It seemed to take a century for anyone to respond to Jersey's knocks. In truth, it was only a moment's time, but given the amount of activity, peril, and stress that he had endured over the past thirteen hours, the chance to get a room could not arrive sooner. Now increasingly self-conscious, the latest hopeful patron to the Happy Hotel silently went over what to say to the Princess if he was lucky enough to meet her this evening.

It was far from his first job interview, but it had been decades since he worked under an employer. For the past forty years, Jersey had enjoyed a life of self employment. Now he had to use a charm offensive and the willingness to demonstrate his skills to prove his word.

'Remember,' Jersey thought as he memorized his needs from earlier in the day, 'you need a room and a job. If you play things smooth, you'll get both in short order.' He ironically prayed that the Princess would humor him on his latter-most desire.

A few seconds later, a female voice could be heard behind the door. "Dios te maldiga, did you forget something-" The greeter was visibly surprised to see the disheveled, greasy haired stranger before her.

The woman who answered the door had ashen gray skin. Displaying long, pale, silvery locks that reached her knees, she was wearing a large, pink bow in her hair. A large, sharp bang sloped over her brow. Her dress was white, with two gray 'X' marks over her breasts and a matching sash on her waist. She likewise was wearing forearm length grey gloves, two mismatching leggings, and black high heels. Most striking was her missing left eye, covered with an eyepatch and highlighted by a dark pink 'X' which could be seen through her bangs.

There was an awkward silence before Jersey broke the proverbial ice.

"Hello... Is this the Happy Hotel?"

"Yes!" The one eyed woman seemed anxious to not let him leave the property. "I mean... yes." She said with a more measured response, seeing the rise of Jersey's left brow. "Uh, come on in."

Jersey, after a moment of hesitation, walked into the foyer. The room he entered was filled with a menagerie of objects and embroidery that had various shades of red, burgundy, and gold. A strange theme of demonic furniture and the impressions of apples and serpents could be found everywhere, from the rug Jersey was walking on to the ceiling above him. The decoration in general looked to be an uncoordinated mess of statues, paintings, and the occasional wooden box, perhaps a piece of furniture that had not been sold or otherwise stored away. A multitude of photos and paintings lined the walls, most of which showed the princess and what Jersey assumed were either friends or family.

Across the way, at the end of the foyer and opposite the door, was what looked to be the concierge desk. For some reason, it looked more like a bar with a casino theme. It stood underneath a banner which read 'Welcome' and was flanked by party balloons.

Sitting at the other side of the bar/reception desk was a demonic gryphon whose features were more house cat-like than lion-like. His clothing was sparse, with only a top hat and red bow tie. The feline sinner's fur was taupe, with his face and underbelly colored white. Folded on his back was a pair of crimson wings. Sitting beneath his red eyebrows, his harsh yellow eyes looked up at Jersey with utter indifference. He was guzzling an indistinct bottle of alcohol without a care in the world in one of his paws.

"Husk. Ugh..." The woman was not happy to see him more focused on his brew than on the desk. "Would you mind getting our new guest signed up while I get Charlie in here?" She did not wait to receive a response when she walked with great haste down a hallway to find the princess.

Husk finished his bottle and took a more detailed look at the new guest. "Eh, welcome to the Happy Hotel and all that shit..." He put the bottle of booze under the counter and slothfully rested an arm on the bar top. "Look, I'm gonna be honest. I just got this job, and I really don't have a routine or set of papers to really sign you up with. In fact I'm pretty sure this place isn't ready for business. But, it is what it is..."

"I see." Jersey responded as he looked around. "This place sure looks it has seen better days." Parts of the wallpaper were falling off. Junk, appliances, and furniture was placed half-hazardously in a variety of places that they didn't belong. A lone chair right next to the check in desk had a mediocre patch job to keep the stuffing inside from spilling out. It appeared that Cherri Bomb had a point when she described the place as a "shithole."

Husk nodded with a grumble. "I'm no expert on this place, but I'm pretty sure it hasn't been used in years. Nobody's even so much as stepped foot in this dump until the princess bought it with her own money to host the whole redemption shtick. So, if nothing else, good luck settling down here." He then settled for bringing out a pack of cards and shuffling it to pass the time.

Jersey watched with mild interest at the casual shuffling of the deck in the gryphon's paws.

"You gamble?" Husk asked, noticing the newcomer's gaze.

"Rarely." Jersey dismissed the question. "I try to be cautious with how I spend my money."

"Well, maybe we can have a casual game sometime. For now, here comes her royal bleeding heart."

Jersey turned to see Princess Charlie with an ecstatic smile on her face. She was no longer wearing the peach colored suit that came with her overall attire. She simply had a white dress shirt and black suspenders to hold up her dress pants. She raced up to Jersey, who kept himself stoic despite Charlie's contagious smile.

"Oh my gosh! I can't believe someone is already wanting to be our next patron!" She stopped jumping up and down in excitement, realizing how unprofessional she must have looked. She calmed down and cleared her throat. "I'm Princess Charlotte. I am the owner of the Happy Hotel! You can just call me Charlie."

