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Chapter Text

Chapter 1
When Star Crosby woke up, she felt strange. She felt so hot and her ears were ringing and her vision was off. Everything had a red tint, even the sky. Somehow she felt that she was no longer in New York City, it was quiet, too quiet.

The counter protest had been broken up, but that would lead to its own kind of noise: shouting, screaming, dogs barking, hoses hissing and the bean bag cannons popping. It was supposed to be a peaceful counter protest, but escalated into a riot.

Once the ringing stopped, Star heard nothing. There was no ambiance or the usual background sound of NYC, no cars honking, vendors calling out their wears, or scurrying of rats. After all, NYC was the city that never sleeps.

Star began to realize she was hot, but the air was hot too, far too hot to be in NYC. She remembered running down an alley before she turned to face the cop that had been chasing her and her friend, but they had been running through slush. So why did her coat feel like it was suffocating her now?
Star sat up and unbuttoned her green wool coat, stripped off her gloves and scarf. She took in her surroundings and realized she was still in an alleyway, but it wasn’t the same one as before.

It wasn’t as narrow and it seemed cleaner. How did she end up here? Where was the cop and her friend? ‘Did he haul her off and just leave me here? I’m never gonna hear the end of this.’ She thought as she suddenly felt dizzy and closed her eyes.

‘Is all this a side effect of the tear gas?’ She thought with a groan. She tried to let it pass as she recounted how the day had gone and how the protest had gone so wrong. She had heard the mayor was wanting to crack down on the protests, but she didn’t think he would go so old school with dogs and water hoses. ‘We just wanted those damn racists out of our city.’ She thought.

She opened her eyes again once she felt better, and staring at her at the opening of the alley was a giant red eye. ‘What strange graffiti.’ Or so she thought until it blinked.
It blinked!
It blinked and she screamed and began to scoot away from the eye, but then more began to appear.

‘Get a hold of yourself Star." She thought as she rubbed her forehead. It felt fuzzy. “What’s on my head?” She muttered as she began to feel around her head. Her hair felt the same as it did earlier, slicked back into a bun at the nape, but her neck felt fuzzy too.

She pulled her hand away to see if what was on her forehead and neck had transferred to hand. It wasn’t a hand in front of her face now. It was a paw. The paw was more hand-like than paw-like but it was still a paw. The fingers grew long with cinnamon colored fur, the tips of her fingers had little pink finger pads as did her palm. Her nails were now mini claws.
“What the hell?” Stella muttered as she stared down at the paw.

Chapter Text

Chapter 2
Angel Dust was absolutely exhausted by the time he left work. Valentino had kept them well past midnight. Angel had lost count of the hours, but if he had to guess it was close to 16 hours.
Angel couldn’t keep his lines straight or keep track of the scenes he had done. “How many scenes did we shoot today?” He wondered as he shrugged on his coat and left the V-tower.

‘I want a drink so bad.’ He thought as he dragged himself back to the Hazbin Hotel. The thought of having a chat with Husk made him smile and he hurried a little more.
Unfortunately for Angel, Husk had closed the bar and gone to bed by the time he reached the hotel. “Damn Val”’ He groaned as he sat down at the bar anyways and laid his head on the clean bar top. “This was the worst day ever.” He listened to the words echo through the empty foyer.

His echoing words were laced with the sound of radio static. He groaned again as he picked his head up off the polished wood. ‘I really don’t want to deal with Smiles.’ He thought as he hopped out of his chair and headed for the exit. ‘Why is he even still up? Does he ever sleep?’ He wondered as he left the hotel.
”Maybe there’s still a liquor store open, or opening up soon. I gave Vaggie all the booze out of my room a while ago, maybe I shouldn’t have.” Angel mumbled to himself as he wandered off.

He made his way towards the shopping district. As he got closer, he saw some tempting vending machines. He walked and stared at the buttons. ‘No, you gave this up. You got over this for them, for him.’ He thought as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
“Angel?” A voice from behind him called out.

He turned and saw a familiar looking cat demon wearing modern gym attire and carrying a large grocery bag. She looked like one of Val’s girls except for the missing left ear. He took a second before it dawned on him.
“Kitty?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yup, how are you?” She asked as she glanced between him and the machine behind him.
“Ugh, about the same, but you, you look great. I haven’t seen you since…” Angel began but stopped himself.
“Since the last Extermination Day,” She finished for him in her southern drawl. “Yeah, after Valentino fired me, I got a better job. I’m on my way there now if you want to tag along.” She offered.

“Work this early?” He asked, sounding surprised.
“Well sorta, it’ll be worth it. You can get some food and some booze.” She said as she came up and looped her arm through his.
“How can I say no to that?” Angel joked as he let her lead him to a closed bar.

Chapter Text

Chapter 3
Kitty led Angel to a closed club. She took him down the side alley and to the back of the club. She fished a key out of her leggings’ pocket and unlocked the door.
The door led to a restaurant style kitchen that had a few people cooking in it. The group stopped and looked at them. Angel recognized a few faces.
“I bought the eggs!” Kitty announced as she held up the bag she had been carrying. “It was my turn to bring things for omelets.” She explained as she turned towards Angel.

“And a guest, I see, along with being late.” A small bat demon said as she came up and took the bag from Kitty.
“Oh Lily, can’t you overlook that? There’s enough for everyone, I’m sure.” Kitty replied.
“I can go.” Angel stated as he took a step back, but Kitty kept ahold of his arm.

“You’re fine hon, we just prefer a heads up. I’ll let Star know.” Lily explained as someone else took the bag from her.
“Can I take him to the bar? I can count the bottles while we chat.” Kitty asked.
“I don’t see why not, but next week you’re making the eggs along with bringing them.” Lily answered as she shooed them off.
“What’s with all that?” Angel asked as Kitty led him through the busy kitchen and out to a large dining area.

He stopped for a moment to take in the room. He hadn’t seen a place like this in hell in a long time. Running against the right wall was a large bar, around it were several small round tables and several booths of red plush flanking it. There was an equally large area that you had to step down into, it was a dance floor. Beyond that was a large stage that had its red drapes drawn closed.
“What is this place?” Angel asked.

“This is La La Land. I’m a part of the cast. Today is the weekly breakfast bash.” Kitty explained as she went to the bar. “What would you like? Bloody Mary?” She asked as she had already began to pour herself a drink.
“Sure.” He answered as he sat down. “I didn’t know you knew how to bartend.”

“I didn’t before I started working here.” She confessed as she handed him his drink then sat beside him.
“Is that the job of the cast?” He asked as he sipped his drink.
“We all work where we’re needed for the night, there’s a schedule that rotates, so you just never know what the night is gonna hold.” She explained.
“Sounds annoying.” He mumbled.

“Nah, it’s kinda fun. I like it more than what I used to do.” She replied as she fingered the rim of her glass. “And it’s a lot better than what I could have done.”
“Oh Kitty, I didn’t mean to upset you. What Val did that night was uncalled for.” Angel said as he reached out and touched her shoulder.

“I was damaged goods, how could he use me anymore? Who wants to see a one eared cat get fucked? No one!” Kitty asked, trying to copy Valentino’s Spanish accent.
Angel thought back to that night and the beating Val had given Kitty when she had come back after the last Extermination Day with her ear missing. He had killed her then torn up her contact.

“After he had dumped me in the trash, Star had found me. I’m not sure how and I don’t care, she saved me.” Kitty explained.
“What’s the catch? This is Hell, no one is nice just to be nice.” Angel sneered.
“There’s a contract of course, and I won’t bore you with the details, but the skinny is I have to work here for a year, but it’s so much fun I don’t know if I want to leave.” Kitty laughed.
“Just a year?” Angel asked.
“That was my deal at least.” Kitty shrugged.

“Lily said you would be counting the bottles, not polishing them off.” A voice behind them teased.
They both turned to see a cinnamon-colored mink demon. She was wearing bell bottom jeans with orange daisies on the hem, a white cotton shirt and a flowery orange kimono top.
“Good morning Star, I’ll count them right after breakfast.” Kitty greeted as she got up from the bar and went over for a hug.
“Good morning, please make sure to count what you drink, we’ve got to make sure we get plenty delivered tomorrow. Friday will be here before we know it.” Star reminded her as she gave Kitty a quick hug. “Who’s your friend?” She asked.

“I’m Angel Dust, I’m a…friend of Kitty’s. I’m sorry to crash your breakfast party.” Angel Dust said as he got up and held his hand out.
“Welcome, Angel Dust. It’s no problem, friends are always welcomed here, especially anyone who might need safe harbor.” Star smiled at him. “We just prefer a heads-up next time, make sure there’s enough to go around.” Star said.

Angel couldn’t tell why, but he believed her, mostly. He had been in Hell long enough to know nothing was for free, there was always a cost. What was her price?
He enjoyed the rest of his Bloody Mary as Kitty counted the bottles left behind the bar as they caught up.
“So what? Do you all get together once a week to eat together?” Angel asked Kitty as he looked over the table.

He recognized a few of the faces at the tables. He hadn't seen most in years, but they had worked together at some point, until Val got tired of them.
It took a lot for Val to ‘fire’ someone, but it wasn't unheard of. The process of healing from that took weeks and by then Val had moved on and had a new plaything.
Angel wanted out of his contact, but not that way and he doubted he could push himself or Val that far. He was a favorite after all.

Some of former coworkers had met a similar fate to Kitty becoming disfigured in one way or another. To survive the extermination, but to be permanently scarred was almost as bad in his book. Being disfigured was the only other way to get away from Val.

“Yes, every Monday. Star thinks it helps build teamwork. We eat, talk about the performances for the next weekend, and order what we'll need.” Kitty answered as she followed Angel's gaze. “This week's theme is the 20’s. You should come check us out.”

“I don't know.” Angel muttered as he watched as Star and Lily pushed together several large tables so they sat in a long line. They threw a runner over the tables then began to bring food out. Soon others joined them, pulling up chairs, sitting down and chatting.
“Them too?” Angel muttered as he recognized the actors bringing out the hashbrowns and juice.

“Yeah them too. Welcome to the Refu-Vees.” Kitty giggled as she finished her drink.
“Refu-Vees?” Angel asked.
“It’s just a joke I make since so many of us are from the V’s. Not all of us of course.” Kitty said as her eyes wandered over to a Scorpion sinner.
Angel just followed the gaze as he was about to ask her when Star’s voice called out.

“I think that's everything. It's soup!” Star called out as she brought out the last large pan filled to the brim with eggs.
She sat them down at one end then took her own seat and began to fill her plate.
“You heard her, let's get some food.” Kitty cheered as she took his hand and led him to the tables.
By the time he was done, Kitty had convinced him to come see her perform if he gets
the time off.

As he said his goodbyes and headed back to the hotel, he realized he felt better than he had going to work the previous day. Once back at the hotel, he snuck past Charlie and Vaggie, who were sitting at the bar eating cereal together. He got into his room to find Husk curled around Fat Nuggets. He crawled into bed with them and managed to get a few hours of sleep before he would have to repeat yesterday’s routine.

Chapter Text

Chapter 4
To his surprise, Angel was looking forward to Friday. He mulled the idea over in his head the next day and found he had Friday off. ‘Maybe it'll be fun.’ He thought as he walked home from work the next day. “I haven't had a Friday off in awhile.” He muttered to himself.

He had even gotten off at a decent time so when he walked into the hotel, Husk still had the bar open and Cherri was there sipping a drink.
“Evenin’.” Husk greeted him as he began to pour his usual.
“Hey Angie.” Cherri smiled at him.
“Thanks.” Angel said as he took the glass and sipped his drink, perfect as always.

“Have you guys heard about this new place? La La Land? Untold?” He asked as he glanced between them.
Husk just shrugged. “Nope.”
“Yeah, a few pals have been chatting it up. Say it's a rip roaring time.” Cherri answered.
“I got invited, I was thinking of going.” Angel remarked.
“Count me in!” Cherri cheered.
“A night out? It's been awhile, why not?” Husk answered.

“Is this a group activity?” Cherri asked as she glanced over up at the ceiling, signaling if they should invite Charlie and the others.
“Mh, maybe not this time. I think we should scope it out first.” Angel suggested.
“Good idea.” Husk and Cherri said in unison.

After his drink, Husk sent Angel up to his room to rest and Cherri decided to join him for a face mask.
Husk sipped his own drink as he wiped down the bar, humming low as he thought about a night out with Angel.
Unfortunately for him, Alastor appeared at the end of the bar, destroying his good mood.
“Good evening, Husker.” Alastor grinned as he sat down.

Husk just grunted as he fetched the bottle of rye he kept on hand.
“Did I hear La La Land mentioned?” Alastor asked, picking up his drink.
“What of it?” Husk snapped.
“My, my, it seems to be on everyone's lips. I just received a telegram from Mimzy today about that establishment. It seems to be her newest gig.” Alastor informed him as he summoned the red telegram.

“Mimzy, huh?” Husk mumbled. ‘This place can't be on the up and up if she's involved.’ Husk thought as he refreshed his drink.
“Seems she's straightened herself out.” Alastor remarked as he placed the telegram down for Husk to look over.
“Oh, she's just trying to get back in your good graces.” Husk replied dryly as he barely glanced down at the telegram.

“Perhaps, but if nothing else, she's a great performer. It would be good to see if she's still got it.” Alastor chuckled as Husk grimaced.
“I guess you'll have to go see.” Husk remarked. ‘The more I protest the more he'll insist on coming and ruining our night. Or worse, drag the Princess along and ruin everyone's night.’ Husk thought, trying to stay neutral.
“I suppose I shall.” Alastor chuckled, but his grin had turned dark. He finished his drink then melted back into the shadows he had appeared from. “Good night Husker.”
“Damn it.” Husk growled as he killed off his drink.

Chapter Text

Chapter 5

Star had been nervous when she had asked Mimzy to consult on La La Land's 20’s and 30’s night. She heard so many rumors about the short woman, but one of those rumors was that she was hard up for money and would take any job.
“Will I be the headliner?” Was the first question she had asked when Star had ventured out to the greediest part of the Pride ring.
“I don't see why you couldn't have a number on top of making sure we look authentic, but I'm not paying you more.” Star had conceded.

“No, I want to headline.” Mimzy had argued.
“Not this time. You can be the end of Act 1.” Star countered.
“And open Act 2?” MImzy added, hopefully.

“Next time, maybe. You'll be credited for how well we perform this weekend. Think about it, Mimzy brings the roaring 20’s and 30’s to hell. Everyone saying it was just like back on Earth, praising you for bringing a little Earth to Hell.” Star spun.
“For what you're offering this sounds like a big order.” MImzy pouted.
“Fine, if the first weekend goes well, I'll give you 5% of the second weekend's profits.” Star sighed as she sucked her teeth and rolled her eyes.
“5%?!” Mimzy squeaked.

“That's over a thousand clams, you have a reputation to beat. If some Sharks come and shoot up the club, it won't matter how much money you make me. Renovations will be more than a thousand and not to mention my reputation will be shot! My customers like feeling safe, we can always renegotiate after the second weekend.” Star explained as she made a scroll appear in her hand and a pen in the other. “So?” She asked.
“Fine!” Mimzy agreed, taking the pen and signing.

“Wonderful, it's been a pleasure. Please come to this address tomorrow at 14:00.” Star instructed as she made the contract disappear. ‘For someone supposedly connected to the Radio Demon you think she would learn to read a contact.’ She thought.
“13: 00?” Mimzy questioned.
“It means 1 pm.” Star sighed. “I look forward to working with you.” Star lied as she saw herself out of Mimzy's apartment.
‘How will our customers take to this shake up? They've enjoyed the 2000’s and 2010’s but going back nearly a hundred years? God, I hope this pays off. We need more customers.’ Star thought as she made her way back to La La Land.

Once she made it back, she changed out of her business suit and into something more comfortable for practicing.
She went to the stage and flipped on the lights and music. She then began to stretch out her body. It had taken a while but she was finally used to being a mink. The fur was more maintenance then she liked but she enjoyed the flexibility, especially in her ankles and feet. It was like having a second pair of hands.

Her first year in Hell had just been about surviving and understanding her new world. She managed to scrape by and even made a few friends. They had agreed to her crazy ideas, even the one she had about the afterlife. She wanted to be everything she wasn't in the living world even if she had to make the path herself. This club was just the beginning.
She managed to survive several, so far, and the one before last had led her to finding this place. The last one had been so weird, with the Exterminators only focusing on one area, not that she minded, since everyone she knew had stayed alive.

After stretching, she did the dance routine from last weekend to warm-up. “I wonder what Mimzy will come up with, the Charleston was popular back in the 1920’s, but in the 30’s, the Lindy Hop was. Maybe we can transition from one to the other.” Star muttered as she took a break and sipped her water.
After dancing, she did her scales, she stepped beyond the curtain on the small patch of stage that was still visible. She looked over the empty club then took a deep breath before she began one of her favorite songs, “Satellites” by September.

Chapter Text

Chapter 6

On Friday, Angel, Husk, and Cherri ventured out to La La Land. They even dressed up a little. Angel wore a nicer suit than his daily wear. It was a double breasted suit jacket, pink with white pinstripes. Cherri wore a sparkly magenta dress over her ripped black tights. Husk wore a suit jacket over his pressed dress shirt.

To their surprise, when they arrived, there was no line. Just a Hell Hound standing outside, leaning next to the closed double door. He wore a zoot suit and a hat pulled low over his eyes, and was smoking a cigarette.
“Uh, Ange, are you sure this is the place?” Cherri asked as she looked around the nearly empty street.
“Yeah.” He answered as she walked up to the HellHound.
“Wanna what?” The Hound asked, barely looking over to Angel.
“To join the hunger march.” Angel answered confidently.
“Them too?” The Hound asked, glancing over to Husk and Cherri.
“Them too, we’re all hungry.” Angel replied.

The hound just grunted as he opened one of the doors and let them in.
The room was small and pretty bare with only a few imps inside, in the corner was a small bar with an older imp bartender, the wall was taken up by a large fireplace.
“Oh, it’s a Speakeasy.” Husk commented. “Not much of one.”
“It is this week, my friend sent me the pass code yesterday along with what we have to do next.” Angel explained as he led them over to the fire place. “Sit down.” He said pointing to the two empty chairs as he went over to the books on the mantle.
Once Husk and Cherri sat down, he pulled on the copy of the Great Gatsby and the fireplace began to move, turning in a circle, taking them inside the real club, the club Angel had seen on Monday.

The club was now in full swing and nearly full to the brim with sinners. The dance floors already had several sinners out on the floors, most of the booths were already taken with groups chatting away over the music.
“I take it back.” Husk smirked as he and Cherri gaped at the sight.
“Oh, this place is awesome.” Cherri grinned widely.

“Angel, you made it!” Kitty exclaimed as she walked up to them carrying an empty drink tray. She was decked out in a gold flapper style dress with matching T-strap heels. She had her hair done up in finger waves and had a silk bronze colored headband over her head with silk gold flowers piled up where her ear would have been. She looked beautiful.
“Kitty!” Angel smiled at her.

“You brought friends!” Kitty smiled back. “Hi I’m Kitty, I used to work with Angel.” Kitty said as she quickly shook their hands.
“Yes, this is my boyfriend Husk and friend Cherri.” Angel said as they both shook her hand.
“Nice to meetcha both, you’re just in time. Grab yourself a drink, by then, the show will be starting.” Kitty informed them.
“Thanks, break a leg.” Angel said.
“Thanks, see ya at intermission.” Kitty said as she sailed off.

They went up to the bar and ordered some of the featured themed drinks. Angel and Cherri each ordered a giggle water while Husk stuck to his whiskey straight.
Husk stared at the scorpion sinner who was wearing a full tuxedo. The bartender was using his tail as an extra hand to make the drinks. “Ash?” Husk whispered.
“Yeah it’s me. I was wondering when it would click.” Ash replied as he served his next customer. “Here’s your Mint Julep, hon.” Ash then started on the next drink.

Husk sipped his drink and glanced between it and Ash. Husk thought back to the last night he spent at his casino, the night he had lost to Alastor. Ash had been there, he was there all the time. He was by far the best bartender there had.
“Don’t burn a hole in me, it’s all water under the bridge.” Ashed remarked, seemingly unbothered by his old overlord’s presence.
Husk just nodded silently as the house lights flashed in the five minute warning.
“Let’s grab a booth.” Angel said as he pulled Husk and Cheri over to an empty booth.

Stella stood backstage and waved at Kitty as she took her position among the other girls. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves then went out on stage. Stella took a deep breath to steady her nerves. ‘You’ve got this Star.’ She thought to herself.
The curtain on the stage began to open. The stage was empty except for a lone old fashioned mic.
Star waltzed out towards the mic.

Star wore a bottle green flapper dress with silver beading and silver T-strap heels. Her light brown hair was styled into finger waves that swirled into curls above her shoulders. Her silver headband had a peacock feather that bounced with each step. Her makeup was perfect and she looked like she had stepped out of a magazine from the 1920s.
“Good evening everyone. I’m Star, the owner of La La Land.” Star greeted as she reached the mic. She glanced around the packed room then smiled. “I hope you enjoy this evening's show. Now let’s get going.” She continued.

She stepped back and began her song, “April Showers.” As she sang and danced, the stage around her transformed into a green field, the ceiling turned dark with storm clouds and it looked as if it was raining.
Dozens of showgirls came out on stage in yellow raincoats and umbrellas. The girls twirled the umbrellas as they sang and made their way down to their positions on the stage’s stairs, they threw the umbrellas back on stage as Star began belting the chorus. The girls made their way to the dance floor and flung off their raincoats to reveal their beautiful flapper style costumes. Each girl was in a different color and pattern but they were all in the flapper style.

They went into the crowd, inciting people to dance with them on the dance floor. As the song ended they made their way back to the stage and the clouds cleared and a green field bloomed with thousands of colorful flowers. Gaps could be heard at the shock of the flowers spring up at the customers feet. A few even picked them up. The song ended with the girls around Star and they all sang the last line together, striking a pose.

The club erupted in applause once the song ended.
“Oh, wow.” Angel gasped.
“That was amazing.” Husk complimented.
“I ain’t seen anything like this.” Cherri added.

“Thank you, Thank you, please enjoy Act One. Next up we have Kitty, Hazel and Willow,.” Star huffed with a smile as she went back up to the mic. The stage returned to normal as she exited the stage but several of the show girls stayed on stage and started the next song.
Angel watched in delight as Kitty performed the next song, a group number. He recognized the tune as “Broadway Rag”. The girls danced on stage and on the dance floor with the club’s patrons again.
The other girls with Kitty were a brown rabbit and a gray chinchilla. Angel hadn’t seen them in awhile, they had only worked with Valentino a short time.

To his surprise Star waltzed up to the bar and ordered herself a giggle water.
Angel noticed her shot was clear, but the drink his hand was pale pink and he couldn’t help but eavesdrop as the next number began.
Star downed the shot and leaned against the bar, whispering to the bartender, “Hi Ash, what’s been ordered tonight?”

“The specials are a hit, good call on the extra champagne. None of the extra shots have been ordered, maybe you should try the Rattle shot.” Ash said as he took her glass and set her up with another shot of clear liquid.
“What kind of Rattle is it?” She asked as she picked her glass slowly.
‘Extra shot? The menu didn’t have shots, just drinks. Another clear shot? Is it vodka? Tequila?’ Angel thought as she watched her sip her shot this time as if tasting it.
“I was thinking of calling it Radio Rattle.” Ash answered as he leaned back as if anticipating a big reaction.

“Oh, a Radio Rattle? That’s fine, it tastes fine. Have you thought anymore about the Shark shot we talked about?” She asked as she handed him back the glass.
“We still don’t have any blue curacao.” Ash replied.
“Oh right, good, good.” Star sighed. “I need to get back, keep being awesome.” Star said as she headed back towards the stage.
‘What a strange conversation.’ Angel thought as Cherri began to elbow him.
“Your friend can really cut a rug and sing.” She informed him.

His attention shifted back to the stage where Kitty was finishing her trio number. They were just ending “Everyone Loves My Baby.”
“Yeah, she can.” Angel replied as all the girls walked off stage, Mimzy waltzed out . “Mimzy!” He gasped then began to look around.
“Yeah, Alastor mentioned her.” Husk mumbled as he glanced around as well. He finally spotted the red demon in a dark corner booth, he sat quietly, drink in hand, seemingly just enjoying the show.

Chapter Text

Chapter 7

As Mimzy took the stage, Alastor had decided this was worth his time. Whoever was running the joint was talented. The bartender had made a great drink, good Old Fashions were hard to come by, let alone great ones. The rest of the menu looked to be on the level as well.

Each song so far was perfect. The opener had grabbed his attention, that doll was fantastic and each act since had been delightful.
‘When was the last time I’d seen her perform? What will she perform?’ Alastor wondered to himself once Mimzy reached the mic.

Mimzy performed a song he hadn’t heard in a long time, she performed to “Ain’t We Got Fun.” The club cheered and clapped for her as she finished up. Her reception was the same as all the other acts, nothing less, nothing more. “Thank you, thank you.” Mimzy beamed as she waved at the people in the crowd as she tried to back off the stage, but bumped into Star.

Star slung an arm around her shoulders and smiled down at her since Mimzy was a head shorter than her. “Now, now, we have one more number left.” Star fake chided as they went back to the front of the stage. “Everyone please give her a big round of applause! She’s been a wonderful help with tonight’s show. We really wanted to bring the 20’s and 30’s to Hell.” Star announced.

This time the club erupted in applause. “Thank you, thank you all so much. Now we have one more number for you before intermission. Enjoy!” Star continued as she winked at the audience.

The band broke out in “All that Jazz” as the lights went out except for a spotlight on the band. Star began to sing as she began to dance and a spotlight lit her up. The others began to sing and more spot lights began to appear until the stage was flooded but soon the light turned red.

