anastasia said.

“Whatever,” Elijah said before he oogles plush raccoon again.

“And you do realize that thing could be real? And it’s probably stuffed with sawdust,” Anastasia said, adding a sense of logic to the reason why a plush raccoon would have been thrown away.

Elijah, his mind filled with the idea of the plush raccoon being a taxidermied raccoon, became disgusted and horrified.

“EW, SICK!” Elijah said, hopping out of the dumpster and throwing the plush raccoon away, it hit a bunch of trash cans and clatter, before he quickly brushed his hands off on his shirt. Anastasia looked uninterested.

Anastasia sighs. “Let's just go.”

“Yeah.. Hear ya loud and clear..” Elijah said.

Both Anastasia and Elijah walked step by step along the sidewalk as they walked off, Anastasia at the front and Elijah at the back.

After a long walk, they made it back to the hotel.

“And who are you?” Charlie asked, crouching down to Elijah's height, a smile present on her face, happy to meet someone new.

“I’m Elijah. Pronounced as “Eliza,” spelt as “E-l-i-j-a-h,”” Elijah said.

“I’m Charlie,” Charlie said.

“Anna,” Vaggie sighed a bit as she approached the four. “Where did this kid come from?”

“He ran into me and then his teacher and his friends left him with me in town,” Anastasia replied.

“Wow, they must’ve not wanted him around anymore,” Husk said.

“Husk,” Vaggie said.

“I’m also this gal’s little brother now,” Elijah said before he pulled out the adoption certificate. “See? It’s written here.”

Charlie, Vaggie, Husk, Angel Dust, Niffty, and Sir Pentious look over at the certificate.

“I didn't have any other choice,” Anastasia said.

“Well, good luck, ‘cause the kid’s your responsibility now,” Husk said.

“I’m well aware. Wait, where’d he go?” Anastasia said, looking around for Elijah. Everyone else, except for Alastor, looked around for him, turning their heads and bodies in circles.

“Crap, he just vanished!” Angel Dust said.

“Fucking great, just leave him out of your sight for even one second and he just runs away,” Husk said.

“Don't worry, we’ll find him!” Charlie reassured.

Then, a pool of black matter emerges from the floor.

“Nevermind. I think I know where he went…” Vaggie said with her arms crossed.

A tall black silhouette emerges from the black pool before Alastor reveals himself. On a plus side, he had Elijah with him, holding him up from the back of his shirt collar.

“Pardon me, but does this little miscreant belong to anyone here? I was in my quarters when I caught him sneaking inside and I figured that one of you brought him into this establishment,” Alastor said.

“That’s, uh.. He’s with me,” Anastasia said, a hand raised in mid air.

“Oh? And here I assume that a human would be more responsible than this,” Alastor said, much to Anastasia’s annoyance.

“Wait, human??” Elijah asked.

Anastasia sighs and she pulls down her jacket’s hood off of her head, revealing herself.

“Yes, that's me, Anastasia Winfield, the human. You caught me,” Anastasia said, a sarcastic tone present despite her lack of sarcastic intent.

Elijah gasps in shock and awe. Then, he raised and pointed a finger at her. “You’re where Sinners come from!”

Alastor promptly drops Elijah, causing him to hit the carpeted floor with a thud. His usual smirk present on his face.

“Oof!” Elijah grunted when he hit the floor.

“That is correct there, little lad,” Alastor spoke. Then, he walked over and stood next to Anastasia, facing Elijah. “This one here is one of the many, many humans from up above, where every Sinner has descended.”

Elijah stood up on his feet.

“Also, I'm impressed that a lad your age would be aware of us,” Alastor commended.

“Yeah. Me and the other kids back in Gluttony were taught about your kind,” Elijah said.

“Oh, you're from the Gluttony Ring?” Charlie asked.

“Yep,” Elijah replied.

“Charlie, I thought you said that Imps were from this "Wrath Ring" place,” Angel Dust said.

“They're more native there. But that doesn't mean they can't live anywhere else in Hell,” Charlie said as she walked over to Elijah and pats him on the head.

“Psh, lucky. He and the rest of his Hellborn kind get to go to wherever other Ring they want in Hell while we're stuck in Pride,” Husk said.

“Well, I don't blame Hell for having that rule. Your kind has always caused nothing but trouble. In fact, I think Hell’d be better if your kind didn't exist,” Elijah said, naive and insensitive. Husk, Sir Pentious, Alastor, and Angel Dust look visibly offended, Anastasia looked partly offended, Niffty just had a blank yet adorable expression like she didn't even understand a word Elijah said, and Vaggie and Charlie looked irritated over Elijah's insensitive comment.

“Look, Elijah.. Here, we watch our words and we think about how our words could make others feel,” Charlie said.

“But what I said was the truth. Isn't the truth always the right thing to say?” Elijah said.

“Yes, but not if it hurts someone else’s feelings,” Vaggie said.

“They're both right, Elijah. I think you owe these guys an apology,” Anastasia said.

“But-” Elijah tried to protest.

“Now,” Anastasia said.

“I'm sorry..,” Elijah said begrudgingly, a small pout on his face.

“Good, Elijah. Now, uh.. Hey Charlie. You wanna help get him a room?” Anastasia asked.

“Oh, yes, yeah. You can stay in the room next to Anastasias, how's that sound?” Charlie said, looking over at Elijah.

“Yeah, that sounds superb!” Elijah responded.

“Of course, we'll have to establish a few ground rules,” Vaggie said.

“Ugh, here we go..,” Angel Dust sighed in annoyance.

At least over half an hour had passed. Thirty-five? Forty-five minutes? Vaggie had been explaining the hotel rules for at least around that time, boring the heck out of Elijah and making him almost doze off, only for him to receive a short and small smack on the head by Anastasia’s hand.

“Do you understand?” Vaggie asked.

“Uh-huh,” Elijah replied with a nod, a bored look on his face.

“Okay, let's go and get ya settled,” Charlie spoke with a wave as she approached the stairs, where Anastasia and Elijah followed suit.

It took some time, but Elijah was introduced to a room on the left side of Anastasia's room, where he looked around and rushed and hopped on the bed.

Anastasia sighed as Charlie closed the door.

“You okay?” Charlie asked.

“I didn't expect to be an older sister. At least, not like this,” Anastasia said.

“Oh.. Well, uh, when I was younger, I asked my mom and dad for another sibling, but they said “no.” I’m sure you'll get the hang of this new big sister role,” Charlie said.

Anastasia sighed a bit. “Yeah, I guess you're right.”

Charlie showed Anastasia a warm smile before she walked away.

Anastasia peeked through the crack in the door and she looked over at Elijah, who was on his new bed, having tired himself out and is now laying on his stomach on the bed. Anastasia knocks and enters.

“You tired?” Anastasia asked.

“Yup..” Elijah responded tiredly, half his face pressed against the beds sheets. Anastasia chuckled a bit.

“Okay, I’ll leave you alone for now,” Anastasia said.

“Cool..” Elijah responded tiredly again.

Anastasia turns, opens the door, and she steps foot out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Chapter Text

Three days had passed by since Anastasia brought Elijah into the hotel, marking eight days since Anastasia's arrival in the dark pit of Hell.

Right now, Anastasia was sleeping in. Her side against the soft mattress, the side of her face against the plush pillow, and her body under the silky velvet blankets. She was in a deep dream world. She didn't want it to end. Not yet.

Then, her tired eyes shot open to the sound of clamoring and chattering voices from downstairs. She slowly sat up, her eyelids shut and stuck closed before they pulled themselves apart, revealing her tired eyes.

Meanwhile, downstairs, there was chattering from familiar voices.

“Guys, guys, get in your spots!” Elijah said.

“Okay, kid, but this is the ONLY time,” Husk said.

“Just try not to hit my head, okay?” Sir Pentious said.

“Ugh, I am way too sober for this,” Angel Dust sighed.

Husk, Angel Dust, Niffty, and Sir Pentious were all crouched down in a row at the bottom of the stairs.

The stairs had cardboard and sheets covering over each step and made into a makeshift skateboard ramp from top to bottom, with the bottom curved and aimed for anything that rolls down to jump over anything.

Elijah was at the top of the makeshift stair ramp, a skateboard at his feet and ready.

“And now the kid goes for the world record! He will attempt to jump a total of four Sinners!” Elijah confidently declared with a smile and four fingers out to emphasize the number of “Sinners” he's going to try and jump.

“I can't believe he talked us into this,” Angel Dust said, annoyed, as he looked over at Husk, Sir Pentious, and Niffty. Husk looked annoyed with him, Sir Pentious looked unsure and uncertain, and Niffty, in particular, was smiling.

“Hyah, cowabunga!!” Elijah yelled, standing with both his feet on the skateboard as it surfed and glided down the cardboard. The wheels were swiftly tumbling and spinning and picking up great speed as he glided down, aiming straight towards the four as he felt the air brush against him each racing second. His eyes gleaming with determination and excitement, ready and running to jump the four at the bottom. He was so close to doing it. So, so close. Until..

“What the hell are you guys doing!?” Vaggie yelled out. She was standing by Anastasia and Charlie, all three of them still in their pajamas.

Angel Dust, Niffty, Sir Pentious, and Husk immediately stood up.

“Uhh, heeyyyy,” Sir Pentious said, a tone in his voice like he was busted.

“Aaaahh!!!” Elijah screamed, already incoming to all four of the Sinners down the ramp.

Three out of the four Sinners yelped as they spotted the incoming Imp until… WHAM! CRASH! Elijah had rammed into all of them and they all tumbled onto the smooth, carpeted hotel floors. They tumbled and tumbled until they were all in a pile, Elijah at the top of the pile. He sees golden stars hovering around in a circle over his head.

“I see stars…” Elijah said with a short chuckle, dizzy and dazed. The sound of Vaggie’s voice snapped him out of his daze.

“Didn't we just establish that there is no skateboarding allowed inside the hotel?” Vaggie firmly and yet angrily asked.

“Mmmmmm… No,” Elijah responded, a short smirk on his face. Vaggie’s eye twitched in response.

“You guys okay?” Charlie asked, concerned over the five in front of her.

“I'm fine,” Angel Dust replied.

“I'm okay,” Sir Pentious replied.

“I've felt worse,” Husk sarcastically said.

Niffty giggled. “That was fun. I wanna do it again sometime.”

“Ooookay… Elijah?” Charlie asked.

“I’m alright,” Elijah replied.

“Good,” Anastasia said.

Vaggie sighs and rubbed the bridge of her nose before she turns around and looks at Anastasia. “Anna, maybe you should take your “brother” out to that skate park in town, help him burn that extra energy.”

“Yeah, that would be good for him. Burning all that fun energy and getting some exercise. Plus, it’ll give the rest of us time to tidy up this mess,” Charlie said. Husk, Angel Dust, and Sir Pentious groaned while Niffty was eager to clean.

“Do I have to?” Anastasia asked, annoyed like a child who doesn't want to do something that they’re told to. She definitely wanted to go back to her room and meet her bed again.

The next minute, Anastasia had already gotten dressed up and had gone out to the skate park with Elijah. Anastasia was wearing a white off-shoulder shirt with a light green tank top with a dark green shamrock on it along with her usual pair of blue jeans and white shoes. She wore her blue jacket and her jacket hood over her head again.

Elijah was riding his skateboard along a bowl, a ramp built in similar style to a pool. He was shredding every curve in the bowl, his wheels rolling and sliding all around, catching air like no other. Anastasia stood near the top of the pool, looking over him to make sure he didn't get hurt.

“Whoo! I got that air up in here!” Elijah yelled as his board sent him floating at the top before he sank back down, the skateboard wheels rolling along the concrete curves, his board swerving and turning and spinning. He flies up, his feet not touching the board as it spun horizontally. “You should give this a shot, it's awesome!”

Anastasia watched as Elijah descended back down in the bowl. “I’m not a skateboarding kind of girl. I prefer baseball.”

“Psh, lame,” Elijah said, eyes rolled as he rode his board on the concrete. “It's just throwing a ball, hitting it with a stick, and then running around in a large circle. It's boring as heck.”

“I'm not stooping to your level by arguing about this,” Anastasia said in response, her arms crossed.

“Hah, that means I win- Woah!!” Elijah yelped. He didn't pay attention to where he shred, so he ended up sliding way above at the top of the bowl, flying out of it and in the air. His skateboard detached from his feet and it flew away while he flew back. Anastasia ran over to catch him.

“I got ya, hold on- Oof!” Anastasia said. Elijah slammed into Anastasia and they both fell onto the concrete in a two-person pile, Elijah on top of Anastasia.

“Ugh..” Elijah groaned. “I'm okay..”

“Good for you..” Anastasia groaned.

“Oh no, my board!” Elijah yelped before he hopped off of Anastasia. “We gotta find my board!”

“Okay, fine… I'm up…” Anastasia said, a groan present in her voice as she slowly got up. When she got up, Elijah rushed over and grabbed her hand.

“Come on, I think it flew that way-” Elijah was caught off-guard by something he saw. Anastasia looked over in the same direction that he looked at.

A tall figure emerged from the shadows of a nearby tree, revealing a tall woman standing over seven feet with light orange skin, long purple to dark magenta hair with half in a bun, pink sclera with black pupils, red lips and eyelids, a pair of what looks like dark antennae on her head, and she wore a casual-to-formal-looking outfit, consisting of a white turtleneck sweater, light purple sleeveless vest-shirt, long blue skirt, a brown belt with yellow buckle, black leggings or boots, and a pearl necklace.

The woman approaches the two, holding Elijah’s skateboard in her arms. After a few steps, she stood in front of the two.

“Does this belong to either of you?” she asked, a soft yet elegant voice exiting her lips. She held the skateboard in front of them.

“Yes, that's mine, thank you!” Elijah said as he swiped the board from the woman's hands, slightly surprising her.

“Elijah,” Anastasia said to Elijah in a scolding-like manner. She looks over at the woman. “I'm sorry. He doesn't know his manners.”

“I have taken an observation of that,” the woman said, patience emanating from her. Normally, you would expect someone to be angry, but this woman wasn't. She was strangely calm and patient.

“Okay, Elijah. Let's not bother this person anymore. How about some pizza?” Anastasia asked Elijah.

“Yeah, pizza sounds good,” Elijah said.

“Good. We'll be getting out of your hair now, ma'am,” Anastasia said, turning and directing Elijah away in the opposite direction as she and him walk away when..

“Wait,” the woman said. The two paused in their steps. “You, girl.”

Anastasia looked over at the woman. She had a suspicious and uncertain look on her face. The woman approaches her.

“You're not from here, are you?” the woman said.

“I, uh.. I'm new,” Anastasia said.

“I noticed,” the woman said.

“Oh yeah, she's not from here. She's a hu-” Elijah was about to reveal Anastasia’s human identity before she immediately stopped him by putting both her hands on his mouth, making a muffled sound escape his lips due to not being able to speak clearly without his words being behind a barrier.

“Sorry. He sometimes just, uh…, He likes to play with words on people, giving them labels or comparing them to other things,” Anastasia said, trying to keep her human identity under wraps.

The woman had a calm yet understanding look on her face.

“You know you don't have to lie to me,” the woman said, surprising Anastasia. “I know what you are. But, you have no need to be concerned. I have no malicious intention in mind.”

“How do I know-” Anastasia was about to ask until she was cut off.

“If I'm not lying to you?” the woman said, finishing Anastasia's question. She moved a finger to her own temple. “Because I am able to sense your pain like no other can.”

“Pain? I'm fine,” Anastasia said, denying it.

“Not quite. You are feeling mostly fine, but you have fractures in your heart that are still healing,” the woman said.

‘What is this lady, my therapist?’ Anastasia thought to herself in her head.

“And believe it or not, I understand. I have had similar fractures within myself too,” the woman said.

Anastasia felt speechless, but she kept her guard up. This woman was a demon who could be pretending to be all nice and compassionate, but she could be faking just to try and manipulate her into whatever game she's planning with her as the piece.

Elijah moved Anastasia’s hands away from his mouth. “Who are you?”

“My name is Lady Swallotale, or simply Swallotale,” the woman replied.

“Like after the butterfly?” Elijah asked. Lady Swallotale nods “yes” in response.

“Girl,” Lady Swallotale said, trying to catch Anastasia's attention, which Anastasia gave. “Perhaps this matter is too personal for the young boy to hear us discuss. If you're interested, interested at all, you and I can-”

“I'm not interested,” Anastasia said. “I apologize for being rude, but I don't really trust you. I mean, this entire place, Hell, it's full of people who could be deceitful, and for all I know, you could be someone like that. And I'm not gonna fall for anything you say or offer.”

Lady Swallotale stood there, a small look of surprise and perplexity on her face. But, there was no hint of offense or anger. Not one bit.

“I understand, dear. Hell is full of very.. nefarious souls. You are correct to believe that I could be one of them,” Lady Swallotale said.

“Yeah, I am,” Anastasia said.

“And I won't force you to trust me. That's your choice to make. I would have been happy to help you if you trust me,” Lady Swallotale spoke as she turned away, ready to leave. “However, if you ever decide to change your mind, I have a tea shop named after me. Feel free to meet me there anytime if you decide that you wish to talk.”

“Uh-huh, I'll keep that in mind,” Anastasia said. Lady Swallotale walks away as the two watch her leave.

“So… Are you even considering..?” Elijah asked.

“Not one bit,” Anastasia replied. “For all I know, she'll want me for some sort of plan or something.”

“That is true..” Elijah said, looking down with his chin on her finger.

“Come on, let's just get that pizza,” Anastasia said as she led Elijah as she walked.

“Can we get pineapple and ham?” Elijah asked.

“Ew,” Anastasia said.

“You don't like pineapple and ham?? It's salty and sweet,” Elijah said.

“Yup, down here ain't too different..” Anastasia said to herself as she and Elijah walked through the exit of the skate park, past the black steel fencing.

Moments after, Elijah and Anastasia were on their way back to the hotel. Anastasia was holding a pizza box, bringing home pizza for the others to eat. Then, she noticed that Elijah had gone missing again.

“Dammit, not again. Elijah!” Anastasia called out to him. Then, she saw a trash dumpster lid bump up and down. An annoyed look is present on her face as she approaches the dumpster. “Elijah..”

The lid flew open and Elijah popped his head out of the dumpster. “Hey Anna. I was just doing some more dumpster diving again.”

“Well, you need to stop that. You don't know what kind of germs you could be gathering up. Plus, it's gross,” Anastasia said.

“Come on. Where's your sense of adventure? Plus, I found this perfectly good CD,” Elijah said as he raised his arm out of the dumpster, holding an intact CD case holding a CD in it. “Who would even throw this… “Dreaded Daywalkers” CD away?”

“Get outta there,” Anastasia commanded Elijah. Elijah responds with a sigh and an eye roll before he hops out of the dumpster.

“You two, hold it right there!” A voice called out before several gun barrels pointed at the two, aiming.

Out of the shadows emerged a gang of five shark demons.

“You two crossed into our alley, and we don't take kindly to anyone who crosses into our territory,” one of the demons said.

Elijah looked around in the alley for some reason before he looked over at the gang of demons. “But, I don't see your names on any of the walls.”

Anastasia looked at Elijah.

“Oh, so the kid thinks he’s a smartass now, huh?” the second shark demon said.

“Back off,” Anastasia said, standing in front of Elijah with an arm out to the side, guarding him from the gang. The gang stood in front of them in silence for a moment.

“Look, the bitch thinks she’s a hero,” the third shark demon said with a mocking tone, pointing a clawed finger at Anastasia.

“Okay, you all are getting annoying,” Anastasia said.

The shark demons stood silent.

“Should we just kill them?” the fourth shark demon said.

“Eh, maybe kill the kid and keep the bitch alive long enough for a little fu-” the first shark demon was speaking until he was cut off by a whack. He had been hit into the brick wall by an unknown force. Or maybe an unknown person…

The other four shark demons looked at their unconscious comrade confused, trying to figure out who or what struck. Anastasia and Elijah had the same reaction as the gang. That was when..

Whack! Smack! Bash!

Three more of the shark demons had been knocked to the wall and ground. One was left standing.

“Show yourself!” The last standing shark demon demanded the direction of the alley’s shadows.

“With pleasure..” a voice whispered, a whispered voice that sounded close to the shark demon’s ear before… Thud! He was punched and hit to the wall, still conscious, conscious enough to see who assaulted him and his gang. A silhouette appeared in the shadows before standing foot out and revealing themself. To Anastasia and Elijah's surprise, it was…

“Must I ask why you choose to torment these innocent souls?”

It was Lady Swallotale. But this time, her clothing had drastically changed. She wore what looked like a black revealing bodysuit with long sleeves and white cuffs, white accents, a white butterfly charm in the middle under her navel, a pink skirt, and black long thigh-high boots with white accents. Lady Swallotale stood in front of the shark demon, her elegant figure turned menacing.

“Shit…” the shark demon said, scared and sweat pouring from his face.

“I'll give you a choice here. You can die by my hands. Or... you and your little group can leave and not ever let me see your faces tormenting anyone else again. So choose you must…” Lady Swallotale said, her soft voice turning menacing. Her pink eyes illuminated.

The shark demon had sweat pouring down his face. He turned to his comrades who were slowly getting back on their feet. He rushed over to them.

“Let's eat it, guys!” the shark demon said before he rushed off. When the other shark demons caught a glimpse of Lady Swallotale, they grew afraid and they rushed off behind the first shark demon, following and running and sprinting foot by foot behind him.

Lady Swallotale watched as the shark demons ran away. After she was sure that they were fully out of her sightline, she turned towards Anastasia and Elijah behind her. Anastasia was speechless while Elijah looked in awe, stars and gleam present in his red eyes.

“Are either of you hurt?” Lady Swallotale asked.

“No. We’re fi-”

“That was so cool! You were, like, whoosh, bash, wham on those guys! Are you a ninja?” Elijah asked.

“Well, I am a kunoichi, so yes, I am a ninja,” Lady Swallotale. “But in my own right.”

“Sorry to ask, but how did you know that we needed help?” Anastasia asked.

“I saw through one of my butterflies,” Lady Swallotale replied. She raised an arm, her index finger pointing out of her fist. An orange-colored butterfly flew over and landed on her finger.

“Wait, you were spying on us??” Anastasia asked, slightly angry.

“I do not mean to spy. Everyday, I let my butterflies out to get exercise and I often see things I don't mean to see,” Lady Swallotale said, an apologetic tone in her soft elegant voice. “But, you know, if it weren't for one of my butterflies, you two would’ve met a terrible fate at those wretched gangsters.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.. Thanks for, ya know, helping us out, Miss Swallotale,” Anastasia said.

“It was my pleasure. Now, I must be going. Sayonara,” Lady Swallotale said before her foot twists along with her body and she jumps high up and lands on top of the edge of a building and disappears.

“Wow.. Ninja lady’s cool…” Elijah said as he and Anastasia were looking up at where Lady Swallotale jumped and left. His eyes gleamed with awe and admiration.

Anastasia’s mind flowed with different thoughts. Perhaps.. she could give Lady Swallotale some trust.

Chapter Text

It was another day yet again. After that encounter with the shark demons and being rescued by a ninja demon, Anastasia needed to let out some of that air.

Today, Anastasia wore a long-sleeve dark brown button-up blouse with a red tiny dot pattern along with her usual dark blue jeans and white shoes.

“So, you two met a ninja lady and she saved you from a bunch of sharks?” Angel Dust asked.

“Yes! And she was awesome!” Elijah exclaimed in joy as he hopped up one time.

“Was she, now? I'm sure she's got some cool moves,” Angel Dust said, sarcastic.

“Guess you just had to be there, Angie,” Elijah said.

“You know, you two should probably keep your guard up when you're around this ninja. You don't know what she could be up to,” Vaggie said.

“Vaggie, they just said that she saved them. She's had to have earned a little trust in some way, right?” Charlie asked.

“In a way, I think she deserves a little,” Anastasia said.

“So, the un-trusting human decides to choose if someone can be trusted now? That's new,” Husk said.

“Trust isn't easy to earn in Hell, Husk, okay? If she helped them, she has to have earned some trust,” Angel Dust said.

“Whatever you say,” Husk said, looking at a glass he was wiping with a cloth.

“Are you all speaking perhaps of Lady Swallotale?” Alastor, standing over to the side, asked.

“Uh, yeah,” Anastasia replied.

“You know her?” Elijah asked.

“We've spoken a few times. She is a rather calm and yet mystifying soul at the same time. From what I have seen, she hardly ever expresses any form of anger,” Alastor said. “Plus, she is a fellow Overlord.”

“See Anna? Lady Swallotale's an Overlord. She shouldn't be trusted that much,” Vaggie said.

“Well, from what I recall, you all never really explained to me about how things work down here. Like, for example, what's an Overlord?” Anastasia said.

The others except Alastor, Niffty, and Husk looked dumbfounded.

“Well, that's, uhm…” Charlie stammered.

“We didn't know if you were ready to know about any of that yet,” Vaggie said, helping to fix Charlie's loss of words.

“Considering her human nature, it's impossible to put the blame on you,” Alastor said, his smirk present on his face.

“Yeah, he's right. I don't blame you guys. I'm a human in a world of demons in Hell, so it's understandable that you wouldn't think that I would be ready to know any of that or how things work down here,” Anastasia said.

“That’s classic culture shock, toots,” Angel Dust said. “Happens with everybody.”

“Well, my dear, I'd be more than happy to give you a little session on everything down here,” Alastor said.

“Al, I think Charlie and I should be the ones to explain. ‘Cause I’m sure what you’ll tell her will just scare her,” Vaggie said.

“Yeah. We might be able to explain things better. Better as in.. in a “not-so-scary” way,” Charlie said.

They notice Anastasia walking away and putting her blue jacket and hood on.

“Where you going now?” Angel Dust asked.

“I’m just heading out. Going for a walk, clearing my head, you know,” Anastasia replied.

“You sure about that?” Vaggie asked.

“Yes, I’m sure. I’ll be back anyways, so, ya know, don't wait up for me. And keep an eye on Elijah,” Anastasia said.

“Way ahead of you, Anna,” Angel Dust said.

“Ooh, cookies!” Elijah said from the kitchen.

“I'll take care of it,” Vaggie said as she stood up and walked to the kitchen.

With that being said, Anastasia stood out the door and closed it behind her. She held up her phone, opening the app that says “Hell Maps.” She taps her thumb on the screen, typing on the keyboard, “Swallotale” and one result pops up; “Swallotale's.”

The next moment, she stood in front of the small lavish-looking building, the sign above written in purple cursive writing that says “Swallotale’s.” She lowers her phone and looks at the building.

She gently pushes the glass screen door open, gently hitting and ringing a bell over the doorway. She looks around the tea shop, admiring the lavish interior, looking at the lamps hanging on the wall, the wooden furniture and the cushioned chairs, the windows, and a framed image on the wall to the right with a word written in Japanese. 

“Moshi moshi,” a familiar voice rang. It was Lady Swallotale, standing behind the counter. This time, she wore a light marigold kimono with a white and pink collar and lining with few orange-red circle wave patterns and orange-red circle-shaped particle patterns, a red belt, and a gold-yellow string belt with a butterfly charm. She was pouring tea into a leaf-patterned porcelain tea cup when she saw Anastasia at the door. “Oh, it's you again.”

“I've thought about what you said about.. talking? Right?” Anastasia asked.

“Ah, yes, you are right,” Lady Swallotale replied, lowering the porcelain teapot and placing it on the counter's wooden surface. She places her hand on the wooden surface of the counter flap and lifts it, opening it as she walks through the small gap between the counter and lowers the flap. She approaches Anastasia, standing a few inches away from her. 

Anastasia looked at Lady Swallotale for a moment. Then, Lady Swallotale raises her arm towards the counter, gesturing at one of the chairs and offering Anastasia a seat, which, although hesitantly, she accepted and walked towards the counter, pulled a chair out, and sat upon it, sitting upon the soft leather cushion. 

Lady Swallotale looked over the front windows by the entrance and she turns the “We are Open” sign at the window around to saying “Sorry, We are Closed” and lowering the blinds over the windows, leaving the sign visible on the other side of the blinds and not letting any natural light inside the cafe, only letting the illuminating lights from the lamps fill the cafe with light. She approaches the counter. 

“I'm glad you decided to come. And be glad that my tea shop was empty for the afternoon, that way we wouldn't be bothered by anyone,” Lady Swallotale said before she opened the counter flap, walked through the gap, and closed the flap. She approaches Anastasia from the other side of the counter. “What made you change your mind?”

“Well, you saved me and Elijah,” Anastasia said. 

“Was that the little one's name?” Lady Swallotale asked. Anastasia nods “yes” in response. “And, you know, I never got to know yours.”

Anastasia sighs. “It's Anastasia.”

“Lovely name. It means “resurrection,”” Lady Swallotale complimented. 

“Thank you,” Anastasia said. 

“So tell me, what's a human like you doing in Hell?” Lady Swallotale asked. Anastasia looked over at her before she looked over to the side. 

“It's, uhm, it's complicated..,” Anastasia replied. 

“May it have something to do with… being betrayed by someone you cared about?” Lady Swallotale asked, catching Anastasia's attention. 

“I..” Anastasia stammered. 

“I can sense that those fractures in you have been caused by a loved one, fractures that will take a while to heal from. And, to relate, my pupa, I have had a loved one who betrayed me back in my life as a human,” Lady Swallotale said. 

“You have?” Anastasia looked at Lady Swallotale with an empathetic look. Lady Swallotale responds with a gentle look in her eyes before she stares down at the filled tea cup on the counter below her, staring at her own reflection. 

“I was raised in a ninja clan in Edo Era Japan, trained by the master and became a skilled kunoichi of the Misubuna Clan. I trained along with my elder sister, Aiya Misubuna. We weren't related by blood, I wasn't related by blood to the Misubuna Clan, but I saw them all as family. But, one night, I found out that Aiya had been conspiring with a long-time rival of the Misubuna Clan. I tried to reason with her, but she drew her sword and struck at me, leading to us clashing until our clan arrived. Before I could explain, Aiya had told them that I was a traitor to the clan, conspiring with the rival clan. I tried to clear my name and tell the truth, but the master didn't believe me. He believed Aiya, who, unlike me, was a blood member. I was beheaded the morning after and I was sent down here,” Lady Swallotale said. 

“Wha- But- But you don't even belong in Hell. That's not fair. You were the good guy,” Anastasia said, incredulous and full of anger. 

“It is true that it is unfair of me to be a good person and sent down to the opposite world. Although, if I had to guess why I'm down here, I suppose I am forced to pay for my clan's sins after death, as for my entire human life I had been unaware of how the Misubuna Clan was poisoned from the inside,” Lady Swallotale said, looking at the palm of her right hand. 

“It's just.. I.. Weren't you angry? Angry at all???” Anastasia asked. 

“I was at first. But, as time passed by, your wounds heal and your anger eventually fades,” Lady Swallotale said. “And I presume you relate similarly?”

Anastasia looked down to the side. 

“Well.. I..” Anastasia said before she sighed.

“You know you can tell me what happened. I don't intend on telling anyone you don't want me to,” Lady Swallotale spoke, her gentle tone present. 

Anastasia sighed again. 

“On Earth, I had friends who eventually either drifted away or just.. hurt me and left me. And, well, I was hurt again before I got down here,” Anastasia said. “There was this, uh, person Sophie and she and I had been friends since we were in middle school. But things turned when I had turned eighteen…”

Anastasia laid her hand in her crossed arms on the counter, her face hidden. 

“And what happened that day?” Lady Swallotale asked. Anastasia raised her head back up. 

“She.. She was actually a part of this cult she had just joined and she sold me out and offered me as a sacrifice to a demon. That was.. how I got here. It messed up and a portal opened and I was sucked into it and I woke up in a forest..” Anastasia replied, looking down at the counter. 

“It sounds like this Sophie person hasn't been a good friend at that moment. Ruthlessly letting you fall into that portal and ending up here,” Lady Swallotale said. 

“Well, actually, she tried to save me. She gripped onto my hand and tried to pull me away from the portal and she said that she was sorry. But, I don't know…” Anastasia said, looking to the side. 

“So, perhaps she didn't understand what she was getting into before it happened, so she regretted her choice and chose to try and save you from ending up here..” Lady Swallotale said, raising the cup from the counter to her lips and taking a sip. She lowers the cup from her lips shortly afterwards. “And do you consider yourself to be angry at her?”

“I.. Don't know.. I'm more.. Confused and.. Conflicted on what I should be feeling.. And, I guess I might have made the worst decision by giving away the only thing that reminded me of her here awhile ago and-” Anastasia was about to spiral until Lady Swallotale patted her head. 

“My dear, you're starting to spiral. I'll be right back,” Lady Swallotale said before she walked away. She was at the end of a second counter against the wall, pouring tea into a blue and golden porcelain tea cup. Seconds after, she placed the pot on that same counter, carried the tea cup on a matching tea plate and she walked over to Anastasia at the first counter, placing the tea cup on the dark wooden surface in front of her. “Here, this will help ease your nerves.”

Lady Swallotale slid the plate over to Anastasia. Anastasia looked down at the tea cup and she looks back up at Lady Swallotale, unsure. She looks back down at the cup, clasps the cup between her hands, raises it to her lips, and she takes a small yet long sip. Shortly after taking a sip, she immediately felt herself relax as she lowered the cup back onto the plate on the table. 

“I feel.. A lot better than a second ago. What's in this?” Anastasia asked. 

“Just a few herbs from Hell’s environment I've collected and even grown personally. The ones I used in that tea are similar to normal herbal tea herbs. It should help ease your stress, mental and physical,” Lady Swallotale said. 

“Well.. Thanks,” Anastasia said. Then, a thought came to her mind. “I'm sorry if this is a sensitive subject or anything, but I want to ask..”

“Ask away,” Lady Swallotale said. 

“Did you.. Ever reunite with anyone from your human life down here?” Anastasia asked. 

“Well, only Aiya. Unfortunately, I lost her the same day I reunited with her. And on the worst day of the year, too,” Lady Swallotale said, taking a sip of tea. 

“What's that day?” Anastasia asked. Lady Swallotale looked at her. 

“You haven't been told, yet?” Lady Swallotale asked, before she sighed. “I suppose newcomers in Hell don't know until either the last minute or at least when the wrong person tells them in the worst way possible.”

“Please, just tell me. I think I can handle it. I mean, I think I can handle it emotionally because of this tea with those herbs I just drank,” Anastasia said, gesturing to her tea cup. 

“Very well,” Lady Swallotale said. “Every year, Hell suffers from an overpopulation crisis caused by its Sinner populace. Because of that, the opposite realm, Heaven, set forth what is considered as their “solution” to handle it.”

“And that solution is..?” Anastasia said. 

“You're familiar with how exterminators exterminate bugs, like cockroaches, right?” Lady Swallowtale said, trying to hint at Anastasia what the “solution” is. 

Anastasia thought for a second, trying to decode the hint that Lady Swallotale gave her with the “exterminating cockroaches” thing. Her eyes widen a bit after she believes that she decoded it. 

“So, Heaven sends Angels down to kill Sinners?” Anastasia asked, wanting to know if her guess was right. 

“Once a year, every year,” Lady Swallotale said. “It's unfortunate, even to the Sinners who possibly don't belong down here.”

“Oookayyy…,” Anastasia said. 

“I'm glad that you're taking this in calmly. Though, it may be because of the tea I gave you,” Lady Swallotale said. 

“Yeah, but I feel like when it wears off, I might have some choice questions for my friends,” Anastasia said. 

“Friends, hm?” Lady Swallotale said. “I see you're healing enough to make new friends, even down here.”

“That's good, right?” Anastasia said. 

“But, you're still a pupa. You may be an adult, but you're still growing and learning,” Lady Swallotale said. 

Anastasia sighs in response. 

“But growing is a good thing,” Lazy Swallotale said. “And you never stop growing, which is the best thing.”

“Well, you make a good point about that,” Anastasia said. 

“Also, if I am allowed to admit this, I have seen you and your friends before,” Lady Swallotale said. 

“You have?” Anastasia said. 

“Do you recall one of them being distracted by a butterfly?” Lady Swallotale said. 

“Oh, right..” Anastasia said. 

“I apologize. Like I said the other day, I don't mean to spy on you or anything else,” Lady Swallotale said. 

“It's fine, I guess..” Anastasia said. Part of her understood while another part of her felt as if her privacy had been invaded, whether by accident or not. She crosses her arms and rests them on the counter and lies her head down. 

Lady Swallotale looked down upon Anastasia while she was lying her head on her crossed arms on the counter. 

“If I must admit this as well, I admire how well you played that game, and your usage of a baseball bat. I feel like that kind of skill can be utilized very well when in combat,” Lady Swallotale said. 

“Are you, like, offering to teach me how to fight and be a ninja like you?” Anastasia asked. 

“Only if you want to,” Lady Swallotale said. 

“And what do I give you in return?” Anastasia asks. 

“Nothing. No charge,” Lady Swallotale replied. Anastasia looked unsure. 

“What are you planning?” Anastasia asked. 

“I see potential in you, and I believe it should be honed. I'd be more than happy to help hone it, if you let me, that is,” Lady Swallotale said. 

“I dunno… Can I have some time to think about it?” Anastasia asked. 

“Take as long as you wish,” Lady Swallotale said. 

After that, Anastasia left the tea shop, exiting through the glass door and closing it behind her before she walks along the sidewalk back to the hotel. She pulls out her phone and then she texts Angel Dust. 

“Angel, tell everyone except Elijah that I need to talk to them about something when I get back.”

Chapter Text

After, maybe an hour, of walking, Anastasia was back at the hotel. Everyone was gathered in the living area.

“You spoke with Lady Swallotale??” Vaggie asked.

“Yes. And she offered to help me out with some.. things,” Anastasia replied. 

“What things?” Angel Dust asked.

“Probably the no good kind of things. I know Overlords enough to know that they're up to no good,” Husk said, a glance aimed at Alastor, to which Alastor returned him a smirk.

“Oh, and speaking of…,” Charlie said before she leaned down and grabbed some big sheets of sturdy cardboard-like paper. “Me and Vaggie took the time to make some flash cards, well, “flash boards,” that you can use to learn a bit more about Hell."

“I looked at some of them. They’re kinda accurate, especially the one about Overlords,” Angel Dust said.

“Let me see,” Anastasia demanded, a hand out. Charlie gave Anastasia the paper about Overlords. Anastasia's eyes moved and read the words written on the paper.

“Overlords: Sinners who rose to power through deals and contracts with other demons such as Sinners.”

After Anastasia read the paper, she lowered it down and looked over at the group.

“So that's what an “Overlord” is down here, huh?” Anastasia said.

“Well, yes it is. I, too, am an Overlord, after all,” Alastor said.

“Yeah, I knew already," Anastasia said. She says this given how Alastor referred to Lady Swallotale as a “fellow Overlord“ earlier. 

Elijah pops up from behind the couch.

“Whatchu guys talking about?” Elijah asked.

“Stuff ya probably wouldn't understand yet, kid,” Angel Dust said.

“Well, I'm bored. There's nothing to do around here. I can't skate in the hotel, nothing. I swear, I'm so bored, I oughta scream,” Elijah said, bored as hell.

“Hold that scream, kid. I think I have something,” Angel Dust said as he stood up from the couch and walked away. “I’ll be right back.”

Elijah gives Angel Dust an “okay” thumbs up.

“Anastasia, an Overlord makes deals with demons for their soul. What if she's just trying to trick you into doing that? I mean, she must be doing that because you're a live human in Hell, and, to an Overlord like her, your soul would be more valuable than a Sinners,” Vaggie said. 

“She has a point, kid. You're basically a diamond in a goldmine, so you'd expect demons to want to get their filthy hands on you,” Husk said.

“You both make great points, but I can handle this. I’m making it seem like I trust her just so that I could figure out her real intentions. I mean, you guys think I would trust her immediately after she happens to have saved me and Elijah, especially considering the world down here?” Anastasia asked.

“Oh, you're still putting people on the fence?” Husk asked.

“Does that apply to me, still?” Sir Pentious asked, a hand raised.

“No, you're good,” Anastasia replied.

“Oh,” Sir Pentious said. He felt some relief after hearing that.

“Hm, I guess you're a little more clever than I expected, girl,” Alastor said, his smile still present. Anastasia returned a small scowl.

“Oh, I have an idea. How about we.. invite Lady Swallotale over to the hotel? Meet her firsthand?” Charlie said.

“That's… actually not that bad of an idea,” Vaggie said.

“So the ninja lady is gonna come??” Elijah asked, feeling excited. “I want her to show me some cool ninja “hi-yah”’s!” 

“Yeah,” Anastasia said, doubt in her face at Elijah's hopeful, excited wish. 

Angel Dust walks down the stairs, holding something behind his back. “Hey kid.”

Elijah looks over at Angel Dust and he rushes over to him. Angel Dust pulls out a small game console. It was a similar model and style like the Nintendo Switch console on Earth.

“A Nintendo Switch?” Anastasia said.

“It's actually a Riftendo Swipe,” Angel Dust said. 

“Wow! These things are SUPER expensive! Where did you even get this??” Elijah asked, his eyes in awe at the console as he took it out of Angel Dust’s hands.

“My boss, Val, gave it to me as a birthday present. I never really played on it, so I figured you would enjoy it, kid. And based on the manual, you can play games already installed on the console system or play a cartridge game,” Angel Dust said.

“That's so cool!” Elijah said.

“But you can only play for half an hour every two hours,” Anastasia said.

“Aww!” Elijah whined and groaned.

“I just don't want you getting sucked into that stuff, okay?” Anastasia said.

Elijah sighs. “That's fair enough..”

“Anyways, I got a call to make,” Anastasia said before she pulled out her phone, tapped her thumb on the screen, held her phone up to her ear, and walked away.

“So what’d I miss?” Angel Dust asked.

“Anna’s inviting the ninja lady over,” Elijah replied.

“Wait, really??” Angel Dust asked.

“Yes. We're gonna invite her over, have a chat, and see if she's as bad as we might believe,” Vaggie said.

“She's coming by tomorrow,” Anastasia said as she returned from the kitchen, her hand tilted back forward and holding her phone.

“That was quick,” Angel Dust said.

“Okay, maybe that can give us a little time to prepare,” Charlie said. “Hopefully, she might like the hotel.”

Vaggie holds Charlie’s hand and showed her a smile.

The next day had begun. Everyone had gotten up and ready and were downstairs in the lobby.

Anastasia had gotten ready as usual. She wore another outfit today. She wore a plaid yellow peplum top, grey pant-leggings, and brown boots.

“You’re gussied up, huh?” Elijah said.

“Yeah,” Anastasia said. 

A knock on the door echoed in the room. Vaggie approaches the door and opens it, revealing the person on the other side of the door. 

“Moshi moshi,” a greeting sounded out. It was Lady Swallotale herself, and in her casual-formal clothes.

Vaggie looked up at Lady Swallotale, her elegant-looking form reflecting into her eye.

“Miss Swallotale, a pleasure to meet your acquaintance,” Vaggie said. She moves aside to allow Lady Swallotale inside.

“‘Tis a pleasure too, dear,” Lady Swallotale said as she stepped through the doorway, entering the lobby as she took in the hotel’s interior. “Hm, what a quaint establishment.”

“Hi, uh, hello. I'm Charlie,” Charlie said nervously as she approached Lady Swallotale.

“Ah, you're Lucifer’s daughter, right?” Lady Swallotale asked.

“Yes, I am. And I am also the founder of the Hazbin Hotel, the one and only resort for Sinner rehabilitation and ascension to Heaven,” Charlie said.

“Rehabilitation, you say? How intriguing,” Lady Swallotale said.

“Isn't it?” Alastor chimed in, catching Lady Swallotale's attention.

“Alastor?” Lady Swallotale said, a little surprised.

“I know, you’ve noticed my absence the last few years. I'm sure you've been wondering where I’ve been,” Alastor said.

“Not quite,” Lady Swallotale replied. “But I’m sure you have your reasons.”

“Why yes, I do,” Alastor said, looking to the side.

“Hi again, Miss Swallotale,” Anastasia said.

“Anastasia. Nice to see you again,” Lady Swallotale said. 

“Hi ninja lady,” Elijah said, popping out from behind Anastasia. 

“Nice to see you again too, Elijah,” Lady Swallotale said. 

“So, Miss Swallotale, would you like to sit down? I can also offer you some refreshments, too,” Charlie offered. 

“Well, how generous of you,” Lady Swallotale said as she walked to the living room and took a seat on the couch, her hands folded in her lap.

“So, Miss Swallotale, you've acquainted yourself with our human guest, correct?” Alastor asked. 

“Yes,” Lady Swallotale replied. 

“Well, how did it happen exactly?” Vaggie asked. 

“Any of you recognize this?” Lady Swallotale said, raising a hand with her index finger out and a yellow butterfly emerges from orangeish-pink smoke and is sitting on her finger. 

“Ooh, it's the wittle butterfly from the baseball field!” Niffty said. 

“Hang on, you were spying on us?” Angel Dust asked. 

“Not on purpose. I let all my butterflies fly freely and, sadly, I see through their eyes everything they see. Even things I shouldn't. Forgive me,” Lady Swallotale said. 

“I guess… It's sorta fine,” Angel Dust said. 

“Oh, anyways, these two are Sir Pentious and Angel Dust, our hotel guests. That's our bartender Husk, and that's our housekeeper Niffty,” Charlie said, introducing the others to Lady Swallotale. Vaggie approaches Charlie. “And this is my girlfriend, Vaggie. She's also our hotel manager. And, well, Alastor is the facility manager.”

“You seemed to have outdone yourself on everything here, your highness,” Lady Swallotale said. 

“Thank you,” Charlie said. 

“Y'know what, I'm just gonna upright and ask. Are you up to anything? Do you want Anastasia’s soul or something or what?” Angel Dust asked, blunt. 

“Angel,” Charlie said. 

“Charlie, it's okay. It's an understandable question. You have every right to suspect me of something as malicious as that because of my status as an Overlord, but I truly have no such intention. You see, she and I spoke and, well, she and I share a common pain,” Lady Swallotale said. 

“A common pain? What pain is that?” Angel Dust asked. Everyone looks over at Anastasia. 

“What's she talking about? Anna?” Charlie asked, concern present on her face. 

Anastasia looked to the side, her right arm folded across her body and her hand gripping onto her left arm on the elbow. 

“I'm sorry. I should've told you from the start. I just didn't know whether it was.. Or..” Anastasia sighed. “I just didn't want to talk about it at the time or something like that. Maybe I was just angry or upset or..”

Lady Swallotale stood up and puts a hand on Anastasia's shoulder. 

“It helped once to talk, maybe it will help again,” Lady Swallotale said, a small smile on her face. Anastasia looked over at Lady Swallotale before she took a breath and looked back at everyone else. Lady Swallotale removed her hand from her shoulder. 

“Okay… You all want to know the full story about how I ended up here as a "live human?"” Anastasia asked. 

“Oh, do tell. I wanna know the deets,” Elijah said, lying on his stomach on the floor in front of Anastasia, looking up at her with his head propped up on his closed hands. His tail wagged. 

Anastasia sighs. She took a breath and words began to pour from her mouth, the words that made up her story. Everyone paid attention to each word, each having different reactions. Angel Dust, Charlie, Sir Pentious, Elijah, Vaggie, and Husk all have sympathy written on their faces. Alastor kept his smile, like he was unfazed and unaffected by each word. And Niffty, on the other hand, appeared nonchalant despite paying attention. After many seconds, all the words have left Anastasia’s mouth, finishing her story. 

“So.. Now you all know why I'm here..,” Anastasia said. 

“Anna.. I had no idea..” Angel Dust. 

“You couldn't get an idea because I never said anything,” Anastasia said. “I couldn't say anything. Not a thing.”

“Anna..” Charlie walked over to Anastasia and put a hand on her shoulder. Anastasia looked over at Charlie. 

“It's..” Anastasia said before she sighed. 

“Now I know where your trust issues come from,” Husk said. 

“Husk,” Vaggie said. 

“Vaggie, it's fine,” Anastasia said. “I've had the same thing happen before, and it did mess me up about trusting people.”

“Well, we'll be more than happy to help you fix that. And I mean a lot more than our past exercises,” Charlie said. 

“I guess.. That will help. A lot,” Anastasia said, a small smile present. 

“So, uh, Miss Swallotale, you said you related to Anastasia. Care to elaborate on that? I just wanna know,” Angel Dust said. 

“I'd be glad to tell. Well, back when I was alive, I was raised in the Misubuna Clan with my adopted sister, Aiya Misubuna, until she betrayed the clan and conspired with a rival and framed me. The entirety of the Misubuna Clan believed her because she was of Misubuna blood unlike me, and I was eventually beheaded and I arrived here,” Lady Swallotale said. 

“But.. How can you even be down here? You don't seem like the type to have done anything wrong to be down here,” Angel Dust said. 

“Yes, that is rather a curiosity that is unsolved,” Alastor commented. 

“Well, I suppose it is only ever believed that I am forced to pay for my clan's sins,” Lady Swallotale said. 

“But weren't you angry? Like, at all? I mean, you don't even deserve to be down here. That's not even fair,” Angel Dust said. 

“I was angry at first. But, time makes anger fade and, well, you eventually learn to accept what you have now, fair or not,” Lady Swallotale said. 

Charlie was thinking for a moment. 

“Miss Swallotale, would you like to, uh… stay here with us at the hotel? You can work here or be a guest and we can help you get to Heaven,” Charlie said. 

“That's very thoughtful of you, your highness, but I have to decline,” Lady Swallotale said. 

“But.. But, you don't belong here.. We can help you,” Charlie insisted.

“I appreciate it, but it is truly nothing to fret about, for I am content with what I have become. I have chosen to live my afterlife in this world I have arrived in,” Lady Swallotale said. 

“So, you've just chosen to stay where you don't belong?” Husk asked. 

“And who truly knows where they belong?” Lady Swallotale asked. 

Husk sighed a bit. “Fair enough..”

“Now, with that being said…” Lady Swallotale was about to speak before Elijah popped up. 

“Are you gonna show us some cool ninja moves? Show us how you took down those sharks earlier! Show us, show us!” Elijah said. 

“Little one, I only ever show off my “ninja moves” when I need to if necessary. It's my personal code, and I do not intend on having it broken just to show off,” Lady Swallotale said. 

“Aww…” Elijah moaned. 

“But, perhaps, your elder sister here would be interested in showing you some moves she learns?” Lady Swallotale said. 

“She's gonna teach you ninja stuff??” Elijah asked Anastasia. 

“I didn't really say I would let her teach me anything yet,” Anastasia said. 

“Well, it's up to you if you want to learn. I'd be happy to teach you anything, even combat skills that can help you survive against anyone who tries to harm you or your friends and family,” Lady Swallotale said. 

It took Anastasia a moment, then she looked over at her friends for a moment. Charlie smiled and Vaggie gave a small smile and nodded a bit. Anastasia looks back at Lady Swallotale. 

“I'm.. Interested in learning some ninja stuff,” Anastasia said. 

“Ah, that's good to hear,” Lady Swallotale said. 

“But, do I need to sign anything? Make a deal? What do I owe?” Anastasia asked. 

“Nothing. You owe nothing. Not a price,” Lady Swallotale said. “I already mentioned this yesterday, did I not?”

“Oh, right. You did mention that.. But I just wanted to be sure, is all,” Anastasia said. “So, uh, where do, uh, classes begin?”

“I call them “sessions,” and I can schedule one for you tomorrow at my shop. It's also a dojo,” Lady Swallotale said. 

“Huh,” Anastasia said, a little surprised that Lady Swallotale’s tea shop is also a dojo. 

After a few minutes, Lady Swallotale was heading out the door. 

“It was nice meeting you, Miss Swallotale. I hope you can come by again sometime,” Charlie said. 

“I certainly might,” Lady Swallotale said with a smile. 

“Bye, ninja lady!” Elijah said, waving his hand. Lady Swallotale chuckled a bit. 

“Sayonara,” Lady Swallotale said before she stepped through the doors and left the hotel. 

As Lady Swallotale walked down the cobblestone pathway, she immediately turned into orangeish-pink-red smoke and several butterflies emerge in place of her body as she vanished into the air, the smoke dispersing and the butterflies fluttering away. 

Chapter Text

The next day had came to be. The hellish sun rose up and the skies are as red as blood as ever. 

Elijah was downstairs in the lobby. He was in the living spot on the couch, laying upside down with his head dangling upside down, watching a cartoon on the TV; “Galactic Cadets: Space Explorers.”

“You know your blood is gonna rush to your head if you're upside down for too long, right?” Anastasia said, standing by the couch. 

“Wait, is that a thing?” Elijah asked as he turned around and sat up-right on the couch. 

“Yes,” Anastasia replied. 

Elijah looked over at Anastasia. She was wearing a black, white, and purple tracksuit, her hair was in a ponytail, and she was carrying a greed duffle bag on her left shoulder. 

“Where you going with that stuff?” Elijah asked. 

“I already said yesterday that I was heading to my first training session with Miss Swallotale today,” Anastasia said. 

“Oh, right. Well, can I come with you to watch you? Please?” Elijah asked. 

“Sorry Elijah, but you're staying here with everyone else,” Anastasia said. 

“Awwww…,” Elijah moaned and pouted. “Well, can you at least stop by that “Trixie's” and get me a Trixie's kids meal with the toy?”

“You're a little too old for a kids meal. When I turned ten, I stopped getting kids meals, so…” Anastasia thought for a moment. “Actually, yeah. I'll stop by there and get you that.”

“Yes!” Elijah said, moving his right arm in a fist pump.

Anastasia walks over to the doors. Shortly before she opened it, she waved “bye” to Elijah. She pulled her hood over her head, pulled the door open, and stood outside, shutting the door behind her. Elijah was looking at the door for a few seconds before Husk spoke.

“So, uh, you just plan on sitting around all day now that Anna’s out?” Husk asked.

“Well, only if I’m bored as heck,” Elijah replied. “Hey, by the way, ya guys ever thought about getting a new TV? The quality on this one is old.”

Husk frowned and rolled his eyes as he sighed.

After a whole mile of walking.. Maybe it was a mile? Who knows? After a while of walking, Anastasia had finally arrived at Lady Swallotale’s. She pushed the door open, ringing the bell above, and she stood inside, her shoes walking amongst the mat and onto the smooth floors.

“Moshi moshi, Anna,” Lady Swallotale greeted, wearing her kimono.

“I’m here for my first session, ma’am,” Anastasia said. Lady Swallotale nods and she looks over at her workers.

“Watch over the shop and keep an eye on it while I tend to other affairs, will you all?” Lady Swallotale asked. Her workers nodded in response.

“Hai madam,” the workers said.

Lady Swallotale directs her attention back to Anastasia.

“Right this way,” Lady Swallotale said, directing her hand towards a light brown wooden door as she walked over to it. Anastasia follows behind her. She raises her hand to the door, turns the knob, and pushes it open, revealing a stairway leading up. 

Lady Swallotale walks upon each step, the hem of her kimono dragged upon the wooden surface of each step. Anastasia follows behind her, walking up each step. 

The two reach another door at the top, where Lady Swallotale gripped the handle and opened it revealing a large room inside. The walls were white with dark wooden frames, there were weapons (halberds and swords) hanging upon the walls as decoration, the ceiling was red, the carpets were white with pink sakura and pink butterfly patterns, all in different shades of pink, there were windows at the top near the ceiling, and lanterns were hung around the walls. In addition, there was a large tree near the end of the room.

“This is the dojo, where I train my pupils,” Lady Swallotale introduced. 

“It looks really nice, ma’am,” Anastasia said.

“Here, you can call me “Sensei,”” Lady Swallotale said before she began to walk forward. “Now, set your things aside and we shall start on the basics.”

Anastasia pulls her hood down and she puts her duffel bag down on the carpeted floors. She approaches Lady Swallotale, who stood twenty feet away from her. After a few steps, Anastasia stood five feet away from her.

“For starters, show me what you got,” Lady Swallotale said. “And don't hold back.”

Anastasia took a breath, or a few breaths. “Okay..”

Anastasia makes a fight stance, closes her eyes, and she begins to focus on her inner rage. That inner, burning, scorching flame hidden away in the darkness of her chamber of emotions. In one immediate second, she opened her eyes and she moved her legs, running straight towards Lady Swallotale with a closed fist. She threw her fist forward, but Lady Swallotale blocks it with her hand with ease. 

“Hm. Again,” Lady Swallotale said. In response, Anastasia throws another closed fist, to which Lady Swallotale blocked with her forearm with ease. Shortly a second later, Anastasia threw another fist, but harder. Lady Swallotale moved to the side, causing her to fall forward.

"Oof!” Anastasia grunted as she fell and hit the floor. Lady Swallotale's shadow loomed over her.

“Your strikes are straightforward and motivated by your inner anger. In addition, they're lacking in discipline, which results in its natural sloppiness. Every amateur faces these exact flaws when they begin any proper training. Stand up. We will resume at once,” Lady Swallotale said. Anastasia sighed a bit.

A few minutes pass. Lady Swallotale and Anastasia sat across from each other on their knees.

“To know discipline and control is to look inside your inner self. And meditation is key to knowing your inner self,” Lady Swallotale said. 

“How does that work?” Anastasia asked.

“I'll show you,” Lady Swallotale said. “Just close your eyes, take a deep breath, and focus on your mind. In simple words, focus on the darkness you see when you close your eyes until you feel that nothing is there, and then you focus on that nothingness.”

“Sounds hard,” Anastasia said.

“At first, yes. But once you block out the outside distractions, it will get easier,” Lady Swallotale said.

“Okay.. if you say so,” Anastasia said. She inhales and exhales, air entering and escaping her lips before she closes her eyes. She could see nothing but darkness. An infinite, looming, endless darkness. Until she opened her eyes and sighed. “I can't do it, sensei.”

“It takes time. Just try again,” Lady Swallotale said.

Anastasia took a breath, closed her eyes, and focused on the infinite darkness beyond her closed eyes. 

Several minutes have passed. She opened her eyes again, but she didn't see the dojo. All she saw was the infinite void of darkness. She looked surprised.

“Wow, this meditation stuff actually works?” Anastasia asked before she stood up and looked around. “Wow, there's just.. nothing. Absolutely.. nothing.”

Lady Swallotale appears. “Of course, there is nothing in your mind… Yet.”

“Sensei, how did you get in here?” Anastasia asked.

“I’m merely a spirit in your mind as of now. But that besides the primary purpose. You need to connect with your inner self, challenge your inner anger, and find the discipline and control you need,” Lady Swallotale said.

“And how do I find my inner ange-” Anastasia was interrupted by the sound of a roaring flame. Anastasia and Lady Swallotale saw a twister of flames appear in front of them, illuminating the dark void before the twister took shape. It took the shape of… Anastasia herself as a pair of white flaming eyes appeared on its face. 

“Like that, mostly,” Lady Swallotale said. “Now, I will only ever come around to guide you when needed. The challenges you face here are for you to face solo. Understand?”

“I understand, sensei,” Anastasia said. She felt unsure of herself, not knowing if she would be able to conquer her inner anger standing in front of her. “But, I don't know if I can do this..”

“You must. When the fire is in front of you, you must find a way to fan it down or take it out. Either way, it must be tamed. And to tame is to discipline,” Lady Swallotale said. Anastasia sighs and nodded. She looks at her inner anger. 

“Uh… Hey! Can.. Can you speak or, uh, hear me?” Anastasia said, attempting to speak to her inner anger. 

“Why do you listen to this bitch?” A voice echoed. It was the inner anger's voice. It slowly approaches them. “She's a liar. A manipulator. You shouldn't believe anything she says. She's like all the others.”

“My, I know you could get angry with the many times people have denounced you, but I didn't think it would have been the primary build-up of your anger,” Lady Swallotale said. “But, you are a pupa, so you will still have the emotions and responses of a teen, given your mind is still in evolution.”

“Bullshit. You know nothing. I should squash you and everyone else like the bugs you are,” the inner anger said, approaching. 

“Damn, I had no idea that my inner anger would be so… fiery and scorching,” Anastasia said. 

“And you know, everyone at that shitty hotel might just want to throw you out the second they get the chance. Because they only see themselves as better than you because you're just a human. They think you're nothing and will never be anything like them until you die..,” the inner anger said.

“Do you truly believe that if your inner anger is saying that?” Lady Swallotale asked. 

“I.. No,” Anastasia said. 

Suddenly, the flames of the inner anger roared and it grew two times its size. Lady Swallotale looked at the enormous size of the inner anger and looked back at Anastasia. 

“I seriously don't think that!” Anastasia yelled before the inner anger roared and grew to size again, appearing six times its size. 

“You need to stop denying it. You deny it and your inner anger is gonna keep growing bigger and stronger,” Lady Swallotale said. 

“How the hell does that even work??” Anastasia asked, confused. 

“Denying it is just like holding in your emotions, and the more you hold them in, the more they grow until they explode. You must face it,” Lady Swallotale said. 

Anastasia sighed and groaned. 

“Okay, fine! Yes, I do think that!” Anastasia yelled, causing the inner anger to stall. “So I think that the hotel could turn their back on me if they ever got the chance, but it doesn't mean that they will do it. What I know is that if they even did want to do that, they would have done it a while ago!”

“Stop bullshitting yourself!” the inner anger yelled. 

“No, you stop bullshitting yourself. You're just a manifestation of my anger built off of my trust issues and my past betrayals, but you can't predict the future,” Anastasia said. “Because, guess what? What happens in the future is not something we can control or predict.”

“No, but we can keep ourselves shut away from everyone and everything. Never be hurt again. And any who had hurt us will be squashed! Starting with her!” The inner anger suddenly threw an enormous fist at Lady Swallotale, who dodges to the side, causing the fist to hit the ground and make a crater. In short seconds, it took a breath and blew a twister of flames at both Anastasia and Lady Swallotale, who both ran for dear life. 

“Jesus, my anger’s got issues. Or.. I got issues…” Anastasia said, looking down.

“Face them. I will meet you once it's over,” Lady Swallotale said before she vanished into dust. 

“Wait, I-” Anastasia said, attempting to stop Lady Swallotale from leaving before she disappeared. 

“Your issues are in your head. Your “issues” are your doubts caused by how you don't want to accept the reality. Your denial of everything,” the inner anger said. 

Anastasia had an idea. 

“Well, not everything..” Anastasia said before she stood up. “Remember Sophie?”

“That bitch who sold us out for a cult sacrifice. She is one of the worst if the demons in Hell are not. She's the reason you're here in Hell in the first place. She is revelling in your disappearance right now,” the inner anger said. 

“I don't think so,” Anastasia said. Suddenly, a huge cloud appeared and it opened, revealing some kind of screen. 

“What is this?” the inner anger asked. 

“Hm…” Anastasia hummed before an idea came to mind. She wipes her hand over the screen, revealing a memory, a key memory. This key memory projects itself on the cloud like a movie theater screen, revealing the day that started everything, where Sophie held onto Anastasia's hand, trying to pull her out and away from the portal's vacuum-like grasp. “Remember before I arrived, she tried to save me? She tried to keep me from getting sucked into here.”

“That's… That's only because she just wants to keep you around to toy with you! She doesn't care about you!” the inner anger said. 

