Introductions had gone without a single hitch, and Vanessa could personally say that she liked all of them in the short time she'd been around everyone all at once. Ignoring the pair of horns that gave away their half imp heritage, she could tell that Razor and Beartrap were brothers. Beartrap was absolutely the most adorable child she'd ever seen, and Razor had a very laid back attitude from what she gathered.

Madrox was a very calm person with a joke always on the tip of his tongue. He had a way of almost speaking in jokes, as every sentence had some sort of joke or innuendo within even when he was being serious.

Arya, in Vanessa's opinion, was awesome. She had to be one of the nicest demons that the succubus had ever met. In all honesty, Vanessa genuinely couldn't tell if Charlie or Arya was nicer.

Vortex was… familiar, to an extent. He reminded Vanessa a lot of John in the way they were both always relaxed and almost always calm. The main difference was that John was far more blunt, while Vortex would actually be careful with his words.

Vivienne, or Viv, was just as nice as everyone else in Vanessa's opinion. Though the succubus could admit that she had a rather blunt tone and foul mouth, and she and John seemed to share some sort of playful rivalry, almost like siblings. It was actually pretty nice to see, admittedly even moreso when Andre had to step in and put a halt to a conversation that almost spiraled into a competition.

It made her feel… normal again. This wasn't Hell, she wasn't a demon among other demons. For once, she felt like a normal teenage girl again, hanging out with friends and watching a family mingle.

But Vanessa had to admit that the most surprising one had been the one who had intimidated her the most at first.

Beelzebub, the literal Sin of Gluttony, and ruler of the… well, the Gluttony Ring. Upon catching her first glimpse of the demon, Vanessa had figured immediately that she wasn't just a regular hellhound. A small pair of almost insect-like wings, two pairs of arms instead of one, and hair that literally flowed would have that effect.

But it wasn't until she'd realized who this was that she felt that familiar sense of intimidation. After all, gluttony was supposed to be a deadly sin. And considering that the Seven Sins were second only to the royal family themselves, Vanessa couldn't help but to feel like she was walking on egg shells. The last thing she wanted to do was anger one of the Seven Deadly Sins.

But in no time at all, her fear was washed away by the woman herself. Beelzebub, or rather just Bee as she preferred, wasn't exactly the gluttonous and fear-mongering person she'd have expected any of the Sins to be. She was very outgoing, a bubbly personality much like Charlie's own as she also made sure no one felt bad. She was also a very cheerful person, and she seemed to be quite the opposite to Vortex's quieter and more watchful demeanor.

Which, she supposed, made a bit of sense. Bee and Vortex were actually dating.

Nonetheless, Vanessa found herself warming up to the Sin quite quickly, as Bee was honestly nothing more than a fun-loving woman who just so happened to have a lot of power.

When the time came to separate into groups, it had been a longer affair than she'd admittedly expected. Though Vanessa supposed she honestly should've seen it coming, as their were currently thirteen people in their entire group.

Admittedly, despite all of the new faces, Vanessa had wanted to stick by John's side more than anything. She'd never realized it before, but with John came a sense of safety, and in an unfamiliar place, that safety was something Vanessa didn't want to lose.

Unfortunately there were quite a few people who wanted to spend time with John, which was understandable. And Vanessa didn't want to be a nuisance, begging the behemoth to stick with her all day, so she'd kept her mouth shut when everyone finally decided to separate into their own groups and let John choose who he wanted to go with.

Considering the way Beartrap kept looking at John with an eager smile, and the news about how the pup had reacted when John had come to the Hotel at first, Vanessa couldn't bring herself to complain when John opted to stick with Arya and Madrox' family.

Andre and his daughter, Viv, had joined with Charlie, Vaggie, and Angel to roam the park. Mainly because Angel and Viv seemed to have struck up a surprising friendship, from what Vanessa had been able to see.

That had left Vortex, Bee… and Vanessa herself.

Though she'd accepted nonetheless, she should've known that she couldn't hide her visible discomfort from John. The behemoth had taken the time to assure her before they'd entered the park that Vortex and Bee would gladly watch over her, even if she didn't realize it. It had helped, but Vanessa still couldn't help but to feel disappointed and a little nervous.

