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Being the king of hell was a very difficult job. It was a lot of work, obviously. Staff members had to be appointed, souls needed to be sorted, sorted souls needed to be double checked, cruelty and animosity had to be punished, people who could be redeemed needed to be taught how to work towards redemption, and that was just the start of the list.
It wasn't necessarily bad work, though. Stolas had hated the idea of taking his father's job, at first. But after all the changes he had made, it felt satisfying to work in his own little part of the world that he had carved out. He was proud of his work. It was a lot of responsibility, though. Pride can come only with work, he had taught himself, so you must work hard if you want to be proud of yourself. But today, he had nothing left to do for the day. He wasn't sure what to do with his free time, since he was so used to working.
He had become a workaholic, Sparrow had complained. Stolas paid no mind to this teasing. Sparrow simply didn't understand. Stolas figured he would come around, though. Watching his husband and his sister work tirelessly would teach Sparrow the responsibilities they had. Though it seemed Robin had found more time than Stolas could. Last time they argued, Sparrow mentioned how he debated doing another mission with Robin. Stolas, stupid Stolas, had smiled and said it sounded fun. Now today, Sparrow had surely gone to work on that, irritated with Stolas. Perhaps that's what he could use his spare time on. He could draft an apology. But what would he say? He knew he had become attached to his work, but he didn't see the problem with it. They still had dinner together, they still slept in the same bed, and they still loved each other. But still, Stolas knew he was on thin ice. He needed to figure out a way to make this up to Sparrow.
"Excuse me, Bossman. Coming in!" Came a cheerful shout. Stolas felt a smile come to his face. They hadn't gotten along well at first, but Stolas had quickly grown to appreciate her companionship. She was a nice balance in his current struggle. As his secretary, she could find time to hang out with him while he worked. He absentmindedly wondered if Sparrow would consider working here. Stolas was sure he could pull a few strings so that Robin could bend the rules a little and let Sparrow work in Hell. After all, she had allowed Melody to work there, and she was an angel now.
"Come in, Miss Baxter." Stolas responded. Melody came in, moving with a walk that was almost a dance.
"Mrs. Baxter!" She corrected. Stolas nodded.
"What's the news then, Mrs. Baxter?" He corrected. She smiled, producing a box and a few letters.
"Mail! It's your nightly prayers." She explained.
"Very well. Read them out."
"Victoria prayed to you. She....probably meant to direct this one to Knox, actually. It's another 'I want it to stop' prayer. Should I forward this to Knox?"
"Yes, but please also give Miss Victoria my blessings. And check on her tomorrow."
"Can do! The next prayer is-" She paused as she read. "Oh, that is so cute." She commented. "Last night a girl discovered your story in an occult book. She's decided she wants to worship darkness. She's even sent an offering!"
That brought a laugh around. Stolas loved how the youth always have a curiosity for the demented. "How sweet." He let out another soft laugh. "What did she sacrifice?" Melody checked the box, then handed it over.
"Chocolate cake." She chirped. "And it looks really good." She added with a wink.
"We can share it in a moment, sure. What's the next prayer?"
"It's-" she trailed off. "It's from Sparrow." Stolas simply held a hand out. She handed it over quickly, made nervous by the tension in the air. "Should I leave?"
"Stay. Please." He asked softly as he began reading. Sparrow had agreed to the mission, and would be leaving tomorrow. He wasn't sure when he would be returning. Stolas knew now that he absolutely had to apologize. If Sparrow left and spent the whole trip upset wth Stolas, that could be the end of them.
"Miss B-Mrs. Baxter, could you please send a response to Sparrow?"
"Yes, sir! What would you like it to say?"
"Dearest Sparrow, I cannot believe it is snowing already. It seems like it will be a cold winter for the Quellian people. In hell, it is still as hot as always. I think I could use some time to cool down. I'll be taking some time off work. We should meet before you leave. You mentioned once that you love the snow. I'd love to see it with you. And if you'll let me, I'd like the chance to apologize. Yours, Stolas."
He had stared off into space while composing his letter, but when he looked back down at Melody, she had a wide and bright smile.
"Sent, sir!" She chirped happily.
"Thank you. Would you also mind clearing my schedule for next week. The whole week."
"Done, sir!"
"You'll be in chargewhile I'm gone. Understood?"
"Understood, sir!" She was beginning to sound like a broken record. It was funny to Stolas. She was a bit on the wild side, but he appreciated her. She was wiser than she seemed.
"Do you think things can still get better?" He asked softly. She nodded, mouth still curled into a smile.
"Yes, sir!" He felt a new wave of confidence hearing that. He could make things better. He stood up from his desk. The trip to Quells wouldn't take long, but stoping to get some flowers and chocolates as an apology would.
"One more thing before I leave, Baxter." He noted.
"Yes sir?" She asked .
"The cakes all yours. Merry early Christmas." He smiled as he watched her smile grow even bigger.
"Thank you sir!" She squealed, quickly taking the box off his desk.