Kim tried to ignore the letter, but failed. She was distracted and irritable through work, and received her first ever customer complaint. Her boss pulled her aside to ask what was wrong, and eventually just sent her home.

Sitting at home wasn't any better- she just couldn't concentrate on anything. Her eyes kept traveling to the letter.

It's not like I'm going, she told herself. But, knowing Jon, he signed some sort of contract that I might not be able to get out of right away. Better prepared than sorry.

She fully planned on telling whoever came for her that she wasn't interested. Though some small part of her was actually relishing the unknown adventure it promised.

As the hours ticked by, and she continued to argue it over in her mind, she eventually started putting together a small bag. If she ended up going, she wanted to have some essentials. Not that she was going of course… but, just in case.

She began to wonder what kind of company would chose her over her husband, he was definitely more qualified for any sort of tech. Perhaps they really did just draw a name randomly. If so, perhaps they would be willing to take him instead.

Mentally exhausted, she finally flopped down on the couch, and started double checking the bag she packed. Phone, book, clothes, underwear… she ticked off her mental list.

Who knew how she was traveling, or where it even was. How can I think of just going along with someone, when I don't even know where? Or how long I'll be gone? And if it is an exchange… is someone coming here, to stay in my home?

Shaking her head at the craziness of it all, she zipped up the bag, and leaned back into the couch cushion, closing her eyes.

Still another hour and nothing else to do but wait, she thought. May as well try to take a nap.

Napping was near the top of Kim's TO DO list, though she didn't usually get the opportunity. Just like gaming, or reading, it was a chance to explore new worlds, meet new people. Her dreams were stories that she treasured.

Of course, sometimes she dreamt of work, or other regular things, but most of the time, they were adventures. And right now, she could use a lovely dream escape.

"Help me… please! Help me!"

"Huh?"

Kim opened her eyes, searching around her, but only saw darkness. She blinked a few times, unable to focus. She had just been talking to a gnome if she remembered correctly, and then everything went dark.

And that voice… what was it saying?

"The demon… it trapped me, locked me up! I can't escape!"

"Hello?" she called, turning around in a circle. "I can barely hear you!"

"You must find me, please! You're my only hope, Kimberly…"

At that, she straightened, suspicious. Only her parents used her full name, most everybody called her Kim. Where was she, and why was it so dark?

"Is that her?" Diavolo asked, looking down at the human that appeared on the floor, as the magic circle around her dissipated.

"It would seem so," Lucifer replied. He made a quick gesture with his head, and a lesser demon walked over to the girl, performing a quick search for weapons. "The bag as well," Lucifer commanded, and the demon searched through it just as rapidly.

"Nothing, sir."

"Very well," Lucifer said with a nod, "Leave us."

He pulled out his D.D.D. and sent a message to his brothers. Get to the council room, now.

Then looked over at Diavolo.

"And so, our last guest has arrived," he told the demon lord.

"Everything is now in place," Diavolo replied, rubbing his hands together in excitement. He looked back to Lucifer with wide eyes. "I can't thank you enough, Lucifer.

"It was nothing," Lucifer waved off the praise. "I have to voice my concern yet again however," he said, looking at the human. "This one is not like Solomon."

"No, she is not," Diavolo agreed, looking down at the girl as well. "But I think that will prove to be an advantage for us. We must learn about all the humans, not just the sorcerers."

"I suppose that is true," Lucifer said, though he was uneasy about it. Such a weak human meant extra work for him.

The door opened, and Asmodeus and Satan strolled in. "What's the big emergency?" Satan asked, seemingly nonchalant, but Lucifer could see the anger sparking in his eyes at having been summoned.

He didn't answer with words, merely gestured to the human that lay on the ground. Satan and Asmo gave her a glance, then with a shrug, made their way to their seats at the front of the room.

Beel walked in right behind them, still rummaging through a bag of crisps. Seeing Lucifer and Diavolo, he grabbed the last of them and filled his mouth, then stuffed the bag into a pocket.

"Hphf, hmph," he said.

"Beel, wait until your mouth is not full of food to speak," Lucifer berated him. "Just go sit down." He pulled out his D.D.D. as it pinged. Still in class, can't make it.

"We won't be waiting for Levi," he announced, putting the device away.

Beel swallowed, and looked at the tasty snack that was lying on the floor. "Are we having a party?" he asked.

Lucifer frowned, looking to Beel, wondering where he got that idea. Seeing him looking at the human, Lucifer snapped at him.

