Millie woke up with a jolt, realizing she had dozed off. She looked around the room, remembering that she had dozed off instead of tending to the library.
'I can't believe I fell asleep!' She thought to herself. Movement beside her caught her attention and she saw Angel Dust still asleep beside her, blissfully unaware of the time that had passed.
Millie's mind raced as she recalled the recent events, the image of herself crying and asking Angel Dust to stay with her replaying in her mind. Mortified, she buried her face in her hands, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. 'Oh my goodness, how could I embarrass myself like that in front of him?' she thought, her voice an internal whine of mortification.
Millie found herself in a bit of a pickle, tangled up in all four of Angel's arms as he slept peacefully. She desperately wanted to get back to work, but he looked so comfy, and she didn't have the heart to wake him up.
"H-hey, Angel," she whispered urgently, gently shaking him, trying to wake him up.
He grumbled, his eyes slowly opening a hint of drowsiness still lingering in them. "Why ya shakin' me, toots?" he mumbled groggily. "I-I'm sorry, but we've been asleep for a while now. I really need to get up and get back to work." her eyes darting around the room.
Angel Dust released her from his hold, sighing dramatically as he sprawled out on the couch. "You worry too much, sweetheart," he drawled. "You need to relax a little."
"W-w-what if Charlie finds out?" she fretted, her voice tinged with worry. "She's going to be s-so disappointed!"
As if on cue, Charlie, her usual bubbly self, burst through the library door. Before she could even utter a word, Millie, filled with a mixture of panic and remorse, hurriedly interrupted her.
"Charlie, I-I am so sorry for f-falling asleep on the job," Millie exclaimed, her voice filled with sincere regret. "It was unprofessional of me, and it won't happen again."
Charlie's cheerful attitude melted any tension in the air. Her warm smile and gentle nature instantly set Millie at ease. She quickly responded, her voice filled with understanding. "Oh, Millie, don't worry about it!" Charlie reassured. "Everyone gets tired sometimes. It's totally okay, I'm not mad at all." Charlie's excitement was palpable and her smile grew wider, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.
"Besides, it looked like you two had quite a bonding moment there," Charlie noted, her tone cheerful. "Maybe this is another step closer to redemption for Angel!" Angel Dust, lounging lazily on the couch, rolled his eyes dramatically and cast a look in Millie's direction, his eyes silently saying a smug 'I told you so.'
Angel Dust, continuing to lay sprawled out on the couch, responded to Charlie's comments with a dismissive wave of his hand. His tone was lighthearted as he gave her a good-natured eye roll.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, Charlie," he said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
Angel Dust stood up, stretching his limbs with a satisfied grunt. Just as he was about to take his leave, he recalled the photos from the party. Turning to Millie, he asked, "Hey, toots, what's ya phone number? I need to send you those pics from the party."
As Angel Dust asked for Millie's number, Charlie perked up. Her cheerful demeanor was infectious as she interjected, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Oh, me too! I need your number, too," she chimed in, her voice brimming with eagerness. "You know, just in case something happens, aaand so I can send you fun things too!" The two demons in front of her pulled out their phones and looked at Millie, waiting for her to tell them her number.
Millie didn't answer right away. She didn't know how to tell them that she didn't have a cell phone. She never had a need for one when she got to Hell. She didn't know anyone and even after being there for a while, she still didn't know anyone well enough to justify getting one. So she just never did. But she was reluctant to tell them that. She had already spilled her guts at the party about not having friends when she was alive. She did not want them to know this too.n "I-I um don't have a phone...at the moment! I don't have one at the moment," she caught her slip-up. "I u-um dropped it a few weeks ago and um hadn't had the chance to get a new one." Millie laughed nervously, hoping that they bought it. She really hated lying to her new friends, but she just...didn't want to seem like such a loser.
Charlie and Angle both looked surprised at Millie's confession. They exchanged a glance, clearly not expecting that response. Charlie, ever the kind soul, frowned sympathetically.
"Aww, that's a shame," Charlie said, her voice soft. "I hate losing phones. It's such a pain to get a new one and transfer all your stuff."
Millie nodded nervously, her heart pounding in her chest as she tried to maintain her facade. "Uh y-yes, it definitely is a pain," she said, her voice slightly shaky.
