Millie smiled as Mox started playing his guitar. "Aww, you always know how to get me in the mood, hon."

"Figured you needed something relaxing after what happened with Mammon, sweetie." Moxxie smiled back as he rubbed her head with his. "I know it's frustrating not being able to help Iruma out."

"It's… well, it's not fine, but I've learned to deal with it in healthy ways." Mainly chopping the shit out of any leftover property the bastards had remaining. Apparently she was doing an even better job than she thought she was, cause the bastard and bitch duo had been rendered homeless the last time she checked in on them.

"Hey Mills!" Blitz shouted. "I know there might be some form of resentment or something you possibly still feel towards me!" A bit. "But this biker gang's starting to catch up, and my bullets are only killing so many at once!"

"Can you deal with it yourself, we're in the middle of date night!" Millie shouted in irritation.

"You're the one who decided to schedule date night on a work night! You didn't take time off like you did Ozzie's!"

"Are you REALLY trying to use that as a way of convincin' us of HELPING you?" Millie asked, glaring.

"...Just get your asses over here and I'll stop buying HALF the horseshit I buy with your salaries!"

"That might actually be enough to give us a full paycheck for once." Moxxie muttered. "Hey wait, wasn't Iruma supposed to be on your six?"

"Who do you think's been driving the truck once the target got shot!?

"I STILL BARELY KNOW HOW TO DRIVE!!!"

"Just keep it straight kid, we can live with anything else!" Blitz screamed back.

"Murder Music time?" Millie asked Moxxie as she took out her axe.

"Just like our honeymoon." Her husband smiled as he began to play. "Oh, what a thrill … when the crimson starts to spill …" Millie's favorite little number began to play … the one that truly won her over. "And my Millie goes in for the kill …"

Millie jumped onto one of the bikers' motorcycles, chopping off their head as she took control of the vehicle. "She takes away my breath, She's the angel of death for me…" A sweet and gentle soul that understood her heart without needing to compensate by acting like a giant dick headed douche."Oh, Millie!"

She let out a content sigh as she used the corpse of the biker to jam another's wheel, sending them tumbling at eighty miles an hour on the paved road. "She's my queen, it's like a dream. When I hear her victims start to scream." Which she indulged by giving one biker a broken arm.

"In and out of the sack, she's the maniac~ for me!" Ooookay, flattering, but not in the ear range of the tot. "Oh, Millie!"

"You know, I wouldn't mind knowing in detail-!" Blitz shouted.

Slam

-Before Iruma slammed into him with the van and sent their boss into a tree. "Sorry! I thought you were sticking to the top of the van!"

"Don't be sorry tot, I'm getting you ice cream after today!" She smiled.

"Yay!" He cheered.

"My back!"

Her smile widened. "Make that triple scoop!"

"When the blood starts dripping down the walls …" He sang out as she cut open another biker's throat, letting the red liquid fly out like a fountain.

"Drip, drip, drip!" Millie chirped as she danced within the spilled blood.

"And the bodies start to fall."

"Thud!" Millie stomped on the body as she took Moxxie by the hand.

"My heart skips a beat!" Millie was twirled around as Moxxie took out his revolver and shot two fuckers straight in the head. "When my Millie's guns a-blazing in the heat!"

"Bang, bang, bang!!" The kindest of souls being the ruthless of killers ... She could only hope Iruma ended up exactly like him some day.

"Can someone shut up that guitar prick!?" One shouted indignantly, which she quickly remedied with a blade to the gut.

"My assassin love …" Two murders finding love within hell… a story right out of a fairy tale. "She makes the murdering fun for me!" He took out a grenade that she pulled the pin out of, tossing it to the bikers.

"Oh, la-da-dee!" They held hands as an explosion of hearts…. And shrapnel, spilled all over.

"Of all the Imps in Hell!"

"It's for her/him that I fell."

"Oh, Millie~" They kissed as she strangled another fucker with her tail…. Life just couldn't get more perfect than this.

"We're about to hit a dead end!" Iruma screamed out.

SMASSSSH

"... Welp, good thing I learned what insurance is … too bad hell has none of it." Blitz grumbled.

"I learned that the hard way." Iruma muttered, before turning to the two of them as they got out of the van. "So….. you wrote that song for Millie, Moxxie?" He asked curiously.

"Yes, I know I don't quite advertise it as much as Princess Morningstar, but I am a fan of musical theater." Moxxie nodded quite proudly. "Though my true passion lies within Operatic theater the most."

"You mean those types of plays where the people hold long notes in foreign languages and constantly burn out their vocal cords?" The tot asked.

"The very same!" Moxxie grinned with utter glee. "The skill and determination it takes to repeatedly sing such complicated notes and tones…. It's marvelous to witness in action. The first time I saw Phantom of the Opera, it inspired me to learn how to play any and all instruments that I could get my hands on."

"And he's been sernadin' me sweet tunes since." Millie chuckled fondly as they tied their tails together. "There ain't quite anything more romantic than ya partner singing a song they've made just for you."