Jersey recalled the etiquette lessons taught to him in his youth. His back straightened and his words were enunciated so that they could be clearly heard. "A pleasure to meet you, Princess. I am Jersey. I have been eagerly searching for this place for hours, and I am very glad to have found it before the day was done." He shook her hand briefly before bowing and giving a short, chaste kiss on the back of Charlie's hand.

Charlie blushed at the action, while her companion seethed with mild anger. "Uh, you don't have to act so formal. I'm just glad to have a new patron to the hotel."

"My apologies." Jersey stated as he relaxed his squared shoulders. "I figured that since you were royalty that I needed to act a bit more gentlemanly." Jersey looked at the one eyed sinner standing to the right of her. "Who might you be?"

"Vagatha." She spoke tersely as her one good eye remained narrowed in suspicion. "Just call me Vaggie."

Jersey gave a nod. "Miss Vaggie." He turned his attention back to Charlie. "Technically speaking I came here for two reasons, not just for the opportunity to stay here."

"Oh." Charlie was mildly surprised, but also intrigued. "What's your second reason?"

"I need a job. I just arrived here, in Hell this morning," Jersey clarified, "and I'll need an income to pay rent at your establishment. I'm skilled with electrical work and plumbing. I can be your resident electrician and plumber all in one."

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Charlie exclaimed. "Well, technically speaking, you don't have to pay rent here, Jersey. All of your expenses are covered here. Utilities, your room, food, drink, all of that is free! That is, as long as you intend to follow through on redemption."

Jersey blinked in surprise. This sounded too good to be true. Generosity aside, Jersey still believed that a stable income was important. He quickly argued the point to the Princess.

"What if I want to buy new clothes or have to buy a meal outside of the hotel?" Jersey countered reasonably. "I can't stay cooped up in the hotel for weeks on end, after all. Besides, I don't believe in handouts. I want to work. I get very anxious when I'm not preoccupied with something."

Charlie seemed to acknowledge Jersey's consideration. For her, it was actually surprising how reasonable this stranger was acting. "Well, we've already expanded the number of employees working here. What's another one gonna hurt?" She looked towards Vaggie, who was still ever suspicious of the man who was all too eager to get himself settled at the hotel.

"I promise I'll earn myself a place at this hotel." Jersey assured them.

"Well, I suppose you're hired, then." Charlie shook Jersey's hand.

Jersey blinked again. He may have desired a job, but he assumed there would be more steps to the process than that. "So, you'll just take me on? No background checks, no proper interview?"

Charlie seemed to realize how hasty the decision appeared to be. "Well, we just took on two employees without any of the bureaucratic stuff that goes along with it, so..." The blonde demoness looked off to the side, her wincing face betraying how uncomfortable she now felt with the implications that Jersey was making.

"Perhaps there should be a change in policy." Jersey suggested, a crinkle of worry in his eyes as he cringed at Charlie's lack of foresight.

Even Vaggie seemed impressed at Jersey's suggestion. "He has a point, Charlie. This is Hell, after all. Some people will come to us who have no interest in redemption. Some people might be looking for the chance to hurt our cause, like a certain someone." She finished with a growl as she recalled a certain, radio themed demon who had just left the premises.

Charlie sighed. "You guys are right. I need to be more careful." She glanced up at Jersey, an earnest look in her eyes. "But I think that you being so forthcoming about your intentions proves that you aren't trying to be sneaky and underhanded."

"I'm flattered, Princess." He responded easily.

She pressed her palms together. "I suppose we'll add that to the list of things to consider before we get into the business of turning souls towards goodness. We'll... have a proper interview, and if you are hired, we'll negotiate your salary tomorrow. For now, we'll get you settled and start your rehabilitation as soon as possible."

'You're welcome to try.' He thought soberly. Jersey was under no illusion that he could be sent to heaven, but Charlie didn't need to know that. "I'm looking forward to it." Jersey said.

"Awesome!" Charlie's excitement and joyful attitude returned. "Let's get you acquainted with the rest of the hotel staff. You've met Husk already."

The demonic gryphon gave a lazy wave before focusing on his card deck again.

"Next is Niffty, she's-"

"Alright!" A small demon zipped into view with a feather duster in one hand and a wet cloth in the other. She was wearing a dark pink skirt with the dark impression of a poodle on the front and three yellow dots on the side. Her top was a white shirt with loose sleeves and red stains splotching the front. A mess of magenta hair and yellow streaks topped her head. The little sinner had a sharp, toothy grin on her face. In the middle of her face was a bright, single eye with a sclera that was a mix of hot pink and yellow.

Being a cyclops with carnivorous teeth was a popular form in Hell, from what Jersey could see. From the outset, the little sinner spoke with an exhausting pace.

"I've finally dusted all of the floorspace I could find! I'll be working on picking up any garbage that I..." Niffty stopped talking as she realized that Jersey was present.

Jersey, for his part, was a little unsettled by the stare that this diminutive demon was giving him.

