"Hey everyone!" Velvette said, giving the middle finger to the viewing audience as she held her phone away from her enough so that the camera was able to get a shot of her from the waist up. "It's the number 1 #bitch in Hell, Velvette, here with another VixVox for all ya greedy sluts! I wanted ta show off the latest in Hell fashion, so that ya know it came from me and not any of them old wrinkled cows who I ain't gonna name and who am I kiddin' its fuckin' Carmilla." She laughed at that. "Check out this beauty here. Gift from Valentino so you know it's the real deal." The demon woman held up the simple golden pin. "Called the Millennium Eye and its made by some up and coming designer named Edwin. He's stayin' with Lucifer's kid… oh, you think she might be swingin' back? Need ta do another vid on that. But anyway, if you are hip and in the know ya need ta get one yourself. Adios bitches!"

~MC~MC~MC~

"Papa, you can't be serious!"

"I am. I talked with Murray and he was quite clear: Matthew is my heir."

"But he knows nothing of our way of life! How could he ever be an Overlord? He spends all day working with Imps!"

"That might be, Mary but he is still my heir. With Patrick dying in the Extermination all of Damnton Abbey goes to him."

"This is… this is utterly ridiculous!"

"I suppose that means you won't be joining your mother and I for the orgy tonight?"

"Oh papa, be serious! Of course I will! Now, let me just spread my ass cheeks-"

"You know, if I packed my lunch…" Greta mumbled to herself, tapping her pen against the pad of paper. She was curled up on the couch, half listening to the show that was playing; it was a rerun and she'd seen it several times.

CeeCee rolled her eyes. "I've been tell you to do that for ages . You know those restaurants by the Embassy always charge more than stuff just a few blocks away."

"Yes yes, I'm lazy," Greta said, rolling her eyes. "Now, I shouldn't need any new outfits for the next few months."

"What exactly are you doing? Since when do you care about budgets?"

"Since now," Greta said firmly. CeeCee, despite having come from money when she'd been a human, had always been concerned about cash. She'd told plenty of stories of her and her parents, as well as her husband, fighting over money and how it was spent. Wondering why one wasted so much on needless things. CeeCee had about lost it when Greta had once suggested for her birthday getting her a trip to Rosie's; she could handle her off-the-rack dresses just fine. "I am saving up for some new jewelry."

CeeCee groaned.

"Oh shove off!" Greta said sternly but with a smile.

"How much is it?"

"I don't know."

"How do you not know?"

"I just learned about him. Some up and coming artist named Edwin. He does hand crafted pieces… according to the reviews I've been seeing online you can even make out his fingerprints on them. That's how you know everything is made by hand and not on an assembly line."

"So its going to cost a year in rent."

"Satan, I hope not," Greta murmured. She pulled out her phone and searched for the photo of the pin she had seen. "He can do necklaces and broaches and the like but he really likes these pins. All the same design but handcrafted. They are all the rage. I can't hope to get a custom piece but that's okay… I want to stick with what everyone else is getting. Or will be getting. This is going to be the hot new item."

"You know when items are hot… its cool down VERY quickly," CeeCee pointed out. "So in a few months you'll have no money, no one will care about this, and you'll regret wasting your time on this doodad."

"Oh its not a doodad, ya old bitty!" Greta laughed. How CeeCee, who was several thousand years younger than her, could be such an old fuddy-duddy she'd never know. "It's a piece of jewelry! And this is different too. Grass movement, you know?" She grinned as she found the picture. "And hey, maybe it won't be that bad… its gold but its not that big…"

"What… is it called?" CeeCee said, grimacing as she stared intently at the pin.

"The Millennium Eye. Hey, you want one-"

"Yes," CeeCee said at once. "Yes I do. In fact I'm buying, for both of us." She rose and turned off the tv.

"Wait, what?" Greta said, surprised. "Seriously?"

"Who makes them?" CeeCee asked, already moving to her bedroom.

"Uh… some guy name Edwin."

"Hmmm…" CeeCee said slowly. "Where is he located?"