"..." The tot looked up to the night sky, looking deep in thought. "... Should I try serenading Via-chan then?" … Oookay, now how to word this so the kid decides leaving the bird girl is the best option …

"That's an excellent idea, Iruma!" Moxxie nodded. "I can give you quite a few pointers in that department if you want."

"I'd love to!" The boy smiled so brightly it sparkled.

"Hang on a sec, sweetie, let mommy and daddy discuss important adult things." Millie patted his head as she dragged her husband off to the side. She gave him a pout. "Mox, darlin', why are you betrayin' me so?"

"He's asking for help in a musical department, something that doesn't go against his morals that I happen to be quite knowledgeable in."

"Yeah, to help get closer to a girl and put his chastity in danger." She argued. "You know how wet you make me whenever you sing, if the sweetheart does it for the bird, who KNOWS what she'll do to him!"

"Millie, this is really the first REAL opportunity I've been given to share a bond with him." Moxxie sighed deeply. "Even you have to admit whenever we're together as a group, you kind of, sort of… hog all his attention."

"Oh come on, there was …" She thought it over. "... Was …" … Come on brain, think of something! "... When you and him talk about Carmine?"

"Whenever I bring that up, Blitz keeps hounding for a friends and family discount."

"It….. has… many… merits…" Blitz coughed from the tree he landed in.

Her husband made a pleading expression. "Millie, you want to form a familial unit with him, and I'm quite fond of Iruma too… I want the chance to prove myself a good father figure… someone NOT like Crimson, especially to a child that's more adverse to violence. If he wants help with music, I want to be the one that helps him."

Gaaah, why did he have to make this so fluffy and hard!? "… Fine." She sighed.

"Thank you." He smiled, pecking her cheek.

"But if this ends with an egg popping out of the rich bitch, then you're going to spend A LOT of time on the couch, mister."

"Millie, do you even think humans and Hellborn are compatible enough for that to even be feasible?" He asked with a small glare.

"Satina."

"...Wait really?" Moxxie blinked.

"Didn't you hear? Her mom's human." She pointed out. "It ain't impossible."

"...Alright, so it's possible, but I still say you're being unfair to both Iruma and Octavia…. They've done nothing that we haven't done in a more R-rated setting. They're in the prime of their own romance… don't you want him to have what we have with each other, someone that's capable of making him happy even in the darkest of times…" He held her hand, his face tender. "Just like you've done for me?"

Millie bit her lips, looking down. "… I just want him to be safe. I don't want whatever Blitz and Stolas have to be the basis of whatever he and the birdie go through."

"Right here …"

"Then tell me I'm wrong." She shot back.

"She isn't blackmailing him into sex." Moxxie pointed out.

"She owns his soul-"

"And she hasn't done anything to force him into anything uncomfortable." Moxxie stated.

"...Why are you so ready to stand on this hill?" Millie asked with a raise of a brow.

"You know how I grew up…. I'm going to support the choices HE makes of his own volition." He stated with steel in his voice. "And we can talk more about it later."

"Um, not to take sides in your relationship." Blitz spoke up. "But the bikers are coming back and our van is crashed. Let's portal back to hell, folks."

"Once again, that's just a normal sentence in my life." Iruma muttered.

=

Moxxie sat down in front of the piano, cracking his fingers. "Now, the first thing you need to understand about opera, Iruma, is the preparation that goes into it." Moxxie felt positively giddy on the inside right now. It was a rare occasion that he got to talk about his musical preferences with anybody, and anytime he did, most of the time, mainly Blitz, would just doze off or disregard his favorite genre as a whole.

"I understand." The boy nodded, focusing intently.

"Now, it's key to know how to read sheet music. With each symbol and it's height demonstrating what sound you'll be producing when you play." Moxxie added.

"Alright."

"So when you see this symbol here, it means you play it like so." Mox lightly tapped the g key. "Each key is vital to how the song will play out altogether. One misplaced note and it can derail the entire song in it's entirety."

"Really, it has to be that specific?" The boy asked.

"Exactly, there is never room for error." He emphasized seriously, he then let out an encouraging grin. "But don't worry, you'll make mistakes, it's unavoidable when starting out." Moxxie made sure to reassure the boy.

"I'm a failure and I'm proud." Iruma smiled proudly.

"… Right …" He nodded. "Anyway, as long as you keep up your training and continue to learn, you should be able to play for Octavia in about five months."

"...Really, that long?" Iruma asked, looking like a puppy pouting for its toy taken away. "I thought everyone in hell automatically was attuned to music. I've already sung in a few songs already."

"That may apply to singing in hell, but that's not always the case." Moxxie explained. "It's mostly getting swept up in energy flowing in the air … that just happens to be music related for some reason."

"By that logic, that would me just anyone excited and loud enough could convince anyone in the streets to go along with anything."

"Not inaccurate." Moxxie once walked by Valentino's porn studio then Angel Dust started to sing about 'getting some head' against his will with five other demons. "But I digress. If we're going to get you playing the piano right in anycase, then we'll need to take it nice and slow."