Star was lifted up by two other girls, she kicked up her legs into a back handstand as the other girls began to dance in front of her. Mimzy began to sing as she cut through the rest to the front of the group.

When the song ended, the lights everywhere went out and the curtains closed and the club went nuts, clapping, foot stomping, whistling.

Star appeared in front of the curtains, panting slightly. “We’ll be taking a thirty minute intermission, please enjoy the dance floor, the bar, and the kitchen. Be sure to stick around because Act two is even better.” Star announced as she gestured toward each item.

Once she disappeared again, the speakers around the room began to pipe out 20’s and 30’s music.
The dance floor quickly filled up.
“Oh wow, she knows how to run a show.” Husk said as he killed off his drink.
“Let’s try this dance, it looks like a shit ton of fun.” Cherri commented as she watched several dancers do the Charleston.
“Sure why not.” Angel laughed as he let her pull him up as Husk followed them.

Mimzy quickly made her way to the bar, as she was waiting, Alastor strolled up to her.
“Dipping your bill?” Alastor mused.
“Alastor! you know I perform better when I'm a little wet.” Mimzy gushed as she grinned at him. “Isn’t this drum the Bee’s Knee?”
“Quite! Another one, good fellow.” Alastor answered as he placed down his empty glass.
“You sticking around? I negotiated for a song in the second act.” Mimzy informed him.
“Negotiated?” Alastor asked as he raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, she wanted this performance to be really authentic, but she also wanted to work in some songs from some musicals set in the time era.” Mimzy revealed as she instantly drained her drink.

“I see.” Alastor mumbled as Ash filled both their drinks quickly. He didn’t look too happy to do so.
“I mean the songs are pretty good. That last one was a real whangdoodle. She said it was from some show called Chicago.” Mimzy continued.

Alastor let Mimzy beat her gums as he observed the club. On the dance floor, he saw Husk and the others and a few of the background girls from the show. He glanced beside him as what he assumed was the headliner shimmied up to the bar.

“Hi Ash, can I get a giggle water?” She asked, she was smiling, the same smile she had worn on stage.
“Of course.” Ash answered as he quickly got her the drink.
“Star, why don’t you drink something stronger than champagne.” Mimzy chimed in.
“Maybe after the show.” She demurred as she sipped her nearly transparent bubbly drink.

“Alastor, this canary is Star! She’s the one who recruited me. You could say she’s the big cheese of this juice joint.” Mimzy explained.
“Alastor, Miss, it’s a pleasure. You’re running a swell joint here.” Alastor grinned, holding out his hand as he twirled his mic in the other.

“Charmed, I’m Star. I’m so happy to hear you say that, sir. I really want my guests to enjoy themselves.” Star explained as she shook Alastor’s hand. ‘Okay good, he’s enjoying himself so the speakers will stay intact. All those rumors, and not one of them mentioned his size.’ She thought as she noticed how much bigger his hand was then hers. Her citrine colored eyes bounced from their hands to his mic then up to his face.

“It’s been delightful.” He smiled his signature public grin at her as he released her hand.
She gave a real smile back. “I hope you stay for the whole performance. I’m not bluffing, the second act really is the bee’s knees.” She replied then glanced at her tiny black wrist watch. “Speaking of which, time flies. Mimzy, you should get some water and head backstage.” She continued.

“Is it that time already?” Mimzy asked, grabbing Star’s arm and pulled her closer, pinning Alastor between them as she stared at the watch for a long second. “I’ve got to change.” She exclaimed and sprinted off.

“It’s been lovely to meet you Alastor, sir.” Star said as she put a respectable distance between them.
“Likewise.” He replied as he straightened out his ruffled lapels.
“Please enjoy the show.” Star said quickly finishing her drink then left the bar area.
Alastor watched her go with a smirk, then went back to his corner booth.

About ten minutes later, the band started up again and Star came out to start the next act. True to her promise, the second act was fantastic.

When Star came out her costume had changed. She now wore a slinky bias cut satin emerald dress and her curls had been brushed out a little so they sat down on her shoulder now.Star opened with “What a Little Moonlight Can Do”.
During her performance, all of the stage was dimly lit except where she was standing, the spot light created a halo of moonlight on her hair. The audience was so enthralled, they were nearly speechless for the whole performance.

Next, the next group of songs were performed including “One o’Clock Jump,” “It Don’t Mean a Thing,” and “Puttin on the Ritz.” Kitty was in a few of these.
Mimzy came out on stage again, performing “Boogie Woogie.”
After she was done, a Cabaret ensemble came on.

The performance ended with the place jumping, the dance floor was full, the kitchen cranked out orders, and the booze was flowing.
Alastor decided to indulge Mimzy for another drink.
“Why don’t we show them how it’s really done?” Mimzy suggested as they watched the crowd.

“Not tonight doll, maybe another night.” Alastor declined as he watched Star dance her way through the crowd, stopping to chat with several customers and dancers. She eventually made her way back to the bar to check in with the bartender again. He could hear the bartender mention something about shots, but just saw her down another clear drink before ducking off into the crowd.
“Too bad, you really could cut a rug.” Mimzy pouted, not noticing that Alastor had stopped listening to her.

Alastor glanced over to the dance floor where Angel, Husk and Cherri were, trying to dance the Lindy Hop. They were with a dancer from the show. He noticed they seemed to be enjoying themselves as the showgirl tried to get Cherri to wiggle less.

“You’re so silly Cherri, did you guys enjoy the show?” Kitty asked as she swung around with Angel still holding Cherri.
“That was great!” Angel shouted over the music blasting from the speakers, the band had taken another thirty minute break.

“I’m so happy to hear that.” Kitty replied.
“How long are you guys going to be doing this?” Husk asked as he shuffled his feet.
“Just this weekend and next. Star likes to mix things.” Kitty explained.
“What’s your next theme? Are they always this dedicated?” Cherri asked as she gestured to Kitty’s dress, she had changed back into her gold flapper dress.

“You’ll just have to come by and see.” Star answered, making them all jump. “Are you all enjoying yourselves?” She asked with a smile.
“It’s been frickin’ awesome! You really know how to entertain.” Cherri boomed.
“Yeah, this place is cool.” Husk added.
“It’s nice to know Kitty’s friends are having fun.” Star said.
Once again, Angel felt inclined to believe she was telling the truth. “It’s been a blast.” Angel said.
“Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves.” Kitty added as she looked around the room for the first time since getting on the dance floor.
“It would seem so. Enjoy yourself Kitty. Catch ya later.” Star said, giving her a quick hug then continuing through the crowd.

Chapter Text

Chapter 8

Angel, Husk and Cherri stayed until closing then stumbled back to the hotel.
They entered the hotel to see Charlie and Vaggie sitting up at the bar in their pajamas, each with a cup of coffee in their hands.
“Where have you been?” Vaggie growled.
“We were so worried.” Charlie cried, her yellow eyes wide and moist with tears brimming in the corners about to fall.
“Since when are you our mothers?” Husk grumbled to himself as he shrugged off his jacket and untied his yellow bow.
“We were at La La Land.” Cherri cheered, by now she was three sheets to the wind and it was mostly Angel that was keeping her upright.

Suddenly Nifty appeared out of nowhere, still dressed in her day clothes, jumped on to Angel’s chest, scaring everyone and with her normal grin asked. “ Were there bad boys?”
“La La Land? What in Hell is that?” Vaggie asked after she
“Sorry Nifty I didn’t see any bad boys, it’s a club an old friend works at.” Angel began, but Cherri cut him off.
“It’s more just than a fucking club! It’s a fucking experience! All that singing and dancing!” With this, Cherri pulled away and began to do the Charleston somehow managing to stay upright for a second.

“Aw, no bad boys.” Nifty whined as she disappeared back into the darkness.
“Singing and dancing?” Charlie asked as Cherri danced over to her then slung herself onto Charlie.
“Yup, and there’s another one called the Lindy hop. It was so much damn fun.” She hiccuped. “And that bitchin’ Star and Kitty sure can sing.”
“So, it was actually a wholesome club?” Vaggie asked, raising her eyebrow unable to hide the disbelief in her voice.
“Well, as wholesome as a club in Hell can be.” Husk commented. “Cherri’s right, it was a hell of a time. Best night we’ve had in a while. Good music, good dancing, and good booze.”

“Well, it’s no Consent, but it’s no daycare either. Like Husk said, there’s drinking, but, now that I think about it, I didn’t see any of the usual drugs.” Angel remarked.
“It sounds cool. I wanna go!” Charlie exclaimed as she turned to Vaggie, dropping Cherri.
“Oof!” Cherri cried out, landing face first on the floor.

Vaggie didn’t look happy about the suggestion as she made a face and crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t know.” She muttered.
“It’ll help me understand sinners better, maybe get us some guests.” Charlie argued as she began to pout, her bottom lip sticking out.
“Star doesn’t strike me as the type to enjoy someone cutting in on her territory, it’s still a club. I don’t think you guys should go without one of us.” Angel said.
“It would be so fun to go back.” Cherri smiled as she began to climb up Angel’s leg to stand up.
“Ugh, how about next time I get a Friday off, we’ll go again. I can give Kitty a heads up on the ‘special guest' and check on the theme.” Angel sighed in defeat.

“She had a theme?” Charlie gasped, her eyes getting a little starry looking all happy again as she clapped her hands.
“Yeah, it was 20’s and 30’s this time.” Angel sighed again as he picked Cherri up and looped her arm over his shoulder.
“And man, did it feel like we were alive again. It would be fun to go back. Night.” Husk stated as he headed over to the elevator, humming a song from the set.
“You felt like you were back on Earth?” Charlie asked as she watched Husk slowly wobble over to the elevator.
“I wouldn’t go that far, but you can tell Star wanted to get as close as possible.” Angel said.
“How long has she been in Hell?” Vaggie asked.

“I dunno, didn’t ask, and it didn’t come up. G’night.” Angel answered as he dragged Cherri and joined Husk in the elevator and headed up to their rooms.
“Vaggie, do you think the sinners miss Earth?” Charlie whispered sadly, once the elevator had gone up.
“I’m not sure. Probably.” Vaggie answered as she looped her arm around Charlie’s waist.
“We should try to make the hotel more earthy. Maybe that’ll make it more comfortable.” Charlie suggested as they headed towards their room.

“Maybe, let’s talk about it in the morning or wait until after you see this club,” Vaggie said as she led them towards the stairs.
“Yeah.” Charlie agreed. “I’m glad they had fun. Do you think that’s where Alastor was, too? I haven’t seen him all night either. His radios have been quiet and his shadows calm.”
“I doubt it, but who knows where he wandered off to? At least your dad enjoyed the peace and quiet, tonight.” Vaggie pointed out.
“Yeah, he did.” Charlie sighed as they went up the stairs. “I think he’s still not comfortable here.”
“It’s late, everything will look better in the morning. Let’s get back to bed, it's our turn in the morning to make breakfast.” She reminded her.
“Yeah, I was thinking of making pancakes.” Charlie yawned.
“If that’s what you want, hon.” Vaggie said as they entered their room.

Alastor was in his room sipping tea, having slipped past the princess and her guard dog before everyone else had returned. Where they had all stayed the whole night he had left soon after the show had ended. He could hear everyone settling into bed.
“How interesting.” Alastor murmured to himself. He thought of the night he had spent at the club and smirked at the thought of Charlotte entering such a place. “How interesting, indeed.”

That following Monday, Stella locked herself in her office after brunch. To her delight, the first 20’s weekend went off even better than a regular weekend. She crunched the numbers and checked them twice and even after Mimzy’s percentage, they had made a huge profit.
‘Thank Lucifer.’ She thought as she released a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding. She began stuffing the money into envelopes and writing names on the front when there was a knock on the door. “Come in.” She called out as she glanced up to the closed office door.

“You’ve been here longer than usual.” Lily stated as she walked in carrying a tray with two cups of tea on it. “Is that good or a bad thing?”
“It’s good.” Stella grinned as Lily put the tray down on the desk and Stella picked up a cup. “This was one of the best weekends in a while.”
“That’s great! I’ve put in the order for the booze, I think we nearly emptied the bar.” Lily joked.
They enjoyed their tea and Lily helped Stella finish payroll.

“It was only three days, but it felt twice as long.” Stella groaned as she rolled her shoulders once they were finished.
“It did, I think all those special guests on Friday didn’t help, you handled it well even if you were bouncing around like a pinball.” Lily praised.
“Can you blame me? Kitty was so happy to have AngelDust come, but he’s still so close to Valentino, and we can’t have him coming here.” Stella reminded her.
“AngelDust? He wasn’t even the biggest star in the room that night. The cast was in a tizzy backstage when they saw THE Radio Demon chatting with you. Did you know Mimzy was going to invite him?” Lily asked as Stella began to lock away the envelopes.

“Nope, last rumor I heard was the same one you did, they were on the rocks. It was a pleasant surprise.” Stella said as she locked the safe.
“I wouldn’t call it pleasant, but from what I could see from the stage wings, he behaved. He seemed to enjoy himself, maybe he’ll become a regular.” Lily remarked.
“That would be nice, but I doubt it. Doesn’t he have his hands full with that hotel run by the Princess of Hell?” Stella replied as she put her back against the safe. “So, I was thinking of changing the routine up a little for this weekend.” Stella confessed wanting to change the subject as she pushed off the safe and quickly picked up the tray.

“Why?” Lily asked, sounding shocked as her eyebrows shot to her forehead as she quickly got up from her chair. “If we made so much money, why change it?”
“I was thinking of working a song or two from Annie into the routine. Mix it up a little.” Stella said as she went towards the door.
“I think that’ll just overtax you and everyone else. As stage manager, I think that the set is perfect. Word of mouth says we might bring in even more sinners and hellborn next weekend.” Lily argued as they left the office and locked it behind them.
“I guess that’s a good point. Maybe I’ll just use the songs to warm up this week.” Stella conceded as they headed towards their apartment.
“Yeah, I’ll help you practice tomorrow, get it out of your system.” Lily offered.

Their apartment was above the bar, half of the space was storage while the other was their home and a safe room.
“Do you think we’ll have to use the room soon?” Lily asked as she glanced over to the vacant room. It was a simple small room with a bed, a night stand, and a lamp to make it feel homey. The other bedroom was set like a hospital room. There were cabinets that were filled with sterile gauze and other dressings. There were also simple tinctures for fevers and pains.

“It has been awhile, but Valentino is so hard to predict, we’ll just have to rely on our network. I honestly don’t know if I want someone to have to use the room. With each new victim we pick up, the risk of Discovery Day increases.” Stella confessed as she balanced the tray on her hips as she unlocked their apartment door and headed inside.
“I know, but some of the girls were chatting about their contract’s expiration dates and…” Lily began, but Stella cut her off.

“I didn’t start this club for the contracts that just ended up being part of it. We treat them well. Some might leave, but I think most will stay. We can renegotiate if we must, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there. I think as long as we stay low-key we’ll be fine.”
“I hope you’re right.” Lily sighed as Stella headed towards their galley kitchen to wash their tea cups.
“Have I been wrong before?” Stella asked.
“No, just lucky and charming.” Lily called back as she headed towards her room to work on the next draft of costumes for the next special show.

Chapter Text

Chapter 9
When Angel changed his schedule the next day he had a mix of relief and annoyance that he would be working the next month of Fridays.
“Vixxy just doesn’t draw the crowds like you do, Amor.” Valentino praised him when the schedule came out. Valentino wrapped Angel up in his arms and twirled them around for a second. “You are such a little cash cow.” Valentino sneered into his ear. “So, I hope you enjoyed that Friday off, ‘cause it’ll be your last for a while.”
“Yes, Valentino.” Angel sighed.

“Speaking of vaca, you seem to be getting a little heavy. Maybe lay off the booze, mi vaquita .” Valentino said as he picked Angel up and put him back down again.
“Yes, Valentino.” Angel repeated as he kept his eyes locked on their boots.
“Buen Chico.” Valentino said as he took Angel’s face in his hand and made him look up and squeezed his face. “Get ready for set.”Valentino ordered before strolling away to harass a different employee.

Angel entered his dressing room, getting ready was second nature to him now. There was today’s script waiting for him on his dressing table, but Angel didn’t even bother reading through it; he figured it was the same set of lame lines he had been saying for years.
As he did his makeup, he thought back to last week. ‘Will we be here until dawn again?’ He thought. “Damn,” He muttered as he stopped for a moment, working that late had led him to Kitty. “That breakfast was good.”

Angel got dressed and glanced at the script,he groaned. “How fuckin’ lame.” Fortunately, it was a short shoot that only lasted a few hours.
A few days after his late night on the town, Alastor decided to have a day out and pay a visit to his dear old friend, Rosie. After breakfast, he strolled down to Cannibal Town, the trip was thankfully uneventful and mostly quiet. He ignored the occasional ‘casual’ drone that flew by. The drones surprisingly disappeared once he entered Rosie’s territory. Her store was steady with customers as always.

“Oh, Alastor darling! It’s been awhile.” Rosie greeted with a smile. She was wearing her usual outfit including her overly large sun hat.
“Rosie, dear, do you have time for tea?” He asked as he twirled his cane.
“Always for you! Just a moment.” She answered.

She finished with the customer she had been serving then came around the counter and hugged Alastor causing him to genuinely smile. She escorted Alastor back to her private parlor and summoned a tea set with two cups of tea and a few finger sandwiches.

“Thank you.” He said as he picked up one of the cups and sipped it for a moment. Today he was enjoying a relaxing cup of green tea.
“Does the princess have you so busy that you can’t stop by for a social call?” She teased as she stirred a bit of sugar into her tea before taking a sip.
“Oh no, she’s a dear, but that father of hers,” He answered as his ears pinned back with a sour look on his face. “He built the damn hotel, but every little flaw he finds, he complains about and tries to make me fix it. And don’t get me started on those ducks.” He explained as he put his tea down.
“I see. So what do I owe the pleasure today, darling?” She asked as she put her tea down.

“Well, the other night I came across an interesting overlord.” He revealed as he began to clean his monocle with a cloth he had summoned.
“Oh? A new overlord? And they haven't come to the meetings? That does seem interesting.” She commented, her pitch black eyes sparkling as she reached forward and touched his shoulder.
“I’m not sure how new they are, but they were being quite reserved with their powers. My guess is they’re more powerful than they are letting on. And since I’m a natural at spotting talent I, of course, noticed their deceit.” He explained as he put his monocle back on.

“Oh, how different, I dare say exciting! So many new overlords are willing to flaunt their powers, singing their own praises. Just look at that Velvette child.” She said as she picked up a finger sandwich. “She’s so unladylike, showing up to the meeting nearly naked. Is that what she thinks fashion is? So, this overlord is different?” She continued.
“She does seem different, and it was refreshing, the whole evening was.” He replied as he picked up a finger sandwich and popped it into his mouth, dabbing his mouth with a posh napkin.

“Is this something we should keep an eye on?” She asked with a smirk as she did the same with her own snack.
“I believe so.” He answered, returning to his tea.
“And where is this little gem?” She asked with a sharp grin.
“Over by Broadway. Though, no offense, Rosie dear, but I don’t quite think it’s your scene.” He explained.
“Broadway? No, I can’t say it is, but you never know. I could say it’s not much of yours either. What took you over there Alastor?” She asked.
“I was invited by an old friend.” He confessed.

“An old friend? We don’t have many of those left. An old friend who likes the Broadway area.” Rosie mused her face lighting up with joy.
“Yes, an old friend.” Alastor repeated, waiting for her to guess.

“Oh, that Mimzy? She’s nothing but trouble.” She scoffed as she finished her tea as her face fell into a scowl of annoyance.
Alastor simply shrugged as he drained his tea as well. “But she was entertaining, as was the rest of the La La Land establishment.”
“La La Land? Never heard of it. Do you mind if I ask around about it?” She asked as she got up and the tea set disappeared.
“If you must, but how many of your people are the Broadway type?” He asked as he slipped his arm through hers and picked up his cane.
“I’m sure there’s a few.” She replied as she tried to think of all her customers. “Well don’t be a stranger, Alastor darling.” Rosie said as he escorted her back out front.
“Of course, Rosie dear.” Alastor answered as she went back behind the counter.
“Come back soon.” She smiled at him with her toothy grin.
“Very soon.” He replied through his cane, distorting his voice. He winked then left the store.

Chapter Text

Chapter 10
It was months before Angel got another Friday off, it was well into summer now. He had managed to crash a few more breakfast parties and with each one, he was greeted more warmly. He even had a few conversations with Star. Now, he was glad if he had to work late into Monday morning.

The Monday before his Friday off it happened again. He had another super late night and ran into Kitty on his way home.
“You’re gonna come again?” Kitty smiled as she served him a mimosa.
“‘Course I am! I don’t know what’s come over Val, but I’m happy for the time off.” Angel sighed as he took the cold drink.

“Angel’s coming back! Awesome!” Hazel, the brown bunny sinner exclaimed from the long table she was helping set up.
“About time!” Ruby, a red squirrel sinner shouted from down the table.
“You should try to come more often.” Willow, a gray chinchilla whined from beside her.
“They’re right.” Jade a cheetah added.

“They're right. Will the others be coming too? Cherri is nice, but she seems a bit more…” Kitty started, trying her best to say her thoughts nicely, but Angel finished her thought.
“More intense by herself?” He suggested.
“Yeah, you could say that. What about that other guy who came with you last time, Husk? He never comes with her.” Kitty remarked.
“I’m not surprised, he’s kind of a homebody.” Angel explained as a smile formed on his lips at the thought of his lover, who was still probably in bed at this early hour of the morning.
“She’s been bringing someone else with her though, a raven sinner.” Kitty continued.
“Oh, that’s probably the newest hotel resident, Vi, she’s cool.” Angel explained.

“Yeah, she is. Well, this weekend will probably be the best one to attend. It’s Star’s birthday, so she’s pulling out all the stops.” Kitty whispered.
“Really? The last show I saw was already pretty spectacular.” Angel commented.
“Oh, it was, but when Star is in her element, she shines so much brighter, in my opinion. She likes the 1920’s, but she loves the subject for this week’s show.” She explained.
“What is the theme?” He asked as he leaned in close.

“It’s Broadway and Disney.” She whispered with her muzzle nearly at his ear.
“Disney? The movie company?” He questioned as he raised an eyebrow.
“Oh Angel, it was so much more than that when I was alive. They were breaking ground for the second theme park in Florida when I died.” She informed him.
“A second theme park? Like the Sea Lion Park at Coney Island but for just Disney characters?” He asked as he raised an eyebrow.
“Something like that, but like 10 times better.” She giggled. “Anyway, Disney was a huge part of her life along with Broadway, so we’re doing that as the theme this week.”

“Oh well, the Earth keeps turning even after we’re gone. Sounds like it’ll be interesting.” He remarked.
“I certainly hope it is. I’m curious what she’ll come up with. I asked to do Cinderella, her dress is just so pretty.” She sighed dreamily.
“Cinderella, huh? If you say so. By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask, last time I was here I didn’t see anything besides booze.” He commented, staying close to her.
She snorted and quickly covered her mouth. “Angel, really. Do you think that’s a smart idea with all of our histories?”

“I know Kitty, but have you ever been to a club that didn’t,...” Angel began, she stopped him.
“Yeah, but this isn’t every club. That’s the point aaaannddd she’ll lecture you like your mother. We’ve all seen it once and we decided never again.”
“Oh, I’ve got one of those too.” He laughed.

“Oh, At that hotel, you've got a mom-type there? Who?” She asked as she killed off her drink.
“Believe it or not, the princess.” He confessed as he polished off his own drink.
“Really? I never would have guessed.” She remarked.
“Yeah, she’s nothing like what you would guess, and she wants to come this weekend.” He said
“Oh!” She gasped in excitement.
“Don’t get your hopes up. I don’t see her guard dog being okay with her coming, but there’s a first time for everything.” He shrugged.
“Well, it would be cool to perform for the Princess.” She stated as she began to daydream.

“It’s soup!” Star called from the head of the large makeshift table.
“Let’s eat!” Lily smiled as she sat on Star’s right and Kitty sat on her left. Angel sat next to Kitty and Hazel with Willow across from him.

After breakfast, Angel walked back to the hotel where he found a few of the residents lounging near the closed bar, including Charlie and Vaggie.
“I have this Friday off.” He informed them as he stood in the doorway.
“Yes!” Charlie cheered as she hopped up and nearly ran over to Angel. “Does that mean we’re going this weekend!?”
“Yeah, but right now, I’m going to bed. We can talk about this later.” He yawned.

“What’s going on this weekend?” Lucifer asked as he walked with a cup of tea in hand.
“Going to a club.” Angel answered sleepily as he headed to his room to finally get some rest.
“A club?” Lucifer questioned suspiciously as he looked at Charlie then to Vaggie as he set the tea down on the bar top.
“Dad, everyone says this club is really laid back.” Charlie defended, trying not to whine as she slunk back over to the bar with her shoulders hunched.

“Sir, Cherri and Violetta have been there several times.” Vaggie added as she placed her spoon back into her cereal bowl.
“The explosive expert? And the Witch? Is it still standing? Is it cursed?” Lucifer asked with a smirk as he sat down on one of the bar stools.
“Dad.” Charlie groaned as she flopped back down on her bar stool and crossed her arms over her chest, hunching her shoulders even more.

“I’ll be with her the whole time, sir. If we see anything hinky, we’ll leave immediately.” Vaggie reassured him as she placed a hand on Charlie’s back and began to rub it.
Lucifer seemed mollified, but still didn’t look happy. “Fine.” He conceded, then picked his tea back up and sipped it carefully.
Charlie just sucked her teeth and rolled her eyes. “Thanks Dad.” She remarked. She was finished with her breakfast so she got back up from the bar.
“Done already?” Lucifer asked, unable to hide the obvious concern in his voice. He was worried that he was unconsciously pushing her away again. Their shared therapist had mentioned this in their most recent session.