"Charlie Morningstar's hotel. Apparently he's staying there though I doubt it will be forever. If this takes off he could move into his own place." Greta gasped. "You think he's moving to become an Overlord? I mean, Rosie is an overlord and she makes dresses! You think he is going to begin working with Rosie? They might make a good team and I hear she's single again. There are those rumors of course-"

Greta stopped as CeeCee shut the bedroom door.

"Uh…"

"I'm not showing you where I keep my money!" CeeCee called out.

"I would never steal from you… again." Greta shifted. "You are seriously going to get me one?"

"Serious as a heart attack."

Greta ran up to the door and pressed her body against it. "You are the best friend a gal could have!" She walked back to the living room and turned her attention back to the TV. "I mean it!"

"I suppose you don't suck horse cock, Cousin Matthew? I imagine someone like you isn't civilized enough for such things."

~MC~MC~MC~

"Mum… do you have a moment?"

"Of course," Stella said.

That wasn't her first choice of words, however. Her first choice had been to tell her daughter that no, she wasn't free at the moment. Ever since the divorce she had been dealing with all sorts of things that required her attention. Her father had been… less than pleased… with how things had unfolded.

"You had a single duty, my dear," he had told her when she had finally informed him that Stolas had asked for a divorce. "Keeping your husband with you. Your mother and I taught you how to keep a partner in line. How to ensure that they remained faithful. We hired to best whores to teach you the arts of intercourse. How to keep your emotions hidden so he only saw the you he wished to see. How to laugh at his jokes, to help him at gatherings, and overall make him so madly in love with you that he would do all you said. All in the name of keeping him firmly in our grasp."

"I tried all that," she had argued. "But that imp-"

"If you were a proper wife he would have never gone to that imp," her mother had replied with a sniff. "And even if he did he would have returned to you. Do you honestly think you are the first wife whose dealt with a husband with a wandering eye?"

"Or that we don't know of you doing the same?" her father had said.

"I don't know-"

But her father cut her off. "You are not as cunning as you think you are, Stella. Far from it. The only reason Stolas never learned the truth is that we did well to hide your… mistakes."

Stella had puffed up a bit at that. "At least I didn't flaunt it as he did."

"Yes," her mother had admitted. "And he will suffer for that… though not as much as you might think. Lucifer laid with a Sinner Demon who abandoned him. Beelzebub keeps her hellhound lover. The tales of Asmodeus and that imp jester…" She had shaken her head. "Things are changing in Hell. Demons are breaking down the traditional standings. Stolas will not come out of this unscathed but he will survive. Just as you will suffer."

"Me?"

"You failed. I know it is easy for you to believe that you are the wounded victim in this entire sad affair but the truth is you drove him into that imp's arms. We have seen you around him… how you did NOTHING to make him happy. It is disgraceful. Your father and I do not love each other but we know how to work with each other… something you never learned. Had you simply been a proper wife, a proper daughter in this family, you'd have kept Stolas with you. Instead you allowed your bitterness to taint everything and now find yourself here. You have no one to blame but yourself. And because you have nothing to fall back on it is up to us to ensure that you do not bring further disgrace to us."

And they had. Her parents had put her to work managing the many aspects of their domains. Stella found her days and nights filled with paperwork, to the point that sometimes she would get done only to awaken in bed and realize she had dreamed an entire day of work and it still lay before her, waiting to be completed.

So her first reaction was to tell Octavia she didn't have time for her.

"Of course, Octie," she said with a smile, motioning for her daughter to enter… motioning for Stolas' heir to enter. That was what she had to keep reminding herself: Octavia was Stolas' heir. She was destined to take over his position within the family. To hold the Grimoire and its power. And Stella NEEDED her daughter to have a favorable view of her.

"You aren't close enough to her," her brother had told her with a sniff a few weeks back. "She is a daddy's girl completely and utterly. And with her spending most of her time with him she is going to naturally favor him… which will be bad for our family when she has her full power. She could easily make our lives far worse. Strip us of our standing."

"She would never do that," Stella had argued only for him to laugh.