"Nice … and slow …" Iruma looked down, gently pressing on the key Moxxie played. "… Now what?"

"Now, we learn each key's function and corresponding note." He showed off the c key. "Until you can memorize it by heart."

"Alright...G…" He hit the wrong one. Iruma winced. "No, that wasn't it. G..." He hit the wrong one again. "Not that…" Ding. His eyes brightened. "Finally, got it! G, C…" Wrong. "Dang it." He bemoaned.

"Don't get too frustrated too quickly, like I said, patience is the key to, heh, the keys." Moxxie chuckled at his little pun. "It takes weeks to simply learn one song. To truly learn how to play piano, much, much practice will go into it." He rubbed the boy's head. "So take all the time you need."

"Take my time… take my time…" Iruma took in a deep breath. "Back on Earth, that was the one thing I had too much of... Just time, and I spent it all on surviving for people not worth surviving for."

"And now you can spend it doing what you want, and improving yourself however you please." Moxxie smiled. "...I felt the same way back when I was working for Crimson. He cultivated my talent for firearms… and he twisted it in ways that only benefited him…. I felt dirty and undersevering for the longest time." He admitted with a sigh. "But the thing is... I used what I learned back then, and I've made something out of it by joining IMP. And compared to the rest of hell, it might not be much… but it's mine, and that alone makes it more precious than all the money or gold that old raspy voiced fucker could ever have."

"... Yeah, I know what you mean." The boy smiled empathically, warmly. "The people in my life are … just amazing … and I wouldn't give them up for anything."

Moxxie rubbed the boy's head. "And you won't. Trust me Iruma, we'll be there for you when you need it." The boy would get the love he wanted … the one neither of them have gotten before.

"I know… it's just… hard to remind myself of it. I really was prepared to sell my soul again with Mammon." He muttered. "I don't want people getting hurt just because of me …"

"Iruma … this is hell, people are going to get hurt all the time for a variety of reasons." Moxxie pointed out. "A lot of the time it's going to be out of your control.." Moxxie shuddered. "… Like with… my mother. She… she was the sweetest demon from Wrath, and what she saw in my father I'll never know…. She wanted to raise me right and away from Crimson… and when I was six…. That was the last time I saw her."

"... She left the house?" Iruma asked hesitantly, dreading the different outcome of his mother's fate.

He let out a quiet but shaking breath. "When we were dumping bodies … in a lake … I found her shoe."

"…" Iruma winced, pausing before he took the time to say something else. "... Does Millie …"

"I told her the night of the break out." Moxxie admitted. "Honesty is key to relationships after all."

"Right..." Iruma nodded, his expression sympathetic and considerate. "I'm sorry… I... caring about parents... it's… alien to me still... but... I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"Take all the time you need." He patted the boy on the back. "That's what we're doing, right? Slow and steady?"

"Slow and steady... keep it all steady." Iruma nodded with a smile as he went back to the keys. "G key …"

"Yep … g key." Moxxie smiled, tranquil.

"Alright people!" Charlie clapped. "Today's activity will be … painting!" She shouted with excitement, pulling out multiple blank canvases. "Paint one happy moment from your life. Take all the time you need." Something nice, relaxing, opening, AND something to keep the rest of the hotel staff and patrons busy while she tried to squeeze in her plans to both convince heaven to let the hotel work before the next extermination AND work out the details of her plan to get Iruma out of his contracts.

"Done!" Nifty shouted first as she presented her painting, which was just a bunch of red paint splattered everywhere. She grinned. "This is all the blood I saw when I stabbed my first crush! He looked SO beautiful with his entrails leaking out of his body."

"... I see …" She smiled, but it felt strained and shaking. Was it a good or a bad thing she was getting used to Nifty? "Good on you." Charlie patted the tiny woman's head, who looked pleased.

"I did good! What's my reward?! Oooh, will Iruma finally bite me?!"

"It's not a reward activity, it's just something fun. Not a competition." She made sure to reaffirm, making sure the boy in question was in reasonable enough distance away from the little crazy woman.

"Awww …" They pouted.

"Ssssssssssspeak for yoursssssssselvessss, I happen to be very well verssssssed in fine art!" Sir Pentious grinned as he began making massive strokes on his canvas. "My painting will blow everyone elsssssssssesss out of the water!"

"... As long as you make sure to have fun and cause no physical or emotional damage." Charlie patted his back. Alright, Husk seemed to be putting in the minimum effort as usual, Alastor was smiling as he drew, Iruma and Vaggie seemed to be really into it … "Angel Dust, what about you?" She pointed at his blank canvas.

The spider patron was pursing his lips, looking indecisive. "Trying to figure out if my happy moment should be when I first learned I was into guys, when I drank my first bottle of booze, or when I tucked my sister into bed … decisions."

"Awwww..." She cooed. Those were surprisingly sweet moments…. Minus the alcohol one. "Maybe ... not the one with the vice in it?"