"Beel! That human is here for the exchange program. Under no circumstances are you to eat her, understand?!"

Beel frowned, looking pitiful. "But I'm hungry," he complained.

"That's too bad. Now behave yourself," Lucifer said, immune to his cry for pity.

Beel pouted, but repeated to himself several times what Lucifer had said. He'd be sure to remember it, because he didn't want to ruin the exchange program. Especially since Belphie was part of it now. He wanted it to succeed, so Belphie could come home.

"Do you think the human needs a doctor?" Diavolo asked, sounding concerned.

"No," Lucifer replied, as he walked over to his own chair. "She will be fine. I believe she will wake up soon, anyhow." He pulled out his D.D.D. again and started a text to Mammon. You're late.

It pinged a moment later. He glanced down to see the whimpering dog sticker that Mammon sent, and considered giving him a few more minutes before punishment ensued, though he was already planning what it would be.

"So, what's going to happen to this human?" Asmo asked, curiously. "Are we taking her to Purgatory Hall with the others?"

Satan smirked. "She won't last a day there," he answered. "Not with all the lesser demons that live there."

"Hmm," Lucifer replied. "Not to mention that there are certainly demons that will want to discredit Diavolo by ruining the exchange program." He looked back at the human, his lip curling. "We will have to ensure the human's safety."

"WE will?!" Asmo repeated. "What, have the human stay with us?! Don't be absurd, Lucifer."

"Actually…" Diavolo smiled, and they turned in their chairs to look at him, since his seat was above and behind them. "That is a good idea, I think."

"What is?" Beel asked, unsure.

"I think Kimberly here, should stay at the House of Lamentation," Diavolo explained. "That way, she can come to RAD with at least one of you, and you can lend her strength when she needs it. She isn't a sorcerer after all, and will need help to complete the tasks that are a part of the curriculum here."

"I believe we should assign one of my brothers to watch her," Lucifer added, his eyes gleaming in sadistic delight. "And if this keeps him from getting into trouble, then all the better."

The other demons smirked, knowing exactly who he was speaking of. He reached for his D.D.D. to call Mammon and give him the good news, when the human groaned.

Kim blinked several times, unsure of what was happening. Her body felt stiff, like she was napping on the floor, which was insane because-

Putting her hands out, she could feel the cool touch of stone under her, and her thoughts froze. She opened her eyes, focusing on the stone, still not believing what she saw.

Okay, I'm dreaming, she thought. No big deal.

She took her time standing, noticing that her duffle bag was next to her, which threw her for a loop. She chose to ignore that, and looked up.

There were several large, multi-paned windows, and between each one hung a long tapestry. Each was imprinted with a shadowed picture of an animal, though some were hard to make out what exactly it was.

A unicorn, a scorpion, a …beetle? And some kind of bird? Her eyes came down to the light source in front of her, trios of candlesticks that were set on a long table in front of her.

That's when she noticed the men that were seated in huge ornate chairs about ten feet behind the table. She jumped a little, but quickly regained herself.

There were seven chairs, all in a row, some occupied, and some not. A voice sounded, bringing her attention to a lone chair that sat on a dais, above the rest.

"We welcome you, Kimberly, to the demon student council." The man stood, and Kim was a little taken aback. He was dressed in a military type uniform, and looked to be about her age. And he was tall. Very tall.

"You have been selected to become an exchange student at RAD, a school for demons."

Kim blinked, uncertain at what she just heard. Jon, you idiot, she couldn't help but think before the words sunk in. Demons…? What?!

She smiled then, and all the demons looking at her raised their eyebrows at once. She looked… relieved, and it was a humorous sight.

"I'm still dreaming," she said under her breath, in realization. Why else would they be demons, and all young and gorgeous? I must be more worried about this exchange than I thought, to be picturing this.

"Pardon me?"

Kim shook her head, focusing back on the man in red. "Yes?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.

"Feeling a bit overwhelmed? That's understandable. You've only just arrived after all. As a human, it will probably take some time for you to adjust to things here."

"I'm… still dreaming… right?" she managed to say, though now she was doubting it. Everything was still the same, and she felt very awake.

The man gave a short laugh. "What a human thing to say!" he exclaimed happily. "Outstanding! I have a feeling that you might be just the sort of human that we've been waiting for!"

"Huh?" she asked, looking up to him again.

"Let me start with introductions," he said with a smile. "I am Diavolo, and I am the ruler of all demons."

She gave him a skeptical look, and he laughed again. "Some day soon, I will be crowned the king of the demons," he explained, and she nodded, though she didn't believe a word.