As much as she hated to admit it, it didn't help that she felt like a third wheel. Vortex and Bee were a couple after all, and now that she honestly thought about it, she was genuinely surprised that Charlie and Vaggie hadn't joined their group. Considering the way Charlie had taken off like an excited child the moment she spotted Bee.

That would've made Vanessa feel a little better.

But nonetheless, they'd all entered the park and separated into the agreed-upon groups as they all went in separate directions, agreeing to meet at one of the many food places in the park to eat and hang out a bit more.

So, at the moment, Vanessa was currently walking through the park with Vortex and Bee.

"So, what do you girls want to do first?" Vortex asked, glancing at both Bee and Vanessa with a small smile. "I've ridden every ride in this place, so I'm ready for whatever."

"I'm good with with whatever you two want." Bee assured with a grin of her own. "I'm not really big on the rides themselves, but the good vibes are always a pleasure."

"Well, I've never been here before." Vanessa admitted, rubbing her arm nervously. Around new faces, it was like her paranoia went into overdrive, causing her to easily overthink the most inane things. She honestly felt like nothing more than a nuisance, because she'd never been to the park and she didn't really know Vortex and Bee.

"That's fine." Vortex assured with a chuckle and a small shake of his head. "What type of rides to you like? I'm sure they got something here." He asked as both he and Bee gave Vanessa reassuring smiles.

Vanessa held their gazes for a moment, before averting her eyes with a small sigh as she looked up in thought. "Let's see… I did like riding the Diamondback at Kings Island."

"Oh yeah, that's a fun one." Vortex commented with a grin, before reaching into his pocket and… pulling out a map? "Uncle Madro was nice enough to snag a couple of maps for everyone when he and Arya took Benny to the bathroom. Let's see…"

"What about the Gut-Buster?" Bee suddenly suggested, making Vanessa feel a little nervous at the idea of a rollercoaster, in Hell, called the Gut-Buster.

Thankfully, Vortex shook his head with a small smile. "Nah, that might be too much for a first ride." He shot the idea down, but Bee took in stride with a smile of her own, leaning against the hellhound's shoulder with a smile.

"That's fine, we all need to have fun." Bee assured, shooting a glance at Vanessa with a… surprisingly comfortable smile. "You know, you don't have to feel so nervous."

"You noticed that too?" Vanessa couldn't help but to ask, suddenly feeling ashamed that her issues seemed to have burdened someone else.

But both Vortex and Bee waved it off. "Kiddo, I can feel emotions." Bee explained as she stood up off of Vortex, moving to his opposite side so that she was next to Vanessa, laying a hand on the succubus' shoulder and causing her to instinctively tense. "And besides, even if I couldn't, you can see it all over you."

"I'm sorry…" Vanessa couldn't help but to apologize, but Bee only rolled her eyes and gave a small laugh.

"Alright, stop for a second." Bee instructed, turning and crouching down in front of Vanessa as she placed her hands on the succubus shoulders and gave a gentle squeeze. "Look, you don't have to apologize, alright? I get it more than you think."

"We've all got some kind of issues in our lives." Vortex piped up, stepping up next to the two as he offered a reassuring smile. "Trauma is a tough thing, and we all feel it in some capacity."

Vanessa could only stare at Vortex for a moment, before turning her attention back to Bee with a still nervous gaze. "But… I don't want to make you mad."

"It's Vanessa, right?" Bee asked, and when Vanessa nodded, the Sin smiled. "Look, it takes a lot, and I do mean a lot, to make me mad." She assured, offering another gentle squeeze and a reassuring rub to the succubus' shoulders before standing to her feet. "And Vortex has a lot of patience for bullshit, something I honestly doubt you're very good at."

Vanessa wasn't sure if that was a compliment or an insult. But considering what she'd learned about Bee so far, she chose to assume the former.

"What she's saying, Vanessa, is that you aren't gonna make us mad." Vortex spoke up with a grin as he moved next to Bee and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, leaning over a planting a kiss upon her temple before turning his attention back to Vanessa. "We're here to have fun. That includes you too."