"Hmm….. Oooh, I could always paint the first guy I fucked-"

"Vaggie, have anything to show yet?" Charlie decided to leave THAT alone for the time being.

"When I met you." She showed off a very flattering image of Charlie halfway done.

"Awwww, thank you." Charlie smiled brightly and pecked her girlfriend on the cheek. "What about you, Iruma?"

"I'm drawing when I first came to the hotel." He answered, showing off a rough sketch of sorts. "Not sure if anything I experienced on Earth can count as happy, and my time before the hotel was mostly me being paranoid and untrusting of everybody." The boy paused. "Although me and Octavia's first kiss was nice … and so was Loona calling me her friend … "

"Awww, and here I thought you would've picked what I drew, the first time you indulged in cannibalism." Alastor smirked as he presented a picture of Iruma eating what looked like human fingers in sandwiches. "Your first full day in hell…. I can't believe it's been nearly eight months since then." He sighed in nostalgia.

"Eight months, really?" Iruma blinked. "Feels somehow shorter AND longer at the same time …"

"Trust me kid, stay here long enough an eternity itself feels like a blink of an eye." Husk muttered as he walked away from a barely formed stick figure drawing. "There, drew my first picture of learning how to count cards, fuckin' done."

"... Very… artistic…" The man already helped her understand contracts more than she had in the last two hundred years, the least she could do in return was give him some slack on this. "How are you coming along, Sir Pentious?"

"Patienccccce, my massssterpiecccce will come to passssss in time!" He screamed with a savage smile.

"So… are we done with the activity? I got practice to do." Iruma held up his hand as he took out a keyboard.

"I didn't know you were playing an instrument." Charlie blinked in surprise.

"Yeah, Moxxie's been giving me lessons. I wanted to serenade Octavia like he does for Millie."

"Aww, he serenades her?" Charlie asked, enthused. It was nice to see a happy couple in hell have a healthy relationship.

"Yep. It's a song about how beautiful she looks covered in the blood of her enemies." He nodded.

"..." Charlie's smile twitched. Again, she had to remember he was talking about the murder happy imps that went up to the human world to KILL humans.

"Quite the lovely activity, isn't it?" Alastor chuckled. "I firmly believe the boy will make an EXCELLENT pianist as he kills all his enemies!"

"FUCK OFF ALASTOR!" Charlie winced. Shit, she said it again. She took a calm breath before giving the boy a cheerful smile. "Take all the time in practice you need, Iruma. In this hotel, Music of all kinds is welcomed."

"Actually…" The boy began to ask. "Uh… you're musically inclined, right?"

"Well, I don't mean to brag or anything…" Charlie grinned. "I just happen to be great at singing, piano, viola, harp, a brief moment of my life when I played the drums..." From her emo phase. "A small stint on the cello, the trumpet, the oboe…"

"Not bragging eh?" Angel asked with a smirk as he showed off his painting of … well, just a sweaty guy. Could be worse.

"Well, since you know alot about playing music…" Iruma continued. "I was kind of hoping if you could... Help me out a little. Moxxie did tell me it would take five months to really get it down… but…"

"But you're worried you won't have that much time and you really really REALLY want to learn as much as you can as quickly as possible?" Charlie summed up.

"...Uh, yeah, pretty much exactly that." He nodded.

"Trust me, I've been EXACTLY where you are now, always wanting to learn something as quickly as possible to get something amazing and beautiful and grand out!" Charlie smiled as she held Iruma by the hands. "Patience is a great virtue to have, but in times like this, this is where energy and enthusiasm can make ALL the difference!"

"You know, you could always ask ME for help. I've sung a few songs myself." Alastor chuckled. "Stayed Gone, Insane, and my personal favorite, Family-Friendly Noose!"

"I know, but I hate you." Iruma stated bluntly.

"Point taken and known!"

Charlie grinned. "You know what you need to do, Iruma?" She asked as she snapped her fingers, signaling Razzle and Dazzle to bring out the piano she had locked away in storage. "Wing it. Listen to your heart and sing what it tells you."

"But I thought that only applied to singing-"

"It does, but when you're in the grove of everything, the song deep within your heart bursting out of your chest and into the air, the rhythm, the melody, and the harmonic beat of the wind… it just clicks in your mind, and before you know it.." She began playing a few keys without even looking at the board. "Your body is moving and playing music even before you think about it."

"So …" Iruma began slowly playing his own keys.

Charlie smiled as she began playing faster. "Just move with your mind and your heart, let nothin' weigh you down. Don't need no lyrics or a sheet paper of metametrix, just sing and the song will lift all frowns!" The piano rolled as the two of them skidded down the hallway. "No need worry, cause even in a hurry, your song will carry you in a flurry and don't think if it seems blurry or if you hit the High notes early!"

"So just … play along?" Iruma asked. "Without any prep for any old song?"