"You think she will forget how you mocked her clothing? Or her interests? How many times did she call out to you and you ignored her? How many bedtime stories did you read her? How many games did the two of you play?"

Stella had shaken her head at that. "That is just… wasteful silliness. Our parents never did that with us-"

"And why do you think, the moment Father gives me control of the family, I plan to exile them with nothing?"

"Whatever can I do for you?" Stella asked Octavia, smiling as her daughter took a seat, nervously reaching up to play with her hat. While she wanted to tell her to stop doing that, that she was a Lady of Noble bearing and such ladies did not pull their… beanies… over their head Stella held her tongue. Honestly it had been a touch more peaceful ever since she had held back her attempts to mold Octavia into the perfect young woman. Far less fights and moody glowers and loud angry music from her room.

"Well… my birthday is coming up," Octavia said. And oh Stella remembered; she had asked her parents about it and they had, with almost no fuss, agreed to pay for a party. Stolas would have one himself, of course, but Stella needed hers to match if not go beyond it. Her parents had agreed… though they also had used it as a chance to insult her for not bothering to find some way to make some money that belonged just to her. She had money though… it was mostly tied up to the Striker fellow… but she had money! "And… I saw this recently and everyone is talking about it…" She slid her phone across the desk and, after a moment, Stella took it.

"Hmmm… it is rather nice," she had to admit. Some new artist was creating 'Millennium Eyes', which were basically abstract pendants, broaches, and pins. Done in simple gold with no other jewels Stella had to admit it was appealing. And far better than many of the other things Octavia had taken a liking to. This was no gaudy shirt with some band's ugly logo on it or some creepy animal head since that was now apparently the new thing her child was in to.

"I was thinking… maybe… it could be my present?"

Stella sighed. "I'm afraid I already have purchased your gift." That was a lie… she was still trying to determine what would be the best gift for Octavia. Mostly because she was waiting for her spies to tell her what Stolas was getting her so she could top it. "But," she added when Octavia looked down, clearly disappointed, "you could always ask your father. He mentioned he was still trying to think of your gift. You can call him now, if you wish."

"You… you mean it?" Octavia said, startled. Stella had made it clear she didn't want Stolas in her home, even in the form of a call.

"Of course. Go take care of it."

"Thank you, mum!" Octavia said, beaming at her before she hurried off.

Stella waited a few minutes before finally picking up her phone.

"Andrealphus?'

"Why, who else would it be answering this phone, sister?" Her brother said in a teasing tone.

Stella rolled her eyes at that. "One can never be sure."

"Quite. Now, what scheme do you have in your head that you need me to fix?"

"Nothing to fix," she said. "A question. Have you heard of these 'Millennium Eyes'?"

"Why actually yes," Andrealphus said. "I was having tea with a business associate and he mentioned that he is interested in getting one. Seems they work for both men and women which is rather nice… I so do hate the notion that a man can't make himself look nice. Why do you ask… thinking of getting one for yourself?"

She hadn't but if they were becoming popular enough she'd need to secure one; wouldn't do to be behind the times. "Octavia is interested in one."

"Say no more! I will seek one out for her as a gift. It is her birthday soon, is it not?"

"It is but I want you to hold off."

"Whatever do you mean?"

"She is going to ask Stolas for one."

"Ah… yes, we can't have her receiving a duplicate from us."

"She won't."

Her brother was silent for a long moment. "Oh? What are you plotting?"

"You go to the creator of these Millennium Eyes and pay him for several… and then pay him triple to agree to refuse Stolas. Think of how devastating it will be for him to have to tell Octavia he couldn't get her the gift she desires the most."

Andrealphus was silent for several long moments. "It would also be devastating for Via."

"Oh, only for a little while. At my party I'd make a big show of giving it to her-"

"I would," her brother corrected.

"-and she'd be thrilled. And know that she can't trust Stolas to give her what she wants."

"…do you want me to arrange the deal?"

"No," Stella said suddenly; with how her brother was sounded she didn't want to risk him caving. He had too soft of a heart at times. "I'll arrange the meeting. I just need you to find out the artist."