Vanessa continued to stare at them, searching for any sign of deception and dishonesty, something that would indicate that her fears were valid.

But as she saw none, she slowly found herself relaxing before their eyes, before she finally gave them a soft smile.

"Okay…" Vanessa nodded her head as she turned to look up at them completely. "I'll try to relax."

"That's the spirit." Bee encouraged with a grin, before turning to Vortex. "So, you got the map, find us a ride." She joked, earning a smile from Vortex as the hellhound nodded his head.

"So you said that you liked the Diamondback at Kings Island?" Vortex asked, glancing at Vanessa as he brought the map back up to look at it. When Vanessa nodded, he grinned. "Alright, I'd say the closest equivalent here would be the Angelic Demon." He noted as he moved next to Vanessa, leaning down and turning the map so she could see as he pointed at the rollercoaster.

Vanessa smiled when she saw the rollercoaster. From the layout on the map, it looked like it would be fun.

"That looks fun." Vanessa voiced her thoughts with an eager grin as she turned to Vortex, who smiled as he stood to his feet with a chuckle.

"Alright, looks like we have our first ride, then." Vortex said as he took a glance at Bee, sharing a smile with her, before turning to Vanessa and nodding in the direction of the Angelic Demon. "Let's go."

As the three started their trek, Vanessa had a question ringing through her mind. Now that she didn't feel nervous, or at least too nervous, she had enough confidence to look at Vortex and voice her question.

"You talk like you've been to Kings Island." Vanessa noted, causing the hellhound to glance down at her as he pulled his gaze away from studying the map. "But… that's on Earth. In the living world."

"I know." Vortex assured with a grin. "Most hellhounds have an innate human disguise, and I work for my cousin as her bodyguard." He explained with a small chuckle as he turned his gaze back to the map, though he wasn't done speaking. "We went to Ohio for a concert last year. I remembered John telling me about Kings Island, and I figured I'd check it out for myself."

Vanessa… felt a little jealous, honestly. Vortex had access to Earth, could go and mingle among the living, while she was stuck down in Hell as a sinner. And from the way it sounded, it wasn't just him, either.

"And who knows? Maybe we can sneak you up there one day." Vortex offered, resting a hand on Vanessa's shoulder. If he noticed her tense up at the contact, he didn't say anything as he offered her a smile.

"But… I don't have a human disguise." Vanessa pointed out, looking up at him with a furrowed brow. "And I'm a sinner."

"So?" Andre shrugged with a chuckle. "You think no other sinner has managed to find a way back to the living world? It's more a matter of if you want to, and I'm sure we can get a disguise spell for you." He assured.

"I could handle the spell part." Bee piped up with a smile as Vortex took his hand off of Vanessa's shoulder. "But it's more a matter of if it could be kept quiet. Like you said, you're a sinner, and that's a big no-no."

"You'd… really do that for me?" Vanessa couldn't help but to be surprised at the offer. They barely knew her, had only met her less than an hour ago. Why would they go so out of their way for her?

"Sure." Vortex replied with a shrug. "I mean, we made the same offer to John once, but he said no. Didn't feel like getting us in trouble was worth it."

Well, there was even more evidence that John was completely selfless. At this point, it was no secret that John still missed his family very much, all of his loved ones really. But he wouldn't put any of his loved ones at risk, no matter what.

"Yeah, that sounds like John." Vanessa nodded with a smile, a small giggle escaping her. "It still surprises me sometimes, how nice he really is."

"The thing with John is he keeps an open mind most of the time." Bee spoke up with a small grin. "Most people are terrified when it comes to meeting any of us Sins. But John shook my hand and talked to me like I was just some random person on the day I met him."

"Because that's the way John is." Vortex added on as he folded up the map and put it away, having memorized the route to the Angelic Demon at this point. "He doesn't care if it's Hell, he looks at everyone the same. We're all people in his eyes."

"Though, he doesn't hesitate to knock some skulls." Bee pointed out with a grin, earning a laugh from both Vortex and Vanessa.

"The day I met him, he put some perverted store owner's head through a wall." Vanessa told them, conveniently leaving out the reason why, as that could lead to more questions that she wasn't quite ready to answer just yet.