Niffty made a loud and dramatic gasp, her beady pupil shrinking. "Oh my goodness, a man has come to the hotel!" She dashed up to him and began to swoon, as if Jersey had just sung a tribute to her very being. "I'm Nifty, in case you didn't know, handsome." The tidy little demon introduced herself with a dreamy stare.

"Uh... my name is Jersey, Miss Niffty..."

"And such manners, too." Niffty said in an impressed manner. "I'll be sure to keep your room extra clean, Mr. Jersey." With purposeful slowness, she swung her little hips as she walked towards the hallway in the other side of the lobby. She disappeared with a kiss blown in Jersey's direction.

The reaction to this flirty exit was fourfold.

Charlie thought the gesture was cute.

Vaggie looked ready to laugh her ass off.

Husk just rolled his eyes at the antics of his smaller compatriot.

"Oh geez..." Jersey muttered, facepalming himself.

This was going to be a very long stay in this hotel.

"Hey, what's with all of the fuckin' chatter? Did Smiles decide to spend the night or..." Stepping down the hallway was a familiar sinner. Angel Dust, who just hours ago participated in the turf war against Sir Pentious, sauntered into the foyer, a confused look on his fuzz covered face. His eyes lit up as he saw Jersey.

"Well then..." Angel Dust's voice took on a seductive tone as he pushed up the fluffy bosom beneath his striped suit. He strutted towards Jersey in a coquettish way. "Hi there, handsome. Name's Angel Dust."

He came uncomfortably close to Jersey, who gave a critical, unimpressed glare at the flirtatious patron. Jersey couldn't care less about the man's apparent predilection towards men, but he was sure as hell not going to reciprocate such feelings. His pointed stare and lack of reaction did not quash Angel's attempt to seduce the newcomer to the hotel.

"Angel, knock it off." Vaggie growled. Her warning was casually ignored by the salacious sinner.

"You the quiet type? That's fine by me Mr. Tall, Dark, and Mysterious. You won't be silent for much longer if you give me five minutes." Angel Dust's voice had deepened like the ocean, and his eyes fluttered for effect. His wide grin revealed a sharp set of teeth, one of which was made out of gold.

"I recognize you. You were on the news earlier this evening." Jersey spoke curtly, his glare unflinching.

Charlie looked mortified for a few moments. She really hoped that Jersey did not watch her make a fool of herself on 666 News. The event was an utter fiasco at the end of the day, and it made her ears burn with embarrassment to think about the reaction to her musical pitch.

Vaggie, disgruntled by the reminder, pinched her nose as she tried to fight back a mild headache. Seeing her girlfriend's downcast look, she gave a comforting nudge to Charlie, who made an appreciative grin.

"Oh!" Angel Dust exclaimed in realization. "Impressed? I like a scrap every now and again. You into a more... energetic performance, eh big boy?"

"You were the one who took a sledgehammer to Princess Charlotte's credibility on live television. You must be so proud of yourself, you idiot." Jersey continued, his tone becoming more acidic as he spoke.

Any pretense of flirtation was stopped in an instant. Angel Dust's face fell into a mild frown before he growled at the insult.

"Oh come on! Now the new guy has to get on my ass about the damn turf war." He breathed out to calm himself. "Look, if you had any idea about the context of that, you'd know I was doing a big favor for a good friend of mine. Is helping a friend kick some tight assed loser around really all that bad?"

"Speaking as someone who has no friends, I wouldn't know."

Charlie blinked at Jersey's casual retort. A pang of sympathy erupted in her heart at the ease with which Jersey made the admission. This was something to address later.

"Besides, it looked as though Cherri Bomb was handling herself quite well before you 'helped' her."

Angel narrowed his heterochromatic eyes. He stepped forth to get into his accusatory acquaintance's face. "Oh yeah, well-"

"Okay you two." Charlie intervened, placing herself between the antagonistic patrons. "That's enough. I will not tolerate fighting in the Happy Hotel." The scolding was not particularly strident, but both sinners appeared to accept Charlie's terms.

"Fine." Jersey stepped away from the spider demon.

Angel Dust merely sighed. "Whatever, toots..." He pulled out a cigarette, ready to smoke his stress away.

Charlie decided now was a suitable time to keep Angel Dust and her newest patron apart before anyone else had an excuse to get confrontational.

"How about we find you a suitable room?" She offered Jersey. "Do you have any luggage?"

"I just arrived in Hell this morning." He reminded her.

"Ah, I forgot. No matter!" She began to walk towards a hallway, leading to the nearest stairway. "Right this way, Mr. Jersey!"

The Princess and Jersey both walked past an elevator that was out of order. Jersey would have commented on the matter, but assumed that Charlie was already aware of the situation. Besides, he didn't mind taking the long way up a flight of stairs.

The stairway in question creaked terribly as they walked. Every step made towards the room was slow and purposeful, likely so that Jersey could be allowed to take in the atmosphere of the hotel. The stairwell and the hallway they entered thereafter looked as equally worn out as the lobby, but there was a certain level of ethereal beauty to behold.