Angel Dust, sensing her unease, raised an eyebrow, his gaze penetrating and perceptive. A hint of skepticism flickered in his eyes, as if he could see through her lie. Charlie, ever the empathetic one, interjected with an offer. "Don't worry, Millie," she chimed in. "I'll get you a new phone! It's no problem at all." Millie vehemently shook her head, her voice filled with protests. "No, no, please, it's too much," she insisted. But Charlie stayed firm, a gentle but insistent smile on her face.
"Consider it a work-related thing, then," she said, her tone leaving no room for argument. "You're a part of the hotel now, and we need to be able to reach each other. It's important."
Millie gave in to Charlie's insistence. She knew that there was no talking the princess out of it. With a resigned sigh, she conceded, her voice filled with reluctant acceptance.
"Okay," she muttered. "And, um, thank you, Charlie."
As soon as the words left her mouth, Charlie was already out the door, her enthusiastic voice echoing through the hallway as she called for Vaggie.
"Vaggie! Vaggie, we need to go get Millie a new phone!" she called out, her footsteps hurrying down the corridor.
Left alone in the library, Angel Dust leaned against the doorframe, his gaze fixed on Millie. A mixture of curiosity and skepticism played in his eyes, still sensing that she wasn't being entirely truthful. "So, toots," Angel Dust drawled, his voice laced with a mixture of nonchalance and scrutiny. "Dropping your phone, huh? Bit careless, don't ya think?"
Millie's eyes widened slightly, feeling the weight of Angel Dust's skeptical gaze. His question hung in the air, its casual tone masking an underlying suspicion. She swallowed nervously, her heart rate increasing as she scrambled for a believable explanation.
"Yeah, I-I guess I was being pretty careless," Millie stammered, her voice quivering just a bit. Her eyes darted around, avoiding his penetrative gaze. "I mean, it happens, right? Accidents happen..."
Angel sighed and crossed both pairs of his arms, "Look, toots," he said, his voice firm but not unkind. "I ain't gonna push ya. But I don't fully buy this whole accident thing." Angel Dust shifted his weight, his voice growing somewhat softer. "But listen, when you get that new phone, make sure you give me your number, alright?" he said, his eyes studying her closely.
Angel Dust straightened up, a small smirk playing on his lips. "And hey, we're friends now, right?" he quipped, a hint of playfulness in his tone. "Can't have friends losing touch with each other." Millie nodded, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. She took a shaky breath, her voice trembling as she responded.
"Yeah, friends," she said quietly, a mixture of gratitude and vulnerability in her tone.
Angel Dust chuckled and gestured towards the books surrounding them.
"Yeah, you go ahead and get back to ya serious work," he said, with a hint of playful sarcasm. "Can't keep those books waitin'. Gotta make sure they don't feel neglected." He sauntered out, his steps unhurried, leaving Millie alone with her thoughts.
Millie watched as Angel left the library and let out a heavy sigh. She felt bad about the lie, and even worse knowing that Angel knew she was lying. She took a deep breath, steadying herself, and reminded herself that she had a job to finish, and wallowing in guilt wouldn't get it done.
With a renewed sense of determination, Millie pushed her emotions aside and diverted her attention back to her work. The library, once again, became a sanctuary of quiet focus as she immersed herself in her tasks.
As Millie settled into her routine at the hotel, her first week passed quickly. Thanks to Charlie's kindness and thoughtfulness, she now had a new phone, complete with the phone numbers of everyone in the hotel...well everyone that had a phone. So, that meant Charlie, Vaggie, and Angel. Alastor hated any type of modern technology, Husk just didn't want to bother with it, and Nifty...was just Nifty. Along with her new phone, she had received her first payment from Charlie and boy was it a hefty sum.
Charlie frequently sent Millie cute and encouraging texts, brightening her day with her cheerful demeanor. Angel had shared the pictures from the party, starting a steady stream of text exchanges between them. At first, receiving a text message sent Millie into a panic, but with some guidance and practice, she got used to it. And it also helped her conversation skills.
It was thrilling!
Her work with the library was going well too. She was finally able to look over and sign the contract that Charlie had drawn up. It was basically everything they had previously discussed. She had finished mapping out which books would go where and shelving the first crate of books. Now she needed to 'order' another load of books. It was easy for her to play this off when she was at her shop. But now that she was in the hotel, it was going to be tough figuring out how to get the books 'delivered'. Millie thought that maybe she could shrink down and sneak out, go back to her shop and conjure up the next load of books, then see if Charlie could arrange for the shipment to be delivered to the hotel.