"This, is the Royal Academy of Diavolo, but we simply call it RAD for short," he said, and he gestured towards a door on her left. She stood, and walked towards the open door, though she threw back several glances at the men, wondering if there was some sort of catch. She pulled back the curtain and peered out.

It was dark, as if it was late at night, and in the distance, a large castle loomed over the entire landscape. She could see lights everywhere in all the smaller buildings, but the castle dominated. And it lit up the night in a lovely shade of purple.

"Wow…" she breathed. If this guy was the soon to be king… that meant he lived there… which was so incredibly cool.

At the same time, she couldn't help but wonder if she was actually dreaming. So she gave herself a hard pinch.

"EEE!" she grimaced, and stared out at the land again. "Crazy…" she murmured. "I'm not dreaming."

She walked back into the room where she had been, seeing the men looking amused, which meant they probably heard her, and she felt embarrassment pink her cheeks.

Diavolo gave her a smile, and continued. "This is the assembly hall, where the demon lord's council hold our meetings, and conduct business of the Devildom. I am the president of said council, and these are some of the officers."

Kim looked at the other men curiously, but quickly frowned as she realized that they were not looking at her the same way. A couple of them were looking at her like she was a bug, and one looked like he was going to take a bite out of her.

It won't help to think like that, she told herself. Though having an extremely attractive man bite me sounds intriguing.

She frowned at the small chuckle and smirk another was giving her.

The dark man, er, demon? who sat in the middle, stood suddenly. "I will explain everything to you."

She looked at him warily. He too was dressed in a uniform of sorts, though where Diavolo wore a collared shirt and tie underneath the jacket, this man looked to be wearing some sort of turtleneck sweater. It should have diminished from the authority of the look, yet somehow it worked for him. He wore all black, even gloves, so that his pale face was the only skin he showed.

But, the biggest difference was that Diavolo wore a smile, whereas this man's face was rather grim.

"Kimberly, this is Lucifer." Diavolo said from his chair. "He is also a demon, and the Avatar of Pride. He is also the vice president for the council and my right-hand man… and not just in title."

Kim nodded. Usually right-hand men were the exact opposite of the leader. It helped to keep things balanced, and helped her make sense of the dynamics of the group.

"Beyond that, he is my most trusted friend."

That one is a bit of a shock. How could the dour faced demon be friends with the pleasant one? she wondered.

"Flattery will get you nowhere Diavolo," the man replied in a silky voice.

Kim had no qualms about thinking that he was a demon, and the name seemed to fit too. She still was unsure of Diavolo though. He seemed too excited about everything.

Lucifer cleared his throat. "Speaking on behalf of the entire student body at this great and storied school of ours… I offer you a most heartfelt welcome, Kimberly," he said.

Kim froze, as he gave her a small smile. Okay, these men being demons is starting to feel real… she thought. Most people would do anything to get a smile from him… "On behalf of the students?" she asked, swallowing hard.

"Yes," Lucifer replied. "Diavolo believes that we demons need to start strengthening our relationship with both the human world and the celestial realm. As our first step towards this goal, we've instituted this exchange program.

"We have sent two of our students to the human world, and two to the celestial-."

"Wait, wait.." she interrupted, causing him to frown. "Does that mean there is a demon at my house?!" she asked, panicking.

"That is usually what is meant by exchange, is it not?" he asked mildly.

"Look, I didn't sign up for that!" she blurted. "My husband thought this was for some sort of internship, for a tech company! He can't have a demon in the house! What if something happens? Will it try to make him sell his soul?!"

There was a bit of laughter from the other men, though with one look from Lucifer, they quieted down.

"You don't need to worry," Diavolo spoke up. "We have sent only those that are well versed with the human world. Most likely your… husband? will not even know she is a demoness."

"SHE?!" Kim goggled.

"A female for a female, is that not correct?" Diavolo said, looking confused.

"Oh balls," Kim muttered, as she face palmed.

"You in fact DID sign up for this," Lucifer said, getting back to his speech, still annoyed that she interrupted. "The demoness will take your place at your work, at your home. You have nothing to worry about. She is there to learn more about the human world, and that is all."

She didn't really believe him, but he just rode over any objections she had. She'd have to wait, and call Jon later.

"Your period of stay is one year," he continued, his tone brokering no further arguments or interruptions. "You will have to work on the tasks that you receive from RAD, just as the demoness whose place you took would.