"You could probably use a carpenter as well." Jersey commented offhandedly.

"Well," Charlie rubbed her left arm, turning to look at her guest with a nervous grin, "creaky stairs are the least of my worries."

Jersey hummed briefly. "I suppose I'll have to fill in for that role as well, assuming I receive a job here."

Charlie stopped in her tracks. "What?"

Jersey raised an eyebrow, not seeing the offer as that big a deal. "I had to build my own home in the middle of a forest, miles away from civilization. I needed the appropriate skills to make a habitable residence. Carpentry was the first skill I learned. Plumbing and electrical work came when the latter two became affordable and widespread in America."

It was not a lie. True, he had learned the skill to build houses when America was still within the fold of the British empire, but it wasn't as if the specifics of his extended life were of any concern to Charlie.

"Wow. Well... for now, plumbing and electrical work is perfectly sufficient for your employment, Mr. Jersey."

"Just Jersey is fine, your Majesty."

"Then just call me Charlie."

"Well, between you and me, I quite like the name Charlotte." He added.

Charlie let out a brief, uncomfortable laugh. "My mom says the same thing. I don't mind the name, but it seems a little too girly and stiff."

"I'll keep that in mind."

They shortly found their way to a room on the left side of the hallway. Its door was locked, but Charlie brought out a humble looking skeleton key within moments of arriving at the destination. Charlie easily unlocked the door and then grabbed the knob, ready to present the room to her latest guest.

"Jersey, may I present... your room." She theatrically opened the door, beckoning Jersey through the doorway.

Although he had no expectations beyond what Cherri Bomb had described to him, Jersey was not disheartened by the accommodations. There was an overhead fan, a bed, and some sparse furniture to place lamps and other fixtures A dresser with a mirror was against the wall adjacent to the door. One small hallway led to the bathroom. Sporting a shower, a sink, and a thankfully clean toilet, it was at least functional as far as hygiene was concerned.

The room was hardly five star material, but Jersey was more than content with what was presented to him.

He placed his hands on his hips. "I was told that this hotel was, and I quote, 'a shithole.'"

Charlie's proud grin wavered at the comment.

Jersey turned to face the Princess with a little smile on his face. "You can imagine my disappointment that it exceeded my expectations."

The hotel was in a rough shape, that much was true, but the room he was presented with was more than he could have hoped for in the span of a 24 hour period. A sense of relief overcame Jersey when he made his brief assessment of his accommodations. He was going to be fine living here.

Charlie blinked, then she returned a smile of appreciation. "Thank you. This place hasn't been in service for decades, so it does need a bit of spit and polish. But for what I intend it to do, I think it will succeed."

"Of course, once I give the plumbing a good look over and see what I can do about the electrical situation, I could probably cut down your maintenance costs by thousands." Jersey said earnestly. "Trust me, I always give customers a far better price for the job I do than all of those price gouging imbeciles. They're the kind of thieves who charge eighty dollars to pay for the cutesy little boots that their workers like to wear on the job."

Charlie gave an awkward chuckle, not used to plumber humor. "Well, if you wanna get yourself used to your room, I'll go down and get your key."

"I'll just be here, Princess."

Charlie left the room with her head just a little bit higher than it was when she left the news station that day. In spite of all of the mockery and naysayers, this day was turning out to be not so bad.

Husk was a bit surprised to see Charlie in such close proximity. She insisted that now was a good time to teach Husk his proper role. Charlie reached behind the concierge desk.

"Husk?"

"Yeah?" The gryphon demon replied curtly as he continued shuffling his card deck. He was leaning against the desk lazily as he observed Charlie's actions.

"While I have no papers for you to hand out to guests, I can show you how to present keys to new patrons." She gestured to an organized series of rectangular crevices where keys were being held. Each crevice had a small plaque with a number to indicate which room it belonged to. There were over a hundred rooms in total.

"You don't necessarily have to choose keys in order, but it's a good idea to only give keys for rooms that are clean and prepared for new arrivals." She plucked up the third key from the lowest left corner of the assembled cubbyholes.

"This key is for Jersey. You would present this to guests after they have signed up and turned in everything they need to present you before receiving a room." Charlie continued.

"First, how am I gunna know which rooms are clean and which are not? Secondly, what stuff do I need to receive before any room gets handed out, or whatever?" Husk asked bluntly.

Charlie blinked, her mind quickly assessing solutions and expectations for both questions. "Excellent questions. I'll have Nifty place a small slip of paper to indicate that a room is clean." Charlie made a mental note to purchase a brand of paper slips and to practice the action with Niffty later on.

"As for the second question, we'll need the guest's name, phone number, and preferably identification of some sort." She nodded to herself that the list was a good starting point. "Then, once you've received their signature to agree to be a patron, you can give them a room key to a clean room."

Husk slowly nodded as he tried to cement the instructions in his somewhat inebriated state. "You got it. Just be sure to get me the papers and crap that I'll need to do this job, Princess."

"Of course! Thank you so much for volunteering to help with the hotel!"