"Every song's a fantastic ride, so channel that deep inside, with every frame you're bonafide-!" The hotel began rolling up the stairs as the carpet made a wave for them to ride alone on. "Anyone with a song feel free to tag along, because the music in your heart is always the best start."

"Can it be a song about knives?" Nifty asked eagerly.

"Or a song about housewives." Charlie nervously chuckled.

"Can you sing about getting more beer?" Husk emptied his bottle.

"Or we can laugh and rave and cheer!" Charlie chucked the bottle away.

"Any little song you sing for a while, is sure to give demons a big old smile." Alastor called out as he gestured to his smiling face.

"All your songs feel vile and I just want to dive into the biggest pile of garbage in spite of the trial." Iruma glared at the radio demon while he played his keys.

"See right there, now you got it! Put the nail right in the socket!" Charlie beamed with pride and delight. "You got the music down and pocket, and when you sing it you'll light the air just like a rocket!"

"Just sing whatever I want and play how I feel." Iruma smiled.

"My painting is done, I'm ready to reveal!" Pentious shouted in satisfaction. "It's making my egg bois, they're precious to me!" He showed off a surprisingly detailed painting.

"I do believe they'll taste good touched with a side of Earl Blood tea."

"Their taste you'll never know, because my flashbangs a go!!"

"Your what?"

BOOM

"Pentious! Fuck! We said no weapons!" Vaggie shouted in pain as she covered her eye.

"It'sssss not a weapon if it causssses no bodily harm!"

"Something that I can't promise when I'm done peeling your skin off your body!"

"You are NOT hurting the people in this hotel, Alastor!" Charlie shouted.

"Ohh, you're defending someone other than Young Suzuki getting hurt, my, someone is feeling very ambitious today."

"Oh fuck off!" Charlie grabbed the piano and threw it right at the bastard.

"... Throw pianos …" Iruma muttered to himself with a nod. "Thanks for the advice. Charlie."

"You're welcome-wait, I'm throwing pianos wasn't-" She attempted to correct.

"It is the most hilarious and classic way to beat someone up." Angel Dust snickered. "Great advice princessa, it'll serve the squirt well in the long run."

"... Fuck." Charlie sulked. At this rate people were going to think violence was the answer!

Verosika smiled as she watched the little cutie work on the backstage. "Thanks again for the assist, Cutie, normally I hire other humans to handle the stage equipment, but they usually get too horny and distracted in the middle of a show."

"Why would there be so many horns on Earth? I thought that was more of a demon thing?" Ahh, there was the fun little bit of naivety she missed. "Also I don't mind, it's good enough work and I got the spare time after ditching Greed for good."

"Many people cannot say the same thing. Greasy little shithole, nothing good ever comes out of there." It was how she met Blitzo after all. "Surprised you're still looking for money with that fancy Carmine thing."

"It's a mix of wanting to stay as far away from Alastor as possible, looking for work that DOESN'T involve murder/harming others … and, sticking to my roots." He shrugged. "I worked hard all my life, it would feel weird to just stop."

"Hey, any excuse to see more of your adorable face is always welcomed in my book." She grinned. Part of her was a little more excited than usual since she helped the boy's little birdie girl fuck over his parents … because she knew for a fact miss fancy britches enjoyed the show going off the smell she left behind.

"... Hey Verosika?" He started, glancing at her with curious eyes. She hummed at him for a go ahead, drinking her beelzejuice. "You and Blitz had sex, right?"

Verosika did a small spit take from the whiplash of that question, her eyes now widened. Not only because it, for literally anybody else, the answer should've been 'no fucking shit', but because this was coming from Iruma, the last boy to ever have sex on his mind… and her heart was admittedly racing from excitement, though some of that died off given that the subject was connected to Blitzo. She covered her mouth with a fist and coughed lightly, regaining her bearings. "I'm not proud of it, but yes. We did." Verosika nodded with a roll of her eyes.

"And you've dated other people, and you've had sex with them too, right?" He continued to ask.

"I'm not one to usually brag about that little thing..." She chuckled. Fucking random humans as per of her job though was always up for grabs in terms of bragging. "But yes, I'm quite experienced when it comes to sex."

"... Was … was it nice?" He asked.

"... You interested?" She blinked. Was this really going where she thought it was going?

Iruma looked confused. "Well I kind of JUST learned that sex can be for pleasure instead of just baby making, so … I have no idea."

"Ahh, it's that kind of conversation we're having." She chuckled as she sat down on a crate. "Sit on my lap Cutie, Ms. Mayday has quite a bit to tell you."

"Alright." He instantly plopped down without any issue, as she began rubbing his arm. Furry and fuzzy to the touch, but smooth and cool at the same time. Quite a fun feeling.

"Now sex is … what could almost be described as the endgame of physical affection you can have with someone." She explained. "It's not exactly calm, but the rush of emotions and feelings would probably be similar to what it feels like when you're high on adrenaline and endorphins."

"So it's like you're running for your life during a stampede?" The kid asked with a cute tilt. "That … kind of makes it sound terrifying."