“Would she try to save me if she didn't care? I am aware that she did sell me out, but her regretting it at the last second is a different story. She could have left me to be sucked in there if she didn't care. Plus, she started to cry when she regretted it all,” Anastasia said. “And, you see, I've spoken to some friends, or a friend for that matter, and I've learned something. Time flies, and so can feelings. Feelings don't entirely last forever, and the ones that do last forever are only caused by you, not by any other factor. Any feelings that last forever are because you keep on thinking about it and are too stubborn to let it go. And you, my friend, are apparently my stubbornness and my bad memories. I should've let those bad experiences go and not let it affect the rest of my life and how I run it.”

“But you are in the right to let it run your life,” the inner anger said. 

“No, I am not. And you are not either. You think you know better than me, but you are no better than me. You're just… me,” Anastasia said. “You have always been me, a part of me, me.”

The inner anger began to shrink. 

“Wha- Wha- Woah! Woah! What's happening!?” the inner anger asked. 

“I think I've just found my discipline. And I think I just tamed your flames,” Anastasia said as she approached the inner anger. “And from now on, I'm the one in control. Of my life, and my choices.”

Within seconds, the inner anger shrunk to the size of a golf ball. Harmless and adorable. 

Anastasia crouches down. 

“Hm, you know, you're kinda cute at this size,” Anastasia said. 

“Anna. Anna..” A voice softly echoed. 

Anastasia opened her eyes once again. She found herself sitting on her knees on the floor in the dojo. She looks at Lady Swallotale sitting in front of her. 

“I.. Think I did it..” Anastasia said. 

“You have learned not to let your past lead you and your decisions today. I am proud of you,” Lady Swallotale said. 

Anastasia smiled, before it faded. “Wait, how did you-?”

“I was there in spirit, remember?” Lady Swallotale asked. 

“Oh,” Anastasia said. 

“Now, let us see how you strike,” Lady Swallotale said as she stood up. 

Anastasia chuckled and bit before she stood up. “Okay.”

“Strike me,” Lady Swallotale said. 

Seconds later, Anastasia threw a fist. However, this fist wasn't motivated by anger. It was motivated by control. 

Lady Swallotale blocks the fist with ease using her forearm. 

“Hm. Again,” Lady Swallotale said. 

Anastasia threw another fist in response. Lady Swallotale blocks it with a hand with ease.

“Very well. Your strikes are no longer motivated solely on anger. You are now in control of your strikes. You still possess your strength given by your anger, but it is no longer your prime motivator,” Lady Swallotale said. 

“That's good, right?” Anastasia said. 

“Good, indeed. And now that you have learned to not anger become a prime motivator, we will proceed with striking and cleanse it of its sloppiness,” Lady Swallotale said. 

“That's great, but can we do that later? I feel kinda mentally exhausted,” Anastasia asked with a short chuckle. 

“Hm. Very well. We can proceed tomorrow. You may go home and rest your mind, for your body is to be trained tomorrow,” Lady Swallotale said before she walked to the door to the dojo, where Anastasia followed suit. 

Back at the hotel, Elijah was with Niffty, playing with the cat, Keekee. Elijah had a string toy, which Keekee was tapping and playing with. 

A second later, Anastasia walked through the door, holding a blue box in her arm reading “Trixie's” in yellow, black, and white curly letters. 

“I'm back, guys,” Anastasia said. 

“Hey Anna. How was your day with Miss Swallotale?” Charlie asked as she approached Anastasia, her hands clasped and a smile present on her face. 

“It was alright. I focused on my mind today,” Anastasia said. “And Elijah, I got you that kids meal you wanted.”

Anastasia tosses the box to Elijah, where he jumps up and catches it.

“Awesome! Thanks sis!” Elijah said as he grabbed the box and rushed to the kitchen. He had apparently rushed to open it. “Aw, snap! A yo-yo!”

“Anyways, what all did you guys do while I was out?” Anastasia asked. 

“Nothing much, really. Just sat around and some other shit,” Angel Dust said. 

“I've been with Niffty most of the day. She showed me some of her bug-stabbing skills,” Elijah said, walking out of the kitchen, a red yo-yo in his hand moving up and down.

“Okay, Niffty, don't be teaching him that stuff anymore, please,” Anastasia said.

“Okay. Unless a bug is by,” Niffty said. Then, she saw a roach crawl by. “Ooh, there's one!”

Niffty pulled out a giant sewing needle and ran after the roach as she stabbed the floor multiple times as she cackled.

“Ooookayy.., I think I'll try not to hang with her too much…” Elijah said.

Chapter Text

It was the next day. Anastasia had returned to Lady Swallotale's dojo for her next session; physical combat.

“Now that you've learned to place more control in your anger instead of letting it be your guide, we can focus on your ability to fight without being guided by anger,” Lady Swallotale said.

“I know it was, like, yesterday that I managed to fight without focusing on my anger, but I just feel confused about how one can keep their anger from being a motivator for violence,” Anastasia said. “I feel like it must be hard.”

“I've learned and understood from my past human life that it is no uncommon thing for one to inflict violence when they are angry. However, oftentimes, they let their anger cloud their judgement and their mind, and they will tend to throw hits that they could regret later,” Lady Swallotale said. “Imagine if someone said things to you, things that can anger you. Things based on your insecurities that you are or are not aware of. What would your first course of action be if you let your anger take a toll on your mind?”

“I would.. end up angry and blindly hit the person who said those things?” Anastasia replied.

“Correct. But, of course, now that you’ve been able to learn to handle your anger from the inside, you’ll be able to keep it from clouding your head, especially in your everyday life. But, that is, if you choose to make the effort to keep it at bay. So, the question is… Would you choose to make that effort?” Lady Swallotale said.

Anastasia thought for a moment before she spoke. “Yes ma’am. I’ll choose to make that effort.”

“Good. Now that it has been decided, let's begin,” Lady Swallotale stood in front of Anastasia. “I want you to throw strikes at me like you did yesterday, without your anger. Is that understood?”

“Hai sensei,” Anastasia said with a nod.

“Go,” Lady Swallotale said. With that word, Anastasia began to throw her hands and her fists at Lady Swallotale as she blocked each hit with her arms and hands with ease. Each hit was blocked each time. Lady Swallotale's expression remained neutral and unfazed. “Stop.”

Anastasia stopped after Lady Swallotale said that word. She lowered her hands.

“You were able to strike me with no anger like yesterday. Very good. Now, with that said, let’s test your ability to be the one to take strikes. Block or dodge them, whichever is the best action to you. In addition, if you are hit, hopefully you can stay standing,” Lady Swallotale said.

“Okay, that's no proble-” Anastasia was suddenly struck in the shoulder, but not hard. She gripped her shoulder as she looked at Lady Swallotale. “Ow, no fair. I wasn't ready.”

“Apologies. I was just trying to test your reaction speed,” Lady Swallotale said. She suddenly chuckled a little and Anastasia pouted.

“Can we just-?” Anastasia asked.

“Of course. Now, go,” Lady Swallotale said before she threw a hand at Anastasia, to which she blocked with both arms instinctively before dodging a second hand and then a third hand and blocked a fourth hand. “Stop.”

Anastasia stopped and then she stood straight.

“You're quick to block and evade each strike I make. Very impressive. Now, how about we build up the speed, step by step?” Lady Swallotale asked before she turned behind her and spoke out in Japanese. “Opia, haitte.”

 (Translation: “Opia, enter.”)

Emerged from a doorway on the side was a woman in a black ninja uniform, mask on and everything. She made five front flips, landing on her feet and her hands upon the carpeted floors until landing on her feet one final time. The woman stood up straight and she bows.

“Hai, sensei,” the woman said.

“This is Opia, one of my top pupils and a member of my clan. She'll be helping you with your blocks, dodges, and strikes pace by pace. As you spar with her, you'll learn from the ground up and pick up the pace, for four hours,” Lady Swallotale said.

“Four hours!!? Are you kidding me?! I'll pass out before then!” Anastasia said. 

“You will take breaks every fifteen minutes for water and short breath rests,” Lady Swallotale said.

“Oh, phew. Okay,” Anastasia said, relieved. She chuckled a bit. “I thought you were gonna make me go four hours straight without a break.”

“Now.. go,” Lady Swallotale instructed.

Opia struck first, to which Anastasia swiftly dodged to the side by instinct. 

“Woah!” Anastasia exclaimed. “You're fast.”

Anastasia threw a fist next, to which Opia blocked with her forearm and she threw one next. Anastasia blocked it with her arms in an X position in front of her face. Then, Anastasia threw another fist, only for Opia to grab her wrist, spin around clockwise with her, and throw her to the floor.

“Oof!” Anastasia grunted as she hit the floor. “Ow..”

“You'll have to learn to be able to counter that next,” Opia said.

“Easy, she's just a beginner,” Lady Swallotale said.

“Just sayin',” Opia said.

Anastasia slowly stood up.

“Alright, resume. I must go check downstairs, make sure everything is in order in the shop,” Lady Swallotale said before she steps away and heads to the door that leads downstairs to the tea shop.

“Hai sensei,” Opia said.

“And remember the breaks I told you about,” Lady Swallotale sternly said.

“Hai sensei,” Opia repeated. Then, Lady Swallotale pulled open the door, stood out through the doorway, and shut the door behind her. Opia looks over at Anastasia. “Alright, where were we?”

Anastasia looked at Opia before she stood in a ready stance, her fists out and ready.

As Lady Swallotale steps into her shop, she was greeted by a familiar face popping up from behind the counter.

“Hi ninja lady!” Elijah said.

“Elijah, what are you doing here? Anastasia didn't bring you here,” Lady Swallotale said, surprised.

“Oh yeah, I followed her all the way over here,” Elijah replied.

“Why?” Lady Swallotale asked.

“‘Cause I wanna watch her learn to do ninja stuff!” Elijah replied. Lady Swallotale chuckled.

“I can't say I blame you. You're a child, so you'll get excited about things such as this,” Lady Swallotale said, a small smile present.

“Yep, I do,” Elijah said.

“Right now, Anastasia is sparring. So, we'll go up later to see how she's doing,” Lady Swallotale said.

“Aw!” Elijah groaned and pouted.

Two hours, along with designated break times, had passed. The door swung open as Lady Swallotale steps back inside the dojo. Her eyes turn towards Opia and Anastasia.

“Come on, you can do better than that!” Opia said before she struck Anastasia dangerously close to a tender spot.

“Ow, what the heck? That was dangerously close to my nipple!” Anastasia said as her hands covered where Opia hit her on her chest.

“Toughen up. You'll need to be ready for opponents who will fight dirty,” Opia said.

“Enough,” Lady Swallotale said. Opia and Anastasia paused. “I already said to take it easy on her, Opia.”

“Hai, sensei,” Opia said with a bow.

“Hi Anna,” Elijah said, peeking from the doorway.

“Elijah? I told you to stay at the hotel,” Anastasia said.

“I wanna watch you learn ninja stuff!” Elijah eagerly said as he approached Anastasia.

“Ugh, fine,” Anastasia groaned. “Just sit to the side.”

“Roger,” Elijah said before he rushed off and sat down by the wall. He had a smile present on his face as he eagerly looked over at Anastasia and Opia.

Lady Swallotale approaches Elijah and stands by him as the two observe Anastasia and Opia spar with eachother.

“Perhaps when you're a little older, I'll teach you some things,” Lady Swallotale said to Elijah, to which he responded with a look of awe on his face with an open-jawed smile.

“Ow!” Anastasia exclaimed as Opia hit her. Lady Swallotale and Elijah guide their attention back to them.

“You need a higher pain tolerance than that,” Opia said, before she struck again. This time, Anastasia blocked it and struck Opia in the abdomen, which the latter responded with her arms over her abdomen and she doubled over in pain and a twinge of that same pain written on her face. “Ugh… Okay, you got me.”

“That's for almost hitting my nipple, by the way,” Anastasia said.

“That's fair,” Opia said, admitting a pinch of defeat.

Another couple of hours passed, that and designated breaks, and Anastasia decided to sit down with Elijah.

“Not bad, I'll say. You're a quick learner, but not quick enough. You'll need more weeks if not months to actually get it if you want to face any real opponents in the real world,” Opia said.

“Opia, I already said take it easy on her. She's still learning,” Lady Swallotale said.

“I'm just saying. In Hell, you can get killed easily, so you would need to actually fight back or defend yourself,” Opia said.

“She has a point,” Anastasia said. “It's already happened before.”

“True,” Elijah said.

“Hm, very well. Opia, you are dismissed,” Lady Swallotale said. Opia responds with a bow before she leaves the dojo. “You two are also free to go.”

“Alright. Thanks, sensei,” Anastasia said as she stood up.

“Can we get ice cream?” Elijah asked.

“No,” Anastasia replied.

“Aww!” Elijah groaned.

“Come on, let's just go,” Anastasia said as she stood up, put her hood on, and headed to the door. Elijah follows behind her.

Anastasia and Elijah stood out the doorway and entered the tea shop.

“Look, Vox. I'm just heading to this old slum of a tea shop for a quick cup and then I'll be right back. And hey, I can probably give a shitty review about this place if possible,” a voice said and chuckled. It was Velvette. She walked through the door and approached the counter. She had a totally different look. She had her hair in twin space buns with braids, and she wore a sleeveless dark blue jumpsuit with white and pink buttons, one white and pink stripe long glove on her right arm, one pink and black long glove on her left arm, skull earrings, a white fur coat vest, black boots with pink fur, and sunglasses propped over her head with white frames and black lenses. She had her phone in her hand and to her ear.

“Can we at least get pizza?” Elijah begged.

“No. The gang already planned dinner,” Anastasia said, making Elijah pout.

Their conversation caught Velvette’s attention. At first, she looked like she didn't care about it until she noticed Anastasia. While she had her hood on, Velvette was able to recognize her. Her eyes were widened as she recognized her as the human she saw with Angel Dust and Cherri Bomb over a week ago.

“Come on,” Anastasia said before she and Elijah went out the door.

Velvette saw them leave before she directed her attention back to her phone.

“Vox, I just saw the human. I think she just acquainted herself with Lady Swallotale,” Velvette said.

“Damn, that sneaky winged bug.. Well, what are you waiting for, Vel? Go after her!” Vox said on the phone.

“Vox, if I go after her right away, I’ll look suspicious immediately. We’ll need another opportunity. And with a plan next time,” Velvette said to Vox on the phone.

“I’m surprised to see you here, Velvette,” a voice said, startling Velvette. It was Lady Swallotale by the counter, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.

“Fuck!” Velvette yelped in a startled manner, almost dropping her phone and she immediately pressed the “hang up” button.

“Talking to one of your colleagues?” Lady Swallotale asked.

“It’s private work matters. And also.. God, lady, you oughta wear a bell if you’re gonna sneak up on people like that,” Velvette said. “Also, I’d like a cup of sweet tea. Or do you just not have sugar, like, at all?”

Lady Swallotale, despite her patient demeanor, looked visibly annoyed.

After a while of walking, Anastasia and Elijah made it back to the hotel. Anastasia stretches her arms out before.. poof! Soreness appeared. “Ow..”

Anastasia walked to the couch and lied down on her front, face first.

“Hey, Anna. How was training?” Charlie asked.

“I’m sore,” Anastasia said, her face buried in the couch cushion.

“Well… Hopefully you’ll feel better by dinner. Alastor is making pot roast,” Charlie said with a smile and her fingers darted towards the kitchen. 

“‘Kay,” Anastasia said.

“You're pretty pooped, huh? Guess Swallotale rode ya hard today,” Angel Dust said.

“No. One of her students did,” Anastasia said.

“Oh. Well, still,” Angel Dust said.

“She said she'd teach me some stuff later,” Elijah said. 

“Where'd you go?” Angel Dust asked. “Oh, right. You, uh, followed Anastasia all the way over there?”

“Yeah. And she didn't see me coming,” Elijah said with a chuckle. 

“Yup, I didn't,” Anastasia said. 

“I guess the kid's already a stealthy one,” Angel Dust joked. 

Elijah smirked and smiled. Seconds after, Anastasia rose her head up from the cushion. 

“Get me some water, would ya, please?” Anastasia asked. 

“Sure,” Angel Dust said before he turned around and walked to the kitchen. Minutes later, Angel Dust came back with a water bottle in his hand and he gave it to Anastasia. 

“Thank you,” Anastasia said as she grabbed the bottle, turned the cap, lifted the cap off, brought the top to her lips, and drank a few gulps of water. She lowered the bottle, spun the cap back on, and put it down on the floor by her where she can reach it. 

About thirty minutes pass by. Alastor stood outside of the kitchen doorway. 

“Everyone, dinner is ready!” Alastor announced. 

Minutes after, everyone was at the table. Plates were passed around with cut meat and vegetables decorated upon the porcelain. 

Elijah looked at his plate for a minute before he pushed it a few inches away from him. 

“What's wrong?” Charlie asked. 

“I don't like vegetables,” Elijah said. 

“Elijah, you're not a baby anymore. You need to eat your vegetables,” Anastasia said. 

“They do ensure a strong and well-grown physique,” Alastor said. 

“I'm not convinced,” Elijah said. 

“You wanna grow big and strong?” Anastasia asked. 

“Yeah?” Elijah replied. 

“Vegetables are the one-way ticket to being big and strong,” Anastasia said. 

“Okay, I'm convinced,” Elijah said before pulling the plate back to him, picked up his fork, piercing a piece of carrot with it, holding it up to his mouth, and eating it. 

“I thought that was gonna be harder than it was,” Angel Dust said. 

“You gotta know their head,” Anastasia said, pointing to her head. 

“Ohhh…,” Angel Dust said. 

Chapter Text

It was yet another day in Hell, again. Anastasia had left for training, leaving the hotel gang to their affairs at the hotel. But just what could they be doing today?

“Okay, squirt. Anna's with Lady Swallotale, so it's just you and us today. Again,” Angel Dust said. “So, any ideas today?’

“Hm, maybe.. This!” Elijah said before, suddenly, he pulled out a water balloon from his back and swung his arm, throwing it at Angel Dust's face.

Angel Dust immediately leaned to the side, avoiding the water balloons hit. “What the hell, kid!?”

Elijah laughs in response.

“You need to control that kid, Angel,” Husk said.

“You said he was Anastasia's responsibility,” Angel Dust reminded Husk.

“He's yours while she's away,” Husk said.

“And also everyone else's here,” Angel Dust said. Suddenly, his phone chimes. He pulls his phone out of his pocket and looks at the screen. “Oh.. It's my boss. He needs me at work.”

“What?” Husk asked.

“It's only a few hours. Just keep an eye on him, okay?” Angel Dust said as he approached the door.

“Hang on, I didn't sign up for- And he's gone,” Husk said, annoyed. Angel Dust had already left. Elijah approaches Husk at the bar. Husk looks down at him. “What is it, kid?”

“So.. You're a cat. Why is that?” Elijah asked, curious.

“That's a story not to be told today,” Husk replied. Elijah pouts.

“I'll just go watch my shows then,” Elijah said, looking bored as he walks to the living area of the lobby and he hops onto the couch. He uses his tail to reach the remote. His tail coils around the remote, lifts it up, drops it in his hands, and Elijah presses his thumb down on the red “on” button.

The TV emits a static sound before it flickered. The program projected on the screen was a show. The announcer on the TV spoke.

“We now bring you ““Yeah, I Fucked Your Sister, So What?”, a show generously brought to you by VoxTek.”

Suddenly, a hand came up from behind Elijah, taking the remote away from his hand.

“Hey,” Elijah said.

“Apologies, but you are far too young for this kind of program on this.. “television” here,” Alastor said, before he pushed a button on the remote, changing the channel on the TV. Despite his unchanging grin, he looked visibly annoyed.

“Yeah, the language and vulgarity is too adult-y for you, kid,” Husk said.

Elijah sighs. “That's fair.”

“Hey, uh, has anyone seen my vast collection of weapons?” Sir Pentious asked as he slithered downstairs.

“You have weapons?” Elijah asked, all excited. “I wanna shoot something!”

“No one’s shooting anything,” Vaggie spoke as she entered the lobby. “And, I stowed all the weapons away.”

“But why? I need them,” Sir Pentious said.

“Yeah. You never know when you need to shoot out at something that tries to attack us!” Elijah said.

“Listen. There are no weapons allowed in this hotel. We don't even need to worry about anything “attacking” us, okay?” Vaggie said. “If anything does happen, I’ll take care of it.”

Vaggie pulls out her spear, holding it and showing it off to them.

“Ooh, cool sharp pole-thingy! I wanna hold it! Can I hold it, can I hold it, please????” Elijah begged as he shifted towards Vaggie, who put her hand on his head to keep him from moving any closer to her.

“It’s a spear. And no, you cannot hold it. It’s way too dangerous for someone your age to handle,” Vaggie said.

“Awwh!” Elijah pouted.

“My, my. I guess no one taught the lad about how bad violence is,” Alastor mocked.

“Well, we’ll work on that, okay?” Vaggie said, putting her spear away.

“I never get to have fun here, it’s not fair!” Elijah whined.

“You sound like Angel when we take away his-... Nevermind,” Vaggie said.

“You mean his drugs?” Husk asked.

“Husk, there’s a child here,” Vaggie said.

“What are drugs?” Elijah asked.

“That’s… something not to be discussed with someone your age, yet,” Charlie said.

“Let's just… find something to do,” Vaggie said. Suddenly, a water balloon hits Vaggie's face, soaking her.

“Haha! Gotcha!” Elijah said. Vaggie wipes some water off of her face, a look of annoyance in her face.

“Where did you even get those?” Vaggie asked, Elijah playfully shrugging his shoulders in response.

“I… may have an idea for something to do,” Charlie said.

The next minute, Charlie was holding a yellow and red box with rainbow confetti designs. There was writing on it saying “Fun Wars.”

“”Fun Wars.” It's a fun board game where you compete to conquer other players’ territories. The one with the most territories wins,” Charlie said.

“Well, doesn't that sound so familiar,” Alastor said.

“Well, that or you have to get a hundred points to win,” Charlie said.

“Great. This'll be better than violence, weapons, and throwing water balloons,” Vaggie said, glancing her eye towards Elijah.

“It's a four to six-player game, so.. Who wants to play?” Charlie asked.

“I'll play,” Vaggie said.

“Me too,” Elijah said. “Mostly because I'm bored.”

“I guess I can partake in this board camaraderie,” Sir Pentious said.

“I guess.. Why not?” Husk said before he walks from behind the bar counter and approaches the others in the parlor.

“Hm… Why not?” Alastor said.

“Great. Oh, uh, where’s Niffty?” Charlie asked.

“Probably tending to upstairs,” Alastor replied.

In reality, Niffty was busy cleaning and also trying to hunt and kill any bugs around the upstairs portion of the hotel.

“Okay, now I’mma get this open and set up,” Charlie announced. She pulls the lid off of the box and suddenly, everything just popped and flew out of the box, surprising everyone.

The mat lands itself on the floor all set and laid out. The cards fall and land on the part of the mat that says “cards,” stacking themselves. And finally, the six pieces land in a pile on the mat.

The room was silent as everyone looked at the already set game, astonished at how it sat itself up immediately after Charlie opened the box.

“I, uh, forgot it can do that,” Charlie said with a small chuckle.

Within seconds, everyone sat around the board on the floor.

“There are six main territories, which each player will be in charge of. Then, there are about twelve more territories that are unclaimed, in which the player who owns a main territory will play to claim and take over, extending their rule,” Charlie said.

“So… what are the six main territories?” Elijah asked.

“There's the Circus, which is the one I’ll be in charge of. There's also the Candyland-” Charlie was interrupted by Elijah.

“Dibs on Candyland! Candyland's mine!” Elijah said.

“There's the Space Zone, the Pirate Cove, the Water Spot, and the Enchanted Forest,” Charlie said, pointing to each named zone on the board.

“I'll gladly take the Enchanted Forest. It simply reminds me much of the bayou in Louisiana,” Alastor said.

“I'll take the Pirate Cove,” Vaggie said.

“Hm.. Space Zone it is, then,” Sir Pentious said.

“Okay, that leaves the Water Spot to you, Husk,” Charlie said.

“The irony, huh?” Husk said, sarcastically.

“Oh yeah, ‘cause you're a cat and some cats hate getting wet,” Elijah said with a chuckle. Husk grumbled a little.

“Okay, now the pieces.. I have the horse piece. Alastor, you have the fairy piece. Vaggie, you have the treasure chest piece. Sir Pentious, you have the rocket ship piece. Husk, you have the fish piece. And Elijah, you have the gingerbread man piece,” Charlie said as she passed out the pieces; the horse to herself, the fairy to Alastor, the fish to Husk, the rocket ship to Sir Pentious, the treasure chest to Vaggie, and the gingerbread man to Elijah. She also passes out the mini flag pieces; red for her, yellow for Vaggie, green for Alastor, blue for Husk, black for Sir Pentious, and pink for Elijah. “Oh, and just one more thing..”

Charlie stands up and walks away. A few minutes later, she came back, holding a crown made of gold paper and decorated with fake gems. 

“While you all are winners, whoever wins with the most territories or with a hundred points gets to wear this,” Charlie said, holding the paper crown up on display. 

“Ooh,” Elijah said in awe. 

“Yeah, I don't really feel like wearing that on my head,” Husk said. 

“Your loss, grandpa,” Elijah said. 

“Should I.. Grab out some snacks and drinks?” Vaggie suggested. 

“Yeah! I need that energy when I take all you out!” Elijah enthusiastically said. 

“‘Kay, I'll go grab ‘em,” Vaggie said before she stood up and walked to the kitchen. 

Moments later, there were snacks and drinks around the mat for everyone to access. 

“Okay, I'll go first and then we go clockwise. How's that sound?” Charlie asked. 

“Sounds good,” Vaggie said. 

“Okay..” Charlie said before she blew an exhale. She picks up the two dice with her hand, shakes her hand up and down, and opens her hand, releasing the dice. 

The two dice roll and tumble along the mat. They eventually stop, landing on their number together. One of the dice lands on one and the other lands on six. 

“Seven,” Charlie said. She picks up her piece and then she moves it seven steps, which the piece landed on a spot that says “ten points.” 

“Okay, I got ten points,” Charlie said as she picked up a small board with each player's name and she wrote the number “ten” under her name. “Okay, Sir Pentious, your turn.”

Sir Pentious picks up the dice, shakes his hand, and releases. The dice rolled along the mat and stopped. One said “two” and the other said “three.”

“Okay, five,” Sir Pentious said as he moved his piece five steps, landing on a spot that says “play a card.” Sir Pentious draws a card from the stack. The card says “move two steps ahead.”

“Yess!” Sir Pentious said with a hiss at the “s.” He moves his piece two steps ahead. 

“That was just lucky,” Elijah said with a pout. “Okay, my turn.”

Elijah picks up the dice with both hands, shakes his hands, and releases. Both the dice read “four,” which makes it eight.

“Yes!” Elijah said as he moved his piece eight steps. His piece lands on a spot that had a piece of empty territory. “Awesome! I got a land!”

“Actually, in order to gain an empty territory, you have to roll an even number. It says so on the spot,” Charlie said as she pointed at the spot. Elijah looks annoyed. 

“Oookayy…” Elijah sighed as he picked up the dice and rolled again. “Papa needs a new land.”

Elijah releases the dice and they land on the mat. One said “five” and the other said “three.”

“Okay, you got an eight. That means you own that territory now,” Charlie said. 

“Yes!” Elijah said. He picks up one of his pink mini flag pieces and puts it on the territory on the mat. 

“Oh, and also you win fifteen points when you gain an empty territory. Thirty if you conquer another player's main territory, and ten if you conquer an empty territory that another player owns,” Charlie said. 

“Awesome! Hear that everyone? I'm coming for all of you! I'm gonna be the king!” Elijah excitedly said. 

“Alright, alright, just give me the dice already,” Husk said. Elijah gives him the dice and then Husk shakes his hand and releases the dice. 

The dice tumble on the mat until they stop. One said “four” and the other said “two.” Husk moves his piece six steps and then it landed on a spot that says “lose a turn.”

“Of course,” Husk said. 

“Better luck next go?” Charlie said. “Okay, Vaggie?”

Vaggie picks up the dice, shakes her hand, and releases the dice. The dice tumble and land on the mat. One said “six” and the other said “five.” 

“Eleven,” Vaggie said as she moved her piece eleven spots. She lands on an empty territory. 

“Okay, roll an even number, Vaggie,” Charlie said. 

Vaggie shakes the dice in her hand again and releases them. They both land on one, making it two. Afterwards, Vaggie puts her mini flag piece on the territory on the mat. 

“Capital effort, my dear,” Alastor said. He picks up the dice and he just tossed them on the mat, not even bothering to shake them in his hand. The dice tumble and stop, one saying four and the other saying five. Alastor moves his piece nine steps on the mat until he lands on a spot that says “charade.”

“Oh, sometimes you'll get a charade card where you play one round of charades. The other players have to guess what you're “charading” as. The player who guesses right will get two points. If none of them can't guess, you get the two,” Charlie said. 

“That'll be no such problem for the likes of me,” Alastor said before he stood up and walked a few steps away from them and the mat. He intertwined his fingers, stretched his arms out, and cracked his knuckles with his hands facing outwards. He stands up straight and holds his arms up and his hands out and a finger from both his hands pointed up. 

“Uhm… A rabbit?” Sir Pentious guessed. Alastor nods “no.”

“A gorilla?” Elijah guessed. Alastor nods “no” again. 

“A cat?” Vaggie guessed. Alastor nods “no” again. 

“Hm.. A bull?” Elijah guessed again. Alastor nods “yes” and he has an impressed look on his face. 

“Okay, you got two points,” Charlie said, writing seventeen points under Elijah's name on the white board. 

“Neat!” Elijah said. “I'm ahead of you all!”

“Elijah, be a good sport, okay? This is only about fun. It's not about winning,” Vaggie said. 

Elijah sighs and sits down. “Okay..”

Alastor walks back over to them and sits down. 

“Okay, my turn again,” Charlie said before she picks up the dice, shakes her hand, and releases the dice. The dice tumble and land on the mat. They both say “three,” making it six. Charlie moves her piece on the mat six times, landing on a spot that says “five points.” “Okay, I got five more points, making me tied with Elijah.”

Charlie writes down fifteen under her name on the white board. 

“Okay, my turn again,” Sir Pentious said before he picked up the dice. He shakes his hand and releases the dice upon the mat, which both say “five,” making it ten. Sir Pentious moves his piece on the mat ten times until he lands on a spot with an empty territory. He picks up the dice again, shakes his hand, and releases them. One lands on six and the other lands on two. “Yes, eight! I got new territory to conquer!”

Sir Pentious puts one of his mini flag pieces on the territory he just claimed. 

“Okay.. That's fifteen for you, Pentious. You, me, and Elijah are in a three-way tie,” Charlie said.

“I got my eye on you, Pent,” Elijah said. 

“Well, I, too, have every eye on you, child,” Sir Pentious said. 

“Okay, where were we?” Elijah asked. 

A few hours pass. The six played the game during that duration. The dice were rolled, territories were claimed and/or fought over through whoever rolls a higher number, points were earned, and snacks and drinks had been consumed. 

Charlie, Husk, and Vaggie were out of the game after having lost their main territories and their claimed territory spots. Charlie lost her Circus to Alastor, Husk lost his Water Spot to Elijah, and Vaggie lost her Pirate Cove to Elijah. 

Sir Pentious, Alastor, and Elijah were still in the game. 

“I honestly didn't think those three would still be standing,” Husk said. 

“Well, they're spirited and ambitious,” Charlie said. 

Angel Dust comes back. He opens the door and steps inside. He stretches out his arms and his back. 

“Ugh, woof. What a hellish day.. So, uh, what you suckbois doing?” Angel Dust asked.

“We're playing “Fun Wars,”” Elijah responded. 

“Oh. Well, looks like you all are having fun. You gotta include me sometime,” Angel Dust said. Then, he walks over to the bar. He grabs a green bottle and opens the cap. “Anyway, if y'all need me, I'mma be upstairs scrolling on my phone and what not.”

Angel Dust drinks from the bottle before he walks off and he walks up the stairs. 

They watched him walk upstairs before directing their attention to one another. The three out players watching the three remaining players and the three remaining players watching eachother. 

“I believe you're up,” Alastor said, looking at Sir Pentious. 

Sir Pentious picks up the dice, shakes his hands, releases the dice, and the dice tumble on the mat. They both land on six, which makes twelve. He moves his piece twelve times and he lands on a spot saying “play a card.” He picks up the card and it reads “move three spaces ahead.” He moves his piece three spaces ahead until he lands on a spot that says “minus five points.”

“And that's, ehm… Forty points for Pentious…,” Charlie said, updating the number of Sir Pentious’ points changing it from a forty-five to a forty. Sir Pentious frowns. 

Elijah picks up the dice, shakes his hands, and releases the dice. One lands on six and the other lands on five. Elijah moves his piece eleven times until it lands directly on the Enchanted Forest, the main territory owned by Alastor and the one he started with. 

“Just a quick note. You're still in the game if you lose only one of the main territories you own,” Charlie said. 

“Well now, looks like you'll have to battle me for the forest, lad,” Alastor mocked.

“Okay. Highest number wins,” Elijah said. He holds one of the dice and Alastor holds the other. They both shake their hands and release the dice. Alastor's dice lands on three and Elijah’s dice lands on five. 

“Yes!” Elijah said. 

“Hm, not bad for a child,” Alastor complimented. 

Elijah tips over Alastor's mini flag piece and puts one of his on the Enchanted Forest. 

“Wow, Elijah has four main territories and… Eighty-eight points,” Charlie said, updating Elijah’s score on the white board. 

“Okay, my go,” Sir Pentious said as he picked up the dice, shook his hand, and released the dice onto the mat. One landed on one and the other landed on three. Sir Pentious moves his piece four times until he lands on a spot that says “play a card.” He picks up a card and the card reads “challenge a player for their territory.”

“Hm… How about it, Alastor?” Sir Pentious asked.

“Hm, very well,” Alastor said as he shrugged as he kept his smug look.

Both Alastor and Sir Pentious pick up one dice each. They both shake their hands and release the dice. Alastor’s dice landed on four while Sir Pentious’ landed on six. Alastor looked unfazed and nonchalant.

“Yes! Yes, I finally beat the great Alastor!” Sir Pentious cheered.

“Ah, well played, my good man,” Alastor said, sarcastic and mocking. Sir Pentious had a confident yet ego-fueled smile on his face.

“Looks like it's just you and me, child,” Sir Pentious taunted.

“Bring it,” Elijah said as he picked up the dice, shook his hand, and released them. The dice land on the mat. One landed on six and the other landed on two. Elijah moves his piece on the mat eight times until it lands on a spot that says “play a card.” He picks up a card that reads “charade.” Elijah stands up and walks a few inches away from the mat. He crouches down, places his palms on the floor, and sits in a frog position.

“Hm… A frog?” Sir Pentious guessed.

“Dang, you're good,” Elijah said as he sat back down.

Charlie updates Sir Pentious’ score to forty-two on the white board.

Sir Pentious picks up the dice, shakes his hand, and releases the dice. The dice tumble on the mat before landing on their numbers. One lands on two and the other lands on three. Sir Pentious moves his piece across the board five times before landing on a spot saying “lose a turn.”

“Damn it,” Sir Pentious said.

Elijah grabs the dice with both hands, shakes his hands, and releases the dice. The dice both land on four, making it eight. Elijah moves his game piece along the board eight times before he lands on a spot that says “eight points.” 

Charlie updates Elijah's score to ninety-six points. “Wow, Elijah. You're so close to winning!”

“‘Cause I'm awesome like that,” Elijah said.

“Remember, good sportsmanship,” Vaggie said.

“Fiiinnneee…” Elijah sighed. 

Since Sir Pentious lost a turn, Elijah gets to go again. He picks up the dice, shakes his hand, and releases the dice. One dice lands on four and the second dice lands on five. Elijah moves his game piece nine times until he lands on a spot that says “play a card.” He picks up a card and the card reads “challenge a player for their territory.”

“Hm.. Pentious, I challenge you for your Space Zone territory,” Elijah said.

"Very well, then,” Sir Pentious said.

Sir Pentious and Elijah pick up a dice each, shake their hands, and release the dice. Elijah's dice lands on four and Sir Pentious’ lands on one.

“Hm..” Sir Pentious said.

Elijah hums a tune as he takes down Sir Pentious’ mini flag piece from the Space Zone territory on the board and places one of his mini flag pieces on it.

“Must you hum when you do that?” Sir Pentious asked.

“Yep,” Elijah said, smug.

Sir Pentious sighs before he picks up the dice, shakes his hand, and releases the dice onto the board. They both land on three, making it six. He moves his game piece on the board six times, landing on an empty spot. “Your move.”

Elijah picks up the dice, shakes his hand, and releases the dice. Both dice land on five, making it ten. He moves his game piece on the board ten times, landing on a piece of territory claimed by Sir Pentious.

Sir Pentious and Elijah grab a dice each, shake their hands, and release the dice. Elijah's dice lands on five and Sir Pentious’ dice lands on six.

“Better luck next time,” Sir Pentious said. He picks up both dice, shakes his hand, and releases the dice onto the mat. One of them lands on one and the other lands on two. He moves his piece on the board three times until it lands on a spot that says “five points.”

Charlie updates Sir Pentious' score to forty-seven.

“Charlie, why don't you just wrap this up? It's already clear who's gonna win,” Husk said.

“Come on, let them keep playing. They're having fun, aren't they?” Charlie replied.

Elijah picks up the dice, shakes his hand, and releases the dice. One lands on four and the other lands on five. Elijah moves his piece on the board nine times until he lands on a spot that says…

“Five points!” Elijah exclaimed. “FIVE POINTS! FIVE POINTS! I WIN I WIN I WIN I WIN I WIN!!”

“You were saying?” Husk said to Charlie.

“Well then,” Charlie said as she stood. She approaches Elijah. “Since you won fair and square, you get to wear this.”

Charlie slides the gold paper crown onto Elijah's head.

“Haha! I win, fools! I am the king! Haha!” Elijah gloats as he jumps up.

“Should we calm him down?” Vaggie asked.

“Eh, let him have his moment. He'll run out of energy soon,” Husk said

Then, the door opens and Anastasia steps inside.

“I'm back, guys,” Anastasia said. Then, she noticed the board game and the pieces and snacks laid out and the fact that Elijah was wearing a crown. “What's going on?”

“We decided to play a board game,” Vaggie replied.

“And I won! I am the king of Fun Wars! And I'm wearing my crown!” Elijah gloats.

“Well, at least y'all had some fun,” Anastasia said.

“Don't worry, Anna. We'll include you next time. Maybe on a day off?” Charlie asked.

“Hm.. Yeah,” Anastasia said.

“Time for some celebratory ice cream!” Elijah said as he rushed into the kitchen. “Whoo-hoo-hoo!”

“No, no! Not before supper!” Vaggie said as she got up and rushed after him. “Get back here!”

Chapter Text

A week had flown by, marking approximately the twentieth day of Anastasia’s stay in Hell. Well, at least, to her she thinks it's been twenty days. To be honest, it can be hard to keep track of days. 

The door swung open and there were a few packages at the door, two small and one big, written with the postal service's logo and title “Helluva Post.”

“Anastasia, your stuff is here,” Angel Dust, the one who opened the door, called out. 

“Already? Cool,” Anastasia said as she walked out of the kitchen and approached Angel Dust and the packages at the door. 

Today, Anastasia wore a black mid-sleeve ruffle turtleneck shirt, blue overalls, and black slip-on shoes.

“What's at the door?” Elijah asked, speed-walking over to them.

“Some things I asked Angel to order online for me. It's stuff to decorate my room with,” Anastasia said. 

“Really? Like what?” Elijah asked.

“I’ll show you. Hey Angel, help me carry these up?” Anastasia asked.

“Sure,” Angel Dust replied with a thumbs up.

After minutes of carrying and walking, they were upstairs and in front of Anastasia's room door.

“So, you wanna decorate the door first, or do you wanna just do your room before the door?” Angel Dust asked.

“I'll save the easiest for last,” Anastasia replied. She raises her hand towards the doorknob, rests her palm on the bronze surface of the knob, turns it, and pushes the door open, revealing the inside of her room. Angel Dust and Elijah look in her room.

“Hope you're ready to do all the hard work. It took me time to decorate mine to my liking,” Angel Dust said.

“I could just take care of it,” Alastor said, popping up out of nowhere and surprising the three, making them jump and yelp.

“God, Smiles, you can't keep doing that,” Angel Dust said.

“Thanks Al, but I can do it myself,” Anastasia said.

“Hm.. Very well,” Alastor said before he walked away from the three.

Anastasia and Angel Dust lift their fair share of the boxes as they walk inside of the room. 

“So, what are you starting with?” Angel Dust asked. 

“My bed,” Anastasia replied as she put the boxes she was carrying down on the floor. “You have a box cutter, or a knife in general?”

“Yeah, this one,” Angel Dust said, reaching into one of his pockets with one of his extra arms. He pulls out a small pocket knife and he hands it to Anastasia. 

“Thanks,” Anastasia said as she held onto Angel Dust's pocket knife. Before she could use it, she notices its strange design. The handle was coated with hot pink fur. “Why is the handle covered in pink fur?”

“It was another gift from my boss,” Angel Dust replied as he looked to the side. 

“Ah,” Anastasia said. She presses the silver button on the handle and the blade flips out of the gap of the handle. She presses the blade against the tape, piercing through the smooth, papery material and sliding along the line in the middle, tearing through the barrier between the cardboard flaps. Shortly after the tape was destroyed, she flew the flaps open, exposing the contents of the box. The box contained new bedding; pillow cases, sheets, and blankets. Anastasia pulls out the blanket, revealing them to Angel Dust. 

The blanket was a dark blue color with small white flowers decorated on the fabric.

“Huh. Matches your eye color. Not bad,” Angel Dust said. 

“Ya wanna help me strip my bed?” Anastasia asked. 

“Sure. Six hands are better than two. Or eight, if you prefer,” Angel Dust said before two more arms appeared on his body, making a total of six arms on him.

“Six is fine,” Anastasia said. 

“Noted,” Angel Dust said as the fifth and sixth arm retracted back into his body.

Anastasia and Angel Dust walk over to the bed. Anastasia picks up one of the pillows and she pulls off one of the covers and repeats with the next pillow while Angel Dust pulls off the blankets and sheets from the bed

After everything was pulled off, the bed was left naked and without sheets and covers clothing its body.

Anastasia pulls out the sheets, covers, and pillow cases out of the box. She pulls out the black-colored mattress sheets.

“Black sheets? Oh, it must be for-” Angel Dust was ready to make a joke until Anastasia stopped him.

“Don't,” Anastasia said, a stern look in her eyes.

“Okay, sorry,” Angel Dust said.

Anastasia sighs. “Just grab an end and get it on the mattress.”

With that instruction, Anastasia and Angel Dust both held a side of the sheet and they draped it over the mattress's body, covering it up as they tuck the sheet in under the mattress.

“Okay, that takes care of that. Let’s move on to the blankets and pillows,” Anastasia said as she pulled out the blanket and pillow cases from the box.

Anastasia and Angel Dust took separate jobs; Angel with the blankets and Anastasia with the pillows. After several minutes, the bed was completed.

“Not bad,” Angel Dust said.

Anastasia opens another box and she pulls out some white strings. But, these strings have small glass buds on them. They were fairy lights.

“Fairy lights?” Angel Dust said, looking at the fairy lights. “I decorated my room with them too.”

Anastasia walks over to the wall.

“You got some adhesive wall hooks?” Anastasia asked.

“Yeah,” Angel Dust said, tossing Anastasia a small glass container of adhesive wall hooks. Anastasia catches it with her hand.

“Thanks, you're a lifesaver,” Anastasia said. She twists the lid off of the container and lays it on the dresser next to her. She walks over to the closet and picks up a stool and walks back to the wall.

“Where did you get a stool?” Angel Dust asked.

“Vaggie lent it to me,” Anastasia replied as she put the stool down on the floor and she picked up the container, opened the lid, and pulled out an adhesive hook.

She pulls the back off of the hook, sticks it on the wall, and she drapes the wire of the fairy lights on the hook. She repeats the same process until the walls are decorated in the lights, the very top of the wall and to the ceiling. She gets down from the stool and she holds the fairy light plug in her hand, crouched down, and she inserts the plug into the outlet in the wall. She stands back up and she grabs onto white rectangle-shaped port attached to the wires, pressing her thumb on the black switch, thus turning the lights on.

The glass buds on the strings beamed and exploded with light, illuminating the edges of the room in a soft warm white glow, a glow that was gentle to the eyes. That glow reflected within Anastasia and Angel Dust’s eyes, illuminating their pupils.

“Damn, talk about aesthetics,” Angel Dust complimented.

“I always wanted to decorate my room back home with fairy lights, but, y'know, it would skyrocket the electricity bill,” Anastasia said.

“‘Cause you said money was tight. Yeah, that's a bum. I mean, I know the saying “more money, more problems,” which in most cases is true, but at the same time, having money and not being able to at least spend some on something cool is just… No fun,” Angel Dust said.

“I guess that is true, especially when you want to try and save money,” Anastasia said. “But of course, you can't have the mindset where it feels like you gotta have fun when you got money. It’s just not something good to live by.”

“Heh. I wish it were that easy to stop living by it when it’s a mindset you've gotten used to for so long,” Angel Dust said, looking to the side.

There was silence between them for a little while.

“You wanna go ahead and decorate the door?” Angel Dust asks.

“Sure,” Anastasia said.

Anastasia and Angel Dust walk over towards the door. Anastasia was carrying one of the small boxes, more specifically the only one that wasn't opened.

“So, what's in there?” Angel Dust asked.

“Just some door stickers and-” Anastasia was speaking until Elijah bursted in.

“Whatcha guys doin??” Elijah asked.

“Just sprucing up my room. We were just about to do the door,” Anastasia replied.

“When do I get to do that to mine?” Elijah asked.

“Don't worry. I'll get you some stuff later,” Anastasia reassured.

Anastasia, Angel Dust, and Elijah approach the open door. Anastasia opens the box, revealing the stickers. There were letters, small pictures and shapes, and a sticker that said “Knock Before Entering!”

Anastasia takes out the stickers from the box, peeling them off of their sheets and sticking them onto the door, the part of the door that faces the hallway, where a passerby can see it. Within minutes, the door was covered in stickers; five-pointed stars, glitter diamond-pointed stars, shapes, letters spelling “Anastasia Winfield,” and the “Knock Before Entering!” sticker under Anastasia’s name. She also hung a small string of fairy lights at the top of the door, illuminating the door with that soft warm white glow like the ones inside of the room.

“Well, your room’s looking better,” Angel Dust said.

“Yeah, it kinda does,” Anastasia said.

“Though I feel like the walls could look better with pics,” Angel Dust said.

“I didn't even think of that,” Anastasia said.

“Eh, I'm just spitballing. Nevermind,” Angel Dust said.

“Nah, I think some photos won't hurt,” Anastasia said.

“Okay, that's your choice,” Angel Dust said with a shrug.

“Hey guys- Woah. Anna, your room looks nice,” Charlie said when she approached the three. 

“Thanks, Charlie. Angel helped me out with some of it,” Anastasia said. 

“It still looks nice,” Charlie said. “Also, I like the “Knock Before Entering!” sticker. It's a.. good way of letting people know to respect your privacy.”

“Yep, it sure is,” Anastasia said. 

“I'm gonna decorate mine next!” Elijah announced. 

“Oh, taking inspiration from your sister, I see,” Charlie said. 

“We still need to buy the things first, Eli,” Anastasia said. 

“Well, buy them faster!” Elijah begged and demanded. 

Anastasia flicks Elijah's forehead.

“Ow, hey..” Elijah said, putting his hands on his forehead where Anastasia flicked him. He pouts. 

“Heheh..” Anastasia chuckled. 

Chapter Text

The time of sleep has awoken. Everybody had gone into their rooms and gone to sleep, drifting in the ocean of dreams, or nightmares, maybe.

Anastasia was inside her room, coated in the fabric of her covers and lying her head upon the cushiony surface of her pillow. Her eyes were shut, covered by the skin of her eyelids until she saw darkness. She was cozy, floating upon the sea of sleep…

“Hey.. Hey,” a voice whispered. A finger presses against Anastasia's cheek, poking and prodding against her skin as her inner cheek pressed against her teeth. 

Anastasia's eyes shut tightly until they peel open, revealing her sapphire blue eyes in the dim darkness of her room. Her vision was clouded and blurred until it cleared up and adjusted. Her eyes looked at the person who had woken her up. It was none other than Angel Dust.

“Hey Anna, what's up?” Angel Dust asked.

“I was sleeping..” Anastasia said, propping herself up with her elbow. Her hair was frizzy and fluffy, a classic morning hair style even though it was a lot earlier until morning. Her eyes were struggling to keep open.

“Cool, cool. Anyway, get up. We’re heading out,” Angel Dust said.

“What?” Anastasia asked, confused.

“Cherri told me about this concert happening tonight. Are you in?” Angel Dust asked.

“This late?” Anastasia asked.

“Hell yeah,” Angel Dust said. 

“I don't know if that's a good idea. Won't the others find out?” Anastasia asked.

“Psh, I've snuck out many times before and none of them ever caught on,” Angel Dust said.

“Ehm…” Anastasia said.

“Aw, c'mon. Pweeeaassee??” Angel Dust pleaded. He got on his knees, his hands on the edge of the side of the mattress and his chin resting upon the edge. His eyes were wide and huge, full of pleading and begging. His pupils were huge, dilated. Dots of light shone over his eyes. He was like a pleading pup, begging to be fed a treat. Anastasia cringed, trying to resist the tempting pressure of Angel Dust’s puppy eyes.

“Ugh, okay fine.. Just stop with the puppy eyes, please,” Anastasia said.

“Alright, awesome. Go ahead and get ready. I’ll wait outside the door,” Angel Dust said, immediately shifting from his puppy eyes to his normal eyes. He stood out of the room and shut the door, patiently waiting for Anastasia to come out.

After a few minutes, Anastasia stood out of the room, wearing her tracksuit.

“That's what you're wearing?” Angel Dust asked.

“Hey, I've never gone to a concert before. So, I don't know what people wear to them,” Anastasia responded.

“Wait, so you've never been to one? Not even snuck out to one? Not once on Earth?” Angel Dust asked.

“No,” Anastasia said, looking at the floor to the side.

“Well then, you're gonna love your first one,” Angel Dust said, an eager grin on his face as he soft punch-nudged Anastasia's shoulder. “Especially down here.”

“I still don't know about this..” Anastasia said, her hand on the shoulder that Angel Dust punch-nudged.

“Ugh, stop worrying. We'll be back before morning. Now, c'mon. Let's just go,” Angel Dust said, grabbing Anastasia's hand as the two walked down the hall. Anastasia pulls her tracksuits hood up over her head.

“What is with this place and the hand-pulling?” Anastasia asked herself silently.

The two walked through the halls and into the main area, standing at the top of the stairs.

“Okay, I think the coast is-” Angel Dust was suddenly shushed by Anastasia's finger. She points at the bar downstairs, where Husk was lying his head on the counter, sleeping and a bubble of snot emerging from his nose.

“Fuck,” Angel Dust whispered. He looked at Anastasia, moved a finger over his lips in a “shh” manner, pointed at the doors, and then he gestured his hand forward, moving his index and middle finger in a walking motion, or a tip-toe motion.

Anastasia and Angel Dust tip-toe, foot by foot, step by step, stair by stair, down the staircase. They tried to take light steps each time in order to keep the stairs from releasing even a single creak.

Once they took the final step down the stairs, they were startled by a noise. The sound of grumbling, snoring, and snorting. It was Husk moving around in his sleep at the bar.

Angel Dust points his thumb at the doors three times. 

Angel Dust and Anastasia toe-toe across the floor before they were stalled by the same noise from Husk.

“Ugh.. Angel.. You better stop that shit… And don't even think about stealin..” Husk mumbled in his sleep until his head fell on the counter again, returning to his snoring and snorting.

Angel Dust and Anastasia immediately speed tip-toe to the doors. Angel Dust pulled the door open and the two immediately went through the door and shut it closed.

“‘Kay, we did it. Let's jam,” Angel Dust said before he and Anastasia immediately rushed down the hill. 

The scene changes from the hotel to… the Entertainment District. There was a crowd gathered in front of a nightclub. 

Angel Dust and Anastasia had entered the club, entering the dark scene, full of flashing, colored lights and a mob scene of demons, especially Sinners.

“Okay, now where’s..?” Angel Dust said, his hand over his forehead as he looked through the dark scene of the nightclub.

“Angie, over here!!” Cherri Bomb called out, waving her hand up to catch the two’s attention. Angel Dust and Anastasia immediately walked over to her. “I'm glad ya made it, bitch. Oh, and you brought her along too? Sweet.”

“She wanted to stay behind because she was scared of getting caught for sneaking out- Ow,” Angel Dust said, interrupted by Anastasia punching him in the shoulder.

“Heh. First time sneaking out?” Cherri Bomb asked.

“And first time at a concert,” Anastasia admitted.

“That explains what you're wearing. Eh, not to worry. I can take you out to buy some real outing threads,” Cherri Bomb said.

“So, anyway… What's the band?” Anastasia asked.

“They're called the Isolated Riot. They're “natives.” Pretty cool, right?” Cherri Bomb said.

“Ah,” Anastasia said.

The lights shut off. The stage lights come on, revealing the band on-stage. It was a band of five demons. The lead singer was a tall muscular male demon with bright pink skin, long vibrant purple hair with pink roots, black horns and wings, a pink tail with a heart-shaped tip, yellow sclera, pink irises, black pupils, black eyeshadow, and he wore a white sleeveless turtleneck crop top, black leather pants, black boots, silver eyebrow piercings, and black fingerless gloves. The first guitarist was a tall male demon with red skin, black and white stripe horns, short white hair, yellow sclera, black pupils, a red tail with an arrow-shaped tip, white markings on his body, and he wore a black tank top, blue jeans, black choker, and black boots. The second guitarist was a tall, slender female demon with pink skin, short blonde hair, yellow sclera, black pupils, pink horns, a pink tail with an arrow-shaped tip, black wings, and she wore a red hoodie crop top that was unzipped to reveal a black crop top, denim skirt, and black heels. The back-up singer was a female demon with pink skin, long flowing red hair, yellow sclera, pink pupils, black horns and wings, a pink tail with arrow-shaped tip, and she wore a green leather vest, white shorts, black fishnet leggings, and black boots. The drummer was a middle-height male demon with light red skin, short black hair, black and white stripes, a red tail with a heart-shaped tip, and he wore a black tank top, blue denim shorts, and black thigh-high boots. 

The chords of an electric guitar echoed from the speakers. 

“My dear Rioters. I have just one question for you all… Are you ready to rock, riot, and roll?” the lead singer at the front of the stage asked, a hand raised up. 

The crowd cheered and held their arms up in unison.

“In three… two… one…” 

Rock music echoes. The chords from guitar strings, the beating thumps from drums, both in unison, echoing in the club from speaker to wall, back and forth in the entire place. The cheers of demons filled the room too. 

“Woo, yeah! That is the bomb!” Cherries Bomb exclaimed. “And that came from me.”

“Yeah, I know,” Angel Dust said with a chuckle. 

“Hey, I'm gonna go get us some drinks. Be right back,” Cherri Bomb said as she walked past the two. 

“Alright,” Angel Dust. 

Anastasia looked up at the stage and then around her, viewing all the excitement, clamour, dancing, and cheering from every demon in the entire club. She wasn't used to this kind of scene. All the excitement, adrenaline, loud music, just about everything here she wasn't used to. She felt out of place with all these partygoers. 

“I shouldn't have come here.. I probably should've just stayed behind,” Anastasia thought to herself. 

“Hey, I'm back. Got some booze,” Cherri Bomb said, holding some brown bottles in her arms. She tosses two bottles, one to Angel Dust and the other to Anastasia, much to Anastasia's hesitation when she holds the bottle in her hands. 

“Hey, uh, you don't think that you could’ve gotten me some water or something that isn't alcoholic?” Anastasia asked. 

“What? Never had your first shot of beer?” Cherri Bomb asked. 

“Yeah,” Anastasia said, surprising Cherri Bomb. 

“Wow. I didn't realize you were a lot lamer than the last time we met,” Cherri Bomb said, opening the cap of her bottle and pointing the tip at Anastasia. 

“Watch it..” Anastasia warned, pointing a finger at Cherri Bomb with a stern look on her face. 

“There it is,” Cherri Bomb said, teasing Anastasia. 

“Cherri, leave her alone. She just ain't done any of this before,” Angel Dust said, defending Anastasia. “Hey Anna, you ain't really gotta, ya know-”

“No, I'm gonna. One bottle isn't going to hurt me,” Anastasia said, taking the cap off of the bottle. 

“Woah wait, for real?” Angel Dust asked, surprised. 

“Yeah, that's the spirit,” Cherri Bomb encouraged. 

“Hang on, Anna-” Angel Dust tried to reason with Anastasia and get her to think twice, but.. 

Anastasia got the cap off of the bottle and she wrapped her lips around the tip of the bottle, tilting up her head a little and the contents of the bottle flowed into her mouth. In fact, Anastasia just chugged the whole thing without hesitation. Shortly after, she tilted her head back down and removed the bottle from her lips. 

“Bleh,” Anastasia said, her tongue out. Her taste buds had booze taste on them, which tasted gross, especially for a first-time beer-drinker. 

“Jesus, Anna,” Angel Dust said, a hint of concern on his face. 

“What?” Anastasia asked. 

“Bitch, you just chugged that whole thing. That was awesome,” Cherri Bomb said, praising Anastasia. Angel Dust looked at Cherri Bomb disapprovingly. 

“Well, I hope you enjoyed it, ‘cause I sure as Hell ain't doing that again,” Anastasia said, dropping the bottle, letting it bounce in one place until it landed completely still on the floor. 

“Awwh..,” Cherri Bomb awed in disappointment. 

“You, uh.. You feeling good?” Angel Dust asked. 

“I'm fine. Maybe a little tipsy, but mostly not tipsy,” Anastasia replied. 

“You need me to get you some water?” Angel Dust asked. 

“Nah, I can get it myself,” Anastasia replied before she turned around and walked away. 

Angel Dust looked concerned over Anastasia’s current state. 

Anastasia walked through the crowd, occasionally bumping into a few demons. 

“Watch it,” one said. 

“Fuck off, bitch,” another said. 

Eventually, Anastasia bumped into someone again. Only this time, she was distracted by a demon she bumped into before bumping into this next person. 

The person turned around, revealing himself. He was wearing a red coat, sangria red pants, black boots, black fingerless gloves, and a red hood over his head. His hood had a pair of dark red horns. His hood covered most of his face, but a pair of eyes were visible enough to see. These eyes had white irises, black pupils, and yellow sclera. 

“Okay, who the hell-?” the person said before he was interrupted by Anastasia’s presence. He looked down at Anastasia, standing a few inches above her height. 

“Sorry,” Anastasia said before her full attention was directed to the person in front of her. 

The two looked at each other, not a word spoken between them for several seconds. Only their gazes met and spoke, speaking out their surprise and curiosity over one another. 

Chapter Text

Anastasia stood a few inches from the red-hooded person that she had bumped into. Neither of them spoke a word, only shared a glance for several seconds. 

The red-hooded person's expression changed from surprised and curious to a casual, aloof expression. 

“What are you, new?” he said, raising a hand and touching Anastasia’s forehead with his index and middle finger. 

“Hey,” Anastasia said, brushing the person's hand off of her forehead. The person chuckled. 

“I'm just playing. But really, you new to this scene?” the red-hooded person asked. 

“Hm.. Yes,” Anastasia replied. 

“That explains why you’re hiding yourself under this,” the red-hooded person said, brushing and flicking a finger on the rim and seam of Anastasia’s hood on her head. 

“You're doing the same too, genius,” Anastasia remarked, brushing the person's hand away. 

“Alright, you got me there,” the red-hooded person said. 

Anastasia suddenly felt a little nauseous. 

“Uhh..” Anastasia moaned a little in nausea, her hands wrapped around her stomach as she bent over a bit.

“You good?” the red-hooded person asked. 

“I shouldn't have chugged that whole bottle..” Anastasia moaned in nausea. 

“Yeesh, what are you, a lightweight?” the red-hooded person asked. 

“No, I just haven't drunk alcohol before,” Anastasia replied. 

“Heh, I'm just joking. But really, you need some water?” the red-hooded person asked. 

“Yes,” Anastasia replied. 

The red-hooded person walks over to the bar and taps his hand on the counter. 

“Hey. Water over here,” the red-hooded person said to the bartender. The bartender rolled her eyes in annoyance, took a glass out from the shelf, poured water in the glass from a faucet, and gave the glass to the red-hooded person. He approaches Anastasia with the glass and hands it to her. “Here.”

“Thanks,” Anastasia said, grabbing the glass with her hand and then she drank a large amount from it. 

“Easy, you just looked like you were gonna hurl a second ago,” the red-hooded person said. 

“You shut the hell up,” Anastasia said, irritation present in her tone. Her tone surprises the red-hooded person, like he didn't expect that kind of sass from her. 

“Wow, sassy much?” the red-hooded person said, sparking irritation on Anastasia's face. He gently nudge-punched her shoulder. “Hehe, I’m just playing.”

Anastasia grumbled a little. The red-person chuckles a bit.

“Hey, Anna’s kinda taking a while,” Cherri Bomb said, speaking to Angel Dust in the crowd.

“I’ll go get her,” Angel Dust said. He walks past Cherri Bomb and he walks through the crowd of demons, turning his head side to side in search of Anastasia through the crowd.

“Crap, I hope she wasn't nabbed by some sick fuck or..” Angel Dust said in his mind, hoping that Anastasia didn't fall into a Sinner's hands. After several minutes of walking, he made it through the crowd and he spotted Anastasia with the red-hooded person.

“Hey Anna, who's your new friend?” Angel Dust asked.

“He's not my friend. I just bumped into him,” Anastasia said. The red-hood person releases a snorting chuckle.

“Oh.. I get it,” Angel Dust said, implying something else.

“No, I don't think you do,” Anastasia said.

“Ya know what? I gotta bounce. I had something else planned after this show, but it's already getting later than now. So, peace,” the red-hooded person said, showing his middle and index finger in a peace gesture as he walked away.

“So… Who was he?” Angel Dust asked, curious. 

“I don't know. Stop asking stupid questions,” Anastasia said before she walked past Angel Dust.

“Alright, wink,” Angel Dust teased. Anastasia growled, intimidating him. “Okay, I'll stop.”

“Hey, ya found her, Angie. Where was she?” Cherri Bomb asked as she saw the two approach her. 

“She was with a boy in a red hood,” Angel Dust said. 

“Oohh… So, which one of you started hitting first?” Cherri Bomb teased, annoying Anastasia. 

“Neither of us. I just bumped into him when I was trying to get water,” Anastasia replied. 

“But did you think that he was cute?” Cherri Bomb teased. Anastasia replies with a death glare, intimidating her. “Okay, she almost scares me a bit, Angie.”

“Right?” Angel Dust said. 

“Ugh, look. I said that I bumped into him, okay? So can everyone stop throwing shit at me already?” Anastasia said irritatedly. Suddenly, a black T-shirt was flung right at her face, covering her head and surprising her. 

Cherri Bomb and Angel Dust started to release stifled laughter. 

