I did not expect to finish this as quickly as I did, but I'm not complaining.

Melody Dear

Chapter Ten

Husk grumbled as he made his way downstairs. He actually got more wasted than normal last night. He hadn't expected to warm up to the new kid as much as he did, but her kindness and genuine care was very refreshing. Husk was so used to Alastor laughing at him when he got annoyed. It was nice that not only did Melody acknowledge that she upset him when she overreacted yesterday, but she also apologized and decided to explain why she did. And she didn't dismiss it or him afterwards, but accepted accountability.

He rubbed his eyes with his hand. That's what made him drink more. The merry feeling he and the others shared with the new resident. Husk was genuinely happy to have someone around who was being true to themselves, while also treating him and the others with respect. It was nice.

"Mornin," a groggy voice said with a yawn. Husk turned to see that Angel had emerged from the elevator, fully dressed and looking ready to tackle the day, but not quite as awake as he usually was at this hour.

"Right back at ya," Husk said, speaking a tinge softer than normal. "Hangover or bad sleep?"

"Both," Angel admitted, rubbing his forehead with two fingers.

Husk patted the porn star's back. "Let's get some coffee," he said. Angel grunted, nodding as he lowered his head.

The bartender kept his hand on Angel's back as he walked with him to the kitchen. Breakfast hadn't been served yet, but neither were willing to wait for the black gold to be served in the dining hall. However, once they got there, coffee became one of their last concerns.

"You're really getting the hang of this," Alastor had said as they walked in.

Both men froze when they heard a familiar chirp ring in the room. "You really mean that, Alastor?"

The two turned their heads and found themselves glaring in disgust. Melody was at the stove, cooking under Alastor's supervision. The apron she had on looked brand new, and her gentle smile was accompanied by a light blush on her cheeks.

The overlord chuckled, putting a hand on his hip. "Of course, My Dear. I never mess around when it comes to food," he said, turning his body. Alastor caught sight of them when he did this. "Ah, good morning, Chums! Looking for the coffee, I assume?" He said in his usual jovial tone, raising the hand on his hip in a mock wave.

"Yep," Husk said. It was too early to get into it with Alastor, and he had less patience with him than normal at this hour. And his shit-eating grin told Husk that he'd welcome a confrontation.

Melody turned to look at them, her smile growing. "Morning Husk! Morning Angel!" She said before turning back to the pan.

"Morning," Husk said.

"Yeah, morning, Mels," Angel said, willing a smile to his face. "Whatcha makin?" He asked, putting two of his hands on his hips.

She looked back at them, still beaming. "Oh, Alastor's teaching me how to make crepes. We're almost done," she told them.

"Hm. You may want to remove that from the pan, My Dear," Alastor said, narrowing his eyes at her.

They watched Melody fumble before carefully and successfully removing the crepe. Alastor had refrained from laughing until after she managed this, but it wasn't from the kindness of his heart. "Well, I think that one's a little overdone. But! At least you didn't burn it," he told her, the radio distortion disappearing as he finished his sentence.

Her blush darkened as Alastor approached the stove and turned it off for her. The Radio Demon then turned to the others. "Why don't you both head to the dining room? We'll be there with breakfast and coffee in just a moment," he told them.

The two looked at each other for a minute, both frowning before Angel looked back at Alastor. "Will there be any dark roast today, Smiles?" He asked.

Angel received a nod, making Husk sigh. "Fine. Just don't take too long," Husk said before walking out, Angel not far behind him.

They left as Alastor started praising Melody again, both cringing and looking back in concern. "You think he's-?"

"Abso-fuckin-lutely," Husk said as they made their way to the dining room, not even looking at the spider. "I've seen this routine before. That kid's gonna need more than Hell Lessons to stay safe," the bartender said, his ears pinning back as he snarled. Of all the plays Alastor could make, this wasn't the cruelest, but it would be the most damaging. He hoped that they could save Melody some pain and from making a mistake with the overlord.

The two entered the dining room. Everyone else had gathered and was sitting in their usual spots. Charlie sat at the head of the long table, her back facing the wall with several photos adorning it. The larger ones were family photos, but most of them were of the hotel residents. Vaggie sat to Charlie's left and Pentious sat to her right. Husk and Angel sat in the middle, with the bartender next to the manager and the porn star next to the snake. Niffty's seat was next to Angel, as well as next to the seat opposite Charlie. The chair next to Husk was also vacant.

The doors to the dining room opened again, revealing Alastor and Melody, the former holding a tray in one hand; with the crepes, now filled with berries, and a bowl of whipped cream; and a pitcher of orange juice in the other. Meanwhile the latter held two carafes, one white and one black.

"Good morning, everyone!" Melody greeted as they approached the table.

"Good morning!" The others said.

Alastor gave the pitcher to Charlie first, who proceeded to pour herself, Pentious and Vaggie their glasses before passing it to Husk. The overlord then turned to Melody. "Give Angel the black one, Melody. The white one goes up here," he told her as he served the princess.

"Okay!" Melody said, placing the white carafe by Pentious before pouring Angel's coffee for him.