"That actually isn't a bad metaphor for it, and yes, it can be scary, especially from an inexperienced virgin perspective." Verosika nodded as she gently rubbed his neck. "For succubi, sex is so common that it's basically like putting butter on toast."

"Common … so you're like, dating everyone all at once?" He asked.

"Not exactly … there's a large difference between having sex for pleasure, and having sex for love." Verosika explained. "When you do it with a stranger, your body feels good. That's it, end of story, that's all that happens. But when you do it with someone you care about … someone that makes your heart flutter every time you hear them talk, someone that invades every thought you have as you constantly yearn for them … it makes the experience magical." She smiled, rubbing her face next to the boy's cheek. "And that doesn't just apply for the first time. Relationships come and go... but when you truly care about someone ... enough to make yourself and your body vulnerable from every inch from head to toe ... and trust them to take care of you… that... that right there is the true epitome of lust."

The boy blushed, before blinking. "Really? After what the fire chicken sin said about it at the club…"

"Small little secret that everyone knows about." She smirked. "Asmodeus and Fizzarolli …" Verosika crossed her fingers together.

"They… hold hands together?" The boy blinked. "Wait, but that's what couples doo-ooooh, I see what you're saying." Huh, the little naive brain could connect the dots… adorable. "…. But doesn't that make them hypocrites?"

"Completely, but no one calls them out because it's a Deadly Sin."

"Right. Somehow that's the MOST understandable thing about this entire week." He noted. "Between relationships, flashbangs, paintings, blood, trying to rework my ability to play the piano, it's just all crazy."

"Oooh, music, looking to sing your little lovebird a serenade?" Verosika teased.

"Actually yes. I first asked Moxxie to help me, who told me to train long so I could take it slow and steady, and then I asked Charlie, who told me to improvise with an upbeat and energetic tone." The cutie nodded. "Now I'm trying to figure out a nice middle ground between the two …" He blinked. "You're a singer, any advice?"

"You want to know the key to success when it comes to being a popstar?" She grinned. "It's to be memorable. I do pride myself in my work, but there's a key to getting hundreds, if not, thousands of people per show filling out the audience beyond my sex appeal." She grabbed a nearby keyboard and played a few chords. "On nights I'm on a time crunch, what I do is play random keys until I find a catchy enough pattern."

"So … improvise?" He asked.

"If you want. But what I'm saying here is whether improvised or planned, what I do to draw the audience in is make sure the song is poppy. The kind of song that gets stuck in your head only after two or three verses. And the easiest way to do that is find one or two keys that you find catchy."

"I … have no idea how to do that." The boy admitted. "I mean some songs are nice to listen to, but I wouldn't say I ever had one that gets caught in my head."

"It helps to repeatedly press keys to see which ones you prefer listening to." She explained as she repeatedly played two chords. "Repetition is something that always happened within the business, whether similar sounding beats or rhymes you repeat over and over."

"Hmm …" He idly pressed a few keys, his fingers slowly dancing with her own. "... I think I got something …" Iruma smiled. "Thank you, Verosika."

"Anytime, Cutie. I'm always open to help you in any way possible." She smiled as she squeezed his fluffy body, and pressed her lips against his cheek.

Flooof

The boy's wings popped out of his back and wrapped around her like a blanket. "Oooh, comfy." She giggled, snuggling into them. "Didn't know you were that comfortable around me."

"Well... it's always safe and warm whenever you're around." Iruma chuckled as he blushed. "And I get less stressed whenever we hang out."

"That charm hasn't gone away at all it seems." Verosika smirked, curling her tail around his leg. As much as she enjoyed fucking over his parents, the bitch was too easy of a lay, a tiny snack compared to the full meal she wanted to indulge in…

"Hey V, wrap up the playdate." Tex spoke up from the door. "You're on in three and the crowd's getting antsy."

"Awww, and here I am just getting used to it." She playfully pouted as she stood up. She gave Iruma a smile. "Good luck with your song Cutie, I'll be listening." She had one last kiss on his forehead. "Who knows? Put on that dress again and you might be a popstar yourself."

"Why does everyone want to see me in a dress?" He grumbled with a cute pout.

"Because it's adorable seeing you play dress up." She affirmed.

Beelzebub had a bit of a weird balance going on at the moment. Focusing on the party and playing loud music, while focusing on the kid and listening to him have a fuckin' blast. Cause while the people of Gluttony getting their fill was one thing … but the kid just kept on filling her with glee and excitement for what was to come.

There was no telling what could come out of the little pup. One moment he could have some shmaltzy moment with Char-Char or the little goetia girl, the next he could be trying to pick a fight with fucking Mammon of all people or getting in the middle of a mob war. An endless feast of change and enthusiasm filling the air with a new flavor of energy she just couldn't get enough of.

"I tell you, Tex." She chuckled. "I knew I wasn't gonna be partyin' forever, but I thought that was just gonna be the dumb old end of the universe shit. Not passing on the torch to someone who's gonna be more fun than me."