“Okay, it's not funny,” Anastasia said, taking the T-shirt off of her head. She looks at the T-shirt in her hand and she holds it against her chest. “But I'm keeping this.”

“Okay then, whatever you say,” Cherri Bomb said, shrugging her shoulders. She hears the music come back up from the stage. “Oh, they're starting up again!”

“Oh shit, for real?” Angel Dust asked, looking excited. 

Both Cherri Bomb and Angel Dust looked over at Anastasia, waiting for acknowledgement and approval. Anastasia thought for a moment. 

“Oh, what the hell? Let's go,” Anastasia said, followed by Cherri Bomb and Angel Dust cheering. 

The trio got into the crowd, where they could see the band on stage, singing and playing their music.

The night grew wild, full of cheering, music, flashing lights, and sometimes moshing. 

“Okay, okay, who do you think threw that shirt at you, Anna?” Angel Dust asked. 

“I don't fucking know, who cares?” Anastasia said. 

“Well, you should probably get an autograph from the guy if possible,” Angel Dust said.

“I dunno if they'd-” Anastasia was about to speak until they heard the lead singer speak. 

“Okay, after the show, feel free to meet us backstage for photos, meet-ups, and even autographs. Also, if you're the lucky one who caught that free T-shirt I threw, meet me back if you want it signed,” the lead singer said. 

“Okay nevermind,” Anastasia quickly said, changing her mind. Angel Dust and Cherri Bomb released stifled laughs again. Anastasia shot the two a death glare.

Several moments later, Anastasia walked out of the door that read “Backstage.” She was holding the T-shirt that was flung at her earlier. It had “For Anna X” written on it.

“That's a keeper, huh?” Angel Dust said.

“Oh hush,” Anastasia said, holding the T-shirt under her arm.

“Okay, who's up for the mosh pit?” Cherri Bomb eagerly asked.

“Hell yeah,” Angel Dust said. The two look over at Anastasia, waiting for a response.

Anastasia thought for a moment. She could feel a rebellious side of her growing within her. She hasn't ever been able to do something like this until now. Maybe this was her chance at a little freedom. Her chance to be rowdy. Her chance to ditch the goody-two-shoes act and be free for once.

“Let's go,” Anastasia said. Cherri Bomb and Angel Dust respond with a cheer.

The three went into the mosh pit, filled with the crowded space of demons shoving and elbowing each other without mercy. Angel Dust and Cherri Bomb had their fair share of shoves and elbows and Anastasia had gotten her own share of the fun. Some of the demons were kinda hard for her to shove or elbow, but she did it anyway. There was a short instance where a demon almost picked a fight with her until Angel Dust and Cherri Bomb stepped in. After that situation, the three looked at each other.

“Alright, photo time! Get your asses in here,” Cherri Bomb exclaimed, holding her phone.

Anastasia and Angel Dust squeezed in into the image, where the front camera of Cherri Bomb’s phone can see all four of them. The screen showed the three of them together. Cherri Bomb pressed her thumb on the camera button on the screen and the photo was snapped. She lowered her phone down.

“Okay, I’m sending this to the group chat,” Cherri Bomb said as she moved her thumb multiple times on the screen of her phone.

Anastasia and Angel Dust’s phones ring, so they pull their phones from their pockets and see the photo in their group chat. Anastasia was looking at the photo until she noticed the clock.

“Hey, uh, Angel. We should head back,” Anastasia said.

“Aw, c'mon. It's only two-forty am. Let's stay for another hour,” Angel Dust said.

“Wow, you switched back onto the goody-two-shoes act already? And just when you were having a ball too?” Cherri Bomb said. 

“Look, I like having fun with you guys, but there are times that I have to be responsible, like now. Angel, let's go,” Anastasia said.

“No way, José. I’m staying,” Angel Dust said.

“Okay, fine. You can stay, but I am heading back,” Anastasia said as she promptly walked away into the crowd.

“Yeah, well, see you back at the hotel, you fun-less Felicia,” Angel Dust said.

“Heh, “fun-less Felicia,”” Cherri Bomb said with a smirk. 

“I know, I'm good at name-calling,” Angel Dust pridefully said with a smile.

Anastasia marched outside of the club, irritation and annoyance present in her face.

“You look like you stepped in some dog shit. What happened?” asked a familiar voice. Anastasia stopped her tracks and she turned her head to the left, seeing the red-hooded person standing near the entrance of an alley.

“I thought you left,” Anastasia said.

“Nah. I could just tell that you didn't want your friend getting the wrong idea about you and I talking, so I decided to just bounce the scene,” the red-hooded person said.

“Oh, uh.. Thanks?” Anastasia said.

“You're welcome. So, anyway, where’s he at?” the red-hooded person asked.

“Still inside. And I'm just heading back home,” Anastasia replied.

“Alright. Well, anyway, I'm glad to see you're doing a little better ever since you looked like you were gonna puke in there,” the red-hooded person said before he chuckled. Anastasia grumbled a bit.

“I don't need you making fun of me,” Anastasia said.

“Woah, chill, girl. I was just kidding around with you,” the red-hooded person said as he approached her. “Plus, you're, by far, the most amusing person I’ve met down here.” 

“I'm amusing to you?” Anastasia asked.

“Yep, and I'm hip to it,” the red-hooded person said.

“Tsh, yeah right,” Anastasia said, crossing her arms. She began to walk away. “Anyway, I need to go-”

“Sneak attack!” the red-hooded person exclaimed as he grabbed the back of Anastasia’s hood and pulled it down, revealing herself.

“Eek, hey! Why you..!” Anastasia said, turning back to him. She suddenly lunges at him. “Come here!”

“Hah, too slow!” the red-hooded person said, dodging Anastasia's lunge by moving to the right. He began to run to the side. “Catch me if you can, loser!”

“Grrr..” Anastasia growled as she ran and chased after the red-hooded person. The red-hooded person ran in zig-zags, avoiding Anastasia and further pissing her off.

“Can't catch me! Can’t catch me!” the red-hooded person laughed, teasing Anastasia. 

Ding. A light bulb popped up over Anastasia's head with an idea. She reaches into her pocket and grabs out some marbles that Elijah gave her a little while back and tossed them to the ground. 

“Can't catch m- wo-woah!” the red-hooded person said, his boots stepping onto the marbles and he began to lose his balance over stepping on small circle objects that rolled around on the smooth flat floor. 

“Got you, bitch!” Anastasia exclaimed, jumping onto the red-hooded person from behind, wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, and she fell forwards with him, landing on the ground on top of his back, straddling over him and pulling his own hood down. “Got you!”

The red-hooded person, or the not-so-hooded person, began to chuckle. Thanks to there being enough space between Anastasia’s legs, he was able to turn over to lie on his back, propped up with his elbows, and revealing his face to Anastasia. He had black poofy-ish hair with several white streaks, light grey skin, and his white irises, yellow sclera, and black pupils were more prominent. 

“Okay, you got me. You win,” the red-hooded person said with a smirk. 

Anastasia was almost ready to assume victory until she took a second to look at the red-hooded person's unhooded features. His hair, his skin, his eyes.. Every bit of his features right before her. 

For reasons she cannot understand, his appearance ignited a spark in her, a spark that had never ignited for anyone before, not even for a boy.. Until now. 

“So..” the red-hooded person said, in which Anastasia promptly got off of him and sat near him. He sat down, one knee up and his arm lying on that knee. “You don't look like any demon I've seen down here. And I've seen humany-like demons here.”

“You're one to talk. You're human-y, yourself,” Anastasia remarked. 

The red-hooded person chuckled. “Okay, touché. But, seriously, what exactly are you?”

“I prefer not to discuss that..” Anastasia said, knowing that this guy was already onto her and knowing her human identity. “But I.. I really should be leaving.”

Anastasia stood up and pulled her hood back over her head, re-concealed herself. She began to walk away. “I'll, uh, I'll probably, or maybe not, see you.. Later. Uh.. Bye.”

Anastasia promptly walked off as the red-hooded person watched her walk away, not saying a word.

Chapter Text

A cab pulled out by the gate in front of the cobblestone path to the hotel at the cliff. The door opened and Anastasia stepped out of the vehicle. The second the door shuts, the cab zooms away.

Anastasia rolled her eyes before she stepped past the gateway and walked along the pathway up the hill to the hotel.

After a while of walking, Anastasia walked through the doors and she tip-toes among the floor, just in case Husk was still asleep at the bar.

“So, back already?” A familiar voice asked, surprising Anastasia and stopping her in her tracks. It was Husk, wide awake and standing behind the bar counter. 

Anastasia looked at Husk from the walkway between the parlor and the bar. “You, uh.. you knew I was out?”

“Well, you and Angel,” Husk said. “I could hear your footsteps, even in my sleep. Most of the time, I hear Angel's when he leaves late at night.”

“Wait, so you knew that Angel Dust sneaks out of the hotel sometimes and you never told anyone?” Anastasia asked.

“Nobody brings it up,” Husk replied, looking at a bottle he was holding.

Anastasia was quiet for a moment.

"And, uh, you won't say anything, right?” Anastasia asked.

“Nah. Seems like it's worth too much trouble for me,” Husk said.

“Okay.. Well, Imma go back to my room,” Anastasia said, walking to the stairs.

“‘Kay, whatever you want, kid,” Husk said, staring at the bottle in his hand before taking a gulp from it. 

Anastasia was upstairs, walking down the hallway when she walked past Elijah's room, hearing noises from the other side of the door. Out of concern, she knocked on the door. 

“Elijah? What are you doing in there?” Anastasia asked before she promptly turned the handle and opened the door. She saw Elijah sitting in front of the TV, watching flashing colors and images as he was mashing his thumbs on buttons on a controller. “Elijah, what the hell?”

“Huh?” Elijah asked as the screen showed a “pause” square and the images froze. He turned his head to face Anastasia. “Oh, hi sis.”

“Were you just playing video games? At this hour?” Anastasia asked. 

“I couldn't sleep,” Elijah said. 

“Well, this isn't going to help,” Anastasia said, walking to the TV and pulling the plug from the wall. 

“Hey! I was about to beat the boss level!” Elijah whined. 

“You can do that tomorrow. Right now, you need to sleep,” Anastasia said. 

“But I'm not tired,” Elijah said. 

“Well, read a book or maybe play some white noise. It helps me sometimes,” Anastasia said. 

“But they're both BORRRIINNGG!” Elijah moaned. 

“Well, spend the night under the covers staring at nothing until you fall asleep then,” Anastasia said before she walked out the door and shut it behind her. 

Elijah sat on the bed, his legs criss-crossed and his arms crossed as he pouted. 

Chapter Text

The next day had risen up and the sun was out shining over the crimson red skies.

Anastasia was in her room, sleeping in. Her body was buried under the sheets and a puddle of drool formed next to her face, forming from the stream of saliva leaking from her mouth and cheek smushed against the mattress. Her eyes were tight shut.

Knock, knock.

“Anna? Hey. You still asleep?” Charlie asked from behind the door. 

Anastasia rolled over on the bed, a groan releasing from her mouth in response to hearing Charlie's voice from the door.

“I'll take that as a “yes.” Okay, I won't bother ya anymore,” Charlie said.

“What the heck? She's gonna miss out on breakfast! Oh, let me handle this,” Elijah said, opening the door.

“Wait, hold on a sec-” Charlie tried to protest against Elijah's action before he rushed in.

“Geronimo!” Elijah exclaimed before he leaped over and jumped onto Anastasia's bed, Charlie's eyes widening in shock.

Anastasia jumped up, startled, and she suddenly kicked Elijah off the bed.

“Oof!” Elijah grunted as the force of Anastasia’s kick knocked him onto the floor, shocking Charlie again.

“What the fuck, Elijah!?” Anastasia exclaimed as she sat up, her eyes looking as if they were ripped open and her hair a mess of tangles.

“Ow..” Elijah said, sitting up on his knees and his hand on his head.

“You okay, Elijah?” Charlie said, rushing to Elijah and kneeling down by him. 

“I'm good,” Elijah replied.

“Sorry about that, Elijah. But never lunge at me when I'm asleep again,” Anastasia said.

“Okay. Noted,” Elijah said with a short chuckle. “Anyways, get up. You're gonna miss breakfast. We're eating breakfast burritos.”

“He suggested it,” Charlie said, her arm wrapped around Elijah's shoulders.

“Well, too bad Al's missing out. He said he already has his own,” Elijah said with a small pout as his eyes looked to the side.

Anastasia sighs as she rubs her face.

“Just… give me a few minutes and I’ll be down,” Anastasia said.

“Cool, meet you down,” Elijah said before he rushed out of the room.

After a few seconds, Charlie walks out through the door and out of the room, shutting the door behind her and leaving Anastasia alone.

Anastasia slowly turns her legs, sitting on the side of the bed before she pushes herself up, standing up from the bed and sliding her feet into her slippers. She turns around and then she begins to walk to her in-room bathroom, her eyes struggling to stay open.

Her hand turned the knob and she stood up as the water rained onto her head. She wasn't clothed anymore, nothing but bare skin exposed to the raining water. She just stood there, drenching herself in water from head to toe. 

“Ugh.. I shouldn't have gone out last night..” she said to herself, tired.

After a while, she stepped out of the shower, dried herself off with a towel and a blow dryer, and she got herself dressed. She was dressed up simply, nothing fancy. All she wore was a pink tie-dye hoodie, blue jeans, and white shoes.

She looked in the mirror and she slowly shut her eyes and pulled them back open. 

Eventually, she steps into the kitchen. A yawn escapes her mouth as her hand tried to stop it.

“Good morning, Anna!” Charlie greeted with a wave.

“Did you sleep okay?” Vaggie asked.

“Okay,” Anastasia replied, feeling a little tired.

“Well, maybe a little breakfast will wake you up,” Charlie said, holding a plate with a burrito resting on the white porcelain.

“Thanks, Charlie,” Anastasia said.

She took a plate and she sat down at the table across from Vaggie and Angel Dust. 

“Are you sure you slept okay? You still look tired,” Vaggie said, concern on her face.

“I slept fine. I just went to sleep a little later than normal,” Anastasia replied, covering up what she, Angel Dust, and Cherri Bomb did last night. She picked up her burrito and took a bite from it. “And I did catch a little rascal trying to stay up all night playing games.”

“Hey, why are you snitching on me?!” Elijah asked, angered. Anastasia chuckled.

“That's hilarious,” Angel Dust said with a chuckle. 

Elijah pouts.

“Do we have to hide the video games at night next?” Vaggie asked.

“No. It's already enough that you had to hide Pentious’ weapon stash,” Anastasia said.

“Which was rather uncouth in my opinion,” Sir Pentious said, arms crossed and a huff.

“I already said we can't have weapons in here,” Vaggie said.

“But you have a pointy spear-thingy,” Elijah pointed out.

“That's different,” Vaggie said.

“Yeah, she needs that in case of any… emergencies,” Charlie said.

“Fiiinnee….” Elijah sighed.

“So, anyways, anyone got any plans today?” Charlie asked.

“I'm gonna be at Lady Swallotale’s for training today,” Anastasia said.

“Oh, right.. I kinda forgot you have that sometimes,” Charlie said.

“You sure you can't stay today? It's basically, like, the weekend already,” Angel Dust said.

“Just not today,” Anastasia said.

“Aw,” Angel Dust said, pouting.

“Don't worry. I'll be off tomorrow. We can hang by then,” Anastasia said.

“Oh alright,” Angel Dust said.

After an hour, everyone had finished their breakfast. Anastasia went up to her room and changed into her tracksuit and she walks down the stairs carrying a duffel bag on her left shoulder.

“Can I go with you to watch today?” Elijah asked.

“No, you're staying here. Besides, I heard Sir Pentious say that he wanted to teach you a little about building,” Anastasia said.

“I said what now?” Sir Pentious said.

“Forget that, I wanna do some building!” Elijah said, rushing over to Sir Pentious.

Sir Pentious gave Anastasia a “WTF” look while she gave him a death glare in return, intimidating him and making him smile and nod nervously.

“‘Kay, guys. I’ll be back later,” Anastasia said as she made her way to the door. 

“See ya later, toots,” Angel Dust said with a wave. 

Seconds after, Anastasia pulls her hood over her head, opens the door and walks through it, shutting it behind her. 

Chapter Text

Anastasia walked along the concrete surface of the sidewalk, approaching Swallotale's.

Anastasia had entered the building and she walked step by step among the steps up to the dojo, opening the door and revealing it in its glory. 

She was greeted with a man, well, demon, hitting the ground, dropping a sword made of wood. 

“Hm.. You don't have much of the arm swing to handle a sword,” Lady Swallotale said, standing and holding a longer wooden sword made of.. maybe bamboo wood? “But it doesn't mean you're not worthy of any others. Find and pick another wooden spar and try again.”

“Hi, Miss Swallotale,” Anastasia greeted with a wave. 

“Ah, welcome Anastasia,” Lady Swallotale said. 

“What's going on here?” Anastasia asked, gesturing to the six demons around the dojo holding and handling different wooden weapons. 

“I'm helping them figure out which weapon is best suited to them most,” Lady Swallotale said. 

“How does that work?” Anastasia said. 

“I leave out wooden practice weapons of different types between two-handed melee, two-handed polearm, dual melee, and chain. How it works is that a pupil picks one up and tests their starter proficiency on them. In a simpler explanation, you pick one up and try it out, see if you're good at it before you even begin learning how to use it,” Lady Swallotale. 

“Huh. Well, uh.. I handled a baseball bat while playing baseball, so.. Maybe I'll try my hand at-” Anastasia said, speaking before she got interrupted. 

“Try your hand at the use of a simple sword?” Lady Swallotale asked.

“Ehm, yeah, I guess,” Anastasia said.

“A simple but easy first choice. We will begin sparing in a few minutes. For now, just do a few stretches and a few pre-spar swings,” Lady Swallotale said before she turned around and walked away. She slides open a door on the wall and walks inside the room and slides the door closed. 

Anastasia looked on for a moment before she was tapped on the head by a wooden pole. 

“So you've shown up once again?” Opia asked. Anastasia looked over at Opia, annoyed. 

“Yeah. She's also my teacher too, ya know,” Anastasia said. 

“Yeah, I know that. I guess I'm just not fond of Miss Swallotale training a human yet,” Opia said. 

Anastasia was quiet for a moment before she spoke up. “So you know I'm a human?”

“Everyone in the Swallotale Clan knows. Luckily for you, we've all taken a serious vow to absolute secrecy about your presence in Hell. So be grateful for that at least,” Opia said, pointing her wooden pole at Anastasia's chest. 

“Well, that I am, for that part, yes,” Anastasia said. 

“Good, glad we're on the same page here. Now, you gonna go ahead and grab a wood spar already?” Opia asked. 

“Yes, I am,” Anastasia said, a little annoyed. She walks to the long table, resting above it were multiple wooden practice weapons. She looked at the selection; wooden poles, small wooden sticks, and wooden swords. 

She reaches out and she picks up a wooden sword, holding it up and looking at the wooden surface and texture. 

“Psh, basic,” a male student said with an eye roll in the background. He suddenly gets struck on the head by Opia's pole. “Ow!”

“Basic, yes. But it's all about trying a hand at something. And if it doesn't work out, she'll just try something else. If she doesn't decide to give up, that is,” Opia said, Anastasia sighing in response. 

The door slid back open and Lady Swallotale steps out of the room, shutting the door behind her. 

“You're not giving our fellow pupil trouble, are you?” Lady Swallotale asked. 

“No, sensei. None at all,” Opia replied with a head lower. 

“Good. Now I hope you've all done your stretches, ‘cause this is going to be a long session,” said Lady Swallotale. 

Minutes later, each student in the dojo lined up. 

“I will pair you all up together to duel. First, you'll face an opponent with the same weapon as you and then next you'll face an opponent with a different kind of weapon. You'll work your way facing people who know what you know and people who know something different from you. That way you'll find the advantage and disadvantage against your opponent in combat based on what you and your opponent know,” Lady Swallotale said, standing in front of the line of students. She looks over at Anastasia, who was looking down at the wooden sword she was holding. “Anna? Is there something on your mind?”

“I'm still a little unsure.. About this,” Anastasia said. “I’ve only ever swung a bat in baseball, and I never used it to fight, let alone swing anything in a fight. I don't really think I can do this..”

“And why do you feel that way?” Lady Swallotale asked. “Is it because you've never tried before?”

“Maybe.. Or, um,” Anastasia sighed. “I don't think I understand the point of learning how to fight in a place like Hell.”

“So, just because you're a human down here means that you're weak?” Lady Swallotale asked. 

Anastasia looked up at Lady Swallotale in slight surprise.

“Now, dear, I understand where this is coming from. I was human once too and ever since I came here, I've gotten a lot stronger than I was as a human,” Lady Swallotale said.

“Yeah. You're a demon, erm, Sinner. I can't ever catch up to you, especially with all your years of experience along with your added strength,” Anastasia said in doubt. “I can't ever catch up to anyone down here.”

“Don't feel bad. You're basically comparable to an Imp. You both die naturally and by regular means, like being stabbed, right?” a male student asked. “I think you can match an Imp with enough training.”

“Well, yeah, maybe. But what about a Sinner? With their tougher resilience and immortality, I won't ever stand a chance,” Anastasia said.

Lady Swallotale chuckled. “You don't think that even Sinners can sometimes be weaker than they look? Imagine a small Sinner, the size of a child, no sense of combat skill or self defense or even experience. Imagine a scenario of combat against an Imp and that Sinner. Who has a better advantage? The Imp with more skill and experience in combat or the Sinner with tougher resilience but no experience?”

Anastasia thought for a moment.

“Okay, I understand now. It doesn't really matter what you are in combat unless you're, like, really skilled,” Anastasia said. “Though, in that scenario, I imagine a situation where the Imp lets their guard down and then snap, the Sinner kills them.”

“Very well-put, Anna. And whether you win or lose depends on you. Would you lose or win? Lose and die easily or put up a fight? Give up or take risks?” Lady Swallotale asked. Anastasia looks to the side for a moment. “What do you choose?”

Anastasia thought for a moment again.

“Y'know what? You're right, Miss Swallotale. I shouldn't let my “fragile human nature” hold me back. I think I got this,” Anastasia said.

“Very well. You've got your head in-game now. And, with hard work, you’ll be a very capable fighter in no time,” Lady Swallotale said.

“Yeah, once she makes it out alive,” a male student says. Lady Swallotale gave a slightly annoyed yet patient look at him. She stands up straight. 

“Now, shall we get started?” Lady Swallotale asked. 

Each student was paired together, starting with facing an opponent with the same wooden weapon as them. 

Anastasia was facing a sparring partner who possessed the same wooden sword as her. She makes the first swing, applying her baseball bat skills as the sword swung forward from the left. The sparrer raised their sword, blocking the strike, and swung back, sending Anastasia sliding backwards. 

“Impressive,” the sparrer said. Suddenly, they rush at Anastasia and swing their sword from above. Anastasia immediately rose hers and blocked the strike until the amount of force and pressure from the sparrer overpowered her, making her drop her sword and making her fall backwards in order to avoid the hit. She hits the floor, sitting up. 

“Dammit,” Anastasia mumbled in irritation. 

“Now now, don't be so despondent. It takes time, you know,” Lady Swallotale said. 

“Yes, sensei,” Anastasia said as she stood up. 

“Ya ready to resume?” The sparrer asked.

“Yeah, I'm ready,” Anastasia said, lifting her wooden sword up. 

“I'll go first this time. Maybe you'll swing me down like I did you this time?” the sparrer said, holding their wooden sword. 

“Yeah, I might,” Anastasia said. 

“Aaannd… Let's go,” the sparrer declared. 

Anastasia and the sparrer charge at each other, their wooden blades clashing together. 

Lady Swallotale was watching in the background, observing her students spar as she stood by the tree. 

The sparrer applied much force and pressure onto Anastasia’s wooden blade, and Anastasia was struggling to hold it up. 

“See? This is the reason we do our-” the sparrer was about to speak until something unexpected happened. 

The sparrer's wooden sword had been knocked out of their hands, flying up in the air and landing on the floor. 

Anastasia held her wooden sword straight to her right side with a straight arm. Triumph was present in her eyes. 

“Our.. pre-sparring swings…?” The sparrer said in surprise. 

“I.. I did it,” Anastasia said, admiring the result of her move. 

“Well done, Anastasia. You were able to knock your opponent's weapon out of their hands. Very impressive,” Lady Swallotale said, praising Anastasia.

“For a beginner,” a male student said. 

“Of course your form and stance needs work. You have several openings,” Lady Swallotale said as she walked over to Anastasia. She raises her wooden bamboo sword and points it at the aforementioned openings in Anastasia's stance. “Imagine that you are in a real fight in the future, prepared and with every skill I've taught you, and your opponent takes advantage of the openings you haven't worked to close. It could be an easy death sentence.”

“What would even happen to a human if they die in Hell?” a female student asked. 

“Yeah, now I'm curious,” a male student said. 

“Well, that's something I want to prevent and never find out,” Anastasia said. “I want to get back home, to Earth, while I'm still alive.”

“Tenacious,” Lady Swallotale commended. “Now then, shall we resume?”

With that said, training continued. Wooden weapons swung, struck, shot in the air, knocked out of hands, hitting each other, occasional strikes on a person's shoulder or leg… It lasted for several hours. Or maybe two? 

“Yame,” Lady Swallotale declared, making everyone stop with their sparring. They all line up next to one another in front of her. “You all did well. Especially you, Anastasia.”

“Thank you, sensei,” Anastasia said with a nod. 

“You all are dismissed for today,” Lady Swallotale said. 

Anastasia steps outside of Swallotale's, closing the door behind her. She stretches her arms out. 

“Man, swinging is the pits..,” Anastasia quietly mumbled to herself as she stretched an arm out. She turns around to the right and she walks along the concrete sidewalk. 

A yawn escapes Anastasia’s mouth, trying to block it with her hand. While her eyes were closed during her yawn, she suddenly bumped into someone. 

“Oh, excuse-” Anastasia was about to pardon herself until she saw who she bumped into. It was that red-hooded person from the concert last night. Her eyes slightly widened in surprise. 

“Oh shit, it's you from last night,” the red-hooded person casually said, not even fazed by being bumped into. 

“Oh, yeah, uh, you.. Heyy…” Anastasia stuttered before making an actual greeting. “What, uh.. What'chu doing here??” 

“I was getting a bun pastry at this place,” the red-hooded person said, gesturing his thumb to the pastry shop he was next to. His other hand pulls out a pastry bun wrapped in plastic from his pocket. He opens the plastic and takes a bite out of the bun, the piece he bit off filling his mouth as he spoke again. “So what'chu doing here?”

“Nothing, just, uh.. Meeting with a friend,” Anastasia replied. “I just left the place, though, and..”

“You met a friendly friend and just decided to leave? Sounds usual,” the red-hooded person said, swallowing the piece he took a bite of from his bun. “I do the same thing with my friends too, like everyone else does, right?”

“Right, right right, yeah, heh..” Anastasia said with a small chuckle, seemingly nervous in the red-hooded person's presence for some reason. 

“Right. So, where you heading off to?” the red-hooded person asked. 

“My home. Well, my place of residence,” Anastasia replied, looking to the side. 

“Not after a short chit-chat? We just met again and ya wanna go and leave right away?” the red-hooded person asked casually. 

“Well…” Anastasia said, trying to insinuate a response. 

“I got nothing to do right now, but it's up to you if you wanna hang,” the red-hooded person said. 

Anastasia thought to herself. She was literally being offered by a boy to hang out. A boy she just met and suddenly felt head over heels for seconds later in one night. This may be her one chance to impress someone she likes for the first time. 

“Actually, I think I could make a little time. What, uh, what do you wanna do?” Anastasia asked. 

“I was gonna go and chuck rocks at cars. Just for the hell of it,” the red-hooded person said. 

“Okay let's go then,” Anastasia said, rushing and marching in front of the red-hooded person and walking ahead. 

“Damn, you're in a hurry,” the red-hooded person chuckled as he finished his bun pastry and followed behind Anastasia. 

Several minutes later, both Anastasia and the red-hooded person were on top of a two-story building. A pile of rocks and stones stood between them.

The red-hooded person picks up a rock and hops it in his hand three times before his fingers clutch tightly onto it.

“Watch a pro,” the red-hooded person said.

A few seconds later, a red car drives by. The red-hooded person raised his arm back and swung it forward, releasing the rock from his clutches and letting it fly and strike the roof of the car with a bang.

“You damn bitch!” the demon in the car yelled as the car continued to drive by.

The red-hooded person bursts out in laughter. Anastasia leaned against the concrete railing, her arms crossed and resting on top of the railing as she looked over at the red-hooded person who was oblivious to her staring. She was silently admiring him while he laughed. For reasons unexplainable, she couldn't help but feel.. drawn to him.

“Hey, you wanna go next?” the red-hooded person asked, breaking Anastasia out of her little trance.

“Oh, uh, yeah, yeah. I'll try my hand at it, yeah,” Anastasia said, a shade of red glowing in her cheeks. 

“Alright, here's your rock,” the red-hooded person said, picking up a rock and raising his hand towards Anastasia. She raises her hand up to take the rock, feeling the red-hooded person's fingertips brush along the palm of her hands and fingers. “There's a silver truck coming.”

The red on Anastasia’s cheeks grew brighter until she raised a fist at her mouth, clearing her throat and the red faded away. She furrows her brows, turns her head to the road below, seeing a silver truck drive by. She clutches the rock in her hand tightly, raises her arm back, and she swings her arm forward, releasing the rock.

The rock flew straight down and hit the roof of the truck with a bang.

“Asshole!” the driver yelled out as he drove by.

The red-hooded person bursts out laughing, his arms wrapped around his stomach. Anastasia slowly lets out a small chuckle before it turns into laughter.

“Oh, heh... That never gets old,” the red-hooded person said, wiping a tear from his eye. Anastasia stopped laughing shortly after.

Anastasia's phone buzzes. She pulls it out of her pocket and looks at the screen. She got a text from Vaggie.

“Your brother made a mess,” Vaggie’s text said.

Anastasia sighed.

“Something up?” the red-hooded person asked.

“Nothing. My friend just texted me about something back home,” Anastasia said. She turns around, ready to walk away and leave. “I gotta head back.”

“Not without telling me your name first? It’s rude to keep someone you met hanging like that,” the red-hooded person said.

Anastasia sighed and rolled her eyes as she made a small smug smile.

“I’m Anastasia,” she said.

“Cello,” the red-hooded person, Cello, replied. “And you have a pretty name by the way.”

“Tha- Thanks. Well, see ya later. Bye. Adios. Sayonara, ehm..” Anastasia said walking away and climbing down the steel ladder that led the two to the top of the building, a visible color of red on her cheeks.

Cello watched as Anastasia left the scene, a small smirk present on his face.

After a long while of walking, Anastasia made it back to the hotel.

“Okay Elijah, what did you do no-?” she said, opening the door and seeing the lobby in a wreck. She looked surprised and speechless at the aforementioned mess. The lobby had large tire marks, some furniture was broken, and the carpet was torn.

“I made a tank!” Elijah said in excitement, his upper half torso exposed from the top of the aforementioned tank, his arms up in the air. The tank looked like a van, but with big wheels. Vaggie was standing by with a facepalm.

Anastasia looked at Sir Pentious, who nervously laughed, looked to the side, and pulled at the side of his collar with a finger. He switched from nervous to judgemental next. 

“What? You're the one who left him with me,” Sir Pentious said. 

“That's true, I did. But it was still your responsibility, as his babysitter, to make sure he doesn't cause trouble while I was gone,” Anastasia said. Sir Pentious crosses his arms, turns his head away, and hisses with a frown and furrowed eyes. 

“I'm gonna do a donut!” Elijah said. 

“No you're not. Get out of there, now,” Anastasia commanded. 

“But Anna..” Elijah whined. 

“I'm not going to say it again,” Anastasia said. 

Elijah pouts and he hops out of the tank, crossing his arms after he lands on the ground. 

“I'm storing this away too,” Vaggie said, pushing the tank off. 

Elijah stood there, pouting and with his arms crossed. 

“Cheer up, Eli. We'll find something else to do that's a little less destructive,” Charlie reassured, patting Elijah's head. Elijah just groans in irritation. 

Anastasia walks upstairs, down the hallway, and to her room, opening the door and walking inside, shutting the door behind her. She places her duffel bag on the floor by the door and she stretches out her arms a little bit. A few seconds after she lowered her arms back down and she took a minute to look around in her bedroom before she sat down on the bed. 

She looks down for a moment before turning her head to the side, her attention directed towards… the side of her mattress? 

She reached her hand down and slid it in between the mattress and the bed frame, pulling out a black notebook with “Anastasia's Journal” written on the cover. 

She opens the journal to a blank page as she pulls out a black pen from her drawer, letting her pen dance and twirl along the paper as she wrote about her day, leaving trails of ink along the page, creating letters that create words that create sentences. 

After several, maybe thirty minutes, or writing, Anastasia lifted her pen from the page and closed her journal. She puts the pen back in the drawer and her journal back under the mattress. 

She hears a knock on the door. 

“Anna, dinner’s ready,” Charlie said from the other side of the door. 

“I'll be right there,” Anastasia said. Once she hears Charlie's footsteps growing quieter, she gets up and walks to the door, opening it, walking through it and closing the door behind her. 

Chapter Text

Three days had passed, marking Anastasia's twenty-fourth day in Hell. 

She went out to train with Lady Swallotale, spending hours at Swallotale 's until the session was over, where she was free to leave and do what she wanted for the rest of the day. 

Right after she finished training, she went to the bathroom to change her clothes. When she stepped out she was wearing a blue, flowy shawl-y top, blue jeans, and white shoes. She pulls her blue jacket on and pulls her hood over her head and she leaves Swallotale's to spend the day however she wanted. 

She arrived at the cafe, “Latte Up Your Day.”

She walks through the glass door and up to the counter, greeted by a female Sinner who looked like an orange tabby cat with three eyes. 

“Hello. What can I get you?” she asked. She had a friendly attitude and a smile on her face. 

Anastasia looks up at the menu for a few seconds. 

“The cake pops… They're new?” Anastasia asked, pointing at the menu at the top, her finger directed at the picture of cake pops. 

“Oh, yeah. We just added them last week. They've been pretty popular since,” the cat barista said. She lowers down and whispers. “We had to restock just after three days. I'm telling you, they've been selling like hot cakes. Well, they're cake pops, anyway."

“Hm.. I'll take a six variety pack and an iced coffee,” Anastasia said. 

“Sweet toothy or just had a long day?” the cat barista jokingly asked. 

“Long day-ish, kinda,” Anastasia said. 

“Alright, I'll get those up for ya,” the cat barista said before she turns around and walks away. 

‘Hm, she's nicer than that purple cat nurse,’ Anastasia thought to herself as she walked to the waiting spot in the cafe, near the wall. 

“Hey Anna,” a familiar voice said. 

Anastasia turned her head and suddenly, she saw Cello standing directly beside her, up close.

“Ah!” Anastasia yelped in surprise, visible red on her face, as she fell backwards and hit the hardwood floor. “Ow..”

Cello looked down at Anastasia on the floor, looking surprised at her sudden reaction. He was holding a paper coffee cup, one of the medium-tall ones with the brown lid, in his left hand. 

Anastasia immediately stood back up and brushed her clothing off, letting out a few nervous chuckles. 

“Uh, heheh.. Uh, hey, Cello.. What's up?” she asked, a nervous smile on her face. 

“I didn't know you come here,” Cello said. 

“I didn't know you come here,” Anastasia said. 

“Nah, this is my first time here. I've been hearing this joint was a lot more decent than everywhere else in the Pentagram,” Cello said, looking over at his coffee cup before he took a sip from it. 

“Yeah, I, uh, I heard the same, so I.. I come by here too, sometimes,” Anastasia said. 

“Okay, your order’s ready, ma'am. Can I get a name for that?” the cat barista asked, holding a market. 

“Anastasia,” Anastasia replied. 

“Okay, and last?” the cat barista asked. 

“Winfield,” Anastasia replied, looking down. 

“Okay.. “Anastasia Winfield…”” the cat barista said, writing on the cake pop box and the clear ice coffee cup with the marker before setting them both on the counter and putting her marker in her pocket. “Okay, here you go. That'll be $20.69.” 

Anastasia pulls out a twenty-dollar bill and a one-dollar bill from her wallet and she lays it onto the counter. 

“You can keep the change,” Anastasia said. 

“Okay, you have a nice day,” the cat barista said as she picked up the money from the counter and walked to the register. 

Anastasia picks up the iced coffee cup and the box from the counter. She looks at the name written on them; “Anistasa Winfeld.” She shows annoyance at how her name was spelt wrong.

She was ready to walk away when Cello put a hand on her shoulder from behind, stopping her in her tracks. Her eyes widened a little and red appeared on her cheeks when she felt him touch her. 

“You're already leaving?” Cello asked as he took his hand off her shoulder and Anastasia turned and looked at him with a straight and normal face. “It's been a while since we last saw each other.”

“That was literally three days ago..” Anastasia said. 

“Well, it felt longer to me. Hey, come on, let's stay and chat a little while,” Cello offered. 

Anastasia was quiet for a moment. She had to choose between going against her better judgement for the sake of being with a boy to going with her better judgement and leaving. 

Minutes later, the two sat together and across one another at a booth in the corner. 

“God, I feel stupid..” Anastasia whispered to herself. 

“What was that?” Cello asked. 

“Uh nothing-” Anastasia said before she saw Cello reach and pick out a cake pop from the box. “Hey.”

“What? Friends share food,” Cello said before he sticks the cake pop into his mouth. 

“We are not friends. And even if we were, get your own cake pops,” Anastasia said, agitated and pulling the cake pop box towards herself. She glares at Cello. 

Cello chuckles. “You really are interesting, huh?”

Anastasia glared to the side for a few seconds. 

“Anyway, how long have you been a human down here?” Cello asked, surprising Anastasia, her eyes slightly widened when she looked at him. Cello looked over at Anastasia, surprised too. “Woah, I was just joking at first, but based on your face, I just guessed correctly, didn't I?”

“Well, I- uhm..” Anastasia said. She was screwed, feeling like she just fucked up on the second time she was with a boy she liked. 

“Relax, girl. It’s cool, I don't care,” Cello reassured. Anastasia took a breath of relief until her head fell over and hit the tabletop, lying her head face first. 

“Wow, hiding it must be weighing you down that much, huh?” Cello teased. 

“Oh, shut up, you dummy..” Anastasia said. “I mean, idiot.”

Cello chuckled a bit. 

Anastasia slowly lowered her head back up, keeping her chin against the wood surface. Her eyes half-lidded as she looked to the side.

“You know, a pretty face like yours is too pretty to be hidden under a hood,” Cello commented before he took a sip of his coffee.

“Oh you're one to talk. You hide your face and your cute poofy hair under that hood all the time!” Anastasia said, then her cheeks flushed when she realized that she just called Cello's hair cute.

‘Fuck,’ Anastasia said in her head.

“You really think that my hair is cute?” Cello asked, slightly teasing.

Anastasia's face was against the wooden surface of the table. She makes a long moaning sound before she raised her head back up.

“Yes. Yes, I do. You pull off that hair better than Justin Bieber did when he was younger and I swear to God I just can't keep myself straight at the sight of it!” Anastasia strained out of herself before she knocked her head back on the table, lying it face first on the surface.

Cello sat there silently. He wasn't surprised, shocked, or anything. He just looked.. straight and neutral. He looks back at the cake pop box and reaches for another, picking the cake pop up and looking down at Anastasia.

“Wanna get outta here? Have a little fun? Looks like you could use it,” Cello said, pointing the cake pop at Anastasia. 

“Eh.. What the hell,” Anastasia said, her face still on the wooden surface of the table.

Minutes later, Anastasia and Cello left Latte Up Your Day and were walking along the sidewalk. Cello had his arms behind his head in a casual, aloof manner.

“Just so you know, this isn't like a date. I only agreed to this because I had nothing else to do other than sitting with my friends back home,” Anastasia said.

“Hm, I believe half of that,” Cello said, teasing her. Anastasia growled a little. 

Anastasia notices that Cello was carrying a sheath on his belt with a.. knife in it?

“What's up with that knife?” Anastasia asked, pointing at the sheath and knife.

“It's a dagger, not a knife. I found it during a little “scavenging” and I decided to carry it around with me. I mean, would I not in a place full of the worst people? You gotta have some self-defense on you,” Cello said.

“Well, yeah.. Yeah, you should,” Anastasia said, looking to the side, looking around the streets. She thought about what Cello said about Hell being full of the “worst people,” even though she knew it wasn't true. She knows that there are good people in Hell too.

“Ahem,” Cello cleared his throat, grabbing Anastasia's attention. He smirked as he pointed his finger at a small building with a sign in neon LED lights hanging over it saying “Laser Tag Apocalypse” and another sign under it saying “Not Real Lasers Though” and a smaller sign on the window saying “Sponsored by VoxTech.”

Anastasia looked over at the building for a few seconds.

The next minute, there was a dark environment filled with a variety of dim neon lights and shapes. There were fog trails and clouds surrounding and crawling amongst the vicinity, on the ground and in the air. It was quiet…

The sound of pattering feet echoed among the floor, followed by rushed flows of exhausted breaths.

“Where’s that son of a gun at?” a voice said. It was Anastasia, wearing an X vest with a big red circle in the center. She was behind a pillar, holding a black gun with a red muzzle at the front that looked straight out of a sci-fi future movie. She looks past the pillar she was behind.

“Sneak attack! Again!” Cello said, popping out of a huge block-like wall structure, aiming his similar gun at Anastasia, except his gun had a yellow muzzle along with his vest having a big yellow circle at the center. He pulls the trigger and a beam of yellow light flies out of the muzzle straight at Anastasia.

Anastasia immediately hid behind the pillar she was behind, avoiding the beam.

“Damn, sneaky mothefucker! I’mma get you!” Anastasia yelled out.

“Try it!” Cello yelled out, feeling a rush of adrenaline.

Anastasia rushes out from behind the pillar, aiming her laser gun at Cello and pulling the trigger twice, firing two beams of red light at him.

“Oh!” Cello yelped before he ran to the left and dove onto the floor, behind a small wall made of three big blocks in a horizontal line, avoiding the red beams of light. He rises back up and shoots a beam of yellow light at Anastasia.

The yellow beam of light hits the center of Anastasia’s vest, causing it to beep.

“Oh, you got me!” Anastasia said.

“Hah! Two more shots and you're down!” Cello said. 

“Not if I shoot you down first!” Anastasia said, holding her laser gun up with a playful smile.

“Catch me if you can, then!” Cello yells out playfully before he leapt over the small wall and runs away, his black boots stomping and pattering on the floor as Anastasia ran after him, her white shoes pattering on the floor. Their laughter and exhausted breaths filled the dim, foggy arena.

Red and yellow beams of light shot at each other left and right, back and forth across the arena, illuminating through the dim environment. 

“Haha! You've gotten quicker, but still slow as ever, human!” Cello playfully yelled before he blasts a beam of yellow light at Anastasia. 

“Eat laser, Cel!” Anastasia yelled out, dodging the beam and then she aims her laser gun at Cello and pulls the trigger, blasting a red beam of light at Cello. The beam hits the center of Cello's vest, causing a beep. 

“D'oh! Man! You got me!” Cello playfully said in mock defeat. 

“Yeah, one more hit and you're out!” Anastasia playfully said as she pointed at Cello. Suddenly, a beam of yellow light shot at her. She reacts and ducks down, dodging the beam as she dives down and climbs under a small arch made of blocks. He crawls under the arch and back in the open. 

“Haha!” Cello cackled as he hid behind a wall-like structure. He looks down at his laser gun, tracing over the smooth surface with his hands in admiration. “I wonder why we never use guns. They’re so fun.”

“What'd you say?” Anastasia asked from across the room. 

“Oh, nothing,” Cello said with a chuckle. He was quiet for a moment until he jumped out of hiding, aiming his laser gun out forward with a mischievous grin. “Now die, human!”

“You first!” Anastasia playfully yelled out as she got back up at her feet and shot a red beam of light at Cello. 

Cello runs off, dodging the beam until a second red beam hits him in the center on the back on his vest.

“Oh!!” Cello yelled out. He slowly lowered, placing his gun on the floor as he lowered his body, going onto his knees. He speaks in mock defeat. “Ooh.. Oh.. Ohh… Oohh, you got me. You got me.. You won. Oh..”

“Haha!” Anastasia said as she stood over towards Cello. “I win!”

“I know. I just said you won,” Cello said with a chuckle. 

Anastasia chuckled a little too until it slowed and her playful happiness turned into something.. less happy. She tilts and turns her head down to the side, looking down.

Cello looked up at Anastasia, an eyebrow raised.

“Hey, you good? You were just having fun and now you look all sad,” Cello said.

“It’s not sadness. More like… confusion,” Anastasia said before she sits down in front of Cello, several inches away from him. “Normally, I'm better than… this.”

“What? Better than fun?” Cello playfully taunted.

“No. I mean, I'm usually smarter and I usually know better than to just go off and have a day of folly with a guy I barely know, and now.. I'm just being stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stup-” Anastasia said in frustration as she gave herself smacks in the head until a hand stopped her hand.

“Okay, you're gonna give yourself head damage if you keep doing that,” Cello said before lowering Anastasia's hand down with his.

The feeling of Cello's hand wrapped around hers sent an electric spark through her skin, making her heart flutter before she immediately recollected herself on the spot.

Cello stands up, looking down at Anastasia.

“Now, if you're done making yourself feel like a goon, I was thinking..,” Cello tucked his hands in his pockets as his head tilted up to the ceiling. 

“You wanna see my hang spot?”

Chapter Text

“You wanna see my hang spot?” Cello asked, his hands tucked into his pockets.

“Hang spot?” Anastasia asked as she looked up at Cello from where she was sitting on the floor. 

“Yeah, in this old barn in the woods. I found it last week and I decided to make it my crib,” Cello said. He turns around. “Come, I'll show you.”

Anastasia stood up and followed Cello to the exit.

“Hey, you need to return those!” an employee called out, catching Cello and Anastasia's attention. He was pointing at the vests and the laser guns that the two had.

After they return the vests and laser guns, Anastasia and Cello walk out of the building through the glass doors.

The two walk along the concrete sidewalk. The tip of Cello's boot tapped an empty soda can lying on the sidewalk. A second later, Cello swung his leg back and straight back forward, kicking the tin surface of the can and sending it flying and bouncing. He intertwined his fingers and extended his arms over his head, stretching his arms out.

Anastasia's stomach grumbled and growled. Cello looks back behind her.

“Wow, starving already? You humans get empty stomachs real fast,” Cello teased.

“I haven't had lunch, okay?” Anastasia remarked.

“Eh, I'm sure there's a… Oh, there,” Cello said, pointing at a restaurant.

There was a small building that represented a fast food establishment. There was a tall yellow sign up next to the building that read “Burger Duke.”

“”Burger Duke?”” Anastasia repeated what the sign said.

“Yep. I come here for lunch all the time. Alright, a quick bite and we’ll be heading off to my hang spot,” Cello said before he walks to the entrance. Anastasia follows behind him.

Cello pushes the glass door open, revealing the interior of the restaurant despite the fact that you could literally see through the door.

The restaurant's interior looked like a diner from the 1950's. The vibrance of nostalgia was written all over the place from the walls to the floors.

The floors were patterned in black and white checkers, the walls were a tint of pastel yellow with white vertical lines that are five feet away from each other, a counter made of red formica with red swivel stools stood across from the entrance, black plush leather boots lined against the walls along with the windows, white circular lamps hung from the ceiling, and stood at the wall on the far left of the restaurant was a jukebox. Stood on the other side of the counter was an open kitchen, revealing a grill or two, various shelves, a soda machine, a milkshake mixer, other counters, and various other kitchen material, appliances, and furniture, all standing ready. A small neon sign in blue lights saying "Burger Duke” hung on the wall on the right away from the counter.

Anastasia could smell the scent of fresh coffee and sizzling burgers in the restaurant's air.

“Wow, I think I'm feeling hungrier than ever,” Anastasia said, causing a chuckle to release from Cello.

“Come on, let's not waste anymore time standing around. Let's eat,” Cello said as he walked up to the counter. Anastasia rolls her eyes in amusement a bit and she follows behind him.

The two sat on the stools next to each other at the counter. 

A female lizard-like demon with black hair in a bun, green scaly skin, light blue eyes with dark green sclera, a long reptilian tail, black spikes, and wearing a waitress’ uniform approaches the two, holding a notepad and pen. 

“Hello, what can I get you?” the lizard demon asked. 

“I want the loaded fries, and make ‘em extra loaded. With a cola,” Cello said. 

“Uh-huh..” the lizard demon said, writing down on her notepad. She looks over at Anastasia. “And you, miss?”

Anastasia looks up at the menu for a few seconds. After looking, she looks back at the lizard demon. 

“I'll just have the salad and I guess a.. Vanilla milkshake,” Anastasia replied. 

“Okay..” the lizard demon said as she wrote down more on her notepad. “Those will be out soon.”

The lizard demon turns around and walks away. 

Cello turns his head at Anastasia, a look of playful judgement disguised as an uninterested look. 

“Of everything exciting on the menu, you choose a salad?” Cello said. 

“Sorry if it’s a crime to watch over my health,” Anastasia remarked. 

Cello chuckles again. 

“I'm just messing with you,” he said with a playful smirk. 

Anastasia looked at Cello with an annoyed glare. 

Few minutes later, the lizard demon comes back, holding a tray holding food and drinks. She lays out a small black box-like bowl filled with french fries topped with seasoning, white and brown and beige-orange drizzle, and green specks along with a glass of soda in front of Cello before she lays out a white bowl of green leaves, tomato slices, cherry tomatoes, and black olive slices along with a tall glass cup filled with a thick white liquid topped with a small mountain of whipped cream and a red cherry at the top with a straw in the glass and soaked in the liquid.

“I’ll be back with your bill later,” the lizard demon said before she turned around and walked away.

After she walked away, Cello picked up a fry from his box-bowl and ate it. Then he took and ate another, and another, and it repeated over and over.

Anastasia looked at Cello for a few seconds while he was eating his fries.

“Where did you learn to be such a pig?” Anastasia asks as she picks up her fork and stabs a piece of lettuce from her salad.

Cello glanced over at Anastasia and shrugs his shoulders in response before he picks up his soda glass and takes a big slurp from it.

Anastasia rolls her eyes as she lifts her fork, looking at the lettuce that had been pierced by the fork, and she lifts it to her mouth and right into it. She slid the lettuce-less fork out of her mouth and her jaw moved in a circular motion as she chewed onto the lettuce piece.

Several minutes, maybe an hour, had passed since the two began eating. Each piece of their food and each drop of their beverages had disappeared one by one, leaving nothing behind. Well, except for Anastasia's milkshake that she hadn't finished yet.

She wrapped her lips around the straw and took a sip when she heard a ring and felt a vibration in her pocket. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out her phone, seeing a text from Angel Dust.

“Yo, Anna, where the fuck are you? You're usually back by one-thirty,” Angel Dust’s text read.

Anastasia contemplated on what to say back. But then again, she’s never gonna live it down if she told Angel Dust what she was doing.

“You gonna finish that or do you need some help?” Cello teased, holding a straw near Anastasia's milkshake.

Anastasia growled a little as she put her phone down screen-first, gripped onto the glass with both hands, and turned away from Cello. She stare-glared at Cello as she wrapped her lips around the straw and began sucking up the rest of the shake in the glass. Cello frowns in mock disappointment. 

The next few minutes, Cello and Anastasia were walking through a forest. Cello had his arms casually behind his head as he walked while Anastasia followed behind him. The two walked past some bushes, feeling the smooth, lush leaves brush against their legs.

‘Deja vu,’ Anastasia thought to herself as she looked down at each bush leaf that brushed against her legs.

“We're here,” Cello said, walking through one more much larger bush, feeling the leaves brush all over him.

Anastasia follows him, walking through that same large bush and feeling the leaves brush all over her and tickling her skin. When she finished her passage through the lush bush, she turned her head and looked ahead of her, seeing a large, old-looking barn in front of her.

“What do you think? Actually, don't answer yet. Let me show you inside,” Cello said as he walks ahead of Anastasia and to the barn.

“Could you wait up? You walk so fast,” Anastasia said in irritation while Cello chuckles playfully and mockingly.

Seconds later, Cello's hand gripped onto a blue curtain and pulled it open, revealing the inside.

“Ta-da. Now what do ya think?” Cello asked.

Anastasia looks around inside the barn. The inside matches the outside with the worn-out wooden walls and structure, the faded paint, and when you step onto the floors, a creak is made. She looked at the furniture, which was more adequate and more ”brand new” than the building itself. She saw some bean bag chairs, a few rugs decorating the floors, a few shelves, a few stands, a few boxes of video games, DVDs, and CDs, a television on top of a small table, a few power strips, a fridge, a freezer, a boom box, a microwave oven, and a wireless generator.

“Where did you get all this? And how did you find a power source here?” Anastasia said.

“All stolen,” Cello said, a smug smirk on his face. “Well, I’m sure the generator is gonna go out next month.”

“Sucks for you,” Anastasia said, her arms crossed.

“Want anything to drink?” Cello asked as he walks over to the fridge and pulls the door open, looking inside.

“No thanks, you and I both just ate earlier,” Anastasia replied.

“Okay, fair,” Cello said, closing the fridge.

Anastasia decided to look around the barn a few more times until she noticed something in the corner of her eye. She saw a black trash bag in the corner of the room. She turns to look at Cello, who she saw was distracted by looking through some boxes holding DVDs. She takes this opportunity to sneak over to the corner and approach the trash bag. 

When she got closer to the trash bag, she noticed a detail she didn't see from her earlier distance; a small stain of a strange golden-yellow substance. She reaches her hand towards it, her fingers barely touching the bag.

“Hey, you want to watch something?” Cello asked, not noticing where Anastasia was.

Anastasia turned around and looked at Cello, lowering her hand.

“Oh uh, yeah, I guess,” Anastasia replied before she walked back over to Cello, leaving the trash bag be. She walks over to a beanbag chair and she sat down in it. “What do we have?”

“Let's see.. The “Friday Night Fright,” “Cannibal in Love,” “Princess and the Night Beast”… Yeah, a lot of the options I have here suck..” Cello said, digging and rummaging his hands through the DVD box. Finally, he pulls out an orange DVD. “Oh, I think I found something. All eight seasons of “Gorging Grievances.” It's about this goth chick who ends up living amongst zombies in the world of the undead. Heh, sounds kinda familiar, right?”

“Uh, yeah,” Anastasia said with a chuckle.

Several hours have passed and the two had gotten into the show, "Gorging Grievances."

“How many episodes does this show have? All together and each season,” Anastasia asked. 

“Hm.. Around ten to twenty episodes per season, and a grand total of a hundred and thirty-three episodes all together,” Cello replied. “Plus, each episode is thirty minutes.”

A ding occurred in the barn. 

“Oh, my pizza bagel is ready,” Cello said before he stands up and walks to the microwave. 

Another sound occurs. It was Anastasia's phone again. She picks it up and she finds another text from Angel Dust. 

“Anna, it's, like, 5. Where R U?????” Angel Dust's text asked. Then, another text was sent. “It's gonna rain. ☂️💧”

Anastasia looked at the clock at the top corner of her phone. It said five-ten pm. She looked over to the side in consideration. Maybe she should head back to the hotel right now. 

Suddenly, a crack and a boom echoed from far away. Far away and high up. A small tap followed. Then, the sound of pitter-pattering began to echo. It was coming from outside…

Anastasia looked out a cracked window, puzzled at the sound. Her pupils stare ahead and shift every so often as she sees the source of the pitter-pattering noise. 

Hundreds of drops of water fall from above, hitting the grass and the ground, soaking them. The red skies were being covered by blankets of grey-red clouds.

“Well, that's a bit of a bummer, huh?” Cello said, standing behind Anastasia and his mouth half full of a chunk from a pizza bagel he was holding in his hand. 

“Shit.. I should probably start heading back home,” Anastasia said.

“You sure you don't wanna wait until the rain passes? You'll catch a cold out there,” Cello said.

“Hm…” Anastasia said. She raises her phone back up, looking down at the screen, rereading Angel Dust's texts. She contemplated on whether or not to text him back, knowing he and probably everyone else at the hotel were worried and wondering where she was and what she was doing.

“C’mon, let's just sit and chill. At least until the rain passes,” Cello said, walking away and back to the bean bag chairs and the TV.

“Eh.. alright,” Anastasia says as he follows behind him. Once she reaches the same destination as Cello, she sits down on a bean bag chair. 

Cello picks up the remote and presses his thumb down on a button, allowing the show to begin playing again on the TV.

On the TV, during the show “Gorging Grievances,” the main character Isabella, a goth girl, was speaking to Logan, a boy who was a zombie teen. The two were sitting on the edge of a cliff, speaking.

“I take it you miss your parents?” Logan asked.

“A lot,” Isabella replied, her arms wrapped around her legs and her head leaning on her knees.

“Me too. I miss them every day and I would give anything to see them again,” Logan said, looking to the side in somber. Isabella looks at Logan with pity and compassion.

“I feel I'd do the same, too..” Isabella said with a sigh. “I don't even know why I ever wished to leave.”

Anastasia and Cello watched the program.

“Heh, bet you wish you and I were like that,” Cello teased.

“Sh-Shut up, no I don't!” Anastasia said, her face flushing red. 

Cello chuckles. “Your face is a tomato.”

Anastasia pouts, her face still flushed red. Cello laughs.

“I’m just messing with you. You're too serious, Anna,” Cello teased.

“Oh, hush it,” Anastasia said in a sour tone. Cello chuckled again. 

A ring echoed in the room. Anastasia pulls her phone back out, seeing that Angel Dust was calling her.

“I'll, uh, I'll be right back,” Anastasia said. She stands up and walks to the other side of the room behind a column. She presses her finger on the green button on the screen and then she holds the phone up to her ear. “Hey Angel..”

“Anna, what the hell are you doing? I know you saw my texts, why didn't you respond?” Angel Dust asked.

“I’m sorry, I got distracted with some.. things,” Anastasia replied.

“What things? What have you been doing all day? It’s already pouring outside,” Angel Dust said.

“Oh my God, what the hell are you, my dad?” Anastasia said defensively before she immediately pressed her thumb on the red button on her phone, hanging up.

Back at the hotel, Angel Dust had a look of confusion and offense on his face. 

“What the fuck? She just hung up on me,” Angel Dust said. 

Back at Cello's barn, Anastasia lowers her hand and sighed.

“Who was that?” Cello asked, standing a few inches away.

“Just a friend of mine. He was just wondering where I was,” Anastasia said.

“And you didn't want to say anything, huh?” Cello asked.

“No,” Anastasia replied, looking to the side.

“Well, you probably won't have to, ‘cause it looks like the rain is starting to lighten up,” Cello said, pointing his thumb out the entrance.

“Oh,” Anastasia said.

Both she and Cello walked away to a certain spot in the barn.

Around one hour, maybe one and a half hours, had passed. The rain had stopped descending from the sky and the clouds remained.

“Hm..,” Cello hummed as he peeked through the entrance, looking outside. “The ground is looking muddy.”

Anastasia peeks from next to him.

“Muddy? Damn it, I don't have any rain boots to walk through that,” Anastasia said.

“Yeah, it’d be a shame to get your perfectly white shoes dirty,” Cello said, gesturing an open hand to Anastasia's white shoes. Anastasia tilts her head down, looking at her shoes. 

Suddenly, Cello rushed over and lifted Anastasia up over his head. 

“Psyche!” Cello ecstatically exclaimed. 

“Woah, what the hell are you-?! AAH!!” 

Cello had swung his arms forward and thrown Anastasia out of the barn, causing a splash to emerge in the air.

Anastasia was lying on the ground, soaked in mud. She slowly sat up and saw herself drenched in brown. 

“Oh, aww. Aw, Cel, I'm covered in mud!” Anastasia said, frustrated.

Cello laughs. Suddenly, a ball of mud hits Cello in the face, ceasing his laughter. 

“Gotcha, bitch!” Anastasia bragged. 

Cello wipes his hand on his face, wiping the mud off his face, leaving a smudge across his face, trailing from the top right of his face, over his nose, to his left cheek. 

His eyes showed death and anger… Until they squeezed closed as he started laughing. 

“I'm gonna get you back!” Cello said, running onto the muddy ground, covering his boots in brown before he reached his hand down, scooping a handful of mud in his palm before raising his hand up. 

Anastasia stood up, her clothes all muddy. 

“I hope you're ready..” Anastasia said. 

“Oh, you know I am,” Cello said, a playful smirk on his face.

“MUD FIGHT!!” the two declared to the sky. 

Balls and chunks of mud flew through the air. Back and forth they soared. Laughter filled the air with each “haha.” Joy had sprung between the two. Smiles stretched across their faces and their clothes had been assaulted and stained by brown muck.

This joyous exchange had gone on for what seemed to have felt like forever…

The two fall backwards, lying on the brown ground next to one another. Chuckles escaped their lips before they were replaced with exhausted sighs. 

“Heh.. Wow. I haven't had a day like this in a while..,” Anastasia said. 

“”In a while?” Why’s that?” Cello teases. 

“Well, I grew up and days didn't feel like today for a while. At least, to me they didn't,” Anastasia said. 

“Damn. Humans lose their interest in having fun that quickly, huh?” Cello said. 

“Not all humans,” Anastasia said, her mud-stained face softening as she spoke. “There are humans, ones older than me, who would want to, y'know, turn time back to when their days were fun, like when they were children, for instance.”

“Hm,” Cello hummed in interest. 

Anastasia looked up at the sky. 

“Sometimes I want to return to the time where I felt happier, happier before..,” Anastasia said, hesitating to finish. 

“Before what?” Cello asked. 

“Ehm..” Anastasia uttered. She slowly sits up, her head tilted down and not facing Cello. “It's nothing… Nothing for you to worry about.”

“Ah, personal past bizz. I get it,” Cello said casually as he sat up along with her. He gazed up at her muddy state. “Hey.”

“What?” Anastasia asked, curiously.

“Y'know, looking at you right now, the way you are, I gotta say.. You look pretty in brown,” Cello said, raising his hand towards Anastasia and to her face, gently brushing a strand of mud-covered hair out of her face and tucking it behind her ear, causing red to arise in her cheeks.

“You mean “brown” as in “mud,” right?” Anastasia asked, playfully.

“Yes,” Cello replied.

Anastasia and Cello share a laugh.

After the laughter concluded, Anastasia looked down in thought, a shade of red present in her face and a soft smile across her face. Suddenly, she perked up in realization.

“Ah, shoot! I think I should be heading back right now. It's getting a little dim,” Anastasia said as she immediately hopped up and stood on her legs. 

“Really? In your grimey state?” Cello teased. 

“I'll deal with that later. Okay, see ya, hope we meet again!” Anastasia said with a wave as she turned around and ran away. 

Cello sat and watched as Anastasia ran into the distance, past the bushes and the trees. 

Anastasia had walked through the streets in her muddy state, leaving muddy shoe prints where she walked. Many eyes stared, but she showed no shame.

The hotel door swung open, revealing Anastasia in all her dirty, muddy glory. She stepped in, leaving muddy prints on the red carpets and she closed the door.