“Yeah, we got up to put the finishing touches on a new session idea I got from Sojourner.” Charlie answered as she picked up her bowl. “Try and make your meetings.” She said and left quickly.

Chapter Text

Chapter 11
The anniversary show was going to run all of July instead of just the usual two weeks. This added pressure to Stella’s planning. This show had taken Stella the longest to figure out, Lily had suggested having an anniversary show for La La Land. She spent all her spare time on the stage in May trying to figure out what songs she wanted to use.
“It’ll also be your birthday that weekend.” Lily pointed out as she approached the stage from the booth she had sat herself in to work on the costumes for the other shows.
“Yeah, but does that really matter here?” Stella shrugged as she walked over to the edge of the stage and plopped down, sitting on the edge.

“Doesn’t it still matter to you? Aren’t you always saying we should focus on what made us human?” Lily asked as she placed her hand on Stella’s shoulder.
“Yeah, it does, and yes, we should, but I think we should probably advertise the club’s 2nd anniversary more. Who is gonna wanna come just because it’s my birthday?” Stella asked.
“You never know.” Lily smiled.

Much to Stella’s dismay every employee was more hung up on her birthday. She was secretly happy everyone was excited for the theme and songs.
“I really wish you had given me more notice for some of these costumes.” Lily griped as she whipped up the last of the outfits in the middle of June. All the dancers had left after she had taken their measures and finished practice.
“I’m sorry. At least they are reusable for some of the numbers and we still have some of the costumes from the old shows.” Stella pointed out as she sat beside her in the corner booth.

“Thank Lucifer for that, and that you have stepped up as stage manager.” Lily sighed.
“Well, Kitty has really stepped up, I’m thinking of promoting her to floor manager when her contract is due. I’ve been worrying less.” Stella confessed.
“And isn’t that something.” Lily teased as she finished the last stitches of the Hawaiian dress in her hands.
“Hey!” Stella snapped playfully.

“Instead of worrying, get excited! I think this show will be your best yet.” Lily said as she folded the dress and placed it in a basket beside her.
“I think so, too.” Stella agreed as she looked down at the stage set and heaved a deep sigh. “I just hope we turn a profit.”
“Oh, I know we will. Plus, Ash has come up with a killer drink selection and the kitchen has been coming up with some great ideas too.” Lily assured her.
“This is going to be a great weekend.” Stella reassured herself trying to banish the abundant anxiety from her mind.

The first Friday of July was soon upon them, and Charlie was counting down the hours until they left for the club.
The princess had changed into a red halter top jumpsuit. The top half was sparkly down to the red bedazzled belt.
Vaggie wore a black skater top with sheer middle and black metal rings between her bust and hips.

Husk didn’t even protest when Angel suggested going back to La La Land. Angel wore a sleeveless dark pink blazer dress while Husk wore his jacket again and a dark pink bow.
Cherri wore a black tank top with cherries on her boobs, red ripped denim shorts over black fishnets and black combat boots.

Violetta or Vi, as everyone called her, Her outfit showed off plenty of her heather colored skin, she wore a black printed snake design wrapping halter top that showed off her midriff, it looked more like a boob sling, and short ripped black jeans and Doc Martens. She kept her feathery hair simple, just pulling her eggplant feathers back into a ponytail. Vi had recently joined the hotel. She was a raven sinner who was highly knowledgeable in plants and witchcraft.

It seemed the only hotel residents not going were Lucifer and Sojourner, both having declined the invitation Angel had extended to them.
“Clubs really aren’t my thing, plus I’ve had a long day.” Sojourner, or Sojo, as they called her, had said. She had been at the hotel longer than Violetta, she was their resident handy woman and unofficial therapist to the hotel residents. She was a black bear demon sinner who had been an aviation electrician when alive, and currently ran her own repair business on the side.
“Fair enough.” Angel replied, deciding that it was best not to poke the bear tonight.

“With all those sinners? Packed in a small, hot room? Good golly, no thank you!” Lucifer had simply answered.
“Alright then.” Angel grumbled as he rolled his eyes and walked away from the king.
“What about you Nifty? Angel called out as they were heading towards the door.
“Nah, if there’s no bad boys there and I have a bad boy here.” Nifty replied as she scurried off towards Baxter’s laboratory.

The group of Angel, Husk, Cherri, Vi, Charlie and Vaggie showed up a short while after the club had opened. At the entrance stood the same hellhound from before. He was a rottweiler hellhound, big and beefy and had almost a permanent scowl. He was dressed in black jeans and a tank top. The doors were just propped open this time and the hellhound stood there silently as he took in every patron that came in. He just smiled and nodded at them as the group passed by.

The front room that had previously looked like a fake bar was now just a regular anteroom with some comfy looking burgundy chintz chairs and couches with a closed up coat check room.
The interior of the club was still much the same, the band was warming up in the pit as music was piped through the speakers.
“Okay, it looks pretty normal, so far.” Vaggie commented as she scanned the place, mentally noting where all the exits and entrances were.

“Angel, Cherri, Vi!” Kitty cheered as she made her way over to them. Kitty was dressed in a hot pink dress with a large bow in the back. She wore a matching scarf that also had a large bow on it.
Angel wolf-whistled as she came over. “Don’t you look nice.”
“Thanks, I’m not Cinderella, but I make great Marilyn.” Kitty beamed and twirled showing off her pink gown. “Who’s this?” She asked as she looked Charlie and Vaggie up and down.

“Hi, I’m Princess Charlotte, but please call me Charlie,everyone does! This is my girlfriend, Vaggie.” Charlie introduced herself enthusiastically as she vigorously shook Kitty’s hand.
“Hi.” Vaggie deadpans from beside Charlie.
“Who’s Marilyn?” Angel asked, making Kitty laugh as Husk and Cherri chuckled beside him.
“I’ll tell ya later.” Husk said.
“She was so much! You’ll see.” She grinned. “Get yourself a drink. Ash picked everything this time, "The Walt” is really good, especially if you like rum.”
“Alright, break a leg.” Angel cheered her on.

The show was starting by the time everyone got their drinks. Almost everyone followed Kitty’s advice and got “The Walt” but Charlie and Vaggie who got a white wine spritzer and water. The house lights flashed then dimmed, turning the room dark and clearing people off of the dance floor. The curtain raised to reveal the lone old fashioned mic stand.
Just backstage Stella took a deep breath and rolled her shoulders back. ‘Okay Star you can do this’ She thought then took a step forward.

Star pranced out on the stage dressed as Snow White except her hair was still its usual light brown and not black. The crowd chuckled and clapped.
“Hello everyone, I’m Star, the owner.” She greeted, sounding very similar to Snow White. She cleared her throat and began to speak normally. “Damn, that voice is hard on my pipes.” She paused for the laughs that followed. “Thank you all for coming. Tonight’s show is a little different since it’s our second anniversary!” The audience clapped in celebration, a few ‘congratulations’ were thrown out.

“It is a little indulgent, but still very entertaining. We’ll be taking you through the 20th century of Broadway and the world of Disney. The first act is going to be a showcase of group numbers, since it takes all of us to make this show work. Act two will mostly be solos, so each of our stars has a chance to shine. I hope you enjoy tonight’s events, now let’s get this show on the road!” The crowd whooped and cheered in anticipation.

“The Show Must Go On” from 42nd Street started playing and the entire crew came out on stage to sing and dance. Each crew member was dressed in a signature look from the musical, all blending together. Every girl left the stage and went down to the dance floor and performed among the audience. Some of them were even flirting with some of the patrons.

It was only a minute after the song was finished that a smaller group came out, some were girls dressed as sailors in their service dress whites, including Star and Jade, while the other girls were dressed in 1940’s style dresses. Together, they performed “New York, New York.” The stage around them transformed into New York City with all its dazzling lights. As the song progressed, the background began to change to different parts of the city, ending at the Empire State Building.
The crowd went wild, a part of the audience was extra loud and even screamed. “Fuck yeah! New York!”

Once they left the stage it returned to normal instantly, as if flicking off a switch.
The stage was completely dark for a moment before a single light flicked to reveal Kitty on a raised podium. She was still wearing her pink dress and began to sing “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend” with some of the other girls, including Willow, dressed in tuxedos. During the song the background changed to the same reddish pink background from the movie, “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes”.
As Kitty and the girls sang, they flocked back onto the dance floor and into the audience. Kitty even serenaded a few of them. Once again, as soon as the singers left the stage, the club returned to normal and went dark as the curtain fell.

When the curtain rose again, the next set of girls came out all dressed in animal onesies. Hazel, the rabbit sinner dressed as Peter Pan, was out in the middle of the dance floor. They sang "You Can Fly" and actually flew around the club for most of the song, earning the biggest applause so far. The entire club took on the look of Neverland. Palm trees grew out of the wall of the booths, which turned into mossy rock formations, and the dance floor turned into a rippling pond with a large rock in the center where the dancers would eventually land. The other dancers would also land on the booths and the bar. They kept flying and landing and only returned to the stage at the end of the song.
For the next number, the curtain opened to reveal Ruby, who was dressed as Danny Zuko. She sat on bleachers placed on one half of the stage as Kitty sat at a table among the audience, dressed as Sandy Olsson to perform “Summer Nights” from Grease.

On stage, a few other dancers dressed as greasers and a few were dressed in poodle skirts with Kitty. The stage morphed into a school’s football field as the dance floor and the booths transformed into a school’s cafeteria.
Willow went far stage right as she sang the final notes of Danny’s part while Kitty went back towards the bar and gazed up toward Ruby and finished Sandy's last notes. The lights went out at the end of the song.

On stage, a single light appeared to reveal Star sitting on top of a beat up stand up piano. She was quickly joined by Hazel and a few others. They were all dressed in mod fashion and began to perform “Everybody Wants to be a Cat”. The background didn’t change much as the lights changed colors and swirled around them, creating a very psychedelic atmosphere.

Then Jade came out to sing “Don’t Tell Mama” with her group, all dressed in corsets, lingerie, and garters, the club was doused in a red flood of light. They went out to tease the audience, handing out a few things to the wait staff.

At the end of their song, the group was back on stage and the rest of the girls came out dressed similarly and the entire troupe performed “Time Warp” from Rocky Horror Picture Show. The wait staff began to throw rubber gloves at the performers and some of the audience members began to get up and copy the dance.

That was by far the most popular as the curtain finally fell. Star came out and went back out to the mic that had been put in the corner of the stage, still dressed in her costume.
“We’re going to take a 40 minute intermission, so please stick around to enjoy the kitchen and bar. I hope you enjoyed act one! If you did, you’ll love act two!” Star huffed with a large smile.
The crowd was still cheering as she disappeared back behind the curtain.

Chapter Text

Chapter 12
“That was amazing!” Charlie exclaimed once Star had disappeared behind the curtain the speakers took over the music again, playing music from Fantasia.
“Oh, wow,” Vaggie gasped.
They had both been wordless the whole performance, but reacted all the same. Charlie was practically bouncing in her seat with small gasps at the theatrics.
Vaggie was stone-still the whole time with only her eyes moving to follow the performers’ movements.

“Come on now! They encourage dancing between sets.” Cherri explained as she took Charlie’s arm and pulled her up to her feet.
“I don’t know about that.” Vaggie hesitated as she got up and grabbed Charlie’s other arm.
“The dancers sometimes even come join us.” Vi added as she gently nudged Vaggie towards the dance floor.
“Come on Vaggie, it’ll be fun.” Charlie pleaded as she grabbed Vaggie’s hand and entwined their fingers.

The ladies headed for the dance floor, leaving Husk and Angel alone together in the booth.
“That was one hell of a first act.” Husk remarked as he got up. “Another drink?”
“Yes please! The Oklahoma Paloma is delicious! Who knew grapefruit could be good?” Angel answered as he followed his boyfriend. “And she promised the second act will be even better. I can’t imagine how they can top the first act.”
“Right.” Hsuk remarked as he reached for Angel’s hand and squeezed it.

As they sipped their drinks, they watched the dance floor. Kitty had come out in a purple top and a green mermaid skirt to chat and dance with the girls. She wasn't out very long, none of the other cast members were, but the dance floor was still crowded, especially once the music changed to a jazz number. Angel recognized it as one of the songs from the last time he was here, “All That Jazz.”

Husk glanced towards his left as Star came up to the bar. She was dressed very casually but cute,wearing sneakers, jeans, white t-shirt, and a denim jacket. She had a pair of sunglasses propped on her head, putting on an air of coolness despite being busy.
“Hi Ash, you got the stuff to make any rattle shots?” She asked as she glanced around the club lazily, but Husk could tell she was looking into the dark corners. He had done the same thing when they first arrived at the hotel and didn’t trust anyone there yet.

“Just the stuff for a Radio Rattle shot, but you’ve tried that before.” Ash answered as he quickly made her a clear shot.
“Yes, I have, but I’ll never say no to those.” Star said as she shot the liquor.
“I’ve gathered.” Ash smirked at her.
She just rolled her citrine eyes as she handed him back the glass. “See ya after the show.” She then disappeared back into the crowd.

Angel and Husk ordered another round as they continued to relax at the bar. “Do you want to dance?” Husk asked as he looked over to the emptying dance floor.
“Maybe after the show, right now, I’m just enjoying your company, handsome.” Angel smiled at him.
“Same here, baby.” Husk smiled back at him, giving him a quick kiss.
With Angel’s schedule being how it was, they hadn’t been spending much time together lately.

Husk noticed an imp waiter dressed as Betty Boop sashaying up to the bar beside them once they broke apart. “Hi Ash, can I get a Poison Shot?” She asked in a near whisper as she put a few empty glasses on the bar.
“For which table?” Ash asked as he got right on the order.
“Table two.” The imp replied as she took the black drink and put it on her tray.
“Gotcha.” Ash answered.

If Husk had blinked, he would have missed it as Ash’s hand dipped under the bar before going back to making drinks. Husk watched the imp go to a table near the corner, and drop off the black drink and say “On the house,” then quickly leave.
Husk could barely piece together what he was seeing before a hellhound bouncer appeared at the table and told the patron to leave immediately.
Beyond the quiet discontent, sat Alastor in his own corner booth.

Husk blinked as he tried to figure out what was going on. ‘Why is that customer being thrown out? Why is Alastor here? Is Mimzy here again?’ Husk thought as Alastor just stared back at him with his signature unreadable grin.
“The girls are comin’ back back to the table.” Angel stated, pulling him out of his thoughts as he tugged on Husk’s sleeve.
“Let’s head back then.” Husk muttered as he led Angel back to the table.

“Hey guys, have you ever seen this?” Charlie asked as she put a printed out poster on the table. “It was in the bathroom.”
In pink print were the words ANGEL SHOTS. The poster explained how the levels of the Angel Shot worked, neat and with a twist. Each one got you something different. Neat got you a cab right home, with a twist, a bouncer waited with you.
“Well, that’s reassuring.” Vaggie muttered as she picked up the poster.
“I’ve heard of this, the bars back on Earth were doing this.” Vi explained.
“Really? I’ve never heard of it. Why is it called an Angel shot?” Cherri asked.
“Don’t know.” Vi shrugged as the lights began to blink.
“Maybe we should ask your friend, Kitty,” Husk said as he and Angel sat down.
“Maybe.” Angel muttered as he took the poster. “Weird.”

The lights fully dimmed and Star came back out onto stage, the crowd began to cheer and clap again. She was still dressed in her cool outfit except for now the sunglasses were perched at the edge of her nose, giving her an edge of attitude.
She sauntered up to the mic. “Welcome to act two of our anniversary night. If you thought act one was radical, just hold on to your seats cause act two is, like, out of this world. It takes all of us to make this show work, so as a thank you. I want to showcase every girl’s talent with a couple of solos.” She explained in an exaggerated surfer dude voice, earning her some chuckles. “Let’s go!” She shouted as jogged off the stage as the curtain began to rise.

Chapter Text

Chapter 13

Star disappeared from the stage after her intro as the curtain began to rise. 

Lily came out on stage dressed in a red sparkly dress and heels, with her  black hair done up similar to Rita Hayworth’s cascading down over one eye. She had a large smile on her face as she slinked up to the mic. “Good evening everyone.” She greeted in a sultry tone as the band began to play. 

She began to sing “Why Don’t You Do Right” from “Who framed Roger Rabbit,”  followed by “Gee, Ain’t I Good to You” from “The Mask.” 

The first performance the stage stayed relatively normal, only the lights turning blue as Lily went down into the audience to sing to the customers. During the second song she went back up the stage which became brighter with rows of lights.

The crowd loved it. Lily’s smile grew as she finished her song. “Thank you.” She breathed then exited the dark stage. 

Kitty came next in her purple and green outfit as the lights flicked back on. “Hi everyone.” She greeted with a grin then began her song “Under the Sea” and “Kiss the Girl” from the Little Mermaid . Unlike Lily’s number where the club didn’t change much, the club suddenly looked like it was under the sea, turning blue as fish swam through the air. The walls looked as if they were growing coral and the dance floor turned into a sandy rock surface. 

The crowd ate it up. Kitty bounded off the stage, high fiving Star as she came back out to perform the next number. 

Star didn’t say anything as she just started singing “Why should I Worry”. The stage began to change around her, turning back into New York City, but instead of all the sights, it was a massive traffic jam. 

Once her song ended she just grinned and let the audience calm down. The screams of “Fuck Yeah New York” echoed through the air again as the stage began to shift back. “Now we’re heading to the 90’s so I hope you’re prepared.” Star announced as she saw the next singer, Hazel take their place in the wings. 

Hazel had dark makeup on and a brown shift dress with a tribal print. She performed “Be Prepared” from the “Lion King” as the stage and club transformed into the scene from the movie, turning into a dark cave with the floodlights turning green. 

Next Willow came out to the stage dressed as butler and she sang “Be our Guest” from “Beauty and the Beast”, the stage and the club turned into the castle as flatware and food floated through the air. 

Jade then came out on stage dressed in blue harem pants and a blue halter top with her hair pulled up into a high ponytail. “I love that last number and by your applause so did you too.” She grinned. “Let’s see how you like this one.” She began to sing “A Friend like Me” and once again the stage and the club transformed into the Cave of Wonder, the walls filled with glittering piles of gold and the floor littered with dazzling gems. 

Ruby was next, she was dressed in a material arts gi and sang “I’ll Make a Man out of You” from “Mulan” as the stage and club turned into a grassy field. 

To Charlie’s surprise, the audience started shouting back at Ruby in joy.

Star came back out dressed in a Hawaiian dress. “Oh wow, you guys really enjoyed that one. The 90’s sure had a lot of great movies and songs, now let’s coast onto the 2000’s. There might be less to choose from, but what we did choose is incredible. For this decade we’re going to mix it up a bit.” Star announced as everyone came out dress in Hawaii vacation style clothing

The group sang “Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride” from “Lilo and Stitch”, the stage looked like the beach as did the edge of the club and the dance floor looked like waves on a sandy shore behind them, a group waves rolled by.  Going straight into the next number, the stage switched back to New York City for a third time, staying in one city block setting as the group sang “For Now”. 

As the stage darkened, there was one lone spotlight on Star who was now wearing a black floor-length dress and pointed hat. Kitty joined her wearing a yellow dress. Star belted out “Defying Gravity”, the scene started simple with just a duet with just her and Kitty building to the end where she rose above Kitty and the ensemble and floated in the air. At the end with her battle cry echoing through the room she flew around the room. The entire club went dark once she was finished. 

It was easy to tell from the sound, the crowd was giving her a standing ovation. 

The room quieted down once the spotlight returned and Star was standing there, still in costume. “Thank you, thank you so much but we have just a few more songs left in us. Now we move on to the next decade.” She huffed. 

Kitty returned in a pretty purple dress and sang “I have a Dream” from “Tangled” which received warm applause, especially as she went down into the audience and sang with some of the wait staff who each had a part of the song,the stage and club turned into a old school tavern.

Hazel came out and performed “Let it Go” from “Frozen” as the stage turned to a snowy cliff as the club turned into a snowy field as the club grew cold. Behind Hazel an ice castle built itself up during her number finishing as she did. 

Star came back out in a pretty, but simple yellow sundress and sang “Another Day in the Sun”, from La La Land. The stage turned into a LA traffic jam as she sang and danced across the stage.  After her song, she was joined by Willow and they sang “A Lovely Night”. As they sang and danced the stage  and club took on the scene from the movie, turning into a fountain garden.

Once the song finished,the lights went out and the stage stayed dark and quiet until Star returned to the stage dressed as a ring leader with Hazel who was dressed in a bloomer suit. They sang “The Other Side” from “The Greatest Showman” together. The stage transformed into a bar as they sang and danced together. To everyone’s surprise, Ash went up on stage and served them the shots during the song, 

The stage went dark except for a spotlight on Star who made her way back up to the corner mic. “Thank you everyone for coming tonight. I’ve hoped you enjoyed the show, but we have one more song for you.” She announced breathlessly. 

The stage went completely dark as voices began to echo through the club. “Oh whoa!” A spotlight hit the stage center where Star stood still dressed as a ring leader. The echoes continued then stomping accompanying it. Star went towards the edge of the stage as she began to sing. Behind her the other dancers began to reveal themselves, also in circus attire. They formed a V.

“This is the greatest show!” Star sang out as the entire stage and club lit up revealing everything looking like a circus including having Kitty up in a trapeze. The crew joined her and sang the rest of the song.

Kitty swung toward the air to the bar and back as the others went out on the dance floor and into the audience, everyone doing a small trick. 

Star went back to the bar and stood on it as the song ended. The entire club and stage went dark, and after a few seconds the lights blinked back on and all the performers were gone. Everything went back to normal and the curtain was dropped. 

The crowd went absolutely wild! They stood up cheering, whistling, foot stomping and clapping. 

After several minutes of applause, the crew came out and took their bows. “Thank you, all for comin g. I hope you enjoyed the show. Please stay and enjoy the kitchen, the bar and the dance floor. See you next time.” Star announced then their crew disappeared again behind the curtain. 

“That was spectacular!” Charlie cheered as she jumped up, clapping when the lights had done out at the end. 

“It was great.” Vaggie agreed as she stood as well. 

“That’s the best show I’ve seen here.” Vi said, clapping the hardest. 

“That was the best damn show in Hell.” Cherri exclaimed between her wolf whistles. 

“Wow, Kitty wasn’t kidding.” Angel muttered as the crew came back out to take the bows. 

“I’m glad we came for this.” Husk agreed as he clapped. 

Everyone flooded the dance floor and the bar. The energy from the last song filled the club and the speakers played the song again.

“Let’s dance!” Charlie shouted as she pulled Vaggie to the dance floor again.

Vaggie followed wordlessly, but smiling.

“Fuck yeah!” Cherri yelled as she followed them with Vi.

“Wanna?” Angel asked, tilting his head after them.

“Yeah.” Husk smirked as he led the way.

As they were dancing, Kitty came back out in her last costume along with a few of the other performers. “Hi guys!” Kitty smiled. She was quickly hugged by Cherri then Vi.

“That was fucking fantastic!” Cherri said.

“Thanks, I’m glad you liked it. We worked really hard on it.” Kitty said.

“It shows, I can see what you meant by her element.” Angel praised.

“I loved it!” Charlie exclaimed.

“Thank you, Princess.” Kitty beamed. “You should say that to Star, she would love to hear you say that, you should come back stage.”

“I don’t know about that.” Vaggie said.

“It’ll be fine, it’s just backstage.” Angel remarked.

“Come on, then.” Kitty cheered as grabbed Angel’s hand and led them away from the dance and towards the back of the club.

It was quiet except for a few whispers.

“Star?” Kitty called out.

Then whispers suddenly stopped.

Chapter Text

Chapter 14
“Come on then.” Kitty cheered as grabbed Angel’s hand and led them away from the dance and towards the back of the club.
It was quiet except for a few whispers.
“Star?” Kitty called out.
Then whispers suddenly stopped.

Star popped her head out from a dark doorway. Whoever she was chatting with melted back into the shadows. “Kitty? Is something wrong?” Star asked, her voice staying even, her round ears twitching towards the club, still wearing her ringleader outfit.
“No, nothing’s wrong.” Kitty quickly answered as she shook her head. “The Princess is here and-” She continued, but Charlie took over.
“I just wanted to say I loved your show. It’s one of the best I’ve seen in years.” Charlie said as she strode forward with her hand out.
“Oh! Princess, thank you so much. I’m glad you enjoyed it.” Star gasped as she shook Charlie’s hand.
“Please, call me Charlie.” Charlie stated as she released her hand.
“Oh-okay Charlie. Well, I hope you stay and enjoy the full experience.” Star stuttered.
“By the way, how did you change the stage like that?” Charlie asked.

“Oh that? Trade secret.” Star smiled with a wink. “Now why don’t we all go get a drink from the bar? My favorite is the Chicago, but it does have a bit of a kick from the pepper vodka.” She continued as she led them back out into the club.
“A girl after my own heart!” Vi, the bird sinner, piped up.
“I thought you would like it.” Star smiled at her.
“Let’s get it as shots!” Cherri laughed.
“Of course you want to do shots.” Angel added.

They made their way to the bar where they all got drinks. “Please stay and enjoy yourself, but if you’ll excuse me I need to check on a few things. It was wonderful to meet you.” Star said after she shot the pink mixture.
“You work too hard, come back and join us soon.” Kitty remarked as she wrapped herself around Star, making her laugh.
“You can’t be buzzed off of one shot. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Star laughed as she hugged Kitty back then slipped away.
“She seems nice.” Charlie beamed with her Shirley Temple in hand.
“Yeah, maybe too nice.” Vaggie grumbled as she sipped her water.
“I thought the same thing at first.” Angel remarked.
“You are the Princess of Hell, of course she’s going to be nice to you.” Vi pointed out.