"After one year, you will write a paper about the exchange program here in the Devildom, and you will return home."

"A YEAR?! A paper?! What?!"

"Calm down," he said, rolling his eyes. "I am not telling you to write a doctoral thesis." He looked at her again, and gave a smirk. "And you can quit glaring at me like that. It's not like we will abandon you all by yourself."

"Actually, we think you will need someone to look after you," Diavolo broke in. "While some demons do have dealings with humans, most here are unused to them. And as this is new, there may be some who resent the idea."

"Wait… am I in danger?" she asked, suddenly nervous.

"No," Lucifer replied simply. "Not as long as you stay with one of us while out in the Devildom. As Diavolo said, you need someone to look after you. And I think that someone should be my brother Mammon."

He gave a sigh, and the smirk disappeared. "He is the Avatar of Greed, and … how should I put it…? Well, you'll understand soon enough."

She didn't think that sounded very promising, though if Lucifer thought he was a handful, then maybe that meant he was more pleasant, like Diavolo.

Kim listened intently, as Lucifer began giving instructions. He handed her a phone, and said it was a D.D.D. He gave a basic tutorial, and told her to call Mammon.

She pulled up the contacts, found Mammon's name and pushed dial and speaker phone. After a few rings, it picked up.

"Yoooo!"

She gave Lucifer a look, then said, "Yo."

"Are ya foolin' around? Who the hell are ya?" the voice demanded.

"Uh, I'm a human," Kim replied, uncertain of what to say.

"Whaa? A human?" he said, then laughed. "I was gettin' all chilly here thinkin' it was Lucifer again. Why didn't you tell me right away?!" He laughed again. "So, what business does a human got with THE Mammon?"

THE Mammon? Kim mouthed, with a smile. "Well, I'm thinking, let's be friends," she said.

There was silence for a moment, and she wondered what she said wrong. "Eh… What're ya even sayin'?" he demanded.

She didn't quite know how to reply to that.

"Ah!" he exclaimed after a moment. "I get it, you're the new human, the exchange student, aren't ya?" he gave another laugh, though it sounded a little scornful to her. "G'luck with that. See ya."

"Uh, but Lucifer told me to call you," she said, panicked, as Lucifer's face grew dark. She wasn't sure why she was so afraid, but she was.

"Pfft, whatever! Ya think THE Mammon would listen to ya, just 'cause you're trying to scare me with that name?! Ha!"

"You've got ten seconds," Lucifer said in a low tone. "Nine… Eight…"

"YESSIR! On my way!" Mammon screeched, and hung up.

Kim looked from the phone up to Lucifer. "Sounds like you had a nice chat," he told her, and she looked at him incredulously.

"I think I might have preferred you, Lucifer," she mumbled, uneasy.

He laughed darkly. "You look even more worried now," he replied.

"You can hardly blame her," Diavolo said, as he walked up to them. "If you were brought to an unfamiliar place and told a stranger will now take care of you, you would certainly feel anxious too."

He gave her a smile. "Don't worry, you have Lucifer and all his brothers, not just Mammon to help you." He turned to Lucifer. "Speaking of which, you should probably introduce our new friend to them, shouldn't you Lucifer?"

"Very well, even though I dread the idea," Lucifer replied.

"Oh, come now, really?"

Kim turned, seeing the man that had been sitting next to Lucifer stand up as he spoke. He had lighter hair, and was almost a head shorter than Lucifer. Though she was certain he was still taller than her, as she barely reached Diavolo and Lucifer's shoulders. He was also the one that had grinned at her, and it made her uneasy.

"You should be honored that you get to introduce such a sweet and charming little brother like me!"

Kim was suddenly very aware of him as he slunk forward like a cat, all graceful movements. He was absolutely beautiful, and she could tell that he knew it. He wore the uniform jacket identical to Lucifer's, but with a green collared shirt underneath.

He had also tied some sort of scarf, or ascot around his neck instead of a tie, and she noticed that his belt was tied into a bow, with the buckle hanging off the the side. He held out a hand to her in greeting, and she noticed that his nails were painted expertly.

She accepted the hand, unsurprised at how soft it was. Her voice stammered as she said hello.

He gave a little tinkle of a laugh, his thumb rubbing over her knuckles as he held on to her hand.

"This one here is Asmodeus," Lucifer said, and Kim looked over to him, dropping her hand as she realized she had been staring, and forcing Asmodeus to let go. "He is the fifth eldest."

Her first honest thought was that they looked nothing alike.

"He is the Avatar of Lust."