“Anna,” Angel Dust said, catching Anastasia's attention. “Where have you been? I called you earlier and you straight-up hung up on me. What gives?”

“Look, I was just busy with… stuff,” Anastasia said, her arms crossed.

“Is it the same “stuff” that's left you looking like that?” Husk asked, pointing at Anastasia's muddy state.

“My carpets!” Niffty cried before she rushed over with a scrubber and soap, drenching the carpet where Anastasia stepped and left muddy prints in soap as she frantically scrubbed up and down and side to side, frantic breathing filling the lobby. “Clean, clean, clean, clean!”

“Anna, you need to at least tell us what you're doing if you were gonna be out longer than normal. We thought something happened to you. Well, something worse than getting yourself dirty, at least,” Vaggie said. 

“Yeah, what happened while you were out?” Charlie asked curiously.

“Now now, everyone. I'm sure Anastasia has a good explanation for us, but for now, she needs to get cleaned up. Even a human should maintain at least a little dignity,” Alastor said, his grin present. 

Anastasia frowned a bit in annoyance. Then, she sighs. 

“Okay.. I'll tell you what happened after I take a shower and change,” Anastasia said in slight defeat before she began to walk away, leaving more muddy trails. 

Alastor held his microphone staff out, blocking Anastasia’s path and stopping her in her tracks. 

“Ah-ah-ah~. You're going to leave a mess along the way. I should have the obligation of escorting you,” Alastor said, his voice dripping with amusement. 

“I don't need an escort,” Anastasia said in refusal. 

“Nonsense. I insist,” Alastor insisted. He raises his hand and snaps his fingers. A black portal appears underneath the two and then they sink down to it, fading into the floor as the portal closes. 

“Hang on-!” Vaggie said, trying to stop them in protest before they disappeared already. She groaned a bit. 

“Vaggie, it's okay. I'm sure he's not gonna try anything..” Charlie reassured. 

After two hours or so, the gang were waiting down in the lobby. 

“Okay, they're taking forever. I'm starting to pull guesses here on what they're doing,” Angel Dust said, ready to make a joke. 

“Don't even think about it,” Husk said. 

Then, seconds after, both Alastor and Anastasia were walking down the stairs. Anastasia was completely mud free and she had a change of clothes on. She was wearing a pastel rainbow off-shoulder top, light blue jeans, and a new pair of white shoes. Even her hair was tied back in a low ponytail. 

“Oh, Anna, you're finally cleaned up!” Charlie announced. 

“Did Alastor do anything.. y'know,” Angel Dust teased. 

“Absolutely not,” Alastor said, an annoyed look in his eyes. 

“Yeah, all he did was wait outside my room while I was showering,” Anastasia reassured. 

“Good,” Vaggie said, a distrustful look in her eyes present in Alastor's direction. 

“Now, uh… You were saying something about explaining what you were doing all day?” Angel Dust asked. 

“Yes..,” Anastasia admitted. Then, her gaze turned cold. “And Angel, work on fixing your mind.”

Angel Dust chuckled. 

The arms of the clock had changed as time passed. During that time, Anastasia had been explaining her day to the others. 

“And then we started playing around in the mud. And, I'm sorry I didn't say anything before. I guess I was just embarrassed ‘cause I, sort of.., liked him..” Anastasia said, looking to the side. The hotel gang were looking at her with mixed expressions. 

“Awkward..” Sir Pentious said, breaking the short moment of silence. 

“What's so awkward? Just go ahead and laugh. Get it out of your systems,” Anastasia said, ready for any incoming laughter. 

No one laughed though. All they did was maintain mixed expressions.

“Huh, so that explains why you were so defensive on the phone earlier,” Angel Dust said. 

“Not gonna lie, kid. I've heard other shit stranger than this,” Husk said. Then, he pulled out a beer bottle and sighed quietly as he opened it and spoke under his breath again. “Teenagers…”

“Well, isn't this such an interesting development? A young human falling prey to young love. And in the worst of all places too,” Alastor said, amused and mocking. Anastasia looked annoyed at him. 

“Shall I fill in for the laugh?” Elijah asked, a hand raised and a smirk present on his face. 

“Go ahead,” Anastasia said, admitting defeat.

Elijah suddenly bursts out in laughter as he falls over, his arms wrapped around his gut and his leg kicking up. Anastasia stood there, looking to the side in defeat and annoyance as Elijah laughed. 

Vaggie sat on the couch next to Charlie, her eye widened in shock or surprise. 

“She was with Cello all day? What the hell is he even doing here?” Vaggie asked herself in her head. 

Then, Vaggie looks over at Charlie, whose face was filled with awe and joy.

“Snap out of it, hun,” Vaggie said as she gently shook Charlie by her shoulder.

“Oh, right. Sorry,” Charlie said. 

Vaggie turns back to Anastasia. “Anna, listen. I think you should be more careful around this boy.”

Anastasia raised an eyebrow at Vaggie in confusion and curiosity, plus a hint of defiance.

“I'm sorry, but I just have a bad feeling about him. I don't want you getting hurt,” Vaggie said. Anastasia sighs in response. 

“It's okay. I shouldn't even be this reckless,” Anastasia sighed. She lowered her head and laid her face onto her palm. “I'm so dumb..”

“Don't sweat it. Happens to the best of us,” Angel Dust said. He turned his head to the side in melancholy and sighed. “Happens to the best of us…”

Chapter Text

Around a week had passed since Anastasia's day with Cello. During the entire week after that day, she had tried visiting that barn, which Cello had claimed as his “hang spot.” But whenever she visited, she didn't see him anywhere. She had hopes that the next few days after training, she would run into him or at least see him whenever she went to check the barn, but she never saw him anywhere that she knew of. 

After the week had passed, Anastasia decided to stop, but she never told anyone about it, keeping it to herself for now.

Today was yet another new day for her. She wore a cropped red shirt, blue jeans, and red shoes.

Currently, Anastasia was at the hotel, in the kitchen. She was holding two slices of bread and she placed them on a white plate. She picks up a silver butter knife and she glides the blade across one slice, leaving a smear of white mayonnaise on the bread. She puts the knife in the sink and she walks back to the counter, placing a small piece of lettuce, two slices of tomatoes, and a slice of bologna on the tomatoes before she rests the second slice of bread on top, making a sandwich. She walks over to the cupboard, opens the door, pulls out a yellow bag of chips, tears it open, walks back to the counter, and pours a small pile of chips next to the sandwich on the plate. She closes the bag with a clip, puts it back in the cupboard, and then she grabs a glass cup from the second cupboard, walks to the fridge, pulls out a pitcher of water, and she tilted the pitcher over the cup, pouring a waterfall of water into the glass, nearly filling it up before she tilted the pitcher back in its normal position and puts it back in the fridge and closes it. She walks back to the counter and lays the glass next to the plate.

She takes a long breath.

“Elijah! Lunch is ready!” Anastasia called out.

At the sound of his name, Elijah came running. His feet stomped and pattered on the carpeted floor boards as he ran through the doorway and hopped onto a chair at the counter.

“‘Kay, I'm here!” Elijah said.

“Elijah, we already told you that you can't run around the hotel or you'll trip,” Anastasia said.

“Psh, people trip all the time. It's just the nature of things,” Elijah contradicted before he grabs the sandwich and lifts it from the plate. He lifts it to his mouth and he chomps down on it, taking a bite out of it. He chews on the chunk of sandwich in his mouth as he looks over at Anastasia. He begins to speak with his mouth full. “Hey, I thought you had training today.”

“No. Lady Swallotale cancelled for her students for a few days. So, I’m here for today. And tomorrow,” Anastasia replied.

“Ah,” Elijah said before he took a few more bites of his sandwich.

Charlie peeks from the doorway, turning her head and looking around before she looks over at Anastasia and Elijah.

“Oh good, you're both here,” Charlie said. Vaggie approached Charlie and stood next to her.

Elijah had his face stuffed full of sandwich when he looks over at Charlie and Vaggie. 

“Yeah, we're here. What's up?” Elijah asked, his mouth full. 

“You remember that thing I told everyone about that Alastor said he was working on?” Charlie asked. 

“Yeah,” Anastasia replied. 

“Well, he just finished it. It took a few days, but he got it done. C'mon, he's gonna show it to us shortly,” Vaggie said. 

“Cool. I'mma bring my chips,” Elijah casually said, lifting his plate of chips off the table before he hops off the chair and walks away. Anastasia rolled her eyes as she smiled humorously a tiny bit and then she followed behind him and the others. 

“So, what has Al been working on?” Anastasia asked. 

“We asked him to work on a commercial for the hotel. He suggested a radio advertisement at first, but..” Charlie hesitated to finish the rest of the sentence. 

“We insisted that he do a commercial because it seems like a more surefire way to advertise the hotel since, even in Hell, not everyone listens to radio,” Vaggie said. 

“Yup, radio is so old school,” Elijah said before he puts a chip in his mouth and crunches on it. 

Moments later, the television flicked on with static until it cleared, showing a video on the box’s screen. 

A familiar voice spoke out of it as the camera zoomed in to two demons fighting in a destroyed part of town. One of them was stabbing the other until their attention was caught by someone, aka Alastor, speaking to them and filming them, confusing them as other demons showed up in the ruins. 

“Well, hello there, you wayward Sinner! Do you like blood, violence, and depravity of a sexual nature? Of course you do, that's why you're in Hell! But what would you say if I told you that there was a place to stay that had none of that?”

The camera switches to a full view of the outside of the Hazbin Hotel and a video of Charlie waving at the camera and a little bunny-ear prank from Angel Dust from behind her.

“Welcome to the Hazbin Hotel, a misguided path to redemption! Founded six months ago by Lucifer's delusional daughter, Charlotte Morningstar!”

The camera switches a video of Charlie at an interview with an annoyed female news reporter with red eyes, pale white skin, short blonde hair, wearing red, and a cigarette lit in her hand. Charlie was smiling nervously as she held a colorful drawing of her hotel and pointed upwards. Then, the camera showed a picture of Charlie standing in front of a cork board with pictures and string attached to tacks at each picture, showing her plans and ideas for the hotel. Then, another picture shows up, showing Charlie and her father, Lucifer, where the two are facing opposite directions, Lucifer in the back, back turned and under a spotlight while Charlie is facing the camera, in darkness, arms crossed, and her eyes welled up in tears with a sad frown on her face. Then, another picture pops up of her showing a presentation of a chart of her redemption plan to a crowd of other demons. 

“Come place your fate in her inexperienced hands, as she tries to work through her daddy issues by fixing you!”

The camera zooms through the doors and shows the inside of the hotel, with Razzle and Dazzle cleaning up before the camera turns to Husk, who is drunk and tired and he drops his head onto the counter of the bar. Niffty also appears, chasing a bug with a giant sewing needle. The camera shows a bathroom and then it switches to the parlor, where Angel Dust sat on the couch and Keekee the cat sat on the coffee table until a faulty beam fell onto the counter, making her jump and run away. 

“Here we offer fun things, such as somewhat functional staff and twenty-four-hour pest control. Custom rooms, and just look at this tacky parlor!”

Angel Dust looks at the camera and lifts his hand up, showing his middle finger before Sir Pentious is seen with his Egg Bois, walking through the parlor carrying machine parts as the camera follows them, where Sir Pentious got nervous and then he slithers away swiftly with his Egg Bois following him. Then, an image with a black silhouette with a white question mark on its face appears. 

“Enjoy riveting conversation and probably even get caught in shenanigans with our two residents and maybe even catch a glimpse of our special mystery guest!”

A twirling comic-styled “Wow” bubble appears before another drawing of the Hazbin Hotel appears, with different stickers and notes added to it. It was most likely drawn and written by Alastor because of the two small doodles of smiley faces. The camera shows a view of the top of the hotel and its sign, with a text saying “Call Now!!! Or Don't! I Don't Care! We Still Don't Have A Working Phone!”

“Wow! All this, and more at the Hazbin Hotel! Your last desperate attempt at salvation starts here!”

The television flicks off, showing Charlie and Vaggie's surprised faces on the reflection of the television screen. Alastor takes his hand off the dial and looks over at the two.

“So, what do you think?” Alastor asked.

Charlie and Vaggie sat in silence.

“I'm sorry. What the fuck was that?” Vaggie asked, breaking the silence.

“Uh, yeah.. Just one little note, Alastor.. Well, first off, thank you so much for making this. Seriously, amazing, but, um.. maybe the tone is a bit.. off?” Charlie said, trying to put her critique in the nicest way possible, even though Alastor had the smallest look of offense despite his permanent grin. “We want people to want to come here. This makes the hotel look, um..”

“”Bad.” The word you're looking for is “bad,”” Vaggie remarked.

“Funny. I was going for “hilarious,”” Alastor said, a playful, albeit permanent, grin on his face as he tilted his head back and darted his eyes back in that same direction. His attitude furthers the irritation of Vaggie. 

“It didn't explain anything about how we're trying to save demons from extermination, which is the whole fuckin-”

Apparently Vaggie's annoyance and irritation had made her forget that Anastasia was in the room and how she and the others thought she wasn't aware of the Exterminations. It wasn't until Charlie's concerned look, her throat clearing, her gentle nudge on Vaggie's shoulder, and her pointing out Anastasia’s presence in the room that made her remember. Vaggie looked at Anastasia in realization.

“Uh, shit,” Vaggie said. 

“No one told her, huh?” Angel Dust asked, lying on the other couch, holding a greenish-yellow bottle. 

“You didn't?” Vaggie asked. 

“Hell naw. She'd have freaked out,” Angel Dust replied. “But I can kinda see that she isn't, so uh… you already knew?”

“Lady Swallotale told me about it when I visited her,” Anastasia replied, her arms in a light cross. “I'll be honest with you. I drank a little bit of one of her teas, so I didn't really have much of a reaction because my nerves calmed down so suddenly.”

“Well, we, uh, didn't know exactly how to tell you, ‘cause we know that you want to get back to Earth, and I know we're still in the middle of trying to find a way for you to get back and we also don't know if a live human could be a target if they ended up in Hell by the time that comes and-” Charlie was rambling anxiously, nearly non-stop, before Vaggie puts a hand on her shoulder. 

“Hun, don't worry. We'll figure out a way. And if not, we'll figure out something else. But right now, let's just focus on.. this." Vaggie said, gesturing her hand at the TV and at Alastor. 

“Right, uh, back to the commercial thing,” Charlie said with a small nervous chuckle. She looks back at Alastor. “Alastor, Vaggie is right about one thing; the commercial is meant to let Sinners know we are trying to help them.”

“Well, my dear, I haven't been quite active in Hell for quite some time until around six months ago, and everyone remembers me from my radio show, the proper medium to express one's self. But you insisted on this noisy picture box advertisement, so I had a little fun with it,” Alastor said with a tap of his cane on the TV. 

“Oh, “fun?” You had a little “fun” with it? We don't want this to represent us,” Vaggie said as she stood up. “It was bad enough when you drove away a new tenant a while ago and now you're mocking us after you showed up months ago and said you wanted to help run the hotel. Nobody’s going to want to come to a place that a powerful Overlord like you thinks is a waste of time.”

“Well, surely the mention of a “special mystery guest” should be enough to bring even the smallest bit of intrigue that would motivate even a few Sinners to come, right?” Alastor said, albeit in a mocking way.

“I don't really appreciate you bringing me up in your advertisement,” Anastasia said.

“I never said it was you,” Alastor said.

“But you implied it,” Anastasia said.

“Well, it's not like anyone would know immediately that this “guest” is a human, right?” Alastor said in mock, another head tilt. Anastasia glared a little in response. 

“The problem is that we don't know how other Sinners would respond to the fact that me, a live human, is down here in a world of dead souls. Sure, I've met a few who are nice, but not everyone is gonna be nice towards me,” Anastasia said. 

“Y'know, maybe we should've probably thought about what to do with Anastasia and how she's staying here and how to explain her to other new residents… But with this as our commercial, we won't be able to gain any new residents,” Vaggie said, gesturing to the TV again.

Angel Dust raises his hand. Everyone looks at him. 

“What, Angel?” Vaggie asked. 

“If ya need help with filming a commercial, I may have a suggestion; you could take advantage of the talented celebrity you have right here,” Angel Dust said, sitting up as he slicked his hair back and then pointed at himself with a wink.

“Angel, you're a porn star," Vaggie pointed out. 

“A famous porn star. I'll have the horniest Sinners knocking these walls down to get in,” Angel Dust said as Alastor appeared nearby him. “In fact, make a film of me going at it with Mister Fancy Talk-Creepy Voice here and you'll be swimming in an entire pool of participants willing to stay in this tacky place.”

“Haha! Never going to happen!” Alastor said, irritation and annoyance on his face despite his grin.

“Angel, we are not filming a porn as a commercial,” Vaggie said.

“Guys, there is a kid in the room,” Anastasia said in exasperation, covering Elijah’s ears. Elijah expressed a mix of innocence and confusion on his face. He pops a potato chip in his mouth and crunches on it with his teeth. 

“Look, Angel. As much as I appreciate the offer, I don't really want to.. exploit you in that way,” Charlie said.

“Come on. This bod was made to be exploited. I got the arms, I got the stamina, I got the legs, I got the lung capacity, I got the legs, the gag reflex, the holes.. Did I mention I got the legs? The chest fluff everyone thinks are tits…” Angel Dust was going on about what he's got, pouring an entire list out of him, furthering irritation from Anastasia because Elijah, a kid, was in the room. She kept her hands on his ears.

Charlie lightly laughed a little nervously until she heard the musical sound of a trumpet. It was her phone. It was ringing. She turns her head over to look at her phone lying beside her on the couch to see why it was ringing. Her father was calling.

“Oh! Uh, hold that thought. I’ll be right back,” Charlie said, picking up her phone and walking away.

“I can keep going all night, baby,” Angel Dust said.

“I swear, I will hit you..,” Anastasia said, uncovering Elijah's ears as she raised up her fist slightly and her brows furrowed as her tone carried a threat.

“Uh, okay..,” Angel Dust said, slightly intimidated as he slightly raised two of his hands up in surrender.

Charlie turned past a corner, staring at her phone nervously. She takes a nervous breath as she presses her thumb on the screen and raises her phone to her ear.

“Hello? Dad?” Charlie greeted her father over the phone.

Meanwhile, everyone in the parlor were continuing their discussion.

“Hey, uh, I have a question. If Freaky Face over there is so powerful, then why can't he just make people stay here?” Angel Dust asked as he gestured and looked over at Alastor, who was near the TV again.

“Oh, trust me..,” Alastor said. Suddenly, the air around him seemingly grew dark as his red eyes illuminated, his grin widened maliciously, and his antlers began to grow slightly, sounds of subtle static in the air.

“I can.”

The air, along with Alastor's demeanor, went back to normal as soon as Husk spoke up.

“Why do you think I'm here? You all actually think I'd be sitting here, cleaning bottles and hearing you all bitch and moan all the time if he wasn't forcing me?” Husk asked.

“I like being forced,” Niffty said, popping up by Husk and with her hand up. She looked rather happy when she said that.

“Keep that to yourself, Niff,” Husk said.

“What? I thought you were starting to like it here with me, Whiskers..” Angel Dust flirted.

“Don't call me “Whiskers” ever again or else that bottle's going down your throat,” Husk threatened.

“Well, doesn't that sound.. kinky. You got any more dirty talk?” Angel Dust flirted. He raises his finger and bends it a few times. “Come one, show me what else you got left in the tank..”

“What's all that mean?” Elijah asked, his chip plate empty.

“Guys, kid in the room,” Anastasia said, slightly irritated as she put her hands on Elijah’s ears again. 

Vaggie sighs. “Angel, let Husk do his job. And no, we can't force Sinners to stay here. They need to choose to.” 

Anastasia nodded in agreement with Vaggie's words.

“I think this entire thing is kinda stupid, but I’m choosing to stay here for the rent-free room. ‘Cause crack isn't cheap. Also, isn't Hell, like, the end of the road for us?” Angel Dust asked.

“Well, I don't think it entirely has to be the end, Angel,” Anastasia chimed in, taking her hands off of Elijah's ears. Vaggie smiles at Anastasia's supportive input.

“But he kinda makes a point, doesn't he? If a human soul is already sent down to Hell after they've croaked, they don't really get another chance to enter Heaven. Like, ever. It's like a one-way road, if you ask me,” Elijah said, slightly irritating Vaggie before she regained her patience towards the child, the child who wouldn't necessarily understand given he is young and also a Hellborn demon. 

“Look, just because no one's made it out yet, doesn't mean it's not possible,” Vaggie said. “It's worth a shot.”

“VAGGIE HOLY SHIT!!” Charlie yelled excitedly, peeking her head from the corner and frantically waving her arm very fast, catching everyone, including Vaggie's, attention.

“Ah! What?” Vaggie asked, startled by Charlie.

Charlie squeaks in excitement, a large grin on her face as she waved for Vaggie to come over before she disappears behind the corner. Vaggie sighs with a smile as she walks over to the corner.

“What was all that about?” Elijah asked, looking over at Anastasia and the others.

“Sorry I'm late. I just came back from some, uh, important matters in my quarters. Eh, uh, did I miss anything?” Sir Pentious asked as he slithered into the parlor with the others.

Vaggie approaches Charlie through the walkway around the corner. Charlie was hopping up and down in excitement.

“What's going on?” Vaggie asked. 

Charlie quickly takes a breath, inhaling and exhaling only once.

“My dad just called. He said that the leader of the Angel Army wants to meet. He asked if I can go instead,” Charlie said in quick speech as she pulled Vaggie closer to her by her shoulders before she let her go and rushed back off into the parlor in excitement, standing in the center of everyone in glee. “Can you guys believe it? My dad asked me to meet with the Exorcist leader! I can't believe it!”

Vaggie walks into the parlor with a look of surprise mixed in with confusion on her face. “But.. But the next Extermination isn't for another six months. What could they possibly want right now?” 

“I don't know, but this could be my chance! I can finally share my dream with Heaven!” Charlie said in hope and excitement as she looked up at the light shining through the windows of the hotel, the light reflecting in her eyes, making them shimmer. 

“Charlie-”

“I’ll tell them about my hotel and I’ll get them on board and everything!”

“But-”

“I can finally show them that a soul can be redeemed! That second chances exist! That there is still hope for a Sinner! And I know I can't blow this. There's no way I could. This is my one shot! My one chance to change their minds and their hearts, or, at least, whatever Angels have in their chests..” Charlie nervously chuckled a bit.

“Charlie, I don't think you understand. You're meeting with the leader of the entire Angel Army. I doubt this is going to be as easy as you think, and-” Vaggie was speaking until..

“She already went out the door,” Angel Dust said, pointing at the open doors.

Everyone, except Vaggie, approaches the open door, watching Charlie as she runs and skips down the streets of Hell. She was at her most excited.

“Wow, look at her go,” Elijah commented.

“Oh boy..” Vaggie groaned, face-palming.

Chapter Text

Charlie’s shoes tapped seamlessly fast among the concrete streets. She had been running for several minutes, maybe up to half an hour at best, until she arrived at a white, pristine marble fence near a stairway into a large, gold and white church with a large clock tower with an hourglass. It was a great contrast to Hell's overall more red and near-chaotic environment.

She stares up at the church, the gold light shimmering from the building reflecting in her eyes as she pants, showing her exhaustion from running all the way from the hotel to the church.

“The Heaven Embassy.. I'm here,” she said as she smiled, a look of hope and determination in her eyes. She was eager to have this meeting with the leader of the Exorcists. She was eager to get them on board with her plans of helping her people and keeping the yearly mass slaughters at bay with her hotel.

She rushed over to the stairway, stepping one by one on each step until she was at the top and in front of the smooth, gold doors. She takes a breath and reaches her hand to the door.

The door pushes open and Charlie peeks her head through.

“Hello?” Charlie said, her voice echoing through the room. She pushes the door open and closes it behind her as she walks through the walkway of the lobby. “Hello?”

The inside was just as pristine as the outside, grander even. The walls were light purple with gold trims, the carpets were grey-ish with white line zig-zag patterns and the carpet walkway was white. Several white and gold ornate couches sat beside the walkway. The windows had mosaic patterns, a few with crosses and the one behind the front desk with a sphere with rings and wings raining lights over a large fire. On either side of the walls were gold doors with statues of masked angels over them. Above the ceiling was a gold chandelier, illuminating the lobby with a dim light along with the light passing through the windows.

Despite its pristine and grand appearance, the lobby was empty. There was no one around. No sign of life anywhere. No one was even there behind the desk to at least greet Charlie. It felt eerie and unnerving.

“Hello?” Charlie said again, her voice echoing again, as she started looking around in hopes that someone was around. She walked along the white walkway within the empty halls towards the front desk. While looking at the empty lobby, she began to feel a little uneasy. “Creepy..”

She approaches the front desk, looking down at the gold bell. She taps her hand onto it, making the bell ding.

In an instant, a glowing golden scroll and feather pen float towards her from above, surprising her. The scroll had “Heaven Embassy” written at the top of the page and “Sign In” written at the bottom.

“Oh. Okay, uh, also a lil’ creepy..,” Charlie said as she picked up the feather pen and signed the scroll. Immediately afterwards, the scroll and pen flew up and disappeared before a ping echoed in the room as two sliding doors slid open. She looks at the open doors before walking over and through them, entering a dark, seemingly empty room. “Uh, hello? Is anyone.. here?”

In a second, the lights turned on, revealing a pristine room with blue walls and gold-ish trim and a circular table with several chairs. At the other end of the table were two masked angels. One was a man wearing a yellow and white robe with spikes on the collar and the letter A at the front and he had gold yellow wings. The other was a woman, shorter than the man, who wore a grey minidress with a grey gradient feather collar, a white belt, white long gloves and thigh-high boots, a few blood stains on her clothes, and she had black and white wings. They both wore a similar masked horned helmet and matching halos over their heads. The man wore a grey helmet mask with a dark grey mask and dark grey horns with yellow tips and he had yellow eyes and sharp yellow teeth and black eyebrows and he had a gold halo with two gold spikes. The woman, on the other hand, wore a white-grey helmet and black mask with white eyes, the right with a black X, a stitched mouth, and black horns with white thin lines and she had a black halo with two black spikes.

“‘Sup,” the male angel said, sitting at the edge of the table, holding a rib in his hands while the female angel stood next to him.

“Woah, shit!” Charlie said in surprise as she fell over before she slowly got back up and fixed her hair, reverting back to her friendly attitude as she introduced herself. “Uh, hi! I'm Charlie. My dad asked me to meet you.”

“Yeah I know,” the male angel said. He begins to eat the rest of the rib in his hands.

“Okay, well.. It's nice to meet you,” Charlie said, raising her hand out.

“Totally. Nice to meet you too,” the male angel said in a friendly attitude as he leaned over the table with his hand sticking out in the same manner as Charlie's as she approached him.

Charlie reaches out to shake his hand, only for it to phase through him as his hand flickered.

“Ah!” Charlie said, freaked out as she jolted back a little and retracted her hand.

“Hah! I fuckin’ got you,” the male angel said. He turns his head to the female angel beside him. “Did you fuckin' see that?”

The female angel nods her head up and down once, her expression remaining stoic.

“Good shit,” the male angel said. He seemed to have found amusement in the situation.

“Wait, so… You're not actually here?” Charlie asked, having deciphered that he and the female angel are holograms.

“Mmm, no. You think I'd come down there? As much as I love the vibe you got going on, I mean, it's pretty fucking hardcore, don't get me wrong, but it's just such a bummer, man. I mean, everything down there is just so “eugh,” y'know what I mean?” the male angel asked with a light chuckle. “Ew.”

“Right. So, I'm happy we've got this opportunity to meet. There’s a project that I've been working on that I really want to talk to you about and-” Charlie was shushed by the male angel's flickering holographic finger.

“Hey, hey, hey, slow down. We’ve got time. How about we get to know each other a little, hm? Maybe over some lunch? Ya hungry? I got you,” the male angel said. He holds a silver plate of ribs in front of Charlie. “Here's my personal favorite. You'll love it.”

“Uh, thanks,” Charlie said, raising her hand to take a rib. She tries to grab one, only for her hand to phase through them and reveal the plate of ribs to also be a hologram as it flickered. This exhibits loud laughter from the male angel.

“I got you again, bitch! Haha! Fuckin' hilarious! Haha!” the male angel laughed while Charlie chuckles in an annoyed, unamused manner.

“Okay.. So-” Charlie said as she sat down, before the angel raised his hand again.

“Hang on, before you say anything, let me tell you about how my weekend went down. I mean, I've been dying to just tell someone about it, I mean, it's just something I gotta get out once it's in the system, ya know what I mean?” the male angel asked. Charlie sighed a little.

It has been at least around an hour. The male angel spent most of the time talking about himself, boring Charlie. She had herself propped up with her elbows on the table, having to listen in, her patience thinning but remaining strong.

“So then I had this gig to play, and then for some reason this Virtue chick came and started to dig on the drummer. It's like, “do you know who I am? I'm fuckin’ Adam, I'm the original dick!” All dicks descend from me. You think you want drummer dick?” the male angel, who called himself Adam, asked, looking at the female angel as she nodded her head side to side. “No way! I’m the Dick-fuckin’ master!”

Shortly after, Adam started eating another rib, talking with his mouth full.

“So, anyway, and then we fucked, and it was awesome,” he said. He looks back at Charlie as he casually ate his rib. “So, what'd you do this weekend?”

“Wait, your name is “Adam?” As in, “the first man Adam?” Then that means you-.. Oh…,” Charlie said, realizing. Her face grimaces. “That explains so much.”

“I know, I fucking rock,” Adam said, throwing the horn hand gesture up as he smiled casually.

“Well, Adam, sir. Mister Adam, sir,” Charlie said.

“Call me “Dickmaster,”” Adam said.

“Adam. Well, you seem like a smart, well, stand-up guy,” Charlie said.

“Uh-huh,” Adam said, casually picking his teeth with his pinky.

“And I know you are the leader of the Angels, and you are a big thinker, a revolutionary, a- a genius,” Charlie said.

“I mean, your words, babe,” Adam said, grinning smugly at her as his ego inflated from her comment.

“Who would love to put his name on something..,” Charlie said.

“I fuckin’ love putting my name on shit! Shit’s the best!” Adam said in enthusiasm.

“It's a solution to our biggest problem!” Charlie said in enthusiasm.

“Ah, herpes. Yeah, that's a bitch,” Adam said.

“No. I mean our other biggest problem..,” Charlie said.

“Oh, uh, ugly people? Math? Global warming- uh, no wait, that's Earth's problem, don't even know why I brought it up. Uhhhmmm…” Adam said, trying to figure it out, much to Charlie's annoyance at his ignorance.

A while has passed. It was hard to tell how long it had been now. Another hour?

Adam was still trying to guess the problem that Charlie was talking about, only to begin ranting. She looked exasperated, propping her head up on her elbows as she frowned.

“And then the fifth time you take her out to dinner, she still expects you to pay the check and you're, like, “Hey, I thought that you wanted equality,”” Adam said.

“NO! I'm talking about our shared problem of overpopulation in Hell!” Charlie said.

“Oh..,” Adam said in realization, only for him to laugh. “Well, that's not a problem! We got that covered. Hey Lute, how many demons did you kill this year?”

“Got a good two-seventy-five this year, sir,” the female angel, who Adam calls Lute, said.

“Two-seventy-five? Woah! Badass! Awesome job, danger tits. Pound it!” Adam commended as he and Lute fist bump.

“Uh, no, not awesome. Those are my people. You know that, right?” Charlie asked.

“Ohh, yeah… That must suck for you!” Adam said before he bursted out in laughter.

“But.. But these are souls. Human souls, just the same as the ones you have up in Heaven. And just the same as you, Adam,” Charlie said, trying to reach out to Adam on an emotional level.

“Those days are behind me, bitch. I'm in way better shape now,” Adam said smugly, dismissing Charlie's attempt to reach out to him emotionally.

“Sinners and Winners are not the same. They had their chance, and they've earned damnation,” Lute said, coldly.

“But you're wrong. Sinners have made mistakes, sure, but everyone makes mistakes,” Charlie said.

“Angels don't make mistakes,” Lute denied.

“Do you really think that?” Charlie asked in disagreement.

“I know that,” Lute said.

“Yeah, I've never made a single mistake in my fuckin’ life,” Adam said, smug.

“The only reason that you're still even here is because “daddy” got you and the rest of your Hellborn kind a pardon from an Exorcist blade,” Lute said, circling around the table as she spoke to Charlie in contempt. “How does that feel.. just to know how little you matter?”

Charlie looks down to the side as Lute walks back to Adam's side.

“Soo.. you gonna go and get into this so-called “solution” of yours, or are we just gonna sit here until time runs out?” Adam asked, sarcastic and uninterested.

“Oh, fuck, right! My project! Okay, so, I didn't get into it a second ago, so let me explain it out to ya. I think you'll change your mind once you hear it,” Charlie said as she raised her hands over the table, opening a small glowing circle and a pile of paper appeared on the table.

Adam rolls his eyes. Though, you probably couldn't tell since he didn't have any visible pupils.

Charlie clears her throat before she picks up some of her drawings and presents them to both Adam and Lute.

“So, you and I both know that more and more souls are coming down here and, well, it's bad. And I know that you guys have to come down here once a year to kill as many as possible to decrease the numbers, and I know it must be so tiresome having to travel all the way down just to do that, so I thought of a more humane way to handle the problem so that you guys wouldn't have to come down so much anymore,” Charlie said.

“Uh-huh..,” Adam said, uninterested.

“So, I present.. The Hazbin Hotel! A place in Hell where Sinners can come to rehabilitate themselves and join you and the other souls in Heaven, thus decreasing the numbers in a way where no one has to die!” Charlie said happily, annoying Adam and Lute further. “So.. what do you think? Doesn't that sound-”

“Stupid?” Adam said, making Charlie frown in a mix of confusion and shock. “Hate to burst your bubble, sweetie, but that's never gonna happen. You think that Sinners can just get a second chance after they die? That you think they still have a shot to cross the pearly gates? Well, sorry to say this.. Spoiler, I'm not. But their fates have already been sealed. Forever. And ever. So get used to it, babe."

“I can't just “get used” to how my people are going to face second death at your hands every year without being given a chance! Can't you understand that I just want to help them?” Charlie asked, clutching a rolled-up paper of one of her drawings in her hands tightly.

“Oh, you want to “help” them? Do you even hear yourself, princess? You're talking about helping the souls of the worst humans to have ever existed. Those who have been sent to Hell for a reason,” Lute coldly said.

“Yeah, they've basically deserved what came to them. And they definitely deserve what's coming to them this year. ‘Cause we're coming back. For two whole days!” Adam happily declared, horrifying and confusing Charlie.

“What!?” Charlie asked, her eyes widening, horrified and confused at what she's hearing.

“Yeah, we’ve thought about it, and we’ve decided to… extend the next Extermination, bitch!” Adam said, conjuring a gold scroll in his hand, unraveling it in front of Charlie. All it says was “FUCK YOU! I DO WHAT I WANT!”

“But- But more and more of my people will be killed with that extension!” Charlie said.

“Exactly! More time means more Sinners to slay. More Sinners to slay means a greater decrease in the overpopulation problem. Think of it as a little.. "experiment." If it works, we'll do it again. And again. And again!” Adam said.

“But you can't!” Charlie said, pleading as she lunged over and suddenly grabbed Adam by his collar with both her hands, surprising Adam. This provoked Lute, seeing someone physically touch Adam in such a way, not to mention that someone being a demon. 

“Don't you-!” Lute was about to speak before Adam stopped her with a hand. 

Charlie paused, realizing her current action.

“I-I'm sorry,” Charlie said, releasing her grip on Adam’s collar.

“Don't apologize. Not gonna lie, I respect your guts, girlie. But I think you've forgotten something here. Your little project is pointless. It'll never work. Zero shot, whatsoever. So, how about you just leave all the hard work to the professionals here, okay?” Adam said, the last thing he said was mocking and condescending.

“But-” Charlie was about to speak in protest before the clock dongs.

“Whoops, sorry babe. We’re outta time here,” Adam said, dismissive as he shrugged his shoulders without a care.

Suddenly, Charlie was thrown out of the meeting room, hitting flat front-first on the floor. Next, her papers were thrown out the door, landing in piles and a few flying in the air and floating down around her. Some of the papers landed on her head.

Charlie, humiliated and discarded just like that, raised her head up a little and she turned and looked back at the door behind her. Adam waves his fingers “bye” mockingly and tauntingly with a smile on his face as Lute stood beside him as the doors slid shut. 

Charlie stared at the closed door, her face contorting as her eyes shut tightly in frustration before turning away.

“Ugh, shit!” she said as she banged her fist on the floor.

Chapter Text

Back at the hotel, everyone except Charlie were in the parlor. Angel Dust looked over at Husk with a seductive gaze, in which Husk returned daggers in his stare. 

Vaggie approaches the group. 

“Okay, so Charlie's off dealing with something very important, so while she's gone, we are going to make a new commercial. One that represents her vision and what we're aiming to do here. So, we need a script and a camera,” Vaggie said. She looks over at Alastor. “Alastor?”

Alastor snaps his fingers and a 1930’s folding camera appears in Vaggie's hand in a flash of green light. She looks unamused. 

“A video camera?” Vaggie said. 

“Hmmm,” Alastor hummed in thin disdain despite his smile. He snaps his fingers again and the folding camera in Vaggie’s hand switches to a video camera in a flash of green light. 

“And also a typewriter?” Vaggie said. 

Alastor snaps his fingers a third time and a typewriter appears on the floor by Vaggie's feet. 

“Alright, let's do this!” Vaggie said, a fist raised up in the air.

The next moment, Vaggie put the typewriter on the counter in the kitchen. 

“So, I know you said you don't want to be brought up in the commercial, and I already intend to adhere to that, so you think you could make the script?” Vaggie asked as she looked at Anastasia. 

“Hm.. Yeah. I can. And I'll try,” Anastasia said, looking down at the typewriter on the counter in front of her. 

“Okay, great. Come to me when you're done, okay?” Vaggie said with a smile and a thumbs up as she walked out the walkway. 

After several minutes up to an hour, Anastasia walks out of the kitchen and into the parlor, holding several papers in her arms as she walks towards Vaggie. 

Vaggie brightens up a little when she saw Anastasia walk out of the kitchen. 

“You're done? Great, let me see it,” Vaggie said, holding her hand out. 

Anastasia hands the papers to Vaggie and she reads over the pages, her eye gliding over every single word on the pages. 

“This is.. actually good work, Anna,” Vaggie said, commending Anastasia on her script. 

“I was in a writing group back home,” Anastasia said. 

“Well, it paid off, ‘cause I don't even have to correct you on anything on here. ‘Cause this is actually what we need,” Vaggie said. “Alright, let's get started.”

The next moment, Husk and Angel Dust were at the bar. Angel Dust sat on a stool while Husk was behind the counter, holding his bit of the script in his hands. Vaggie was holding the video camera in her hands and up to her eye, filming. Anastasia stood behind her. 

“Aaand... Action!” Vaggie said.

“Welcome to the Hazbin Hotel. Can I help you with anything?” Husk said, holding his script to his face to read it. 

“I've been a bad boy, and I need a big strong daddy to put me in my place..,” Angel Dust flirtatiously said, crawling on top of the counter and sitting on top of it with a flirtatious pose, before immediately switching to a less flirtatious tone. “On the path to redemption!”

Husk groaned with displeasure as he held the script up to his face again. “Well, you come–”

“Ohh, yes!” Angel Dust teasingly moaned, roaming his hands along his own body as he leaned his head and body back a little, propping himself with one arm. Husk stood back in discomfort and annoyance.

“..To the right place..,” Husk said in annoyance.

“Cut,” Vaggie said, pausing the film and she lowered the video camera. “Okay, Angel. I need you to be less horny if possible, and Husk, could you maybe not have the script right in front of your face?”

“I ain't no actor, I can't memorize this shit!” Husk said, angrily. 

“Well, we could try and improv this, babycakes,” Angel Dust said as he shifted his position, lying on his stomach on the counter with his legs back. He puts a hand on Husks cheek, rubbing his thumb along his fur. “Rawrr..”

Husk puts his hand on Angel Dust's face and shoves him off the counter, making him hit the floor with a thud.

“Whoops,” Husk said unapologetically with a shoulder shrug before he picked up a bottle and drank from it.

“Husk, come on!” Vaggie said in exasperation.

Moments later, Vaggie, Anastasia, and Sir Pentious were in the kitchen. Sir Pentious stood by the counter and the oven.

“Okay, Pentious, all you have to do is show how much you're enjoying an activity we offer in the hotel; baking. It's a good activity and a good hobby to have that allows a Sinner to distance away from sin, okay?” Vaggie said.

“Loud and clear, purple female,” Sir Pentious said with a smile and slight arm salute, Vaggie showing slight annoyance at the nickname Sir Pentious gave her.

Vaggie holds the video camera to her eye. “Okay.. Action.”

“Hello, I am a fellow resident at this fine place of second chances. Here, I am participating in an activity that distracts me from my past wrongdoings and help me become a better soul, which is known as the fine art of “baking.” It is very relaxing and very soothing. Here I can channel all my energy and focus into something so small and simple without engaging in destruction, drugs, drinking, or violence of any kind. Unbelievable, right?” Sir Pentious said with a smile while he stood by a set of baking ingredients, tools, and some already-baked cookies. 

Meanwhile, Elijah sneaks in from the kitchen walkway and behind the counter. He reaches his hand out to grab a cookie from the tray, catching Vaggie and Anastasia's attention.

“Cut,” Vaggie said, stopping the film and lowering the video camera.

“Elijah, what are you doing?” Anastasia asked. Sir Pentious turned his head and he looked at Elijah.

“I wanna help out with the commercial too! Also, I want a cookie,” Eljah said, reaching for a cookie on the tray again before Sir Pentious lifts the tray away and hisses. Elijah stares daggers at Sir Pentious as he frowns.

“I appreciate that, but you’re just a kid. And you're a Hellborn demon. Our target audience is Sinners and we want to present this as a rehabilitation place for human souls, not some playground or daycare or some luxury spot for all demons Sinner and Hellborn alike,” Vaggie said. 

Elijah pouts and groans in exasperation.

“I dunno, maybe presenting this place as that would gain a lot of residents. Even other Sinners,” Angel Dust said, walking into the kitchen.

“No, Angel. This hotel is about redemption, and we're presenting it like that, and that's final,” Vaggie said. Angel Dust rolls his eyes.

Elijah quickly snatches a cookie as soon as Sir Pentious lowered the tray.

“Hey!” Sir Pentious said. Elijah hisses in response and he runs away with the cookie in his mouth. Anastasia watches this exchange and she rolls her eyes.

The next moment, a bug was crawling around in a bedroom until a sharp needle struck the floor, nearly hitting it as the bug scattered away.

“Stab! Stab stab!” Niffty, the wielder of the needle, gleefully said as she stabbed the floor multiple times trying to stab the bug, leaving dents in the floors.

“Alright, hey Niffty, Niffty, Niffty!” Vaggie said, trying to get Niffty's attention. She puts her hands on Niffty's shoulders, turning her around to face her and making her stop stabbing the floors. “Your line is “We have the cleanest rooms.” Okay?”

Niffty happily jumps up. “Got it! I’m ready!”

Vaggie holds the video camera up to her eye. “Action.”

Right when that was said, although Niffty was ready to speak, she suddenly froze. Her eye widened and she stared blankly at the camera in front of her with a shrunken pupil. She did not move, breathe, nor speak. Vaggie lowered the camera a little with a puzzled look while Angel Dust and Anastasia looked over Vaggie's shoulder, creeped out at Niffty's sudden shift in demeanor. 

For the next few seconds, Niffty did not move an entire inch. Not even a finger. Not even making a single blink.

Angel Dust slowly backs away, creeped out.

“Uhh.. Cut,” Vaggie said, stopping the film and lowering the video camera. Immediately afterwards, Niffty snapped out of it and she went back to her cheerful self.

Niffty giggles. “How was that?”

“Well, Niffty, I think you actually have to say the line,” Anastasia said.

“Yeah, but that's okay. Let's just try again,” Vaggie said.

“Okay!” Niffty said with a cheerful nod.

Vaggie raises the video camera back in front of her eye. “Action!”

Just when Niffty was ready once again, she froze again, that same blank expression in her eye as she stared at the camera.

Vaggie lowered the video camera a little, an irritated look on her face.

Angel Dust leans closer towards Vaggie, whispering in her ear in a smug tone. “You're doing great, Vagina.”

“Cut!” Vaggie said, turning off the film and lowering the video camera. She rubs her temple. “Okay, uh, ya know what? Maybe I'll just use what we got and try to.. fix it in post.”

“Do you even know what that means?” Angel Dust asked.

“I'll figure it out!” Vaggie said angrily in response. 

“Don't you need any help?” Anastasia asked.

“No, no, Anna. I can handle it. Thank you,” Vaggie said, regaining her composure before she walks out of the room with the video camera.

As soon as she left, Anastasia and Angel Dust exchange looks.

Vaggie sat on a chair in the parlor. The parlor was dark and the only source of light was the television, illuminating the parlor in a blue-hued lighting. The video camera was connected to the TV with a black plug wire as Vaggie watched over the film of everything filmed on the video camera.

Vaggie rubbed her hands on her head as she groaned with frustration. She covers her face with her hands as she groans again.

The entire commercial was a mess. Nothing filmed was good enough. She can't use any of it to represent the hotel. She was frustrated and didn't know what to do about it.

“Seems like you're having a bit of trouble there, hmm?” Alastor said, appearing by Vaggie, grinning.

“Ugh, este pendejo... Why are you even here?” Vaggie asked in irritation as Alastor sat down on the couch beside Vaggie's chair.

(Translation: This asshole)

“For the entertainment. The reason I came to this hotel is because I love seeing wasteful souls struggle to accomplish something meaningful and then fail spectacularly, like you are doing now. Good job!” Alastor said in carefree mockery as he stood up from the couch.

Vaggie's brows furrowed at Alastor in irritation. Having had it, she stands up, holding the video camera in her hand, directing it at Alastor, and filming.

“And here is Alastor, the egocentric piece of shit that-” 

Vaggie tried to film Alastor on camera while he stood by the television and casually looked at his nails in his closed hand. However, the film glitches, flickered, and shifts side to side in red violently before the video camera sparks in green electricity, causing Vaggie to jump and drop it.

“Ah!” Vaggie yelped, dropping the video camera to the floor as she climbed onto the chair, distancing herself from the video camera.

“I wouldn't try that, my dear,” Alastor said. He points over to his face as his neck bent and creaked from one side to the other as his eyes widened and his pupils shift into radio dials as his sharp teeth glowed, making the environment take an ominous turn as he spoke darkly with his tone distorting. “This face was made for RADIO….”

Vaggie looked in fear before her expression turned to a mix of irritation, anger, and annoyance.

She stood up from the chair and approached Alastor. Alastor just grinned as she did.

“That's it. I don't care who or what you are. If you're gonna keep staying here, then you're going to make this work. ‘Cause watching over an empty hotel won't be so “entertaining” for you, will it, shitass?” Vaggie said before she turned back around and marched back towards the chair.

Alastor stared with narrowing eyes.

“Fair enough,” Alastor said with a shrug. He begins to walk over to Vaggie while she stood and faced the chair. “I'll tell you what. Let's make a deal.”

“Pfft. You think I am that stupid enough to make a deal with a demon like you?” Vaggie said, turning to face Alastor before she sat back down on the chair.

“Not for your soul, just a simple deal. I do this for you and you never ask me to engage with any of this frivolous television technology ever again,” Alastor said.

Vaggie looks down for a moment, thinking about Alastor's offer.

“Or.. Charlie can just come back to absolutely nothing,” Alastor said with his back turned. Then, he turned his head back to face Vaggie with illuminating red eyes. “Your choice.”

Vaggie glances to the side for a moment. 

“Fine,” Vaggie said with a sigh. 

Vaggie reaches down and picks up the video camera off of the floor. She stands up from the chair and approaches Alastor and she puts it in his hand. In mere seconds, glowing green skulls made of green mist emerge and swirl around the video camera as green sparks of electricity follow. Vaggie steps back as she watches this happen, looking down at the video camera and back at Alastor with an apprehensive look.

“Now then,” Alastor said. He claps his hands once, making the video camera vanish. He snaps his fingers and the parlor lights up. 

Several stage lights and filming equipment and chairs and shadow doll demons appear in a flash of green lighting. Vaggie looked around in amazement. Then, everyone except Anastasia and Elijah appears in a flash of green light. Glowing green mist swirls around everyone, changing their clothes into outfits from the period known as the Roaring Twenties; Alastor wearing a different red suit with more visible stitches and a red top hat. Angel Dust in a pink and white suit with a white hat. Niffty in a black, red, and pink dress with black long gloves and a black hat with a flower. Husk wearing nothing but black sleeves and red cuffs and accents. Sir Pentious in a black and yellow suit. And then Vaggie in a grey dress with pink collar and tie and a black and pink hat with a bow and feathers and white gloves.

Niffty looked happy, Angel Dust admired his new look, Sir Pentious looked at his new look in surprise and confusion, and Husk just stood there, slouching and annoyed. 

“Alright everyone! Let's make a fucking commercial!” Vaggie said, determination in her eye.

“Wait, where's Anastasia and the kid?” Angel Dust asked.

“They won't be joining us. ‘Cause as Vaggie here said, we can't present a human or present the hotel as a playground for every demon in Hell,” Alastor replied.

“Eh, fair,” Angel Dust said.

“Alright, in your places, everyone! Vámanos!” Vaggie declared.

(Translation: “Let's go!”)

A few hours had passed.

Charlie had returned from her meeting with Adam. She walks through the doors with a sad look on her face. Vaggie, in her normal attire along with everyone else, ran happily towards her.

“Charlie! You're back!” Vaggie said as she hugs Charlie. “How did it go? Did they listen?"

Vaggie looked eager to hear how it went.

“Oh, uhm, they did. They sure did.. hear it. But, uhm..” Charlie said. Before she could finish, Vaggie holds her arm and leads her to the parlor with the others.

“Oh, come on. We have something exciting to show you. Alastor pulled some strings, and it's about to air,” Vaggie said as she and Charlie sat on the couch, where Husk and Niffty also sat.

“I pulled a few limbs, too! Hahaha!” Alastor, sitting from the chair, said with a laugh.

“Wait, it's about to air? You.. You all made a new commercial?” Charlie asked.

“Yeah. One of my better performances if I do say so myself,” Angel Dust said, sitting on the floor in front of the couch.

“It was the least that we could do, Charlie,” Anastasia said, sitting on the floor near Husk and Alastor.

“I just wished I was in it..,” Elijah said, sitting on the floor by Angel Dust with his arms crossed and a pout. Angel Dust ruffles his hair playfully.

Charlie's eyes beam up and well up in tears of happiness, her hands over her chest, above her heart. “That's… That's amazing. I- I..”

Angel Dust silences her with a finger. “Shh sh-shh, it's starting.”

Everyone's attention returns to the TV. 

The television screen shows Vaggie, Sir Pentious, Angel Dust, Niffty, Husk, and Alastor in their Roaring Twenties outfits and standing in front of the hotel. Angel Dust winks at the camera, Husk was drinking, Niffty was staring blankly at the camera frozen, Sir Pentious was looking more respectable and noble with a smile, Alastor was behind everyone else and facing away from the camera with his figure flickering in a green hue, and Vaggie stood away from the group, looking at the camera as she spoke.

“Welcome to the Hazbin Hote-”

Just before the rest of the commercial could play, the screen flickered and switched to a breaking news program from a station called “666 News.”

This interruption causes mixed reactions from the gang. Angel Dust, Sir Pentious, Vaggie, Anastasia, and Charlie complained in frustration, and Charlie was frustrated to the point where her eyes changed to red sclera and white irises and black cat-like pupils and a pair of red horns emerged from her head. Niffty laughs. Husk looked at the frustrated group in annoyance and irritation. Alastor looked at everyone else in amusement. Elijah just sat there by Angel Dust, not making any reaction and just innocently watching the others’ reactions. 

A voice speaks from the television as two news reporters, a woman with short blonde hair, white skin, red sclera, wearing a red coat with black trim, and a surprisingly sharp grin and a man with short white hair, a grey suit and red tie, and some kind of gas mask on his face, appears. 

“Breaking news in Hell today! We have just received word from the Heaven Embassy that the next Extermination is becoming longer than ever before!” the female news reporter said with her toothy grin. She turns her head to her fellow reporter beside her. “Do you know what that means, Tom?”

“No, what does that mean, Katie?” Tom asked. 

“It means that we're all royally FUCKED!” Katie said, her neck bending to the side before extending her face closer to the camera with a widened grin, widened eyes, and an eye twitch. 

The camera switches immediately to the clock tower at the Heaven Embassy in the center of Pentagram City. Hundreds if not thousands of screams of terror emerge from demons in that same city as a new plate appears with a poof of golden glitter under the number of days until the next Extermination, showing the new extended length of the next Extermination; “2 Days.”

Upon this revelation on the news, everyone in the hotel parlor showed mixed reactions of surprise, shock, and confusion at the news. 

“Wait, what? Why!?” Angel Dust asked in confusion. 

The clock rewinds to one week ago…

We don't see Hell anymore, but some other place…

The environment was a large, pristine room filled with a blue color and various gold trim.

A decapitated body was thrown on top of a desk. It wore a grey minidress, grey neck feathers, black pants, and white boots and gloves. It had black and white wings. Golden yellow blood spilled and leaked from its neck where its head used to be, making a pool of gold on the desk as streams began to leak from the ends.

“What the fuck is THIS?” a voice asked in anger. It was Lute.

“I found this just recently down there,” a familiar voice in the shadows spoke. The voice sighs in mock sympathy. “The poor thing.. fallen to the hands of those demons.”

“How did this even happen? Our Exorcist Tracker didn't even indicate that one of us was missing. It said that all of us were accounted for after the last Extermination!” Lute said.

“Ugh, the damn thing must be bugged. This never happened before, so it makes sense it wouldn't be able to tell that one is gone. And they say that this technology and AI shit is supposed to be “the future,”” another voice said. It was Adam, sitting at the desk. 

“Sir, we must do some-” Lute was about to ask her question until Adam stopped her with a finger.

“Alright. Now, me and my lieutenant are going to have a little talk about this. You are dismissed..,” Adam said. "Cello.”

“Yes sir,” The voice, revealed to be Cello, said with a nod, his face revealed from the shadows. He turns around and walks away, a sly smile stretching across his face. He opens the door and steps out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

The second Cello left, Lute turned to Adam.

“Sir, what are we going to do? Those monsters have never managed to kill one of us before. I say we go back down there, right now!” Lute said in fury.

“Lute, be rational here,” Adam said, a slightly amused mock tone despite his seriousness. “Listen, I am just as shocked as you are, but just think about this for a minute. If we had caught this months ago, we'd have been able to deal with it sooner.”

“How else are we going to deal with them? It's only a matter of time before they rise against us like they have tried for years! I say we destroy all of them! Leave no one alive,” Lute said, her fist clenching tightly.

“Now, now, don't worry, Lute. I'll think of something. And once I do, we’ll make sure that when we come back, there will be no demon left alive to pull a stunt like this again..,” Adam said, his mouth stretching into a sinister grin glowing with malice and evil.

Chapter Text

After the situation with the news, Charlie told everyone that they'll discuss it the next day. The next day has come today, the day that Charlie is explaining the situation. In addition, it has officially been one month since Anastasia had arrived in Hell. 

Anastasia wore a new outfit today; a sleeveless vertical light blue and light yellow stripe button-up shirt, blue jeans, and white shoes.

“What the hell happened?” Anastasia asked, a hint of anger in her tone.

“Look, Anna, I know you're a little mad, but-” Charlie said.

“Just tell me what happened,” Anastasia softly demanded.

“Okay, okay. The thing is.., it turns out the angels called the meeting to talk about the plans for the next Extermination. I did try to appeal to them about my hotel at first, but they didn't exactly.. listen. And then they said that the next Extermination will be two days long instead of one. No big deal, just a little setback. It's nothing we can't handle. I mean, we only have six more months to save at least as many souls as possible and also send Anna back home. But, who knows if we can achieve that until then? What if next year after hundreds if not thousands are killed during the new extended duration? And, as Adam said-” 

“Wait, “Adam?” Like..” Anastasia said.

““The first man, Adam,”” Anastasia and Charlie said in unison.

“Yes,” Charlie said with an up-and-down nod.

“‘Kay. Continue,” Anastasia said.

“Anyway, he said that if this new duration works, then we can just handle the future ones being just that long with just that many getting killed and just hope that the whole population isn't wiped! I mean, we can handle it, can't we?! Can't we?!” Charlie said, pacing back and forth as she spiraled in panic. Vaggie rushes up to her and holds her by her shoulders, comforting her.

“Yes. We can,” Vaggie reassured.

“And Anastasia, I'm so sorry you're wrapped up in this,” Charlie said, looking at Anastasia.

“It's okay. It isn't your fault,” Anastasia said, reassuring her. 

“But hear me when I say that I will get you back home. So you won't have to go through this,” Charlie said. 

“C'mon, you barely had a chance the second you started all this salvation bullshit. First, you tried to spark up hope by using the hotel to try and help Sinners reach a place they had one chance to earn entry, and second, you made a promise to a human to find her a way home. And now with the news and the rest of Hell going nuts, I don't see any silver lining here, toots,” Angel Dust said, sitting on the couch with his phone in his hand blasting with several messages.

“There is silver lining. We just need to look harder, is all,” Charlie said.

“Ya kidding me? Hell is going totally batshit. I mean, check out what's happening in the Doomsday District,” Angel Dust said as he turned and waved his phone to them, showing images and videos of another demon screaming and fire blazing around them. Then, a text popped up.

“Uh.. What is a “donkey show?”” Elijah asked, noticing the text on Angel Dust's phone, making him panic and turn his phone away because he just let a child see an inappropriate text. 

“Uh, ahh ehhheh, uh nothing, nothing! It's just my boss, Val. He's just freaked out about the news too and he's worried about me. Like I said, everyone is losing their shit,” Angel Dust said.

“Yeah. That's true. Sinners are desperate. Hm…,” Vaggie said, looking to the side in thought. Then, she came up with an idea. She turned to Charlie. “Maybe desperate enough to try anything to escape the Extermination?”

Charlie gasped in realization. Then, her look of realization turned to joy.

“Maybe this is the perfect time to recruit more Sinners for the hotel!” Charlie said in joy.

“Hang on one moment there,” Husk said from the bar.

“Yes?” Charlie asked as she looked at Husk.

“Before you go out hunting for new residents, shouldn't you focus on getting her home first?” Husk asked as he gestured to Anastasia from the bar. “You said you'd try to figure out a way and yet you spent a month focusing more on this place.”

“Look, Husk, they can't kill two birds with one stone, and I can't rush them to find a way for me to get home, even if I wanted to,” Anastasia said.

“She's right, Husk,” Vaggie said. Husk rolls his eyes before he pulls out a bottle and drinks from it.

“Stone, stone stone..” Charlie mumbled to herself, looking to the side with a finger on her chin. Then, she gasped in realization. “I just remembered something!”

“What is it?” Vaggie asked. 

“Just, uh, give me a moment,” Charlie said as she pulled out her phone and walked away with it. 

Vaggie and Anastasia watched her walk away. 

“What did she remember?” Anastasia asked as she looked over at Angel Dust. 

“I dunno,” Angel Dust replied with a shrug. 

Elijah rushes over to Anastasia and hugs her arm.

“Ooh, I can't wait for us to get to Earth! I get to meet my new mom and do everything I have ever dreamed about!” Elijah said in joy.

Anastasia looked in uncertainty in response as she looked at Vaggie, who returned a look of confusion on her face.

Elijah notices the exchange of looks between them. 

“What? Why are you making those faces at each other?” Elijah asked in confusion, which slowly turned into worry. He grips tightly on Anastasia's arm as he looks up at her with big eyes. “You're... You're not gonna leave me behind,... are you???”

“Elijah, it's not that..,” Anastasia said, hesitating with her words.

“Then what is it?? Tell me!” Elijah said, pulling Anastasia's arm again.

“Look, Elijah. Just let her think,” Vaggie said, gently pushing Elijah away. 

Charlie was behind a corner, talking to someone on her phone. She took a sigh. “Okay. Thank you, Oz. Bye.”

Charlie moves her phone away from her ear and presses her thumb on the screen, ending the call. 

A moment later, Vaggie and Anastasia were in the kitchen, talking.

“So, were you really thinking about leaving Elijah here when you get home?” Vaggie said, worry shown on her face. “Is it because he's a demon and you don't think he belongs on Earth?”

“No. Well, sort of, but that's not what I meant,” Anastasia replied. “It's just.. I don't know what could happen if I brought a demon, let alone my adopted demon brother, to Earth with me. I don't want to put him in danger just for being a demon in a world of humans who could judge him or hurt him.”

Vaggie puts her hand on Anastasia's shoulder. “Hey, I get it. If there's this many Sinners down here, it's most likely that there are humans who are just as bad and could bring him harm, and you don't want that to happen since he's just a child. But hey, I think you're doing a great job as a role model for him, because you're showing him that not all humans are as bad as the Sinners here make them seem.”

Anastasia smiles softly before she frowns again, sighs, and looks to the side. “I still don't know.. I'm also worried about how he could have a hard time adjusting. And I also don't know how my mom woul-.. Er.. I don't know if she'd accept him. I mean, I should know her well enough that she probably might accept him, but with how he's a demon and she’s a human and how she and I are familiar with every story we've been told, it's just.. I'm just worried regardless of.. anything.”

“I know it must feel like a lot of pressure on you. You're his elder sister now and you worry about his safety and well-being. I know based on how you tried to shield his ears from Angel's crass comments yesterday,” Vaggie chuckled a bit at the last bit, before she puts both her hands on both of Anastasia’s shoulders and her expression reverts to serious yet kind. “But, the point is, the best thing for now is to just try your best. Try your best to be his sister. His sister who is strong enough to be there when she is needed. To be there to do whatever it takes to protect him from whatever storm comes your way. Do what you can, even if you're not sure of what’s the right choice to make. Do you understand?”

Anastasia had listened intently to the heartfelt words that Vaggie had spoken. Her worried look had softened. She nods her head up and down one time.

“Yeah. You're right,” Anastasia said, a soft smile on her face. Vaggie smiles softly and nods her head up and down one time in response.

A flash occurred. Not at the hotel, but somewhere else. It was at the Vee Tower in the Entertainment District. An entire crowd of reporters, cameramen, and various paparazzi were in the pink halls, chattering and clamoring. That very flash came from a camera.

As Vox appeared through an elevator and approached with a charismatic smile, they turned to him, flashing their cameras and pointing their microphones at him, speaking out his name and asking various things. But one made it through the crowd.

“Mister Vox, what are your thoughts on the new extended Extermination?” a female news reporter asked.

“My dear people! We have always been at the forefront of innovation at VoxTech Enterprises. And now, with this new announcement about the new danger, we are shifting our focus to ensuring your protection. So, we are pleased to announce..” Vox spoke as a television lowered next to him with an ad of the VoxTech logo in gold and with angel wings and a tagline underneath. “VoxTech Angelic Security is coming soon!”

The television with the ad vanishes.