“Nah, Star’s nice to everyone until you’re an ass to her. She will tell you off if you deserve it, we’ve all seen it plenty of times.” Kitty spoke up.
“I did see someone get kicked out earlier after he was given a black shot.” Husk spoke up.
“Oh that’s a Poison Shot, it’s reserved for very special customers.” Kitty whispered.
“Kitty.” Ash warned as he refilled their drinks.

“What, if a few customers know about it won’t that be good, more eyes and ears?” Kitty argued back. “We give it to customers we see using Valentino’s love poison. It’s the only black thing we serve. It tells the bouncer to get the guy ASAP and we usually get the victim a ride home.” She explained.
“Oh, does that have anything to do with an Angel Shot?” Charlie asked.

“Oh no, that’s more for if you’re having a shitty date.” Kitty answered with a shrug.
“Why is it called Angel?” Angel asked as he raised an eyebrow.
“Don’t know, that’s just what they call it on Earth.” Kitty answered. “Now let’s stop chatting and get back on the dance floor.” She continued as she killed her drink and dragged Angel out with her.
“Hell yeah!” Cherri cheered following on their heels.
The group went to the dance floor and enjoyed the rest of their night.

Meanwhile, Star was coming back into the club after checking in with Bruno, the bouncer, when she ran into Alastor.
“Good evening, Alastor sir, you’ve returned.” She smiled at him.
“Why of course, dear.” Alastor smiled back as he tapped his mic cane on the ground as he held out his other hand.
She put her right hand out expecting him to shake it, but instead he brought up to his face as he bent down as if he was going to kiss it. He stopped short as she gasped at the gesture, blushing a bit. “I- I wasn’t expecting.” She stammered.

“Tonight’s performance was utterly delightful.” He complimented as he straightened to his full height as he released her hand, still smiling. “You’ve really come into your own.”
“Thank you, I’m so glad to hear you enjoy yourself. We all loved planning tonight, but there’s always the worry it won’t hit with our customers.” Star commented.
“No worries there, it was a huge success. Why, even the Princess of Hell seemed delighted by your show. It seems you’ve pulled out all the stops, nothing short of amazing, including the displays and lights. I’ve never seen anything quite like it.” Alastor said.
“I thought changing the lights and scenery like that would immerse the audience more. Seems it was the right decision.” Star explained.

“Indeed, it was magical.” Alastor stated, his usual smile turning into a small smirk.
“I was hoping it would be described that way.” She grinned at him, sounding absolutely thrilled by his description of the night.
“Magical, really? Well, I can’t think of any other way to put it.” Alastor confirmed.
“That’s wonderful. Were you leaving already? The show’s over, but there’s plenty more magic to enjoy.” She asked as part of her bangs fell down across her face and left eye. She reached up and pinned it back into place as she glanced at the exit behind her.
“I’m sure, but I must be going dear.” Alastor answered as he slid past her and closer to the door as he summoned a hat and placed it on his head and tipped it towards her.
Star’s tail twitched behind her as she held her hand up in a small wave. “Well, I hope you return again.”
Alastor wordlessly nodded his head, then left the anteroom.

‘He’s such a strange demon.’ Star thought as she watched him leave. She took a deep breath, rolled her shoulders back then headed back into the club.
This time, Star did take a small break and enjoyed some time on the dance floor with Kitty, Angel, Charlie and the others.
“This has been so much fun!” Charlie shouted over the music.

Star just nodded back in agreement as her tail twitched again, this time a little more aggressively.
“Fuck yeah, it has been!” Cherri exclaimed, making Kitty laugh.
“I think we need to start slowing you down. I don’t want to carry you back to the hotel.” Angel remarked.
“I’ll be fine.” Cherri replied.
“If you say so, girly pop, but maybe a cab home wouldn’t be a bad idea.” Star suggested.
“Yeah, it wouldn’t be.” Vaggie added.

The group stayed until 2 am, closing time. They were still there even as everyone cleaned up as Star tried to give them water; they were all completely tanked. Star was trying to sober them up. Once she had seen Vi pass out in the booth, they got all her attention.
“Angel, you son of bitch! Fuck you! I love you! I love all of you. Goodnight.” Vi giggled as she flopped over in the booth laying across his and Cherri’s lap over an hour ago.
By the time Star was thought they were sober enough to make it home, there were no cabs.

“Well, shit.” Vaggie grumbled as she glanced down the road several times.
“It’s such a faaar walk.” Charlie whined as flung herself on top of Vaggie and hung there.
“Is it?” Star asked as she waved at her last coworkers.
“Yeah, kinda.” Husk answered as he leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.
“Especially when you’re carrying a drunk person.” Angel grunted as he nudged Vi’s arm back up on his shoulder.
“The hell are we gonna do now?” Husk asked.

“Let’s call Sojo!” Cherri hiccuped up as she pulled out her cell phone, several other items fell out of her pockets with it, lip gloss, hair ties and mints.
“Who?” Star asked.
“Another resident of our hotel.” Angel answered as Cherri dialed her phone.
“Heyyyy Bitch!” Cherri sang down the phone.
“Hey.” The groggy voice on the other end replied.
“Fuck, can you can come get us from La-La-La-Land? There’s no damn cabs.” Cherri explained.
The only answer she received was the beeping of a dead line.

“Well, then.” Star commented. ‘It seems not all the hotel residents are friendly. Maybe she’s not close to them.’ Star wondered.
“Fuuuck!” Charlie cried on Vaggie’s shoulder.
“Charlie, honey.” Vaggie cooed as she nearly lost her balance trying to hold both of them. ‘She was drinking Shirely Temples, when did she switch to Mary Pickfords?’ Vaggie thought.

“Charlie, you call her, she’ll answer you.” Cherri suggested as she tipped forward and began digging through the princess’s pockets. She fished out Charlie's cell phone. It took several minutes and several wrongs numbers, but once she got the right contact she handed the phone back to Charlie.
Charlie had the phone upside down, so Star took the phone and held it upright and put it on speaker.
“Hello?” The groggy voice answered again.
“Sojo!” Charlie sobbed out. “They don’t have any c-cabs.”
“...Okay honey, I’m coming.” Sojourner answered. “I’ll be there soon.” She then hung up.

“Why don’t we wait in the anteroom,” Star suggested as she nodded towards the club, where empty chairs and couches waited for them. “We’ll be able to see her pull up.”
“Yeah, good idea.” Angel replied as he dropped Vi down onto the couch then flopped down beside her.
Vi just slid down to the floor as she giggled, she was kinda conscious and completely drunk.
They didn’t have to wait long for Sojo to show up in her signature van.

“Oh I’ve seen that van around once or twice.” Star commented as a small black bear with dark brown velvet fur lumbered out of the van. She barely cracked five feet so the top of head came up to Star’s eyes. She glanced up at Star with mismatched red and green eyes.
Sojourner wore an oversized black Verosika Mayday band shirt over a pair of lime green running shorts, a hot pink bonnet and forest green chucks. She walked into the anteroom and took in her fellow hotel residents.
‘God I wish I was in something that comfy.’ Star thought as she glanced down at her costume.

“Hi, I’m Star, sorry about this. I thought the cabs ran all night.” Star said as she held out her hand as she walked up to Sojourner.
“Hi I’m Sojourner, thanks for, yeah. It’s so late.” Sojourner muttered as she shook her hand quickly then went over to the others. “Alright kids, let’s get in the van.”
“Thanks So-Sojo!” Charlie cheered as she danced over to the van, nearly tripping on the way. Vaggie was able to catch her from face planting in time.
“Fu-fuck yeah, you’re the best!” Cherri hiccuped as she stumbled after her.
“You mind getting her?” Husk asked as he picked up Angel, who had fallen asleep during the wait, gesturing to Vi, who was still laying on the couch, passed out.
“You want to grab her hands and I grab her feet?” Star suggested as she went over to the couch.
“Nah, I got it.” Sojourner yawned as she picked up Vi like she weighed nothing. She threw her over her shoulder and carried her to the van. “Good night, Star.” Sojourner called behind her.
“Night!” She called back, yawning as she dragged herself to bed.

Chapter Text

Chapter 15
The anniversary weekend had been a huge hit, one of their biggest. They had to turn people away because they had run out of tables. It was going to be standing room only, but they needed to keep the dance floor open for the acts.

The anniversary show ran for the whole month all the way up to the week of the Extermination Day. Everything was canceled for the week. Stella wanted her employees prepping as much as they could. All she did was order booze and take the delivery, but once that was done she didn’t even plan anything. Her solo focus this week was survival.
“I think I have everything we need in the basement, do you want to double check?” Lily asked as she popped up from the trap door in the middle of the stage.
“Sure.” Stella answered as she finished boxing up the bar. The building had yet to take a direct hit, but the aftershock of some of the angelic weapons was enough to shake the building like an earthquake. They had lost several bottles and glasses in previous years.

She made her way around the bar and to the stage. She went through the trap door then crawled a few feet to a second trap door that led to the basement.
The basement was huge, besides the trap door, there was another normal entrance from the backstage hall and a third from the back of the building that was usually secured if the room was empty.

Because of its size the basement served several different purposes in day-to -day activity of the club. It had a few storage areas, walled off by just room dividers, against the far wall was a set of a washer and a dryer for laundry. Most of the space served as a breakroom for the employees.

Since it served as a breakroom there was nearly everything they needed to survive then day down here. There was a full sized fridge, a microwave and several other appliances including a hot plate and a toaster oven.

Stella took stock of the supplies they had brought down to survive the day. The extermination was only supposed to last a few hours, but they didn’t trust that, and they would stay down here until the day after just to be on the safe side.

The basement had been their key to surviving every year and with each passing year they had added to its comfort. Besides the normal table and chairs to ear, there were a few couches to lounge on. Hiding underground had been Lily’s idea. She had suggested Stella hid with her before her first extermination day.
Stella thought back to that day as she sat down at the breakroom table.

“They’re so bloodthirsty, in a frenzy, that they take whatever easy kills they can find. From my experience if you just put a little effort into hiding you won’t be killed. It’s how I’ve survived since the 80’s.” Lily had reasoned calmly.

“Oh, is it really like that?” Stella had asked innocently as she helped Lily close up the bar they had been working in at the time. She had been in hell for a year.
“Yes, it’s just plum crazy, they have that giant clock after all, I don’t understand why people don’t heed it. I guess people always underestimate how powerful those flying monsters are.” Lily had continued as she took the clean dishes out of the dishwasher and placed them where they belonged.

“Why do Floridians stay when a hurricane hits?” Stella had replied, unable to argue with her logic as she watched Lily work.
“Because they’re foolish, those monsters, those exorcists aren't hurricanes, they’re worse.” Lily had exclaimed, angrily, slamming the dishwasher shut.
“I would say that sinners are prideful, this is the pride ring after all.” Stella had mused with a smile, it was a rare sight to see Lily worked up.
“Well maybe we should rename it to the stupid ring!” Lily snarled, making Stella giggle.
“I’ll hide with you, thank you for helping me. Where did you have in mind?” Stella asked as she opened the dishwasher back up to load the last load of the night.
“Will you girls hurry up!?” Ash called from the front of the house.
“My building has a basement, I won’t live in a place without one now. We'll hide there.” Lily had answered. “Keep your shirt on, Ash, we're almost done!” She hollered back.

After the first year, they had moved into the club and had converted their basement into a safe place and any employee who wanted to hide with them was more than welcomed to. They usually had a few takers.
The next morning, they could hear the clock ring out as it zeroed out. They both waited by the exit that led to the alleyway. Guarding the door for anything that moved.
Stella had her shotgun in her hand and a revolver on her hip, Lily had the same. They waited quietly, listening to eerie silence on the other side.

Usually once the clock hit 00:00 the chaos began within minutes, but this time it was late.
“How odd.” Lily remarked as her brow scrunched up in confusion as she sat down on the first step. She placed her shotgun in her lap and began to massage her cramping hand.
“Yeah, it's already been thirty minutes and not a peep. Should we look?” Stella whispered as she inched closer to the scarred wooden door.
“I don’t think that's a good idea.” Lily replied as she quickly picked her weapon back up as Star pressed her ear to the door and listened closely to what little sound she could hear. There was no screaming or yelling but she could hear a ringing then a muffled voice.

Suddenly, both their phones went off, scaring them. They jumped and let out a yelp.
Lily scrambled and managed to pull out her phone first. “It's a mass text sent from Lucifer!” Lily exclaimed in a high pitch.
‘Extermination Day is canceled’ was the only thing the text read.
“Canceled, that's never happened before.” Lily muttered as she stared down at her phone confused.
Stella threw open the door and now could hear the speakers from the Count Down Clock Tower loud and clear.
“I repeat, Extermination Day is canceled.” The King announced.
“Oh my god.” They uttered together in stunned awe.
“Do miracles happen in hell?” Stella whispered as she put down her weapon and stepped out into the sunny and beautiful August day.
“They did today.” Lily replied as she followed.

Chapter Text

Chapter 16
After the cancellation of extermination day, Hell as a whole celebrated. Stella had already given everyone the time off for it so she decided to extend everyone’s time off as a reward for all their hard work. The club would now be closed through to next weekend.
Stella and Lily decided to use this time to unwind and have a ‘Me’ day. They were wrapped up in cozy robes, their hair in wraps, mud masks on as they did each other's nails, well claws.

“The first time you suggested a ‘me’ day all those years ago, I thought you were nuts.” Lily confessed as she sipped a glass of white wine.
“Really? Did they not have ‘me’ days back in the 80’s?” Stella teased, shaking a nail polish bottle.
“Not really, everything was all shoulder pads and power suits. If we did things like this we wouldn't call them "me” days.” Lily laughed.
“Did you wear those to your job?” Stella asked as she started on Lily’s left hand.
“Not the power suit. As a costume designer for Sir Andrew Lloyd Wear, I got to wear whatever I saw fit, but anything with a shoulder seam had pads.” Lily informed her.
“Even your customs?” Stella teased with a huge grin on her face.

“Not the customs, why would cats need shoulder pads?” Lily asked, grinning as well, making Stella laugh.
“I still can’t believe you tried to poison your boss.” Stella remarked as she began to clean up Lily’s short claws.
“Tried? Honey, if I hadn’t mixed up the coffees it would be my name associated with those amazing costumes instead of his.” Lily pouted.
“I think if you had a “me day” back then you wouldn’t haven’t snapped.” Stella teased as she finished Lily’s left hand.
“Yeah, a spa day wouldn’t have killed me.” Lily laughed as she began to blow on her nails.
“Is that what you called them back then?” Stella asked as she capped the nail polish.

“I guess it would be the closest.” Lily shrugged as she stopped blowing and gently flapped her wing to blow air on her wet nails.
“That makes it sound so fancy, but I think I prefer ‘me’ days. It's more to the point, aren’t you glad you agreed to them back then?” Stella asked as she wagged her tail.
“Do you remember the first time you asked me?” Lily smirked. “Right after you survived your first extermination day.” She answered herself.
“Hey, it was a stressful day, I can’t think of a better time to have a ‘me day’ than the day after you survive those twisted things.” Stella defended herself.
“Good point.” Lily giggled as she blew on her nails. “Then the second year I asked to do it again.”
“And now we do it every year.” Stella agrees.

They finished their nails and took off their masks, staying in their robes, the two decided to take a rare moment of quiet to read. They kept relaxing when a series of knocks banged at their back door. “I’ll get it.” Stella said as she got up from her large wicker egg chair.
“I’ll start prepping the room.” Lily replied as she floated down from her swing.
“Who goes there?” Stella called out at the door as she opened the junk kitchen drawer and drew out a small .22 pistol.
“Minerva it is I, Cheshire.” The voice on the other side called back.

Stella quickly unlocked the door and opened it to see Kitty standing there, bloody, panting and looking a mess on her landing with a body slumped against her. “Come in.” She said as she quickly ushered them inside. Kitty struggled under the weight of the person as she staggered inside. “Sorry, I took the long way here and those stairs. Why do you have to live three floors up?” Kitty gasped.
“Let me take her then and follow me into the other room. We might need an extra pair of hands.” Stella ordered as she took the sinner from Kitty.
Stella led them out of the apartment and across the hallway to the recovery room.
Lily had already unlocked it, pulled the top sheet down and was pulling out a spare nightgown that was kept in the corner closet.
“Oh Kitty.” Lily remarked as she turned to see them. “Who do we have here?” She asked.

“I found her in the trash behind V tower. She’s been mostly unconscious since I picked her up.” Kitty explained as Stella laid her down on the bed.
“I think she’s a tanuki? I’ve never seen one before.” Stella confessed as she looked down at the bloody, bruised and swollen face of their unconscious patient. The poor sinner had two black eyes that were nearly swollen shut, a broken nose and a busted lip. ‘If this is her face, how bad is the rest of her?’ Stella wondered.
“I don’t recognize her either, so she must have been hired within the last year.” Kitty said as Lily began to take off what little clothing the sinner had on.
“We can ask her when she wakes up, right now we need to clean her up and gauge how much damage he’s done.” Stella said as she went to the medicine cabinets and began to pull out several items.

“Kitty, get the clipboard off the foot board and write down everything I say.” Lily ordered as she began to closely examine the tanuki sinner. “Start with the half dozen bullet wounds. The asshole emptied a whole revolver clip into her.”
Once Lily was done, Kitty helped her dress the sinner “Now you’ll write everything we use to treat her.” Stella said as she handed Lily a stack of alcohol soaked gauze pads. Between the three of them this still took a few hours.

Once they were through, the sinner was dressed and cleaned she began to stir “Where am I?” She groaned, her voice thick.
“You’re in a safe place. What’s your name honey?” Lily asked in a soothing tone as she knelt beside the bed and gently placed her hand on top of the injured one.
“My name is Nova.” She answered as her eyes began to droop.

“You’re in good hands, Nova, just relax and go back to sleep, we’ll chat in the morning.” Lily whispered kindly.
Nova’s head just nodded then jerked up as if fighting the urge but fell asleep under Lily’s sleep spell. “She should be asleep until tomorrow morning. By then, she’ll probably be coherent enough for your offer.” Lily said as she got back up.
“Good, good.” Stella muttered as she looked down at the sleeping Nova.

“It’s so strange to see it from the other side.” Kitty stated as she handed Stella the clipboard.
“You know we get that every time.” Stella chuckled darkly as she began to tally the items written down.
“Well, at least you use your powers for what passes for good around here. Are you going to give her the same deal as everyone else?” Kitty asked.

“If she says yes, we’ll see where her talents lie. We could really use a second bar tender to help Ash.” Stella answered as she looked up from the papers.
“Yeah, but shouldn’t he be the one who get to decide who the second bartender is?” Kitty asked.
“She’ll get better rest if we’re not gossiping over her.” Lily instructed as she led them out of the room and back into the apartment.
“We’re not gossiping.” Stella replied with a roll of her eyes.

“Speaking of gossip, what are you guys wearing?” Kitty asked as she pointed at their now blood splattered and dirty robes.
“Bath robes.” Lily answered nonchalantly as she looked down.
“We stayed in today.” Stella added in.
“How old were you when you died? 80?” Kitty joked.
“No, we just felt like resting today.” Stella replied, sticking her tongue out at Kitty who just stuck her tongue out right back.

Lily just sighed at their antics “Good thing we rested up today, because it looks like we’re gonna have our hands full for the rest of the week.” She continued as she looked in the direction of the recovery room.
They saw Kitty out the normal way then changed out of the ruined bath robes and threw them and the rest of the trash away. Despite the sleeping spell, they checked on Nova several times throughout the night and started prepping for having a new employee.

The next morning, Stella went back into the room with a breakfast tray. She sat it on the side table silently then took a seat and smiled at Nova. Stella had worn the same suit she wore when she went to negotiate with Mimzy.
Nova seemed groggy as if just waking up as she quietly watched Star sit down. Her wet fur gave away that she must have started crying sometime during the check ins. ‘Did the last check in wake her up? Does she need more pain meds?’ Star thought as she looked down at her. She was clean, but her face was still swollen.

“Good morning, Nova, I’m Star, the owner of this building and I’m here to offer you a deal.” Star began then summoned a scroll and a pen. ‘Focus Star, another contract is more power for you, more power means more protection. She can have your protection after she signs.’ Star chided herself.
“A deal?” Nova croaked as she sat up.
“Yes, this contract here states everything you need to know, please feel free to read it. I’ll give you a few hours to consider it. If you say yes, you get to stay here until you’re on your feet and I don’t just mean healed, I mean some change in your pocket, able body, and able to fend for yourself. In exchange, I get a piece of your soul for a year, during that year, you work for me at my establishment. If you say no, once you’re healed we kick you out and you pay us back the debt you will owe us.” Star explained as she gave the scroll to Nova.

“Debt?” Nova asked as she began to stare at the contract.
“Yes, medical supplies aren’t cheap here and we went through quite a bit cleaning you up last night. Valentino must have been in a mood when he beat you.” Star explained.
Nova went wide-eyed at Valentino’s name and began trembling as she gaped at Star in horror.
“He won’t find you here, but I do need some reassurance it stays that way.” Star stated.
Nova just nodded as she glanced back down at the document.
“Please try and eat some of the breakfast I brought, I’ll be back at lunch with more food, I hope you’ll have made your decision by then.” Star said as she got up from the chair and left the pen on the bedside table next to the bowl of oatmeal.

Chapter Text

Chapter 17
Valentino stormed back into the V tower cussing like a sailor. “Decir palabrotas. Perra, desapareciendo perra. ¡Qué carajo!” Once he entered the room, he began to throw anything not bolted down.
“Vaall, what are you saying?” Vox asked as he looked over to Valentino from his position on the couch.

“Que estoy diciendo? What am I saying? I’m cursing that disappearing bitch! Esa perra!” Valentino growled as he stomped over to his boyfriend.
“What are you talking about? The raccoon dog you fired last night?” Vox asked as he went scrolling through his phone.
“Si, the mapache. My little bandida. I went to get her out of the trash and she’s gone.” Valentino fumed as he flopped down next to Vox.

“She probably limped home with her tail between her legs. Most people take being fired seriously, especially since you literally lit her on fire.” Vox sighed as Valentino draped himself over him.
“Do you think I was too harsh? These new sinners are just so hard to train, tan quejoso. I lost my temper with her.” Valentino whined as he looked up and gave Vox puppy moth eyes.

“Yes, it seems new sinners are harder to manage than before. Always demanding decent treatment, it’s like they forget where we are.” Vox remarked as he rearranged himself so he could still see his phone. “Just forget about her, you lit up her contract too. There’s plenty of other sinners out there for you to make a star out of.”
“Muy cierto, but she was so exotic.” Valentino groaned as he got up and walked over to the hat rack in the corner and picked up his hat.
“Vaaalll, where are you going?” Vox asked as he watched Valentino put his hat and guns on.
“She couldn’t have gotten far, as you said I did light her up.” Valentino grinned as he checked his gun’s magazines.

“I said you fired her, literally! Let her go, you just said she was too whiny.” Vox exclaimed.
“I also said she was exotic and people pay for exotic. I’ll just sweet talk her into coming back.” Valentino replied with a toothy grin.
Vox just sighed and rolled his eyes. “I think you’re wasting your time.”
“It’s Hell, we’ve got nothing but time, Papi.” Valentino sang as he began sashaying out of the room.
“Wait! I have the security feed pulled up so you’ll at least know what direction to go in.” Vox yelled out as he raised his phone above his head.

Valentino quickly came back over to the couch, snatched Vox’s phone and brought it close to his face and watched. “Mierda, I can’t make this out!” Valentino snapped and he threw the phone back down on the couch beside Vox.
“Let me” Vox began, but Valentino was already storming out, cussing like a sailor again. “ Decir palabrotas.” Vox just rolled his eyes and sighed and switched from the camera feed back to the app he had been scrolling through.

After the club’s holiday, it was business as usual. The group had their Monday brunch and on Tuesday, Star was working on the next theme for the weekend, Purgatory Pop
‘The decades always do well, but our anniversary shows did several decades. Maybe that’s how we make the most money, so doing pop through the decades of both heaven and hell will turn a huge profit and make good money.’ She wondered to herself as she stretched.

Next, she needed to warm up her voice with a few practice songs. She was in a great mood, so she decided to start with one of her favorite songs that she had to cut from the last show. “Once upon a December,” from “Anastasia.”
As she sang she couldn’t help but transform the space around her, the empty stage and club starting to look like the abandoned palace, she twirled on the ball of her foot singing the line “Across my memo-AH!” When she saw a sinner standing at the edge of the stage.
The sinner’s silhouette didn’t match any of her employees and his eyes glowed red in the half lit room
as he stared down at her, static filling the air around them.

Star screamed, jumped back, and her fur stood on end. The illusion faded and everything returned to normal bringing the lights back up. She now saw it was Alastor with a pleasant grin.
“My, my dear there’s no reason to look so frightened.” Alastor chuckled.
“Al-Alastor sir, what are you doing here? We’re closed.” She asked as she tried to regain her usual calm composure. ‘He wanted to frighten me, his grin says it all.’ Star thought.
“I know my dear.” He replied as he twirled his cane and stepped towards her.

“Then why are you here? Is there something you need help with?” She asked as she took a step towards him. ‘That was a stupid question, there’s no way THE Radio Demon needs help.’ She thought.
“Indeed there is, you see, you’ve piqued the princess’s interest and mine as well.” He explained as he tapped his mic down beside himself.
“Interest about what?” She asked as she glanced from his mic to his face, her ears twitching.
“About your show of course.” He chuckled. “As you said it was the greatest show.”

“Well, as I told the princess, it's a trade secret. What would a rehab hotel want with the ability to host a great show?” She asked.
“Advertisement, of course. We don’t trust just anyone with our image . We’re having a grand reopening of the hotel, it was recently remodeled, you see.” He explained as he got closer to her.
“So you want to hire us?” She asked as her tail gently wagged behind her.
“Yes, we’re mostly interested in you.” He stated, he was almost too close now.
“My, how forward of you.” She teased wiggling her light brown eyebrows at him as her citrine eyes sparkled with amusement. “And how much will this gig be paying?”