He agreed and Stella hung up the phone, feeling a bit better as she set about working on the paperwork once more.

~MC~MC~MC~

"Go ahead, say it," Ozzie said as he leaned back in his chair sipping on his coffee. "You know you want to."

"Oh, very much so," Beelzebub replied with a grin. Before her were twelve coffee cups, each with a different blend. All would be empty before the meeting was done and Ozzie had little doubt she'd be asking to finish his off as well if he wasn't quick enough. If they had been in her office she'd have just gone to her coffee machine but because she'd decided to visit Ozzie at his offices she'd brought her own coffee. She was the Queen of Gluttony but she wasn't a mooch."But I am going to savor this. Draw it out."

"You, draw things out? That isn't really your thing."

The Sin of Gluttony though shook her head. "It is when it's an 'I Told You So'. I plan to make this last and that will make it grow. I'm going to… indulge in this."

"Wonderful."

"…but I was right," Bee said, careful NOT to say 'I told you so'.

"You were, you were." Ozzie couldn't help but smile.

"Seriously though I am… so glad you just admitted it. Sneaking around… okay, maybe that works a bit when it comes to making things fun in bed but I've always felt that you should just let your freak flag fly, you know? Be open and honest so everyone can see what you love."

Ozzie let out a happy little sigh. "Yeah its… its been surprising how people have reacted."

He and Fizz had both been terrified of how everyone would handle them being together. Having raw dirty sex with an imp was, well, expected of him. That was lust, plain and simple. But admitting that he loved Fizz? That sometimes it wasn't about bending him every way possible but cuddling after a long day or discussing their hopes and dreams? That was a scary thing. They had both expected to be put through the ringer for that and while there were plenty that were getting on them for breaking social norms far more of Hell had reacted with a "We knew it!" and "Finally!" vibe.

"If they reacted badly then they weren't worth dealing with," Bee stated. "Its like I told Tex when the two of us came out as a couple: all that matters is us."

"I know that here and here." Ozzie said, pointing first to his head and then his heart. "But do they know that though? People forget that lust, the best kind of lust, is born out of trust. People think that rape is lust… rape is rape. Vile, disgusting. It is someone that loses control in all the worst ways. Lust… true lust? It is just as much about yourself as it is someone else. It is exploring your desires with someone who is exploring their own. And to have that trust… well, love ain't far behind."

"None of them really get it," Beelzebub stated after draining her second coffee and going for a third. "You know how many Sinner Demons see me and go "Wait, why aren't you fat and slow and constantly munching on cakes?" Gluttony is about overindulging but because you love it. I have no need for bummers who do it because of sadness… that so isn't gluttony." She paused. "Lucifer complains about the same thing. Or at least he used to before Lilith-"

She cut herself off and Ozzie grew quiet.

The two sat there in a long silence.

"…Mammon can go fuck himself though," Bee finally said.

"I sometimes think that's his problem," Ozzie said with a grin. "Poor bastard can't bring himself to trust anyone with his feelings… hoards them all to himself. So how can he get his pole waxed properly? Takes a lot of trust to spread your cheeks and let someone rim you to your soul." He clenched his fists, bringing them up to his chest before relaxing. "But yeah… he said that I would regret this-"

"Only because he can't accept he's a little bitch coward," Bee said. "He hates someone being happy and it doesn't help that you took Fizz from him." She paused, raising an eyebrow. "You don't think he… you know?"

"Fizz refuses to talk about it. I asked him once and he shut down. I… I hope not." Ozzie shook his head; he knew he should feel anger at that but instead he just felt sad. "For his sake I hope nothing like that ever happened to him."

Bee guzzled down another coffee. "Okay, fuck this. I came here so we could celebrate you and Fizz being official, not to get down in the dumps! So let's celebrate!" She leaned in close. "Where are you two going for your first date?"

"Oh… oh I hadn't thought about that. I mean we've had plenty of dates-"

"You've had plenty of staged events for the cameras," Bee pointed out. "But you haven't had a date. You need it to be special."