“With this new service, you can trust us,” Vox spoke. Suddenly, his left eye turned into a mass of red and black spirals with a white electric-symbol pupil. “With YOUR safety.”

The crowd stood silently, hypnotized, unresponsive, dazed, and their eyes full of red and black spirals.

An eel-like demon approaches Vox. “Sir, uh, when did we begin working on Angelic Security?”

“Thirty seconds ago,” Vox whispered to the eel demon. He walks away past the hypnotized, unresponsive crowd with the eel demon following behind him. “Try to get that bitch Carmilla on the books and cancel all my appointments today. I have a meeting with my colleagues to attend to.”

With a flash and a stream of blue electricity, Vox disappears within the security camera up in the ceiling.

Velvette was in her department, looking over her phone along with looking through clothing. 

“Miss Velvette, I've finished your new dress,” a female designer said as she approached Velvette, holding a dress in her arms.

Velvette looks at the dress, scanning each detail until one particular detail catches her eye. She picks up the sleeve.

“Wha- are these wrist ruffles? What is this, 1750? Burn it like the witches who wore it at once!” Velvette said, tossing the sleeve at the worker's face.

“Uh, yes ma’am!” the female worker said, nervously. Then, she runs off with the dress.

Velvette puts her hand on her head, her fingertips touching her temple, in annoyance and frustration.

Vox appears in a flash of blue electricity. 

“Hey Velvette,” Vox greeted. 

“Hey,” Velvette replied with a sigh. Her tone sounded tired.

“Let me guess, paparazzi messed with you today too?” Vox said. 

“Yes. Ever since the news, people have been coming to me with questions about my thoughts and opinions all day. Plus, the sales of my brand have gone off the charts since this morning. I had to push every one of my employees harder to make more outfits,” Velvette said, showing her phone with a chart on it. 

“Damn, we've never gotten this much popularity and publicity in years. Alright, so where’s the hothead?” Vox said. 

“In his tower whining about Angel Dust again,” Velvette said. 

Vox sighs. 

After a moment or so, Vox went to the penthouse, where Valentino was. 

When he walked into the room past the moth lady twins and the double doors, he immediately stood one step to the side when a glass was thrown next to his head. 

“Okay, what's got you fuming this time?” Vox asked. 

“That whore, Angel Dust!” Valentino replied.

“Oh, did he finally quit?” Vox asked with a smile, as if he's happy to hear if Angel Dust had quit.

“No, he didn't fucking quit! He's ignoring me! AGAIN! I've been texting and calling him all morning ever since the news. I've asked him to come back so I could keep him safe, multiple times, and he still didn't respond! Not once! I swear, I'm this close to just going down there and dragging him back here myself-” Valentino angrily spoke until Vox shushed him with his finger. 

“Val, remember what I said about chasing whores around town?” Vox asked. 

Valentino sighs. “It'll fuck our reputation..”

“Yes, you remembered,” Vox said in a mock sweet tone as he gently pinched and pulled Valentino’s cheek. 

Valentino grumbled. 

“But also, think about what this is doing for us. We're getting a lot more popularity and publicity, paparazzi is coming to us, our material has skyrocketed in sales.. Hell, I feel like Sinners could ask for our help just to ensure their safety,” Vox said with a short chuckle. “And you know, that reminds me, this could be my chance to show who's in charge now.”

Valentino watches Vox walk away. “What are you going to do?”

“Nothing. Just a little propaganda.. Plus, I want to fuck with Alastor and this is my chance to do it,” Vox said with a smirk. 

Valentino nodded side to side with an annoyed yet amused smirk on his face. 

The next moment, Alastor was at the hotel, sitting in his chair, holding a newspaper in his hand. The headline read “The Radio Demon's back. Fucking outdated, much?” The sub line under the headline read “Sponsored by VoxTech.”

Alastor groans a little in annoyance despite his grin. “That TV…”

Then, Alastor's face lit up, an idea forming in his head. Suddenly, he dispersed into the floor as a shadow and swiftly slithered away.

Moments later, he teleported into a red tower attached to the left side of the hotel. It was his personal radio tower.

Alastor hums and adjusts his bowtie with a smug look on his face. “Perhaps it's time to go back on the air once again.”

Alastor raises his finger towards a red button on the desk. 

Back at the Vee tower, Velvette held a newspaper with that same headline.

“A newspaper article?” Velvette asked. “Why not just do a telly broadcast?”

“You know that radio boomer doesn't like to watch stuff on the “telly,”” Vox said, air-quoting the term “telly,” seemingly annoying Velvette. He lowers his hands and smirks. “Besides, I'm gonna do one momentarily.”

Suddenly, the radio on the coffee table erupted with a static sound.

“Shit! That scared me. And why do we still have that?” Valentino asked.

“Ehm..” Vox said, nervously as he looked to the side and scratched the back of his head. 

The static changes to a familiar voice, catching the Vees’ attention. 

“Salutations, Sinners of Hell. This is your one and only host, Alastor, tuning in. Oh, isn't it good to be back on the air after so many years! I am humbly aware that it has been a while since I've been on the air, so I've decided to officially make a comeback for all of you.”

“That fucking prick..!” Vox said, angered and his left eye turned into spirals and he clenched his fists. Just the sound of Alastor's voice enraged him.

This radio broadcast of Alastor's wasn't just on the radio at the Vee Tower. It was being broadcasted across Pentagram City if not in all of Hell, and everyone who was near a radio was listening.

“I assume you all would prefer a host with style speaking instead of a clout–chasing, attention-seeking television always flitting from one fad to the next. I do wonder.. Could Vox be insecure? Weak? Could he still be pissy that I refused his offer to join his team a long time ago? Who knows just how far he is on a scale of one to ten to how pathetic he is!”

Suddenly, at the TV store next to the “Old Crap Store” flashed with Vox's face on the screens.

“Hello, this is your better host Vox coming at you live, right now. I'm here to discuss the Radio Demon's return to town. And I'm just wondering why he's even still around? Radio is outdated, y’know? And I'm the future of technology. He probably should've just stayed gone, ‘cause he's obsolete,” Vox said on the TV.

Alastor's voice on the radio returns.

“It is every day that he gets a new format. He must be that desperate for power, especially with how powerless he'd truly be without his two little friends. Or are they merely just his pawns?”

It looked as if Vox was staring at the radio at the display in the “Old Crap” store, angry and annoyed. He growls in anger. Suddenly, it looked as if he flashed in front of the radio, but he was still on the TV.

“Don't listen to that dated-voiced asshead!” Vox said.

“My my, someone seems to be having trouble keeping appearances. Perhaps what I've said was true after all. Is it, Vox?”

Vox was back in his office underground at the Vee Tower. Wires were attached to the back of his head. His claws dig into his desk as sparks appear around him.

“You should’ve just stayed away, you old-timey bastard..!” Vox said.

“Oh, perhaps it seems you've suffered too much of my words, my dear,” Alastor said mockingly from the radio airwaves, further enraging Vox.

“Why I oughta show YOU “suffering..!”” Vox growled. His rage was so strong, he was literally short-circuiting. He was glitching, his voice was distorting, and sparks appeared around his body.

“Uh oh, looks like the poor TV is buffering,” Alastor said in smug mock. Vox's sharp teeth clenched and gritted.

“I OUGHTA DESTROY YOU-U-U-U-U-...!” Vox yelled. His voice glitched and distorted. He was going haywire. Sparks spread throughout the room.

Suddenly, in a burst of electricity, everything went dark. The town was in a total blackout.

From Alastor's radio tower, he was laughing.

“Looks like you've lost your signal. I bet you wished I should've just stayed gone, old pal..~” Alastor said in his mic, a malicious tone present. He laughs evilly before, in a flash of both magic and electricity, Vox's signal throughout the city had been shut off immediately during the blackout.

At Vee Tower, Vox stared around, dismayed as he saw the blackout in his office. He couldn't believe that, even after disappearing for so long, Alastor still had his power and popularity after he returned to town..

“FUU-UU-UUCCKK!” Vox whined in a fit of frustration.

Seconds later, Vox walks back into the penthouse saddened and annoyed, and he meets his fellow Vees. They both had frizzy hair and fur from the electric sparks that went through their phones and caused the blackout. His screen illuminated the room.

“Didn't work out, huh?” Velvette asked. 

Vox shot a short annoyed glare at Velvette in response.

In the dark city, the hotel was the only place with its lights still lit.

Alastor stared out the windows of his radio tower, looking over the now dark and electricity-deprived city with a smirk on his face.

“Well, this was fun..”

After a few hours or so, the power in town flashed back on, especially at Vee Tower. 

We return to the scene with the Vees...

“So..” Vox said, pouring coffee into his “Fuck Alastor” mug before he walks back to the couch to his fellow Vees, who were busy brushing their hair and fur back to normal. “With everything going on, Alastor's return, the arrival of that human, the new extended Extermination, Alastor's involvement with the princess and the human, our new boost in popularity and ratings.., I’d say I see a pretty bright future for the Vees.”

“”Bright?” What if Hell gets wiped out during the next Extermination? Things won't be “bright” for us then,” Valentino said. 

“Since when did you start acting like you're the brains here?” Vox asked. 

Valentino looked annoyed and growled a bit. You could see a vein in his head. 

“I'm kidding,” Vox said. Valentino pouts and huffs as he turns away with two of his arms crossed and the other two on his hips.

Velvette was on her phone, scrolling, until a ping emerged from her and the others' phones. She got an email from Carmilla Carmine. 

“Did you guys get an email from Carmine?” Velvette asked. 

Vox and Valentino looked at their phones too. 

“Yeah,” Valentino said. 

“Does yours say that she's calling a meeting for every Overlord in the Pentagram?” Velvette asked. 

“Yeah,” Vox said. 

“I feel like this is a golden opportunity to really assert our power. Hey, tell ya what? I'll take this one for the both of ya, how's that sound?” Velvette said. 

“Well, I already have a busy schedule tomorrow,” Vox said. 

“Plus, I got new films to make,” Valentino said. 

“Great, so we all agree. I'll go to represent tomorrow,” Velvette said with a smug smile. “But of course, first, we should maybe discuss some plans regarding our little “discovery?””

“What are you talking ab- Ohhh right…” Valentino said.

“You seriously forgot?” Vox asked.

“Look, it's been months and I've had shit on my plate,” Valentino said, defensively. Vox's eyes narrowed in doubt.

Velvette rolls her eyes.

“Alright, Vees, gather around. Let's get brainstorming here,” Vox said, gathering up Valentino and Velvette to the coffee table. “And I hope your schedules are just as cleared as mine, ‘cause we're gonna be here for a long time.”

The three smiled and/or smirked, ready to discuss whatever plot they had next.

Chapter Text

It was the next day. Despite everything, especially the news, things were surprisingly pretty normal at the hotel.

Today, Anastasia wore her blue, flowy shawl-y top, blue jeans, and white shoes.

Anastasia was sitting on the couch next to Angel Dust. They were both watching television.

“What do you wanna watch?” Angel Dust asked, holding the remote.

“Is “Evergreen Ends” on?” Anastasia asked.

“What's that?” Angel Dust asked.

“It's a show on Earth. It's about a high school boy named Johan who is a new kid from Washington and he struggles with fitting into a new school, being treated like an outcast until he meets a group of friends who help him fit in. It was one of my favorite shows on Earth,” Anastasia replied.

“Sounds kinda familiar to you right now,” Angel Dust said with a chuckle. “Okay, what channel is it on?”

“I think-” 

“Okay, guys. Quick announcement,” Vaggie said, interrupting them as she stood in front of the TV and Angel Dust groaned. “Charlie is going somewhere today.”

“Again?” Angel Dust asked.

“Yes, but this time, she's going to a different ring for an important meet-up, so she's leaving me in charge while she's gone,” Vaggie said.

“Why?” Anastasia asked.

“She.. asked me not to say, at least not yet,” Vaggie replied. “In the meantime, she asked me to do some activities with you all.”

Charlie walks down the stairs, where she meets everyone in the lobby and parlor. 

“Okay, I’m leaving now,” Charlie said, walking down the stairs and to the exit. “I'll see you all when I get back.”

“Bye, Charlie,” Vaggie said with a wave. Charlie waves back before she exits the door and shuts it behind her. Then, she sees Alastor walk down the stairway next. “Alastor, great, you're here. We're about to get started on some group exercises.”

“Sounds wonderful. Sadly, I cannot join you. I have an outing today,” Alastor said.

“Again? And now of all times??” Vaggie asked.

“Yes. You all have fun, now. Don't cause a ruckus while I'm gone,” Alastor jokingly said. Then, he pointed at Elijah in a firm manner despite his grin. “I'm especially talking to you, child.”

Elijah stood in the lobby as he furrowed his brows and frowned at Alastor. 

Alastor smirks and walks away, walking through the doors and leaving the hotel.

Vaggie sighs.

“Well, we seem to be dropping like flies,” Husk said sarcastically.

Vaggie sighed.. “Okay.. Charlie said that our first activity will be based on trust-building.”

“Like all the other exercises she’s been doing?” Angel Dust asked sarcastically.

“Well, she said wants the hotel to “work faster,” so we're doing this,” Vaggie said. She walks away. “C’mon. This way.”

Angel Dust sighed. “Alright..”

“‘Kay, I’m coming,” Anastasia said as she stood up from the couch.

As she stood up and walked away, there was a small patch of red on the otherwise red couch. It was a darker red, dark enough for a sharp eye to see on the red cushions. However, no one even batted an eye.

The next moment, everyone, except Charlie and Alastor, stood in front of a small stage that had a banner reading “Trusting 101” hung over it. Vaggie stood in front of everyone.

“Okay, Charlie wants us to do trust falls. We each stand up here and share something with the group and then fall back while the rest of the group tries to catch us, got it?” Vaggie asked. “Okay, who's first?”

“Me! Me me!” Eljah said, jumping up and waving his hand up. “Me me me me me me!”

“Alright. Get up here, kid,” Vaggie said with a small sigh, pointing her thumb at the stage behind her.

Elijah rushes past Vaggie and climbs on top of the stage, standing on top of it.

“Okay, I love… doing this!” Elijah said before he grabs a water balloon out of his pocket and flings it at Anastasia.

Anastasia ducks and the balloon splashes into Husk behind her. Husk's face and his fur were soaked and dripping with water. He growls a little in annoyance as his ears droop down.

Elijah laughs before he turns around, crossing his arms in an X as he falls back. Anastasia rushes forward and catches Elijah in her arms.

“Got ya,” Anastasia said.

“Ha ha! You caught me!” Elijah said before he touched Anastasia's nose with one finger. Anastasia puts Elijah down. “I'mma catch you next!”

“Yeah, sure you will,” Anastasia said in slight amusement.

“Hey c'mon, I am just that strong! I'll prove it to you! Get on up there and fall back and I'll catch you, no problem!” Elijah said.

While the two were conversing, Husk looked annoyed due to his soaked state. He was initially ignoring the situation until something caught his eye; a patch of red. This “patch of red" was spotted on the back of Anastasia’s pants…

Husk immediately rushed over to Sir Pentious and grabbed his shoulders. “Sorry, I'm gonna need this.”

Husk immediately snatched Sir Pentious’ coat off of him and rushed off.

“Wha- hey!” Sir Pentious said, missing his coat.

Husk grabs Anastasia by the wrist and immediately yanks her away from the group.

“Huh? Hey, Husk, what the hell?” Anastasia said as she and Husk were away from the group as he tied Sir Pentious' coat around her waist.

“Sorry kid, I'm doing this for the sake of your own dignity,” Husk said.

“What are you talking about?” Anastasia asked.

Husk hesitated for a moment. “..You're bleeding.”

“The hell are you talk-” Anastasia froze in the middle of her sentence before she could finish. When Husk said “bleeding,” she finally put the pieces together as to why he was acting like this; yanking her away from the group, tying a coat around her waist.. 

Apparently… she just got her period…

“Hey, is everything okay over here?” Vaggie asked as she started to walk over to the two.

Suddenly, Anastasia, mortified, just rushed off past Husk and ran up the stairs, her feet thumping along the floorboards and the stairs as she ran. Everyone watched in confusion.

“The hell was that about?” Angel Dust asked.

“Right? She just took my coat,” Sir Pentious said. 

Angel Dust rolled his eyes. Suddenly, his phone rang. He pulls it out of his pocket, presses his thumb on the screen, and holds it to his ear.

“Anna? Is everything okay?” Angel Dust asked in concern. When the group heard Angel Dust say Anastasia's name, they turned their attention to him while he spoke on the phone. He listened intently to Anastasia as she spoke on the phone. Seconds later, he moved his phone away from his ear and he looked at Vaggie. “Vaggs, Anna needs you upstairs, pronto.”

“Why?” Vaggie asked.

“Ugh, someone spilled cranberry juice on the couch again! Doesn't anyone know how hard it is to clean red off of red?” Niffty asked in irritation as she sat on her knees on the couch, trying to scrub the cushion with a scrubbing brush and fabric cleaner. Everyone looked over at Niffty as she tried to clean the couch.

“Oh. Oh.. Okay, I'll- I'll be right back,” Vaggie said, having realized what might be going on. She quickly walks upstairs.

Vaggie approaches Anastasia's door and she knocks and pushes it open, looking around the room, not seeing Anastasia anywhere. She looks at the bathroom door and she approaches it. She knocks on the door. 

“Hey, Anna, I'm here,” Vaggie announced. 

“Oh thank God..,” Anastasia said from the other side of the door. 

“Okay, so you wanna tell me what's going on?” Vaggie asked. 

Anastasia sighed. “Okay. I.. don't expect you to understand or anything..”

“I can try,” Vaggie said. 

“Okay.. So.. Ugh, how do I say this?” Anastasia said, hesitated, causing the room to grow an awkward silence before she spoke again. “I.. I just got my period.”

“That.. explains what Husk did,” Vaggie said. 

“I don't know if demons down here can have ‘em, so I don't expect you to understand-” Anastasia said. 

“It's okay, I understand. I've had to help Charlie out with this sort of thing a few times before,” Vaggie said.

“God, I didn't even think about preparing for this beforehand with everything going on..,” Anastasia said. 

“Hey, hey, it’s all right. I'll tell you what, I can run with Angel Dust to the pharmacy, okay? What do you need, specifically?” Vaggie asked. 

“Okay.. I need pads and some painkillers, like for cramps,” Anastasia said. 

“Okay. For now, I'll lend you one of Charlie's and then we'll be off. I'll be right back,” Vaggie said before she walked away. 

After a few moments of walking, rummaging through a dresser, and walking again, Vaggie came back to Anastasia’s room, holding a square wrapped in pink paper in her hand. She knocks on the bathroom door. 

“Come in,” Anastasia said. Vaggie opens the door slowly and she sees Anastasia sitting on the toilet with her pants down around her ankles. 

“Okay, here you go,” Vaggie said, lending her the wrapped-up square. 

“Thank you,” Anastasia said, taking the square.

“Okay, me and Angel are heading out now,” Vaggie said. 

“‘Kay,” Anastasia said. Vaggie walks out of the bathroom, shuts the door behind her, and she walks out of the bedroom and shuts the door behind her. Anastasia, still sitting on the toilet, sighed, moaned, groaned, and lowered her head down forward in irritation, frustration, and embarrassment.

Vaggie walked down the stairs to the lobby, a firm look on her face.

“Angel, c’mon, we’re heading out. Now,” Vaggie said.

“What? Why?” Angel Dust asked.

“Now, Angel,” Vaggie said. 

Angel Dust begrudgingly follows behind Vaggie to the door.

“Okay, you wanna tell me what's going on?” Angel Dust asked.

“I’ll explain on the way, okay? Now let's just go,” Vaggie said. 

Angel Dust sighs as he and Vaggie walk out the door.

“Aaand.. that's just about four,” Husk said.

After a few moments, Anastasia was in her room, rummaging through her drawers.

“Hey, kid,” Husk said, announcing his arrival. He approached the doorway and saw Anastasia in her room. He immediately covered his eyes after noticing that Anastasia didn't have pants on and wore nothing but her blue top and her underwear. He spoke in his normal casual tone despite the situation. “Sorry. Didn't know you didn't have pants on.”

Anastasia sighed as her eyes narrowed as she pulled out a clean pair of pants from her drawer and she slid them onto her legs. After she had put her pants on, she walked to the bed and sat down as she looked at Husk. “You can look now.”

Husk moved his hand off his face and opened his eyes. He walked over to Anastasia and sat next to her.

“Look, I'm sorry if you felt like I embarrassed you down there,” Husk said.

“No. You did the right thing. If it weren't you, someone else would've noticed,” Anastasia said.

“Alright. That's all I wanted to know. That's why I wanted to check on ya,” Husk said. He slowly stood up. “I'll leave you alone now. I don't wanna press any further than I should.”

“That's okay,” Anastasia said.

Seconds later, Husk walks out of the room, leaving Anastasia alone.

In the empty to bustling streets of town, Angel Dust and Vaggie walked along the sidewalk. Vaggie was carrying a plastic bag in her right hand.

“Wait, so, Anastasia's having that? Why didn't you just tell me and I would've gone out myself instead?” Angel Dust asked, walking by Vaggie's side.

“You really want me to say that in front of a bunch of people in one setting? Do you have any idea how embarrassing that would be? Also, Elijah was in the room, and he's too young to know what that is,” Vaggie said. “So, I'm sparing everyone else the trouble.”

“Okay, you make a fair point,” Angel Dust said.

After a long walk, the two made it back to the hotel. They walk through doors and into the hotel lobby.

“Alright, we're back, everyone,” Vaggie announced.

“It's about time,” Husk said.

Anastasia was at the top of the stairs.

“Alright, Anna. We got you your stuff,” Angel Dust said as he approached the stairs with the bag in his hand.

“Thank you, you guys are lifesavers,” Anastasia said, having rushed down the stairs and grabbing the plastic bag out of Angel Dust’s hands and rushing back upstairs and then all the way back to her room.

They all watched as Anastasia rushed back to her room.

“Uh, can I at least get my coat back?” Sir Pentious asked.

“Don't worry, I already grabbed it while I was in there earlier,” Husk said, pulling Sir Pentious’ coat out and handing it to him. Sir Pentious grabs his coat and looks it over. “I’d wash it before I wear it again.”

Sir Pentious hissed before he dropped the coat onto the floor. 

Then, Niffty rushed over holding a basket of laundry in her arms. She swiftly picks up the coat and throws it on top of the pile in the basket and then she rushes off with the basket.

“What's up with Anna?” Elijah innocently asked.

“You're too young to know. Let's just keep it at that, okay?” Angel Dust said.

“Okay,” Elijah said with a shrug and showing zero care after being told that.

“Okay, let's go ahead and resume our exercise,” Vaggie said. Then, she switched to a militaristic demeanor and pointed in the opposite direction. “March!”

At the sound of the word “march,” everyone, except Anastasia, went off back to the trust fall stage.

“Okay, does anyone want to go next?” Vaggie asked.

“I offer to go next,” Sir Pentious said before he slithers onto the stage. He clears his throat. “I don't appreciate how the cat fellow took my coat.”

Husk rolled his eyes.

Sir Pentious turns around, crosses his arms in an X, and he falls back. Two people catch him, Vaggie and Elijah. Elijah had a little struggle holding him.

“I told you all I was strong too..!” Elijah bragged.

“Uh-huh,” Vaggie said before Sir Pentious slithered out of their arms. She looked repulsed as she looked at him. “Wow, you are slimy. Uh, okay, good job. Alright, Niffty?”

Niffty immediately ran past Vaggie and ran up the stage as she giggled. She stood on top of the stage.

“Sometimes I kill mother-bugs in front of their children as a warning to others,” Niffty said with a crazed look on her face. Then, she jumps off the stage in excitement. Everyone, disturbed by Niffty's sadistic demeanor, backed away, making her fall flat on the floor. She hit the floor, yet she shows no sign of pain. “Yay! Pain!”

Niffty rushed back up, jumped off, and hit the ground while everyone watched. Every time Niffty fell and hit the ground, she seemed to enjoy it every time, only to get back up and do it again and again, much to everyone's unease.

“Okay, okay, Niffty, stop. You're freaking everyone out,” Vaggie said. Niffty was on the floor again as she raised her head up.

“Okay!” Niffty said eagerly. She stands back up.

“Did she stop?” Elijah said, hiding behind Sir Pentious as he peeks his head out. Then, he turned his head away and held his chin up. “Not that I was scared or anything.”

“It's alright, she's stopped,” Vaggie said, trying to reassure and comfort Elijah.

“Cool,” Elijah said as he stepped out from behind Sir Pentious. Then, he crossed his arms and looked away, his chin up. “I still wasn't scared.”

Angel Dust smirked in amusement at Elijah before the sound of an opening door caught his attention.

Charlie had returned. She was holding a blue bag decorated with a red bowtie and stuffed with red tissue paper.

“I'm back, guys,” Charlie said with a wave.

Everyone, except Anastasia, looked over at Charlie. 

“You're back,” Vaggie said with a smile. 

“What's with the bag?” Angel Dust asked, pointing at the blue bag in Charlie's hand. 

Charlie turned to the bag in her hand with a small sad frown before she sighed as Vaggie looked at her. 

“You'll see. Just.. Where's Anna?” Charlie asked as she plastered her normal look as she looked around. 

“Hey Charlie, you're back,” Anastasia said. She stood at the top of the stairs.

“Great. Anna, I've got you something,” Charlie said as she approached the parlor, where everyone else followed, including Anastasia who walked down the stairs and into the parlor.

Charlie had a look of melancholy as she rested the bag on top of the coffee table and she reached her hand into it, rustling through the tissue paper as everyone watched in curiosity. Anastasia stood in the center in front of everyone else.

Within seconds, Charlie's melancholic look was replaced with a soft smile and a pair of softened eyes to go with it as she pulled out a small blue hand-sized box from the bag. She held it in her hand and she walked around the table until she stood in front of Anastasia.

Charlie held the box out in front of Anastasia for her to see and she opened it, revealing a blue cushion-cut gemstone resting in the center of the velvet interior of the box. Its shiny surface glistened under the hotel lighting…

Chapter Text

In the streets of Hell, or more specifically a more industrial part of Pentagram City, full of buildings and factories with cars and trucks rolling along the streets, Alastor strolled along the streets. He gazed around the buildings, the streets, the sky, the cars and trucks, and the pedestrians.

Alastor sighs. “It feels the same and yet it feels so different, and yet still the same. I wonder which I see more.”

Somewhere behind him creeped a dark, mysterious, shadowy figure who observed him from a distance before the figure swiftly slid closer until it appeared in front of Alastor, revealing a very tall demon who had dark black-grey skin, four lime green eyes and a jack-o-lantern-like mouth, wore a black cloak, a black tophat with stitch patterns, and a black spider bow.

The figure spoke. “Hark, Alastor. How fare thee this day?”

Alastor appeared surprised and a little uneasy at the figure's presence. He quickly composes himself as he clears his throat and adjusts his bow.

“Why.. Greetings, Zestial!” Alastor greeted as he propped himself on his microphone staff. 

“Oh, holy shit!!” a demon, who emerged from an alley, yelled in fear at the sight of Zestial before he fell back.

Pedestrians nearby began to cower, stare, or run away at the sight of the figure, who Alastor calls Zestial.

“Ah, the weather doth become this fine day,” Zestial said.

“Indeed, it seems we might have some acid rain this afternoon,” Alastor said.

A nearby demon, having seen Zestial and Alastor, pours a tub of yellow liquid, aka gasoline, over himself and throws a lit match on himself, setting his body ablaze as he runs away screaming. Zestial watched as this demon did so.

“If our luck doth hole. I do revel in the screams of souls,” Zestial said. He and Alastor walk side by side. “How art thou? It has been an age since thy presence has roamed and graced our own. Some hath spun wild tales of you falling to... holy arms.”

Alastor laughs in amusement. “Oh, it was just a well-earned sabbatical, nothing serious. Though, keeping everyone on their toes is rather fun. Haha!”

The two resume their walk.

“There too have been rumor of thy involvement with the princess and her recent flight of fancy. Tell me..,” Zestial said, opening his cloak, revealing a glowing spider web pattern interior as his eyes flared intimidatingly and yet Alastor appeared unfazed. He shut his cloak and his eyes stopped flaring so intensely. “How does thou fall in such folly?”

“That is for me to know. But please, do guess, I'd love to know all the theories,” Alastor said as the two continued their walk.

“T'would be grander folly by far to assume the workings of such as your mind, Alastor. Thou hath been naught but an enigma since thy manifested in this realm,” Zestial said.

“Coming from someone as ancient as you, I take that as quite the compliment,” Alastor said with a chuckle.

The two walk until they enter an alley between two buildings, one of them with a row of red elevators and large, red-tinted tubes. The two walk past a security camera hanging on the wall. Alastor stares at the camera, his image glitching and distorting in the lens as he walks past it. They approach an elevator. The doors slide open and the two step in before the doors slide close and the elevator slides up the red tube.

The elevator reaches the top of the building. The doors open and Zestial and Alastor step into a clean, white and grey polished hallway with weapons decorated on the walls and floor-to-ceiling windows tinted with a vivid red color. Various other demons walk out of the other elevators. Two demons, a male demon with a blue flame-engulfed deer skull head wearing a dark blue suit and a female demon with pale white-grey skin, short white hair, solid black eyes, black lips, and wearing a burgundy to grey-ish red 1910-1920s-style dress with black feather collar and a similar-colored sun hat decorated with a skull and feathers and holding a similar-colored parasol in her hands, nodded to one another before the two walk through the halls. The butterfly ninja Overlord, and Anastasia's ninjutsu mentor, Lady Swallotale, wearing her kimono, steps out of one of the elevators before a large, female dinosaur-like demon with pink skin, green sclera and black pupils, long green emo-ish hair with pink streaks, and wearing a punk-ish outfit with all pink, green, and black and a green nose piercing steps out of another elevator and walked through the halls, her feet stomping on the floors as she waved “hello” to the others. 

They all walk along a few stairs and through double doors into a meeting room with a large white table in the center, chairs surrounding it, similar red-tinted floor-to-ceiling windows, and a projection screen at the front. They all circled around the table and sat down in a chair. Alastor sat down next to the 1910-1920s-like female demon. The Overlords looked at and/or spoke to each other or just sat silently until tink sounds echoed in the room.

These tink sounds came from the tips of a pair of white ballet shoes. These ballet shoes were sharp, sharp like a knife. Each step on the floor from the sharp tips made these very tink noises.

The owner and wearer of these unusual shoes was a woman with grey skin, white hair with a black streak in the shape of large horns, a dark grey mask or marking on her face, a pair of eyes with white irises, black pupils, and red sclera, and wearing a black off-shoulder top, white long gloves, white open ballet skirt with pink inner lining, black leggings, black hoop earrings, and the aforementioned ballet shoes. Her hands were exceptionally large. Followed behind her were two girls, one with white skin, blonde hair in a ponytail with black horns, a white lab coat and black turtleneck sweater, black long gloves, black leggings with white shoes, and a pair of circle-framed glasses with red lenses and the other with brown skin, fluffy light white-pink hair in a large bun, black horns, and a black turtleneck sleeveless crop top with grey shorts, white long socks, black shoes and black fingerless gloves. They both had the same eyes as the woman with the white horn-shaped hair and sharp white ballet shoes.

“Welcome, Hell's sovereign Overlords. I've invited you all here because you each represent one of the many controlling powers of our city. Together, you own millions of souls, souls at risk with the new Extermination schedule,” the ballet woman said. Then, she banged her fist on the table firmly. “We need to discuss what can be done to minimize the impact to our interest.”

Zestial approached the ballet woman and sat down in the chair next to her. A cup of tea and a small cup plate appear in his hands in a flash of green magic.

“Zestial, so good to see you, my friend,” the ballet woman greeted Zestial. She looks at Lady Swallotale next. “You too, Swallotale.”

“Enchanted as always, Carmilla,” Zestial said before he took a sip of his tea.

“Always a pleasure,” Lady Swallotale said with a kind nod and a smile.

The ballet woman, Carmilla, smiled softly at Zestial and Lady Swallotale before her attention turned to Alastor in a mix of confusion, surprise, and curiosity.

“Alastor?” Carmilla said.

“Yes, I know, I've been absent for quite a while. I'm sure you've all been wondering,” Alastor said with a smirk as his hands steepled on the table.

“..Not really,” Carmilla said, visibly surprising Alastor in an offended kind of way and a pop of static emerged from him as his hands tightly clasped together. “But welcome back in any case.”

Alastor narrowed his eyes in offense at Carmilla despite his grin.

Carmilla snaps her fingers and a clipboard is handed to her.

“This year's Extermination was brutal, far more even than years past,” Carmilla said. The blonde female demon in the lab coat raises a remote and turns on the projector, showing an image of data, graphs, including a line graph, and a large picture of a horned angel crossed out behind Carmilla. “We have assessed that an average of sixteen percent of the population was lost. With the angelic legions returning for twice as long, I think it prudent that we-”

The door kicked open, revealing none other than… Velvette, and in a new look; her hair was in two large pigtails, wearing a black turtleneck sweater crop top with two hearts over her breasts, pink and black vertical stripe-patterned pants, a black belt with a heart buckle, a long blue denim vest cape with pink hearts, one pink and black striped long fingerless glove and one black and white striped long fingerless glove, black shoes with white pom-poms, and her usual skull earrings.

Velvette walked inside the room, holding her phone to her ear. 

“Yes, I already told you, Vox, I’ve got it handled just fine. You really doubting me of all people? Me? That's what I thought. Hehe, yes. Yes, I know. They're all a joke. Hehe, thank you, V. See you soon,” Velvette said on the phone before making kisses at it. “Kisses, darling.”

Velvette sat down at the end of the table as Carmilla looked in unamusement.

“Nice of you to join us, Velvette. Will your… colleagues be joining?” Carmilla asked.

“No, they have better shit to do than to listen to an old windbag who thinks she's tough shit,” Velvette said, making Carmilla's eyes narrow in response. “I'm here to represent.”

“Charming..,” Carmilla said. Velvette took a photo of Carmilla on her phone with a poop emoji filter on, but Carmilla ignored it and turned her attention back to the projection. “So, as I was saying before, we need to discuss-”

Velvette waves her hand up in the air, catching everyone’s attention.

“Yes?” Carmilla said in slight annoyance.

“While we're on the subject of “discussion..,”” Velvette said as she reaches her hand under the table and raises it back out, holding a severed head, a severed head that looks very identical to the picture of the masked angel on the projection behind Carmilla; it wore a grey full-headed mask or helmet with curved black horns with thin white lines, a black mask with a red eye and a red X over the other eye and a stitched red frown, and the feathered collar was torn, revealing the bleeding wound on the end of its neck where it was severed from its body. She throws it onto the table, causing it to leave a trail of golden-yellow blood as it rolled and bounced along the table before stopping in front of Carmilla.

The other Overlords, and Carmilla's assistants, stare at the severed head with mixed reactions of surprise, shock, confusion, and curiosity and they mutter to each other.

“Oh shit!” 

“Oh my..”

“Oh! Tasty..,” Alastor said with a tilt of his head as he stared at the severed head.

Carmilla stared at the head with widened eyes before she narrowed them.

“Where did you get this?” Carmilla asked.

“We found it during Extermination day. If these holy rollers can be killed, the game has changed,” Velvette said as she stood up from the table. Shortly after, she climbed onto the table and stood on top. “We can take the fight to them. Me and the boys have brainstormed all night and we've come up with a perfect full assault plan-”

The sound of a long slurp emerged in the room, directing everyone's attention to Zestial, who took a long slurp of his tea. Everyone stared at him until he stopped and rested the cup on the small plate on the table and folded his hands together as Carmilla sat down next to him.

“If it be true thee and thy colleagues desire to war with such meagre proof, thou art far more... foolish than I bethought,” Zestial said.

Velvette scoffs. “”Meagre proof?” You call a dead Exorcist “meagre?” I'd say that that's more definitive than meagre. You going blind, old man?”

“We know not how this angel perished. Mayhaps t'was not by a demon's hand at all. If we rush to war without knowing, mightn't they purge all of Hell for daring an uprising?” Zestial said with a pound of his fist on the table.

With that, the other Overlords mutter to each other, their quiet yet audible voices agreeing with Zestial's statement. Velvette crossed her arms and glared to the side before she took one look at Carmilla in curiosity. Carmilla had glared away to the side the whole time, not saying a word. Velvette smiles evilly.

“Oh, I get it. So grandpa is too pussy to fight, so I guess there's no point, right?” Velvette said. Zestial's eyes narrow at her. She approaches him, leaning her face into his. “Oh, what's the matter, fossil? Too senile to make a real power grab for-”

“Velvette,” Lady Swallotale said, drawing her attention. “I kindly ask that you think about this.”

“Something on your mind, little butterfly?” Velvette asked.

“I believe that you and your colleagues are too out of your depth, making such a hasty choice. You don't know how a thing such as this deceased angel had happened nor do you know who or what is responsible, and yet you recklessly decide to want to fight,” Lady Swallotale said. “I strongly advise that you must rethink this and act with more caution, as your action could risk thousands."

“Hm, so the wise little bug here speaks on acting with caution. I mean, it’s not like she's lost, hm..." Velvette rubs her finger on her chin before she looks back at Lady Swallotale, hint of mock and insult in her voice as she spoke. "How many was it again? The number of your precious students you lost to those angels now? Because they couldn't “act with caution” like you've always taught them to? I forget.”

Lady Swallotale narrows her eyes at her.

“Velvette, that is enough,” Carmilla said as she rose up from her seat, angered. “I will not tolerate your insolent behavior. And I will not tolerate you speaking that way.”

“Oh, is something wrong?” Velvette asked in mock.

“Your brazen display is far from acceptable. You are an Overlord, so you must act like it, much like your colleagues need to, too,” Carmilla said.

“I see. You want me and my “colleagues” to cower back like the rest of you? I think you got a few things twisted. I don't need a new attitude nor am I a coward like all of you. There's a reason I was titled the Vee's “backbone,” ‘cause I’m ready to stand up and fight when I need to,” Velvette said.

“We cannot act on this matter without the necessary intellect,” Zestial said.

Velvette sighed. “See? None of you want to grow a pair and really assert power like me and my friends. And here I thought you all would be willing to fight for your power, but turns out I was wrong. I mean, someone has to, which is why I’m here. Though, on second thought, perhaps me and my friends would probably be better off without-”

“Silence,” Carmilla commanded, cutting off Velvette. “You nor the Vees have any right in mind to take an action as dire as this. No knowledge, no consideration. You all are smug, inane wannabes who choose to act without any thought of what’s said otherwise. All you three care about is power.”

“Oh, did I strike a nerve, old bag? Your face looks a lot redder than normal. In fact, ever since I brought this up, you’ve been on edge the whole time,” Velvette said, holding the dead angel's head up before tossing it back on the table, making it bounce and roll again and leave a trail of more golden-yellow blood before it stopped. Carmilla’s brows furrowed and her eyes sharpened in anger as she dug her nails into the table, leaving dents on the marble surface. Lady Swallotale and Zestial look over at Carmilla, studying her expression and expressing curiosity on their own faces. Velvette approaches Carmilla. “Perhaps you know something about this?”

“Velvette,” Lady Swallotale said, attempting to come to Carmilla's defense.

“Not now, butterfly,” Velvette said to Lady Swallotale. She looks back at Carmilla. “Do you have something to say about this? ‘Cause I think you do. Am I right?”

“Enough of this,” Carmilla said. “This meeting is over.”

“Oh, really now?” Velvette said. 

“And that is final,” Carmilla said, firmly but angrily. 

Velvette and Carmilla exchange angry stares while the others look at them as the room grows silent.

“Well that was a productive meeting!” Alastor said, breaking the silence. 

“Hm, fine then. If you insist, then I guess… safe travels back to the nursing home, fuckers! Kiss my ass!” Velvette said with an evil laugh as she flipped out her middle finger as she walked out of the room and shut the door behind her.

“What the hell? We literally just got here,” the dinosaur-like Overlord said with a short laugh. 

The room grew silent for another moment.

“Mother?” The blonde demon in a lab coat said to Carmilla, breaking the silence until Carmilla raised her hand to quiet her down. 

Carmilla walks away as Zestial stands up from his chair and follows behind her along with the two female assistants.

The other Overlords stood up from their seats, circled around the table, and walked out of the room through the doors, leaving Alastor the last to exit. He sees Carmilla, Zestial, and the two female assistants enter another room through a pair of doors next to the exit door, looking in curiosity.

“Hmm. Well, that's interesting…” Alastor said. 

With one small movement of his foot, a small, two-dimensional black circle appears on the floor from the tip of his foot. It was a shadow, a very small one at that, and it was the size of a grapefruit. It molds and shapes into a smaller version of Alastor on the floor and a pair of eyes appear on its face from the shadow as it looks up at Alastor. Alastor looked back down at the shadow.

“Follow them and then return to me,” Alastor commanded the shadow.

The shadow swiftly slithered along the floors and followed behind Carmilla, Zestial, and the two assistants, blending in with their shadows.

With one last smirk, Alastor walks out of the room.

Chapter Text

The shadow followed beneath one of Carmilla's assistants, blending in with their shadow on the floor beneath their feet. 

They had entered an office made entirely of white and dark grey with weapons hung as decoration, the same floor-to-ceiling windows, an umbrella-like light along with small stage-like lights hung on the ceiling, and furniture such as two chairs with a coffee table in between them, few tables, bookshelves of miscellaneous items, a desk at the end of the room, and pots in the corners of the room with either plants or weapons in them. 

Once inside the room, it immediately finds a shadow behind a potted plant close to the exit and it swiftly slithers to it, hiding and blending in as it peeked.

Carmilla stood by a table, holding a vase-shaped bottle as she poured a yellow-colored liquid, presumably alcohol, into a glass as she muttered something indecipherable, perhaps something in Spanish, silently to herself. She lifts the glass up to her face, looking at it in a mix of annoyance and irritation before lowering the glass down onto the table and holding the bottle up to her lips, drinking straight from it instead.

Carmilla’s assistants sat in the two chairs in front of the desk while Zestial stood up a few feet behind Carmilla, all three of them looking in worry.

“Carmilla, what troubles thou? It is unlike thee to lose thy composure like that,” Zestial said.

Carmilla sighs, and lowered the bottle back to the table as she looked back at Zestial behind her with a slightly saddened look. “It's nothing, Zestial, really…”

Upon looking at Carmilla's behavior, Zestial had an assumption…

“The felled angel… T'was thy hand, was it not?” Zestial asked.

“Let's not talk about it,” Carmilla said.

“Mother..,” the female blonde-haired assistant, apparently Carmilla's daughter, said.

“No,” Carmilla said before she turned around and walked to her desk at the end of the room, walking past her two assistants.

“Mom, maybe he should know..,” the female fluffy-bunned haired assistant, apparently Carmilla's second daughter, said.

Carmilla stood behind her desk as she hit her palms flat onto the desktop firmly as she looked at her daughters. “Nobody should know.”

“Mother.. I think-” Carmilla's blonde-haired daughter was about to speak before Carmilla spoke up again. 

“No. I just did what I had to do,” Carmilla said as she sat down. She sighed again as she rubbed her temple with her fingers. “I am not discussing this.”

Carmilla's daughters looked to the side before they watched as Zestial walked over to Carmilla's desk. 

“If this matter troubles thou, then I receive it shall help to tell what load weighs on thou so. Why not tell that thou is the one who slew the angel if it was truly thou who did so?” Zestial said as he laid a hand on Carmilla's shoulder. “Thou can say to me.”

Carmilla looks up at Zestial before she turns her head away in sadness. She shut her eyes and sighed. She was finally ready to speak. 

“I didn't know.. I didn't even know that- I.." Carmilla said, her voice beginning to tremble. The tremble disappeared as she continued speaking. "I just wanted to protect my daughters. That thing attacked and I had to do something.. It all happened so fast and.. I couldn't let my girls get hurt. I couldn't." 

“It be okay. I know that thou not care for the use of violence, but thou only did what thou needed to,” Zestial said.

Carmilla sighs as she stood up from her desk. “It's not just that..”

Carmilla walks to the window and looks out into the view of the city. “It's just that.. if anyone found out about this, who knows what we might face. All of Hell could rise to war and we don't know what casualties there will be.. If that happens, I'll be the one responsible for it. I might even be responsible for losing my daughters all because I had to kill for them that day.. I can't let that happen… I won't let that happen. And I won't lose you either. So, Zestial, I ask of this just once..”

Zestial and Carmilla's daughters look over at her. 

Carmilla turned her head back to Zestial. “Please, just.. Keep this from everyone else. Please.”

The look in Carmilla's eyes said it all. They gleamed with sadness, care, worry, and silent pleading. She truly didn't want word of what she's done to go out to anyone else, for the sake of her own loved one's lives. 

Zestial's gaze softens after seeing such a look in her eyes. He knew she was being serious. 

“..Thou's secret shall be held. For no other soul shall hear word,” Zestial said. 

Upon hearing this, Carmilla smiles softly, and so do her daughters. 

Alastor's shadow had listened intently from behind the potted plant by the door. Its eyes shone with interest and intrigue upon hearing what it just heard. 

With one swift and slick movement, it slithered out from behind the potted plant and flew underneath the crack of the doors.

It slithered along the floors, down several steps, down and along walls…

It made it back outside through a crevice from one of the elevators, slithering through and the tight space. It slithered along the sidewalk until it approached Alastor, who had seemingly been waiting outside, that same permanent grin on his face. 

He glances at the shadow from the side with a raised eyebrow. 

The shadow changes size, growing to Alastor's same exact size and height as it stood next to him on the wall. 

“So, now.. What did you hear in there?” Alastor asked as he looked at the shadow. 

The shadow leans closer towards Alastor and Alastor did the same towards the shadow. 

The shadow whispered into his ear. 

Alastor's eyes widen and gleam in interest. 

“Interesting…,” Alastor said with a short side glance up at the building. 

Seconds later, the shadow disperses and fuses into Alastor's normal shadow as he turns around and walks along the sidewalk. 

His mouth stretches into one more evil grin. 

Chapter Text

We return to the scene of the hotel, in the parlor, where everyone stood in front of Charlie. 

Charlie held a small, blue hand-sized box in her hands and inside it was a blue cushion-cut gemstone in the center of the box's velvet interior. It glistened under the hotel lighting as everyone looked over upon its shiny surface. 

Anastasia looked at the gem for another few more seconds, its shiny surface reflecting into her eyes. Then, her attention turns to Charlie. 

“What's this? A gemstone?” Anastasia asked. 

“Not just a gemstone. It's an Asmodean Crystal. It's made to allow transportation to Earth,” Charlie replied. 

“But, where did you get this?” Anastasia asked. 

“From Asmodeus in the Lust Ring,” Charlie said. “He makes these for his demons to travel to Earth “legally” for work. I don't really know or at least wanna know what work they do up there..”

“Wait, so, this thing can just about allow any demon to go to Earth whenever they want?” Angel Dust asked. 

“Legally, yes. Well, except for Sinners,” Charlie replied. 

“And it took you this long to just bring this up?” Anastasia asked. 

“Well, yes. And when I just remembered, I knew I had to bring it up. So, I went to Asmodeus and.. Well.. I told him everything. But, you don't have to worry because he agreed to keep a secret and you'll finally be able to return home safely,” Charlie said, a small look of sadness in her eyes. 

“But what about-?” Vaggie whispered to Charlie. 

“I don't think this requires that level of intervention.. I can handle this,” Charlie whispered back to Vaggie. 

“Huh, well.. Good for you, huh Anna? You're finally gonna go back to Earth,” Angel Dust said, a small yet sad smile on his face. He approaches Anastasia and he puts a hand on her shoulder. “To be honest, I’m gonna miss ya around the place.”

“Yay, we're gonna go home!” Elijah excitedly said as he rushed over and hugged Anastasia’s arm tightly. 

“Wait, is that allowed?” Sir Pentious asked.

“I dunno, but who cares?” Elijah said with a smile, not caring about any sort of ramification or consequence of him, a demon, living on Earth where humans live.

Anastasia looked at Angel Dust, Elijah, and the others briefly before looking to the side, feeling hesitant and uncertain.

Anastasia wants to go home, she really does, but, at the same time, she doesn't feel ready. She thought about her mother and how much she missed her and how much her mother missed her too, but then she thought about… Sophie. She thought about Sophie and the ritual that led to her arrival in Hell. Then, she thought about her friends, her friends in Hell who helped her. If she went back, it would lead to three things; seeing her mother again, having to confront Sophie, and leaving the friends she made in Hell, the very friends who helped her through her mess, the friends she felt she could trust for the first time. This made her think… Should she go home? Is she even ready to go back yet? Should she stay in Hell longer? What choice should she make? She didn't know.. This felt like a bird having to choose between two stones to perch on.

Anastasia looks back at Charlie when she starts speaking. 

“I don't really know if humans can use magic items like this, so.. I'll just activate it for you,” Charlie said, slightly saddened. She slightly perked up as she looked around for a moment. “But, we should at least wait for Alastor and we could do a going away party and we can even invite Lady Swallotale too, and-”

“Actually.. I don't think I'm ready,” Anastasia said, catching everyone's surprise with her words.

“What?” Vaggie asked. 

“I don't think I'm ready to go back home yet,” Anastasia said. 

“Why?” Angel Dust asked. 

“Come on, don't be ridiculous, kid. You got the key home right there. Just go ahead,” Husk said. 

“No,” Anastasia said. 

“But why?” Charlie asked. 

“Is this because of your issues with that girl Sophie and you don't want to confront them yet?” Husk asked.

“No. Well, kind of, but.. Ugh, I don't know why, but it's like when I didn't know how, that was when I wanted to go home, more than anything. But now that I've finally found a way, I suddenly don't think I'm ready. And I think during my entire time here, I kinda feel sort of.. comfortable here. And it makes me feel bad to leave right away,” Anastasia said.

“Ugh, I had a feeling this would happen.. Alright, Anna, stop being ridiculous. Charlie, just open that thing and I'll just push her in. She doesn't need to stay here any longer,” Husk said. 

“Husk, it's her choice,” Charlie firmly said to Husk.

“Husk is right. Come on, sis, let's just go,” Elijah said as he tugged on Anastasia’s arm. “Come on..!”

“Elijah, we're not leaving yet,” Anastasia said, pulling her arm away. Elijah frowns at her. 

“But.. What about your mom?” Vaggie asked. “And the Extermination..-”

“I miss my mom, I really do, and I hate to just leave her, but at the same time, I just don't feel ready to go home yet, even just to see her again. And about the Extermination.., I'll take my chances, because I know that none of you would let anything happen to me,” Anastasia said.

Charlie smiled softly before she took a breath and sighed. 

“Okay,” Charlie said. She closes the box in her hands and puts it back in the bag. “If that's your decision, then I'll just keep this off to the side until you're ready.”

“Are you really sure about this?” Angel Dust asked Anastasia. 

“I'm sure,” Anastasia replied. 

Angel Dust smiled softly in response. 

“I am entirely against this but…,” Husk sighed and he turned his head to the side with his arms crossed. “If that's your choice, then I won’t force you to change your mind.”

Anastasia looked over at Husk for a moment with a slight smile. 

The room was silent for a moment until Charlie spoke again. 

“Okay, with that out of the way, so.. How did trust exercises go?” Charlie asked. 

“They went okay. Elijah tried to nail me with a water balloon though,” Anastasia said. 

“Why do you keep on snitching me out?!” Elijah whined as he tried to shake Anastasia by her arm. Anastasia just smirked in response. 

The sound of opening and closing doors emerged. Everyone turned to the doors and saw Alastor, who casually strolled in. 

“Alastor, you're back. How was your day?” Charlie asked. 

“Well.. I'd say that today has been interesting..,” Alastor said, glancing evilly to the side with a wide grin for a brief moment until he turned back to the group with a normal face. “But how has yours been?”

“It was alright,” Charlie said. 

“Same with us. I'd say everything will work out fine,” Vaggie said as she looked at everyone else with a smile. 

Anastasia noticed that Elijah had suddenly disappeared when no one else was looking. She looked around and then she saw him behind a chair. 

Elijah slowly raised up from behind the chair and held a green water balloon in his hand. He raises his hand back, ready to throw it, aiming it at Alastor, until.. 

“I wouldn't dare if I were you, lad…” Alastor said as his head rotated unnaturally 180 degrees, staring at Elijah with radio dial pupils and a widened grin, his presence growing scarier and darker by the second. You could even hear his voice glitching and emitting a noise of static.

Elijah froze in fear and then he lowered his arm and he lowered behind the chair, seemingly trying to hide. 

Shortly after, Alastor retained his normal demeanor as he looked back at the group. 

“Now, I'll be upstairs if any of you need me,” Alastor said as he trots away. 

Anastasia watched as Alastor walked away before she walked over to the chair that Elijah hid behind. 

“He's gone now,” Anastasia said. 

“Psh, I knew that,” Elijah said, immediately having brushed off his fear as if nothing happened as he emerged from behind the chair. 

Anastasia smirked a bit and rolled her eyes. 

“Hey Anna, since you decided to stay here a little longer, you wanna help with dinner?” Charlie asked. “You choose the dish.”

“Are- Are you sure?” Anastasia asked.

“Yeah. Come on, I know you must know a recipe, even outside the book,” Charlie said as she placed a hand on Anastasia's lower back as she led her to the kitchen

“I dunno..,” Anastasia said.

“Come on, you gotta have something in mind, I wanna hear it,” Charlie said.

“Well.. There's this recipe for broccoli lasagna that my mom knew,” Anastasia said.

“Broccoli lasagna? That's.. ehm,” Charlie was hesitant to finish her sentence.

“Don't worry. It's actually really good when you get the recipe right,” Anastasia said with a small smile as Charlie smiled back at her.

The two walked into the kitchen.

“C'mon, Niffty. We could use some extra hands,” Charlie said as she looked at Niffty as she peeked through the doorway.

Niffty quickly and happily skips over to Charlie and past her, skipping into the kitchen.

Moments later, everyone sat at the table. Even Alastor decided to sit with them this time. They each had a plate with a slice of broccoli lasagna resting on it. 

Angel Dust lifts his fork up, bringing a piece of the lasagna up to his mouth and eating it.

“Wow. Y'know, I had my doubts, but this is actually pretty good,” Angel Dust said.

“Indeed. This is different from what I am used to, but I suppose it isn't so bad,” Alastor said, holding a fork with a piece of broccoli lasagna stuck to the points.

“Told ya,” Anastasia said. She sees Elijah push his plate away. “Elijah..”

Elijah rolls his eyes and pulls his plate back towards himself and he begins to eat it begrudgingly.

Anastasia smiles softly as she resumes eating her lasagna with everyone else.

Chapter Text

The next day, Angel Dust and Elijah started to fuss and fight over who can watch what on the TV.

“Back off, squirt. I was here first,” Angel Dust said, trying to keep Elijah away with his hand.

“No, I wanna watch! It's my turn!” Elijah said, trying to get to the remote in Angel Dust's hand, but Angel Dust's hand was pushing on the side of his face, trying to keep him away. He kept on trying to get closer, his arms extended out to try and reach him.

“Why are you so strong for an eight-year-old?!” Angel Dust said in a mix of confusion and surprise over how Elijah is managing to overpower and push his arm back with such strength just to reach the remote.

“I’m eleven!” Elijah said, correcting Angel Dust's mis-aging.

“What the hell are you guys fussing over?” Anastasia said, having approached and standing by the couch, wearing her tracksuit and holding a duffel bag and her hair tied in a ponytail. She looked at the two.

“He won't let me watch TV!” Elijah said.

“Okay, tattletale,” Angel Dust said sarcastically.

“Elijah, let Angel watch first. You’ll get a turn afterwards,” Anastasia said, making Elijah groan and sigh.

“So, you going back to training?” Angel Dust asked.

“Lady Swallotale contacted me and said sessions are back on. I needed to catch up on some things,” Anastasia said. 

“Alright. Have fun,” Angel Dust said.

“Right. Well, see ya when I get back,” Anastasia said with a wave as she turns around and walks away to the doors and out them.

The second Anastasia left, Elijah immediately tried to jump for the remote until Angel Dust caught him by the back of his shirt collar.

“Ah-ah. Remember what Anna just said,” Angel Dust said, holding Elijah off the ground.

Elijah crosses his arms and pouts. “Humph…”

After a while of walking, Anastasia arrived at Swallotale’s. She stood in the dojo with Lady Swallotale, who stood under the tree.

“I apologize for the recent days of cancellation. I had some important matters to attend to recently. Now that they've been settled, I’ve been thinking… Perhaps you're ready to find your weapon?” Lady Swallotale said.

“My weapon? Already? But that sort of feels a little too soon. I haven't even gotten the hang of basic hand-to-hand yet,” Anastasia said.

“Better early than late, like my master always used to say. Now then, with nothing in the way, shall I commence the selection?” Lady Swallotale asked. 

“Yes, sensei,” Anastasia replied.

Lady Swallotale walks beside Anastasia and turns back around to face where she stood previously. She raises her arm slowly before giving her wrist a slow twirling wave to the right. With that wave, clouds and streams of orangish or pinkish smoke emerge seemingly out of thin air. The smoke slowly slid, floated, and shifted around the room until they slowly began to meld into different shapes in front of Anastasia and Lady Swallotale.

Anastasia watched in slight amazement and intrigue as she watched the smoke move and meld and change shape.

The smoke melds into seven separate, distinct swords; a katana, a wakizashi, a scimitar, a shortsword, a saber, and a tsurugi. Each sword floated in the air in front of them.

“From my understanding, these six blades each represent your personality differently. However, it's entirely up to one of them to choose you as much as you choose one of them. Touch each of them. Only one will remain while the rest disperse. If one disperses, it hasn't chosen you. If only one remains, it has chosen you,” Lady Swallotale said. 

“And this worked for your other students?” Anastasia asked.

“Yes. Now, go ahead,” Lady Swallotale said as she gestured her hand towards the smoke swords and stood to the side, allowing Anastasia to walk to them.

Anastasia turns her attention back to the smoke swords before she takes a hesitant yet straightforward step. She stood in front of the seven swords floating in front of her, looking at each one, trying to figure out which one to touch first. 

Anastasia looks over at the smoke katana first. She decided to try that first. She slowly raises her hand to touch it, but when just her finger touches it, it poofs and disperses, disappearing and disappointing Anastasia. She turns her attention to the wakizashi, deciding to try that next. She does what she did to the katana, only for the same result to happen the second she touches it. Then with the scimitar, the shortsword, and then the saber, leaving only… the tsurugi. 

Despite knowing that the sword had picked her, she went ahead and touched it anyway, and the tsurugi remained even when she touched it.

“So, the tsurugi stays and sticks. I find it very fitting for you. After all, trust is just like a double-edged sword,” Lady Swallotale said.

“I.. guess it sorta does,” Anastasia said as she looked over and admired the smoke tsurugi. Seconds later, with a wave of her hand, Lady Swallotale makes the sword disappear.

“Now then, with that out of the way, you said you still needed to work on hand-to-hand?” Lady Swallotale asked. “I'll be happy to assist with that.”

Lady Swallotale stood a few feet away from Anastasia. Anastasia nods, signaling that she was ready.

“Hajime,” Lady Swallotale said. 

Anastasia moved forward and she threw a punch, which Lady Swallotale blocked with her forearm with ease. Then another punch was thrown and blocked again, and again, and again.. 

After almost an hour, Anastasia got tired and so did her arms. She stood a few inches away, stretching and extending her arms out slowly. 

“You did well, Anna. But based on the form of your strikes, I sense that something troubles you,” Lady Swallotale said. 

“Nothing. Just sorta rusty ‘cause it's only been a few days,” Anastasia replied as she stretched her arms out again. 

“Hm, very well,” Lady Swallotale said, not wanting to push any further. “Shall we resume, then?”

Anastasia took a few breaths before she turned around to face Lady Swallotale again. 

“Yeah, I'm ready.”

Chapter Text

Back at the hotel, Elijah was sitting in the living room. Sheets of white papers were scattered and spread around him on the floor. Art supplies like brushes, paint cups, and water were also scattered around him.

Brown bristles trace and slide up and down and in circles on a smooth, white surface, tracing large lines of pastel blue and yellow colors.

“Okay, done!” Elijah said.

“Do I look pretty?” a voice said. Apparently, this “smooth, white surface” was an eggshell, an eggshell that was actually one of Sir Pentious’ egg minions, the Egg Boiz.

“Yeah, you do! You all do!” Elijah said, looking at Egg #2 in front of him and at the other four eggs around him, who were all decorated and painted with bright colors.

“I wonder what bossman will think,” one of the Egg Boiz said.

“What on Earth did you do to my minions?!” Sir Pentious asked as he slithered into the lobby, furious.

“I made them pretty,” Elijah said, his hand on his chest as he spoke like he's a professional make-up artist.

“I did not give you permission to paint my eggs,” Sir Pentious said, shooting him an angered look.

“But do we look nice, boss?” one of the Egg Boiz asked.

Sir Pentious sighed. “Yes, you do look nice, but it doesn't cover the fact he went and did this without my consent.”

“Psh, I don't need your consent. They ain't your kids,” Elijah said. Then, some sort of realization came in. “Wait, are they your kids? Did you lay them??”

“No. I mean, I made them, but I did not lay them. There's a difference, boy,” Sir Pentious replied, carrying one of the Egg Boiz in his arms, cradling them. He looks down at the egg in his arms. “Okay, let’s get you cleaned up. All of you.”

Before he could slither away, Charlie appeared.

“Hey Pentious. Oh, is that one of your eggs? Oh, he looks so cute and colorful, did you do that?” Charlie asked in awe.

“No, the little scamper here did,” Sir Pentious said, glaring a dagger or two at Elijah before he turned his attention back to Charlie. “I was just about to go and clean them-”

“Oh, you know what? This gives me an idea for a new activity. An artistic activity!” Charlie said in glee, tracing her hands over her head in the air as if she was trying to spawn a rainbow. 

“Well, this oughta be fun,” Angel Dust said in slight sarcasm.

Moments later, everyone, except Anastasia, were in a circle in the lobby. Blank canvases stood in front of them. Small tables stood beside them with supplies such as easels, paint, and brushes resting on the wood surfaces, and sitting stools were nearby them.

Charlie stood in front of them, a smile on her face and her hands clasped and folded together. 

“Okay, what we're doing is painting a portrait of who inspires you the most,” Charlie said. “It's a great way of sharing something about yourself. Okay, you all can start your paintings… now.”

With that instruction, everyone picks up their materials and begins their portraits. Their wrists moved and twirled and twisted as they moved their brushes, allowing the bristles to glide across their canvases and leave trails of color. Each trail of color creates an image right before them on the once empty, white canvas.

Moments later, Charlie spoke up.

“Okay and… show your portraits!” Charlie said, her arms in the air.

Everyone turned their portraits around for eye view.

Angel Dust painted a portrait of Husk, much to Husk’s annoyance. Husk, on the other hand, just painted a bottle of booze. 

Vaggie painted a portrait of Charlie, to which Charlie smiles brightly as she shows her portrait of Vaggie, who Vaggie smiles back.

Alastor painted a portrait of just himself, and Niffty made a portrait of Alastor.

Sir Pentious made a portrait of himself. 

Elijah just made a mess of colorful scribbles, lines, dots, and splats.