“The princess will handle that aspect, please stop by the hotel tomorrow, say around noon.” He informed her as he materialized a business card and placed it in her hand, his one hand cupping hers as the other placed the card, sandwiching her hand in his. “The address is on the card and there is a number if you need to call.”
“Tomorrow at noon.” She repeated as she stared up at his red eyes feeling herself blush under his intense stare. ‘Stay focused Stella.’ She thought to herself as her now red ears twitched.
“Good girl. We look forward to seeing you.” Alastor said then disappeared from in front of her making her gasp in shock.
“What a strange demon.” Star muttered as she stared down at the card in her hand. ‘None of the rumors ever mentioned that.’ She thought.

Alastor reappeared at the hotel in front of the bar, spooking Husk.
“Damn it! Can’t you use the door like a normal person?” Husk muttered then went back to stocking the bar.
“Where’s the fun in that?” Alastor laughed as he left for the lounge. He found just who he was looking for with the last person he wanted to deal with, Charlie and Lucifer.
The two were doing a puzzle together, a bonding activity suggested by Sojourner.
“Hi Alastor,” Charlie greeted as she looked up from the 300 piece puzzle of a duck pond.
“Charlotte dear, I need to speak with you for a moment.” Alastor greeted in return.
“Can’t you see we’re busy here?” Lucifer snarled as he snapped a piece into place, unable to keep himself from frowning.
“It’s about Star and La La Land.” Alastor simpered, his eyebrow arching up.
“The club?” Lucifer snipped.

“Star and La La Land? What about them?” Charlie asked enthusiastically as she jumped up, knocking the table in the process, shaking a few pieces to the floor.
“Let’s have a quick chat, I was thinking we should celebrate the hotel’s remodeling and we should hire them.” Alastor explained as he led her away and towards the hallway.
“Charlie!” Lucifer called after her, but she didn’t seem to hear him, already excited for whatever Alastor was suggesting to her. He got up and picked up the scattered pieces.

When Charlie returned, Sojo was now chatting with Lucifer. Charlie was bouncing on pads of hooves and waving her arms around with Alastor just nodding with his usual grin. “Dad, Alastor just suggested the best idea, a grand reopening party for the hotel! We can open the doors and have sinners come in for a tour! We can have entertainment and catering, doesn’t that sound amazing?” She asked gleefully.

“A grand reopening?” Lucifer asked, raising an eyebrow.
“So sinners can see what your daughter is offering to them. Explain how redemption works and grand the hotel is.” Alastor said as he placed his hand on Charlie’s shoulder.
“And the entertainment and catering?” Lucifer asked as he glared at Alastor.
“To show them that this is a classy joint.” Alastor explained as he wiped his monocle on his suit jacket.

“Doesn’t it all sound like fun? I want to have Star come over tomorrow to discuss it with her. Her club was wonderful.” Charlie said.
“Is it really a good idea? How well do you know this sinner?” Lucifer asked.
“Dad,” Charlie began to whine, but Sojourner cut her off.
“Skipper, she did wait up with them when I went to get them, even offered to help put Vi in the van. She seems decent.”
“Decent?” Lucifer scoffed.
“Decent goes a long way here.” Sojourner offered.
“Well, if it’ll make you happy.” Lucifer sighed giving in to Charlie.
“Thanks dad!” Charlie cheered as she gave him a hug.

Chapter Text

Chapter 18
After her discussion with Alastor about the grand reopening, Charlie ran with the idea. She knew Husk would bartend for the event and exactly who she wanted to cater the party. Charlie loved the idea of Star entertaining the guests.
“We’ll have the doors open to all, but I absolutely want some special guests.” Charlie said to herself as she paced her room. She pulled out her cellphone and scrolled through her contacts until she got to just the name she was looking for.
She hit the call button and began to play with her hair, twirling the end of her ponytail around her index finger as the line began to ring.
“Hello?” A melodic voice on the other end asked as it answered.

Stella made sure her suit was pressed and clean so she would look put together for her meeting with Charlie that afternoon.
Stella liked having a variety of clothes, but she only had one suit, and this one had a timeless look to her. It was a charcoal gray tailored double breasted blazer with gray straight suit pants. ‘I think this blouse should work for today, Charlie seemed fun.’ Stella thought as she pulled out a raspberry red blouse with a bow tie collar.
“Maybe we should look into a different type of security.” Lily offered as Star tied the collar into a lovely bow.

“It’s not like we’re going to be in this building forever, I think we should worry about security once we get into the new place.” Star countered as she checked herself in the mirror. ‘Yeah this looks good.’ She thought as she made her way to the living room.
“Who knows how long that’ll be. I don’t like the idea of any demon getting in here without us knowing, especially the Radio Demon.” Lily complained.
“Well after seeing the princess today, I’m sure we’ll be much closer. What good would new security do us if he can just destroy it? I heard a rumor that he can turn himself into the radio waves themselves. And I don’t know about you, but I would like to keep our radios.” Stella informed her.
“That’s ridiculous.” Lily scoffed, but her eyes shifted to the radio sitting in the corner of the room. It was a large entertainment system that was set on one side of the large wooden entertainment center next to their TV, all looked like it was from the early 90’s.
“I think we’ve been here long enough to know the more ridiculous something sounds, the more likely it is to be true.” Stella said as she made her way towards the door.
“We’ve both been here long enough to know everyone lies and exaggerates.” Lily countered.
“Fair enough, wish me luck.” Stella said as she picked up her satchel bag.
“Break a leg.” Lily said, giving her a hug.
“Thanks.” Stella breathed, hugging her back.

To Stella’s surprise she made it to the hotel with little trouble, so she was a few minutes early when she stumbled inside. ‘Alright Star, you’ve got this.’ Stella thought to herself as she took a deep breath then pushed through the revolving door. “Hello?” She called out as she entered the foyer, it was a beautiful foyer of cream and gold.
Just beyond the foyer she could hear voices, her ears twitching in their direction. She followed them to a large room. The large room seemed to have multiple purposes. To her right was a bar that ran along part of the wall where Husk stood chatting with Angel and Vi.

Across from the bar was a parlor, where a few couches were set up in a semi circle across a fireplace. She took in the resplendence of the room and everything that occupied it until a voice pulled her out of her trance.
“Star!” Angel called from the bar. “Whatcha doing here? Came to get saved?”
“I am here to see Charlie, no one said anything about getting saved.” Star answered as she made her way over to the bar.
“That’s just an inside joke about the hotel. Why do you need Charlie, somethin’ wrong?” Vi asked as she leaned on the bar to see pass Angel.
“Oh no, nothing’s wrong.” Star replied.
“You look nervous, need a drink?” Husk asked as he placed a glass down on the bar.
“Just water please.” Star requested. Husk made a face, but gave her water which she downed in one long gulp.
“Can you drink like that too?” Vi giggled.
“When I want to.” Star shrugged as she placed the glass back on the bar. “Thank you.”

“Star! You’re early, sorry to keep you waiting.” Charlie sang out as she waltzed up to her with Vaggie just a few feet behind. “I’m so glad you agreed to meet me.” She continued as she vigorously shook Star’s hand.
“Uh yeah, old habits. Thank you for having me. Do you have an office where you want to talk?” Star asked, rubbing her wrist once Charlie released her.
“Oh yes, right this way, it’s a new addition to the hotel. We recently remodeled.” Charlie babbled as she gestured around her as she led them into an office.
Vaggie just kept glancing at Star silently, Star would catch her occasionally when she would shift her vision from the ceiling to the wall or from the wall to the floor.
‘It’s like the Ritz.’ Star thought as she took the beauty and glitz of the hotel.

“Do you want tea or coffee? Charlie asked as she pointed over to a coffee bar that was set in the corner of the room. Charlie’s office was a decent size, the large desk nearly took up the ‘far wall’. The wall was actually a window that looked over the street below. On the opposite side of the coffee bar was a couch and a set of love seats.
“No, thank you, Charlie.” Star answered as Charlie led them over to the couches instead of the desk. Star sat down on one of the love seats across from Charlie and put her hands in her lap as she said. “So please, tell me about this anniversary party.”
“Always so professional.” A voice from her praised making her jump slightly.

Star turned around to see Alastor standing there. “Good afternoon, dear.” Alastor said as he held his hand out to her.
“Good afternoon Alastor sir, how wonderful to see you again so soon.” Star smiled as she stood up and shook his clawed hand.
“Alastor!” Vaggie half groaned. “Nice of you to join us.” She quipped as he came around to their couch and stood at the end beside Charlie.
“Good afternoon to you, Vagatha. I am the manager of the hotel, so of course I would join this meeting.” He reminded her.

“Well now that we’re all here, let’s begin.” Charlie said as she pulled out a manila folder stuffed to an inch of its life with notes. She immediately launched into her spiel as she placed a few colored drawings on the coffee table between them. “So, do you think you and your club could do that?” Charlie asked once she was finished.
“Well, for what you want for entertainment, I could do it easily with me and a few of the band members, but I would recommend having a second performer. I suggest Kitty, but if you want a different performer, we can arrange that.” Star answered.
“And how much will that cost us?” Vaggie asked from her position next to Charlie.

“Mh, two performers and five band members should cost you this.” Star answered as she pulled out a small green pocket notebook from her purse and wrote down a number on it and handed it to Vaggie.
“What?! $25,000!” Vaggie exclaimed before Charlie could answer.
“You want to bring in the most sinners, right? I'm assuming you want to do this on a Friday or Saturday, Saturday is my most profitable day. I’ll be here with a few of my people, that’s the price to make sure we all still get paid like we were working at the club.” Star explained as she crossed one leg over the other and rested her hands on her knees.
Charlie took the piece of paper and looked at the number written down then looked back up at Star. “We’ll pay for it.” She announced.
“Charlie!” Vaggie exclaimed, but Charlie cut her off.

“We actually just need you. My Uncle Ozzie and his finance, Fizzie said they would help with the entertainment.”
Everyone’s eyes got big as they stared at Charlie and their mouth dropped open. The room went dead quiet followed by the sound of gulping.
“Your uncle Ozzie?” Vaggie asked, recovering first.
“Charlotte dear, when did this happen?” Alastor asked through clenched teeth.

“After we talked, I wanted to invite them and they offered to help.” Charlie answered with a huge smile on her face.
“Ozzie? Fizz? As in Fizzarolli? As in Fizzarolli and Asmodeus from THE Ozzie’s!” Star gasped her eyes, staying wide.
“You okay?” Vaggie asked as she raised an eyebrow at Star's star stuck expression.
“I hope that’s not an issue you have to share the stage with them.” Charlie said as began to play with the end of her ponytail.
“Oh no! Not at all! No problem at all.” Star declared finally recovered as she began to blink again.

“Wonderful!” Charlie cheered. “So, the celebration will be the last Saturday of next month, but I would like to approve your set list beforehand and of course pass it on to Uncle Ozzie so he and Fizzie can decide if they want to do your song suggestions.” Charlie informed her.
“I brought a list with me, after Alastor met with me, so many ideas just came to me.” Star said as she flipped to the back of the green notebook and tore out another two sheets that were covered both front and back. She handed the list to Charlie.
“I recognize some of these from your show.” Vaggie said as she and Alastor looked over Charlie’s shoulders at the list.
“Then you know how well I can perform them.” Star smirked confidently.
“Oh I think they would both love some of these songs, I’m so excited to be working with you, Star!” Charlie said as she stood and held her hand out to her.
“Thank you Charlie, I really look forward to performing for you and your hotel guests at your grand reopening celebration.” Star replied as she stood and shook Charlie’s hand.

Chapter Text

Chapter 19: Reporting Back
Stella ironed out the details with Charlie of when to return to work on the set list and staging before she returned to her club and was nearly tackled by Lily.
“How did it go?” Lily asked as she shut the door behind Star, pinning her against it.
“Well, I secured the job, sorta.” Stella answered as she wiggled past Lily and towards her room.
“What do you mean sorta?” Lily inquired as she followed Star.

Stella was already stripping off her suit jacket and unbuttoning her blouse. “The hotel didn’t want everyone like I hoped.” She answered not looking at Lily as she popped her off her shoes next.
“So only half the club? That’s not too bad either way we can stay open that weekend, I know she’s the princess, but paying for the whole club was a big ask.” Lily remarked as she leaned against Star’s door frame.
“Well she paid for half, but she didn’t ask for half.” Stella replied once she was in a pair of yoga pants and workout shirt.
“I’m confused, so what did she want exactly?” Lily asked, standing up straight now.
“Well it turns out she just wants me, she has some connections who are helping her out.” Stella explained as she rubbed the back of her neck.
“So paid for half the club and is only getting you, who else did she get?” Lily snapped as she threw up her hands.

“Asmodeus and Fizzarolli.” Stella squeaked.
“Oh my god!” Lily breathed as she went to sit down on Stella’s full sized bed.
“You can’t tell anyone else about this.” Stella informed her.
“Okay fine, I only have to make one costume for that night. But Stella, this night might be our big break, we could finally get what we want.” Lily remarked.
“Yeah, if I can get Asmodeus and Fizzarolli to invest in a Broadway style theater.” Stella sighed as she sat next to Lily.
“Hon, that sounds like selling water to a thirsty man in the desert.” Lily remarked as she rubbed Stella’s upper back.
“I don’t know, don’t you think they hear a dozen ideas a day?” Star sighed.

“Maybe, but none are as brilliant as yours and once they see you perform in my costume, they’ll just be handing you money to start your theater company.” Lily said.
“You’re right, once they see me in action, they’ll surely want to invest in our idea.” Stella replied as she got from the bed.
“Atta girl!” Lily cheered standing up too.
“I need to work on this week’s show: Purgatory Pop and then the hotel’s list, but first how is our newest employee?” Star asked as she made her way out of her room.
“I gave her a book of orders to study and shorthand. She should be in her room.” Lily answered as she followed.

They left their apartment and went across the hall to the recovery room and knocked on the closed door.
“Come in!” The voice called.
They entered to see Nova sitting on the bed crossed legged with a book in her lap. She looked so much better than she did before. She was in a pair of baggy sweats and an oversized t-shirt that Stella and Lily had given her from their own clothes.

Once she was well enough, they showered her and gave her a few spare sets of clothes. Most of the light bruises were healed and the deep bruises were now in the yellow stage. They still needed to change the bandages daily for her burns, but she was coming along. Part of the bandages peeked out from her shirt sleeve, but most were hidden under the clothes.
“Hi.” Nova squeaked as she glanced between them and the open door.
“I was about to go down to practice for next week’s show, would you like to watch? See where you’ll be working next year?” Stella announced.
“Um, sure.” Nova answered as she slowly got up from the bed.

They led her downstairs and into the club. “Now this weekend, you won’t need to work, you can watch the show if you feel up to it. See what we’re all about.” Lily said as she turned on the lights.
Nova just stared as she took in the sight of the club. “Let’s go sit over here.” Lily instructed as she nudged Nova over to a booth.
As Stella was up on stage working out the kinks to her newest set, Lily summoned her basket and rack to finish the costumes.
Nova had brought her book, but barely looked at it as Stella hooked her phone up to the speaker.

Stella started with Veroskia Mayday’s BoneTown, turning the stage into a beach, next she went to Michael Jackson’s Thriller turning everything into a grimy city block.
“I think Thriller should be a group number, I think it’ll look best that way. Have Hazel be Michael.” Lily called out once Stella had finished.
“Yeah I was thinking the same thing and less strain on me. I was thinking of ending Act One with it.” Stella replied as she sipped her water bottle.

“How are you doing that?” Nova asked as she glanced between the two of them.
“Trade secret.” Stella smiled at her.
“But if I’m working here shouldn’t I know the trade secrets?” Nova asked.
“Not yet, once we trust you I’ll explain it.” Stella answered as she went back to her phone to rearrange her playlist.
“Are you able to change people’s appearance too?” Nova asked.
“Huh?” Star asked, looking up from her phone, a confused look on her face.

“If you can change the lights to change the scenery, can you change people’s appearance too? So Hazel can look like Michael?” Nova asked as she pointed up to the stage lights.
“Well no, not well. In this case practical magic is the best answer, each dancer does her own make up usually.” Star answered. “But having her look like Michael would be a good idea. I’ll have to ask her if she can do that level of makeup.” She continued as she pulled up Hazel’s contract info to text her.

“I can do it.” Nova spoke up.
“You can?” Lily asked, looking over to her from the red jacket she was working on.
“Yeah, Valentino originally hired me as a makeup artist until he decided I would look better in front of the camera.” Nova confessed quietly as she glanced down at her still bandaged paws. “I also was a contestant on the show Face-Off back on Earth.” She continued.
“Oh!” Star exclaimed, her eyes going wide as her tail and ears began to twitch in excitement. “After practice, let’s see what you can do with what we have and make a list of what you’ll need for the show.” She offered.
“Okay.” Nova smiled up at her, looking genuinely happy since she arrived.

"Never heard of it." Lily remarked with a shrug.
"It was a tv show back in 2011." Nova reminded her.
"You'll have to explain everything to her Nova, Lily died in the 80's." Star informed her as she went to the next song 'Red Wine Supernova.'

Chapter Text

Chapter 20: Group Therapy

The following week, Stella made her way back to the hotel; they had agreed for Stella to check in on the progress of the show. “Why did it have to rain today?” Stella groaned as she hid under an awning of a building. ‘Of course Hell would turn beautiful rain into something awful like acid.’ She thought as she watched rain melt a few nearby objects.

“I don’t want to look like a drowned, melted rat meeting Asmodues and Fizzarolli.” She complained as she pressed herself closer to the wall trying to stay as dry as possible. ‘Which is worse, melted or late?’ She thought as she glanced down at her simple watch. She looked back up at the rain, sighed and decided to book it towards the hotel.

Star burst through the hotel’s doors into the foyer, soaking wet and pieces of her sleeves and pant legs missing. Her thunderous entrance caught the attention of everyone sitting over in the lounge, all gathered around the fireplace. ‘Is the entire hotel here?’ Stella thought as her eyes darted to each face now staring at her.

“Uh....” Stella began as Charlie jumped up from her seat on the couch. “Star! Hi, we weren’t expecting you, did you not get my text?” Charlie asked as she summoned a towel and baking soda. She dumped the baking soda all over Star, then handed her the towel. “Baking soda will stop the acid.” Charlie explained as Star blinked up at her.

“A text?” Star muttered as she reached into what remained of her bag and pulled out her phone. She clicked on the screen and saw a message stating she had an unread text. “I haven’t checked it since I left my club.” Stella muttered.

“I’m so sorry! Uncle Ozzie had to cancel at the last minute, he said an emergency came up.” Charlie explained as she watched Star put her phone in the towel to dry it off from her wet hands. “He says he approves your set list and there were a few suggestions. They’ll be here next week to go over choreography.” She jabbered.

“Charlie, babe, maybe we should let her process for a second.” Vaggie suggested as she came up to them and handed Star a second towel.
Star accepted it and began to dust herself off. “Did I interrupt something?” Stella asked as she glanced over to the group who was all low key watching the interaction. She recognized most of the faces, but there were a few faces she didn’t, an anglerfish sinner, a maid, and someone else.

‘Is that Lucifer? He kinda looks like the old posters I’ve seen of the king, but not quite.’ She thought as she stared at the blonde haired, pale, golden cheeked individual. He wore a nice blue pinstriped suit and held a clipboard. He stared back at her, she couldn’t explain why, but he had a calming presence. ‘Maybe it’s his gold eyes, they almost look normal. They look kind.’ She thought she had never seen gold eyes in hell.

“Group therapy, it’s part of the rehabilitation. Would you like to join us?” Charlie asked, grabbing her hand, not waiting for an answer and started pulling her towards the group.
“Wait, Charlie.” Vaggie called after her. “Why don't you get her some dry and clean clothes first?” Vaggie suggested quickly catching up to them.
“Good idea. Hey, does anyone have anything they can lend Star while we fix her suit?” Charlie asked as she turned towards the group.
“Ugh, yeah I got some stuff.” Angel answered as he looked Star up and down.
“I don’t think she wants to look like a hooker.” Vi ribbed him figuratively and literally.
“Well, better than a goth.” Angel shot back at her with a smirk.
“It’s called grunge, get it right.” Vi replied as Sojo got up from her seat next to the golden eyed man.

“I have some clothes you can borrow, and they’re comfier than anything they’ll offer you.” Sojourner said, she was dressed in similarly comfy clothes from the last time Star saw her. She wore a red IMP t-shirt and black joggers with fuzzy boot house slippers. She wasn’t wearing a bonnet now, so Star could see her dark blue braids that had red and green wires running through it and how bright her mismatched eyes were. They almost seemed to glow, “Follow me.” She said as she headed towards the grand staircase.

“That’s so sweet of you, Sojo.” Charlie grinned as she and Vaggie followed them. “Once you shower and change, you can join us and then we can mend your suit. Today we're discussing how to channel our emotions in positive ways.” She continued.

“Oh that sounds… very professional.” Star muttered as they entered Sojo’s room, which was very personalized. Her queen-sized bed was pushed below the large window in the far right corner. The bed was covered in pillows, blankets and squishy stuffed animals that spilled over on the bedside table as well. Besides the bed, the next largest item was a huge 6 ft bean bag where a black and white tuxedo cat was sleeping.
A few feet from the foot of the bed, sat a dresser with a large 60 inch TV, surrounded by every game console Star had ever seen when she was alive.
The room was very neat, the only messy thing was a massive pile of pillows that sat in front of a large, filled to the brim bookshelf. There were a few cat items like floating shelves, scratching posts and toys strewn around the room. It even smelled welcoming, as a vanilla scent tickled Star’s nose.

“It was Sojo’s idea. She has so many good ideas for our group therapy. ” Charlie smiled as Sojourner went into her walk-in closet. Star could see a ton of oversized hoodies as Sojo quickly grabbed some clothes then came back out with a pink t-shirt from a local bakery and a pair of blue yoga pants.

“Oh, were you a therapist?” Star asked as Sojourner led her towards her bathroom.
“Not at all, but any therapist that’s down here probably isn’t someone who should be practicing.” Sojourner dead panned as she placed the clothes on a lavender colored sink.

Star let out a laugh. “Good point.” as Sojourner pulled a set of towels from the small linen closet.
“Take your time, no rush.” Sojo said then slipped out of the room. Star took stock of the room as she stripped out of her clothes. It was just as neat as the bedroom and stocked with many scrubs, bubble bath, lotions, and face masks.
She showered and dressed quickly then stepped back into the room holding her damaged clothes. Charlie seemed shocked she was done so fast. “I didn’t want to keep you waiting.” Star muttered as Charlie took her suit.

Downstairs, the group therapy had come to a halt. “She’s gonna look so boring in Sojo’s clothes.” Angel commented as he pulled out his phone.
“Don’t be rude.” Vi chided him as she smacked his arm. “Do you think the Princess will rope her into living here too?” Vi gossiped to Cherri.
“Mh, maybe.” Cherri replied as she looked up towards the ceiling.
“She might, but it seems Star is running her own rehab.” Angel joked as he followed their gaze.
The blue suit just quietly watched them and took some notes. The others continued to chat until the group returned.
“You look comfy.” Husk commented as Star sat down in a nearby chair.

“I am comfy. Thanks again, Sojo.” Star replied with a smile, the bear nodded in response. She had taken one of the towels and wrapped her hair up in it.
“Okay let’s get back to it, healthy ways to channel our emotions!” Charlie announced as she picked her clip board back up. “Let’s pick back up with you Vi.”

“Mh, well instead of hexes, I would garden sometimes, yanking potatoes and carrots up can be very satisfying.” Vi answered, making a yanking motion.
“That’s a good answer Vi, and I can’t wait to help you with building the garden. What about you Cherri?” Charlie asked as she shifted her eyes towards Cherri.
“Well besides my bombs, I’ve been keeping a journal like Sojo suggested.” Cherri said sounds a little embarrassed at her confession.
“That’s very healthy.” Charlie smiled at her. They went all the way around the room and then finally landed on Star. “Star?” Charlie prompted.

“Oh, I, um, I listen to music. If I’m angry I’ll listen to rage filled music, if I’m sad I’ll listen to sad music.” Star stuttered as she blushed. ‘I didn’t think they would ask me too.’ She thought as her ears and tail twitched.
“Do you use your powers to feel better?” Vaggie asked, speaking up for the first time since they had returned to the room. Her tone held a bit of contempt.
“Oh, sometimes.” Star muttered.
“Why don’t you show us.” Sojo suggested.

“Oh sure.” Star answered as she got up from the chair. “Now don’t expect too much since this will be acapella.” She continued as she went up the nearby coffee table and knelt by it and began to bang out a beat, clapping and singing the song ‘Cups’.

She kept her eyes closed until she began to sing, the air around her began to transform around her, the space morphed into the inside of a modern train car. “I’ve got my ticket for the long way around, two bottles of whiskey for the way.”
As she got to the lyrics about the prettiest views, the area above the train turned into beautiful rocky mountains with blue and purple peaks. The parlor below her turned into a river that began to flow.
As she sang Vaggie had elbowed Charlie and whispered. “You should send this to your other uncle.”
“Oh right!” Charlie gasped and quickly pulled out her phone and began to record, capturing the rest of the performance.

“What does that have to do with channeling your emotions in a healthy way?” The blue suit asked once Star had finished.
“It’s complicated, I guess that wasn’t the best song to pick.” Star answered. ‘I can’t tell them what I really use that song for.’ She thought as she got up to her feet.