"You're right… oh, you are right!" Ozzie began to fret. "But what can I do to make it special? We can't… just go to my club. But I don't want to do something too over the top because that feels wrong too, you know? Like something has changed because we're openly together but I don't want it to change because I love us as us! Maybe… but no, he would never go for that and besides I think Leviathan banned him from-"

Bee reached over and patted Ozzie's hand, getting him to calm down. "None of that. Tex has told me that you can't have a good time if you spent all the time before getting upset."

"Your boyfriend is a wise hellhound," Ozzie said. He slowly smiled. "You know, now that Fizz and I are official we could-"

"Double date? Sure, totally, but that doesn't count as a first date." Ozzie deflated at that. "Come on, its not that big of a deal. Pick a restaurant and go out with him. No work, no worrying about who sees you. Just… have fun. Believe me, after the first time you try it things get SO much easier." She shrugged. "And you can always do what I did to make it special."

"Which is?"

"Get him a gift."

Ozzie considered that. "A gift? But I've gotten him plenty of things-"

"As his fuck buddy," Bee said, cutting him off. "And as his business partner and all that. But a gift… a real gift? A couple's gift?"

"I… hmmmm." Ozzie picked up his phone. "There was something I saw…"

"Ugh, Velvette?" Bee complained as she saw the Sinnergram.

"I know, I know, she is a bit brash for my tastes too but she highlighted something rather nice. One of my secretaries is thinking of getting one…"

"Oh," Bee said when Ozzie held up his phone. "The Millennium Eye."

"Apparently there is this big debate about what it represents. Some think that because it only being half enclosed it represents just beginning to wake up and see the world for what it is, becoming unchained from what others believe we should see existence as it really is. Others think that the fact the eye is closed is that we see without seeing, ignoring what is in front of us and instead look deeper. Others think it isn't actually an eye at all but rather represents the soul, since the eyes are the window to the soul."

Ozzie paused.

"I just think it looks nice."

"It really is. Maybe I should get one for Tex… I wonder if he does other pieces."

"That's what I'm thinking of asking him. Buy an Eye of course, since apparently that is his main focus, but maybe get something for me and Fizz?"

"Like matching wedding rings?" Bee teased.

"Stop!" Ozzie said, his flames turning briefly pink.

~MC~MC~MC~

Carmilla looked over the requests that were coming in and frowned. "Demons are getting far too complicated. Look at this one: blessed within the barrel but not visible on the outside, black goat leather handle, but interlaid with silver. Hidden blade in the handle that can shoot out if needed. Hammer in the shape of a dragonfly." She looked to Zestial. "What happened to simple guns that shot people? I understand that some see these as art but there is a point where you muddle things up by overthinking it!"

Zestial shrugged. "Honestly it all sounds complex to me. I leave weapons to you." He did lean over her shoulder, eyes narrowed. "You still get the money though, right? Charge them more for the more complex the guns are?"

"Oh, I most certainly do!" Carmilla said with a dark smirk before shaking her head, her smile gone. "But it is the principle of the thing. Demons begin expecting too much and it can cause problems. Not just in guns but... other matters. I mean, look at this! What do they mean that the steel must have been... quenched with the piss of a red headed boy?"

"Ah, that one I understand," Zestial stated. "It was a method of making steel in Roman. They were trying to figure out how to make better iron when some metal got dipped in a bucket used by one of the apprentices, a red headed boy naturally. The iron turned to steel and the Romans believed it was the nature of a child having red hair that did it, not how-"

"Yes yes," Carmilla said, cutting him off. If she let him ramble on he would never stop. Zestial though merely smiled in good humor, showing no annoyance at her preventing him from finishing. "But that is my point entirely. There is no need for me to do it but it is expected that I will! It is a needless waste of time and you KNOW how I hate waste. Weapons... there is an elegance in how simple they can be. Oh, a sword can be beautiful yes, with the right metals used and the way the grip is covered and the choice of crossbar and pommel. But in the end we must not forget that it is meant to kill. Some of these requests actually prevent me from delivering a weapon that can do its job and that is something I simply can't afford! I will not have my name slandered by inferior weapons."