“Okay, good job, everyone,” Vaggie said, putting her portrait back on the canvas stand. She looks around everyone's paintings, pointing out only certain ones. “But, uhm… Husk, you just painted a bottle of booze. And Elijah, you just made a mess of colors on your canvas.”

“Well, it's my honest answer,” Husk said.

“Well, no one inspires me yet. Plus, I can't paint people. Also, I always wanted an excuse to play with paint,” Elijah said, a small mischievous yet innocent smirk on his face.

“That's okay, we'll work on it,” Charlie said in reassurance. “Okay, next prompt is.. Free choice! Get creative! Let your imagination drive you! Have fun!”

“That's the spirit, Charlie,” Alastor encouraged. Based on his enthusiasm, he definitely had some mischievous intention in mind about his next painting.

“But you have to keep your art appropriate. Nothing with blood, violence, nudity, anything like that,” Vaggie said firmly, Alastor responding with narrow eyes, like he's frowning even thought he keeps his smile up.

“Eh, simple enough,” Angel Dust said with a shrug. 

In mere minutes, everyone grabbed a new canvas and began painting. Some have paused from time to time, thinking about what to paint, and they took their time to carefully line out each stroke of color along the canvas. Meanwhile, there was… that one. 

Elijah made another mess on the canvas again, splashing and splattering paint everywhere, on himself, the canvas, the carpets.. Luckily, everyone else and their portraits stood at a safe distance from him to avoid getting splashed with colors. 

“My carpets, nooooo!!” Niffty cried before she zoomed away and back with cleaning supplies and scrambles to clean up the paint on the carpets. 

“Uh, Elijah?” Charlie said, trying to get Elijah's attention, but the boy was too distracted with making a colorful, vibrant mess. Even his laughter drowned out Charlie's call to him. “Elijah?”

“Elijah!” Vaggie yelled out, finally causing Elijah to pause when he was about to throw paint on the canvas straight out of the bucket. He was looking at Vaggie, seemingly frozen in place. 

“My, he's quite a messy one,” Alastor commented with amusement. 

Vaggie approaches Elijah, the back of her fists firmly on her hips and a firm yet disappointed look on her face. “You need to get cleaned up, now.”

“No, and you can't make me,” Elijah said.

“Right now, young man,” Vaggie said. Suddenly she grabs Elijah's wrist firmly and she walks away with him. 

“Aaawww…!” Elijah groaned in frustration as Vaggie pulled him with her.

Niffty was scrubbing and scrubbing her sponge away on the carpet, trying to clean it as soap bubbles and water soaked and left trails and piles and some tiny bubbles floated in the air. 

“The boy really has no shame in what he's done,” Alastor commented in amusement. 

“He's a child. He still has a ways to go to know better,” Charlie said. 

“True, but still, it is rather irresponsible not to take the time to give him a pointer or two about maintaining a well-behaved output. In fact, if my mother were here, I believe she would be willing to put in the time to teach him as she taught me as a boy,” Alastor said, feeling a sense of sentiment and nostalgia at the mention of his mother and her memory. Charlie looked softly at Alastor when he mentioned his mother.

Moments later, Vaggie was upstairs in the bathroom inside of Elijah's room. She had put Elijah in the bath and she had been scrubbing, rubbing, and rinsing the paint off of his skin, horns, and hair with water and a loofah, much to Elijah's frustration and unamusement. His wet hair stuck to his head and face. 

Vaggie lifts up Elijah's arm and she scrubbed under his arm, leaving trails of water and bubbles. 

As the paint washed off of him, the water turned into a pool of rainbow swirls. 

“You're not allowed anywhere near paint for a while, kid,” Vaggie said. 

“Aww,” Elijah said. 

“Don't “aww” me. You should’ve known better than to make a mess like you did,” Vaggie said as she finished scrubbing under Elijah’s arm. 

Elijah pouts. “Hmph.”

Vaggie narrowed her eye in annoyance. 

Back in the lobby, Niffty finished cleaning the carpet until it was spotless.

“Finally!” Niffty said in joyful relief.

“Well, this activity was rather amusing,” Alastor said.

“Well, we'll probably try this again later. But maybe, for now, everyone gets the rest of the day off,” Charlie said, her hands pressed together.

“Splendid. I can catch up on my stories,” Alastor said, his arms behind his back as he walks away.

After a while, Vaggie walked back downstairs into the lobby with Elijah, who was now clean and free of paint.

Elijah had an irritated pout on his face.

Charlie looks at them.

“Oh, you're back! And don't you look so squeaky clean,” Charlie said as she bent down to Elijah’s level with a smile, much to Elijah's exasperation.

“Hate baths?” Husk asked Elijah from the bar.

“Yes,” Elijah responded with a deadpan face.

“Ditto,” Husk replied as he wiped down a glass with a cloth.

“Hey Elijah, you wanna watch something?” Angel Dust asked. 

Elijah brightens up. He walks to Angel Dust on the couch. “Yeah, what's on?”

“I dunno, cartoons?” Angel Dust said.

“I'll take it,” Elijah said as he hops onto the couch.

“Keep the channels appropriate, okay?” Vaggie said firmly.

“Fiiinneee…,” Angel Dust moaned in annoyance. Vaggie walks away.

After a couple of hours, Anastasia had returned back to the hotel from training. She was holding an ice pack over her head, over her left temple.

The second Angel Dust saw her, his eyes slightly widened and he shot up from his seat and he rushed over to her.

“Anna, are you okay? What the hell happened?” Angel Dust urgently asked.

“Relax, just a little mishap I had at training. Lady Swallotale had to step out and Opia took over,” Anastasia said as she lowered the ice pack down from her temple, showing a dark purple bruise on the skin. She was unfazed and unbothered, specifically with the way Opia was with her at training. “And I’m pretty sure she doesn't like me.”

“Yeah, I can tell,” Angel Dust said, scanning the bruise on Anastasia's head, feeling a sense of familiarity from it..

“Did she whack you that hard?” Elijah asked.

“You could say that,” Anastasia replied. She looks around at everyone else in the parlor. “So, what did you all do today?”

“We did paintings. And Elijah had a little more fun than everyone else,” Charlie said, looking at Elijah.

“He made a mess,” Vaggie said, unamused over just having to mention it.

“Of course,” Anastasia said, as if she wasn't surprised.

Back at Swallotale's, in the dimly-lit dojo, Opia stood in front of Lady Swallotale, who sat in front of the tree.

“Sensei, I'm telling you, that human is trouble. Taking her under your wing will reel in all the other pests,” Opia said.

Lady Swallotale looks up at Opia, unbothered by her warning.

“I do not understand why you're so concerned. I've seen none of the others worry.” Lady Swallotale said with an inquisitive look. “Perhaps I detect a little jealousy? I assure you, it's nothing that surprises me. I've seen many of my students compete with one another.”

“No!” Opia said with a raised voice. Upon realizing the way she had just spoken to her teacher, she slowly shrunk back. She stands back straight and she speaks more respectfully and yet she still remains firm. “My apologies. I know I am not normally one to question you, but I am only worried about you and the clan. Some of the other Overlords are at each other’s throats already. Do you even know what will happen if they find out we have a live human under our tutelage? And Hell's other higher-ups, the Goetia, the Sins.., the King.., And the fact that the next Extermination has been extended to two days and it's only months until the flock of angels come down.., The clan will be put in nothing but jeopardy. You're risking us and yourself. Doesn't that concern you at all? You are being incredibly reckless, sensei.”

Lady Swallotale sat there silently, her eyes narrowing slowly and her brows lowering, her face inscrutable.

“I suppose your point is well-worth consideration. But I assure you, I have everything under control. And if anything happens, I will make sure the right action is taken,” Lady Swallotale said. “But for now, I ask that you try to be more civil with Anna from now on. And please, do worry about this anymore."

“But sensei-” 

“Now, I believe you have a task to attend to, Opia,” Lady Swallotale said. “Come back to me once you have completed it.”

“Sensei-” Opia tried to protest.

“I do not wish to hear anymore about it. Is that understood?” Lady Swallotale said with strict authority in her words, her eyes calm and yet stern and firm. They were piercing through Opia's very being, making her drop her earlier display of questioning and protest against Lady Swallotale's reassurance.

“... Hai, sensei,” Opia reluctantly yet compliantly said, slowly bowing her head.

Opia turns around and walks away, a withering look on her face as she exits the dojo.

Chapter Text

Three weeks have passed.

“Alright, who's next in line for waffles?” Charlie asked.

The hotel was having breakfast.

“Me me!” Elijah blurted out excitedly with a hand raised. 

“Toppings?” Charlie asked.

“Syrup!” Elijah replied.

Charlie holds the maple syrup bottle and pours the brown viscous liquid onto the waffles and she gives the plate to Elijah, who excitedly takes it.

“Thank you!” Elijah said.

“So, anyway, where's Anna? She's usually down here by now,” Angel Dust asked while he picked up a plate of waffles.

“I'm right here,” Anastasia said from behind Angel Dust, startling him.

Today, Anastasia wore her black mid-sleeve ruffle turtleneck shirt, blue overalls, and black slip-on shoes.

“Ah!” Angel Dust jumped. “Damn, I didn't even hear you walk in.”

“None of us did,” Vaggie said, just as surprised as Angel Dust.

“These past two weeks, Lady Swallotale has been teaching me to move without making a noise. My feet are basically lighter now. Can't even hear a step where they walk, just like her feet,” Anastasia said, looking at one of her feet while she raised her heel back.

“So they're silent wherever you walk now??” Elijah asked. “I wanna learn that too!”

“You will, eventually,” Anastasia said. She sighs. “You don't know what shit I had to walk over the past two weeks to get it right… Rocks, twigs, and bubble wrap, as a few examples.”

“Damn, the rocks and twigs must've hurt,” Angel Dust said.

“They did,” Anastasia said. She looks at Elijah. “Also, Elijah. I'm sure you don't need it, ‘cause you followed me over to the dojo a while ago and I didn't see you.”

“Yeah, but I want light feet so I can walk in and surprise people too,” Elijah said. Anastasia chuckles a bit.

“Guess you got someone that looks up to you,” Angel Dust said.

“I know,” Anastasia said. 

“Okay, everyone. I planned tonight as a movie night. I know most people would do it on Fridays or Saturdays, but I thought I’d mix it up,” Charlie said. “Does anyone have any ideas for what to watch?”

Angel Dust was about to make a suggestion.

“Nothing with sex,” Vaggie said before he could make that suggestion. Angel Dust frowns and sighs slightly.

“What's-?” Elijah was about to ask what sex was before Anastasia covered his mouth with her hand from behind.

“How about we just go to that video store I saw a while back?” Anastasia asked.

“You mean “Rent a Tape or Some Shit”?” Angel Dust asked.

“Yeah,” Anastasia replied. Elijah pulled Anastasia’s hand down from his mouth.

“I wanna go, I wanna go!” Elijah said, bouncing in his seat.

“Eat the rest of your waffles and you can go,” Vaggie firmly said.

“Okay..,” Elijah said as he stopped bouncing.

After an hour or so, Angel Dust, Anastasia, and Elijah went to the video store, “Rent a Tape or Some Shit” in the Entertainment District.

“Damn, looks like everyone's planned a Thursday movie night,” Angel Dust said, his four hands on his hips and sides. He looked around the store and saw many demons around the store, picking out and renting movies.

“What's those triple-X movies?” Elijah asked as he pointed to a section with a hanging sign on the ceiling saying “XXX” on it. “Let's go check them out.”

“Uh, no. No. No, let's not,” Anastasia said as she caught Elijah's hand and stopped him.

“Aww,” Elijah said. Then, he saw a cut-out of a shark that looked like a ninja. “Ooh! There's a Ninja Shark movie!”

Elijah rushes off, losing Anastasia's grip on his hand as he runs.

“Slow down there, speedy,” Anastasia said as she quickly followed behind Elijah.

Elijah stopped in front of some empty shelves, where another Ninja Shark cut-out stood. He looked up at the shelves and he looked disappointed. Anastasia and Angel Dust approached him from behind and they looked at the same empty shelves.

“Oof, tough luck, kiddo. Everyone must've rented them all out,” Angel Dust said.

Elijah's mouth curved into a frown.

“Don't worry, we'll find something else,” Anastasia said as she gave Elijah a reassuring pat on the head.

“Yeah, kid. Come on, let's look around more,” Angel Dust said as he turned around and waved his arm towards his direction, signaling them to follow him, to which the two acquiesced. 

They all browsed around different shelves and different genres. Of course, Elijah had to stay close to Anastasia in order to keep him from the “XXX” shelves.

Angel Dust was looking through PG-rated romcoms, Anastasia was looking through family movies, and Elijah stuck by Anastasia. 

Eventually, Angel Dust looked through the scary movie section. 

“Okay, I think I found something. How about this?” Angel Dust said as he approached the two, holding a movie tape in his hand. 

“”The Ghouler?” You sure?” Anastasia asked as she examined the tape's box cover. 

“Yeah. It'd be a good change in pace. The other movie nights before you got here were nothing but “family-friendly fun.” Let's make this a scary movie night,” Angel Dust asked. 

“I dunno…” Anastasia said, contemplating. 

“Come on, Anna, it'll be fun!” Elijah said as he tugged on Anastasia's arm. 

Anastasia sighs. “Okay, okay, we'll rent it.”

The next moment, Angel Dust put the tape box on the counter. The cashier scans the box.

“Okay, you have one week to return it,” the cashier said.

“Thanks, toots,” Angel Dust said with a wink as he took the box and he, Anastasia, and Elijah walked out of the video store.

After a cab ride home, they made it back to the hotel.

“Alright, I got a pick for ya,” Angel Dust said as he stood in front of everyone in the parlor, holding the video tape in his hand.

“You rented a scary movie??” Vaggie asked, not very happy about it.

“How charming,” Alastor commented, his grin remaining. He was very interested in watching a horror film.

“Yeah, I think it'd be good to mix it up from our usual films,” Angel Dust said.

“We're not watching a scary movie,” Vaggie said.

Charlie steps in.

“Uh, what she means is.. Maybe we should.. consider our audience first before watching it?” Charlie said, gesturing her arms to everyone, or more specifically Elijah.

“Okay, I know what this is about,” Elijah said. He stands up, his arms akimbo on his hips. “You think I can't handle it because I'm a kid?”

“That isn’t exactly what I meant..,” Charlie kindly retorted. Unfortunately, that is what she meant, but she can't find the words to say it nicely.

“Come on, if you just give me a chance, you'd see I can handle it!” Elijah said.

“Hmm.. Y'know what? You're right,” Anastasia said, having taken some consideration. “You're not little, so I think it's about time we give you a chance to show what a big boy you are.”

Elijah gasped happily before he screeched in joy. Vaggie looked uncertain.

“Charlie, should we really do this?” Vaggie whispered to Charlie quietly.

“Come on, Vaggie, let's give him a chance,” Charlie whispered back to Vaggie. “Plus, it's been around two months since our last movie night and this is our first with Anastasia, so we should at least make it a little enjoyable for her.”

Vaggie thought for a moment before she sighs.

“Alright, we can watch it,” Vaggie said.

“Yes!” Elijah said with a fist pump.

“Let's hope the lad doesn't get any night terrors,” Alastor jokingly said.

“He won't,” Anastasia said, defending Elijah.

“Yeah, I won't,” Elijah said.

“Hm…” Alastor hummed with a thoughtful look with his finger touching his chin. Then, he shrugs. “Very well, then.”

A few hours passed. It was around nine o'clock pm. Everyone got into their pajamas, except for Husk and Alastor. Husk doesn't seem to have or at least wear any pajamas since he mostly sleeps at the bar and Alastor just didn't want to change into any pajamas.

Anastasia wore a black and white dot-patterned night gown with white socks and fuschia slippers.

“‘Kay guys, we got the popcorn ready,” Charlie said, holding a giant bowl of popcorn while Vaggie held a second one as the two walked out of the kitchen.

“Neat!” Elijah said, sitting on the couch and his legs swinging. 

Charlie and Vaggie walk to everyone else in the parlor and they sit down together on the couch. 

“Alright, ya ready? Hope none of you need to change your britches during the whole thing,” Angel Dust said with a cackle. 

“Just put the movie in,” Vaggie firmly prompted. 

“Alright,” Angel Dust said as he crouched down in front of the TV. 

“So, what's The Ghouler about again?” Elijah asked.

Anastasia holds up the empty tape box and she reads the back. “It says it's about a married couple who are being haunted by the wife's past where, on a romantic getaway weekend, her ex-boyfriend came back from the dead as an undead spirit to terrorize them.”

“My, a horror picture centered around jealousy and unfinished business? How comical!” Alastor said with a laugh. “Back in my day, horror films were far more different from today. Why, one of my personal favorites was The Phantom of the Opera.”

“Really? Why?” Anastasia asked.

“Well, it's shown me that the world is a stage full of entertainment, just as a stage is a world full of entertainment,” Alastor replied, waving his arm in the air, as if wiping thin air.

Angel Dust slides the tape into the slot. 

“'Kay, guys. Let's do this,” Angel Dust said as he stood up and walked over to the others and sat down. 

“This better be worth losing my nap time,” Husk said, propping his head on his elbow on the arm of the couch. 

“Husk, you sleep almost all the time. I think you should probably skip one or two of those bottles every once in a while,” Anastasia said. 

“I don't tell you how to handle your own shit, you don't tell me how to handle my drinks,” Husk said. 

“Mhm,” Anastasia hummed. 

“Shh! It's starting,” Elijah said, putting a finger over Anastasia’s mouth before she promptly and gently brushed it away. 

Everyone’s attention turned to the TV, where the movie, The Ghouler, played on the screen. 

As time passed, sounds of screams, evil laughter, smashing, blood splattering and gushing, and other indescribable noises echoed from the TV as everyone watched the movie. Most of them were all chill and composed throughout the whole thing. Alastor and Niffty were, on the other hand, enjoying it. Though, a few, however, the opposite. 

Charlie was wrapped in her blanket, cozy but scared and Vaggie had her arm wrapped around her to comfort her. Sir Pentious was sitting on one of the chairs, holding his hat in front of his face while still watching the movie. Elijah sat there on the couch, sitting up in fetal position, a terrified look on his face, and his arms and his tail wrapped around his legs as comfort while he watched the movie.

After a while, the screen switched to a “The End” title card.

“Alright, it's over,” Vaggie said before she stood up and walked to the TV.

“That was a charming film,” Alastor said.

Niffty giggles in agreement. "I loved it when he snuck on the maid in the cleaning room and shoved her in the washing machine."

“It sure was… something else,” Charlie said with a nervous chuckle, still wrapped in her blanket.

Vaggie took the tape out and she put it back in its box. She looks back at everyone. “‘Kay guys, bedtime.”

“Yeah. We better get to bed. ‘Cause we got a new day tomorrow,” Charlie said as she got up from the couch.

Everyone got up from the couch and went upstairs. Well, except for Elijah, who just sat there on the couch in that same position, as if in a state of catatonia. 

“Elijah, bedtime,” Anastasia said from the top of the stairs. 

Her voice snapped Elijah out of his trance. “Oh, right. Be right up.”

After a few seconds of hesitance, Elijah stood up, looked around, and he started to walk to the stairs and then up, each step careful and yet wary. 

“You alright?” Anastasia asked.

“Uh, yeah. I'm good,” Elijah said with a quick nod.

“‘Kay,” Anastasia said before she turns around and goes down the hall, and Elijah follows behind her. 

Anastasia pauses in her steps and looks at Elijah. “You didn't get scared, did you?”

“What? Pfft, no,” Elijah said with a disagreeing side-to-side nod. He didn't want to admit it, but he did, in fact, get scared.

“Okay, if you say so,” Anastasia said before she turns around and walks off.

Elijah quickly follows behind her.

Chapter Text

Elijah lied in his bed, struggling to sleep. He had been tossing and turning underneath the covers while groaning and grunting for the past half hour.

He immediately jolted up, sweat on his forehead and his breathing was quick and rapid while his heart pounded in his chest, as if ready to burst out of his own body. He wiped the sweat off his head and he jumped out of his bed.

He looks around and at his door. He rushes over to the door, opens it, and peeks out the door. He looks around the hallway, checking for anyone or anything in the vicinity. Once he saw the coast was clear, he stepped out of his room and into the empty hall.

Elijah walks through the halls, down the stairs, and into the parlor. He sees Husk sleeping at the bar and he walks over to him. He sits down on a stool at the counter and he taps on his head.

Husk grumbled and sat his head up, his tired eyes slowly blinking and he looks at Elijah, tired and irritated.

“Ugh, don't tell me you can't sleep because of that movie..,” Husk said.

“How did you know?” Elijah asked.

“I can see it on your face,” Husk said.

"Well, can I sleep here with you tonight?” Elijah said.

“I prefer to be alone when I sleep. Plus, you shouldn't be sleeping in this kind of spot, anyway. Go find somewhere else,” Husk said before he slumped his head onto the counter and fell asleep instantly, snoring. Elijah looked annoyed before he jumps down from the stool and walks away.

Angel Dust was in his bedroom, lying in bed as he took a few gulps of alcohol from a bottle before he laid the bottle down next to his bed and heard his phone ding. He picks up his phone and he saw a text from Valentino.

“Baby amorcito, come back. I miss you~ ♥️”

(Translation: Sweetheart)

Then, another text popped up.

“BITCH, IF YOU DON'T ANSWER, YOU'LL SPEND THE NEXT MONTH FUCKING HORSES!!!!!!”

Then, another text popped up.

“Angel, baby, I'm sorry for yelling.. I just get so crazy without you… XOXO ♥️”

More texts pop up, back and forth between tender and aggressive multiple times, angering Angel Dust. He laid his phone back down on the counter and he lays there on the bed, looking at the ceiling. 

A voice echoes in his head.

“You think you can actually change?”

It was Valentino's voice… 

Angel Dust began to hear and see things, things that weren't there. 

He sees a stream of red smoke emerge from his phone and he sees it circle in the air above him. He didn't react to it. Instead, he lied there, sad and indifferent. He knew it wasn't really there. It was nothing but a mere vision, a hallucination, so he didn't respond or react. The stream of red smoke circled and descended down in circular motions towards Angel Dust. 

“Addi ct trash like yourself can never change..”

A hand formed at the end of the stream and it gently caressed underneath Angel Dust's chin, its nonexistent touch tender yet dangerous.

“See you soon, baby..~”

With that last nonexistent caress, the stream of smoke dispersed out of sight, out of Angel Dust's mind. 

Both the voice and the visions have left Angel Dust's mind.

He turns to the side, lying on his side in melancholy. 

His pet pig, Fat Nuggets, jumps onto the bed, walks towards him, and he gently licks his cheek, exhibiting a small and soft smile from him.

Then, Angel Dust heard a knock on the door, surprising him and Fat Nuggets.

He got up out of his bed, walked to the door, and opened it. He looks down and sees Elijah.

“Hey, Angel..,” Elijah greeted.

“Elijah? The hell are you doing up?” Angel Dust asked.

“I can't sleep..” Elijah said.

“Wait a minute, The Ghouler actually scared you?” Angel Dust asked. “Really?”

“Yes.. So, can I sleep here tonight?” Elijah asked.

Angel Dust was sympathetic to Elijah's issue. “Well, I'd normally say “yes,” but.. it's sort of a “no,” tonight. Sorry, kid.”

Elijah sighs. “Okay, I understand.. I'll go ask someone else.”

Elijah sulks and he walks away. Angel Dust closes his bedroom door shortly after he does.

Elijah was in front of a new door. He raises his fist to knock on it.

“I prefer you not to disturb me, young lad. Find somewhere else to dwell,” a voice loud enough to hear suddenly emerged from behind the door, startling Elijah a bit. It was Alastor. Apparently, he was still awake and he had heard Elijah.

Elijah groans a little in frustration before he steps away from the door and walks away.

Elijah was in front of another door, again. He knocks and the door quickly opens, showing Niffty in her pajamas.

“Oh, hi Elijah,” Niffty happily greeted.

“Hey Niff. Sorry to bug you, but is it okay if I sleep here?” Elijah asked.

Niffty gasped a bit. “Of course! Come on in!”

Niffty pushes the door open further, letting Elijah step in.

“Careful where you walk, please,” Niffty said.

“My feet are clean,” Elijah said. Then, Niffty rushes off in the room and she came back and slid slippers on Elijah’s feet, slightly surprising him and annoying him.

“Hey, you want me to read you one of my stories before bed? I’ve got dozens of options!” Niffty said, gesturing to a bookshelf full of at least a hundred notebooks.

“Wow, uh, you wrote all those??” Elijah said, impressed.

“Every single one! I put a lot of love, and blood and sweat, into them. Here's one of my personal favorites,” Niffty reaches for a red notebook with the title “A Hellish Pyramid of Love.” “It's my fanfic about Alastor, Charlie, and Vaggie in a love triangle. Vaggie and Alastor are in an enemies to lovers situation, constantly competing and competing for Charlie's love!”

“Uh..” Elijah said, seemingly disinterested in hearing a love fanfiction, and seemingly creeped out by Niffty's fascination with writing fantasies about people.

“Oh, how about this one? It's about Husk and Alastor, “Chained for Eternity.” Or this one of Angel Dust and Alastor, “The Deer in the Spider's Web…,”" Niffty was looking through a whole lot of her fanfictions one by one, slowly disturbing and overwhelming Elijah.

The next moment, Elijah stepped out of the room.

“Thanks for having me, but I think I've decided to go find some other place. Sorry,” Elijah said as politely as possible.

“Okay, maybe next time then! Night!” Niffty said happily before she quickly shut the door.

Elijah walked through the halls before he saw swift movement in the halls. Curiosity striking him, he quickly and quietly followed.

After a long, swift, and quiet follow, he turned a corner and saw.. Sir Pentious? What was he doing up like him? Elijah sees him approach a stairway and slither up, prompting him to follow him.

After another stairway walk, he followed Sir Pentious to a pair of double doors. Right when he was about to open the door, that was when Elijah made himself known.

“What you doin?” Elijah asked.

Sir Pentious yelped in surprise. “Wh-What are you doing here?”

“I can't sleep, and then I saw you and I wanted to see what you're doing,” Elijah said.

“Well, child, that is none of your business now, is it?” Sir Pentious said. He waves his hand, as if trying to shoo Elijah away. “Now, go on. Go on back to your room.”

One of the double doors open, revealing Charlie and Vaggie in their pajamas, looking tired.

“What's all the noise out here?” Charlie tiredly asked as she rubbed her left eyelid. Then, she sees Sir Pentious and Elijah. “Pentious? Elijah? What are you doing out here?”

“I, uh, caught this rascal sneaking up here and I was simply trying to get him back to bed,” Sir Pentious said, having fabricated what he said.

“But I saw you sneaking up here,” Elijah said, pointing at Sir Pentious.

“Why were you sneaking up here?” Vaggie asked, looking at Sir Pentious.

“Uh…,” Sir Pentious said, nervously tugging at his collar with his finger.

“And Elijah, you should be in bed,” Vaggie said, turning her attention to Elijah.

“I can't sleep,” Elijah said.

“What do you mean you can't sleep?” Vaggie asked, confused yet angry.

“Vaggie,” Charlie said, stopping Vaggie before she could upset Elijah. She looks at Elijah. “Is something wrong?”

“... I'm scared to be alone because I got scared by that movie we watched,” Elijah said.

“Oh, is that all?” Charlie asked.

“Well, you can't stay with us tonight if you're gonna ask that. Go sleep with either Anna or someone else,” Vaggie said.

“I can't ask Anna, because I'll look like a scaredy-cat,” Elijah said.

“Elijah, there was a time where I was around your age, I think, and I got scared after a scary movie and I slept with my parents that night. My mom didn't think I should since I was “too old,” but my dad allowed it, and so did she. There's no shame in it, okay?” Charlie said.

Elijah sighed a bit. “Okay.”

“And Pentious, go back to your room,” Vaggie firmly said to Sir Pentious as she pointed to the other end of the hall. "Now."

“Yes, ma'am..,” Sir Pentious said before he slithered away.

The next moment, Elijah stood in front of Anastasia's door. He knocks on it.

The door opened and Anastasia was there. She sees Elijah.

“Elijah? What are you doing up?” Anastasia asked.

“I take back what I said. I did get scared and I can't sleep,” Elijah said. He was expecting Anastasia to start laughing.

Anastasia didn't laugh.

“Come on, you can sleep in here tonight,” Anastasia said as she moved aside and allowed Elijah to walk in.

“Wait, really? You're not gonna laugh at me or think I'm a chicken?” Elijah asked as he walks inside the room.

“No. I'm not a monster,” Anastasia said. “Look, this kind of thing takes time, but you'll get there, eventually.”

“Really?” Elijah asked.

“Yeah,” Anastasia said. She walks to her bed and signals for Elijah to come. “Now come on, you need your rest.”

Anastasia climbs into her bed on one side and Elijah quickly climbs in on the other. Anastasia pulls the covers onto her and Elijah and she lied back down onto the mattress.

“Alright, night Elijah,” Anastasia said.

“Night,” Elijah said before he shut his eyes. Anastasia also shut her eyes.

Minutes later, while Elijah and Anastasia lied down in the bed with their eye shut, Elijah's closed eyelids twitched before they peeled themselves open.

“Ugh…” Elijah groaned a bit before he sat up, turned to face Anastasia, and he gently shook her shoulder. “Anna, I still can't sleep.”

While Anastasia lied on her side and Elijah shook her, she groaned a bit and then she slowly sat up and opened her eyes. She looks at Elijah.

“Seriously? You still can't sleep?” Anastasia asked.

“Yes…” Elijah said, feeling ashamed. Then, he lied back down. “Guess I'm gonna have to spend the night awake..”

Anastasia looked at Elijah, feeling a mix of tiredness, frustration, and sympathy. Her expression softens and she sighs.

“I can't believe I’m about to do this…” Anastasia quietly whispers to herself as she puts her hand on her face, dragging it down her face before she looks at Elijah, her voice slightly straining, as if she's forcing out every word she's speaking as if they didn't want to come out. “Would it help if I… sing you a lullaby?”

Elijah lifted his head a bit in interest when Anastasia said that.

“What?” Elijah said, wanting to make sure he heard correctly.

“When I was little and I had trouble sleeping, my mom always sang me this one lullaby and it always helped me sleep,” Anastasia said. “I honestly never thought I'd pass it down up until now.. But what do you think? Will that help?”

Elijah thought for a moment. “Okay.”

Anastasia was surprised. She had hoped he'd say “no,” but he didn't.

“Really?” Anastasia said.

“Yeah, I wanna hear it. Please?” Elijah said.

Anastasia sighed. “Alright..”

Then, Anastasia grew scary real fast. 

“But, don't tell anyone I did this, got it?” Anastasia asked.

“Got it,” Elijah replied, intimidated.

With one more breath, Anastasia starts the lullaby.

🎶 “Little fox, little fox, hush, hush, now. In your little hole, you hide in so. All curled in your tail, safe and warm. The storms growl and the wolves howl, but do not fear. Sister fox will always be here…” 🎶

Seconds after Anastasia sung the lullaby, she looked back at Elijah next to her and, to her amazement, he was actually sound asleep. She was surprised. She did not think it would actually work. 

She smiles softly.

She lies down next to Elijah, pulls the covers over herself and Elijah, and she slowly drifts to sleep.

Chapter Text

It was the next day. However, today wasn't in Hell. Today was in the polar opposite of Hell… Heaven.

A pair of feet walk through a pristine marble hallway, the steps echoing in the halls, approaching and entering a large room.

“Did you finally figure out what's wrong?” a voice asked.

There was a woman in blue clothes, a pair of goggles over her eyes, and she had a pair of grey wings on her back. She was inspecting a machine, looking through wires and parts from a compartment on the back of the screen.

When she heard the voice, she turned to its direction and she pulled her goggles over her head.

“Lieutenant? What are you doing here?” the woman asked.

“Adam is taking a day off for band practice. I'm filling in for him. Now, did you finally find out what was wrong?” the voice said. It was Lute. She wasn't wearing her mask helmet. Without it, she had pure white skin, white straight hair in a bob cut, and yellow eyes.

“Well, Lieutenant, I've been looking at all the parts on the tracker. Everything looks good, but I’ve just noticed something,” the woman said. “The tracker's been messed with.”

“What?” Lute said, confused and also angry. 

“If I were to guess, I think someone had messed with the machine,” the woman said. She plugs up a cord into the machine and opens a holographic screen. “Someone had input a code that released a minor virus that interfered with the machine's counting function.”

“I know someone did this. And you know what that is? Treason,” Lute said, angry. “And I already have an idea of who did it.”

The next moment, there was music playing. Loud music.

This loud music came from a large boombox resting on top of a dresser in a bedroom. The tidiness of the room was a mix of messy and adequate; the furniture intact, a few clothes scattered on the floor and bed, and the closet was half-open.

A weapon, a naginata, was leaning against the wall in the corner and on a small desk near the corner was a masked helmet with small black spikes and a pair of black and white striped horns and an LED mask with a stitched grin and an X on the right eye.

Sitting at a desk at the end of the room was Cello, who was focusing his hands and attention on something while bobbing to the loud music that bounced off the walls.

“Cello!” a voice called out from behind him.

Cello was so focused on his activity that he just tuned it out as the music filled his head and his ears.

The voice called his name out three more times. 

Then, an angry fist hits the boombox, shutting off the music.

“Cello!” that same voice called out again as soon as the music had shut off. It was Lute.

Cello spins around in his spinning chair, facing Lute.

“You rang?” Cello said casually.

“I know you messed with the Exorcist Tracker,” Lute said in accusation.

“Really?” Cello casually said, not even trying to hide it.

“I know because you’re the only other person I know besides the technician who knows how to handle that tech after six months of those tech classes,” Lute said.

“You also know that I signed up for those classes because I got bored,” Cello said, not acknowledging the gravity of his situation. 

“Like you also got bored enough to go and tamper with the tracker?” Lute said, furious.

“You have absolutely no sense of humor. It was just a prank I pulled a while back,” Cello said.

“Because of you, we missed one of our own,” Lute said.

“Look Lute, it never occurred to me that something like this would ever happen, because it never did,” Cello said. “You need to lighten up.”

““Lighten up?” What you just did is treason,” Lute said in anger. 

Cello rolled his eyes in response.

“When you came into the army, I always knew you were nothing but trouble,” Lute said.

“You always had it out for me,” Cello said, as if he was used to Lute acting like this towards him. 

“You weren't even meant to be an Exorcist. You were a mistake,” Lute said.

Cello stifled a laugh for a second as he smirked. “If I was, Adam would have dealt with me a long time ago.”

Lute snarled in response to Cello's stifled laughter. Seconds after, she composed herself and exhaled. 

“You're lucky you didn't cause any permanent damage with your little stunt. So, I'm willing to strike a deal. I'll agree to not say word of this as long as you go and get your ass back down there and find any more rebellion stunts from the Hellspawn,” Lute said.

“I thought Adam relieved me of that job after he said what I brought back was “enough,”” Cello said.

“That's why I'll be the one to tell him that it will be an extra precautionary measure to make sure that none of those demons plan anything else,” Lute said. 

“Aaaannnd if I don't find anything?” Cello asked.

“Then keep looking. I don't care how long it takes. Find whatever you can and then report back. Is that clear, Cello?" Lute said sternly.

Cello was casually and nonchalantly quiet for a few seconds, a blank expression on his face.

“Aye-aye, lieutenant,” Cello said with a mock salute and a smirk. He gets up from the chair and walks away, leaving the chair spinning 360 degrees multiple times in a row. “Just let me go and get my gear ready.”

As Cello walked away from the desk over to his closet, Lute glanced over at what was on top of it. She saw a cup of brushes and a group of small cups of paint on the desk. But what stood out more was a small diorama of a small burgundy red-colored city with two miniature, thumb-size wooden figures; one of Cello and one of Anastasia, and the two figures were set on top of a small model building.

Thinking it was nothing but another model Cello made based off of his imagination, like she knows he usually does, she scoffs in dismissal and walks away.

As she reached the doorway, she turned back to Cello while he looked through his closet. She glared for a moment before she walked out of the room.

While Cello was changing his clothes, he remembered his first job going to Hell to spy, and he also remembered suggesting it to Adam the first time.

It was around ten years ago, one month after an Extermination.

Cello was speaking with Adam in his office.

“Sir, I've been thinking… Maybe you need an “inside man,”” Cello suggested.

“Uh-huh..” Adam said, propping his head up on one elbow, looking bored.

“I'm proposing that I could go down to Hell, watch over all the demons, and I can come back with any intel or clue that the demons are planning an attack,” Cello said. “I mean, if you think about it..”

“Actually, Cello, you got the job, or whatever,” Adam said.

“Oh shit, for real??” Cello asked, looking surprised at how easily he convinced him.

“Yes,” Adam replied with a nod.

“Sir, are you sure we should trust this guy?” Lute asked. “Maybe we should send down someone more competent, like Tittyana.”

“Lute, I think he can handle the job fine,” Adam said. Then, he leans to Lute and whispers. “Also, I don't feel like having to think about this thoroughly, ‘cause it's so boring.”

Lute looked both annoyed and unsure.

Adam looks back at Cello.

“Alright, starting next week, you'll be going down there on your first spy mission,” Adam said, looking casual. Cello looked eager and before he composed himself.

“Yes sir,” Cello said with a nod before he turned around and walked away. A smile stretches across his face.

‘Finally, some fun around here,’ Cello thought to himself as he walked out of the room.

The first time, on his first day as a spy, he sat foot into Hell to do anything but slaughter, he realized he has hardly ever gotten to actually explore Hell rather than rush through it just to hunt and kill demons. It was so much different from Heaven. It was so red, so chaotic, so unorderly, so little standards. And the inhabitants.. so unruly, so rebellious, so reckless, always at each other's throats... The inhabitants were almost just like him, and he didn't even care about Heaven's fear of them. 

This place.. it felt like a great break away from Heaven and their rules and order and high standards.

Cello strolls through an alley, walking past a gang of demons, not minding them as if they weren't there.

“Hey, you there,” one of the demons called out in a gruff voice, making Cello stop in his tracks. He turns around to face them, a stoic expression on his face.

“You’re wandering into our turf, bitch,” a second demon said as the gang approached him.

The gang consisted of five demons total, surrounding Cello in a circle. Cello looked at them, unbothered and unfazed.

“Hey.. Why don't you take that hood off so we can see you properly?” the third demon said, approaching him from the left. He traces a finger over the hem of Cello's hood from behind. “Maybe there's a sweet face under that-”

Cello nonchalantly but suddenly grabs the demon's finger, his grip hard and painful, cracking the finger's bones.

“AAGH!! SON OF A BITCH!!” the third demon said, yanking his hand back and holding it by the wrist, looking at the disfigured finger as he stepped back.

“Who do you think you are, you mother-” the first demon marched to him before Cello suddenly kneed his gut, threw a punch at his face, and grabbed his arm and snapped the bone and flipped him over onto the ground with a thud. The demon rolled over, grimaced and groaned in pain, and gripped onto his broken arm.

“Get him!” a fourth demon in the gang yelled out, signaling the remaining demons to attack him.

Upon that, Cello's mouth stretched into an excited grin as he readied himself to fight.

Fists have been thrown in faces and stomachs, bones were cracked, teeth were knocked out, and blood was spilled from the mouth and/or nose.

The gang of demons were battered, broken, and sprawled around the alley; three lying around the floor, one stuffed in a trash can, and two against the wall, one upright and one upside down.

Cello was barely scratched. His clothes had a few tatters and he had a few bruises, but he was mostly unscathed to some level.

He felt such a rush, such excitement from fighting face-to-face for real and not just chasing and killing someone who was running away in fear. And best of all, he got into a fight without getting in trouble or getting in trouble for almost starting a fight, even in public and by his superiors. It was always annoying to him that someone always stops him in Heaven, but down here, no one stopped him. He was free to do as he pleased with no one to stop him.

This made him think, why not have fun with all this “spying” stuff? Why not enjoy himself as long as he's down here?

At that point, during the duration of his spying duties in Hell, all he ever did was explore, party, gamble, fight, and have fun down in Hell. He barely, nor does he ever, find anything that would be important to inform Adam and Lute about.

One day, he found an elevator transportation system that allows him to travel to all of the other rings: Wrath, Gluttony, Greed, Lust, Envy, and Sloth. When he explored those rings, he took note of the different environments, especially the different weather and different-colored skies in each ring, and the inhabitants in each ring. He never saw any Sinners, as if they don't exist in those other rings and only existed in the Pride Ring or maybe they just weren't allowed in the other rings? He figured that those rings are left alone during Exterminations because of it since he is aware of Sinners being a much bigger target than Hellborns.

Every so often, in the other Rings, he has messed around with Hellborns like how he messes around with Sinners in the Pride Ring.

The years passed since then. They were very enjoyable years for him; getting out of Heaven every so often to have fun in Hell while acting as a “spy.”

During the last Extermination around six months ago, that was when something new had caught his attention.

As Cello pulled out the bloodied blade of his naginata out of a demon's chest, he looked stoic and apathetic and yet bored. This just didn't feel fun or interesting to him. It was just repetitive; going down to Hell to kill demons, once a year, every year. He'd rather be in Hell having fun doing other stuff than killing all the time for just one day.

He jumps up and his wings flap, flying over Hell and approaching the more destroyed part of town, noting its empty and desolate surroundings, devoid of anything but the corpses of several Sinners with or without weapons lodged in their bodies and…

What is this?

Cello spotted something unusual, more than the normal unusual. He flies down and lands on the rubbled ground, looking down at.. the decapitated corpse of a fellow Exorcist. He studied it for a few seconds before he scanned the area for anyone nearby. When he saw the coast was clear, his mouth slowly stretched into a smirk. He grabs the corpse by the arm and quickly dragged it away, out of sight from anyone else's eye view.

“I’ll just save you for a rainy day,” Cello quietly said as he hid the corpse.

When the Extermination ended and every Exorcist returned to Heaven, he saw the Exorcist Tracker count the number of angels, but it didn't change. It couldn't detect one missing. Knowing this was a result of a prank he did a few months ago before the Extermination, he shrugs his shoulders and he walks away, all casual like it was nothing. 

After Cello finished reflecting on his days as a spy in Hell and the day he found and hid the Exorcist's corpse during the Extermination, he changed out his Exorcist uniform, which was similar to the other female Exorcists but it was a sleeveless shirt, it had a more messy feather collar and it had shorter boots and gloves, and he changed into his spy clothes, which was his signature dark red horn-hooded coat, sangria red pants, black boots and fingerless gloves, and his brown belt and harness. He picks up his dagger, puts it in its sheath, and attaches it to his belt.

He turned around and he took a look back at his small model on the desk, looking at the mini figures, more specifically the one of Anastasia. He walks over and picks up the figure, holding it in front of his eye. He began to reflect on the day he met Anastasia at the concert and he began to remember their days together. Those fun, fun days. He and her throwing rocks at cars, eating together, talking, playing laser tag, going to his hang spot at the barn, watching shows together, and having a playful mud fight. 

He felt.. fond of Anastasia. He was fond of her, especially of her human nature in a world of demons. His mind begins to race. He began to wonder what her limits are, what would break her, how far he can push her over the edge…

“I wonder how far I can push you..,” Cello said silently to himself with dark curiosity and a dangerous gleam in his eyes. 

He puts the minifigure of Anastasia back on top of the model building before he knocks the minifigure off with the flick of a finger and it hits the bottom of the building. 

He turns around and walks away, pulling his horned hood over his head as he walks out the doorway, leaving the room and the diorama and its minifigures be.

Chapter Text

The next day, which is another day yet again, we return to Hell, back to the Hazbin Hotel. 

Anastasia was in her room, picking up some of her dirty laundry from her laundry hamper. 

She wore something pretty.. basic. She was wearing her old white dress shirt from when she arrived in Hell. Its tears were stitched up and the shirt looked as new. With it, she wore a pair of blue jeans and white socks, since she was in her room. Plus, she didn't feel like wearing shoes right now.

She picks up the pile of clothes in her arms before her door swung open. 

“I'm here for laundry!~” Niffty said in a sing-song voice as she entered the room, holding a laundry basket in her arms. 

“Thanks, Niff,” Anastasia said as she walked over to Niffty and laid her pile of clothes into the basket. “You sure you don't need help carrying that? It looks heavy.”

“No thanks. When it comes to laundry, I'm stronger than I look,” Niffty said before she quickly scuttered away with the basket. 

“Okay..” Anastasia said. 

After a moment, Anastasia walks downstairs, where she meets everyone. 

“Hey Anastasia!” Charlie greeted her. 

“Hey guys,” Anastasia greeted with a wave.

“Hey, ain't that your old shirt? I thought you threw it away with all those tears and shit,” Angel Dust said, pointing at Anastasia and her clothes.

“Well, no. I dunno why, but I kept it and I sewed it up like new,” Anastasia said. “The top I used to wear over it, though.. I threw that out. I don't need it anymore.”

“Well, sometimes you gotta remove some old things to make room for new things,” Charlie said with a small smile and a small shrug.

“So, anything in store today?” Anastasia asked.

“Well, me and Vaggie are gonna work some more on our social media page and make more posts promoting the hotel. Everyone’s bound to see them on their phones and we’re bound to get more tenants, I just know it,” Charlie said, hopeful.

“Wasn't the commercial enough promotion you needed?” Anastasia asked.

“At first it was, but we're taking extra measures to get new Sinners,” Charlie said. “Social media is the best thing next to television, right? So, I know it’s gonna work.”

“If ya need any help..” Angel Dust was ready to offer some help.

“We're not posting naked photos of you to promote the hotel,” Vaggie firmly said to Angel Dust.

“First ya didn't want me in a commercial I suggested and now you don't want to post pictures I suggest. Just what do ya want from me?” Angel Dust asked.

“We want you to be a good example,” Vaggie replied.

“What she means is.. We just want you to be an example of a Sinner who wants to be a better person,” Charlie said.

“Mm-hm, yeah, sure,” Angel Dust said

Alastor walked in, looking at the group from the top of the stairs, his microphone staff in his right hand. 

“Oh, Anastasia! Just the person I was looking for!” Alastor called out, catching everyone's attention. 

“Huh?” Anastasia said. 

Alastor walked down the stairs, holding a brown flat square box in his other arm. 

“I was looking through my wardrobe for a new suit for today when I found something I think you might like,” Alastor said. 

“What did you find?” Anastasia asked, a little skeptical about “liking” whatever Alastor had found. 

Alastor gives the box to Anastasia. She holds the box and takes the lid off. Inside the box was a red sailor fuku blouse. 

“I found it lying inside my wardrobe, and then I thought “why not give it to our human guest?”” Alastor said. 

“Yeah..” Anastasia said in doubt. 

“What's wrong? Don't you like it?” Charlie asked. 

“No. It's just that I'll look like a schoolgirl wearing this. Plus, I don't think this shade of red suits me,” Anastasia said. 

“Oh, nonsense. Although, would you prefer it in a different color, then? ‘Cause I can surely fix that,” Alastor said, seeming eager. “Okay, let's check other options.”

Alastor snaps his fingers and, in a flash of green magic, the blouse changes from red to blue. Anastasia nodded side-to-side. Alastor repeated his snap, changing the blouse's color to black. Anastasia nodded side-to-side again. Alastor repeated his snap again, changing the blouse's color to white. Anastasia nodded side-to-side again. 

Alastor, despite his smile, looked a little irritated and his smile looked strained. 

After a few more snaps and options of color, the blouse changes to the color green. 

“There, now. Surely you'll settle for this one. Green is just as flattering a color as red is,” Alastor said. You couldn't see it, but underneath his joy-filled exterior was a tired and impatient person silently hoping that Anastasia would stick with this one.

“Hm..,” Anastasia hummed, still a little skeptical.

“Don't knock until you try it, dear. Now go and try it on,” Alastor said, pushing Anastasia, figuratively to try the blouse on and literally towards the stairs.

Out of annoyance, Anastasia walks upstairs with the blouse.

The next moment, Anastasia was in her room. She was wearing the sailor blouse while standing in front of the mirror, scanning her new look.

At first, she was unsure. But after a few seconds, it kinda started to grow on her. She contemplated on whether or not she should actually keep and wear it.

Moments later, she went downstairs to show herself wearing it, plus with a pair of black lace shoes. 

“That looks so cute on you, Anna!” Charlie complimented. 

“You think so?” Anastasia asked. 

“Yes,” Charlie said with an up-and-down nod. 

“I told you it would be flattering on you,” Alastor commented. 

“Sure you did,” Anastasia said, looking a little annoyed.

“You definitely look like a schoolgirl,” Angel Dust said. Anastasia rolled her eyes in response. 

Then, a water balloon suddenly flew in the air and to Anastasia. She catches it in her hand with surprising speed and reflex without popping it, surprising everyone. 

“Dang it, I almost had her,” Elijah said from behind a doorway. 

“Better luck next time,” Anastasia said, looking at Elijah. She threw the water balloon behind her and it hit the floor and popped, leaving a small puddle in the floor, where Niffty rushed to dry it with a cloth rag.

Anastasia walks over to the coat hanger and she grabs her blue jacket. 

“Where are you off to, now?” Angel Dust asked. 

“I'm gonna go for a walk,” Anastasia said, sliding her jacket on. 

“Right now?” Angel Dust asked. 

“Yes,” Anastasia replied. “I'll be back later, so don't wait up for me.”

Angel Dust gives Anastasia a thumbs up.

Anastasia slips her hood over her head and she walks out the door. 

Moments later, Anastasia was at “Latte Up Your Day.”

“Just a cappuccino, please,” Anastasia said to the barista at the counter. 

“Alright, one cappuccino. That'll be $7.67,” the barista said, putting in the order. 

Anastasia gives the barista ten dollars and the barista gives Anastasia $2.33 in change. 

Anastasia went to sit down at a table while she waited for her order. She looked around the cafe for a little bit, noticing the other customers standing or sitting and chatting with each other.

She taps her fingers on the table, watching each finger tap before she hears the door open and ring the bell above it. When she saw who walked in, she almost couldn't believe who it was. 

“Anastasia?” The customer said, seeing Anastasia in surprise. It was Cello. 

It's been weeks since they last spoke. The second Anastasia saw him, her eyes slightly widened. She couldn't believe that he was here after that long and after she had looked for him even at that barn. 

Cello approaches Anastasia at her table. 

“Damn, I've been looking for you everywhere,” Cello said. 

“Cello… What the hell? Where have you been? I haven't seen you in weeks,” Anastasia said. 

“Sorry.. I should've left you a note. I had some business somewhere else. And then I heard about the extension of the next Extermination and I got worried sick and I knew I had to come back and look for you and make sure you're okay,” Cello said. 

“Well, luckily for you, I am okay,” Anastasia said. 

“Yeah, and for that, I'm relieved. I just wasn't entirely sure how you would handle it if I didn't come check on you,” Cello said. 

“Stop fawning over me like we're dating, ‘cause we're not,” Anastasia said, arms crossed. 

“Alright, fine,” Cello said, raising his hands in mock surrender. 

“Your cappuccino, ma'am,” the barista said as she walked to Anastasia's table, laid the cup and cup plate onto the table, and walked away.

“Thank you,” Anastasia said to the barista as she walked away. She picks up the cup and takes a sip.

“So.. New look I see,” Cello said, pointing at Anastasia's sailor fuku blouse as he climbed onto a chair and sat across from Anastasia.

“A friend gave it to me,” Anastasia said.

“Friend, huh? Do tell me more,” Cello said.

“Maybe another day,” Anastasia said as she took a sip of her cappuccino.

“Okay, fine,” Cello said. He props his head up on his elbow and he taps his fingers on the table.

The cafe was quiet for a little bit.

“So.. I was thinking we could make up for lost time,” Cello said, breaking the quietness.

Anastasia took a sip from her cappuccino and she lowered the cup back down. “Really? And how do you wanna “make up for lost time?””

“Oh, just with this little list of things I made just earlier before I got here,” Cello said as he pulled out a sheet of paper, and waved it for Anastasia to see.

Anastasia looked at the paper that Cello held, but she couldn't read what was written on it because the back of the page was facing her. She thinks for a moment.

“Alright, fine,” Anastasia agreed.

“Alright, chop chop, girl, let's go,” Cello eagerly said with two claps of his hands as he hops off the chair and he walks to the door.

“I'm not a dog,” Anastasia said.

Cello chuckled while Anastasia looked annoyed as she got up from her chair and followed him to the door.

The two walk out the door. 

“Don't worry. You have my full undivided attention for the whole day,” Cello said.

“It's literally just you and me for the whole day,” Anastasia pointed out, unamused.

“I know. Just wanted to milk it a little,” Cello chuckles a little before he walks away.

Anastasia rolls her eyes and follows him.

Suddenly, the trash can lid separated from the can. It was on top of someone's head like a makeshift helmet. Someone was hiding in the trash can… It was Elijah. Apparently, he had followed Anastasia unseen again.

Elijah peeked from the trash can and he watched the two walk away, his eyes narrowing in curiosity, tempted to follow them and watch what happens with them.

Chapter Text

Cello and Anastasia were walking through the streets of Hell. A few cars they passed were wrecked and/or sat on fire and a few demons were fighting. There was also one that got sick, puked green liquid, and passed out, much to Anastasia's disgust despite her attempts to ignore it. 

“Hey, you ever had breakfast for dinner?” Cello asked. 

“No, not really,” Anastasia replied. 

“Well, I just found this spot in town that serves breakfast food all day. It's pretty cool, like Heaven's taste in your mouth if it had a taste,” Cello said with a chuckle. He looks back at Anastasia. “Come on, you're gonna love it, trust me.”

“Hm... “Don't knock ‘till you try it,”” Anastasia said with a shrug in agreement. 

“There you go,” Cello said with a smile. “Come on!”

Cello grabs Anastasia's wrist and pulls her with him as he quickly walks off. Anastasia blushes red the second he grabbed her wrist, but it immediately disappeared after she regained her composure a second after.

At a distance behind them, Elijah carefully but quickly rode on his skateboard along the sidewalk, moving slowly so as to not make a lot of noise with the tumbling of his wheels. 

“Who is that guy?” Elijah quietly asked himself in curiosity as he slowly and quietly pursued further. “Wait, is that….?”

“Cello. I swear, if you don't slow down..” Anastasia said in exasperation. 

“Ah,” Cello said, stopping as he let go of Anastasia's wrist. Then, he points in front. “We're here.”

Anastasia looks at the direction Cello pointed at, seeing a diner with a sign of a stack of pancakes with yellow writing saying “Hot Cake House.”

She takes a minute to study the building and its sign. 

“Seems almost like a Waffle House,” Anastasia said. 

““Waffle House?”” Cello said. 

“Back on Earth, there's a restaurant chain called “Waffle House.” It's kinda like this,” Anastasia said as she gestured to the diner. “Actually, this place just seems like a knock-off.”

“Well, let's give it a knock,” Cello said with a chuckle and an elbow nudge before he rushed to the entrance. 

Anastasia sighs with a small smile and an eye roll before she follows behind Cello. 

Elijah rolled on his skateboard to an entry walkway and slid behind it, peeking from the corner. His eyes narrow a bit. 

Cello and Anastasia walk inside the diner and they both take in the inside. 

The floors had brown tiles, the walls were white with a few darker brown accents, multiple tables and booths surrounded the diner, even by the windows, there was a counter with swivel chairs and an open kitchen in the back, and several circular lamps hung above the diner. 

Cello takes one inhale and sighs blissfully. 

“Just take in the fresh smell of hot cakes,” Cello said. 

“Let's just sit down already,” Anastasia said before she walked past Cello. 

“Teh, okay,” Cello said before he followed Anastasia. 

Moments later, Anastasia and Cello were sitting at a booth by the window. Cello had already ordered. He had a plate of pancakes covered in syrup, two small sausages, three slices of bacon, and two coffee mugs.

“You know if you were a human, that much coffee could cause more harm than good,” Anastasia said.

“Well, I ain't human,” Cello said as he pokes his pancakes with a fork. He looks back up at her. “Hey, didn't you want anything to eat?”

“No, I'm good,” Anastasia replied.

“Not even this sausage?” Cello said teasingly, holding a sausage on his fork towards Anastasia while waving it lightly.

“Cello..,” Anastasia said, annoyed.

“Come on, just a nibble at least,” Cello said, still waving the sausage on his fork.

“Quit it,” Anastasia said.

“Open up the tunnel for the train,” Cello said, still waving the sausage on his fork insistently. “Choo-choo.”

“If I eat it, will you knock it off?” Anastasia asked, annoyed.

“Yes,” Cello replied.

Anastasia sighed with an eye roll. “Fine.”

Anastasia opens her mouth and Cello puts the sausage in. Anastasia closes her mouth and Cello pulls out his fork from between her lips and Anastasia begins chewing.

Outside the diner, on the other side of the street, Elijah was peeping in on the two from a trash can. He was holding a pair of binoculars up to his eyes.

“I wish I could read lips so I can know what they're saying..” Elijah quietly vented to himself. Then, he adjusted the zoom of the binoculars to get a closer look. 

Back in the diner, Anastasia and Cello were conversing. 

“I know this is a late one, but I am rather curious,” Cello said. “Remember the first time we met at that concert and you were with your two friends?”

“Yes?” Anastasia asked. 

“Well, before them, I wanna know how you were able to survive down here for so long? I mean, I'm sure, realistically speaking, a human wouldn't be alive down here for as long as you and they would eventually die and then, “poof,” come back as a demon down here if not an angel up there,” Cello said as he pointing up to refer to “up there” aka Heaven. 

“Well, uh..,” Anastasia said, hesitant to answer.

“I know earlier you said you didn't want to speak of the friend who gave you that blouse yet, but I just realized I still barely know you. You already know me enough as this fun-loving, mischievous guy with no regard for rules and don't give a fuck what anyone thinks, so I think it's fair I know you too,” Cello said.

Anastasia thought for a moment, and she sighed as she ran her fingers through the top of her hair, slicking it back slightly before it reshaped itself to normal after Anastasia removed her hand. 

“I.. guess there's no harm in saying this,” Anastasia said as she folded her hands and tapped her thumbs together a few times. “I've actually been with them since I got here. Sometime after I found myself down in Hell, I ran into this.. hotel, and I met a bunch of nice people over there.”

“A hotel, huh? Tell me more,” Cello said, his head propped up on his elbows, interested. 

“Well, I dunno if you think this sounds stupid, but it's about.. rehabilitating Sinners,” Anastasia said. “And I'm the only human guest over there.”

“Oh, a rehab hotel for Sinners, ey? And who runs the joint?” Cello asked. 

“Well.. I think you know the princess, right?” Anastasia said. 

“The princess in the tux? Yeah, heard about her,” Cello said with a shrug. “But I didn't really care at the time, and I probably don't right now.”

Anastasia looked a little offended when Cello said he didn't care, or at least at the fact that Cello indirectly insulted one of her friends, but she regained her composure. “Well, she opened the Hazbin Hotel-” 

““Has-been?” Pfft, who came up with that?” Cello said with a laugh. 

“Well, one of her employees did. And, well, she came up with the hotel to redeem Sinners so they could have a second chance to get into Heaven,” Anastasia said. 

“Hm, she sounds ambitious. And hopeful. And determined. But also... stupid. And that's just hilarious,” Cello said with a short-lived laugh. “I've been down in this hole long enough to know that's not possible. No one down here regrets what they've done nor do they learn. They don't just wake up, see the error of their ways, and try to clean up their act. They don't play nice, they don't act nice, they don't act genuine, and they don't help anyone but themselves. If they don't want to change, why should they? I mean, it's not like they think they'll get some kind of reward, like a “second chance” to pass through the golden gates, if they do.”

“Well, you’re technically right for the most part, but you don't know the Sinners I do,” Anastasia said. “They've been nice to me and they've helped me.”

“Even if that was true, remember, they did end up here for a reason,” Cello said.

Upon hearing Cello's words, Anastasia began to think. She thought back on some of her friends, her friends who were Sinners at least. There was Vaggie, Husk, Angel Dust, Sir Pentious, Niffty, Alastor, Cherri Bomb, and Lady Swallotale. 

Thinking about Vaggie, although she doesn't know too much about her, or at least how and why she ended up in Hell, Anastasia knows that she is a genuinely good person, even if she is hard or tough on everyone else, and she knows she only does it because she wants the best out of everybody. She thought back on everything Vaggie did for her, like how she gave her a reassuring talk about Elijah and how, when Anastasia felt hopeless and conflicted about her ability to be his sister, she believed in her and said she was strong enough to try her best and make whatever difficult decision she needed to protect him from even the most dangerous elements. 

Thinking about Husk, she sees some good underneath that hard shell of his. He cares about everybody despite his annoyance and his complaints. She also thinks back on the time he saved her from embarrassment when she was “bleeding,” which proved to her that he did care about other people despite all the gripes. Though, his drinking could do with some improvement. 

Thinking about Angel Dust, she sees good in him even though oftentimes he is mischievous and a tad much to handle for some of the other residents, especially with his drug issues, his sex jokes, his explicit descriptions, his advances on some of the staff, and other things, which she believes he could improve on. She also thinks back on the times he's been nice to her and helped her during her first few days in Hell, since he knows that living here would be hard for newcomers, at least until they meet someone who could make it easier for them. 

Thinking about Angel Dust's friend, Cherri Bomb, she's been nice to her, but she was also a wild card. She hardly knows her that well since they hardly spend much time together. But, on one end, she didn't seem that well-coordinated with aligning with being a good influence because she did encourage Angel to go out late and encourage Anastasia to drink a whole bottle that night at the concert. 

Thinking about Lady Swallotale, she was mysterious to her at first, but she turned out as a genuinely nice person. She related to her, she was nice to her, she helped her with airing out some things, she saved her and her brother from a bunch of shark demons, and she's been helping her learn some skills to survive even some of the much harsher parts of Hell. She didn't belong in Hell either and Anastasia thought it was unfair. But, Lady Swallotale didn't seem deterred by it. She was rather happy with where she is now.

Thinking about Sir Pentious, she was distrustful of him at first after that time he crashed her welcome party at the hotel and then came back the next day wanting to change only for her to find out he was sent by someone to spy on them, and she almost kicked his ass. The next day after, she wasn't exactly the nicest person to him, but after a game of baseball, she warmed up to him. Over time, she saw him actually make an effort to change and be a better person, so she acted nicer to him and saw the good beneath his slimy skin. 

Thinking about Niffty, Anastasia usually sees her acting hyper-energetic, crazy, and creepy, especially with the entire chasing and stabbing bugs thing and how she seems to enjoy pain or “being forced” into something. But those aside, she also helps around the hotel, like with cleaning. Anastasia wasn't entirely sure about her, even if Charlie said that she's sure Niffty's “mostly harmless.”

Then, thinking about Alastor… She doesn't entirely know what to think about him. Upon meeting him for the first time after he saved her from almost getting punched by a broad-muscled demon, he seemed nice at first. In fact, he has acted nice to her many times, but he just seems so.. strange. And he just looked as if he's just brewing with some kind of malicious intent underneath that charming demeanor of his. And the fact he's never dropped that wide-toothed smile of his even once doesn't help. She couldn't tell whether any good action he does is genuine nor could she tell what he could possibly be planning with anything he does. So far, she's on the fence about him.

In a mental summary, maybe some of the friends she listed mentally are worth the effort of redemption. 