“Well I think that’s enough for today’s session, thank you for joining us Star. Your clothes should be done by now.” Charlie said as she got up as she quickly put her phone away.
“Thanks for having me.” Star replied as she followed Charlie out of the room with Vaggie.

Chapter Text

Chapter 21: The Man in the Blue Suit
*Spoilers Ahead*

After the group therapy session was over Charlie instantly repaired Star’s suit. Star changed back then went to Charlie’s office to go over when she would return and what the next meeting would entail, they agreed choreography should be their focus next.
The entire time they were talking, Vaggie and the golden eyed man sat in the office with them. ‘Who is he? He didn’t even introduce himself.’ Stella thought as she glanced over to the two of them.
“Alright. See ya next time.” Charlie said as she walked Stella to the door.

Once she shut the door, she leaned against it and groaned quietly. “I feel so bad they canceled on her.” She pulled her phone out and sent the video to Asmodeus with a short message.
“You shouldn’t feel bad for that.” Vaggie soothed as she led her away from the door and towards the couch.
“I certainly wasn’t expecting a random sinner to pop in the session.” The golden eyed man said as he sat across from Charlie and Vaggie.

“Uncle Michael, she's not some random sinner. She’s a friend of some of the residents, they’ve seen her perform often.” Charlie informed him.
“Honey, that makes them fans, not friends. She was here on business.” Michael stated as he ran his alabaster hand through his blonde hair. Charlie had noticed in their short time together, her uncle had more in common with her father than just his looks, he also had some of his nervous ticks.

“Let's stop splitting hairs, for a sinner who's not under the influence of the hotel, what did you think of her?” Vaggie as she took his notes from him to look them over.
“She seemed fine. Your residents are my concern at the moment, so let's focus on them for now.” Michael replied as he pointed to the top of the clipboard. “Let's start with Miss Cherri Bomb today.” He began as he cleared his throat. ‘She is an unusual one, I wonder if I can find her file back in heaven. Who is this sinner? She needs to be vented, Charlie is too trusting.’ Michael thought as they began to compare their notes on Cherri.

*End Spoilers*

In the lust ring, Asmodeus and Fizzarolli were returning to their office, exhausted and covered in lube. A pipe to a main vat had burst, leading to hundreds of gallons of strawberry-flavored lube spilling all over the factory floor.
The factory had to shut down until the spill could be properly cleaned up, along with Ozzie and Fizzie themselves, they were panting by the time Charlie's text came through.
“It's Char-doll.” Ozzie sighed happily as reached for the phone, but it slipped out of his hand and onto the rug below.

“I gotcha, babe.” Fizzie chirped as he reached for it, but had the same effect, popping out of his hand and bouncing further away from them. Fizzie gave it a few more tries, popping the phone up into the air then trying to catch it, juggling until the phone landed right back where it started on Ozzie's desk.
“Come on Froggy, let's get cleaned up, then we can get back to business.” Ozzie laughed as he stood and picked his lover up, leaving the phone on the desk

“Ready for another round already?” Fizzie smirked as he roped his arms over Ozzie's neck.
“Not that kind of business, actual business.” Ozzie chuckled as they headed for their shared bathroom.
Once they were clean, they returned to the office with fresh cups of coffee in hand. Ozzie sat back down in his chair and Fizzie returned to his lap as he finally picked up his phone and opened the message from Charlie.

“Oh it's a video.” Fizzie said as the video expanded to full screen in the center of the office. They watched quietly as the short two minute video played. “Is that the sinner she hired?” Fizzi asked once the video had ended, he cocked an eyebrow at Ozzie.
“Yeah, I think so. Star-Struck_Mink has a private page, even the business's Sintagram is private. With talent like that, I can't imagine why.” Ozzie said as he sent back a few emojis to his niece.
“I hear sinners nowadays are more shrewd than they used to be. They don't want any deal, they want THE deal.” Fizzie theorized as he crossed his arms and rolled his eyes.

“Maybe.” Ozzie replied as he replayed the video for them to watch again. “Froggy, you’re the one who has to perform, are you ready to return to the stage with her as your co-star?” Ozzie asked as he looked down at his beloved imp.
“She has some skills, let's see how talented she really is.” Fizzie smirked. He played the video again for the third time, this time he paused it and skipped back then would skip forward. The two minute video took over five minutes for him to watch. “What a boring song, I bet Verosika will tear this part.” He snickered as he forwarded the video.

“Now Fizzie, if you don't want to perform with this sinner just say so, you don't need to be catty. Charlie will understand if we back out, we still have time.” Ozzie sighed as he took the phone and placed it in his breast pocket.
Fizzie made a face like he was contemplating his answer when Ozzie’s phone began to ring. Vacay to BoneTown began to sing, it was Verisoka's ringtone.

“Oh goodie, put it on speaker.” Fizzie smiled as Ozzie finished the phone out and answered it and put it on speaker.
“Hi, V.” Ozzie said.
“That video is so cute. Is that the sinner from La-La- Land I've been hearing about? Everyone I know who's gone says it's stellar. I've thought about dropping by, but I don't want to cause a scene.” Verisoka explained.
“Has no one ever recorded her?” Fizzie remarked, trying not to pout.

“No recordings allowed, something about wanting people to be in the moment.” Verisoka replied. “Are you guys working with her? Trying to expand outside your ring?” She asked, her tone turning curious.
“Maybe, my niece has hired her for an event we're helping out with.” Ozzie chimed in.
“Oh well if you pass on the deets, I would love to come see you guys perform.” Veroskia said.
“I'll text them too ya. We've got to get back to it V.” Ozzie replied.

“K, ttyl.” She sang out then hung up.
“Well, I guess we should do this then.” Fizzie sighed.
“Okay Froggie, but if you change your mind let me know, no pressure.” Ozzie said as he wrapped his arms around Fizzie and pulled him into a strong bear hug.

Back in the pride ring, Stella finally made it back to the club just in time for rehearsals. “Sorry everyone, I'll be right down.” She shouted from the interior stairs that went up to the apartment.
“Oh my god, she's late.” Kitty gasped in shock.
“I've never known her to be late in all these years.” Hazel added as they all looked up at the high ceiling.
“I've never known her to leave this building.” Willow joked earning a groan from everyone in the room and a gentle elbow in the ribs from Hazel.
“Do you think she was seeing a man? Or maybe a woman, both?” Jade, a cheetah sinner asked.
“In a suit? Only if she’s playing some kinda role and we’ve got sexier costumes than that.” Ruby, a squirrel sinner answered.

“There’s nothing wrong with her suit. Alright everyone let’s get started on the first song and dance, remember we decided to move a few of the songs around for this weekend. ‘Like a Prayer’ is the opener now since it got such a reaction last weekend.” Lily reminded everyone as she clapped her hands to get their attention.

Star had returned before they finished and did her stretches as they went into the next song “I'm a Clown Bitch.”
The rest of the rehearsal went on without a hitch. Afterwards, Lily and Star went back to their apartment with Nova in tow to start dinner.
“I want to try to make the dishes the cooks are making for this weekend, do you mind?’ Nova asked as she held up a recipe card.
“Oh no, go ahead, if you'll excuse us for a moment.” Lily replied as she pushed Star towards her own bedroom and closed the door behind them.
Lily’s room was the same size as Star’s but it felt a little smaller, due to the extra clothing racks and sewing machine that sat between the dresser and the closet full of black clothing. Despite living through the 80’s, Lily loved the opposite aesthetic, sleek and minimalist. She claimed she was channeling ‘Coco Chanel’ energy.

“I know my clothes, and that suit you returned in is not what I made for you. Plus, it has glitter all over it, did you go to a strip club?” Lily asked as she held up the offending jacket.
“No, I only went to the hotel.” Star replied.
“Did you make out with Angel Dust?” Lily exclaimed.

“No, the princess….” Star began, but Lily cut her off with a gasp.
“You made out with the Princess?!”
“No,” Stella laughed. “She made my suit, my old one was ruined by the acid rain, I sat in on a hotel activity while I waited.”
“And you didn't make out with that gorgeous being? What is wrong with you? What activity?” Lily asked, jogging her eyebrows.

“Keep your panties on, it was just group therapy about channeling your emotions in a positive way, it was kinda enjoyable.” Star answered.
“Well, that's less sexy.” Lily muttered. “Did you get to see your crush?” She teased.
“I don't know what you're talking about, you okay? Is your heat cycle coming up?” Star asked as she placed her hand on Lily's forehead.

“Mh, maybe, I'll have to check the app. It sounds like you had an eventful day, so was the meeting with Asmodeus and Fizzarolli over quickly then?” Lily asked.
“Well, they canceled.” Star sighed.
“Oh, honey, I'm sorry.” Lily said, hugging her.
“It's okay, with the 25 thousand from Charlie, we can close on that theater even without their endorsements.” Star reminded her as she hugged her back.

Chapter Text

Chapter 22: An Important Meeting

*Spoilers Ahead*

The day after the crashed group therapy session, Michael returned to Heaven, he wasn’t in his office long when there was a knock on the door. He felt his heart begin to race as he gulped and finally managed to call out. “Come in!”

The door opened to reveal another angel, an exorcist. She looked much like her sisters, her gray hair cut to Anna May Wong style, her paper white skin flawless. Michael silently thanked his Father that today she was dressed in regular garb and not her uniform. Her normal outfit was just black flats, black tapered pants and a plain white blouse.

“Good morning sir, welcome back.” She said as she approached his desk, she stopped in front of it and held herself in a parade rest position.
“Good morning....uh….” Michael began, but stopped.
“It’s Olive, sir.” She informed him with a nod of her head.
“Ah yes, Olive, what can I do for you?” Michael asked as he glanced back down at the few files he had found this morning.

“Azrael sent me, sir.” Olive informed him, making him stop suddenly.
“Why?” Michael half growled.
“He thought you could use help since you’ve been so overworked lately. What can I do to assist you sir?” She asked as her gold eyes darted down to his covered desk.
“Thank you, Olive, but I don’t need help with anything.” Michael said as he came around from his desk and towards her.

“But sir,” She protested as he gently took her arm and led her back towards the door. “Your desk is covered and everytime you go down there, you fall behind. Lord Gabriel isn’t as proficient as you are, sir. I could help you keep up, I could at least do your filing for you.” She argued as she glanced back at his desk.

Michael stopped as he reached for the door. She was right, while he was gone, Gabriel tried his best, but this wasn’t his main job; and with the hotel, he was very overwhelmed, not that he ever would tell his older brother that. His gold eyes darted between the still closed door, to her, then over to the desk. “Fine, but only the winners.” He ordered as he released her.

“Yes, sir.” Olive answered as swiftly went back over to his desk and began to pick up the blue folders from his desk, which still left the desk half covered in red folders. “I’ll file these right away for you.” She announced as she went over to the wall of filing cabinets and went to the column marked for this year.
“Thank you, Olive.” He replied as sat back down at his desk and began to read through the red folder he had put down when she had entered.

*END SPOILERS*

Since the day of the lube incident, Fizzie had not been sleeping well. Each night a different nightmare, all of them about Mammon. Tonight was no different.

Tonight's nightmare was about knife throwing, Mammon had strapped him to a spinning target.
Mammon had blindfolded himself then turned to the audience. “Let's kick in up a notch.” He then gave the signal for someone to start spinning Fizzie.
The spinning made him sick and by the grace of Satan, Mammon had only nicked Fizzie when he hit the target.

Fizzie had closed his eyes to try and diminish the sickening feeling that filled him, but the feeling only grew worse and he felt the knife nick his arm. He could hear the crowd roaring, or at least it sounded like roaring to him. He didn't open his eyes until the target stopped.

“Ain't that the shit!” Mammon laughed as he bowed to the crowd. Instead of righting itself the world began to disappear and fade.

Fizzie sat up on his side of the bed, in a cold sweat, beside him, Ozzie had barely stirred, “Oh, Satan.” He groaned as he brought his knees up and rested his head against them. He had hated so many of the things Mammon had done to him, but that trick had been the worse. He worked through his breathing exercises and tried to think of things that made him happy.

Once he was done, he leaned over to his bedside table. He dug through the contents, pass the dildo, lubes and nipple clamps to find a bottle of pills. He popped open the bottle, then tossed one into his mouth. He hated most pills, but Ozzie had called in a favor to Belphegor to get these ones.

Ozzie had explained these were to help him sleep. The pills promised a good night sleep with none of the side effects most pills had. Fizzie had thought he didn't need them, but five nights of Mammon's had changed that.

‘I don't want to let Ozzie down, he loves his niece so much.’ Fizzie thought as he rolled back on to his back as closed his eyes. ‘I can do this.’ He chanted to himself as he fell into a peaceful sleep.

It was another week before Star returned to the hotel. She left the club in her workout clothes, wanting to get right to work when she arrived.
As she walked up the hill, she could see new construction outside the hotel. ‘What’s going on?’ She thought. Getting closer, she saw it was a large wooden stage just to the right of the large statute of Dazzle.

Star was surprised to see Sojourner working on it, she was kneeling down installing edge lights.
“I wasn’t expecting this.” Star said as she walked up to the nearly finished stage.
“Oh, what were you expecting?” Sojo asked as she glanced up at Star.
“To perform inside the hotel.” Star answered as she glanced towards the hotel’s entrance.

“Charlie thought it would be best to have the stage outside, then lead people inside for tours, the hotel’s exterior walls have great sound proofing.” Sojo explained as she stood.
“And the interior?” Star asked, innocently.
“I’m working on it.” Sojo grimaced, making Star suppress a chuckle.
“A jack of many trades?” Star asked.
“Yes, but I am a master of one. Electrical is my main focus, but I can fix a lot of things; I built the stage and now I’m doing the lights.” Sojo informed her proudly.
“It looks great.” Star beamed at her. ‘An outside performance? I haven’t done a lot of those.’ Star thought as she looked around the area surrounding the stage.

“Star!” Charlie yelled as she exited the hotel, waving eagerly. Just behind her was a towering blue rooster-like creature, he looked suave from his top hat to his thigh high boots. The fiery blue mane around his head appeared to have an extra head on either side of the main one, all three were smiling.
‘Is that Asmodeus? The sin of Lust?’ Star thought as she watched them approach her.
Behind him was a small imp dressed in a striped pink jester hat, with a little pink shirt, red suspenders that held up red and pink striped pants, the Fizzarolli.
‘It must be if that’s Fizzarolli.’ Star thought as she smiled and waved back. She jogged the last few steps towards them, closing the gap.

“Star, this is my Uncle Ozzie and his fiance, Fizzie.” Charlie introduced them as they all shook hands.
“I’m Star, it’s wonderful to meet you both. I’ve seen videos of your club in the Lust Ring on Sintagram and it looks amazing.” Star said enthusiastically, not noticing Fizzie rolling his eyes.
“Hello Star, I wish we could say the same, but it seems you’re a mystery.” Ozzie replied warmly.
“I think little else brings people in like a good mystery.” Star explained.
“Well that is one way to bring people in, but will they return once the mystery is solved?” Fizzie asked as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“Once they’ve come in for one performance, they keep coming back. I know how to keep my customers engaged.” She answered with a wink. “Did you already warm up?” She asked as she looked back over to the stage.
“Not yet, we just got here.” Fizzie answered as he glanced towards the stage as well.
“Okay, so I was thinking we could warm up our voices followed by bodies then we could get right into the set list and the dances we want to do with them.” Star said excitedly.
“I don’t need to warm up my body.” Fizzie replied as he extended his arms out and grabbed ahold of the stage and pulled himself over.
Sojo glanced up as he did this and watched as Star ran after him.

“Oh, that was so cool! Okay, well let’s just do voice warm ups then and get right to it.” Star cheered as she stepped up on the stage.
“Froggy, I’m gonna go chat with Lulu-baby, so just come find me when you’re done.” Ozzie called out.
“Okay, Babe.” Fizzie replied as he blew a kiss towards him.
Ozzie caught it and tucked it into his breast pocket then headed inside.
“Have fun!” Charlie sang out as she went inside the hotel with her uncle.
With the crowd now gone, Sojo went back to adding edge lights to the stage as Star and Fizzie stretched in the center with plenty of space between them.

Fizzie was done in half in the time as Star, he waited impatiently, tapping his foot until she was done a few minutes later. “The list you sent over said you wanted to start with ‘Be Our Guest’.” He sighed.
“Yes, but after I sent Charlie the list, I thought maybe you could do an opening number. I was gonna recommend the song ‘The Whole Being Dead Thing’.” Star confessed.
“You thought I could do an opener for you?” Fizzie repeated, already sounding put out.

“Only if you want to, of course. I know the song sounds macabre, but it’s actually really funny. I think it would be a good way to get fresh sinners. I could do the opener, but I think the song is a good fit for you.” Star explained.
“Hm, really, you think that?” He remarked. “You came up with a decent set list, why don’t we just focus on that before adding anything else to it.” Fizzie replied as he rubbed his forehead as if warding off a headache.
“Oh yeah, that’s a good point.” Star said.

They sang the first song with Fizzie taking Lumiere’s part and Star taking Mrs. Potts part and they shared the ensemble parts depending on where they were in the song.
“Am I going to carry every song?” He asked after they finished.
“No, I have a larger role in the later songs.” She answered, noticing his obvious attitude. ‘It’s just the first song, did he even look at the set list? He said he did, but I’m starting to doubt it.’ She thought as she clenched her jaw.
She unclenched it and wobbled it back and forth. “Let’s move on to the next one shall we?”
The next song was ‘One Short Day’ stage version. Star sang for Glinda and Fizzie sang for Elphaba.

When they began ‘I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here’,“This song doesn’t work for just two people!” Fizzie snapped, his thin patience evaporating.
“I thought we could have some of the other hotel guests do some of the bit parts.” She explained calmly after she took a deep breath.
“That’s stupid! You shouldn’t drag your audience into your performance unless you know what you’re doing.” He shouted getting into her face.
“I do it all the time, I know what I’m doing!” She finally snapped back, not backing down as her shoulders rose towards her ears.
“Ugh sure, but this ain’t your little show.” He sneered in a condescending tone as he sucked his teeth and turned away.
Star took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of her muzzle and pressed on the tip of her nose before she responded to him. “Why don’t we take a 15- minute break?” She suggested through gritted teeth.

“Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.” Fizzie snarled as he flung himself off the stage then super stretched himself quickly back towards the hotel.
As Star was trying to calm herself with deep breath exercises and rubbing her ears, Sojo popped her head up from the edge of the stage like a whack- a- mole. “That guy is a dick.” Sojo declared bluntly.
“He is.” Star sighed as she made way over to her. “They say, never meet celebrities. I was hoping it was gonna be like meeting Hugh Jackman, instead, I got Tom Cruise.”
“Man, fuck Tom Cruise and fuck that guy.” Sojo retorted.
“Yeah, I agree, fuck them both.” Star chuckled, feeling some the tenison leave her body.
“Then why are you putting up with him?” Sojo asked.

Chapter Text

Chapter 23: Tom Cruise

Star and Fizzie were on a 15 minutes after having an argument over a song choice. As Star was trying to calm herself with deep breath exercises and rubbing her ears. Sojo popped her head up from the edge of the stage like a whack a mole puppet. “That guy is a dick.” She declared bluntly.
“He is.” Star sighed as she made way over to her. “They say, never meet celebrities. I was hoping it was gonna be like meeting Hugh Jackman, instead I got Tom Cruise.”
“Man, fuck Tom Cruise and fuck that guy.” Sojo retorted.
“Yeah, I agree fuck them both.” Star chuckled, feeling some the tenison leave her body.
“So, why are you putting up with him?” Sojo asked.

“Show business has lots of assholes, it's nothing new.” Star shrugged as she sat down on the edge of the stage.
“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean you have to deal with it. Call him out.” Sojo replied as she swung herself up beside Star.
“Putting up with him could get me something I want.” Star whispered. ‘I could get the theatre, but with how he’s acting, I doubt he and Ozzie would become sponsors’ Star thought as she closed her eyes, picturing the theatre in her mind.
“So, you’re using him?” Sojo asked, amused.
“This is Hell, I like to think of it as a means to an end.” Star countered as she opened her eyes.
“Okay, but if you get what you want, will you still have to deal with him?” Sojo asked as she unhooked a metal water bottle from her tool pouch.
“Probably.” Star sighed as she deflated.
“And is dealing with a twat like him worth it?” Sojo snorted as she sipped her water.

Star was quiet for a long time staring off into the distance. She thought of Fizzie coming into her theatre, making demands, and talking down to her team. She could feel her auricular muscles tighten, Sojo could see her ears flatten towards her head. Stress began to radiate off Star, “No it’s not. I can deal with a dick, but the others have dealt with enough. They don’t need his shit.” She exclaimed angrily as she rolled her shoulders back.
“I don’t think your friends would want you dealing with an asshole for their sake, either.” Sojo chuckled as Star stood up.

“No, they wouldn’t. But what about Charlie? She seemed so gung ho about this show, I really want to do this for her.” Star asked as she glanced down at her.
“Well then, you gotta talk to her. She’s paying you right? Isn’t this a job for you?” Sojo asked as she slowly got to her feet.
“Yeah.” Star answered, not quite following Sojo’s thought path.
“Charlie said Stretchy’s here as a favor, paid job beats out favor. If Fuzzy’s gonna be a dick, then he can just not do the show.” Sojo explained.

“Who are you calling a dick?” A voice asked from behind Sojo.
Sojo turned to see Fizzarolli standing there, his arms crossed over his chest as he repeated. “Who are you calling a dick?”
“You, I’m calling you a dick.” Sojo informed him as she mimicked his stance. “Star has been nothing but professional to you, and you’ve been treating her like dog shit.”
“Professional?” Fizzie snorted as he rolled his eyes. “I guess some people will just throw that word around.”
“Yeah, but it seems you wouldn’t know what professionalism was even if it bit you in the ass! You Tom Cruise motherfucker!” Sojo snapped at him.
“Tom Cruise!?” Fizzie gasped, recoiling as if she slapped him.
“Yeah, I said you’re Tom Cruise. You no trick, balloon animal blowing, pink ponyless clown!” Sojo popped off.

Star gasped in shock as her words echoed off the bricks of the hotel.
The next sound was Fizzie snarling as he stretched his arm and slammed his fist into the side of Sojo’s face.
“Oh, now you’ve done it.” Sojo grinned as she staggered one step back and cracked her jaw back into place, wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth, “Hold my tools.” She instructed as she unbuckled Hot Mic and held him out towards Star.
“Sojo, maybe we...” Star began, but Sojo cut her off by repeating herself with more force.
“Hold. My. Tools!”
Star simply nodded and took Hot Mic from her.
“You wanna dance, Teddy Graham?” Fizzie taunted as he put up his fists.
“Nah, Frog Legs, I wanna boogie.” She growled with a crazy look in her eye.
They then began to trade blows, colliding and rolling off the stage as they scrapped.
“CHARLIE!” Star shrieked as she took off towards the hotel.

Back at the hotel, Charlie was enjoying tea with Vaggie, Asmodeus, and her dad inside her office.
“This tea is delicious.” Ozzie complimented them as he sipped his cup. Once he had come inside, he had transformed into his smaller version.
“Thank you, it’s one of my favorites.” Lucifer replied with a wide smile as he sipped his cup delicately.
“Mine too.” Charlie chimed in with her usual smile.
The pleasant atmosphere was suddenly disturbed by a screeching sound, followed by Star’s scream.
“What’s going on?” Charlie asked as she got up and went to the window. She looked down and saw Sojo and Fizzie tangled together and Star running away. “Oh no! We need to get down there!” She exclaimed as she darted past the others and out of her office.

Star was only feet away from the door when Charlie, Vaggie, Asmodeus, and Lucifer, himself came charging out the door, nearly running her over in the process.

Chaos had broken out in front of the stage, Lucifer and Vaggie tried to pull Sojo off of Fizzie while Asmodeus and Charlie tried to unwrap Fizzie’s arms from around her neck and torso.
Star stood on top of the stage, unsure what to do as blows were traded and insults were thrown. She held the tool pouch out like a shield as it wriggled angrily in her hands.

A tall shadow appeared beside her as Alastor stepped out from it, “My, my, your dress rehearsals are so interesting.” He greeted as a smirk stretched across his face.
“I’ve never had one end up in a fist fight before.” Star mumbled as she glanced between him and the fight, “Can you stop them?” She asked.
“Why, of course I can.” Alastor boasts as he clasps his hands over his mic and continues to watch the scene.
“Are you?” Star impatiently asked.
“Oh heavens no, this is far too entertaining!” Alastor chuckled, “In fact, this is the most entertaining thing to happen here all week.” He said as his gaze fell back to the brawl. A grin spread wide across his face as joy dripped from every word.
‘The rumors never say how weird he is.’ She thought as her gaze followed and looked down at the struggling tool pouch. ‘Even the tool pouch wants to fight.’ She thought as she turned the pouch around to look at it. She noticed a COM cord attached to it, giving her an idea. She looked from the cord towards Alastor’s mic, “Can you tune your mic to a certain frequency?” She asked.
“Perhaps, whatever for?” He answered as he tilted his head to the side as he turned towards her.

Suddenly, an ear piercing ring sliced through the air. Crying out, Sojo dropped to her knees, throwing her paws over her ears as Fizzarolli joined her. His limbs sparked out as his arms and legs were tangled into a pretzel and the nearby speakers popped.
Everyone else froze and stared in confusion at the sudden cease fire,
“My, my, what a fun reaction.” Alastor chuckled as let the tone keep ringing.
“You can stop now.” Star replied with her paws on her ears, he seemed unaffected by the sound.

The group stared down at the two on the ground then slowly they shifted their eyes up towards the stage.
“What just happened?” Charlie asked as she raised an eyebrow.

“3000 hertz, it can set off tinnitus and affect electronics, so the speakers most likely will need to be replaced.” Star answered as she lowered her hands from her ears now that sound had stopped.
“Damn it, Bayou!” Sojo shouted from the ground.
“Bayou?” Star questioned as she glanced up at Alastor. He just ignored her remark.