"Hah! You think that's something?" Vortex chuckled as he glanced down at Vanessa, before turning to look at Bee. "You want to tell her or should I?"

"Are we talking about the bar incident, or the shotgun incident?" Bee asked, placing a hand on her hip as she raised an eyebrow at Vortex.

Vanessa was curious as to both stories, admittedly, considering one of them was called the 'shotgun' story.

"Bar." Vortex replied, and Vanessa honestly felt a small pang of disappointment. She really wanted to hear the shotgun story.

"Ah. So me and Tex joined John and Nea at the local bar in Imp City, right?" Bee began the story with a broad grin coming onto her face. "Everything goes normal at first. We're all just sitting, drinking, having a blast with each other."

"Until some idiot decides to walk up and start hitting on Nea." Vortex piped in with a grin of his own, shaking his head in amusement. "Now, anyone with eyes could see that John and Nea were together, at least for that night. Had his arm around her shoulders and everything."

"But not everyone knows what common sense is." Bee commented with an amused eyeroll. "You see, some sinner saw Nea, and figured that since she was naked, she was open for business if you catch my drift." She continued the story, before glancing over at Tex with a smirk.

Vortex chuckled as he looked down at Vanessa. "Well, John being halfway drunk by then, obviously didn't take too kindly to some guy telling Nea 'Hey, baby, why don't you ditch the ugly corpse and I'll show you a good time?"

"Nea could've handled herself, of course." Bee added. "But she didn't get the chance. John asked us all to step outside for about five minutes while he tries to 'talk some sense into the guy."

"Five minutes later, me, Bee, and Nea are standing outside when the guy comes flying through the window like a missile and into a car."

Vanessa couldn't stop the giggles that escaped her at the image her mind conjured. It was almost like that scene from Incredibles.

"And then John opens the entrance, peeks out the door, and says 'oh, I was wondering where you guys went.'" Vortex finished the story with a chuckle as he shook his head in amusement.

Vanessa's giggles quickly evolved into full fledged laughter at the idea of John being so drunk that he'd have forgotten what he'd said only five minutes beforehand.

Vortex and Bee watched the laughing succubus with smiles on their faces, before sharing a knowing glance with each other.

"Hey, you want some stories?" Vortex asked with a raised eyebrow as he glanced down at Vanessa. "I know John's got plenty just like that."

"I'll make sure to ask him." Vanessa said in between fits of laughter as they slowly died down, first to giggles, and then light chuckles. "I think the funniest thing is his wall ornament treatment."

"Wall ornament?" Vortex questioned with raised eyebrow at hearing that. "What do you mean by that?"

"When John's using the TV in the lobby, he doesn't like anyone to try and take it from him." Vanessa explained with a small laugh as she brushed some hair behind her ear and looked up at Vortex and Bee. "He'll give it up for Charlie's sessions, the rehabilitation stuff, but good luck trying to get it from him for anything else. And even then, John will still be stubborn if Charlie doesn't at least let him finish whatever he's doing."

"Yeah, that sounds like him." Vortex remarked with a small chuckle, earning a giggle from Bee in the process.

"Well, for anyone who's dumb enough to try, John has the funniest punishment ready for them." Vanessa once again broke into giggles, trying to control herself long enough to actually tell them what said punishment was. "He'll lift them up and hang them on the wall!"

At that, both Bee and Vortex's eyes widened, before they both lost themselves in laughter right alongside Vanessa at the image that entered both their brains.

"So what, he just lets them hang there until he's decided they've learned a lesson?!" Bee asked between fits of laughter as she imagined Charlie hanging from a wall, struggling to get off while John paid no attention.

"Uh-huh!" Vanessa nodded her head, speaking between her own fits of amusement as she tried to control herself. "I uh… I'm pretty sure the only people who haven't been Walled, as we call it, are me, Husk, and Alastor." She said as she finally calmed down from her laughter, an amused sigh escaping her.

"Well, something tells me it'll stay that way." Vortex commented as he too managed to stifle his laughter, before his gaze moved up. "Well, looks like that's enough conversation." He noted. Vanessa's eyes followed his gaze, and her eyes widened.