“Okay, I admit, you are right about a few things, but..” Anastasia said.

A waitress walks over and she puts a mug of coffee in front of Anastasia on the table.

“Here's your coffee, ma'am,” the waitress said. “Extra cream and sugar.”

“I didn't order a coffee,” Anastasia said to the waitress.

“It's from the gentlemen over at that table,” the waitress said as she pointed at a table, where three dog-like demons sat.

They were eyeing Anastasia from afar with smiles on their faces. One of them waves at her with their fingers. You could tell they weren't just being “nice and generous” out of nowhere. Anastasia and Cello could see right through them.

“Oh, for God's sake..,” Anastasia said, rubbing her temple in annoyance and irritation.

Cello looked unhappy and annoyed at the fact that there were three other people, not to mention demons, looking at Anastasia. He felt the urge to just get her out of the diner right now.

Cello regained his composure and looked at Anastasia.

“Hey, you wanna bounce?” Cello asked as he got up from the booth. “Cause I do. This place just got lame. Let's just go ahead and move onto the next thing on my itinerary.”

“And what's that?” Anastasia asked as she looked back at Cello.

“Ever been to an arcade?” Cello asked.

“At least once or twice, maybe three times, as a kid,” Anastasia replied.

“Well, I heard there's this new game that just got installed at Neo-Nite. You’re also gonna love it,” Cello said with a smile.

“Anything to get me outta here,” Anastasia said as she got up and walked off towards the exit.

Cello looked at Anastasia's coffee mug on the table for a second. Then, he picked it up with both hands, held it to his mouth, and he chugged the whole thing in one go before nonchalantly dropping the mug to the floor and breaking it, wiping the coffee mustache off his top lip, and then walking off, following behind Anastasia.

Chapter Text

Anastasia and Cello entered into the Entertainment District. 

They approach an arcade. The arcade was dark blue or black-colored, decorated with blue neon lights, had large black-tinted windows, and a large sign above the double-door entrance saying “Neo-Nite Arcade” in green and pink neon lights and neon yellow light bulbs decorated around the sign. 

“Here it is. The Neo-Nite Arcade. Sick, huh?” Cello said.

“Eh. It just looks like any other arcade I've seen,” Anastasia said, unimpressed and with a shoulder shrug.

Cello sighs a bit with an eye roll. 

Cello and Anastasia walk inside the arcade. The interior was dark and lit with various neon lights. The walls were black, the floor had black carpet with multiple neon-colored stars, circles, triangles, swirls, and square patterns. There were multiple arcade games and other games lying around the arcade. There was a prize booth on the far left. There were also booths, chairs, and a counter on the far right, which was a “section” where people could eat.

Anastasia and Cello looked around for a few seconds.

After a moment or so, Cello bought some tokens from the token machine and was carrying them in a small white plastic cup.

“Okay, what’s this “game” you were talking about?” Anastasia asked.

“I'll show ya, but first, how about some pizza?” Cello asked. “You like pineapple?”

“Yuck,” Anastasia said in disgust.

Cello chuckles.

The two walk past a crane game machine and to a booth. Elijah, who somehow got in the machine, pokes his head out from the middle of the pile of stuffed animals. He looked at the two while they walked by.

“Aw, I want some pizza…” Elijah said to himself quietly with a pout.

“Kid, what the hell are you doing?” an employee asked, standing by the same crane game Elijah was inside, looking at him in confusion.

“Shh!” Elijah shushes the employee before he goes back to spying on Anastasia and Cello. The employee walks away, showing little care about the fact that there was literally a child trapped inside the crane game.

Moments later, Anastasia and Cello sat at a booth, eating a pepperoni, spinach, bacon, and cheese pizza.

“Still a pig as when we last met, huh?” Anastasia said, looking at Cello.

“I am not a pig,” Cello said, holding two pizza slices in each hand before taking a bite of one of them. “This pizza's good, but did you really have to add the spinach?”

“You know my body needs at least a few greens,” Anastasia said before taking a bite of her single slice.

“Pfteh, whateves,” Cello said with an eye roll before he ate another slice.

A while later, Anastasia and Cello finished the pizza. Afterwards, they had to use the restrooms to wash-up. Then, they exited the separate restrooms at the same time.

“Okay, over here, come on,” Cello said before he walks away. Anastasia follows behind him with a short eye roll.

Anastasia and Cello walked towards an arcade game that looked similar to a “Dance Dance Revolution” game back on Earth, but it was called..

““Step Step Warzone.” Cool, huh?” Cello said, looking at Anastasia.

“It kinda looks like a Dance Dance Revolution knock-off,” Anastasia said.

“Earth thing?” Cello asked.

“Yeah, but I've never seen or played one at any of the arcades I've been to,” Anastasia said.

“Finally, something new for you to try, then,” Cello said.

Both Cello and Anastasia step onto the dual platform attached to the game. Cello slides two tokens in the coin slot and the screens in front of them flash on, showing a list of songs, songs from Earth, Hell, and Heaven.

“Okay, what song you wanna choose?” Cello asked as he stood by the controls near one of the screens, the ones that allow players to scroll through and select songs.

“Hey, some of these songs are from Earth. How does Hell get access to this stuff?” Anastasia asked.

“I dunno. Your guess is as good as mine,” Cello responded with a shoulder shrug. “Now, ya gonna pick something?”

Anastasia sighs. “Alright, let's do this one.”

Anastasia touches the controls and pushes the down button a few times. The screen showed a list of songs which Anastasia scrolled through until she selected a song.

The song Anastasia selected was “Stamp on the Ground” by Italobrothers. Then, she selects “medium” as the difficulty.

“What? Not in the mood for a challenge?” Cello teasingly asked.

“Shut up,” Anastasia replied.

Anastasia pushes another button and then the screen goes black for a second and then the screen shows a dark purple background. There were eight arrows in different directions, four on the left and right sides, the song title on a black duration bar at the top, and two vertical bars on the sides.

Anastasia and Cello stood on the dual platform, just at the center of the arrow squares below their feet. They prepare themselves.

“Wanna bet?” Cello asked playfully.

“No,” Anastasia said.

“Hm. Your loss,” Cello said with a shrug. “I was gonna let you pick something off the itinerary to do next after this.”

“Alright, fine. You're on,” Anastasia said, changing her expression to a slightly competitive smile.

Cello playfully smirked.

The music started. It echoed from the game's speakers.

Each beat of the song earns a stomp, a jump, or a pat on the arrows beneath Cello and Anastasia's feet. The two stomped, jumped, and patted on them with each beat.

Each stomp, jump, and pat meant a portion of energy left their bodies. They both began to break a sweat and their breaths would occasionally turn into labored pants.

Anastasia's right foot rammed into her left foot, she lost balance immediately.

“Wo-woah!” Anastasia yelped. Her arms flailed in a circle as she wobbled and then she finally fell backwards.

Cello catches her from behind. His arms wrapped around her from under her arms.

“I got ya. Gotta watch your step or else you'll hurt something pretty,” Cello said half-teasingly with a short chuckle.

Anastasia looked unhappy about something.

“Cello,” Anastasia said.

“Yeah?” Cello asked.

“Do you know where you're touching?” Anastasia asked, seemingly pissed and.. embarrassed?

Cello looked back down at his arms and where and how he held her. His hands were gripping onto both her breasts.

Cello's eyes widened and he immediately yanked his hands away.

“Oh shit- my bad,” Cello said. “Didn't watch where I was putting my hands there.”

Anastasia stood back up and she brushed her clothes off. Her cheeks were slightly red.

Anastasia sighs. “It's alright. Just.. don't let it happen again.”

“Are you embarrassed?” Cello asked.

Anastasia growls at him.

“Okay, nevermind..” Cello said with a slight high-pitched voice and his hands raised half-up, hinting at him being intimidated by Anastasia. Then, he quickly reverted back to his normal attitude. “Alright, anyway, rematch?”

Anastasia regains her composure and she nods in agreement.

The game restarts and the music plays again. 

The two resumed their stomps, jumps, and pats in rhythm to every beat.

Anastasia pants and she looks over at Cello.

“You getting tired? Huff.. You're sweating buckets,” Anastasia said in tease as she kept her movements in sync to the beat, occasionally panting.

“You sure it's, huff, not you you're talking about? ‘Cause your face is turning red,” Cello responded in tease as he also kept his movements in sync to the beat, occasionally panting too.

With the final step from the two, that was when the game concluded.

The two stop to catch their breath, panting and wiping their foreheads.

“Winner!” the game's automated voice said. 

The winner was about to be announced. 

Cello and Anastasia were in anticipation.

Then…

“Player 2,” the game's automated voice said.

“Yes!” Cello said in triumph with a fist pump. He looks at Anastasia. “You won!”

“You just let me win,” Anastasia said.

“Pffpt, no I didn't,” Cello said with a smirk and a look to the side.

Anastasia looked at Cello with a glare.

“Okay, yes I did,” Cello said. He pokes Anastasia's nose. “Only because I'm having so much fun with you.”

“Yeah yeah,” Anastasia said before she gently swatted Cello’s hand away as she looked to the side, seemingly annoyed.

“Alright. Okay, what do you wanna do next on here?” Cello asked, giving Anastasia the itinerary and the list of activities.

Anastasia reads through the list.

“There’s barely a list here,” Anastasia said.

“I had a bit of a brain block. Alright, which do you choose?” Cello asked.

“None,” Anastasia said as she gave the itinerary back to Cello by shoving it into his chest.

“What? But.. But we had a bet,” Cello said in feign surprise.

“It was fun when it seemed like I would win in a normal fashion. But when you let me win, it wasn't,” Anastasia said. “Plus, there weren't many options to choose from.”

“You can't just back down on a bet!” Cello said.

“Too late, I just did,” Anastasia said.

“Aww…” Cello said in feign disappointment with a slouch and his arms dangled slightly.

Anastasia looked to the side with a smirk and her arms crossed.

Cello stands back up straight.

Cello pouts. Then, he tears up the itinerary. “Alright, you know what? Let's just forget the itinerary and just be “Oh, what the hell?” the rest of the day.”

“Fine,” Anastasia said.

“Okay, then… Rematch. Now,” Cello said. 

“Seriously?” Anastasia asks, slightly amused.

Cello glares at Anastasia. “Yes.”

“Alright,” Anastasia said with a shrug.

The two went back to the game and then they started moving to the beat again. And again. And again. And again. And again. 

Cello won a few times, and so did Anastasia.

They ran out of breath. They pant. Their foreheads formed drops of sweat. Some redness appeared on Anastasia's face while pinkish-greyness appeared on Cello’s.

Then, the sound of whirring echoes from the game.

A long strip of multiple yellow tickets slid out of the slot.

Anastasia walks over to the game and she pulls the strip and counts the tickets.

It took a minute or so.

“Twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine… Thirty,” Anastasia counted.

“Weak,” Cello said. “They always rig the ticket dispensers.”

“I think I can work with this,” Anastasia said as she walked over to the prize booth. She stands by the counter. She holds the strip of tickets. “What can I get with this?”

“Maybe one of these fingerboards,” the prize counter lady said. “Plus this box set with “your very own” fingerboard park playset which includes ramps.”

“You got anything to carry them with?” Anastasia asked.

“Sure, this complimentary plastic bag,” the prize counter lady said as she held a white plastic bag with the arcades logo on it.

“Done,” Anastasia said.

Moments later, she walks back to Cello with the bag.

“I didn't know you liked fingerboarding,” Cello said, holding two fingers up together while lightly wiggling and bending them.

“First of all, don't gesture your fingers like that at me again,” Anastasia said with judgement.

Cello looks at his fingers to see what was wrong with how he was gesturing them. After realizing it, he retracted both his fingers immediately.

“And second of all, I’m not actually into it. These are for my brother,” Anastasia said.

“Brother? Wait, don't tell me you accidentally dragged your human brother down here with you,” Cello said.

“Oh, no no no. My brother's not human. He's a demon, and I adopted him. A while ago, some daycare lady just left him behind with me and I had no other choice but to take him in. He likes skateboarding, but he's not allowed to do it inside the hotel and I can't always take him out to do it, so I think he’ll like these,” Anastasia said. “Almost as good as the real thing.”

“Dang, she’s right, I would totally like those as much as the real thing..” Elijah quietly said to himself as he watched Anastasia and Cello from inside the crane machine.

“So, he technically isn't your brother, and yet he is also technically your brother and you're being nice to him and doing something nice for him?” Cello asked.

“Yes,” Anastasia said.

“Y'know, I’m surprised you could be this compassionate towards a demon,” Cello said.

“And why is that?” Anastasia asked.

“Because I always figured humans would hate demons. I mean, I assume that they want to avoid ending up where they live when they die, since they think that they're evil, wretched monsters,” Cello said with a chuckle. “And who could blame them?”

Anastasia sighed a bit. “That's because they just don't understand. At least, not like I do. But you’re right. My people do see them as monsters because they've been told many things and have had many ideas for centuries. They're told that demons “steal souls,” that the devil or any other demon “makes deals,” that they want to dominate and corrupt the Earth and humanity, and that they're just evil incarnate.”

“Do humans even believe in demons?” Cello asked.

“In most cases, they don't. As a matter of fact, most of the time, they're ignorant. But the ones that do believe would worship them and/or perform insane rituals, some which involve killing another person, to try and summon or communicate with them, make nutty conspiracy theories or start up groups that believe in demons, and one of the most common things are the practices and beliefs from religions created, started, led, and followed by humans, like Christianity for example,” Anastasia said. 

“Hm, humans have some.. impressive ideas,” Cello said.

“Oh, and that's not the end of it. Some people come up with things like TV shows, movies, and books with different interpretations of demons that can be way off-base sometimes,” Anastasia said. Then, she leaned down towards Cello's ear and started to whisper. “Between you and me, people can make some very weird things…” 

Cello looked surprised, disturbed, but also intrigued.

“And, so far, you're the only human who knows the reality outside of what humans think, talk, and write about?” Cello said.

“At this point, I definitely believe, without a doubt, that I understand that demons aren't all monsters, that they don't all want to bring harm to humans, that they don't all want someone else's soul, that they don't actually want to be summoned or bothered by humans, that they're nothing like in fiction, and that most of them are just trying to live their lives in their realm the same way us humans try in ours,” Anastasia said.

“Hm, you seemed to have gotten a lot of insight while you were here,” Cello said. 

Cello tucks his hand into his pockets and he leans closer towards Anastasia. He was a wee bit too close for comfort, especially for Anastasia's. 

“I like how you're more brain than beauty. I could hardly ever find a woman like that down here..,” Cello said, his voice dropping down to a low and smooth quality, close to a seductive purr.

Anastasia’s face felt like it was heating up when Cello got so close to her face and spoke like that. And she almost felt as if she just froze up in the moment.

There was silence between them for a second. Then, Cello quickly moved away as he spoke.

“So! Wanna get moving?” Cello asked. “Come on, let's go.”

Cello walks away quickly.

Anastasia stood in place for a second while he walked, hesitant to follow him for a second. 

She lets out an exhale, as if she held her breath the whole time.

“Goddammit…” Anastasia said in frustration, specifically towards the way Cello just teased her a second ago. Then, she follows behind Cello, irritated. “I'm coming.”

“Crap!” Elijah said before he tried to get out of the crane game machine. He swims through the stuffed animals and he climbs into the small metal chute inside the machine, crawling through the cramped metal space until he reached the hatch at the bottom, where he can get out. He crawls through the catch until he got stuck, only out halfway through the hatch. His fingers dug into the carpet floor and into the edges of the hatch as he tried to pull himself out. He grunts as he tried. “Shoot, I'm stuck.”

An employee and a demon who looked like a maintenance person approaches the stuck Imp.

“Don't worry, we got ya, kid. This ain't the first time this happened,” the employee said reassuringly.

Then, the maintenance guy pulls out a buzzsaw and turns it on. Whirring sounds emit from the spinning steel blade. 

Elijah looked a little scared at the sight of the buzzsaw.

Anastasia walks outside through the doors. She approaches Cello from behind.

Cello was looking up at the sky.

“What are you looking at?” Anastasia asked.

“Was it dawn when we went in?” Cello asked, his attention directed at the sky.

Anastasia looks up too.

“Oh dang, you're right,” Anastasia said. “How long were we in there?”

“We've been going at it at that dance game for a while and we must've lost track of time and didn't bother to check outside or look at any clocks in the arcade,” Cello said.

Anastasia touches her hips, touching her pockets before moving her hands around and patting herself multiple times, trying to find her phone.

“Oh, crap, I must've left my phone at the hotel..” Anastasia said. She looks at Cello. “Can I borrow your phone?”

“Sorry, lost it,” Cello said with a shrug.

“Crap..,” Anastasia said.

Cello puts a hand on her shoulder.

“Forget time. Time's forever, right? Got all the time in the world, ya know?” Cello said.

“Well..” Anastasia said, a little hesitant to stay out late.

“Come on, the night's just being born, let's have some more fun. It won't hurt,” Cello said, trying to encourage Anastasia to stay out late.

“Well, the thing is.. my friends are probably expecting me home by now,” Anastasia said.

“Screw them,” Cello said.

“Hey. Never say that to me again,” Anastasia said, pointing at him, looking threatening.

“Alright, alright, I'm sorry. Point is, sweetie, you should just spend some time with good ol’ Mr. Freedom,” Cello said. “And to clarify, I’m referring to both myself and just forgetting about things like rules, curfews, your comfort zone.. That kinda mess.”

“I know, but..” Anastasia said.

Cello grabs Anastasia's wrist.

“Come on, let's just.. have a night. Just a few hours and then you can go back to that square hotel. So, what do you say?” Cello said, gently brushing his thumb on Anastasia's wrist.

Anastasia felt a short yet sudden tingle when Cello rubbed his thumb onto her wrist. Her cheeks turned red for a subtle moment. Then, her flustered expression turned to frustration.

She pulls her wrist out of Cello’s grip as she grumbles.

“Okay, okay, fine,” Anastasia said, irritated but flustered. Mostly irritated. “Just a few hours..”

“Nova!” Cello said in joy.

Anastasia raised an eyebrow.

“What? Haven't you played Cyberpunk?” Cello asked. “Nevermind. Let's just go and own the-”

Anastasia walks quickly past Cello.

“Wow, rush much?” Cello said with a chuckle before he followed behind her.

Chapter Text

Vaggie was standing in front of Elijah’s door, holding a plate with a casserole on it. She knocks on the door.

“Elijah, come on. I know you’ve been in there probably playing your video games, but your dinner is getting cold. Come on,” Vaggie said. Then, she puts her hand on the knob, turns it, and opens the door. “Don't make me repeat-”

Vaggie looked into the room, noticing its empty surroundings. No one was in there. She looked confused.

After a moment, Vaggie went back to the kitchen, where she met everyone but Alastor, who was in his room, and Anastasia, who was still out despite the time.

“Hey, did anyone see Elijah any today?” Vaggie asked.

“Last time I saw him, he tried to nail Charlie with a water balloon,” Angel Dust replied.

“I was lucky it didn't hit me,” Charlie said.

“Yeah, ‘cause I happened to have walked in front of you and it hit me in the face,” Sir Pentious said, a little annoyed thinking about how he got hit by the water balloon.

“Isn't he in his room?” Angel Dust asked Vaggie. 

“No,” Vaggie replied.

“Where could he had possibly gone?” Charlie asked.

“I don't know. We were supposed to be watching him while Anna was out, and then she just happens to have stayed out later than she intended or at least promised us,” Vaggie said. “Everyone, search the hotel for Elijah. I’ll call Anna.”

With that, everyone went around to search the hotel. Searching every room, restroom, and closet, searching beneath and behind and around furniture, and looking through every other hiding spot in the hotel. 

They avoided searching Alastor's room since he seldom lets anyone in and if anyone did get in, he'd escort them out instantly. So, if Elijah did find his way in there like last time, Alastor would come out with him.

Vaggie pressed the call button on her phone and held it to her ear. Then, she heard Anastasia's ringtone from her phone. She follows the sound down the hall and into Anastasia’s room, finding her phone in the room and on the nightstand.

Vaggie groans in frustration.

Husk was at the bar like usual. He takes a drink from a bottle. Angel Dust approaches him.

“Ugh, Husk, have you seen Elijah? We can't find him,” Angel Dust asked. “I hope he didn't sneak out again..”

“Oh, he did,” Husk replied, lowering the bottle onto the counter. 

Angel Dust looked at Husk in surprise. “What?”

“I saw him follow Anna out the door,” Husk said.

“Why the hell didn't you say anything?” Angel Dust asked, a little angry.

“No one asked me,” Husk replied before he wiped down a glass with a cloth rag.

Everyone went back downstairs to the lounge.

“Guys, Elijah went and followed Anastasia,” Angel Dust said.

“What?” Vaggie asked.

“Vaggs, did you call her? I need to tell her Elijah snuck out and followed her,” Angel Dust said. Then, he pulls out his phone. “Actually, I’ll do it.”

“She left her phone in her room,” Vaggie said.

“Great,” Angel Dust said in sarcasm that came with an annoyed but worried look.

“Guys, I’m sure they're okay. I’m also sure Anastasia had noticed that Elijah had been following her and is probably planning to head back here,” Charlie said.

“The kid’s like a bug, he can slip by almost anywhere. He slipped past us and he also did it when he went to follow Anna to Swallotale's that one time and even she didn't notice,” Angel Dust said. “And I wanna know what the hell Anna's doing. She never stays out this late by herself, as far as I know.”

Vaggie began to think for a moment. Then, she looks at everyone. “Everyone, stay here. I’m gonna go look for them.”

“Are you sure?” Charlie asked as she saw Vaggie begin to walk away. “We can come with you.”

“I got this, okay? I’ll be back as soon as possible,” Vaggie said.

Vaggie marches away quickly.

Chapter Text

A pair of doors burst open. Cello and Anastasia stood at those same doors. Cello's arms were stretched out forward. He was the one that pushed the doors open so abruptly and dramatically. 

Beyond those doors was a casino-cum-bar, where many demons were gambling and drinking. 

The whole place was filled with dark grey walls and brown wooden accents, red and dark red circle-patterned carpeted floors with black tile floors by the bar, the ceiling was black, white circle-shaped ceiling lights hung above, there were zero windows, some brown half columns were against the walls, and a few colorful neon signs and framed photos of cars, mansions, trees, and beaches hung around the walls. 

Glowing slot machines surrounded the casino in rows, tables for games like poker or blackjack stood in center, and there was a sturdy, well-furnished bar on the left side of the casino. 

The sounds of jukebox music, the shuffle of cards, the tinkle of plastic chips, the click and tumble of roulette balls, and the rattle of rolling dice, the smell of smoke, food, and alcohol, the sounds of slot machines warbling and dinging, the sounds of demons cheering, swearing, laughing, and chatting all filled the place. 

Waiters and waitresses walked around carrying trays of drinks, demons were playing the games and a few swore at the slot machines or at each other when they lost, some were drinking, and a few got into drunk fights. 

Anastasia looks around, uncertain if she should even consider being in a casino.

“What? Never been to a casino before?” Cello asked. 

“Not once,” Anastasia replied. 

“Cool, another new thing for you to try out. I go here almost all the time, so I'll explain all the shit to ya,” Cello casually said with a grin. He signals her to follow.

Cello and Anastasia walk through the casino. They walk past a demon who was smoking a cigar. Cello swiped the cigar from his hand, earning a scowl from the demon in return. Cello holds the cigar to his lips, takes a huff, and blows out a cloud of smoke. 

“Do you always smoke cigars you just snatch from other people?” Anastasia asked in slight irritation and disgust over the idea or fact that Cello steals and smokes cigars or cigarettes that have already been in someone else's mouth. 

“That's correct,” Cello responded shamelessly. He offers the cigar to Anastasia. “Wanna try a smoke?”

“No, because I care about my lung health,” Anastasia replied. “And I'm not smoking what's already been in someone else's mouth..”

Cello shrugs and he takes another drag of the cigar. 

“Hey you little bastard!” a tiger demon said as he marches over to Cello, pissed off.

“Is he talking to you?” Anastasia asked Cello.

“You got a problem?” Cello asked casually to the tiger demon.

“Yes, I got a fucking problem. Remember that car you sold me three months ago?” the tiger demon asked. “It was a lemon. I want my money back.”

“Well, I don't have it. I spent it all on a jewel-encrusted rhino minifigure,” Cello said with a short shameless smirk and a short shrug. Anastasia stared at Cello with an annoyed and disapproving look.

The tiger demon growls.

“If you don't have my money, I'll just hold onto your girl until you get it,” the tiger demon reaches for Anastasia, who looked ready to fight back, before Cello jabs the lit cigar into his wrist.

“Aaghh!” the tiger demon yelled in pain before yanking his hand back and holding his wrist, looking at the burn. Then, he angrily looks at Cello. “You motherfuckin-!”

The tiger demon tries to throw a punch at Cello before he tossed the cigar away, grabs his wrist and then stomped his foot onto his, uppercut punched the tiger demon’s jaw as blood and teeth flew out upwards, and then grabbed his arm with his other hand, twisted his arm, and pinned him as the tiger demon kneeled.

“Try landing even one claw on her, the arm the claw is attached to will be gone, ‘cause I'll rip it off and keep it in a box. Is that clear?” Cello asked, a ruthless glare in his eyes.

The tiger demon, scared, nodded up and down in response quickly before Cello twisted his arm more by the shoulder. The tiger demon winced and grunted in pain.

“Try again. And this time, I need a verbal response,” Cello said.

“Yes, yes, we're clear!” the tiger demon said.

“Good kitty,” Cello mockingly said as he let the tiger demon go. Then, he points at the exit. “Now get outta here.”

The tiger demon quickly runs off.

Every demon in the casino-cum-bar watched the whole thing. Then, they just turned a blind eye and went back to their business as if it didn't happen.

Cello chuckles a bit. Then, he turns to Anastasia.

“So, which game you wanna play first?” Cello asked. Then, he noticed she was staring a certain way. “What?”

“You protected me,” Anastasia said.

“Hell yeah, I did. You wanna keep that face pretty, right? Plus, I know your kind is way too fragile for fighting,” Cello said with a shrug. “I mean, it is one of the reasons why so many are here.”

Anastasia looked annoyed and a little offended at what he said.

“Alright, so, which do you wanna try for money? The slots, roulette, poker, blackjack… Personally, I like the slots,” Cello said.

“I think I would prefer blackjack instead,” Anastasia said. 

“Really, why?” Cello asked.

“.. I may have learned a little trick to winning when I played it with my dad as a kid.” Anastasia looks to the side. “One of those self-taught things, I suppose.”

Cello looked at Anastasia with mild intrigue, having been told about her family for the first time and also impressed with her self-sufficiency and self-teaching abilities. 

Then, Cello decides to tease her and act like he didn't believe her.

“Ain't no way you know how to count cards,” Cello said.

Anastasia rolled her eyes in response. 

“Okay, how about we play and you prove it to me?” Cello said.

“Done,” Anastasia said.

Outside the building, Elijah, who had gotten out of the crane game machine at the arcade unscathed, had followed them. He approaches the entrance before a tall, masculine wolf demon stops him. 

“Sorry, no kids allowed,” the wolf bouncer said. 

“But my sister's in there,” Elijah said, pointing at the doors, demanding entry.

“Do I look like I give a shit? Gotta be eighteen or older,” the wolf bouncer said as he gestured his thumb to the sign behind him that explicitly said “NO CHILDREN ALLOWED!!!!”

Elijah scowls and grumbles a bit in frustration before he turns around and walks away. He pauses after he gets a few feet away. He looks back behind him at the wolf bouncer and then he looks around and then he runs off and runs through an alleyway, finding an entrance on the side of the building.

Back in the casino, Cello and Anastasia were sitting at a blackjack table.

“Aight, a couple of rounds, maybe some wins and or losses, and we skedaddle off,” Cello said. “We split our winnings and spend it however the hell we want on whatever the hell we want.”

“Just so we're clear, this is the first and last time I ever gamble,” Anastasia firmly said.

“Okay..,” Cello said with a bored groan and an eye roll. Then, he sees a waitress walk by. He raises his hand and snaps his fingers, grabbing the waitress’ attention. “Hey, sweetheart. Can we get some drinks over here?”

The waitress walks over to them, gives Cello a glass of scotch and Anastasia a glass of water, and she walks away.

“Thanks, sweetcheeks,” Cello said to the waitress as she walked away. He takes a sip of his scotch. “‘Aight, let's play some blackjack.”

Chapter Text

The game of blackjack commences.

Cards were shuffled and plastic chips were stacked, pushed, dragged, and piled. In the process, Anastasia silently counted the cards, when they're drawn and where they're set.

During a win, or a few, Cello laughed. Anastasia admired his laughter from the side while he hadn't noticed her stare. She hasn't heard Cello's laughter in a while, and she couldn't resist listening to its sound. She softly smiles.

Outside, Elijah was in the alley next to the casino. He hid behind a trash bag as the back door opened and a waiter stepped out. He seizes the opportunity and he rushes through the door, entering the kitchen. 

‘Yes, I'm in!’ Elijah thought to himself.

He crawled through the kitchen, out of the staff’s sight, and he sneaked past the double doors and behind a trash can. He peers from it and sees Cello and Anastasia at the blackjack table.

‘Found ya,’ Elijah thought to himself as he stared at them intently.

At the blackjack table, cards were shuffled again.

“Ah, dealer bust. You win again,” the blackjack dealer said, looking down at the cards.

“Yeah ha ha!” Cello cheered. 

Anastasia, on the other hand, looked straight-faced and uninterested. 

“Our sixth win in a row!” Cello said. Then, he turns to look at Anastasia. “I was totally wrong earlier. You're actually really good at this.”

“Eh,” Anastasia said with a short shrug of her shoulders.

““Eh?” You’re just “eh?”” Cello asked. He begins to try and encourage more excitement into Anastasia. “Let's play one more round.”

“Cello, I don't think I can continue,” Anastasia said.

“What, why? We won just over ten grand. Come on, let's try and play for fifty!” Cello said. 

“Cello, I just don't enjoy gambling as much as you do. I can handle arcades..,” Anastasia said..

“Arcades are just kid-friendly casinos with absolutely zero cash prizes and no thrill of high stakes,” Cello said, interrupting Anastasia. “In fact, I'm sure a major percentage of casino patrons have played in regular arcades.”

Then, a question came up to him.

“Hey, if you really don't enjoy this, why did you even agree to come?” Cello asked, curious.

“I don't know, okay?” Anastasia replied, just as confused as Cello is curious about her agreement to go gambling with him. “But right now, I can't continue. Let's just grab what we got and just go.”

“Hm… Alright,” Cello said with a shrug.

“Where can we pick up our cash?” Anastasia asked the blackjack dealer.

“Over there at that counter,” the dealer said, pointing at a kiosk-like counter lit by white lights.

“Thank you,” Anastasia asked as she put her chips on a black tray, lifted the tray, and walked to the kiosk-like counter.

Cello stood by the blackjack table as he watched her walk away.

Then, an idea comes to mind.

Cello turns over to the dealer.

“Hey, uh, what's your policy here on counting cards?” Cello asked.

“Hang on, what was that about counting cards?” the dealer asked.

Anastasia returned, carrying a tote bag with the casino's logo. It was carrying stacks of the money they won.

“Is counting cards bad here? Just asking,” Cello asked the dealer.

When Anastasia heard Cello ask that, her eyes widened a bit. Her expression was a mix of pissed, shock, and confusion at the fact he was just casually confessing their blackjack tactic right to the dealer.

“Cello, what the hell are you doing?” Anastasia whispered urgently to Cello.

“What? I'm curious,” Cello said to Anastasia. 

“These two were counting cards!” the dealer shouted as she pointed at them, drawing the attention of the other patrons and even the manager, who approached them.

“Well shit,” Cello said, snapping his fingers and looking disappointed.

“Kill them!” the manager shouted out as he pointed at them.

Seven bat demons in suits had their attention grasped by the scene. They all pulled out guns and one of them pumped the slide of their glock, signaling it's loaded.

Cello suddenly flipped the table over onto the dealer and manager, knocking them out. Their unconscious bodies were pinned down by the table.

“Run for it!” Cello yelled before he and Anastasia made a run for it.

The seven bat demons run after them, their guns locked and loaded. 

A barrage of bullets shot at Cello and Anastasia from behind. None of them hit them, luckily. 

Anastasia wraps her arms over her head as an attempt at cover from the bullets.

The two ran outside and took cover behind a nearby car. 

The bat demons’ hailstorm of bullets flew in their direction, many hitting and deflecting off of the car and several flying past it.

“Dammit, did you have to run your mouth with the wrong thing!?” Anastasia asked, pissed. 

“Maybe,” Cello said with a slight smirk and shrug. “Don't worry. Let me handle this. I know you're way too fragile for this.”

Cello rushes out from behind the car, leaving Anastasia, who looked annoyed by his comment about her being “fragile.”

As the bullets continue firing, Cello pulls out his dagger and he jumps out from behind the car, landing on the car's roof. He jumps off the car roof and sprints forward, dodging the bullets and he lunges right onto one of the bat demons, plunging his dagger right through the skull through their eye, blood gushing and flying out of the socket. Some of the blood flew into Cello's face as the first bat demon's body fell back before Cello immediately grabbed the corpse by the shirt and lifted it up and used it as a shield from the bullets from the other bat demons, each one piercing into the corpse’s body and blocking them. 

Then, there were several clicking sounds. The remaining six bat demons had run out of bullets. 

“Aw, no more bullets left?” Cello mockly asked with a smirk as he peers his head from the side of the corpse in his hands. 

The bat demons checked their pockets for more ammo, but couldn't find any. 

“Fuck, I thought we had packed more ammo,” one of the bat demons said. 

“Dammit, Rick!” another bat demon said, referring to one of the other bat demons as “Rick.”

Cello chuckles and he pulls his bloodied dagger out of the corpse’s eye socket and he throws the corpse off to the side. “One down, six to go.”

“Get his ass!” another bat demon shouted and they pulled out knives and charged. 

As the six other bat demons charged right at Cello, he charged right back at them.

One of them charged up close and aimed their knife towards Cello’s gut, but Cello had dodged and the bat demon swung his arm, trying to slash him before Cello grabbed his wrist and plunged his dagger right through his arm. The bat demon yelled in agony as his jabbed arm dropped his knife onto the ground. Cello then immediately yanked his dagger out of the bat demon's arm and as a third bat demon ran at him to stab him, he immediately swung the blade into his throat, slitting his jugular as the blood flew onto his face and clothes. The third bat demon choked on his own blood as he desperately tried to stop the bleeding with his hands as he fell onto his knees and fell over on the ground, dying and bleeding.

“I'm sorry, what was that? I can't understand you while you're choking on your own blood,” Cello mockingly and sadistically said to the choking bat demon on the ground, as if he was reveling in their suffering.

Then, Cello stabbed the second bat demon, the one he held by the mutilated arm, in the chest, piercing him in the heart and then flinging his dead body by the arm forward at the remaining four bat demons, hitting and knocking down one of them like a bowling pin. 

The other three were still standing while one was pinned by the corpse of his fellow bat demon. They charge at him.

Cello charges and clashes his dagger with one of the bat demons knives. Steel strikes against steel, three times before the fourth bat demon had swung his arm again, nearly cutting him. Cello bent backwards and dodged the knife's swing before rebounding, grabbing the bat demon’s wrist, twirling his arm, and stabbing his dagger into his left side. He pulls the dagger straight out, spins around, and kicks him straight in the chin, sending him flying backwards.

Cello was so exhilarated that his attention to his surroundings had gone blank.

The fifth bat demon had run up and caught him by surprise, punching him right in the face. Twice. 

Cello quickly stumbled back several inches as his dagger fell to the ground with a clank. His nose and his lips were leaking lines of gold all the way down to his chin. 

The fifth bat demon ran at him, holding his knife in the air and ready to stab him. 

After Cello recovered from the punch, he spots the running bat demon and then grabs onto both of his wrists tightly, halting his attempt to stab him and using all his strength to keep the knife from reaching him. 

“You're done for now, motherfucker,” the bat demon said with a grin as he used his strength to slowly lower the knife's blade down into Cello's soldier despite the fact that Cello was using all his strength to keep the blade away.

Then, Cello suddenly jerks his head back and knocks it straight into the fifth bat demon's face. 

“Aahh!!” The fifth bat demon yelled in pain as he stumbled back. Red blood sprayed out of both his nostrils and his lip split upon the impact of Cello’s headbutt. 

Immediately, Cello swings his arm and punches the bat demon, knocking him to the ground. 

He looks down at the bat demon's unconscious body on the floor, looking at the multiple streams of red blood from his nose on his face and his split lip. Cello's nose also bled a line or two, but with gold instead of red. 

Cello chuckles as he wiped his bleeding nose and his lips with his sleeve. Then, he looks at the last two bat demons standing. The one that had been knocked over by his fallen comrades' corpse pushed the body off of him and he got back up. 

Cello spits out a loogie onto the ground next to him with a smirk. 

Right when Cello was ready to charge and attack the two remaining bat demons, there was a bang.

The two bat demons stopped in their movements. The sixth bat demon’s arms dangled over his sides, his head tilted to the left slightly, and his expression went blank. He fell onto his knees and he fell forward onto the ground. A pool of blood formed beneath him. There was also a hole in his forehead.

Cello was surprised before he turned into the direction where the bang sound and the bullet came from.

Anastasia was standing there by the first bat demon’s corpse and she was holding his gun, which was surprisingly the only one still loaded, albeit with only a few bullets.

“You were seriously gonna attack them unarmed?” Anastasia asked.

Cello playfully shrugs his shoulders. 

When the last remaining bat demon came running and tried to stab him, that was when Cello dodged each thrust of his arm. When the last bat demon swung his arms multiple times, Cello also dodged before grabbing his knife-wielding arm and flipping him over onto the ground as he straddled him and stole the knife from his grip and ruthlessly stabbed it into the bat demon's back in one plunge, right through where the heart. He stood back up and left the knife stuck in the seventh bat demon's back. 

“God, you guys suck at face-to-face. Stick to guns,” Cello, despite his bloody state, casually said to the bat demons’ corpses with one hand on his hip.

Anastasia approached and stood next to Cello.

Cello, blood-covered, and Anastasia, no blood on her whatsoever, stood and looked around at their mess, looking at the bat demons, dead and/or alive and maybe unconscious.

Cello laughed. “What a rush, huh?”

Anastasia, who was more annoyed and ticked off than happy, looked at Cello with a side glance.

“What?” Cello asked.

“Let's just go,” Anastasia sighed before she dropped the gun and turned around and walked away.

Right after Anastasia took a tenth step, she heard multiple gunshots behind her. She turned around, seeing Cello holding the gun she had just dropped and aiming it at the bat demons’ corpses. 

Cello sees Anastasia's stare and he turns to look at her.

“What? I had to make sure they were dead. And I saw this guy move,” Cello said, nudging his foot against the now shot corpse of the bat demon he headbutted earlier.

Anastasia's eyebrows furrowed with a withering look. 

Chapter Text

Several minutes ago, when Anastasia and Cello were chased by the seven bat demons, Elijah saw from behind the trash can. Right when he was ready to run after them, a hand grabbed him from behind at the back of the shirt and lifted him up.

When he was lifted to their face, he saw that it was the wolf bouncer from outside.

“I knew I smelled you in here,” the wolf demon said, livid. Elijah chuckles nervously.

Then, he tossed Elijah out the entrance door. Elijah flew and hit face first on the concrete street.

“No kids, you little shithead!” the wolf demon said before he slams the door shut.

Elijah slowly sits up. He rubs his head. “Ow…”

He looks back at the casino, growling in irritation before he stands up and rushes off to find Cello and Anastasia again.

Right now, Anastasia and Cello were outside in the wide alley behind the casino. They were standing far away from the bloody scene the two, but mostly Cello, had caused.

Cello was behind a dumpster, shirtless and holding a hose to himself, spraying himself down with water and cleaning the blood off of himself. Then, he sprayed his jacket down with the hose.

“You know people wouldn't really be able to see blood on red,” Anastasia said, sitting across from where Cello was, facing away from him. “Also, you need more than just water to clean it off.”

“Like I give a damn, nerd,” Cello said while he was spraying down his jacket with the hose. He looks at Anastasia. He begins to tease her. “You sure you don't wanna take a peek at me while I’m not wearing a shirt?”

“Quit that and shut the hell up,” Anastasia said, pissed.

“Come on, don't tell me you're still mad at me,” Cello said as he finished spraying down his jacket.

“You nearly got us both killed,” Anastasia said.

“Mm-hm,” Cello said as he slid his jacket back on.

“And then this," Anastasia said as she gestured to the seven bat demons’ corpses from the distance.

“They tried to kill us first. We had a right to self-defense,” Cello said as he finished buttoning up his jacket.

“You went and told them that we were counting cards,” Anastasia said. 

“It was getting boring in there. I had to make things exciting,” Cello said. Then, he smiles. “And what's more exciting than getting in a life-or-death situation, huh?”

“You call that fun!?” Anastasia said in anger as she stood up. Then, she sees Cello wearing his jacket after he had just hosed it down with water. “Are you wearing your jacket while it's still wet?”

“I'm sweaty and this feels good. Refreshing, in fact. Be glad you were able to remain blood-free, or else I'd have to hose you down too,” Cello said. Then, he decides to mess with her. He picks up the hose and holds it up to her. “Actually, let's go ahead and just do it right now.”

Anastasia shoots Cello a death glare, prompting him to put the hose down.

“Alright fine,” Cello said as he put the hose down. “You really don't wanna ruin that blouse, huh?”

Anastasia growled a bit in annoyance and irritation.

Then, Cello walks up to her.

“Hey, how about you let me make this up to you?” Cello asked.

“How?” Anastasia asked.

“How about.. we go to that building where we threw rocks at cars? Sit down, have a chat, maybe eat?” Cello said.

Anastasia thinks for a moment. Then, she sighed.

“Alright, I'll give you one chance,” Anastasia said. 

“Cool. I'll just get rid of all those guys first real fast,” Cello said, gesturing to the seven bat demon corpses. Then, he walks over to them.

During the last few minutes, Cello was stuffing the corpses into black garbage bags and stuffing them in the dumpster carefully.

Meanwhile, Anastasia was leaning against the wall. Her arms were crossed and her mind was flooded. She was thinking about that entire fight, about how Cello acted in that fight..

When Cello was fighting against those bat demons, she could see the look on his face. The way he smiled the entire time. He looked as if he enjoyed it. No, he definitely did. He enjoyed every second of it. Every moment he hit, mutilated, and killed them. Every second that their blood spilled in front of him and splashed onto him, and he just enjoyed it. And she saw the way he was smiling again when he was holding that gun after shooting one of them, like he just wanted to shoot them regardless of whether any of them were dead or alive. And even after all of that, he just acted so casual about it, like it was normal when, in truth, it wasn't. She just knew he didn't do any of this just to protect her, unlike that encounter with the tiger demon in the casino moments ago. Then again, now that she just saw the way he was when he fought those bat demons, she began to think otherwise about when he threatened the tiger demon. She just had to know that he wasn't protecting her because he had the kind of heart she thought he had before.

Her mind just about flooded with every memory and thought and moment of their times together. During their first few interactions, she thought he had the heart she thought of. At first, he was nice, chill and he was more considerate. She liked him when he was nicer and more considerate about her and her safety and only messed with her. Now, he turned less considerate and seemed to have deliberately endangered her just earlier. Not to mention he seemed to have gotten.. crazier.

Maybe for once, she should just know better and acknowledge all these red flags she's just noticed and stop all this “crushing” she's been stupidly doing against her better judgement and just cut ties and leave.

Then, she hears the clank of a trash can falling over. She looks at the said fallen trash can.

“Ow…” Elijah said, lying on the ground near the trash can he had knocked over. His skateboard was on his back.

Anastasia's eyes widened in surprise. “Elijah??”

She immediately walked over to him, looking pissed. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“Oh, I just followed you here. I followed you so I could try and sneak attack you with a water balloon again, then I-” Elijah was speaking until Cello spoke.

“What's all the fuss over here?” Cello asked as he walked up to Anastasia and Elijah.

‘Damn it..’ Anastasia said in her head.

“Oh, hey, who's the little Imp?” Cello asked as he pointed at Elijah.

“Oh, I'm-” Elijah was speaking until Anastasia stepped in.

“Leaving. He was just leaving just like I was just about to leave. With him. Elijah, let's go,” Anastasia said.

“"Eliza?” Isn't that a girl's name? Oh, wait wait wait, don't tell me. He's your brother,” Cello said. He looks at Elijah. “You know, Anna told me some stuff about you.”

“Did she??” Elijah asked.

“Yeah, and I was just gonna go take him back to the hotel,” Anastasia said. She turns around and walks away, gently pushing Elijah.

“Cool skateboard, little man,” Cello said to Elijah. “You ollie?”

Elijah immediately stopped in his tracks, circled around Anastasia, and walked a few steps back towards Cello.

“Why, yes I do. Been doing it for, like, ever,” Elijah said with a smug smile. Then, he gasped a bit. “You ollie, too??”

Anastasia sighs a bit.

Cello chuckles a bit. “Well, I may know a few tricks.”

“Show me! Right now! Pronto! Asap!” Elijah eagerly said.

“Elijah, no. We're heading home,” Anastasia said as she walked towards them. “You shouldn't be out this late.”

“You're out this late, too,” Elijah said.

Cello laughs. “He got ya there.”

“I know, so we're leaving, now," Anastasia said before she grabs Elijah's wrist, not too hard, and begins to walk away.

“Awww!” Elijah said.

“Anna. You can't leave yet. You promised me a chance to make those things up to you,” Cello said, stopping Anastasia and Elijah in their tracks.

Anastasia sighs.

“What things? What happened? What'd I miss?” Elijah asked.

“Nothing important,” Anastasia said as she pats Elijah's head.

“Let's take the kid skateboarding and then bring him along to our roof. Saves the trouble of going back and forth just to drop him off home, right?” Cello said.

Anastasia rolls her eyes and sighs. “Fine.”

“Yes!” Elijah and Cello both said with a fist pump.

Moments later, they were at a skateboard shop.

Anastasia and Elijah were outside while Cello was inside. 

Cello pushes the door open, holding a skateboard under his arm. He approaches them and shows them the board.

“What do you think?” Cello said, holding the board so they could see the bottom design.

At the bottom of the skateboard, there was a wall of flaming arrows in front of a gradient black and red background.

“That's metal!” Elijah said.

“So's yours. What's its style again?” Cello asked.

“Ninja Shark,” Elijah says as he holds his skateboard up, showing the bottom design with a Ninja Shark. “Like from the movies, you know?”

“Oh yeah. I’ve seen the first one but not the second one,” Cello said.

“There's also comics,” Elijah said.

“Got twelve volumes,” Cello said. 

“Really??” Elijah asked.

“Mhm, back at my crib,” Cello said with a nod.

“Cool!” Elijah said.

Anastasia scowled a bit in response.

“I only got up to volume seven. You gotta tell me about the other five!” Elijah said.

“I probably might,” Cello said. Then, he shrugs. “If I'm in the mood.”

Elijah pouts and grumbles a bit.

“Look, can we just go on with it, already?” Anastasia asked.

“Okay, okay, yeesh. You're always in a hurry,” Cello said.

“Yeah, take it slow, sis,” Elijah said.

Anastasia glared at them, annoyed.

“Oh, hang on. I'mma go grab snacks,” Cello said as he walked to the convenient store across the street. Anastasia rolls her eyes in irritation.

After a short shopping trip and a long walk, all three were at the skatepark. 

“Alright, ya wanna fuel up before we roll?” Cello asked Elijah.

“Yes please!” Elijah said.

Cello tosses Elijah a can of coffee. Anastasia catches it midair before it could reach Elijah.

“No. No,” Anastasia said. She looks at Elijah. “You remember the last time you had coffee.”

Anastasia and Elijah think back to the first and seemingly last time Elijah had coffee. 

Anastasia had returned to the hotel from training when she saw Elijah running around the hotel, from the floors to the walls to the ceilings, wildly and excitedly with his eyes wide, his mouth stretched into a wide smile, and his pupils dilated to fill up his irises. He was also laughing and shouting random stuff like “I’m the fastest Imp alive!” and “No one can stop me!” and “I can do anything!”

Elijah then suddenly jumped from the stair balcony onto the chandelier, wrapped his arms, legs, and tail around the chain, and he swung on it in a circular motion before the chain snapped and the chandelier fell onto the floor and shattered into pieces with Elijah lying on top of it. Then, he hops up, completely unscathed and unscratched, and then he runs around laughing, yelling, and cheering again.

Angel Dust was the one that had let him try coffee. He looked at Anastasia with a nervous smile and a nervous chuckle as she looked at him in disappointment and disapproval.

Then, Anastasia and Elijah stopped thinking about that moment.

“Oh, yeah… I don't remember it all that much,” Elijah said with a shrug.

“Alright, so no coffee,” Cello said before he took the can of coffee away from Anastasia. “Whatever, coffee’s for losers whose bodies can't produce adrenaline.”

Cello throws the coffee can over his shoulder and it flies towards a trash can. It hits the edge of the trash can rim and it bounces off and hits the ground with a dink.

“Alright, let's shred,” Cello said.

“Awesome! Hey, I wanna show ya the Bolt Spin!” Elijah said.

““The Bolt Spin?”” Cello asked.

“It's this trick I've been brainstorming and wanting to experiment with. It's when you go down a ramp and spin mid-skate then all the way back down,” Elijah said, describing it with his arm. “Here, I've got sketches.”

Elijah pulls out a crinkled notebook paper drawing from his short-sleeve jacket and shows it to them. It was a pen doodle with drawings of a ramp, a skateboard that was drawn to look like an oval with black circle wheels, a stick figure with horns and tail and hair to show himself, curls, wind, arrows, a spinning figure, etc.

Cello analyzes the drawing. “Hm… Looks rad. Let's try that.”

“Really??” Elijah asked with excitement as he crunched the paper in his hands.

“Yeah,” Cello said with an approving nod.

“Yay, let's go!” Elijah cheered with a dual fist pump in the air.

“Elijah, how do you know it'll work?” Anastasia asked. “You might get hurt.”

“I can do it, I swear it! Alright, come on!” Elijah said before he picks up his skateboard and rushes off.

Cello and Anastasia follow behind him.

Seconds later, they were standing in front of a fifteen-foot-ramp curved kicker ramp.

“Perfect! This ramp’s perfect for the first try,” Elijah said as he walked to the black steel ladder on the side of the ramp and climbed up.

“I still don't know about this,” Anastasia said, skeptical and with concern.

“Stop worrying,” Cello said to Anastasia with a soft shove on her shoulder. “He'll be fine. I know he will. I can tell.”

Anastasia rubs her shoulder with an annoyed look.

Elijah stands at the top of the ramp, his skateboard at his foot.

“Woah woah, hold up, hold up,” Cello said, grabbing Elijah and Anastasia's attention.

“What? What's wrong?” Elijah asked.

“That ramp’s too short. You should try your trick… off that,” Cello said as he pointed at another ramp.

But, it wasn't just any normal ramp… this ramp was over fifty feet tall and it was also a curved kicker.

Anastasia and Elijah looked at the ramp, shocked. Anastasia was more horrified while Elijah got excited.

“Oh, ho-ho-ho-ho-ho! Haha! Yes! Yeah!” Elijah said.

“No, absolutely not! You're gonna get yourself hurt or killed!” Anastasia said.

“Aw, but sis..!” Elijah whined.

“No!” Anastasia said.

“If I agreed to be there to catch him or cushion his fall, would you let him do it?” Cello asked.

“Yes,” Anastasia bluntly said.

“Oh damn, I was just kidding,” Cello said. 

“You’re doing it,” Anastasia firmly said as she pointed a finger on Cello’s chest.

“Okay, fine,” Cello said. He looks at Elijah. “‘Kay, let's go.”

“Yeah! Let's do thi-” Elijah paused in his steps when he saw something that particularly surprised him. Then, he immediately zoomed behind Anastasia.

“What's the matter, kid?” Cello asked.

“Them..” Elijah said as he pointed at something with a shaky arm.

He was pointing at a group of eight skateboarders who were standing by the fifty-foot ramp. Two of them were Sinners, one that looked like a venus fly trap and one that looked like a cheetah, and the other six were Hellborn demons; three Imps, one Hellhound, and two sharks. The Hellborn demons were older than Elijah, possibly in their late teens to young adult years.

“Older skaters…” Elijah said, gripping Anastasia's clothes on the sides from behind.

“What the hell are you so scared of?” Cello asked.

“Those guys are older than me. The older they are, the longer they've been on a board. Especially those two Sinners. They've definitely died before I was born, like.. a hundred years ago, maybe longer ago,” Elijah said. “I can't keep up with them.”

Anastasia turns around and she kneels down a little to be at Elijah's level.

“Just because you’re younger than those guys, doesn't mean you can't keep up with them,” Anastasia said.

“It kinda does,” Cello said. Anastasia grumbles at him.

“Look, with the way I see you skate, hell, I think you’d be better than them and don't realize it yet,” Anastasia said.

“You really think so?” Elijah asked.

Anastasia nods “yes” in response.

“Okay, I think I feel a little better now. Let's bolt,” Elijah said with a smile.

Anastasia, Cello, and Elijah walk to the fifty-foot ramp.

The eight skateboarders notice them. The cheetah skater approaches.

“Woah, what the hell do you losers think you're doing? This is our ramp,” the cheetah skater said.

“You don't own the ramp,” Anastasia said.

“These say otherwise,” the first Imp skater said as she pointed at the side of the ramp with eight different names graffiti’d on it.

“Look, we don't have time for this. Can’t we use it just this once and then we'll get outta your hair?” Cello asked, unamused.

“No shrimps allowed. Him,” the second Imp skater said as he pointed at Elijah.

“Hey, I am not a shrimp!” Elijah said. “Come here!”

Elijah almost ran at the second Imp skater with his arms flapping in a slap motion before Anastasia grabbed him by the back of his shirt collar.

“Yeah, put that shrimp on a leash or else he’ll go crazy and turn into a popcorn shrimp,” the venus fly trap skater said.

The eight skateboarders laugh.

“Now, get lost, fuck-faces. We got some ollieing to do,” the first shark skater said.

“Yeah, unless you want us to snap your legs off and then you won't be able to skate ever again,” the second shark skater said as he punched his fist into his palm.

Anastasia stares at them with a death glare while Elijah is still ready to attack them.

Cello rolls his eyes in annoyance.

“Come on, guys,” Cello said.

“What?” Elijah said.

“Just come on,” Cello said with a wave of his hand to signal them to follow him.

Cello, Anastasia, and Elijah walk away from the ramp.

“Yeah, go back to those tiny ramps, dweebs,” the second Imp skater said.

“Yeah, dweebs!” the third Imp skater said.

“They get it,” the cheetah skater said as she softly hit the third Imp skater's shoulder.

Anastasia, Elijah, and Cello were back at the fifteen-foot ramp.

“What the heck? We just wimp out just like that? I thought you were cool,” Elijah said, a little mad at Cello.

“I am cool. Look, look, I have a plan,” Cello said before he reaches into his coat and pulls out a string of thirty red firecrackers.

“Fireworks?” Elijah asked.

“The best kind that actually burns you,” Cello said with a smirk. “And check this.”

Cello reaches into his coat again and pulls out a very tiny gun.

Thinking it was a real gun, Anastasia immediately runs in front of Elijah, guarding him.

“Relax, it's just a lighter,” Cello said with a chuckle as he pulled the trigger and a small flame flashes at the nozzle.

Anastasia calms down a little and moves away.

“But, what's this for?” Anastasia said, apprehensive.

Cello holds the string of firecrackers close to the flaming nozzle of the gun lighter and the string ignites with a spark and then Cello flings the string at the group of eight skaters by the fifty-foot ramp.

It bounces and slides across the concrete ground towards their feet in front of them. The eight skaters looked confused. One of them chooses to reach down to try and touch it, which isn't a very smart choice, before the sparkle trails all the way down to the firecrackers attached to the string and then…

Boom! Pop! Crackle! Pop! Crack! Boom!

The burst of the sparks blew the second shark skater's index and middle fingers off of his hand. He retracted his now three-fingered hand and gripped his wrist in pain as he yelled out in pain too.

The flashes of the firecrackers were strong. Each pop and crackle sends tiny flames and sparks around the spot.

The eight skaters shielded themselves with either their arms, their hands, or their boards.

“Aah!” The second Imp skater said, feeling flame dots hit his arm with multiple burns.

“It's an ambush! Run away, dudes!” the cheetah skater yelled.

She and the other seven skaters hop onto their skateboards and then quickly roll away as the firecrackers continue to pop and crack bright sparks.

Slowly, the firecrackers began to burn out. The sparks shrunk into tiny little pops of light until… 

Hiss… 

The firecrackers finished their little spark show, leaving nothing but a small tower of smoke.

Elija was surprised, his mouth slightly agape.

“Holy cow, that was awesome! Haha! You showed them!” Elijah said to Cello.

“I sure did. Come on, let's board,” Cello said as he walked to the board. Elijah quickly follows behind him.

Anastasia has a “WTF” expression on her face. She opened her mouth, ready to say something, but nothing came out. She sighs and follows behind them.

The three stood by the fifty-foot ramp.

“Do one of you have a video camera or a phone? I wanna record this,” Elijah said.

“Oh, sure,” Cello said as he pulled out a pristine, silver video camera from his jacket.

“You don't have a phone, but you have that?” Anastasia asked.

“Yeah,” Cello said. Then, Anastasia snatches the video camera out of his hand. “Hey.”

“I film, you ready yourself to cushion him if he falls or flies,” Anastasia said firmly.

“Wait.. Is this because you're still mad at me for what happened earlier?” Cello asked.

“What happened?” Elijah asked.

“Oh, nothing, kid. Just get up there. I'll just stand over there, that way I'll catch you if you fuck up,” Cello said jokingly as he walks a few feet away from the ramp, that way he can ready himself for if Elijah messes up and falls or flies off his skateboard and/or the ramp. Anastasia growled a little after Cello said that.

Elijah climbs up the ladder, moving each hand and foot to each bar until he reaches the top of the fifty-foot ramp. 

“Hoo! That was a long climb, but it'll all be worth it,” Elijah said as he stood at the top. He approaches the edge of the top of the ramp with his skateboard.

Anastasia and Cello look up at Elijah at the top of the ramp. Anastasia held the video camera up to her eye, pointing it at Elijah.

“He's gonna die,” Cello said.

Anastasia promptly turned the video camera off and looked at Cello. “What?”

“A kid his size skating off that? Come on, you know he won't make it alive,” Cello said.

“He will, ‘cause you’re gonna break his fall,” Anastasia said.

“Why can't you do it?” Cello asked. 

“Because you agreed to do it,” Anastasia replied. “Besides, you're tougher than me, body-wise. You're the perfect cushion.”

“Hm, fair point. You'd shatter and squish on impact,” Cello said. Anastasia glares at him with annoyance.

“Guys, is the camera rolling?” Elijah shouts and asks from the top of the ramp.

Anastasia pulls the video camera back up and turns it on, pointing it at Elijah.

“Yeah, we're rolling,” Cello shouted his reply to Elijah.

Anastasia adjusts the close-up on the video camera.

Elijah props his foot up on the edge of his skateboard.

“Alright! The kid is ready to go for the impossible! The Bolt Spin! Off the tallest ramp in the town's skate park!” Elijah declared.

“This is gonna be good,” Cello said as he pulled out a candy bar and took a bite out of it.

Elijah takes a breath. “3… 2…” 

Elijah suddenly hops and his feet land on his skateboard. The board tilted forward and downward.

The skateboard surfs down the ramp. The wheels spin and tumble rapidly. The breeze and wind hit against Elijah's body, causing his hair, tail, and clothes to flow.

As the skateboard's wheels tumbled and spun, speed was picked up. It went faster, faster, and faster.

Despite the altitude, the wind force, and the speed, Elijah kept himself on his board. He didn't fling back, lean back, or lose his balance.

Elijah spread his arms out and his eyes narrowed in determination as he smiled. His heart raced, he sweated except the breeze dried and blew the drops off, and he could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins.

Cello was watching from the bottom of the ramp with amazement.

“Wow, is he seriously gonna do it?” Cello asked.

“Apparently so,” Anastasia replied. “But if he falls, you're-”

“Cushioning his fall. I know,” Cello said, finishing Anastasia's sentence in slight annoyance.

Back on the ramp, Elijah was heading close to the middle of the ramp. His eyes narrowed again with powerful intent and determination.

He shifts his foot, slightly turning his skateboard to the right.

Then, he hops on his skateboard, making it jump, and then it lands back on the ramp and spins 360 degrees on its wheels, scraping and sliding against the skatelite surface as he spun.

“Shit, shit, he's doing it! He's doing it! He's-” Cello said.

Elijah’s skateboard wheels bumped and then he and he board flew off the ramp. He screams. 

“.. Gonna die,” Cello said.

“Well, what are you standing there for!?” Anastasia yelled at Cello as she turned the video camera off and lowered it.

“Okay, okay,” Cello said before he quickly walked a few steps away. “Hold your horses.”

Cello quickly bent down on one knee. The back of his jacket appeared to have some sort of lump or two, emerging until.. The fabric tore and a pair of black and white wings with black tips and one black stripe on the white feathers emerged from his back.

Anastasia's eyes widen in shock, surprise, and amazement as Cello's wings emerged.

Cello jumps up and his wings flap as he flies to Elijah.

“This was a very terrible idea!!” Elijah screamed as his body flew in the air.

Then, Elijah slams into Cello's flying form, sending the two bolting to the ground like a meteorite until.. 

Crash!

Chapter Text

Anastasia approaches where Cello and Elijah had landed.

Clouds of dust floated until they cleared up, revealing Cello and Elijah in a crater.

Cello laid in the middle of the crater, his body intact, but he looked as if he broke everything in his body, even his wings. His left hand and his left wing twitched and a line of gold leaked from his nose.

Elijah was laying on top of Cello, physically unharmed and spread like a cat before he sat up. 

Anastasia approaches the crater where the two lied.

“Elijah, are you okay?” Anastasia asked as she helped Elijah up.

Elijah stood up out of the crater.

“Yeah.. Just a little spinny..” Elijah said as he rubs his head. Then, he notices Anastasia looking at something.

Elijah's eyes follow Anastasia's gaze, leading them to Cello. Anastasia was looking at his wings and then he started looking to.

“Woah, he's a bird man??” Elijah said.

“Or a harpy,” Anastasia teased.

“Same thing,” Elijah said.

Cello lies there in the crater, letting out a strained groan of pain.

“Ergh..” Cello groaned. He opens one eye and he looks at Anastasia and Elijah. He speaks with a voice strained with pain. “What are you looking at? Never saw a guy break his back before? Ugh.. Take a picture, it'll last longer, ya dinguses.”

“I already got a little feed,” Anastasia said, having filmed a few seconds of Cello lying in the crater with the video camera just a moment ago.

“Did you get the video of me rolling the ramp? Did you?” Elijah asked.

“Yeah, I got it all filmed,” Anastasia replied. “Especially you crashing into him."

Elijah and Anastasia turn back to Cello.

“Hey, bird man, when were you gonna tell us you were part bird?” Elijah asked.

“The hell are you.. talking about?” Cello asked as he slowly got up, his hand on his back.