"Ah, that would be great, if I could actually control it!" Millie mumbled to herself. She paced back and forth in her room, nearly ready to pull her hair out in frustration. Her tail whipped around her legs, reflecting her agitation. It was a Saturday morning and her day off. Charlie insisted that she take the weekends as her days off. Saying she didn't want Millie to overwork herself. She didn't even try to argue with the princess. She'd never win.
Millie stopped in her tracks, a lightbulb turning on in her head. "I've got it! I'll just tell Charlie that I'll have the new order of books delivered to my shop on Mondays and ask if she could arrange for them to be brought here." Another thought crossed her mind, "She'll probably ask if the person that delivered the books to my shop could just bring them here," her ears drooped at the thought. Millie rubbed her temples as if doing so would help her come up with a situation to this new problem.
And it worked.
"I'll just say that the person that does my deliveries is an ornery old demon and doesn't like messing up his usual routes." Millie flopped down on her bed and closed her eyes. "First the lie about the phone and now this. I've had friends for what, like a week? And I've already lied to them twice" she grabbed one of the pillows on her bed and screamed into it. After getting that out of her system, Millie tossed the pillow aside and rolled over onto her stomach. "This lie is necessary though. I can't risk anyone finding out about how I actually get all those books." she told herself, trying to justify her actions.
Millie let out a heavy sigh and decided to get it over with and talk to Charlie about this. She pulled out her phone and sent the blonde a text saying that she needed to talk to her about the next shipment of books. Charlie's response came quickly, telling Millie to meet her in her office. Millie looked at the message and gave another sigh. "Let's get this over with."
Millie made her way to Charlie's office. Over the past week she made sure to memorize the different rooms and such so she wouldn't get lost again. Now she knew where everyone's room was and where the kitchen was. She even found a lovely little balcony that she started having her morning tea on. It was peaceful and calmed her before the day started.
Arriving at her destination, Millie knocked on the door and heard a muffled 'come in!' before opening the door to reveal Charlie...and Alastor. Millie could feel her ears and tail drop at the sight of the red clad demon. She hadn't really seen him since the night of her welcome party. She really wanted to keep it that way too. While she did like to listen to his music broadcast every night to help her sleep, it was totally different being in his presence. He terrified and thrilled her. It was all very confusing, so she just tried to minimize her interactions with him. It seemed like he didn't really mind either.
"Good morning my dear!" Alastor, never one to miss an opportunity to be a gentleman, rose from his seat to greet Millie, his usual smile in place. He approached her, gesturing toward a seat beside his own. "Come, come, take a seat right next to me," he said, his smile widening slightly. Millie allowed herself to be led further into the room. Once they were both seated, Charlie asked how she could help Millie with the next shipment of books.
"So, you wanted to talk about the next shipment of books, right? How can I help you with that?" Her tone was warm and helpful, signifying her eagerness to be of assistance. Millie's already shaky confidence took a nosedive upon seeing that Alastor was going to be part of the conversation. She fidgeted nervously with her tail, unable to maintain eye contact with the radio demon or Charlie.
Millie took a deep breath to compose herself, steeling her nerves before speaking. She repeated the same rehearsed line she had practiced in her room, her voice only slightly tremulous as she spoke. As Millie was in the midst of discussing delivery arrangements with Charlie, Alastor abruptly interjected, cutting through her words with his smooth, radio-like voice.
"Oh, I can handle the delivery, my dear," he stated nonchalantly, a sly smile playing at the corners of his mouth. He added a nonchalant wave of his hand as he elaborated, "I'll simply utilize the power of my shadows to warp the books here, just as I did with the first batch. It'll be a trivial task, really."
Millie was caught off guard by Alastor's sudden interjection and was visibly pale. Her expression was one of mild shock, and perhaps a trace of discomfort. Charlie, on the other hand, reacted with enthusiasm, visibly pleased by Alastor's suggestion. "Oh, that would be wonderful!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with genuine joy.
Charlie's excitement was palpable, her smile wide as she contemplated the convenience of Alastor's assistance. She turned to Millie, who was still processing the unexpected turn of events and trying to mask her unease. She was completely oblivious to the mouse demon's discomfort. "Isn't that fantastic, Millie? You won't have to worry about the delivery anymore. Alastor will handle it!"
Charlie's words hung in the air and although she meant well, her cluelessness about Millie's feelings served to make her reaction even more awkward. Alastor, meanwhile, watched the exchange with keen interest, his smile never faltering. As Millie found herself unable to argue, she resigned herself to silently agreeing with Charlie's enthusiastic reaction. Her mind buzzed with concerns, but she knew that objecting would only lead to more questions she couldn't readily answer.