Yep. The Angelic Demon was definitely a good substitute for the Diamondback.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

John looked at the rollercoaster where he heard the familiar scream, before chuckling with an amused shake of his head as adjusted Beartrap within his arms.

"What?" Arya asked, glancing over at the behemoth with a smile as she walked next to Madrox, her hand intertwined in his own.

"Tex and Bee managed to drag Vanessa onto the Angelic Demon." John replied with a chuckle as he glanced back at Arya with a grin. "I just heard her screaming."

"I lived with you for three years, and I still can't get over your hearing." Razor commented with a grin as he looked up at John. "I thought hellhounds had sensitive ears."

"Well, a dog whistle works just the same on me." John joked as he met the hellhound's gaze. "Difference between you and me is that I'm not afraid to find and break the damn things."

"Believe us, we remember." Madrox chuckled as he glanced up at John. "Clive still bitches about you breaking his whistle when we go to the thrift store."

"Yeah, yeah, next time don't blow a damn dog whistle after you've just been told that the biggest man in the building has the most sensitive ears." John retorted with a raised eyebrow, before chuckling. "He knew what he was doing."

"And he learned his lesson." Arya reminded the both of them, before glancing back to John with a smile. "So, how've things been at the Hotel? It's been weeks since you last called."

"Well, we got a certain snake at the Hotel now." John revealed, causing Madrox to bust out laughing while Razor simply snickered. Meanwhile, Arya's eyes widened in a disbelieving smile.

"Pentious? He's at the Hotel?" She asked in disbelief, before shaking her head in amusement. "Wow. I never thought he'd give it a shot."

"Well he showed up as a spy for the Vees." Upon seeing the confused look on their faces, John elaborated. "Couple of Overlords. Anyway, he got caught, I had a few words with the TV fucker, and then Pentious decided to actually stay when Charlie forgave him." He told them, his grin growing as he did so, before he frowned. "I do wish the fucking eggs weren't a package deal. Bunch of them ambushed me in the bathroom this morning."

"Well, you should've known they'd be coming with him." Madrox pointed out with a small chuckle. "Those things are up his ass twenty-four-seven."

"Does he even have an ass?" Razor joked, earning him a snort of amusement from John.

"If he does, it's hidden between those scales." John remarked with a shake of his head, before his face scrunched in disgust. "That is not an image I needed in my head."

"So when are you coming home?" Beartrap asked, looking up at John with an eager smile. The pup definitely wanted John back home soon rather than later.

Unfortunately, John shook his head with a sad smile. "Not for a while, bud. At the very least, not till after the next Extermination."

"Then maybe we oughta think about moving in with you." Madrox joked with a chuckle, though deep down, it wasn't entirely a mere joke.

With John gone from the Hell Hole, it was now free pickings for the Exorcists. And they'd already proven that they didn't care about the hellborn pardon, considering they'd tried going after his own daughter. And Andre's wife had died saving her.

"I will say this, we could use the staff." John commented, glancing down at the two with a small smile. "We only have three actual guests, but so far we've only got one person in each position."

"Well, I don't know about that." Arya kindly declined the offer, looking up at John as she did so. "We appreciate it, believe me… but we aren't ready to leave just yet." Her face fell into a saddened frown as she said it, and it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out said reason.

"How… How is Rose?" John asked, a saddened expression coming across his own face as he looked down at her. "She still call?"

"Once a week." Madrox answered with a nod, his own expression saddened as he answered. "She acts like she's doing good… but she can't fool us."

"You should call her, John." Arya suggested, an almost pleading expression on her face as she looked up at him. "She really does feel terrible for what she did."

"I'm not there quite yet." John answered with a saddened sigh. "I want to forgive her… but I'm still hurt over it. And let's be honest, when I'm mad, my words alone are really fucking cruel."

"That's because you only ever say the truth." Razor pointed out, a small smile on his own face as he gave the behemoth a friendly pat on the arm. "It hurts like hell at the moment, sure… but in the end, getting that anger out might be the best."

"Forgive me for disagreeing." John retorted, before offering the hellhound a smile. "Still, I appreciate that, Razor."

"I ain't bashed all my brain cells out yet." Razor joked, once again lightening the mood as everyone fell into laughter.