"Of course," Zestial said diplomatically. "But tell me... what truly is bothering you?"

Carmilla took a calming breath. "I'm just… things aren't the way they used to be, back when I was young. Fresh faced, ready to make a name for myself. Now everything seems far more complex for… complexity's sake. No one is satisfied with the simple things." Her shoulders slumped. "Including me."

"Its easy to forget when you are climbing your way to the top that up there are just more problems… and your old ones don't magically go away."

"Exactly," Carmilla said. "I just wish… I wish things could go back to those old days where I didn't have to worry about a billion things. When you understood who was going to kill you, what you needed to stay warm and dry. Now I worry about inventory reports. Inventory reports. Sometimes I go to bed and dream of angels made of inventory reports, shooting audits at me."

In the far corner of her office, staying quiet so they didn't disturb their mother, Odette and Clara shared a look. They were supposed to have left nearly an hour ago to get supper but their mother had become lost in paperwork. Hopefully Zestial would get her to snap out of her funk but the girls weren't sure how long that would take.

"I wish we could do something for her," Clara whispered.

"I know… she does so much for us. She… you know… for us. If we could just show her how much that meant to us…"

Clara nodded only for her eyes to widen as she stared at her phone.

It was no secret that their mother hated the Vees. Saw them as rude upstarts who stood on the shoulders of the Overlords that had come before. After the Radio Demon had done his purging many positions within Hell had opened up and the Vees had filled the vacuum… and Carmilla had been rather open in her opinion that if not for Alastor the three Vees would still be toiling at the very bottom of society.

Especially Velvette.

And since the female Vee knew that opinion, and how firmly Carmilla felt it, she made it her life's work (such as it was) to torment Carmilla whenever she could.

As such certain things were strictly off limits in the Carmine Household. While she didn't ban television completely the girls were restricted to only what Carmilla viewed as appropriate and often only if she were there to watch it with them, just to make sure Vox wasn't trying to slip into their minds. Neither of the girls had ANY interest in what Valentino had to offer so that was easy to avoid.

But for the two young demons being cut off from Velvette was a nightmare.

All their friends loved her vids on Sinnergram and VixVox and Sinner. Whispered about her favorite new designers and what places were out because Velvette thought they were boring. The girls, not wanting to be left out, subscribed as well but were VERY careful about how they viewed such things, to avoid their mother finding out.

Thus Clara carefully covered her phone to show a Sinn Velvette had Sinned out.

"Portant thing ta remember is that sometimes complex don't mean best. This baby is as simple as they come and that makes it the best! #BestBling #NotForTheFossils"

"…mom did say simpler is better."

"We could pool our allowance."

"Or… we could trade a few of those guns and daggers mom doesn't know we nabbed and get three of them!"

Clara grinned at that. "Oh, even better!"

~MC~MC~MC~

"Oh!" Charlie said with a grin as she spotted several new demon women enter the Hazbin Hotel. They were middle aged, dressed in blouses and yoga pants, sipping coffee and carrying several bags each. "Welcome! Are you here to see if our hotel is right for your loved ones? Or perhaps for yourself?"

"…this is a hotel?" the one demon said.

"Yes," Vaggie said dryly. "That's why it says 'Hazbin Hotel' on the roof."

"I thought that was an old sign that hadn't be replaced," the other demon said with a shrug. Charlie at once deflated at that, shoulders slumping in defeat. "We're here to see Edwin Cerberus?"

"He's downstairs," Husk said before holding out his hand. "There is a small entrance fee." The two demons quickly nodded and passed him a few dollars before moving towards the stairs.

"Wait, since when is there a service fee?" Vaggie said.

"And Edwin's last name is Cerberus?"

Husk counted out the money the two demons had given him. "Ever since I realized that my job is to run the welcome desk and bar for this hotel and NOT direct Edwin's clients to him."

"Husk!" Charlie exclaimed. "That isn't nice at all!"

"…yeah, it isn't." He shrugged and pocketed the cash. "As for the last name one of the demons that came in this morning didn't like he didn't have a last name and decided to call him that. I personally was voting on Enchanto but Edwin said that sounded like the first draft of a 'Self Insert Fanfic Character'. That's when I demanded to begin getting a fee."