Husk would have reminded her that he did not offer his services of his own free will, but that was a relatively minor detail. As long as he could gamble and drink himself to his heart's content, it was fine.

"Sure..." Husk drawled as he put away the card pack and sought another glass of amber liquid to quench his unending thirst.

Charlie began to turn to head back to Jersey's room. Vaggie intercepted her on her return journey.

"You really think Jersey is in this thing for the long haul?" She questioned with a frown of disbelief.

"Vaggie, we can't just turn away every stranger that comes our way. From what he's told us, he's a new arrival. That's about as clean a slate as one can have for being a sinner."

Vaggie nodded slowly as she recalled Jersey's little narrative. She supposed all that could be done was to keep a close eye on him and everyone else that arrived to the Happy Hotel for better or for worse.

"So, plumber and electrician?" Vaggie was confused by the sudden offer to add to the Hotel's staff. It was certainly an important job; she just hoped that he wasn't going to ask for the moon in salary.

"Oh! You should have heard him talk about building his own house when he was alive." Charlie recounted a rough summary of the skills Jersey reported to have and his ability to recognize the need for a carpenter.

In spite of her hesitation, Vaggie could say that this newcomer was unlike most sinners she had come across in her afterlife.

A knock alerted Jersey to the arrival of Charlie to his room. He promptly opened the door and found that Vaggie had accompanied her.

"Alright, here is your key. Don't lose it." She dropped it into Jersey's outstretched hand.

"I'll guard it with my life if necessary."

Charlie chuckled a bit. "Well, it's getting late, so if you want to go to sleep, feel free to. I'll be checking the hotel a little bit more before I hit the hay."

"I suppose I'll be seeing you in the morning about my job." Jersey said as he pocketed the room key.

"Yup. Good night." Charlie turned to leave down the hall.

"Charlotte?" Jersey called out to the Princess before she was out of earshot.

"Yes?" Charlie asked as she stepped back into Jersey's line of sight.

"Thank you."

Charlie gave a warm smile. "No problem." She continued down the hall as Jersey closed the door.

Letting out a sigh of exhaustion and satisfaction, Jersey ambled towards the bed. It was dressed up with red sheets and a black comforter. It had four white pillows in total.

Jersey practically face planted onto the mattress. It was a bit firm for his taste, but he wasn't about to complain. He soon let slumber overtake him. For the first time in hours, Jersey could actually relax.

Charlie began to head downstairs once more with a proud smile on her face. Even if it was only one addition to her hotel's population, it was one more step towards a hopefully successful redemption program.

Vaggie could only watch her girlfriend walk with he head ever so slightly higher. "So, long term?" She asked with a little grin of genuine happiness.

Charlie glanced her way, her own smile unwavering. "Definitely long term."

The next morning

The long awaited sleep that he had been enjoying had been mundane until this point. Having acclimated himself to the room's somewhat warm temperature, Jersey had been asleep for over ten hours.

His dreams had been practically non existent for most of the night. For the longest time, his psyche was content to not stir for most of the night. Then, something unpleasant invaded his mind, taunting him with the grief he endured for years.

"When you first came to me, you were but a literal babe in the woods. Weak. Helpless. Without purpose. Now I have made you strong, my little servant."

The voice in Jersey's head inspired a murderous rage deep inside his subconscious. He could not see the owner of those cocksure words, but he remembered the exact moment they were spoken. Jersey knew Lord Haagenti's voice like the back of his hand.

"I know it's been hard for you. My husband, the lord of this house is a King after all. And I know that you are a Queen that he treats like a pawn. But even a pawn, given the right direction, can win a game of chess."

His heart ached as the only person to care for him spoke with such gentleness and compassion.

"You're my personal monster, boy. Don't forget it."

Jersey growled in his sleep at the contemptuous return of his old master's words.

"Will you forever be my teacher? Certainly... and for your instruction in the ways of magic, if nothing else, I shall forever be grateful. But to live even one more moment as your damned slave? Never."

A pair of fiery eyes emerged from the darkness. With a bloodcurdling screech, a large, dark form with leathery wings rushed forward.

Then Jersey awakened.

His eyes, burning orange for just one moment, looked frantically as he lifted his head up from the pillow he had been laying on. Sweat clung uncomfortably to his collar and the hair on the back of his head. His heart beat thunderously in his chest, and his muscles momentarily tenses in anticipation of the need to fight.

The room was somewhat dark, but it had not been quite as dark as it had been in the evening, when he had gone to sleep. It was difficult to believe that the room he had slept in was in a building belonging to a realm of discord and unrepentant sin.

Looking up and around, Jersey was disappointed to see that no clock was in his room to give him the time. Unable to get back to sleep, he decided to head downstairs and get something to eat. He hardly paid much attention to anything else except walking down to the foyer. Then it was just a matter of finding the kitchen.

No one was present at the front desk. Not even the maid, Niffty, was awake from what Jersey could see. He would have to search his way to a source of food. He could see a small refrigerator slumping at an angle against a wall on the other side of the foyer, but he didn't trust its out of place location and the sticky residue staining its front.