"Oh, I wanna ride that!" Beartrap abruptly piped up from John's arms, effectively ending the laughter as he pointed at one of the bigger rollercoasters in the distance.

"Hell no!" Madrox immediately shook his head vigorously, looking up at Beartrap with a stern gaze. "Ignoring the height restrictions, you'd end up puking all over the place the moment you get off of them."

"Assuming you don't paint everyone behind you." John pointed out with a shake of his own head. "How about we find something else?"

Beartrap didn't seem to like that idea too much, crossing his arms in a pout as he looked at John. "But I wanna ride that one."

"How about you don't ride anything?" Arya suggested, raising an eyebrow at her son with his continued stubbornness. At her words, Beartrap's eyes shot wide, before he quickly shook his head. "That's what I thought."

"Tell you what, we'll ride the Duck Race, how's that sound?" Razor suggested, grinning when he saw Beartrap's face light up in excitement.

"Yeah!" Beartrap nodded eagerly, earning smiles and chuckles from everyone else.

"Well, looks like we know what we're riding first." John commented with a chuckle as they altered their path, beginning the trek to the Duck Race rollercoaster.

Verosika Mayday was many different things. A pop star, a confident and adventurous succubus, and an alcoholic.

She lived for the spotlight, both in and out of the bedroom. She lived for making men come undone and making women jealous. She strives to live life to its fullest.

But there was one thing she hadn't been in a very long time.

Rose Mayday was a thing of the past. Verosika Mayday was the only thing that mattered. At least, that's what she kept trying to tell herself.

So why did it hurt every time she'd say it? Every time she'd repeated in the mirror?

Why did always feel so much turmoil every time she thought of them? It wasn't like that family had raised her, taken her in when she was scared, starving, and all alone. It wasn't like they called her family, saw her as a sister, or a cousin, or a niece… or a daughter.

Except… that's exactly what they did. It was why she hired Vortex as her bodyguard. He was one of the only men she knew that she trusted completely. As well as one of the few who… who still wanted to be around her.

Verosika Mayday died the day that a kind old hellhound found her in the streets and saw fit to take her home. Rose Mayday was born when an imp and hellhound couple adopted and earned the right to call her daughter.

But Rose Mayday died on the day she chose to cheat on her boyfriend. The day she chose to shatter his heart into pieces in order to fit in with the other succubi. Verosika Mayday rose once more on the day she found another man.

A man who in turn… broke her own heart.

It was so easy to look back on a year and a half and think different thoughts.

Rose Mayday only felt anguish, heartbreak, and loneliness when she thought about it.

Verosika Mayday tried to look at it as a learning experience. Don't let men in too much.

Rose Mayday felt guilt every time she had sex.

Verosika Mayday screamed with ecstasy every time a man plowed her into a bed.

Rose Mayday wanted to find the man who's heart she broke, and beg for forgiveness on her knees if she had too.

Verosika Mayday wanted to live the high life, sing a hundred songs, tease a million fans, and fuck a thousand men.

Rose Mayday was slowly rising.

Verosika Mayday didn't want to crack.

"Alright sluts." Verosika spoke, calling her posse to attention as she turned around to face them.

From left to right were a group of seven demons. The incubi and four succubi. John, Coco and Apple wrapped in each other's arms, Kat, Milky, Kiki, and Ace.

"We're here to have some real fun." Verosika grinned, her eyebrows waving in a seductive manner as she gestured to the Lu Lu Land entrance behind her. "Nobody causes any trouble in this park. But we aren't here to cause trouble, are we?" The words rolled from her tongue, smooth as silk and sultry in tone.

Every single face in her posse grinned. Of course they weren't here to cause trouble.

A few people getting lucky in a bathroom stall isn't trouble, is it?

Or maybe just invite a bunch outside to the bud for an orgy, who knows what they would do.

Verosika didn't care too much, if she were honest. As long as each and every one of them stayed safe and made sure to shoot a text to let everyone know, she was fine with whatever choice they made.

She was here for the same reason, anyway. Sure, she might enjoy a ride or two, a handi in a thrill ride always worked. But if she could find a few guys herself…

She's pretty sure the inside of the bud will look like a crime scene if it didn't already.