"Edwin Cerberus isn't the worst last name ever," Charlie admitted before shaking her head. "Still, I'm not sure how I feel about that fee… and why were those demons coming to see Edwin?" She suddenly paled. "Oh no, this isn't like when Angel-"

"No," Husk said quickly, realizing that if Charlie decided to put her foot down it might cost him some revenue. Honestly if things kept up like this maybe, just maybe, he could buy back his soul from Alastor. Or have a nice weekend at Luxor. "Its his jewelry business."

"Edwin is running a jewelry business?" Charlie said, confused. "But he's here to work on himself so he can be redeemed and go to heaven!"

"And that doesn't pay the bills," Husk said. "Better than most other things he could be doing."

Niffty suddenly popped up from behind the desk. "I said that he should be spending his time ravaging me but he said if his girlfriend finds out she might "storm down into hell and turn me into a pair of slippers". " The demented little maid smiled dreamily. "He didn't seem to understand why I found that a turn on."

Vaggie and Charlie shared a look. "Edwin. Jewelry."

Husk rolled his eyes, grabbing a bottle of booze. "Apparently he decided to go along with Angel's idea that he sell that jewelry he made. The Millennium Eye is apparently real popular. Everyone wants to order one and he's branching out into other pieces." Even as he said that another demon woman, this one with green skin and rose vines for hair, marched in.

"I'm here to see-"

"Millennium Eyes?" Husk said, cutting her off. When she nodded he held out his hand. "Entrance fee?" The woman, without pause, pulled out some bills and Husk jerked his thumb towards the stairs. "Line starts down there." The woman nodded, pausing to look at Charlie's own Millennium Eye that was pinned to her suit jacket before hurrying towards the stairs. "Very popular."

"…its only been two days!" Vaggie exclaimed. "How can they be this popular this fast?"

"What do you care?" Husk asked. "Its bringing in a lot of cash."

"No one cares about what you are skimming from the rubes," Vaggie said with a scoff.

"What about what Edwin is paying you guys?" Husk asked.

"Paying us?" Vaggie asked just as Edwin's… pet? Cloak?... jackal, Jackie, scampered up to them, waiting by Charlie until she finally held out her hand. The jackal gently placed an envelope in her palm before scampering back towards the stairs. "Uh… what did that weird clothing dog just give you?"

"It's from Edwin," Charlie said, opening the envelope to find a note within. "Dear Charlie, we can discuss this at dinner but I might be late. Since you're letting me stay here and we never discussed rent I figured that this would be fair enough. You are letting me use your basement and gave me the idea." Charlie frowned. "I don't charge rent. I don't-"

"Salty St. Peter sucking succbi!" Husk exclaimed, staring at the envelope and what Charlie had missed inside.

"That… is a lot of money," Vaggie whispered, staring at the wad of bills.

"Oh… oh we can't accept this!" Charlie exclaimed. "We are trying to help demons! I should give this back to him."

"I can, uh, do that for you," Husk said but Charlie, while nice and kind, wasn't stupid and kept hold of the envelope. Husk sighed and went back to his important work of drinking while on the clock.

"Charlie… we could do that," Vaggie said, grabbing onto her girlfriend's shoulders. "Or we could… you know… keep it."

"What? No! This is Edwin's money-"

"That he is giving us."

"Because he thinks he needs to."

"Because," Vaggie argued, "he wants to. Because he wants to pay his way. Which… isn't that a good thing? He's not mooching off of us. Taking advantage of us. We are helping him and he is paying us back."

Charlie though didn't look convinced. "I don't know… it feels like he's worried about be in debt to us… like him staying here is…" She leaned in and whispered, "A deal."

"A deal?" Alastor said, suddenly popping up beside Husk, causing the demon bartender to cry out and nearly drop his bottle. Niffty merely shrugged and began to dust around the Radio Demon.

"No deals, Alastor!" Vaggie called out. "No deals at all!"