'If I was the kitchen, or at the very least the pantry, where would I be?' He deduced that the first floor made sense as the resting place of any sustenance. Perhaps it was as simple as enhancing his senses and literally smelling his way to the nearest food source.

He poured a bit of his power into his nose, as strange as it was to think about. His olfactory senses sharpened, and he gently sniffed down the two hallways that branched from the entrance way.

A very plain scent managed to catch his attention. It was the aroma of something dry and packed with grains. It was some form of dry cereal. Inhaling through his nose again, Jersey followed the scent to what looked like a recently cleaned kitchen fit for a restaurant. Given that the establishment was a revived hotel, Jersey was not surprised at its exceptional space.

Shortly upon entering the kitchen, Jersey found a cabinet filled with a few odds and ends. He finally grabbed what his sense of smell had led him to: a box of breakfast cereal. It was an orange box with the name of Devilish Oats. The box was unopened, but the date of expiration could not be immediately found. Jersey found it on the bottom left corner of the backside of the box. It was still fresh for another two months.

Carefully and neatly opening the box and pulling apart the top of the plastic bag containing the cereal, he recognized the cereal as a demonic equivalent of Wheaties. Precisely removing one of the rough, brown grains and tossing it into his mouth, the texture and the rugged taste of the bit was exactly like it's mortal equivalent.

It took a bit of time to find a bowl suitable for pouring. Eventually, a plain China bowl with a clean surface was found in a separate cabinet. The cereal was poured without issue into the vessel in Jersey's hand. After putting the cereal back where he found it, he turned to the large refrigerator in the corner of the kitchen. Now all that was left was the milk.

The fridge, upon being opened, was filled with a scant few things. A carton of milk was unfortunately not among the food stuffs present. Jersey's stomach growled as it impatiently awaited the arrival of seomthing digestible. With a sigh and a dismissive grunt, he swung the large refrigerator's door close and began eating the cereal with his bare hands like it was discount popcorn.

Eating the grains without milk was uncomfortable and very noisy, but Jersey made it work out. Engrossed with his rugged meal, he was almost spooked by a feminine voice.

"Jersey?"

He turned on his heel, almost shifting the cereal out of his food bowl as a result.

Charlie, wearing a violet night gown, was looking at Jersey questioningly.

"What? I was hungry. This is the breakfast I'm having." He answered defensively.

Charlie made a mock show of surrender with her hands. "No problem. I just didn't expect you to be up so early."

"I had an odd dream. Besides, I went to bed pretty early, remember?" Jersey straightened himself as he relaxed. "The bed felt fine, by the way. A bit on the firm side, but comfortable enough."

"Oh, that's good!" Charlie perked up. "I've always been a bit of an early riser. I'm just getting a bit of coffee to start the day. Vaggie's still asleep, so it's just you and me right now."

Charlie walked over to a coffee maker, and after rummaging for a little packet to make the morning brew, she set about filling the water for the device.

"So, when will I have my job interview today?"

"How's 10:00 sound?" Charlie called out as she finished pouring a small pitcher of water into a side compartment of the coffee maker.

"Perfect. A bit of warning, I have no other clothes."

"I think you can be forgiven for that, given this is the second day you've been in Hell." Charlie pressed a button to activate the machine before her.

Getting back to his dry cereal, Jersey quickly ate the rough chunks of food. If Charlie thought his choice to forgo the milk was odd, she never questioned it as she got about pouring her coffee into a red mug. She gingerly sipped the dark contents in the cup and let out a content sigh.

Jersey was almost through with his tough breakfast meal. "So, how'd you get the hotel?" Jersey asked after swallowing another course mouthful of Devilish Oats.

"My parents owned it. They actually own the most property here in Pentagram City out of any other being in Hell."

"And your father is Lucifer himself." Jersey spoke as if it was obvious.

"Yup." Charlie's face fell as she remembered that her father made no secret of his scorn for her project. Jersey appeared to have understood her crestfallen expression and changed the subject.

"Who's your mother? Who is the Queen of Hell?"

"Lilith. Perhaps you've seen posters of her? She performs concerts with her band. It's a major contributor to our family's wealth."

"I'm afraid I did not see any such posters. She's a most outgoing monarch I take it?"

Charlie let out a brief laugh. "She's almost always using spare time these days to compose and perform new songs. Her schedule is pretty busy with the upcoming concert and all." She tried not to look despondent for a moment. After all, she had still not received a so much as a text from her mother.

Jersey, feeling awkward about the small talk going on, managed to finish his bowl of cereal and placed it into a nearby sink. "Where do you wish to meet me for the interview?"

"Umm..." Charlie hummed indecisively. "Just meet me and Vaggie down in the foyer before 10:00. Is that okay?"

"Sounds easy." Jersey said. "I think I'll just try to rest in my room for a bit. I'll be sure to be punctual."

"That's good! I'll probably go ahead and fix my breakfast while I'm at it."

"Have yourself a good morning, Charlotte." Jersey departed the kitchen.

"Sure thing."