Sure, doing something like this wasn't exactly ideal with Vortex off, but hey, she knew how to take care of herself.

It had nothing to do with Rose Mayday. Nothing at all.

"Are you ready?!" Verosika cried, a grin on her face as she rallied her posse's energy.

"YEAH!" Every single one of them replied, looks of excitement and cheer on their faces as they pumped their fists in the air.

"Then let's go have some fun!" Verosika replied as she turned on her heel, waving them along as she began marching towards the entrance with a grin on her face.

They had a plan so things didn't look too suspicious. Assuming Nea still worked here, they'd get thrown at quickly at the first sign of mischief, so she'd figured it best to seperate and start at different sections of the park.

So the moment they'd stepped through the gate and into the central plaza, the group immediately dispersed, Verosika continuing forward as she began searching, looking through to see if there were any good candidates.

She'd already caught a few eyes, each one flashing with recognition as different people gave her both admiring and disgusted looks.

She was Verosika Mayday, after all.

Verosika had already known what she'd wanted to do first, so now she just needed to find the right guy. Let's see…

Her eyes crossed over a few, before spotting a goat sinner that looked like he'd come undone quite quickly.

Hopefully before the end of the Fire Fist ride. That was a good one and it didn't take pictures, which meant she wouldn't be caught.

She smirked.

The demon seemed to notice her smirk, turning his gaze away in a shy and embarrassed manner as his face began to redden. He'd definitely be a fun one.

"Hey, Cutie." Verosika spoke as she approached the demon, causing the goat's eyes to fly back to her in surprise as she strutted closer, bringing a hand up to his chest as she stopped. "I'm looking for a good thrill ride… think you can help?"

It was a matter of the perfect balance. Be blunt enough that they know exactly what she's saying, but vague enough that no one listening in could report her.

The goat stammered, causing Verosika to grin and let out a low giggle. He was cute.

"U-Um… what k-kind of help?" The guy was so flustered, his face bright red as he stared at Verosika in both confusion and… hope.

"Not much, I just need someone to ride the Fire Fist with me." Verosika replied, feigning nonchalance as she gave a half-hearted shrug, before her grin faded for a downright lustful smirk. "Think you can do that for me, baby?" Her voice was sultry, leaning closer until her lips were right next to his ear.

"O-Of course…"

She had him. Hook. Line. Sinker.

"Let's go then." Verosika let her hand glide up his chest, his neck, and slide off his chin as she wiggled her finger for him to follow.

The man did so eagerly.

Verosika grinned while he couldn't see. This would be fun.

"Um… am I crazy, or did I just watch one of Verosika Mayday's pals walk by?"

The question game so out of left field that Vaggie had to stop for a second to process the question that he left Angel's lips, before she turned towards him along with everyone else.

"Verosika Mayday?" Vaggie asked, turning to the spider with a raised eyebrow as she put a hand to her hip. "The pop star? What makes you think you saw one of her pals?"

"She's got this group that goes almost everywhere with her." Angel explained, glancing at Vaggie as he raised a hand and pointed somewhere else. "That looks like one of them."

Vaggie's gaze followed where he was pointing, where she spotted a red skinned incubus with spiked hair and a cut-off shirt that had a circled X on it standing a fair distance away at one of the food booths. He seemed to be talking up a shorter demon, who looked absolutely enthralled the man in front of him.

"That… does look like one of them." To Vaggie's absolute surprise, Charlie stepped forward, confirming Angel's question while Vaggie spun to face her with a surprised gaze. "What? I like her music."

"Oh shit." Andre muttered suddenly, sounding genuinely alarmed as his eyes snapped to Viv. "Viv-"

"I'm on it." Viv looked just as alarmed as Andre, having wasted no time in pulling out her phone as she began tapping and sliding away at it almost frantically.

"What the hell's the big deal?" Vaggie asked with a narrowed eye, rightly concerned in her opinion at the fuss Andre and Viv seemed to share over one of Verosika's crew. "It's just some guy who hangs out with her."