The spider smiled at her. "Thanks Mels," he said softly.

"Anytime!" She said. By this point, Pentious had already poured his cup and passed the carafe to Charlie, which made the amnesiac look across the table. "Want some, Husk?" She asked him.

"Sure, kid," Husk said, a small smile creeping onto his face. Not everyday someone offers to pour his drink. He would have preferred booze, but he was was nonetheless touched by her offer.

She walked around the table, by the two empty chairs and poured for him. At this point, Alastor had made it over to this end of the table, having served everyone else their crepes before serving Husk his. "Why don't you take the seat at the end, My Dear? You'll be able to see everyone there," he said to her, his eyes on Husk as he spoke.

Husk repressed a low growl, instead saying: "You okay giving up your normal seat, Boss?"

He saw Alastor clench his jaw, his eyes widening slightly for all but a moment or two. "Of course, Husker. It's just a chair, after all," Alastor said, maintaining his jovial tone.

Melody let out a low chirp. The two men looked back at her as she placed the black carafe in front of Husk. Her lips were pressed in a frown, one corner of her mouth higher than the other. Her eyebrow was raised, and when she looked at Alastor, she crossed her arms. "I appreciate the offer, but somehow it doesn't feel right taking it. So, take your normal seat, please. I'll just sit here by Husk," she told him, a smile returning to her face.

Husk smirked at this, but made sure his face was turned away when he did. "If you insist, Melody Dear," Alastor said, a very small air of annoyance behind his polite tone. It was then that Husk noticed the girl's lower ears twitching.

He watched as Alastor put the tray down and pulled the chair out for Melody with both hands. The bat thanked him as he pushed her closer to the table. Alastor acknowledged her before grabbing the tray and serving her. The overlord served himself before sitting down, informing everyone that Melody did most of the cooking before digging in. The thanks she received from everyone caused her ash-colored face to turn red.

"Thanks. But, I don't think it would have come out well without Alastor there to help me," she said, looking off to the side before making eye contact with the Radio Demon.

"Ah ah ah," he sang at her, waving a finger while the same hand held his fork. "Don't downplay your accomplishment, Melody Dear. All I did was give you instructions before demonstrating for you. You measured most of the ingredients, mixed the batter, and you took over cooking. That deserves its praise," Alastor said as he cut into some of his breakfast.

Everybody but Husk spoke up at once, all agreeing with Alastor. Husk didn't disagree, but he couldn't speak in agreement either. He knew what Alastor was doing. Boosting the girl's confidence before completely crushing it. He knew firsthand what that was like, and it took him decades to begin recovering from it. And he was older when he died. Husk estimated the new girl had died somewhere in her early to mid-twenties based on her emotional intelligence and social interactions. He would have guessed younger, but her body was too mature, and he could chalk up her more childish moments to her amnesia.

"So, what's the plan for today, Charlie?" Husk asked after everyone had quieted down, taking a sip of his coffee. Alastor's menacing smile was sent in his direction, but no one noticed as Charlie began breaking down how the day would go.

Charlie stood up from her chair, a warm smile on her face. It was endearing to see Melody help out, and she was relieved that Alastor was still willing to give his time to interact with her. It seemed he was making an effort to befriend their new guest, just as she was trying to befriend everyone else. Charlie had been worried that the Radio demon would stop with the niceties after the activities yesterday, but she was pleasantly surprised to see them socialize with one another. They seemed to be developing their own banter, and he thought to continue Melody's cooking lessons without anyone's input.

"Right then," Charlie said, putting her hands on her hips. "Today we will be starting Hell Lessons for Melody. I encourage everyone else to be present, but participation is optional for you." She then looked across the table. "Alastor, we will be starting with your suggestion: the importance of the soul, as well as the dangers of deals and contracts. Would you be kind enough to assist us?" She asked, holding her hands in front of her chest.

Alastor leaned back in his chair before saying: "I'd be delighted to, Charlie!"

The princess's smile grew before she turned her head towards Melody. "After today's lessons, we'll show you around the hotel and walk around outside. However, we need to ask that you don't leave the hotel grounds until we get further into your lessons," she told the bat.

Melody's smile turned into a smirk. "I didn't plan on it. Angel and Alastor told me that there's worse things than all the violence outside."

"There is," everyone else said in unison. Melody jumped in her seat when they spoke.

Alastor chuckled. "We'll get into that, though," he said to the bat before looking back at the princess. "Anything else, Charlie?" He asked her.

She shook her head. "Not today. Rehabilitation exercises will continue tomorrow, so once Hell Lessons are over, I encourage everyone to take the day off!"

The other residents cheered, but then Vaggie stood up. "And whatever you do with it, make sure it's responsible and doesn't go against the hotel's mission," she told them, crossing her arms and sending a glare towards Pentious. The snake crossed his arms and grumbled in response.

Breakfast was finished and everyone helped clean up the dining room. When all of the dishes were put by the sink, Niffty climbed up the counter and started washing them. Melody offered to assist, but the cyclops cheerfully rejected her help. As strange as she found the housekeeper, Melody still couldn't help but smile whenever the woman gave her one. She was pretty sure Niffty was much older than she was, but her size and demeanor made her seem so childlike to Melody. It was endearing to her.