“You have wings,” Anastasia said.

“Yeah, I know that,” Cello said as he stood up, straightening his back up as he wiped the line of gold off his nose with his sleeve as his wings retracted back into his back.

“Since when did you get wings??” Elijah asked.

“I've always had them, but I only whip them out on special occasions, or emergencies, or just whenever I want to,” Cello said with a short shrug.

“Can you show me how to get ‘em? I want ‘em!” Elijah exclaimed.

“I don't think that's possible, El,” Anastasia said. Then, she looks at the screen of the video camera and reads the clock. “Shit, it's already nine fourty-five??”

“And you said it was late,” Elijah said.

“I didn't get to look at any clocks, alright? And technically, it is late, so let's just go to the roof and wrap this up,” Anastasia said. 

“Okay, okay..” Cello said, annoyed.

“Here's your camera back," Anastasia said as she laid her arm out to Cello, holding the video camera in her hand.

“Nah, you keep it,” Cello said. “Most of the footage is of epic demon fails. Some hilarious shit I filmed.”

“Hey, don't you want to show me some tricks?? You haven't shown me any tricks!” Elijah said.

“No way. You just messed up my back. I don't even feel like skating now,” Cello said.

“Awww!” Elijah whined.

Cello walks ahead of them, with Elijah following behind him.

Anastasia watches them walk away before her attention goes back to the crater. She saw a few black and white feathers, Cello's feathers, scattered around the crater. She sees one that catches her eye in particular; a gold-stained feather at the center part of the crater.

She walks into the crater, kneels down, and picks up the feather and holds it up to her face, twirling it side-to-side in her fingers as she examines it. 

As the feather twirled, the gold stains glowed and shone.

Her eyes narrowed as the gold glow reflected in her sapphire eyes.

She looks at Cello while he and Elijah were walking away laughing, finding a smaller, similar spot of gold on his back, probably a result from his crash, along with the tears in his coat where his wings had emerged.

She narrows her eyes again a second before she puts the feather in her pocket, stands back up, and follows Cello and Elijah.

After a long walk, plus another trip to the store, the three made it to their last destination; the roof of the building where Anastasia and Cello first threw rocks at moving vehicles.

“So this is where you threw rocks at cars? I wanna do that! Gimmie a rock!” Elijah said.

“Sorry, I didn't bring any with me,” Cello said while he was laying down a basket.

“Awwh man!” Elijah whined. Then, he remembered something. “Oh, wait. I got something else.”

Elijah reaches into his pockets and pulls out a water balloon. Then, he sees a car drive by.

“Oh! There's one!” Elijah said before he raised up his arm. “Fore!!”

Elijah throws the water balloon, making it hit the car, pop, and drench it in water.

“Damn kid!” The driver yelled.

Elijah laughs, before he stops. He looks to the side with a finger on his chin. “Wait, is “fore” just for golf??”

Cello approaches Elijah from behind.

“Damn, you got good aim,” Cello commended. “Hey, you know what'd be funnier? If you put paint in the balloons.”

Elijah gasps. “I didn't even think of that..!”

“Cello, don't start putting ideas in his head,” Anastasia said, irritated and unamused.

“What? It's not like I'm a bad influence on him,” Cello said with a smug smirk.

“‘Cause you are,” Anastasia said, blunt and low matter-of-fact. 

Cello's smirk faltered.

“Okay, harsh much?” Cello said. 

Anastasia ignored Cello while she was busy looking through the basket and pulling out and setting out some things.

Cello stared at Anastasia in feigned worry before he walked over to her.

“Okay, you wanna talk?” Cello asked. “Just moments ago, you were enjoying yourself, and I was hoping to chill things out with a little rooftop picnic, but recently, you've been kinda, uhm.. acting like a bitch.”

Anastasia stopped her movements, as if what Cello said made her freeze in time. She looks at him.

“I'm a bitch? Well good, if I'm a bitch, then that makes you a bastard. Yeah, we're the bitch and the bastard,” Anastasia said in a harsh tone and a forced chuckle as she stood up with her arms akimbo.

“What the hell’s your problem?” Cello asked, feeling provoked.

“This isn't working out,” Anastasia's voice snapped, abruptly silencing the howls of the quiet wind mixed with the distant cacophony of car horns and sirens around them.

Cello grows confused. It was hard to tell if it was feigned or genuine confusion.

“What? What's not working out?” Cello asked.

“Us. Us is not working out,” Anastasia said.

Elijah was sitting by, sitting on a medium box-shaped vent, watching them.

“Is this what Angel calls a “lovers quarrel?”” Elijah asked silently to himself while swinging his legs a bit.

Cello looked at Anastasia with feigned surprise.

“Hold on, are you breaking up with me?” Cello asked Anastasia, half-teasingly.

“We weren't ever dating,” Anastasia retorted.

“Techically, but-” Cello said.

“But at this point, yes, I am breaking up with you,” Anastasia interrupted Cello.

Cello looked with feigned surprise before he walked up to Anastasia.

“Look, Anna, if this is about the casino thing-” Cello said as he raised a hand towards Anastasia's shoulder. Anastasia slapped his hand away, surprising him as he retracted his hand.

“I’m not just pissed off about that. In fact, I'm not just pissed off at you in particular,” Anastasia said. “I'm pissed off at myself for being stupid and not careful and realizing the first guy I felt I could possibly have a deeper connection with was chocked-full of red flags.”

““Chocked-full.” Pfft, I think I'm gonna use that for my next dick joke,” Cello said with a chuckle, much to Anastasia's irritation. Then, he looks at her with feigned confusion. “But, what do you mean? What “red flags?”” 

“You deliberately put me in a dangerous situation, you almost got us killed, you took enjoyment out of it like it was a game and I had to help your ass..,” Anastasia said while she listed the red flags in her hands. “And you went on to encourage my brother to do a stunt that could've cost him his life, especially when you knew it would've.”

“Well then, I know you must've been glad I agreed to be his human mattress when you forced me,” Cello said. “And he got out perfectly fine.”

“I forced you to be his human mattress while I chose to stand by and let him try to do a deadly stunt without trying to stop him myself, just like I chose to blindly stick around and follow you around instead of leaving, all because of my dumb crush on-” Anastasia suddenly froze in place when she suddenly admitted her crush, or her former crush, on Cello.

Cello's eyes widened in feigned surprise. 

Elijah continued to watch, not understanding, but was interested.

Cello chuckles.

“I knew there was something going on with you,” Cello said with a smirk. Then, he flicks his own hair with his hand. “You've been down bad for me since we first met.”

“Not anymore,” Anastasia coldly said. 

Cello's smirk faltered again.

“Wow, the spark went out already?” Cello said, half-teasingly. “We had a good thing going on, and I thought it'd last as long as it did since that concert.”

Anastasia was quiet for a second. “You knew?”

“Come on, you think I wouldn't notice when a girl acts weird around me because they were into me?” Cello said. “Plus, you were pretty obvious about it.”

Anastasia growled a little.

“Careful with that attitude. You could really hurt my feelings,” Cello teasingly and playfully said. 

“And you can drop that fake act,” Anastasia said harshly as she pointed at Cello.

With the pierce of those words, Cello's playfulness turns.. cold.

““Fake act,” huh? So you know everything about me now?” Cello asked.

“I know enough to know when someone is about to hurt me,” Anastasia said.

“You think I would ever hurt you?” Cello asked.

“And I don't think you wouldn't?” Anastasia asked in response, seething.

“In case you forgot, I saved your ass back there,” Cello argued.

“And how do I know that you didn't only save me just so you could hurt me later?” Anastasia asked, seething.

“Wow. You really do think I would hurt you,” Cello said. 

“I know you would,” Anastasia said. “But I won't let you, because I'm saving myself the pain.. By leaving. Right now.”

Anastasia suddenly walks past Cello, her shoulder barely hitting against his before he moves away an inch. She walks to Elijah.

“Elijah, let's go,” Anastasia said.

“Aw, but we just got up here,” Elijah said before he got down from the box-shaped vent.

Cello casually looks at his nails.

“Since you really think I would hurt you, I think you'd be happy to hear that I wasn't, ‘cause all I was gonna do was fuck with ya,” Cello said. Then, he walks over to the edge of the building. He was casually talking as if what he said next wasn't bad. “Maybe dangle you off the edge of this roof. See the look on your face when you feel, or know, that death is close, right there below you.”

Anastasia's eyes widened, slowly fueling with anger, as Cello said that.

“Yeah, the whole time, I just wanted to fuck with ya, see how far you can go over the edge until you snap,” Cello said, as if he thought it was funny just to push Anastasia to her limits. “‘Cause quite frankly, I like pushing the things I like over the edge. But, I just thought I'd start off easy. Let you enjoy yourself first before the real push, since I know your kind is extra fragile.”

Anastasia marches over to Cello.

“I knew it,” Anastasia said, seething with slow-rising anger. “You never give a crap about me. All you wanted was to just play me like I'm one of your toys.”

“Except you're better than this,” Cello said as he pulled out a small minifigure of Anastasia from his coat, either the same one from the diorama in his room or a different one that he made.

Anastasia's right eye twitched in anger.

Elijah turned his head back and forth between Cello and Anastasia, not understanding what was going on between them entirely, but he could feel the tension, causing him to worry and feel sort of… scared? It was like he was watching his parents, who he's never met, fight in front of him.

Cello puts the minifigure back in his coat. 

“And seeing how you caught on so quickly means I already did a well and good job playing, huh?” Cello said before he started to laugh.

At the sound of Cello's laughter, Anastasia's eyes widened as she felt that ache in her chest again. That and a twist in her gut, one that could make her throw up.

Cello's laughter had triggered something in her... a memory. A memory of laughter just like that..

Cello’s laughter and his face began to distort, flicker, and blur in her eyes and ears, replaced with a familiar and yet old laughter and face.

Maria. Her first friend turned not-friend.

Her. All Anastasia heard and saw, all that flooded her ears, eyes, and mind was her. Her laughter, her face, and the memory of the day she hurt her. 

She felt as if she had returned to that very day, all the way back in elementary school.. That very day when she first saw her with her "new friends,” when she felt a little distant from her. And when she tried to reconnect with her and maybe even befriend her new friends at lunch, Maria had been hiding behind the giant trash bin in between the pathway between the lunch tables and she stuck her leg out, causing Anastasia to bump her legs into hers and make her fall forward with her lunch tray flying out of her hands. 

When she hit the tiled flooring, the tray and the food that had sat on it landed onto her head. 

The tray slides off of her head, revealing her food-covered state. Her hair was drenched and dripping with cafeteria milk, peas were scattered onto her hair and her clothes, blotches and spots of red sauce were buried between the strands of her hair and dropping onto her shirt and onto the floor, and strings of spaghetti hung and stuck onto her with few slipping off. The rest of the contents of her tray, from the spilled milk carton to the plasticware to the other peas to the puddles of sauce to the scattered strings of spaghetti noodles, were scattered on the floor around her.

She raised her head up. Her face and her hair was dripping with milk and red sauce.

Many, if not all, of the kids in the cafeteria started laughing. Laughing and pointing at her. Especially Maria.

Anastasia saw that look, that very look.. That grin.. That evil grin..

A teacher went over to her shortly after stopping the children's laughter. She knelt down to Anastasia's side, asking if she was okay. But, Anastasia couldn't hear her. Her voice was nothing but fuzz to her.

It was as if Anastasia’s ears had shut off and as if everything around her turned black. 

All she could see in that blackness was Maria.

Anastasia felt like her blood was boiling under her flesh, through her veins, arteries, and vessels combined into one hot boiling highway, spreading through her body. The capillaries in her eyes were ready to pop. Her teeth clenched together tightly. Her fists clench tightly until her fingernails dug into the skin of her palms.

She immediately lunged up, out of the teachers attempting comforting grasp, and she raised a fist aimed straight at Maria.

Before the outcome could finish, Anastasia snapped back to reality in a flash.

Cello was still laughing until…

Pow!

Anastasia had struck Cello in the nose with a fist just like in her flashback.

Cello had stumbled to the side, his hand over his mouth and nose and his other hand gripping the concrete brick railing for support. His eyes were wide with shock and surprise. He didn't expect such a thing out of Anastasia.

Even Elijah was shocked.

Anastasia looks at her hand, finding glowing gold stains on her knuckles. This must’ve been blood, blood she hasn't seen from a human or demon.

Cello stood back up as he removed his hand from his face. Two lines of the same gold blood leaked out of both his nostrils. Some gold blood drips from his nose and down onto his palm and even a few drops land on the floor.

He took a second to process before.. he started to laugh again.

He stops laughing and he sighs happily.

“Damn, looks like I was wrong about you. I didn't think you had it in you,” Cello said as he turned his head to Anastasia, a dark gleam in his eyes along with his smile. He turns his body around to face her next. “You’ve got some nerve, some extreme nerve, I might add.”

“That was just an icebreaker,” Anastasia threatened, her fist lowered and being wiped down on the leg of her jeans, trying to clean the gold blood off her knuckles, staining it onto her jean leg.

“Oh, I know. You could've done much worse. You could've broken my nose entirely, knocked out some of my teeth, dislocated my jaw.. but you didn't,” Cello taunts with a smirk before he wipes the lines of gold blood from his nose.

Anastasia snarls at him with eyes blazing with a mix of anger and annoyance, mostly anger. Her fists clenched tightly.

Then, another voice emerged.

“Anna! Elijah! There you are,” the voice said. 

Anastasia, Cello, and Elijah turned to the direction of the voice. 

It was Vaggie. She finally found them.

Vaggie had climbed up the building using the ladder on the side of the building. She almost fully climbed up; Her arm was on the concrete brick railing and her head was sticking out from the other side.

Vaggie looked at Anastasia before her eye directed to Cello. Her eye widened before she fully jumped over the railing, landing fully on the rooftop and then she ran in between them. She draws out her spear.

“Get away from her, you piece of shit!” Vaggie said as she pointed her spear at Cello.

Cello backed away with his hands up in mock surrender, the pointed tip of Vaggie's spear pointed straight at his chin.

Cello's eyes narrowed at Vaggie in scrutiny before a look of recognition hit him.

“Vaggie?” Cello said with a laugh, having recognized Vaggie, except he pronounced her name with a soft “g.” He chuckled again. “Holy shit, it's actually you. I thought you up and died already.”

“How does he know you?” Anastasia asked, confused. 

“I don't know what he's talking about. He must have me confused with somebody else,” Vaggie denied, keeping her spear pointed at Cello.

“Vaggie, you know I never forget a face,” Cello said with a smirk. He looks between Anastasia and Vaggie. “And you're friends with this human, aren't you? I knew you had a soft spot for demons, but a human? That's something I wasn't expecting.”

“Shut up or I'll cut your throat out,” Vaggie threatened, pointing her spear closer to Cello's neck.

Cello looked at the spear’s blade at his neck, unfazed and unafraid. He smirked.

“Get outta here,” Vaggie commanded. “Before I change my mind.”

“Letting me go, are we? Very well, then,” Cello said as he took a step back and sat down on the concrete railing on the edge of the building. Then, his gaze returns to Anastasia. He smirks. “See you Extermination.”

Then, Cello waves before he tilts himself backward and then he suddenly falls backward, falling off the edge of the building.

Anastasia, Vaggie, and Elijah run up to the concrete railing and look over the edge, but Cello was nowhere. It was as if he had vanished the second he fell.

“He just vanished.. like a magician,” Elijah said in a slight whisper.

Anastasia continued looking down the edge. She felt a heavy pressure in her gut. She couldn't help but think that she knew that this wasn't the last time she’d see him, especially when Cello said that he'll see her this coming Extermination.

“Anna, are you okay? He didn't hurt you, did he?” Vaggie asked, a hand raised towards Anastasia as if attempting to comfort her, but she stopped mid reach.

Anastasia paused before answering. “Not physically… at least.”

Elijah approaches Vaggie.

“Wait, so your name's “Vaggie?”” Elijah asked, pronouncing Vaggie's name with a soft “g.”

“It's pronounced “Vaggie,”” Vaggie corrected Elijah, pronouncing her name with the usual hard “g.”

“But how did he know you?” Elijah asked.

“Yeah, how?” Anastasia asked. She turned back to Vaggie, her expression seething underneath. 

After what had just happened, it would feel unwise to lie or keep secrets from her, especially ones that she had just heard.

“I- uhm, uh..” Vaggie stammered before she saw the look on Anastasia's face. Deciding that there was no point in trying to hide right now, she sighed. “Okay, I'll.. I'll explain on the way back.. But promise me you two won't tell anyone, not even Charlie. Please.”

“I dunno.. I kinda like gossiping,” Elijah said, his finger on his chin in feign contemplation.

“I'll get Charlie to let you pick dinner tomorrow,” Vaggie said to Elijah.

“Deal,” Elijah said with a smile.

“Anna?” Vaggie asked, looking at Anastasia.

Anastasia's expression softens before she sighs.

“Alright,” Anastasia replied. “I just want to get outta here..”

Chapter Text

Almost a week, six days to be exact, had passed since Anastasia's falling out with Cello.

It was past morning at the hotel.

Charlie opens the doors, revealing delivery men, or delivery demons, at the door. 

“Five boxes of fireworks for a.. Miss Morningstar?” the delivery Imp asked, looking at a clipboard.

“Yes, bring ‘em in!” Charlie excitedly said. “Please.”

Three more Imps push in hand trucks and a platform trolley filled with multiple boxes holding various fireworks from rockets to firecrackers to poppers.

Vaggie approaches Charlie, watching the Imps push in the load.

“What’s all this?” Vaggie asked.

“Just the fireworks for today,” Charlie replied.

“You mean the five boxes worth?” Vaggie asked again as she looked at the boxes again. 

“Yep, that and everything we need for our Fourth of July party. Fireworks, hot dogs, burgers, drinks..” Charlie said, listing everything in her fingers before a clipboard appears in her face.

“I’m gonna need you to sign here, your majesty,” the delivery Imp requested. “It's just policy.”

“Oh yeah,” Charlie said before she picks up the clipboard and pen and begins writing her signature on the line. After she finishes signing, she hands the clipboard and pen back to the Imp with a smile. “I hope you have a good Fourth of July.”

“I’m sure we will. You have a good one too, your highness,” the Imp said, half sarcastic, before she leads her coworkers out the door.

The doors shut.

“I guess you decided to go all-out this year?” Vaggie asked.

“Yeah. I mean, we have some more guests and some more employees now, and I think we all deserve a little break from trying to prove Sinners can be redeemed every so often, at least,” Charlie said.

Vaggie smiles softly at her.

“Okay, we got everything? Let's get everything ready!” Charlie said with a clap of her hands.

Vaggie turns to everyone, except Anastasia, Elijah, and Alastor, who weren't in the parlor yet. “You heard her, everyone. Vámanos!”

(Translation: “Let's go!”)

Within a couple of hours, everyone decorated the lobby in red, white, and blue; banners, streamers, stars, confetti, and balloons. A white long table or two was also set in the center.

Charlie hands Dazzle a few streamers. After Dazzle grabs the streamers, he flies away.

“Okay, are we missing anything? What are we missing?” Charlie asked herself as she looked down, her chin in her purlicue, aka the skin between her index finger and thumb. Then, she realizes. “Or.. who are we missing? Angel, do you think you can go find the others? I'm sure Anastasia wouldn't want to miss out on this.”

“You want me to get Anastasia out of her room? She hasn't come out in, like, a week except to eat after she dumped that Cello guy,” Angel Dust said. “And it's weird. I normally see people who do the dumping get over that kind of shit fast.”

“She’s just blaming herself for, in quote, “letting a cute boy cloud her judgement,” and, I’ll be honest, she's not wrong,” Husk said from near the bar. Everyone looked at him, a few with judgemental looks. Husk looks back at them. “A couple of days ago, she came up to me telling me that and then she asked for a drink. I gave her some juice and said, “Here's some juice. I’m not giving you alcohol. You’re too young.””

“Good judgement, Husk. And everyone, I know Anna is still.. processing, and these things take time, but I think it'll be good for her to come join us,” Charlie said. “Maybe, it'll at least help take her mind off of it. Plus, she should come down for breakfast anyways.”

“I literally just said she still comes down to eat,” Angel Dust repeated.

“Don’t worry, I’ll just go,” Charlie said as she marched over to the stairs.

“Charlie, don’t try to force her out. She is still going through a lot, like you said,” Vaggie said, a hand on Charlie’s shoulder, pausing her. 

“Vaggie, it's okay. I just wanna make sure she’s at least feeling alright,” Charlie said as she turned around and held Vaggie’s hand.

In Anastasia's room, Anastasia was sitting on her bed, wearing her pajamas, or her nightgown to be specific. 

She didn't look like your ”stereotypical post-break-up person” with a disheveled appearance or a depressed look on their face. She looked more.. normal. Her hair was neat, like usual, and her face lacked any eye bags or dark rings or any sign of exhaustion. It was as if nothing had happened or at least affected her in any way.

Anastasia was sitting on her bed, looking and acting like a normal, usual person, except for one thing.. She was looking through her journal, more specifically the pages she wrote some time after she “broke up” with Cello, and certain sentences and paragraphs she wrote.

The first paragraph she read: “I knew I should've known better than to let something such as a boy cloud my better judgement. Is this what a lot of people are like? They have better things on their minds until a boy, or a girl, or any person, comes running through the door? Cute ones especially. I can't believe I actually fell for it. I'm such an idiot.”

She moves her eyes down to the next paragraph.

The second paragraph she read: “I should've known since day one that under that casual, fun-loving exterior that Cello was a two-faced psychopath, and… maybe one of those “yandere types” I've heard about on the internet? Am I drawn to those types of guys? No. No way! Not on my life! I refuse to ever fall for a crazy guy!... Maybe? NO!!!”

She turns a page.

The third paragraph she read: “I'm glad I walked away before I could get hurt, and before Elijah could get hurt worse, but… Cello, Cello, Cello.. It's all Cello, all in my head. His face, his eyes, his hair, his voice, his wings… Why can't I get him off my mind? Is it because I still hold on to hope that he could turn good and we could become something? Is it because I'm angry at him? Am I obsessed with him?”

She moves her eyes down to the next paragraph.

The fourth paragraph she read: ““See you Extermination.” That was the last thing he said to me before he just vanished into thin air. I can't help but feel… haunted. I know he'll come looking for me. And I don't know if I'll be ready. I mean, I have that Asmodean Crystal that Charlie got me, and I can just go back to Earth, just to avoid it, and then come back to Hell, but I don't think that’ll work like I'd hope. I'm not even ready to return to Earth.”

She moves her eyes down to the next paragraph.

The fifth paragraph she read: “I don't know why, but it's like when it feels like I have to confront someone, Sophie, Cello, anyone who hurt me or stabbed me in the back or abandoned me or even tried to , I feel like I just want to, I don't know.., run away and hide, like a coward… I know I shouldn't be running and hiding from my problems, but… I don't know.”

Anastasia frowns after reading that paragraph.

She turns a page again.

The sixth paragraph she read: “I decided to meditate, enter the spiritual plane for a little to sort things out. That really dark, empty void in my head that Lady Swallotale showed me. Then, she just showed up out of nowhere like a ghost. It startled me like hell. She said she wasn't expecting me to be here at the same time as her after her first lesson of discipline and control. I told her that her lesson didn't work, that I didn't get over my issues at all, that they all just came flooding back.. because of Cello. She said that it was no wonder I called out of training for a week. Then, she told me not to beat myself up so much and she said it was her fault for trying to “rush me.” She said she should've realized that not everyone heals as quickly and as easily as she did. And she was really nice and understanding about it. Honestly, I felt the same way. I thought I could get over my problems as quickly and as easily as she did, too. But, that's not how it works. Though, I should've remembered that she's been in Hell for a while, so she could've actually taken much longer to heal than I initially thought from the way she put it.”

She nearly got to turn to the next page when…

“Hey sis,” a voice emerged as soon as the door creaked open. It was Elijah at the door.

Anastasia immediately shut her journal and sat it on the nightstand next to her bed.

“Elijah. What's up?” Anastasia asked.

“Well, what's up is two things. First is if you're doing okay, and second is this coconut I found in the fridge. Could this work better than a water balloon?” Elijah asked, holding out a dark red-colored coconut.

“Okay, you're not throwing a coconut at someone,” Anastasia firmly said.

“Aw,” Elijah pouts.

“And, also, I’ve been alright. Just been doing some.. thinking,” Anastasia said.

“Is it that Cello guy? Is he occupying your mind like a guy hogging an airplane toilet?” Elijah asked as he walked over to Anastasia and sat on the edge of her bed.

“Would you laugh if I said “yes?”” Anastasia asked.

“After what happened last week, I don't think I can laugh at that at all anymore,” Elijah replied. “If I’d known Cello was such a jerk, I wouldn't have considered letting him become my brother-in-law.”

““Brother-in-law?”” Anastasia asked.

“Yeah, you know, you meet a guy, fall in love, get married, he becomes my brother-in-law, and you two have babies together. Simple as that, right?” Elijah asked.

Anastasia looked annoyed, but her cheeks were visibly turning red or pink.

“Okay, I think you may have a lot more to learn than just that,” Anastasia said as the blush faded.

“Well, so do you, right?” Elijah asked. “Oh, who am I kidding? You're hard-headed, like this coconut.”

Elijah shows Anastasia the coconut again.

“I'm like the coconut?” Anastasia asked.

“Yeah, ‘cause coconuts are hard-headed and so are you,” Elijah said.

“Technically, coconuts don't have heads, but I get the metaphor,” Anastasia said, a little amused.

“And coconuts are tough, resilient, and hard to break, and so are you,” Elijah said, looking at the coconut in his hands while turning it slightly. 

“I said I get it,” Anastasia said with a short laugh as she put her hand on top of his head and ruffled his hair.

Elijah smiles.

“Anna?” another voice emerged. It was Charlie. She was standing at the doorway. “I came up to check on ya, but I see Elijah beat me to it.”

“Slow-poke,” Elijah teased before Anastasia flicks her fingers on his head. He rubs his head where Anastasia flicked him.

“So, is everything going okay?” Charlie asked.

“Yeah, I already asked her. Things are chill,” Elijah said with a casual hand flick.

“Alright. Anyway, you want breakfast? We're eating pancakes à la mode,” Charlie said.

“You mean pancakes topped with ice cream!? Tits!” Elijah cheerfully exclaimed.

Anastasia and Charlie's eyes widened at the word Elijah used. Elijah looked at them, confused.

“What did you just say?” Anastasia asked, slowly seething.

““Tits.” That means “cool,” right?” Elijah asked. Anastasia and Charlie looked at him, still confused. “I heard Angel say it once. Figured it was the new way to say “cool.””

Anastasia's left eye twitched. She was about to blow a fuse until she pauses and takes a breath. Then, her lips slowly stretch into a small smile. A small, evil smile.

“On second thought, maybe you can throw that coconut at someone after all,” Anastasia said, strangely and disturbingly calm. Charlie looked at her with concern.

“Wait really?” Elijah asked, surprised.

“But only at Angel,” Anastasia said.

“I don't really think-” Charlie tried to protest.

“Okay, I’mma go find him!” Elijah said before he jumps off the bed and rushes out of the room with the coconut.

“Wait, Elijah!” Charlie yelled, trying to stop him.

“Let him go. Let him have his Fourth of July fun,” Anastasia said.

“Uh, okay..” Charlie said. She looks at the door again and then back at Anastasia. She approaches the bed. “So, uh.. how are you doing? Have you been okay, like El said? I know you haven't really left your room quite as often as you usually do.”

“Yeah, I've been okay,” Anastasia replied.

“I'm glad to hear,” Charlie said in a comforting tone. “I know it's not really easy having to get away from a guy who's as.. shitty as he was.”

“It isn't easy, but.. I guess I don't expect you to understand,” Anastasia said, looking to the side.

“I actually understand a little... I understand a lot, actually,” Charlie said. She puts a tender hand on Anastasia's shoulder. “And, hey, if you need to talk about anything, you can come to me, or anyone else here. We’d be happy to help you.”

“Thanks, Charlie,” Anastasia said with a small, grateful smile.

“Now, come on. Everyone’s waiting,” Charlie said as she went to the door. Then, she stopped and looked back at Anastasia, having remembered what Vaggie said earlier. “Uh, if you're ready..”

Anastasia looked to the opposite side for a second and she faintly smiled and looked down at Charlie.

“I'll be down in a sec,” Anastasia said.

Charlie smiles as she exits the room and closes the door.

Chapter Text

Charlie was downstairs, talking with Vaggie.

“So, it turns out Elijah had beat me to it. He went to check on Anna and help her feel better,” Charlie said. 

“Really? Huh. That's the first I've ever heard of Elijah acting so... mature,” Vaggie said, as if she was surprised.

“Yeah, let's see how long that lasts…” Angel Dust said, annoyed and angry as he walked past them, the broken half of the red coconut resting on top of his head as pink coconut milk dripped from his hair and face.

Charlie and Vaggie stared at Angel Dust while he walked upstairs to shower.

Charlie looks back at Vaggie, joyful. “I’m just so proud to see him looking out for her. She’s always looked out for him, and I always knew that he would return the favor someday.”

“I guess he did,” Vaggie said with a smile and her left arm akimbo.

“Hey,” Anastasia said as she came down the stairs, fully dressed and waving her hand lightly in greeting.

“Oh, Anna, you came!” Charlie said.

“Yeah. I decided to just come down, enjoy a little Fourth of July stuff,” Anastasia said. “You could say that I need it.”

“Great! Now, I wanna show you what I did for today. Look, I got a lot of things,” Charlie said as she gestured to the entire decorated parlor. “Red, white, and blue decorations, hot dogs, burgers, beer and other alcoholic drinks, or soda, if you prefer, red, white, and blue cupcakes and cookies, and ice cream.”

“Huh, this is impressive,” Anastasia said, impressed.

“I went all out for the hotel's new employees and guests. I don't really know much about “Fourth of July,” though. I've seen a lot of my people celebrate it each year and I like to try to celebrate it too ‘cause I thought it was fun to decorate, eat a bunch of things that seemed to fit into the theme, and set off fireworks in the sky,” Charlie said. “I never really got to know the history and what it's about or what it means on Earth to humans and human souls, though.”

“Would you like me to explain some stuff?” Anastasia asked. 

Charlie's face lightened with interest. “Ooh, yes please.”

“Well, back in the year 1776, on Earth, when the United States were under the rule of Great Britain, the Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson to separate the colonies from their rule. It succeeded and it turned the land into what is known today as the United States. So, to commemorate this separation from British rule, they decided to declare a day, which is today, “Independence Day,” or, as we call it, “the Fourth of July,” and everyone celebrates it every year, most notably by shooting and setting off fireworks in the sky,” Anastasia explained. “There are also other countries that celebrate the Fourth of July, or at least their own version of it, like the Philippines, except their Independence Day is June 12th. And, I’ll be honest, in today's times, even in my world, a lot of patriots and Republicans take a lot of pride in it. And I mean a lot.”

“Well, I see our little human guest has decided to give a little history lesson,” Alastor said, having seemingly appeared out of nowhere a few inches behind Anastasia.

“Ah!” Anastasia yelped as she jumped lightly along with Charlie, who also jumped in surprise. Anastasia turns back around at Alastor, feeling mad and she raises a hand in threat. “I swear, I am close to smacking that smirk off the next time you do that.”

“Unless you wish to keep that hand, then please do,” Alastor said with underlying threat under his amusement.

Charlie puts a finger on Anastasia's raised hand and slowly lowers it, a nervous smile present on her face as she attempts to deescalate the situation. “Uh, what Anna means is that sometimes, or most of the time, we don't really want you to just pop up out of nowhere and surprise us.”

“Seeing how you react whenever I make an entrance is entertaining,” Alastor said with his usual smug smile.

Anastasia scowls a little.

“You know, you're never fully dressed without a smile, my dear,” Alastor said to Anastasia with his smug smirk again. “And you know what they say.. “fake it ‘till you make it!””

“You know, my grandma always says you should smack people who tell you to smile,” Anastasia said, raising a threatening hand up again before Charlie lowered it with her finger again with a nervous chuckle.

“Uh, how about we just settle down and maybe just try to enjoy today without fighting or threatening each other?" Charlie asked.

Anastasia sighs. “You're right. I'm sorry. I guess I'm still a little.. edgy.”

A couple of hours, maybe two hours, had passed.

Everyone was in the parlor.

“So, Anna told you to throw that coconut at me?” Angel Dust, now clean of coconut milk, asked Elijah.

“Yeah,” Elijah replied with a nod.

“That's for teaching him that word,” Anastasia said from the food table.

“What word?” Angel Dust asked.

““Tits,”” Anastasia said.

“What's wrong with that? I only used it to replace the word “cool,”” Angel Dust said. “I wasn't teaching him that it meant-”

Suddenly, a red ball was thrown into Angel Dust's face.

“Oof!” Angel Dust grunted as the ball hit him and made him fly back and hit the floor.

Vaggie was across the room, holding another red ball in her hand, a warning glare on her face.

“Thanks, Vagg,” Anastasia said to Vaggie.

“What was he gonna say?” Elijah asked Anastasia.

“Don't worry about it,” Anastasia replied to Elijah.

“Now, young man, I heard that earlier you had come up with a humorous comparison with your dear sibling,” Alastor said, bending down to Elijah's level.

“Yeah. I told her she was like a coconut. Hard-headed, but strong and hard to break,” Elijah said.

“Sounds accurate. The hard-headed bit, at least,” Husk said before he took a swig of his bottle.

Anastasia looked both annoyed and amused.

Elijah looks at Anastasia’s outfit, most notably the sailor blouse she was wearing, the one Alastor gave her.

“You're still wearing that? You look like a schoolgirl from one of those animes,” Elijah said. 

“It just so happens I like this top. Sure, it’s a little.. “schoolgirly,” but y’know, I like certain styles of clothes like everyone else,” Anastasia said.

“Glad to hear you appreciate my gift,” Alastor said to Anastasia.

“Wait, “gift?” He gave you that?” Elijah asked as he pointed between Alastor and Anastasia's blouse.

“Yeah,” Anastasia replied. 

“That guy, right there, gave you that?” Elijah asked again, trying to process as he pointed between Alastor and Anastasia's sailor blouse again.

“Yes,” Anastasia replied, sounding annoyed. “Why is it such a big deal?” 

Elijah looked back and forth between Anastasia and Alastor. Then, he comes to a conclusion, or more like an assumption.

He looks at Alastor.

“Bold move, sir. Making the first move with a gift right away,” Elijah said to Alastor with a small smug smile.

“Pardon?” Alastor asked, a brow raised.

Anastasia's eyes widened a little when she realized what Elijah was thinking.

“Okay, El, I think you're getting the wrong idea,” Anastasia said to Elijah.

“Hey, I'm not judging,” Elijah said as he walked closer and put a hand on her shoulder the best he could. “He seems better for you.”

Elijah moves his hand away and then he looks at Alastor. He walks over to him and then he raises his hand up and pats his arm, mainly because he was too short to reach his shoulder or his back. 

Alastor's smile slightly twitched in discomfort as Elijah touched him, but he kept his composure the best he could.

Elijah moves his hand away and then he walks away from them.

Alastor and Anastasia stared at him as he walked away.

“Did you understand what that was about?” Alastor asked Anastasia as he promptly brushed his sleeve off.

“I don't really want to deal with it,” Anastasia sighed before she walked away.

Angel Dust, having recovered from being hit in the face by a red ball, approaches Elijah.

“Hey kid. What you did over there… you did good. And I’m gonna be honest, I think she could totally tap that. I mean, I would,” Angel Dust said to Elijah.

“Why would you two want to tap his shoulder?” Elijah asked, not knowing what Angel Dust was talking about.

“Okay, that's enough, you two,” Vaggie said as she stepped between them. She stares at Angel Dust threateningly. She began whispering through her teeth to Angel Dust. “Angel, I swear…”

“Okay, I'm bored. I'mma go watch some TV,” Elijah said with a shrug before he grabbed a paper plate with a burger, some potato chips, two cookies, and two scoops of ice cream. He sees a can of alcohol. He reaches his hand towards it.

Vaggie hits his hand softly, causing him to retract his hand.

Vaggie pours a red plastic cup of cola and she hands it to Elijah, who pouts slightly before he takes the cup and walks away.

Elijah walks to the couch, hops on it and sits down, sets the food and drink next to him, and picks up the remote and pushes the “on” button. 

The TV flickers on. A commercial was rolling.

“Here at VoxTek, we're offering last-minute offers on the hottest products this Fourth of July! Get just 69% exclusively off the V-flat-screen, the VoxTek Assist, the VoxTek Voyeur Scope, and so many more at VoxTek! Get off your asses and get to the store or go online today, right now, to get these hot deals! You’ll regret it tomorrow! We also offer instant delivery within 50 to 500 business days, with no legal promises made, of course. VoxTek, trust us!” the speaker said in the commercial. “Now, we return to your regularly scheduled program.”

A female voice speaks on the TV. “We now return to “I'm a Rabbit and My Roommate is a Dog!””

“No,” Elijah said before he pushes the button on the remote and changed the channel.

“Coming to you now… The Ninja Shark Fourth of July special!” a male voice said on the TV.

Elijah gasps in joy as his eyes widen and sparkle in awe.

“Uh, Niffty,” Sir Pentious said, looking at Niffty, who was on a shelf trying to approach a bug. He held his arms out, ready to catch her.

“Hang on, I’m so close…” Niffty whispered, trying to tip-toe towards a sitting roach on the shelf, holding a giant needle in her hand.

“Niffty, you really shouldn't-” Sir Pentious tried to reason with Niffty and get her down before she hurts herself.

“Niffty, get down from there. We're not chasing or killing bugs today,” Vaggie said firmly to Niffty.

“Awh..” Niffty pouted before she jumped down.

Some distant boom sounds echo outside.

“Who the hell's setting off fireworks this early?” Angel Dust asked.

“People do that all the time, especially in New York,” Anastasia said.

“New York? Hang on, you're from New York?” Angel Dust said.

“Don't get excited. I don't live in the city. I live in a small town miles away called “Cedarford,”” Anastasia said.

“Well, still, that kinda explains a lot,” Angel Dust said. Anastasia stared at him.

A few hours passed by. It was now early night time.

Everyone was in the parlor, talking and conversing.

Charlie and Vaggie approach everyone.

“Hey everybody, it's time to set off some fireworks!” Charlie cheerfully announced.

“Huzzah!” Elijah cheered with a raised fist in the air. A few looked at him.

“Everyone, outside!” Charlie cheerfully commanded as she pointed at the doors behind her.

The next moment, everyone was outside the hotel, a good distance away from the building. They, except Charlie and Vaggie, were all sitting down on the ground.

Razzle and Dazzle brought out the boxes of fireworks one by one and sat them nearby Charlie and Vaggie.

“I do love seeing a good spectacle. Wouldn't you agree, Niffty?” Alastor asked Niffty.

“I love seeing things get shot into the sky and get blown to pieces, especially by you, Alastor,” Niffty replied to Alastor with a happy yet twisted smile. Alastor smiled in return.

Anastasia looked at the two of them for a moment, a little disturbed by their twisted form of bonding.

Charlie sets up seven rocket-shaped fireworks on sticks; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and pink. A full rainbow row.

Charlie gathers the fuse strings and binds them together.

“Starting off with a rainbow, I see,” Vaggie said.

“Yeah,” Charlie replied with a smile. She picks up a stem lighter and she hands it to Vaggie. “You wanna do the honors?”

“I'd be honored to,” Vaggie said as she took the lighter. She walks over to the rainbow row of fireworks.

Charlie steps back.

Vaggie pulls the trigger on the lighter and the nozzle flickers on a small bud of fire. She kneels down.

“Okay, three.. two..” Vaggie said before she lowers the lighter down to the fuse. 

The flame bud touched the tip of the fuse and a sizzling spark emerged and trailed up the string before dividing into seven single sparks that trails up to each colored firework.

Vaggie quickly stepped back. 

The sizzling ended as each spark reached each firework. Then…

Phew!

Phew!

Phew!

Phew!

Phew!

Phew!

Phew!

Each firework whistled as they shot off of their sticks and flew up straight into the sky, smoke trailing behind them.

Boom!

Boom!

Pop!

Boom!

Pop!

Pop!

Boom!

Each firework blew up and bloomed into many colorful, rainbow particles, scattering across the sky like a shower of glitter and stars, lighting the sky and basking everyone in colorful lights.

Angel Dust was recording the sky's light show on his phone.

Anastasia stared up at the sky as the fireworks burst, boom, and pop. The bursting lights shimmered in her sapphire eyes. 

“Fourth of July's are like this on Earth too, right?” Elijah asked Anastasia as he nudged her shoulder.

“Pretty much,” Anastasia said. “Bigger, if you know where to look.”

Then, extra booms echo across town.

There were also fireworks going off at V Tower. A lot of them.

A lot of the fireworks were bigger and brighter. They were all different colors, including blue, purple, and pink. They all blew up into blossoms of light and sparkles in the sky.

“Looks like those guys over there are having a blast,” Elijah said as he pointed at V-Tower across town.

‘Show-offs...’ Alastor said in his head, deeply annoyed as he saw the fireworks going off at V Tower. His smile twitched, almost as if it looked forced.

“Hey, Charlie. I have a, uh, “personal” firework I wanna show ya,” Angel Dust said with a hand raised.

“Oh, okay. Let's see it,” Charlie said, interested. Vaggie, on the other hand, was wary, knowing Angel Dust.

Angel Dust stands up. He walks up to them up front.

“Okay, so me and Cherri worked on this together,” Angel Dust said before he pulled out his firework. “What do you think?”

Charlie's eyes widened. Vaggie, on the other hand, was particularly angry.

Everyone else had mixed reactions. Alastor was unamused despite his smile, Husk was annoyed, Niffty was smiling, Sir Pentious was surprised, Anastasia was shocked and angry, and Elijah just sat there, innocently.

The firework Angel Dust was holding was pink and it was incredibly… phallic. 

“What's that, a reindeer?” Elijah asked as he pointed at the phallic firework.

“Don't look at that,” Anastasia said, trying to keep herself calm, before she covered Elijah's eyes.

“Angel, there is a kid here!” Vaggie angrily said as she gestured to Elijah.

“Vaggie…” Charlie said as she put a hand on Vaggie's shoulder to calm her down. She looks at Angel Dust, speaking to him kindly but firmly. “Angel, I love the creativity, I really do, but is this really the kind of firework to present with a young one here?”

“Come on, Elijah doesn't even know what it is. Well, he should sooner or later,” Angel Dust said. “And come on, it's the Fourth of July. I wanna have my Fourth of July fun, too.”

“Elijah said that when he threw that coconut at you, didn't he?” Anastasia asked.

“Yep,” Angel Dust replied.

“Yeah, I did,” Elijah said with a smile, his eyes still covered by Anastasia's hand.

“Look, we are not-” Vaggie tried to protest before Charlie stepped in.

“Well… I guess maybe just this once,” Charlie said before Vaggie looked at her, a confused and angry “WTF” look on her face.

Angel Dust ties his firework onto a stick.

“Alright, let's light this bitch up,” Angel Dust said as he raised a hand up towards Charlie, signaling her to give him the lighter.

Charlie gives Angel Dust the stem lighter.

Angel Dust takes the lighter and he pulls the trigger, igniting a bud of flame on the tip. He lowers the tip to the fuse and it creates a spark that slowly trails up the string.

Angel Dust stands up and he, Charlie, and Vaggie step back.

The spark trails up the fuse string.

Phew!

The firework whistled as it shot off its stick and flew into the sky, a smoke trail behind it.

Boom

It blew up, but instead of a normal blossom of colorful sparkles, it formed a shape. 

It was an outlined shape of pink sparkles and particles, forming a bright drawing of dots in the sky.

Unfortunately, the shape the pink sparkles outlined was inappropriate. It looked very similar to a drawing of a simplified penis. No, not similar, exactly like a drawing of a simplified penis. A giant one made of pink sparkling dots in the sky.

Angel Dust chuckles as he recorded it on his phone. 

Charlie was smiling, forcefully. She was trying to stay patient despite her obvious discomfort.

“I hate you so much, Angel..,” Vaggie said to Angel Dust in irritation, even though she didn't actually mean it.

“I'mma send this to Cherri,” Angel Dust said as he finished recording, lowered the phone, and then began pressing his thumbs on the screen multiple times.

He sent the video to Cherri Bomb and texted, “Check this out, bitch”

Seconds after he sent the video and text, Cherri Bomb replied. 

“Already saw, Angie :)” Cherri Bomb's text said.

“Come on, I wanna see!” Elijah said as he tried to move Anastasia's fingers out of his eyes so he could see.

“No,” Anastasia said, keeping her hands on Elijah's eyes. She was visibly annoyed.

The pink sparkling penis shape in the sky disappears.

“Thank God, that's over,” Husk said, relief present in his gruff voice despite the annoyed look on his face.

Angel Dust pouts. “Well, shucks..”

“Okay, so… does everyone wanna set off a firework?” Charlie asks.

“I'd love to shoot something in the sky,” Sir Pentious said with a smile and a hand raised with a finger pointed at the sky.

“And hey, Elijah, even though I can't let you set off a rocket firework, I have one of these firecrackers you can light up and throw instead,” Charlie said to Elijah as she held a small red firecracker. “If you want to.”

Elijah looks at the firecracker and then at Anastasia and then at Charlie. 

“Eh, no thanks. I don't wanna blow off any fingies,” Elijah said with a short chuckle as he held up a hand and wiggled a few fingers.

“Okay. That's understandable,” Charlie said before she looked at Anastasia. “Hey, Anna. You wanna light something?”

Anastasia thinks for a second.

“Sure,” Anastasia said. She got up until Elijah's hand grabbed hers.

“Hey, Anna, real quick. I just thought of something,” Elijah said to Anastasia.

“What?” Anastasia asked Elijah.

“Remember how I compared you to that coconut earlier?” Elijah asked.

“Yeah,” Anastasia replied.

“Well, I just decided that that was so several hours ago,” Elijah said.

“Wait, so I’m not a coconut anymore?” Anastasia asked, amused and with an eyebrow raised.

“No, you're a firework,” Elijah replied.

“I’m a firework?” Anastasia asked as she pointed to herself.

“Yeah. You're bright and beautiful inside and out, and you’re full of power. But if you're not handled carefully, you could cause some /real/ damage,” Elijah said.

Anastasia laughs a little. “Okay, that one's better than the coconut one.”

“That’s why I thought it up,” Elijah said with a smile.

Charlie smiles at the two, happy to see them bonding.

Anastasia laughs a little and she ruffles Elijah’s hair before she walks away towards Charlie and the fireworks.

Moments later, everyone was busy, setting up their fireworks and taking turns lighting them up.

Elijah sat by and watched them. He watched as the fireworks blast up and blow into sparkling blossoms in the sky.

Then, something caught his attention in the corner of his eye.

He turned his head to the side and tilted his head up slightly, seeing a drone in the air.

He raised an eyebrow and stared at it with squinted, scrutinizing eyes for a moment before he reached into his pocket.

Alastor's eyes shift to Elijah.

‘Now, what's that lad doing?’ Alastor thought to himself, curious. Then, he noticed the drone flying in the air.

Elijah pulls a Y-shaped wooden stick out of his pocket. There was a rubber string tied to the two prongs. He also reaches into his other pocket and pulls out a green glass marble.

He puts the marble in front of the rubber string and pulls it back, aiming at the drone.

Then, whoosh! He releases.

The marble flings off the rubber string with a loud snap. It shot straight in the air like a bullet and then..

Shatter!

The marble hits straight into the camera lens on the drone, shattering it and then the drone loses balance and falls into the spikes at the bottom of the cliff.

“Happy Fourth of July, stalker drone!” Elijah yelled at the drone from the cliff. 

Meanwhile, at V Tower, Vox was in his office. He saw the camera feed from his drone shut off on his multiple computer screens after it got struck by the marble.

“OH WHAT THE FUCK!?” Vox yelled in anger as he slammed his coffee mug so hard on the desk that it shattered into pieces. He looks at the broken handle in his hand. “DAMMIT!!”

Back at the hotel, Elijah was still near the edge of the cliff.

“Elijah, what are you doing over there?” Anastasia asked.

“Oh nothing. Just saw a bird,” Elijah replied with a slight lie before he walked back to the group.

Chapter Text

Last night tired the hell out of Anastasia. She stayed up so late, watching fireworks with everyone, and eating sugary stuff (cookies, ice cream, or cupcakes) didn't really help.

Anastasia was sleeping in bed in her room. She was snug as a bug in a rug. Her body was buried under the covers and the side of her face had sunken into her pillow. 

Pools of drool formed under her cheek and she was snoring soundly and loudly.

It felt like an eternity of slumber and comfort, and it seemed that she didn't want to leave.

“Hey,” a voice whispered.

Anastasia was still in her comfy, sleep state.

“Hey,” the voice whispered again.

Anastasia's closed eyes twitched and fluttered as she stirred, having heard it the second time, but didn't want to wake up and respond.

“Anna,” the voice whispered again.

Anastasia groans and her eyes slowly peel open. She looked at whoever was whispering to her.

It was Elijah. He was sitting on the floor next to the bed, peeking his head out.

“What is it, Elijah?” Anastasia lightly groaned, tired.

“Wow, did last night exhaust you that much?” Elijah asked.

“Dude, I stayed up past my bed time. And there were a bunch of idiots still shooting stuff in the sky when I tried to go to bed,” Anastasia said, still tired. “Now, what do you want?”

“Breakfast is ready, whenever you're ready,” Elijah said.

“‘Kay,” Anastasia said. “I'll be down in a minute.”

“Alright, I'll let ‘em know you're up,” Elijah said before he walks out the door, closing it behind him.

After a few minutes, Anastasia slowly pushes the covers off as she slowly sits up. Drool trailed horizontally from her lip to her cheek, one of her eyes were shut, and her hair was disheveled, furry, and bunched up like a bird’s nest.

She yawns before she rubs her fist on her closed eye. As she removes her fist from her eye, it slowly peels open. She slowly blinks a few times.

She turns around and she hops lightly off the side of her bed, sliding her feet into her slippers. She turns around and walks to the calendar hanging on the wall. She picks up the pen attached to a string to the calendar and she crosses out today; Saturday July 5th 2025, otherwise known as her sixty-fifth day in Hell.

She hangs the pen back up and then she turns around and walks to the bathroom.

Once she was in, she slid her slippers off, peels her socks off, pulled her nightgown off, unhooked her bra, slipped her underwear off, and she let it all fall to the floor beneath her.

She walked into the shower and turned the knobs. Water rains out of the shower head.

She shuts the glass door.

The sizzling sound of running water, the rapid tapping of the water against skin, hair, and tiled floor, the scrubbing of soap and shampoo against skin and hair, and the soft crunch of foaming soap bubbles echoed in the bathroom. 

The bathroom filled with steam. The mirror fogs up and the glass of the walk-in shower fogs up.

Within minutes, Anastasia had finished showering. She turns the knobs with a squeal-like sound.

She pushes the glass door open and she steps out of the shower as she grips onto the tower from the towel rack. She wraps the towel around her body as she approaches the mirror.

She picks up the hair dryer from the rack and she plugs it in and flips the switch.

The hairdryer's whirring echoed as hot winds blew against Anastasia's hair, effectively blowing off water drops and drying her hair.

After several minutes, she finishes, unplugs her hairdryer, hangs it back on the rack, and wraps a towel around her body.

She picks up her toothbrush from the cup, turns the knob on the sink and turning the water on, holds the toothbrush under the running water and soaking the bristles, pulling the toothbrush away, turning the knob and turning the sink off, picks up the tube of toothpaste, squeezes a pink line of toothpaste onto the toothbrush bristles, puts the tube down on the side of the sink, lifts the toothbrush to her mouth, the paste-covered bristles touched her teeth, and she begins brushing, up, down, side-to-side until her mouth foams.

After several minutes, she pulled the toothbrush out of her mouth, spits out the foam into the sink, turns the knob on the faucet, rinses out the foaming spit in the sink, holding her toothbrush under the running water and rinsing the remaining toothpaste foam off the bristles, moving the toothbrush away, turning the knob and turning the sink off, and puts the toothbrush back in the cup.

She steps out of the bathroom, fully dry and wearing nothing but a towel.

She walka to the drawers, opens them, and pulls out a new bra and a new pair of underwear. She drops her towel to the floor and she hooks on her new bra and slips on her new pair of underwear.

She pulls out some socks and a pair of jeans from the drawer before she walks towards the closet, opens it, and pulls out her clothes for today.

She slips her socks, pants, and blouse on and then she grabs her black lace shoes from the side of the bed and slips them on and ties the laces in the usual bunny-ear style.

After she got dressed, she walked towards the vanity mirror, sat down, picked up her hairbrush, and started brushing her hair. 

The bristles run through the land of light brown waves of string and they win each battle against each and every tangle they encounter. 

Within minutes, Anastasia's hair was brushed and untangled.

She puts her hairbrush back on the vanity desk before she stands up from the seat and walks towards her bedroom door.

Downstairs, everyone except Alastor was in the dining room. Charlie and Niffty were handing everyone their breakfast.

Anastasia appears at the doorway as she rubs her left eyelid.

“Anna, morning. You sleep okay?” Charlie asked. 

“I slept okay, except for all the fireworks going on in the middle of the night,” Anastasia replies to Charlie as she approaches the table.

“I hear ya. Those annoying assholes just wouldn't stop. I barely got any sleep,” Husk said from the table, annoyed and tired.

“I'm sorry. Here, I made bacon, sunny-side eggs, and french toast sticks for everyone. I also added a few strawberries,” Charlie said as she handed a plate to Anastasia.

“Thanks,” Anastasia replied as she held the plate and then she pulled out a chair and sat down at the table.

“You want coffee, milk, or juice?” Charlie asked.

“Some juice, please,” Anastasia replied.

Charlie walks into the kitchen and then back out with a glass pitcher of orange-colored juice and an empty glass cup. She pours the juice into the cup and then she gives it to Anastasia.

“Thank you,” Anastasia said as she grabs the glass and puts it on the table next to her plate.

Elijah raises his hand up and waves it.

“I want some more juice! And some syrup,” Elijah said.

“Alright,” Charlie said as she gave the pitcher and the bottle of maple syrup to Elijah.

Elijah picks up the pitcher, pours some juice into his glass cup, puts the pitcher down, picks up the maple syrup bottle, pours some syrup onto his plate until it almost overflowed, puts the maple syrup bottle down, picks up his fork, stabs it into the syrup-covered slice of bacon, lifts it to his mouth, and he eats it.

Angel Dust laughs. Everyone looks at him.

Angel Dust looks up from his phone and he looks at everyone.

“Sorry. Just saw that someone recorded my firework from last night and posted it to Sinstagram,” Angel Dust said as he turns his phone around and shows everyone the video.

It was a video of Angel Dust’s phallic firework shooting into the sky and bursting into a large outline of a simplified penis made of sparkling pink dots in the sky.

“Angel, we're eating,” Vaggie said, annoyed.

“Also, kid,” Anastasia said to Angel Dust, exasperated, as she pointed to Elijah at the table.

Angel Dust rolls his eyes and puts his phone away.

“So, hey, did everyone else sleep okay?” Anastasia asked before she stabs her fork into one of the french toast sticks, lifts it up, brings it to her mouth, and takes a bite.

“It took a minute, but me and Vaggie got there,” Charlie said as she sat down at the table next to Vaggie.

“Yeah, like you and Husk said, it was hard to actually try and sleep when you hear a bunch of banging in the sky,” Vaggie said.

“I was able to sleep through it. It was like my white noise,” Elijah said before he ate another syrup-covered strip of bacon.

“It was pretty noisy out,” Sir Pentious said. “It was loud and it was not very pleasant to sleep to.”

“I had ear plugs in, so I didn't hear a thing,” Angel Dust said with a smug look.

“Okay. Niff? Did you sleep okay?” Anastasia asked Niffty.

“I stayed up listening to it,” Niffty replied with an innocent yet creepy smile.

“And I'm certain you already know my answer to that question,” Alastor said, having seemingly appeared out of nowhere again, walking into the kitchen and pouring himself a mug of coffee. “I do not sleep, but I found it soothing to listen to all the uproaring in the sky.”

“You two sure share a lot of interests,” Anastasia said as she gestured between Alastor and Niffty.

““Share a lot of interests..” Oh, that gives me a new idea for an activity today,” Charlie said. “I don't think we've had time to talk about if anyone shares any interests in common. Ooh, I better go get some stuff ready.”

Charlie quickly got up from her seat and rushed off, leaving her half-eaten breakfast on the table. 

“Charlie, your-,” Vaggie tried to get Charlie's attention back to the breakfast she forgot. Seeing she’s already gone, she sighs and stands up from the table. “I better go and help her out.”

Vaggie follows behind Charlie.

Elijah looks at Charlie and Vaggie’s half-eaten plates on the table.

“Ooh, free extra breakfast!” Elijah said before he tries to reach the plates before Anastasia lightly slaps his hand away.

Elijah whimpered like a dog and his eyes became sad puppy dog eyes as he recoiled back into his seat.

A couple of hours later, everyone was sitting in the parlor.

Charlie and Vaggie come back, holding some papers and pencils.

“Okay everyone. I made a quiz to show “compatibility,” or who you share things in common with,” Charlie said, holding up a paper.

““Quiz?” Pass,” Elijah said with an eye roll.

“Don’t worry, it'll be fun,” Charlie said to Elijah, trying to lighten him up.

Vaggie walks over to everyone, passing them two sheets of paper and a pencil each.

“Now, there's no right or wrong answers. Just answer them based on all the things about you, your likes, your interests, your hobbies, what you would do in a hypothetical situations, all that,” Charlie said with a smile. “It’s all about y-o-u.”

Vaggie walks back to Charlie's side.

“Aren’t you gonna do this, too?” Elijah asked.

“Oh yeah. Me and Vaggie are gonna do ours while I read,” Charlie said. “Okay, question number one, and it's a “write-your-answer,” “What's your favorite color?””

Everyone writes down their answers on their sheets.

A few minutes pass.

“Question number five, “If you were on vacation, where would you go? A. The beach, B. The mountains, C. A spa resort, D. A skiing resort, E. An amusement park, F. A fancy hotel, G. Another country for fun exploration and activities and wonders, H. Another city or town, I. A water park, J. Go on a road trip, K. Travel all around the world, or L. Make your own vacation at home?””

Everyone writes down their answers on their sheets.

A few minutes passed again.

“Question ten, “If you and your friend or a family member were stranded on a deserted island, what would you do? A. Scream, B. Stay calm and think of a plan, C. Run around, D. Lie down in the sand and wait ‘till you dehydrate or starve to death, E. Draw S.O.S. in the sand to signal for help, F. Assess the island and find resources for food, water, and shelter, G. Build a raft, or H. Build a fire for warmth.”

“Most of those options literally line up with option B,” Anastasia said.

“Well, just answer what you want. That's the idea of this after all,” Charlie said with a smile.

Everyone writes down their answers on their sheets again.

Anastasia circled “B,” “E,” “F,” “G,” and “H” all together.

Alastor, on the other hand, wrote and circled a new answer; “I. Eat that friend or family member.”

“Question eleven, “You prefer to travel… A. Alone, B. With family, C. With friends, D. With family and friends, or E. With your partner.”

Everyone writes down their answers on their sheets again.

A few more minutes passed again.

“Question sixteen, “What's your preferred mode of transportation? A. Car, B. Bus, C. Train, D. Plane, E. Boat, F. Walking, or G. Bicycle.”

Everyone writes down their answers on their sheets again.

An hour passed.

“Okay, is everyone done?” Charlie asked.

“Yeah, I'm done with mine,” Anastasia said, holding her sheets.

“Same here,” Elijah said.

Charlie walks around and gathers everyone sheets. “Okay, I'll go tally everyone's answers and I'll come back with the results.

Charlie quickly walks off with the sheets of paper in her arms.

Another hour passes. Everyone was sitting in the parlor, waiting for Charlie.

“‘Kay everyone, I got the results here,” Charlie announced as she re-enters the parlor, holding a paper packet (stapled sheets of paper) in her arms. She stands in front of everyone, holds the packet up, and she reads it. “Says here… Elijah, Alastor, and Angel share a love of laughs, jokes, and pranks. Elijah and Sir Pentious share a love for engineering and building.”

“Yeah, I built that tank months ago!” Elijah happily said. Then, he frowns and crosses his arms. “But Snake Eyes over here wouldn't let me use the blow torch..”

“You are far too young to handle fire. You could severely burn yourself,” Sir Pentious said to Elijah.

“Good judgement,” Charlie commended Sir Pentious with a nod. Then, she looks back at the results. “Alastor, Niffty, and Angel Dust share an interest for… unique hobbies. Differing ones, but still unique to each of ‘em. Me, Vaggie and Anastasia share strong, firm, and caring ideals, especially towards the ones we love and care about.”

“Not gonna lie, but you two definitely look like you could be sisters,” Angel Dust said as he pointed between Anastasia and Vaggie.

Anastasia and Vaggie look at each other for a moment.

“I do see a resemblance here,” Alastor teased.

“Does that make Vaggie my second older sis?” Elijah asked as he pointed at Vaggie.

“Not exactly,” Anastasia said. “But she could be, if she wants to.”

“Hm.. I'll think about that,” Vaggie said.

Charlie looks down at the results again. “Anastasia, Husk, and Vaggie share the “mature” roles here. Alastor, Angel Dust, and Elijah share a love of rebellion.”

Half an hour passed as Charlie read the results. 

Elijah looked like he was ready to fall asleep until Anastasia gave him a light smack on the head to wake him up.

“Me, Vaggie, Alastor, and Sir Pentious share an interest in musical theatre. Alastor, Vaggie, and Anastasia are more likely to make choices that are… extra assertive when it's needed. Me, Vaggie, Elijah, Angel Dust, and Anastasia like sweets, like cake and ice cream. And finally, Alastor, Anastasia, and Sir Pentious share an interest in “older music,” such as classical or jazz,” Charlie said.

“At least some of us have a little taste,” Alastor teased as he nudged Anastasia's shoulder with his elbow, much to her annoyance.

“Alright, guys. I'm really happy to see that everyone shares one or two things in common with one another, and I'm glad we used today as an opportunity to learn more about each other,” Charlie said with a smile. “This hotel will be pushing toward its goal in no time.”

Then, Charlie noticed that Elijah suddenly disappeared. “Wait, where's Elijah?”

Angel Dust looks around, noticing Elijah's sudden disappearance. “Dammit, not again!”

Elijah comes out of the kitchen, holding a plate with a slice of cake in one hand and a fork in the other. He picks a piece of cake off with his fork, lifts it to his mouth, and eats it. 

“Sorry. When you said “cake,” I knew I had to get some of the leftovers from yesterday,” Elijah said, talking with his mouth stuffed with cake.

“And Elijah and Alastor both like to suddenly disappear and reappear out of nowhere whenever,” Vaggie said, a little annoyed.

Anastasia rolls her eyes, smirking a little.

Chapter Text

A week passes by, marking Anastasia's seventy-second day in Hell.

Anastasia woke up in her room in the middle of the night. 

She slowly sits up, her eyes half open and her hair rumpled and frizzed up. She scratches her head before her eyes open. She turns to her nightstand and she taps her Hellphone, lighting up the screen.