"I'm pretty sure that's Ace." Andre replied, still eyeing the incubus as he began walking away with the still enthralled demon. "That's not just a friend, he's one of her posse as it's called. If he's here, chances are they all are."

"Including Verosika…" Viv sounded almost saddened at the way she said the name, pausing in her phone movements, before shaking her head in order to refocus. "Which means we have to try and find her and keep John away from her."

"What the hell's John got to do with her?" Angel asked with a raised eyebrow. Andre and Viv looked at each other, silent communication happening between the two before Andre let out a sigh.

"She's… my adopted niece. And John's ex-girlfriend."

Well, that definitely wasn't a bombshell. Oh wait, of course it was!

"John dated Verosika Mayday?" Charlie asked in disbelief, eyes wide in absolute shock that bombshell.

"She's your fucking niece?!" Angel sounded far more incredulous, looking at Andre as if he'd grown a second head. "And you didn't think to say that or, oh I don't know, invite her?"

Vaggie found herself at a loss at the revelation. John? The big behemoth who shook the Hotel every time he moved any quicker than a casual walk? He had dated Verosika Mayday? The actual pop star?

…

Why was Vaggie a little annoyed at that? Was it because she hadn't known?

No, it wasn't that. Sure it's a shock, but it wasn't any of her business in the first place. She wasn't entitled to the information of either of their personal lives, Andre or John. And yet, it made Vaggie's nose twitch in annoyance. It made her suddenly dislike Verosika rather than her original indifference.

But why?

"Well, she doesn't really talk to the rest of us. She'll call Arya, because that's her mom, and Vortex works as her bodyguard, but the rest of us haven't spoken to her in two years." Andre explained with a sigh, rubbing his head in clear discomfort. "She and John were together for a year and half till she… cheated on him."

Well, annoyance just turned anger, and Vaggie did know why this time.

Sure, she still didn't completely trust him, but once she'd let go of her grudge, getting to know him had been… enlightening. And even if she didn't trust him entirely, she knew him well enough to know that he didn't deserve that kind of heartbreak.

Not after how much he'd already suffered.

He'd been ripped away from one love, and another tore his heart apart.

"Alright, I texted Vortex and Arya." Viv announced as she put her phone away before looking at everyone else. "I know we're here to have fun, but-"

"But Verosika Mayday just became the priority?" Vaggie asked, a little too eagerly than she'd intended, but the blank face she held luckily threw them off.

"Yeah." Andre nodded, sounding rather guilty. "Sorry."

"What kind of problem are we looking at that John can fucking see her?" Angel asked, clearly agitated and more than concerned at Andre and Viv's own worry.

Andre and Viv glanced at each other for a moment, before turning back to the others.

"Nothing too bad." Viv assured, before shaking her head. "But knowing how John is, he'll likely cause a scene and Nea will have to throw him out."

Oh, well that just made things much better, didn't they?

"Would Nea even be able to get him out if he doesn't want to leave?" Charlie asked, looking rightly concerned at that possibility.

"John would be causing a scene the whole time… but he wouldn't fight against her, not at the risk of accidentally hurting her." Andre assured. "But still, I think we'd all like to avoid that possibility."

"Arya'a gonna try and keep John from seeing her." Viv explained, laying out the best possible plane that sounded like it had been prepped long ago. "Whenever he sees my text, Vortex is gonna try to find Verosika. Once she knows John's here, she'll probably leave."

"Why?" Vaggie couldn't help but to ask, raising an eyebrow. Based on what she knew, Verosika Mayday wasn't likely to leave just because an old flame was present.

"John's terrifying when he's angry."

That… was true, actually. Vaggie would know.

"So… what the hell are we supposed to do if he does see her?" Angel asked, looking a little unnerved at how concerned the two hellhounds seemed to be.

"Hope and pray." Was Andre's less than desirable response as Viv's phone dinged. The hellhound reached into her pocket, pulling out her phone and looking at the notification that had come through.

And then her eyes flew wide, a look of horror on her face. Vaggie was pretty sure that the hellhound would be pale if it wasn't for her fur.

Everyone noticed her sudden change in demeanor, especially with the way she gulped as she slowly looked up from her phone.

"That was Arya… we're already too late…"