"Believe me. No one's more surprised than me." Tex chuckled. "You sure the kid's actually up for it though? He's crazy, but I'm not sure he's your brand of crazy."

"I ain't gonna shove it all on him, he's too much of a sub at the moment." Gave a rather sweet and magnetic vibe that brought in chicks and stuff, but not nearly aggressive enough to be a full fledged sin. "Give it ten years, centuries or whatever. Once he's fully ready to stand on top, then I'm handing him the party maker sash."

"What would you do if/when that day comes?" Tex asked.

"Just be like any other hound probably." She shrugged. She really wasn't one for long term planning or stuff like it. "Party till my heart's content till the day the party ends my life. If it happens soon enough, maybe you can catch me with gray hair. Think I can pull off a gilf look?" She teased.

Tex laughed. "Bee, you'd be sexy no matter what form you take. I literally think it's impossible for you to look bad. I mean, far as I know, none of the sins, aside from maybe Mammon, are bad looking."

"Eh, not wrong." Satan had abs, Ozzie had a big dick, Belphagor has the three sizes, and Leviathan … well, you didn't constantly try to outshine the entire Morningstar Family on the daily without looking pretty. "So catch up on the show, just got down wrapping up the pre-party, what's the pup been up to?"

"Alright Via-chan, I'm taking off the blindfold." The pup spoke up.

"I'm excited." The bird girl giggled, before a few seconds passed. "Ah, a piano, you're going to play for me?"

"… You heard me constantly getting advice to play you a song, didn't you?"

"Sorry, listening to the radio IS a daily habit now."

"That would spoil any surprise." Bee snickered. "Shame the kid just doesn't eat that buzzkill deer fucker. I mean, that would've been my first choice in dealing with him."

"Eh, I heard they tried but the princess put a stop to it." Tex said, before blinking. "Wait, weren't you there for that showdown?"

"Yeah, Charlie's a fun gal, but WAY too much of a pushover… hehe, guess that's just something she and the pup have in common." Bee laughed. "With how clingy and attached she gets, honestly surprised she hasn't tried adopting him yet." Wasn't like she wasn't old enough, the fun bitch was pushing two hundreds.

"Welp, here's one thing you probably didn't expect." The pup said with mirth. "Verosika letting me play with her keyboard inspired me to try this." There was a cracking sound on the other end.

"Oh, three arms?" The bird girl asked, her voice perked.

"Three hands to play with." The boy smiled. "Originally, I was going to go with Moxxie's advice and wait at least a month, since, well, that's about as long as I have before Adam and the rest of heaven try to kill me."

"Iruma, we can take you out of Pride before-"

"Alastor."

"...Okay, I know you said you were against it, but, we CAN kill him once princess spineless is nowhere in sight-"

"I like this girl." Bee snickered.

"We can discuss how much we want to kill Alastor at another time. Right now, I just want to focus on showing my love to you through music." The sounds of finger popping were heard. "Anyways, I was just going to do it Moxxie's way, but after Charlie and Verosika helped me out, I realized that I can take all three pieces of advice they've given me and use it all at once. And the three hands will perfectly symbolize all three styles playing in unison."

"Three in unison, aye?" The sin smirked, snapping her fingers and replacing the party noise with the broadcast. This was bound to be worth listening to.

"Ah… Bee…" Tex smiled hesitantly. "I'm not sure if that's going to be the best idea. The kid's just a beginner…"

"Come on Tex, it's hell." She shrugged. "It's bound to filter out all the bad, right?"

"I know, but, I've turned into the broadcast, the three styles he is trying to merge are opera, theater, and pop, those don't really mix..." He scratched his ear.

"Then let the pup learn that on his own." Bee smiled. "That's the only way he'll get into the groove of being the next Sin of Gluttony. Finding his own beat and steering the party train at his own pace." She was a very hands off kind of teacher, but a supportive one. "If he's going to fail, let it be in the most spectacular of ways on the grandest stage possible."

"I'm eager to listen to what you have to play, Iruma." The goetia girl spoke with a satisfied and pleased tone. "I'm ready when you are."

The pup took in a deep breath, and began to play- DUN DUN DUN DUNNNNNN!!! -play a catastrophe of chaos. Every note clashing violently against each other in a sea of agony and misery.

"OOWWWWW!!" Multiple hounds cried out in misery of pain, banging their heads against walls.

"Aghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" What could only be described as the high pitched squealing of every single imp within close range also shouted as it only added to the hodgepodge of noise and calamity filling the air.

It was fast, slow, random, nothing could be described about it other than a mish mash of various songs all melded together … "… PPPPFTTTHAHAHAHAHA!" She cackled. "He ate up all that music into a single bit of torment!" He really was taking the concept of gluttony to a whole new level! "This kid's a riot, Tex! A riot!"

"MAKE IT STOP!" The hound screamed, clutching his ears down to his head.

"Oh relax, let the kid play his opus, it's nothing but a little noise." She waved off.

"A noise cranked to max and revibrating across all of hell that anyone with hellhound hearing can pick up a mile away!"