Jersey steadily made his way up the stairs. In his mind, he began to think of ways to answer any questions the Princess planned to throw his way.

When Jersey passed by the empty foyer, he managed to find a grandfather clock tucked into a corner that told the time: 6:51 am. He spent the next three hours quietly conceiving of every question that the princess would ask of him. The man was so intensely focused on making a good impression, he almost forgot to head downstairs and check the time again. It was eight minutes until 10:00.

"I suppose this is as good a time as any to wait down here." He sat on a sofa that was designed like the mangled mouth of some eldritch monster to await the Princess' arrival.

Husk was back at the front desk. Already he was taking sips from a dark bottle of beer. He looked miserably bored.

"So, what are you in hell for?" Husk asked out of the blue.

"What?" Jersey looked mildly confused.

"How'd ya bite it? What sins did you commit?" Husk clarified with a disinterested drawl. Perhaps he was looking to break the dull silence.

Jersey turned his gaze downward. The sounds of the dream he had last night filled him with a sense of hatred that was not so easily seen from the surface. He recalled other memories and feelings that he previously experienced as he processed Husk's question.

He remembered a man in ridiculously fabulous dressings drinking himself into the proverbial floor from a preemptive celebration. There was the look of confusion and pain in that same man's eyes when he was promptly attacked.

That memory brought a ghost of a smile to Jersey's face.

Then, there was a feeling of cool satisfaction that Jersey felt when he saw the life leave that man's eyes.

All of the grim happiness he felt came to a halt when he recalled a much more recent memory. A red haired man, dressed as if he came from an aristocratic ball, was standing over him, battered and bruised, but primed to strike him down. Jersey remembered the odd feeling of falling away from the world, landing in this Hell, and trying to make his way to the Hotel after half a day of struggle. It was surreal how much had happened in a comparatively small amount of time.

Jersey's eyes slowly turned upwards to look at Husk.

"I killed a man." He responded simply. "My actions simply caught up with me." Jersey said no more, his gaze turning to look at a random piece of decoration.

Husker raised an eyebrow. There was something more to the story, but he figured it was not his job to interrogate the guy.

"Sure." He returned to the bottle of amber joy in his hand.

A few seconds passed by when Charlie stepped into view. She had a fresh tuxedo, but instead of being peach colored, it was a bright red.

"Hi Jersey!" She greeted brightly. "You ready to be interviewed?"

"Lead the way, Charlotte."

The walk to Charlie's makeshift office on the first floor was brief. They went down the hallway that was opposite the direction of the kitchen. The room Jersey was led to had little more than family pictures and a single vase with flowers to bring color to the otherwise dull surroundings.

Charlie sat in a chair which rolled into the desk. Jersey soon noticed that Vaggie was sitting on a little stool next to Charlie's seat, her arms crossed and looking somewhat uncomfortable. Her outfit was more casual, with a dark grey dress, black stockings, and no sash to speak of.

"Okay! So tell me about what makes you qualified to be our plumber and our electrician all in one."

Jersey, seeing that Charlie was set to get down to business, tried to relax himself as he sold his case.

"I have many years under my belt working with electricity and piping. In a past life, I spent years performing manual labor as an independent plumber and electrician. I know everything from cleaning and replacing faucets to fixing electric transformers for the public sector."

"How did you learn all that stuff?" Vaggie asked.

"In my early days, I earned an apprenticeship for a man who installed water closets. That was my introduction into plumbing."

"What about your introduction to electrical work?" Charlie inquired.

"I wasn't born at a time when electricity was that common in ordinary abodes. Luckily, I managed to get work learning the trade of public power line construction at around the time America and Spain were in a war. I managed to beat most homes to the punch by the time I created a makeshift generator to give my home power."

Charlie looked impressed. "You... made your home off the grid?"

"I like my privacy..." Jersey spoke cryptically.

Vaggie picked up on this, her fingers curling tensely around her arms.

"How about some specifics..." Charlie continued. "You said you could cut down on expenses that would otherwise be incurred by the hotel? How so?"

"The first step is getting more efficient bulbs for lamps and similar appliances. For large scale spaces, LED lights are more cost effective because you don't have to replace them for decades, and I have a fair share of experience with installing LEDs."

"Oh! That's interesting." Charlie wrote the ideas down on a small sticky note lying on the desk. "So what about plumbing? Anything of note for decreasing costs?"

"Well, there are two primary means for getting rid of waste water. Using a public sewer system and the use of a septic tank. The public sewer system requires the hiring of specialists to assess the system and clear it of possible... blockages. Septic tanks are much smaller, and require emptying after a certain time. Of course, given that this is a hotel that can have dozens of guests at one time, a septic tank won't cut it. The sewer system fits the Happy Hotel's purposes."

"But what about what you can contribute?" Vaggie interjected, hoping to steer the conversation back to the point of the question.

"I can handle anything from clogged sinks to installing and repairing pipes and other accessories. If you need a new faucet or if there is water coming out of an overhead pipe, I can handle it so that you don't have to hire a plumber who'll probably overcharge you for money."