"Ah. Never mind then." And with that he slowly lowered himself behind the bar. Husk looked down before he slowly stepped away from his spot; for once Charlie and Vaggie didn't get on him for abandoning his post.

Vaggie pulled Charlie away from the bar. "Listen… I know you don't mind using your own money to pay for this hotel but it doesn't hurt to have Edwin's money. He isn't doing anything evil with it and he wants to give it to us. We can use it to hire some more staff… remember that psychologist idea? We could actually get one on staff with this."

"Well… I guess that would be nice…"

"And this way Edwin feels like he can keep staying here-"

"Which he is always welcome to do!" Charlie declared.

"-and that means demons will be coming in to do business. And might see what we are trying to do…"

"…and want to stay and try it themselves!" Charlie declared, giddy at the thought. "Of course!" She kissed Vaggie on the cheek. "You are so smart."

Vaggie smiled as her girlfriend began to go over all they could do with the money Edwin was getting them.

~MC~MC~MC~

"Alright, two Millennium Eyes added to the list," Edwin said to Layla. The wraith nodded as she appeared, picking up the clipboard and making a note on it. She could now write in English thanks to sharing all of Edwin's knowledge though Edwin did wish there was a better and quicker Ancient Egyptian Language they could write in for code. But it took too long to get the hieroglyphics correct. "That means… how much more gold?"

"Ten bars worth so far," she, and Edwin, said at the same time.

"I am going to learn how to stop doing that," he muttered before Sabola suddenly appeared, motioning towards the door. "Why am I not surprised?" He rolled his neck back and forth. "And yeah, I wanted us to be famous but not this quickly. God, I'm going to have to pull an all nighter." While the wraiths COULD make the jewelry without him it was only if he used his flames that he could link them to his power and get them to obey his will. Otherwise they were just golden trinkets. "Alright, let's do this."

Layla disappeared back into him and Sabola returned to spying on the stairway entrance while Jackie let out a yawn and laid back down on his plush dog bed.

"We need to get you some treats," Edwin said to the jackal before turning to the door. The 'office' was barely that and had caused more than a few demons to frown at how basic it was, what with its cheap desk and rolling chair. But Edwin had spun some bullshit about how 'the mind only works well when there is little else to intrude on the creative process' and nearly all of them had fallen for it instantly. "Wonder what this one will think," he muttered, already deciding that soon he'd need to actually waste some money turning the basement office into something a bit… nicer. Maybe with some cases showcasing the Millennium Eyes and some other pieces, a couch for some to wait on… perhaps pay to have a small lobby added… "Come in!" he called out.

The demon woman that entered didn't bother to look at the walls or the furniture. Instead she stared at him with her rose-colored eyes (and considering she had rose vines for hair and green skin that was the most accurate description for her red irises)… and deflated.

"Oh."

"Oh?" Edwin said, raising an eyebrow in confusion. "I've gotten a lot of reactions but haven't gotten an 'oh'." She sounded… disappointed.

"I'm sorry but I thought you were… someone else."

"Sorry?" Edwin said, gesturing towards the chair across from him. "Anyway, I'm Edwin Ch… Cerberus." He had decided to go with the new last name he'd been given, figuring that just in case names had power in Hell better to not give his last name out. Or at least the OTHER new last name. "So… unless you are here to sell me Hellscout Cookies you must want to talk jewelry."

"Yes," the woman said, distracted. "I… yes."

Edwin frowned. "Ma'am?"

"Where did you come up with that name, Millennium Eye?"

"I thought it-"

"From Earth?" she pressed. "Before you died."

Edwin leaned forward, his confusion fading away. "You have heard of the Millennium Eye before, haven't you?" When she didn't say a word Edwin, without a second thought, unbuttoned his shirt and revealed the Millennium Key fused to his chest.

That made the demon let out a bitter laugh. "Well… now that explains why you picked the name." She swallowed, her good humor gone. "My husband had the real one."

"Oh god," Edwin whispered in shock, the final piece clicking into place.

The age.

The build.

The roses

"Cecelia?"

CeeCee… Cecelia Pegasus… nodded.