Her second, was that the title fit Asmodeus, perfectly.

Even as he pouted, and looked at Lucifer, Kim could practically feel the sexual vibes coming off his skin. "I can't believe you ignored what I said!" he exclaimed. "And you referred to me as this one. How rude!"

"Hmph. At least he didn't ignore you all together. How do you think I feel?"

Kim turned, as the other man came towards them, and she began to feel awkward being crowded by attractive men. Asmodeus, seeming offended, went back to his seat, and she breathed a little easier.

She inspected the blond man, seeing the same military style jacket, and green shirt. But this man wore a bright bow tie, and everything else seemed exactly as it should. In fact, he looked immaculate, not a wrinkle or anything.

And she wouldn't have believed he was related to either of them. The only thing she could see that they shared, was good looks.

"That one there is Satan," Lucifer said, even as he turned to go stand with Diavolo. "He is the fourth eldest and the Avatar of Wrath."

Kim looked over to Lucifer, again, skeptical. With Asmodues and even Lucifer, she could understand the titles, but with Satan… she just couldn't see it.

"At first glance he may seem like a responsible demon with a good head on his shoulders, but looks can be deceiving," Lucifer said vaguely.

"Aha, so I'm that one, am I?" Satan replied, speaking to Lucifer, but unwilling to turn to look at him. "Nice to meet you Kimberly," he said to her, with a smile. "I am Satan."

"Likewise," she said, giving his hand a shake. She eyed him speculatively and asked, "The Avatar of Wrath?"

"It basically sums up what he's about," Lucifer replied for him. "He may flash you a pretty smile like that, but you had better be careful, because it is all an act."

She saw the anger flash in his eyes as he glared at Lucifer, but when he turned back, it was gone, his smile back in place. "If you continue saying such nonsense, you'll just scare her." He stepped towards her, dropped his tone. "Don't take him too seriously Kimberly, I am just your average guy, don't you think?"

She stepped back, feeling a wave of hostility from him, and was eternally grateful that it wasn't aimed at her.

"Lucifer enjoys speaking ill of his brothers. He is the Avatar of Pride after all," Satan continued.

Lucifer gave a sigh. "Are you finished?" he asked. Satan glared again, then turned on his heel to go back to his chair. Kim noted that is was as far from Lucifer's as it could get.

"Now then, the one there with the grumpy look is Beelzebub. He's the sixth oldest."

"Lucifer, are we done? I'm hungry."

Lucifer gave him a look, and Beelzebub stood up with a sigh. Even though he slouched a little he was just as tall as Lucifer, and Kim's eyes went wide as she looked up at him. And he wasn't just tall, he was big.

"I'm Beelzebub, the Avatar of Gluttony," he said in tired voice.

Lucifer waited, but that was all he said. "Very well then," he replied, and Beelzebub sat back down. "There are seven of us brothers in all, and I am the eldest," Lucifer continued, turning back to Kim. "Mammon, the second oldest, you spoke to, and he will be here soon. The others aren't here at the moment, but… well, we can get to them later."

"Thank you Lucifer," Diavolo said graciously. He walked up to Kim again. "During your stay here, these brothers will assist you. To keep you safe, you will stay with them at the House of Lamentation."

Lucifer could see the question on her face, so he simply answered before she could voice it. "It's where we all live. There is plenty of room, it is rather spacious."

She gave him another look that he couldn't quiet decipher, so he just continued. "Although we will be living together, you should still be able to reach us at any time, if needed. All of our numbers are in the D.D.D. I gave you, in the contacts. However there is also a messaging app that we use to talk to everyone at once. You should add us in that."

"I'll go ahead and send you a message!" Diavolo said happily.

"Isn't that nice?" Satan asked, though Kim couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic. "Now you will be friends with the future king of the Devildom."

She looked at him, and went back to the phone. She gave a quick reply to the message that Diavolo sent, then saved his contact info. She was starting to feel numb, like she was overwhelmed, and just wanted some time alone to process it all.

It was still hard to believe that these men were demons, but the view outside looked real enough, and she was most definitely awake.

There was just one thing she still needed to know.

"Will my phone still work?" she asked in trepidation. "Can I still talk to my husband?"

Diavolo exchanged a look with Lucifer, and both were glad when the doors opened and Mammon strode in.

"I'll look into making that work," Diavolo said. "I'm sure we can make a way for you to contact him," he said gently.

"Meanwhile, the idiot finally showed," Lucifer said, glaring at Mammon.