“What the fuck happened here?” Ozzie asked as he picked Fizzie up, shielding him from everyone else.
“What?” Both fighters answered at the same time.
“I said what happened?” Ozzie repeated himself, louder this time.
“What!?” They echoed back.
“WHAT HAPPENED!?” Ozzie finally shouted.

“I can’t hear you, but your boo thang’s a dick! Star was being so nice even with his stank ass attitude. I called him out on his bullshit and he punched me!” Sojo snapped loudly as she wiggled her finger in ears, trying to recover her hearing.
“Fizzie?” Ozzie asked as Fizzie began to untangle himself.
“What?” Fizzie asked, his ears still ringing.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” Ozzie sighed.
“I’m sorry Oz, Charlie, but I will not work with these two! They’re so unprofessional!” Fizzie signed in a huff and followed by a middle finger to Sojo.
“I don’t know what you’re saying, but fuck you right back, Tom Cruise!” Sojo shot back, returning the one finger salute.
Fizzie simply added a second finger while Ozzie sighed and rubbed his forehead.

“We’re clearly at an impasse. So why don’t we just call it quits for today. Princess, this is your show, you’ll have to choose who you want to perform since it seems we can’t perform together.” Star sighed as she hopped off the stage.
Star’s phone began to ring as she approached Charlie, she pulled it out of her purple legging side pocket and silenced the alarm labeled ‘Club rehearsal’, “I have to go back to the club now. Our dress rehearsals start soon.” Star quietly informed Charlie.

“You’re going back to do more rehearsals?” Charlie gasped, much louder than Star wanted her to.
“Princess, I still have a club to run. Please call me when you’ve decided who you want as your performer.” Star whispered as her eyes darted between the stage, Ozzie and Fizzie then back to a concerned looking Charlie. She bowed her head towards Lucifer, Asmodeus, then Charlie.

“Star….” Charlie began, but Star disappeared from in front of her. Charlie gasped as she stepped back, she glanced back at everyone else to see they were shocked as well.
“I didn’t know she could do that.” Charlie mumbled.

Chapter Text

Chapter 24: Three Sheets to the Wind

Stella dragged herself back to La La Land. After turning herself invisible, she slunk down the hill and through the city, only letting herself be seen once she had returned to the sanctuary of her own establishment.
Her sulking and ability had slown her down, so by the time she walked through the backstage entrance, she could hear the girls cooling down. She had missed all of rehearsal.

“She’s never missed rehearsal before.” Hazel commented.
“Well, she is with Asmodeus and Fizzarolli.” Jade chuckled.
“Maybe she’s securing us a record deal.” Kitty chimed in.
“Or maybe she’s securing her legs around one of them.” Ruby laughed.
“Ya nasty.” Lily chided them. “We all know what a perfectionist she is, she’s probably making sure her performance with Fizzarolli is perfect.” She continued.

Stella willed herself invisible again and slung back towards the bar. She settled herself in a corner as Ash took stock. Only when she was hidden from everyone but him did she allow herself to be seen again.
Ash jumped at the sudden appearance. “Star?” He whispered as he leaned down towards her. “Where have you been?”

“Hi Ash, can you hand me the Volcan tequila.” She whispered as she pointed to the half empty bottle behind him. “No, that's too expensive to waste, Don Julio.”
Ash silently turned and handed her a half bottle of Casamigos and a sipping glass, he watched her pour herself a glass before going back to restocking the bar.

Once he knew the rest of the dancers had gone and only Lily and Nova were left, he called out towards them, “Lily, she's back here.”
“Behind the bar?” Lily questioned as she quickly went up to the bar. “Star, what are you doing back there?”
“Being in the way, please go sit on the right side.” Ash answered as he lifted Star up with his tail and placed her on a stool.

“So, do you want the bad news, the good news or the worse news?” Star sniffled as she refilled her empty glass.
“Maybe you should just start at the beginning.” Lily replied, calmly as she sat down on the stool beside Star.
“Fizzarollia is a dick, an absolute asshole.” Star started as she sipped her glass.
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that, honey. You were so looking forward to working with him. So, your rehearsal didn’t go well?” Lily prompted as she began to rub Star’s back.
“We didn’t even make it through three songs, we took a break and then there was a fist fight. He won’t work with me. I told the Princess of Hell she has to decide who she wants as her show runner.” Star spewed.
“Whaddya mean he won’t work with you?” Lily snapped, reeling back a bit.

“I don’t even care anymore if he’s a dick. Fine, he won’t work with me. So there’s probably not going to be a sponsorship for the theatre, but what if the Princess chooses him? He is famous after all and he was doing it for free as a favor. What if she wants a refund on her money? Without a sponsorship, it’ll just take another few months, but if Charlie asks for her money back, we’ll be set back by years.” Star sobbed.
“Star, slow down.” Lily said as she tried to process everything Star had just blathered out.

Star killed off her drink, topped it back off then took a few deep breaths and tried again. “Fizzarolli was being a dick. Sojourner, the bear sinner who picked everyone up that night back in July, was building the stage for us, it was beautiful. She called him a dick and then they got into a fight and I ended it by disabling both of them. Now, he’s pissed and refuses to work with either of us.” Star repeated as she tried to give them the highlights of her day.
“Well, if he refuses to work with her too, then it sounds like the princess has to pick you.” Lily pointed out, taking the tequila away.
“Oh.” Star muttered as she blinked and pulled the tequila back towards her.
“Perhaps we should call the princess tomorrow when you’re sober.” Lily suggested as Ash put a glass of water down in front of Star.

“I’m not drunk.” Star protested as she ignored the water.
“No, you're tanked.” Lily remarked as she nudged the water closer.
“I’ve only had three glasses.” Star defended herself.
“Normal people don’t measure tequila in glasses, Star, you've had 9 shots.” Ash reminded her as he took the now empty bottle from her.
“Shouldn't I make it more one? You know, like that one song.” Star giggled.
“Absolutely not.” Ash answered as he pushed the water glass closer to her.

“So wait, another sinner stuck up for you? She punched him and now he won’t work with you?” Nova spoke up, sounding confused.
“Yeah, she kicked his ass, had him twisted up like a pretzel.” Star giggled. “I knew there were other nice sinners here.”
“Sojo doesn’t even know you, was he being that much of a dick?” Lily asked.
YUP!” Star replied as she took the water and drained it.
“We should invite her to breakfast as a thank you.” Nova suggested.
“You’re right, we should.” Star replied as she slowly slid off the stool. “I will talk to both of them tomorrow. I’m gonna go take a hot bath.”

“It’s only four in the afternoon.” Nova reminded her as Star staggered her way towards the stairs, bumping into a few tables.
“You’ll drown in your condition.” Lily sighed as she followed her. “Ash, can you please lock up when you’re done?”
“Yeah, no problem.” Ash replied.

Once Star and Lily were out of sight, Nova turned to Ash. “The girls all say you’ve worked here the longest.” She inquired.
“I have.” Ash answered, bluntly as he washed Star’s glasses.
“So what’s with those two? Everyone talks, but no one knows for sure.” Nova asked as she leaned on to the bar with her elbows.

“That Valentino has got all y'all twisted, it ain’t always about sex.” He shot back, his voice no longer its even and steady tone, but in a southern drawl. He began to scrub the top of the bar, making her move her elbows.
“I was just asking.” Nova stated as she held her arms up in a surrendering pose.
“You’ve been living with them for how long now? Over a month? Dontcha think ya would’ve heard something by now?” Ash snapped at her as he wrung out his rag.
“Okay, okay.” Nova resided.
“The only sex life you should be worried about is yours.” Ash declared.
“Touche.” Nova sighed as she slid off the stool. “See ya tomorrow.” She then headed up stairs where she heard the water running in the bathroom.

Later that night, Star laid in bed torturing herself over the day again. ‘Well, at least I get to escape. I need to talk to Charlie and Sojo tomorrow.’ She thought as she closed her heavy eyelids.

Chapter Text

Chapter 25: What now?!

After Star left, Lucifer wrangled a deaf Sojo back into the hotel while Charlie and Vaggie were able to get Asmodeus and Fizzarolli to leave without any more bloodshed.

“She really can’t hear a thing?” Nifty asked as she crawled over to Sojo, who Lucifer had wrestled down on the couch in the lounge.
“What?” Sojo questioned as she looked down at Nifty, watching her mouth move, but only hearing ringing.
“It would appear so. I wonder if that ferret knew this could be permanent.” Lucifer remarked as he put his hand up to his chin.
“I don’t believe Ms. Star had any malicious intent, and she's a mink.” Alastor informed him as he appeared next to the couch.
“No one asked you, bellhop!” Lucifer snapped.

“Alright everyone, let’s try and think of a way to help Sojo recover her hearing.” Charlie announced cheerily with a clap of her hands.
“How can we? We don’t know what that tone was.” Vaggie spoke up.
“There’s nothing you can do.” Husk hollered from the bar.
“What?” Charlie gasped as she turned towards him.
“I said, there’s nothing you can do. She’s mentioned before she has tinnitus, it has to go away on its own.” Husk informed them.
“Oh no, that’s terrible!” Charlie cried out.
“What?!” Sojo shouted as she looked between everyone.

After leaving the hotel, Asmodeus and Fizzarolli returned to the Lust Ring. The entire way there, Ozzie became more and more heated, his mane was twice its normal size and his head was hitting the top of the limo when they pulled up to the factory.
“I can not believe those two!” Ozzie snarled as he stomped towards his office.
“Right!” Fizzie said as he trailed behind.

“If I ever catch that cheap crane game prize bear outside my niece’s building, I’ll tear out her stuffing.” Ozzie boomed as he began to pace his office.
“Ugh.” Fizzie mumbled as he sat down on his lover’s desk.
“It’ll take awhile, but I have connections in the Pride Ring. Luci will not be happy about it, but he’ll get over it, eventually.” Ozzie plotted.
Fizzie silently folded his arms over his chest and crossed his legs as he watched Ozzie continue to pace.
“And that weasel! Her account may be private, but I’m sure it won’t be hard to find her location! I’ll tear down her little Chuckie Cheese establishment brick by brick!” Ozzie snarled, reaching the climax of his fury, his mane reaching its flash point, burning as bright and hot as it could.

Fizzie hadn’t seen Ozzie this upset in nearly a year, since the day he had quit Mammon’s, “Babe, just calm down. They’re not worth all that.” Fizzie said as he unwrapped himself.
“No, Froggy! They hurt you, and I will not stand for that.” Ozzie fumed as he went to his lover and gently held his face, losing all his extra fire.
Fizzie gazed up at Ozzie’s sweet face; he exhaled deeply then informed his favorite person in all seven rings of hell, “I threw the first punch.”

“Because she came at you?” Ozzie defended him.
“No, babe.” Fizzie corrected him, shaking his head, “She was across the stage, she called me Tom Cruise, and I lost it.”
Ozzie fought to keep his face neutral.
“You can laugh, it was a good one.” Fizzie sighed.
Ozzie finally chuckled, “I doubt that she knew how much you hate that guy.”
“Everyone hates that guy!” Fizzie remarked. “I’m gonna hate it when he gets down here.”
“He’s not gonna be our problem, bae.” Ozzie reminded him. “He’s gonna be Luci’s problem.”
“Oh, thank Satan.” Fizzie snorted as he and Ozzie fell into a laughing fit.

“Thank you for being so protective of me, babe, but I was the problem this time.” Fizzie confessed as Ozzie sat down in his chair, holding his future husband.
“Of course, Froggy.” Ozzie cooed as Fizzie curled himself into the Sin’s chest. “Do you want to talk about the fight?” He asked.
“Not yet.” Fizzie answered as he closed his eyes. “Let’s go to bed.”
“With pleasure.” Ozzie smirked getting back up from his chair and headed towards their room.
A few days later, Fizzarolli decided to drop in on his best friend, Blitzø.

Chapter Text

Chapter 26: Imp Diva

A few days later, Fizzarolli decided to drop in on his best friend, Blitzø.
Fizzie headed to I.M.P.’s office around lunch time with three large pizzas from Blitzø's favorite place.
“Hello, Fizzarolli.” Stolas, Blitzø's boyfriend and I.M.P. ’s secretary, greeted when Fizzie let himself into the office.
“Hi Stolas, I brought lunch.” Fizzie announced as he sat the pizzas down with a flourish.
“Oh, I’m sorry to inform you that they’re out on a job, currently.” Stolas said as he eyed the boxes that were the size of his desk.

No sooner had the words left Stolas’s mouth, a portal opened. The squad piled into the room.
Blitzø, Millie, and Loona stuck the landing, but Moxxie stumbled and fell face first.
“Is that pizza I smell?” Blitzø asked as he looked around as the portal closed.
“I brought lunch!” Fizzie announced as he picked the boxes back up.
“Well shit, thanks Fizz!” Blitzø thanked him as he took the boxes from Fizzie.

“Thank fuck, I’m starved.” Loona said as she took the top box and headed for the conference room.
“That better not be the buffalo chicken you’re taking. You did get buffalo chicken right?” Blitzø asked as he opened the second box to see his favorite.
“I did.” Fizzie smiled at him as they all followed Luna to the conference room.

They all sat down and began to eat. “So, what’s up Fizz? Do you need us as bodyguards again?” Blitzø asked as he pulled out the first slice.
“That’s not why I came, but yeah if you’re offering, that’ll make Ozzie feel better. There was a show I was supposed to do, but I got into a fight with the staff.” Fizzie explained as he took a slice of the cheese pizza.
“You got into a fight? You don’t fight, you get your ass kicked. I always had to do all the fighting ever since we were kids.” Blitzø reminded him then shoved the whole slice in his mouth.

“I can fight! With jokes! And if it was a dance battle it would be over.” Fizzie retorted, embarrassed.
“Walk me through it, what happened?” Blitzø chuckled with bits of pizza flying out of his mouth.
A piece landed on Fizzie's cheek, he grimaced as he wiped it away before his tirade. “Well, this suck up groupie and her claw machine toy bear picked a fight with me during rehearsal.”

“Rehearsal for what?” Moxxie spoke up from the other end of the table, his eyes gleaming.
“A show Ozzie’s niece is putting on for her hotel.” Fizzie grumbled as he leaned back, crossing his arms and rolling his eyes.
“A toy-sized bear?” Millie asked with a piece of cheese dangling from her mouth.
“Yeah, her name was something stupid like Soggy or Gogo, I didn’t catch it.” Fizzie pouted.

The table paused and looked at each other before everyone’s face lit up at once. Blitz jolted up in his seat, upsetting the pizza box in his lap. “You fought Repair Bear?!”
“Are you nuts?” Millie asked. “That’s one of the closest fights I’ve ever had.”
“Why the fuck would you do that?” Loona spoke as she looked up from her phone.
“Oh my, are you alright?” Stolas asked as he reached out and touched Fizzie’s arm in concern.

“Uh yeah, I’m fine.” Fizzie answered.
“I bet she tied your slinky ass into a knot.” Blitz laughed as he began to fall out of his chair.
Moxxie grabbed the pizza box so it didn’t hit the floor with Blitz. “Mr. Fizzarolli, why in the hell would you fight Sojo?” He asked, confusion heavy in his voice.
“She started it!” Fizzie snapped, turning red as the pizza sauce.

“No, she didn’t.” They all deadpanned in unison.
Blitz pulled himself up and perched his chin on his folded hands. “So whatcha do?” He sing-songs teasingly.
Fizzie crosses his arms tighter across his chest as his shoulders hunch around his reddened face, remaining silent.
“Come on, whatcha do?” Blitz continued as he pulled himself across the table to poke Fizzie’s cheek.
Fizzie darted his eyes away as he let out a disgruntled grumble.
Blitz’s mouth morphed into a shit-eating grin, “Were you being a diva?” He booped Fizzie’s red nose, sticking his tongue out.
“No, I wasn’t being a diva!” Fizzie snapped defensively as he blushed harder, refusing to make eye contact.
“Oh, yes you were. You’ve always been a diva.” Blitz teased as he kicked his legs giddily.

“Am not!” Fizzie surged, pushing his forehead into Blitz’s.
“Are too!” Blitz retorted as he pushed himself up into a plank, his grin getting wider.
“AM NOT!” Fizzie shouted as he sprung up and stamped his foot on the ground.
“ARE THE FUCK TOO!” Blitz hollered, his voice cracking with a laugh.
“What did you do to get your ass beat?” Loona interrupts, growing impatient with the stupid argument.

“Why do you think I got my ass beat?” Fizzie asked, incredulously, snapping his head towards Loona.
“Cause it’s Sojo?” Millie answered at the same time Blitz did.
“Cause it’s you.”
“Mr. Fizzarolli, what did you do to upset Sojo?” Moxxie reiterates.
“Why do you think I did something?” Fizzie asked, offended. ‘Do they have so little faith in me?’ He thought as he looked at each of them.
“Because Miss Sojourner isn’t the type to toss fingers unless warranted.” Stolas spoke up as he wiped his mouth with a paper napkin.
“It’s throw hands, Stolas, but good try.” Millie whispered, patting him on the back.
“Did you throw the first punch?” Moxxie asked, his finger on his chin.
Fizzie turned away, saying nothing.
“You son of a bitch! You did!” Blitz cackled as he encased Fizzie’s head in a hug. “Look at you, pickin’ fights.”

“With the wrong fucking people.” Loona muttered as she scrolled through her phone.
“It’s still one more fight than you’ve picked in the last ten years.” Blitz boasted, “And that, my friends, is what we call progress!”

“But wait, Sojo isn’t a performer. What was she doing at a rehearsal fighting Fizzarolli?” Moxxie asked as he scratched his head in confusion.
“Defending her weasel friend, Sparkles or Stark or something like that.” Fizzie admitted, pushing Blitz off and slumping back into his chair. “She owns this ragtag dinner theatre named Tra-La-La or Do-Rei-Mi.”
Moxxie and Stolas gasp loudly at the same time, “La La Land?”
“Yeah, that’s the joint.” Fizzie mumbled, bringing his knees up to his chest to rest his chin, pouting.

“That place is one of the most popular clubs around.” Stolas exclaimed, excitedly.
“It is the most popular in whole the whole Pride Ring!” Moxxie adds, grabbing onto Stolas’s hand.
“I’ve been trying to take Moxxie there for months, but it always fills up within thirty minutes.” Millie huffed disappointedly.
“We’ve been on the waitlist for months! And when it was finally our turn and it lined up with the anniversary show, we had a job!” Moxxie screeched, frothing at the mouth and glaring death at Blitz.

Blitz shrunk back in his chair and muttered “Damn, Moxxie, how many times do I have to apologize for that?”
“Once would be fucking nice!” Moxxie snarled, his tail whipping behind him.
“Um, no.” Blitz replied, unbothered as he grabbed another slice.
“Yeah, my friends and I had a great time when we went.” Loona mused as she smiled down at her phone. “Gigi’s boyfriend, Bruno, works the door.” She continued.
“WHAT?!” Moxxie screeches as he pulls fistfuls of hair out.
“Moxxie, baby, we talked about the hair pullin’.” Millie soothed as she gripped her husband’s wrists and sat him back down.

“Call it!” Blitz laughed as Loona got up and went to a whiteboard titled ‘# of Days since Moxxie’s Last Breakdown’ erased the 13 and replaced it with a fat, red 0.
“So, the club is a big deal here in Pride?” Fizzie asked, shocked by the severity of their reactions.
“Fizzie, if you can go, you should go.” Millie advised him. “I’m sure two professionals like you can work something out.”

“I’ll think about it.” Fizzie huffed.
“Do it!” Moxxie growled as he stared daggers at Fizzie. He snapped his head at Blitz. “And we’re taking the job as his bodyguards.” He ordered, drool dripping down his mouth.
“Fuck, Moxxie, chill.” Blitz replied, raising his eyebrows to his forehead.

“I’m not sure if I’m even taking the job.” Fizzie reminded them.
“Oh, you’re taking it.” Stolas squawked as he leaned towards Fizzie. “And you’re going to make nice with Miss Star and get us an invite to her club!”
“When did you start getting so forceful?” Fizzie asked as he leaned away from Stolas.
“I know, it’s hot right?” Blitz purred as he looked at his lover hungrily.

“Ugh, get a room.” Loona mumbled as she turned her back towards the group.
“Best we can do is the couch, Loonie.” Blitz smirked, making everyone in the room gag while Stolas blushed and giggled.
“So, I should take the job?” Fizzie asked, ignoring his best friend’s crass comment.
“I’m about to get excited bird puss, you better say yes.” Blitz replied, leering at Stolas.
“I will if you never say those words in front of me again.” Fizzie groaned. looking away.
“Deal!” Everyone shouted.
Moxxie began to cry tears of joy as Stolas bounced on his toes, hooting excitedly.
“Well, fuck.” Fizzie sighed and slumped further down in his chair.

Chapter Text

Chapter 27: Returning to the Scene of the Crime

Despite the small bender, Stella woke up early the next day feeling decent, she made breakfast for everyone she lived with then went down to the office to make her call to Charlie.
To her surprise Charlie answered quickly.
“H-hi Charlie, I know it hasn't been very long, but I was wondering if you decided who you wanted to perform for your show?” Stella gulped.
‘It's only been 15 hours since I asked her to decide ’ She internally groaned.

“Hi Star, I was just about to call you. Could you come back to the hotel today?” Charlie asked.
“Yes, I could do that. It'll have to be in the afternoon, around 17:00. Does that work for you?” Star replied.
“Sure, see ya then.” Charlie answered, it sounded like she was smiling.
“See ya there, Princess.” Stella parroted back, trying to sound cheery.

Stella let out a groan as she laid her head on her desk. “She sounded happy to hear from me. Maybe that's a good sign.”
‘How well can the princess bluff?’ She thought.

“Okay, I need to get back to work.” Stella commanded herself as she picked her head back up.
She grabbed a notebook, a pen, and her headphones then went to the stage. She was still there when the dancers returned for rehearsals, “Hi.” Stella greeted everyone cheerily as she wiped sweat from her face with a fluffy white towel.

“Well, you don't look any different.” Kitty remarked nonchalantly as she dropped her bag in the closest booth.
“Why would I look any different?” Stella asked, playing dumb as she picked up her notebook.
The five dancers just stared at her then looked at each other, hoping someone else would say something first.

“I'm sorry I missed practice yesterday, I should have texted one of you to let you know that my meeting with Fizzie was running late.” Stella apologized as she went up to the group and flipped to the middle of the notebook. “I've been working on the next big show: Halloween.”

“Oh wow, you have the first act already figured out, even the dances.” Hazel muttered.
“Yup, so why don’t we practice the first two songs after we practice for this week’s show.” Stella announced.

They practiced everything for that weekend's show and the beginning of the Halloween show. Afterwards, Stella showered, put her suit back on and headed back towards the hotel.

Upon entering, she was blitzed by Angel, Cherri, and Vi.
“What happened yesterday?!” Vi exclaimed, looking like she was ready to skin Star alive.
“What did you do to Joey?” Cherri asked within the same breath as Vi.
“Ya gonna give her a second to answer? She needs to breathe.” Angel reminded them as he placed a hand on their shoulders. “What happened with Sojo yesterday?” He repeated, gently.

“Is she okay?” Star asked, instantly sounding concerned as she tried to look around the trio.
“She's damn near deaf!” Vi squawked.
“She can't hear a damn thing!” Cherri snapped, glaring at her.
“Still?! That was only supposed to last an hour, two at most.” Star gasped, “Maybe it was too loud, I didn’t give a volume.” She muttered.
“See guys? It was an accident.” Angel assured them as he pulled them back a step.

“Well mostly, I didn’t know it would last this long. She'll probably be fine soon.” Star defended, as she held her hands up.
“Well, do you know how to fix her quicker?” Cherri asked as she crossed her arms over her chest.
“It doesn't matter if she knows a cure if Sojo won't take it. I gave the king a tincture, but she won't use it.” Vi reminded her.
“There's nothing you can do, you've got to let her heal on her own. There's no cure for tinnitus.” Star spoke up, “Maybe I should see her before I see Charlie.”

“Yeah, you should do that. Short King and his brother have her in their office to keep an eye on her.” Angel informed her as he escorted her over to the elevator.
Star could feel Cherri’s and Vi’s eye daggers at her, so she just kept looking forward.
Angel took her up to the top floor, “It's to your right, large set of double wooden doors, can't miss it.” Angel informed her as he pointed to the right.
“Thanks, Angel.” Star said as she stepped out into the hallway.
“Don’t mention it. Don't die.” He replied as the door shut and he was gone.

Star blinked at the golden door. ‘Why did he say that?’ She wondered. She followed the hallway to the end and found a pair of large wooden doors with Lucifer's signet carved and burned into it.

She knocked, but got no reply.
She waited for a few minutes then knocked again, still nothing. She pressed her ear against the wood. She could hear something, but she wasn't sure what it was. She reached for the polished gold handle and to her surprise, it was unlocked. She was not prepared for what would greet her on the other side.

The large, plush office was in shambles, paper covered most of the floor, a massive desk was flipped onto its side along with several chairs, a couch and a coffee table. The legs of the coffee table had been broken off as had the chair legs.

In the middle of all that was a wriggling pile of three bodies. The King of Hell had Sojourner's arms pinned at shoulder level as a blue suited man straddled her hips. Her jaw was in his hand as he turned her head to the side, holding a small dropper in his other hand.

Sojo was still putting up a good fight. The hand on her jaw was more in her teeth and her legs were kicking and thrashing, trying to throw the blue suited man off her. His clothes were torn in several places as was the king’s, their golden blood was dripping on her and the carpet. They all looked a mess and like something out of some screwball movie.