"Exactly! A new form of noise that's never existed before now... it's amazing." Bee grinned. "Imagine if he keeps working at it. Day and night mixing and mashing and eating up every genre he can find until it becomes something so unique no one else can duplicate it."

"I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!" They turned to an imp that shot himself in the head.

"Pussy." Bee rolled her eyes. Bad or not, it was amazing to witness live ... she could wait to see what the pup could cook up next.

Iruma finished off the song, taking a deep breath. All his effort, all his learning, rolled up into one song for the girl that showed so much care and support for him … for the girl who knew what it was like to just want someone to care back … the one person in hell who understood Iruma almost as well as himself … "Well?" He asked, his voice and face hopeful. "What do you think?"

Octavia sat there, with wide eyes staring at him … was … did he do something wrong? "I've… never heard anything like that before…."

That wasn't an answer to whether it was good or bad. And her face of shock was conveying any other emotions it could've been conveying. "… is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

Octavia stood up and held his hands as he looked up into the dazzling stars that were her eyes. "It's the most beautiful piece I've ever heard."

She … she really liked it! "Really?"

"It fits you, Iruma." She smiled, holding onto his hand. "I'd love to hear you play some other time."

"I'm glad it made you happy!" He smiled toothily. All the hard work really paid off! "I can play something else now."

"Noooooooooo!" What sounded like a million demons crying out from the city screamed.

"If it's not too much trouble, I think that would be delightful." She grinned, pecking his lips.

"Wait. What was that-?"

"Don't listen to it, Iruma. Your voice is something that never fails to disappoint me." Octavia reassured him. "In fact… you mind if... I take a crack at it?"

"You can play?"

"I've dabbled here and there. When you live in a big house, it's something to do when everyone else is busy." She nodded.

Iruma nodded enthusiastically. "Sure thing, I'd love to hear your music. It's probably as pretty as you."

"I hope so... it's an old lullaby that always gave me comfort whenever I felt alone." She smiled fondly as she started playing… and a beautiful melody of.. warmness and comfort played. "It always seems more quiet in the dark … It always feels so stark."

"How silence grows under the moon." She looked up into the air. "Constellations gone so soon … I used to think that life was cold …" Life... often did feel cold... cold... lonely... "I used to think love for me was none." The feeling that you could only have yourself to look after... you could trust anyone else to care for you. "I thought I saw all the stories were told … Except for one …" Octavia sent him a smile.

With that single smile… Iruma felt... weightless. Light... as if he was flying through the cosmos being guided by the most brilliant and shining comet to ever exist. "As the stars start to align …" She cried out as the cosmos swirled. "I hope you take it as a sign …. that you will be okay …" She reassured him. "Everything will be okay …"

Everything… did feel okay... it felt more than okay... it felt… marvelous. "And if the Seven Hells collapse….Although the day will be my last…You will be okay…" He didn't want it to be her last… he wanted to live as long as she did. "When I'm here, you'll be okay." She cried out.

"Before the day you arrived my life was black …" The cosmos around them slowly collapsed. "An eternal void of night …" Into a black … empty … cold area ... one he was so familiar with … "But you came and shined the light … and put it in your eyes." The universe exploded with beauty and power, swirling with wonders and fascination.

She... she was the real light of his life… he wouldn't be as happy as he was today without Octavia. "How could I possibly suspect….That you'd eclipse the midnight sun." They floated over a dazzling purple sun... a color that he didn't know stars could even be. "I thought that I knew all the moons…. But then you pulled me back to one." She held him close as they floated over a moon... even for as vast and empty it looked… it felt…. Beautiful... just because she was here with him.

"If the stars ever align, I hope you take it as a sign that you'll be okay." She reassured him, holding her in fluffy warmth. "Everything will be okay."

It was more than okay… it... was amazing. "And if the Seven Hells collapse, Although the day will be my last … you will be okay. When I'm gone, you'll be okay." She… she really would give everything in her life for him… a level of selflessness he couldn't even comprehend existing before a few months ago.

"And if the Heavens crash aground, I know you'll hear the trumpet sound." Multiple feathers floating around the two of them swirled as she stared at him with sparkling eyes. "And you'll be okay … Everything will be okay."

The world could crumbled around them… and... he would be okay... as long as Octavia was around…. He didn't have to be afraid of anything… he had her love... her warmth with her at all times. "And when Creation goes to die!" The universe exploded once more as her voice cried out to all to hear. "You can find me in the sky, Upon the last day …"

"And you will be okay …" She rested her head against his.

"…. That… that was incredible Via-chan…" He spoke slowly... still mesmerized by her song... her voice.

"I'm glad you think so, my little bluebird." She smiled, holding him tightly. "Just as you'd do anything for the people you care about … I'll do the same. Don't forget that, alright?"

Iruma felt his tears leaking down. Not sad tears…Real, happy tears. "I... I won't." It was hard to understand... but she would give him everything… and right now... he felt like he had everything already.