"Speaking of money..." Charlie twiddled her thumbs, a nervous look on her face. "What kind of salary are you asking for?"

Jersey thought about it for a second or two. "It would depend on the job. As an example, if you needed a new faucet or shower head installed, it probably wouldn't be any higher than maybe fifty dollars."

Charlie blinked. "Really?"

Jersey nodded. "Other jobs might require a greater deal of work. If I need to work on the generator of this establishment, it would probably be well over one thousand dollars. With regards to any carpentry work on the side, it could be anywhere from twenty or so bucks to as much as five hundred dollars per room. It's all a matter of the time spent and the scale of the project."

Charlie looked to Vaggie, who merely shrugged her shoulders. She was no expert on the pricing of manual jobs such as what Jersey was describing.

"So, would there not be a salary payment of a number of dollars per hour?" Charlie asked. "How will we be paying you?"

"It's unlikely that there will be a constant need for my services. Instead, you could make a tier list for the jobs I can perform. Small jobs would be at least ten dollars or so. If I have to do something especially laborious and time consuming, like restoring the power of the entire hotel or something of that scale, hmm... I guess one or two thousand dollars would be a safe bet."

Charlie blinked owlishly at the surprisingly modest salary Jersey was asking. If he were any other sinner with the same skill set, it would be likely he would demand tens of thousands of dollars for the furthest extent his services.

"Alright then." She wrote down the tier list suggestion. Jersey's range was more than generous, at least from Charlie's perspective. "Assuming that you earn a job at the Happy Hotel, what considerations would you like to have to ensure your continued employment?"

"Charlie..." Vaggie whispered in a warning tone.

"I suppose it would be nice to have a set of tools provided. If I can have that as a baseline, that would give me more money to buy more specialized gadgets for my work. Not every saw and screwdriver is ideal for every single job."

Vaggie appeared to relax ever so slightly, but she was still looking at Jersey as if he was begging for a chance to exploit Charlie's generous nature.

Charlie, meanwhile, was writing down what Jersey had requested. "Thank you, Jersey. Would you mind sitting out in the lobby? I want to discuss this with my friend."

With a wordless nod of his head, Jersey stood up and calmly left the office space. He closed the door behind him as Vaggie stood up from her chair.

"I think he's about as good of a hire as we can get." Charlie said earnestly. "He seems to know what he's talking about, and no normal sinner would ask for such reasonable demands."

Vaggie stared at the door Jersey closed. "Did you catch something that he said earlier in the interview?"

"What?" Charlie canted her head as she asked.

Vaggie pulled out her Hellphone and began searching for something. She then showed her phone to Charlie. It was a Voxapedia article about the invention of the first flushable toilet.

Charlie seemed confused.

"The water closet Jersey was talking about," Vaggie elaborated, "was invented in the eighteenth century."

Charlie nodded her head, still unsure of what Vaggie was getting at.

Vaggie took back the Hellphone and made another web page to search for the time to electrical power was first used, along with a myriad of other inventions. "Electricity was made a source of light in the nineteenth century. It didn't become a regular thing until the 1920s. And don't get me started on when LEDs became popular."

Charlie's eyes began to widen. "Jersey knew all of this, but-"

"He'd had to have lived hundreds of years to know all of this stuff." Vaggie concluded. "A normal, mortal person wouldn't be able to learn all of these skills at the time they became popularized."

"Do you think Jersey is immortal?"

Vaggie shook her head. "How did he end up down here, then? He isn't telling us the whole truth."

Charlie sighed through her nose. "Jersey's entitled to some degree of privacy. We don't have to be so invasive to start his rehabilitation."

"I'm still keeping an eye on him. Something seems off about this guy." Vaggie frowned at Charlie's conflicted frown. "I just care about your dream, Charlie. You know as well as I do that you can't be too careful in this world."

Charlie gave a little smile of fondness. "It's a good thing I have you to keep me grounded." She stood up from her seat. "Do you think Jersey was lying?"

Vaggie made a sigh as she placed her Hellphone in her pocket. "That's the thing. I don't think he lied about his skill set. He is omitting his whole story, but... that's the thing. He's being so damn considerate and, what's the word... nuanced about his salary and things like that."

"Most sinners don't act that way." Charlie added.

"Yes." Vaggie agreed. "That's what makes him seem even more suspicious. Anyone else would have a hard time not being sketchy and greedy. If he can put up an act like that, who knows what he is capable of."

"We can address that later. I doubt he's as ruthless as someone as... Alastor. I think it'll be good to have someone to help if something in this hotel breaks."

Vaggie nodded at Charlie's reasoning. "Best to keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

"Oh Vaggie," Charlie chided lightly, "surely you don't think it'll come to that, do you?"

"You know me, hun." The one eyed Salvadoran let out a huff of acceptance. "So, shall we go tell him the good news?" She offered with an extended hand and a little grin.

"Yes!" Charlie gave Vaggie a hug in appreciation for her input. She then led the way out of the office and into the hallway.

As the two departed, Vaggie hoped that they weren't in the process of inviting a monster into their midst.