Alastor, keen on every nuance of the interaction, watched as she silently acquiesced, his smile almost appearing as a smirk. Millie mentioned to them that she would be needed at her shop on Monday mornings to sign for any incoming shipments.
In response, Alastor piped up, a hint of satisfaction in his voice. "Perfect," he exclaimed. "I'll make sure to accompany you on Monday."
Millie's nervousness flared up at the thought of being in Alastor's company alone. Her voice quivered slightly as she tried to maintain a semblance of composure. "Y-You're going to... you're going to escort me?"
Alastor chuckled at her nervous reaction, finding her trepidation amusing. He leaned back in his chair, his smile ever-present.
"That's right, my dear," he replied, his tone smooth and calm. "I'll be your escort every Monday. Can't have you going to the shop alone, can we?"
Charlie seemed elated by this development, completely oblivious to the tension and unease that emanated from Millie. She chimed in excitedly.
"This is fantastic! You two will make a great team!"
With the main discussion points addressed, Millie bid a hasty farewell, declaring that she had shared all she needed to discuss with Charlie. She swiftly exited the office, trying to distance herself from Alastor and the situation as fast as possible.
Alastor reacted, calling out to her as she rushed out of the office, "Monday morning, my dear!"
Alastor sat across from Charlie in her office, his expression mildly interested but mostly indifferent. As Charlie passionately rambled on about her plans and activities for the hotel, Alastor's attention drifted elsewhere. Alastor's mind drifted as Charlie continued to talk.
His thoughts drifted to his next broadcast and the preparations he still had to make. He mentally went through his list of ideas, mulling over how to make his next broadcast more entertaining. A sly smile tugged at the corner of his lips; he was always eager to put on a show.
Alastor's thoughts continued to wander as his mind also planned out a little stroll later in the day, intending to gather more souls for his collection. He mentally sorted through the different locations he would visit, and strategized which ones would be the most productive. He always enjoyed the thrill of the hunt, and the thought of acquiring more souls only added to his excitement. Alastor's thoughts lingered on his growing collection, a result of the powerful tome he had acquired from Millie some time back.
He smiled with satisfaction, the size and value of his collection had certainly increased since then. The tome had proven to be an incredibly useful tool in expanding his collection and strengthening his powers. Alastor was just about to interject with an excuse to cut the discussion short, when a knock on the door interrupted him.
Charlie informed him that it was likely Millie at the door, having been awaiting her arrival. Alastor's attention was snapped back to the present, his thoughts momentarily interrupted. She called for Millie to enter and the door opened, revealing the little mouse that Alastor had been thinking about.
She took one look at him and visibly paled, her ears and tail drooped as well.
He took in her reaction with interest. He raised an eyebrow, curious as to why she seemed so disappointed to see him. Alastor, who had been silently observing the interaction, raised an eyebrow at her reaction. He found her expression rather amusing.
He greeted her and led her to the seat next to his and watched as the two ladies conversed. Millie wanted to discuss how the shipment of books would be delivered to the hotel.
As the conversation continued and Millie spoke, Alastor noticed some inconsistencies in her words and expressions. It was apparent that she wasn't being entirely truthful. He observed her with keen interest, a flicker of curiosity in his eyes.
He thought to himself, 'Interesting….but why would she lie?'
Alastor's ears perked up as Millie mentioned the various delivery options under discussion. He sat up straighter in his chair, his interest piqued. He silently mused to himself, "Ah, now we're getting somewhere..."
He took the opportunity to interject into the conversation, offering to handle the book deliveries himself. Charlie, oblivious to the hidden undercurrents of the situation, readily agreed to his proposal. Millie, though visibly uncomfortable, reluctantly acquiesced to the arrangement, forced to comply with Alastor's "help".
A sense of satisfaction washed over Alastor as the conversation came to a conclusion, and his offer to handle the deliveries was accepted. He leaned back in his chair, an air of pride and confidence surrounding him. Alastor observed as Millie made a hasty retreat, practically fleeing from the room. A sly smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as he called out to her, his tone a mix of amusement and expectation.
"Monday morning, my dear," he reminded her, his words dripping with subtle menace.
As Charlie continued her rambling, Alastor sat there with his ever-present smile, his mind already contemplating the various possibilities that this arrangement offered.
He thought to himself, a sly gleam in his eyes, "Ah, how delightful. Uninterrupted time with her...time that I can use to bend her to my will..."