While Niffty cleaned, everyone gathered in the parlor. Bulletin boards had been set up in front of the fireplace. A stack of papers were out on the coffee table, held in place by a paperweight, and a tin of pins were right next to it. Charlie and Vaggie stood in front of the boards while Alastor took the chair to the side, crossing one leg over the other. Melody sat on the couch between Pentious and Angel, leaving Husk to take the chair closest to Angel and furthest from Alastor.

"Okay," Charlie said, bringing her hands together and looking down at the amnesiac. "So, Melody. When a human dies and their soul is sent down to Hell, this turns them into a demon," she started. As she spoke, Vaggie removed the paperweight and pinned the first paper in her stack to the bulletin board. "Demon sinner or no, you and most everyone here are all human souls. This makes you stronger than when you were alive, but here in Hell, it also leaves you more vulnerable."

Melody pressed her lips into a frown again, hummed and looked off to the side. "Alastor and Pentious both said that you can die down here over and over again. I assume as a punishment. But they also said it's better to die than be at someone's mercy. What makes us so vulnerable that death is preferable?" She asked Charlie, looking back at her with slightly widened eyes, pinned back ears and a deep frown.

Vaggie smiled. "You catch on quick," she said before putting some more pictures on the board. "It is a punishment. There's only two ways for a human soul to be destroyed," Vaggie said before turning around, putting a hand on her hip. "The first, and most likely situation, is with angelic weapons. Some demons have their hands on these, but until you see an angel, you shouldn't have to worry about it," she said, gesturing with her hand as she spoke.

Melody's top ears perked up, but otherwise, her expression remained the same. "And the second?" She asked, her voice wavering a little.

"To be devoured by another soul," a distorted voice answered. Melody's eyes widened slightly before she looked at Alastor. His smile bore nothing short of sadistic delight as he spoke. "Thankfully, only a selection of Hell Denizens choose to partake in cannibalism, and even fewer go out of their way to hunt live prey. So, you shouldn't have to worry about it much," he told her.

The bat's upper ears pinned back, her lower ones twitched, and she narrowed her eyes at the overlord. "Will I now?" She asked, her voice hardening.

Tension brewed as the two stared at each other. Angel and Husk exchanged knowing and worried looks, but with small smiles on their faces. Pentious fidgeted in his seat, and both Charlie and Vaggie froze for a second. It was the first time anyone had heard Melody use that tone, and it struck all of them by surprise, including the Radio Demon. Melody had been so polite, considerate and easygoing thus far. She was endearing to everyone in a very short amount of time, and the sweetness she had was hard to find in Hell. So, only a few of them assumed she'd even have walls to put up.

"Okay, anyways!" Charlie said, redirecting everyone's attention. "Every soul that lands in Hell has a certain level of power. Most don't have much, just enough to regenerate and maybe have a power or two," she explained.

Melody crossed one leg over the other, her gaze going back to Alastor. "Some more than others, depending on their greatest pride and the weight of their sins," she said bluntly, inching slightly towards Angel as she spoke.

"Oh ho! You remember that part of our conversation? I was worried your fever would make you forget," the Radio Demon said, placing his hands in his lap and leaning forward a little.

"You make most things hard to forget, Alastor," she told him in a blunt tone. Radio static came from him, and when he narrowed his eyes at her, Melody gave him a smirk.

Alastor leaned back. "You flatter me, Melody Dear," he said.

"Hardly," she said with a shrug. Melody then looked back at Charlie. "So, even if I'm tortured, unless I'm face with these situations, I'll be fine even if I die again," she said more as means to explain it to herself than checking to see if she understood. Charlie nodded at her anyways. "But, that doesn't explain why it's preferable. I mean, if we die and regenerate, we could still be at another demon's mercy," she said, her smirk turning back into a frown.

A distorted chuckle rang through the room. "Very few demons think like that, Melody Dear, but yes, you should exercise caution and try to avoid dying down here if you can. And you should use that same caution to avoid being at the mercy of other sinners," Alastor said before using his cane to help rise to his feet. He then walked with it and stood by Charlie. "Because, should you be at their mercy, they may demand your soul in exchange for ceasing their torment. And should that happen," he said, leaning forward so he was eye level with the bat and narrowing his eyes, "you're fucked."

Hearing Alastor curse was a shock on its own to Melody, but the information he provided brought her mind to a complete halt. "My...soul?" She managed to ask, eyes going to the floor and ears flattening. When Alastor hummed in affirmative, her body scrunched up in her seat. "That's...what?" She said, putting her head in her hand, taking staggering breaths.

She felt Angel's hands on her arm and back, the latter giving her a few pats before starting to rub it. Everything was white noise from there. She could have sworn some of the others were talking, but their voices were muffled and hard to hear. Only one rang through clearly. A distorted and calm hum, before speaking. "Let's take a break, Charlie! I think she needs some time to process."

Well, at the end again. If I could spend all day writing this, then I would. But, I can't. Chapter 11 is underway, but you already knew that. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you next time.