Before she even realized what Star was doing, she was charging towards them snarling, “What are you doing to her?” Her voice had dropped in pitch. She had caught them by surprise, stopping just short of the three of them, looming over them. Her eyes began to glow and her snout elongated and her teeth began to drip with foam and she was beginning to grow in height.
Sojo took advantage of this and threw both men off of her by arching her back and launching the golden eye man to slam his head into Lucifer’s. Sojo then quickly scooted away and got to her feet.
The men were huffing as they both rubbed their foreheads, red knots forming already, groaning in pain and frustration.

Star quickly put herself between Sojo and the two men, “What are you doing to her?” She repeated.
She glanced over to Sojo and signed R U OK? Followed by pointing at her then making the okay hand sign. Her paws and nails had gotten bigger.
‘You need to calm down, Stella.’ She warned herself.
“They’re trying to touch my ears!” Sojo shouted as her hands covered her ears. “I said I didn’t want any fucking medicine!”

“Why do you look like that? We were just trying to give her ear drops.” Lucifer asked as he glared at her. “We wouldn't be in this position if it wasn't for you.” He accused Star as his horns began to grow.

“I look like this because I’m upset, what I just saw did not look good! And ear drops won't help, it has to resolve itself.” Star replied, giving him his attitude right back as her hand flitted up to her snout, she could feel it was enlarged. ‘Deep breathes Star, scaring her will not help the situation.’ She thought.

“What do you mean it didn’t look...oh!” Lucifer realized as he began to recall the position the three of them were in, “What are you even doing here in my office?” He tried to deflect as he began to blush.

“I was told Charlie was here.” Star answered, after a few more deep breaths as her appearance began to return to normal. ‘Well, I already pissed off the Sin of Lust, let's just add the Sin of Pride.’ Star thought as she stared Lucifer in the eye.

“She went back to her office.” The blue suited man spoke up as he looked up from his chewed-up hand.
Star looked over to him, then back to Lucifer then back to the blue man.
“Are you twins?” She asked.

“Are you fucking kidding me?!” Lucifer exclaimed, annoyed with the change of subject.
“What? I didn’t know you had a twin.” Stella remarked with a shrug.
“It’s mentioned in the Bible. I'm the Archangel, Michael.” Michael introduced himself, “Sojo, this really hurts.” He holds his bleeding hand up.
“I told you not to touch my ears!” Sojo shot back loudly, wiping gold off her lips.
“Oh, is that who you are? Nice to meet you. I didn't really read the Bible. I never agreed with the whole ‘women must submit’ thing.” Star explained as she scanned the office and looked back at the angels.

“What’s going on?” Sojo shouted.
Star fully turned to her and slowly said, “Nothing important,” as she pointed to her lips as she enunciated every word carefully, letting Sojo read her lips.
“Oh, okay.” Sojo replied loudly.
The twins look at her dumbfounded.
“These two must have never spent time around loud places.” Star said, Sojo just smiled and shrugged.
“Yeah!” Sojo agreed.

“Just leave her alone.” Star stated as she turned to the others, “If Charlie isn't here, I'm going to her office.” Star informed them, turning back to Sojo. She held her hands up in fists with her thumbs out and pulled them away from each other, signaling she was gonna leave.
“Yeah, let’s go!” Sojo replied, making the same motion back and the two left the king’s office, leaving the king and his brother dumbfounded.
“What just happened?” Lucifer asked, once they were alone.
“I'm not sure.” Michael replied.

Chapter Text

Chapter 28: A Deafing to Remember

‘Why is it every time I come to this hotel, something goes awry?’ Star wondered to herself as Sojo walked her towards Charlie’s office.
Once they were in the elevator to go back to the ground floor, Sojo suddenly looked surprised and put a paw up to her ear, “Oh, my ears just popped, I can hear shit now,” as Star pulled out her round silver mirror compact to check her appearance.
“I can hear now.” Sojo declared with a smile.
“Well, it has been over 24 hours.” Star remarked as turned her head side to side to look herself over.
“Don’t ever do that to me again.” Sojo growled.
“I won’t.” Star promised as she shut her magnolia embossed compact.

Sojo chortled as Star slipped her mirror back into her purse, “What? I can’t go around with ‘demon face’, it’s not a good look.” Star remarked embarrassed.
Sojo just held her hands up and shook her head as she stated, “I’m not judging, I just wasn’t expecting that from you.”
“I’m full of surprises.” Star beamed back at her as the elevator door opened.
“Yeah, I can see that, I didn’t expect you to go ‘demon form’ like that over someone you barely know.” Sojo continued.
“It really didn’t look good and I don’t care who you are. If you're forcing someone to do something against their will, I'm gonna try and do something.” Star stated as she stared at her reflection.
“Even the devil himself?” Sojo chuckled as she caught Star’s eye in reflection.
“Even the devil himself, I’ll do it again.” Star smirked as the doors opened up. “Thanks for escorting me down.” She continued as they stepped out into the lobby.
“No problem.” Sojo answered as they continued towards Charlie’s office.

“OMG! Can you hear now, bitch?” Cherri shouted from the couch as Star and Sojo walked past them.
“Yeah.” Sojo confirmed as she stopped and looked over to the group lounging on the couch together.
“Whatcha do?” Vi asked, quickly popping her head up from the arm rest and looked over to Star.
“Nothing, it fixed itself, like I kept saying. Now if you’ll excuse me.” Star replied then ducked into Charlie’s office.

“Hi Star.” Charlie smiled as she got up from her desk and quickly came across the room to greet her. “Would you like anything to drink?”
“I’m good, thank you.” Star answered as she plopped down on the couch. ‘I feel like I need something stronger than anything she has.’ She thought. She quickly righted herself and sat up properly placing her hands in her lap as she cleared her throat, “Have you thought about your anniversary show?” She asked.

“Wellll, I have and since you called me back first, I would like you to do the show.” Charlie replied as she sat down on the couch across from Star.
“Wonderful, since the stage is finished and we missed yesterday, I would like to start right away on what I can do. I’ll either have to tweak the show to a solo act or I can bring in a second performer.” Star explained as she glanced down at her bag in which she had brought a change of clothes.

“Yesterday’s incident damaged the speakers, so there’s no sound.” Charlie informed her.
“That’s no problem, I brought my earbuds.” Star replied as she finished out her emerald green ear buds still in their matching case.
“How forward-thinking of you.” Charlie praised as they both stood up.
“It pays to be hopeful sometimes. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll get to work.” Star smiled at her. ‘Fuck yeah, I kept the job! Now to show her she made the right choice.’ Star thought as she headed towards the stage.

Sojo had built a small dressing room behind the stage that Star used. Star popped in her ear buds and began to stretch. She started from the top with the new opener she had wanted to add. She took in the area of the stage to make sure she didn’t fall off during any of the wild moves she had planned. ‘I’m gonna put on the best damn show!’ Star thought as she restarted the song and began her choreography again, rehearsing well past sunset.

After his meeting with I.M.P., Frizzarolli dragged himself into Ozzie’s office.
Ozzie was flipping through some papers that were on his desk. He glanced up as Fizzie entered. “Hi babe, just give me a few minutes and I'll be done here.” Ozzie explained.
“Take your time, Ozzie.” Fizzie replied as he sat down on the edge of the desk and crossed his legs. “You haven't been in here all day have you?” He asked.
“No, I got out on the floor right after you left. How was your lunch? I see you've returned in one piece this time.” Ozzie joked as he glanced over Fizzie's exposed arms.
“Yes.” Fizzie chuckled as he thought back to one of the last times he went out without Ozzie, but that had led him to befriending Blitz again, “My lunch was interesting. Blitz and his crew asked me to reconsider Charlie's show,” He confessed.

“Oh babe, you don't have to do that. We told Charlie we weren't gonna do it and she understood.” Ozzie reminded him as he took off his reading glasses and put them in his desk drawer. “Did you tell them what that squishmellow knock-off did to you?” He asked as he slammed the drawer shut.
“Mostly, but they filled me in on some things. Ozzie, I think we should go see Starchy perform, they said the club has a months-long waitlist.”
Ozzie let out a low whistle. “Damn. It's rare to hear that for a sinner's club.”
“I was thinking the same thing. Babe, I got reminded today I can be a bit of a diva.” Fizzie began, but stopped when he realized Ozzie was stifling a laugh, “You can laugh, it's okay. I really didn't give Starfish much of a chance. If her club is doing that well, then she must have talent. So why don't we go see?” He suggested as he worked his way onto Ozzie's lap.

Ozzie made a concerned face as he contemplated Fizzie's proposal, “If the list is month's long, how are we going to get in to see her?” He finally asked.
“Babe, please we’re famous, that's enough.” Fizzie laughed.
“Won't that just cause a scene?” Ozzie smiled as he pulled Fizzie closer to his chest.

“Yes, but I think we can keep it low-profile. Verosika will be enough of a diversion that I doubt anyone will pay attention to us.” Fizzie explained as he pulled out his phone and began to text Verosika.
“Babe!” Ozzie fake groaned as he stood up in his chair and began to carry Fizzie back to their room.
“It'll be funny.” Fizzie smirked, “Let's see what little Miss Stick does to get this kind of popularity.”

“So, if you like what you see, you'll reconsider Charlie's show?” Ozzie asked.
“Maybe, let's see how good she is first before making any final decisions.” Fizzie replied as he curled himself around Ozzie's neck.

Chapter Text

Chapter 29: This is Halloween!

The month of September was a busy one for Stella, once she was done with club’s practice, she would go to the hotel. She had finally tweaked the reopening show to a point where she was happy. Now she could focus on the club. It was now October and it was time for one of their biggest shows of the year.
She had placed the hotel guests on the VIP list if they wanted to come. She hoped they would, most of them had warmed up to her even after her incident with Sojo.
Stella had invited the bear personally, but Sojo had turned her down stating ‘she didn’t like crowds.’

As Stella peeked from backstage, she could see how crowded the club was. ‘Yeah, this might not be the best month for someone who has enochlophobia.’ Stella thought as she saw it was standing room only, already.
As she closed the curtains, Nova called after her, “Star, you need to get your makeup done.”
“Coming!” She called back and headed towards her co-workers' voices. “Is everyone else done?” She asked as she popped into the full dressing room.
“Yup, everyone but you.” Nova answered as she sat Star down in a nearby change and began to wipe down Star's face to clean it.

Nova's injuries had healed and she was putting on a healthy amount of weight. She had signed Stella’s contract and was instantly taken in by the others. She had more confidence, but was still a little skittish if not with one of the girls.

“Okay everyone, 5 minute warning.” Lily announced as she entered the dressing room wearing her headset. She usually wore an all black outfit as stage manager, but today it had a more witchy vibe, her blouse, borrowed from Stella, had large lacey bell sleeves. Her skirt, her own, had a slit up to her lower thigh and lace inserts.
“Alright everyone, let’s get in place.” Stella added as she got out the chair. Everyone took their spot and waited for the signal. ‘Alright Star, let’s do it.’ Stella thought to herself as she took a deep breath and rolled her shoulders back.

This time the curtain did not open, Star just went out on stage up to the mic in the corner of the stage as the crowd cheered loudly, “Well, if that isn’t a warm welcome.” Star smiled into the mic as she glanced around the dark, packed club. “Welcome everyone, I’m Star, the owner and this is La La Land’s Halloween Spectacular. I could hype up tonight or we can just get the show going.” She finished then headed backstage.

The curtain finally opened to reveal the rest of the dancers, all dressed in black trench coats with umbrellas over their shoulders to hide their faces, with all blue lighting.
Kitty stood next to the coffin in the middle as she sang ‘Dead Mom’.

Once she was finished everyone was at the edge of the stage motionless, Star popped herself up onto the coffin, crossed legged. She smirked, enjoying the applause as the lighting changed green. Star stood up and walked across the coffin as she began her monologue and launched into the song ‘The Whole Being Dead Thing.’
The others danced around her and the coffin as she sang and when she got to the line ‘there’s a giant snake here!’
A giant hideous black and white striped snake appeared in the corner of the stage. When it roared at everyone it revealed sharp red and green teeth.
The performers and the audience screamed as Star laughed. The performers ran to the other side of the stage as Star made the snake wrap around the edge of the ceiling before disappearing back behind stage.
They continued with the song until the end when Star jumped back on the coffin and the others surrounded her.

The curtain closed to roaring applause, only when the audience calmed down did the curtain open again. The stage was still a graveyard, but the main coffin was gone.
Kitty waltzed onto the stage and went up to the mic and began to sing ‘I Put a Spell on You.’
She was dressed as a flamboyant witch, in a green velvet dress. She had an orange head wrap piled on her hair styled to mimic a certain hairdo.
To everyone's surprise she sang the song in a seductive way. The fog rolled past her during the first verse and into the audience and the whole club.
Once it reached the bar she began to walk off the stage, everyone gasped as she began to walk on the fog. She was floating in the air.
As she began the third verse a red full moon began to rise behind her. She did her lap around the audience then slowly made her way back on stage.
When the song ended and the curtain closed the place echoed with wolf whistles.

After Kitty’s performance, the trio of Willow, the chinchilla dancer, Ruby the red squirrel dancer and Jade, the cheetah came out dressed as skeletons in worn out Victorian-style suits. Willow wore a bowler hat to make her stand out.
They performed ‘Remains of the Day.’ Their suits reacted to the black, green and blue lights that were flashing during their performance.
Willow led the other two who copied her every moment in a shadow effect.
They went out to the audience, who sang back ‘Die, die we all pass away.’ as they danced together.
The backdrop was still the graveyard, but it was much darker and the lighting was much harsher, casting lots of shadows. The shadows seemed to be dancing along with the trio.

Hazel, the sable rabbit was next with her performance of ‘In the Dark of the Night.’ She was dressed as a vampire, wearing a long bungary velvet dress with lace on the hem, sleeves, and necklace with an attached lacy cape.
Before she even sang a note, there was a lightning strike and thunder clap.
She had an eerie green glow around her. As she performed the green creeped out from around her, until it overtook the entire club along with a thin smoke screen. Hazel mostly stayed on the stage, she only dipped down the stage stairs as a tornado began to form out the stage.
Gruesome bat-like demons began to appear around the club, flying around the club before flying towards the tornado. Soon the whole tornado was nothing but a swirling vortex of flying bats.
Once the song ended the tornado slowly died out.
The crowd seemed stunned but then erupted in cheers as Hazel took a small bow and left the stage.

Star returned to the stage, she looked completely different from before. She was no longer pale, but still seemed to have an eerie glow. Her entire outfit was purple from her wide legged pants, vest, and tattered jacket, to her top hat. She still looked like she belonged in the graveyard. As she came out, she was twirling a cane and grinning at the audience.

“For this next song I need two volunteers.” She announced as she stopped twirling her cane and held up two fingers.
Every hand went up into the air. “Mh, let’s see.” Star mumbled as she looked out into the crowd. “Why is that Princess Charlie I see? And her girlfriend, Vaggie?” She gasped as the spot light appeared over the table that Charlie and the others sat at. “Would you do me the honor?” She asked as she held her hand out towards Charlie.
“Of course!” Charlie cheered as she jumped up from the table and grabbed Vaggie’s hand and nearly dragged her onto the stage.

The audience clapped as they made their way to the stage. ‘The audience seems to be buying that this isn’t planned.’ Star thought waited for them to get on stage.
A table appeared on the stage and three chairs, two on one side and one on the other. Charlie and Vaggie sat normally in the two chairs and Star knelt in the other and leaned across the table as the music began.
“Isn’t this quaint.” Charlie remarked as she looked around the stage.
“I don’t know about this Charlie.” Vaggie protested but Star cut her off.

“Don't you disrespect me, little lady! Don't you derogate or deride! You're in my world now, not your world. And I got friends on the other side.” Star sang as she reared back from the table.
(She's got friends on the other side)
“ That's an echo, ladies. Just a little something we have here in hell. A little parlor trick, don't worry.” Star smiled as she winked at the audience.

The entire club shifted looking a bit off kilted as the lights changed. Everything took on a slight green look and everything casted intense shadows. The headstones seem to shift as well, taking on face-like appearances. The faces had eerie grins.

As Star went into the next verse the shadows of the graveyard seemed to come to life around the table. The shadows transformed into a look alike of Star, top hat and all. It went from the tombstones to the table, from Star’s side then over to Charlie’s side, smiling and winking with Star when she asked Vaggie if she had a soul.
Star paused for the laugh from the audience but she went back to the other side of the table. ‘Vaggie looks like she’s starting to regret agreeing to this.’ Star thought. ‘Well, at least it fits the part.’

Once on the other side of the table Star made a deck of cards appear in her hands. The cards floated around Star in a spiraling before the deck settled back in her hand.
“The cards, the cards, the cards will tell. The past, the present, and the future as well. The cards, the cards, just take three. Take a little trip into your future with me.” She held the deck out to Charlie and Vaggie who each took three cards. Star threw the rest over her shoulder and they all disappeared before they hit the ground then she quickly went to the other side of the table and looked at Charlie’s cards first.

Charlie went along with the song glancing between Star and her duplicate as they went along, just as planned the week before at the hotel. Charlie’s gasp was real when her cards turned into cash right in her hands.
Star then went over to Vaggie to sing the next verse. Vaggie played along as well all the way through their shared verse and began to blush when Star got to her favorite line.
“And if you was married, you'd be pushed around by your wife. But in your future, the you I see
Is exactly the woman you always wanted to be.” Star sang as she winked at her then Charlie, her shadow copying.

Star now stood behind them as she held out her hands, arms crossed over, her shadow looming large behind her.
“Shake my hand. Come on, ladies. Won't you shake a poor sinner's hand?”
Charlie and Vaggie each took a hand and they shook.

“Yes!” Star sang as she yanked her hands back, spinning the two of them around and across the stage.
“Are you ready?” Star asked the headstones echoing her as the stage shifted again the lights spinning from green to purple,
The chairs transformed to keep Charlie and Vaggie in place as Star’s face changed into a skull.
“Transformation Central!” Star sang the headstones echoing again as she stalked up towards the duo.
She placed her hands on Charlie’s and Vaggie’s shoulders then the spotlight on them went out.
“I hope you're satisfied. But if you ain't, don't blame me! You can blame my friends on the other side.”Star announced as from behind the graveyard fireworks began to go off.
As the final note played the curtain dropped and there was a scream.

When the curtain opened again it was all gone, the only thing on the stage was a single pumpkin. Leaves began to blow across the silent stage and into the murmuring audience. Once the notes began to play the crew still didn’t appear for a full minute.
When they finally appeared they were all still in their costumes from their previous songs except Star’s outfit was now black instead of purple. They all performed ‘This is Halloween.’ together.
The girls all marched out as they began to sing. They went straight out into the audience.
“Boys and girls of every age. Wouldn't you like to see something strange?
Come with us and you will see. This, our town of Halloween.”

As they got to the lines.
“ I am the one hiding under your bed, teeth ground sharp and eyes glowing red.
I am the one hiding under your stairs. Fingers like snakes and spiders in my hair.”
The wallpaper began to transform growing teeth and eyes, the eyes did glow red and teeth were sharp and dripping with green slime. In between the eyes and teeth snakes and spider began crawling out and across the tables and on to the floor towards the stage.

The girls sang the lyrics and when they got to the word scream they would pause so the audience would scream.
“Scream! This is Halloween ….”
“ Everybody scream, everybody scream ….”
Each girl sang a verse and what they sang about would appear around them.
“I am the clown with the tear-away face.”
A big fat green clown appeared on the dance floor and ripped his face off to reveal more spiders and snakes then disappeared just as quickly as he appeared.
“Here in a flash and gone without a trace.”
As they sang and danced with the audience the pumpkin on stage grew until it was a scarecrow that too began to dance.
“ Everyone hail to the pumpkin song.”
The girls returned to the stage as the song hit the last of the la-las and stopped and poised together.

Once they were done the audience stood up, stomping and whistling as they clapped. The performers all bowed as the curtain closed.
Star came out to make an announcement. “Sounds like you all enjoyed that. We’re going to take a 30 minute break then we’ll return with act two. I can guarantee it’s even better.” She took off her top hat and threw it into the audience. “I will need another volunteer for the first song of act two so if you want to be my lucky victim put your name in my hat and we’ll see if I pull it when we return.” Star announced.
With that she disappeared backstage.

Chapter Text

Chapter 30: Crashing the Party!

Fizzie decided to tap into his gossip network, after hearing everything Moxxie had to say about La La Land. According to everyone he asked, October was the show to see. So Fizzie arranged for Verosika, Ozzie and him to show up on the first Friday of October.

They were as inconspicuous as possible, well as inconspicuous as you can when you're a Sin and two idols. Ozzie was in his small form, but he still wore his usual blue suit. Fizzie wore his ‘quietest’ outfit that was a bright mint green button up over striped mint, white and rust pants. Verosika met them at their place before heading over. She wore a torn hot pink top with a star bedazzled on it, skinny white jeans and hot pink gogo boots. Her white hair pulled back into a ponytail.

“I thought we were dressing down.” Fizzie remarked.
“This is dressing down for me.” Verosika retorted as she pointed to her hair then her outfit.
“You look great Ver, but we need to go if we’re going to make it before they close the doors.” Ozzie spoke up as he pushed both out the door.
“No worries, Tex knows the bouncers.” Verosika explained.

Just as the rumor mill had proclaimed, the line was already down the block when the doors opened. Everyone in line seemed to be happily chatting as the tio walked past them and towards the double doors.
On either side of the double doors were two hellhounds, since Bruno now had a partner to help him with the crowds.
The new bouncer was a ginger Chow hellhound who was just as built as Bruno. He wore a charcoal button up vest over a black t-shirt and black jeans.

“Bruno, Mickey! How are you two?” Verosika gasped, as she dropped her oversized round shades a little as she smiled up at the two.
“Evening Miss V, come right on in.” Mickey smiled back as he held the door open for her.
“Thanks.” Verosika whispered as they slid past and into the anteroom.

The anteroom had a few people milling around including a few waiters and waitresses who were in all red servicer uniforms.
The anteroom was decorated in a haunted mansion theme. The room had a blue cast with Victorian style furniture, antique candelabras on the side tables and gray striped wallpaper. They had to walk up a small set of stone stairs to get into the club proper.
The club itself had a similar but simpler motif to it.

“Well, at least she’s consistent.” Fizzie mumbled.
“And committed to the bit.” Verosika added.
“There’s no cages.” Ozzie remarked as he looked up, instead there were a few candle lit chandeliers.
“Not every place needs cages.” Verosika reminded him with a laugh.

They found a booth and slid into it, as Fizzie looked around he saw a few familiar faces, including those from the day at the hotel.
‘Of course they’re here.’ Fizzie thought as he quickly looked away from them.
A waitress came up to explain their specials and they all ordered the ‘BeetleJuice’ which was neon green when it arrived.
“Damn, this is good. You think we could steal her bartender?” Verosika whispered after she took her first sip.
“He’s a sinner so no.” Ozzie pointed out as he nodded towards the scorpion sinner who was making five drinks at a time.
“Damn.” Verosika chuckled.
The club filled up quickly and soon the lights dimmed warning the show would start soon. Every table and barstool was filled, and everyone cheered when Star appeared on stage.

They sat through the first act barely saying a word to each other. Fizzie perked up when Star reappeared during her first song. He watched her carefully as she tracked herself all over the stage, interacting with her fellow performers and poking fun at the audience.
Fizzie felt the others jump when the snake appeared and chased everyone and took a lap around the club. ‘It looks so real.’ He thought, resisting the urge to reach out and touch the snake. ‘Damn that’s one hell of an opener.’ He thought as he clapped when the song ended.

To Fizzie’s dismay, he enjoyed every performance. They were all wonderful and the special effects matched each song perfectly and surprised the audience with each new song.
They all jumped and screamed when the snakes and spiders began to crawl out from the wallpaper.
When they finished the final song of the first act, Fizzie was clapping along with everyone else. Verosika even gave a wolf whistle.

“Damn, I’ve never seen a sinner put on a show like that! No wonder everyone in this ring is hyping this place up.” Verosika said as she looked over the place again. It looked exactly as it had before the show started, no traces of bats, spiders or snakes. “Her SFX sup is amazing.”

“They are, but focusing on why we’re here. She only performed twice and they were very different. She’s got range.” Ozzie reminded them as he passed along the top hat without even bothering to put their names in it.
“Was she like this at the hotel?” Verosika asked as she eyed the dancers going out to the dance floor. “Oh, they’re dedicated.” She remarked.
“We didn’t get very far through her set list before, well, before I turned into a diva.” Fizzie answered as he crossed his arms and sunk down in his seat.
“Quit pouting, you’re always a diva.” Verosika teased with a wink. “I’m gonna get another drink, I’m getting us some Sara Berry’s.” She said as she got up from the booth and headed to the bar.

“So, do you want to stay for the second act?” Ozzie whispered as he watched the sinners do double-takes at Verosika.
“Yeah, I want to see this through. She did promise the second act is even better and I can’t imagine how she’ll top this.” Fizzie replied.
“Do you want to talk about Charlie’s show?” Ozzie asked as he gently placed a hand on Fizzie’s cheek.
“After the show.” Fizzie answered as he placed his hand over Ozzie’s.

At the bar as Verosika waited for her drink, Star shimmied up to the bar. She was still wearing her purple suit.
Verosika saw her glance at her, but instead the mink addressed her bartender.
“Hi Ash, you doing okay?” She asked as Ash set up two shot glasses.
“Just dandy. I got two rattler shots for you to try: a Pink Star and a Double of Trouble.” Ash informed her as he poured a hot pink shot and a dark blue shot.
“Oh, I wasn’t expecting those.” Star mumbled as she took the first pink shot.
Ash just shrugged as she took the second shot.
“Alright, keep up the great work. I’ll see ya after the show.” Star said as she picked up the top hat then disappeared into the crowd.

Verosika took the drinks back to the booth, ignoring all the eyes on her as she did so. “Well, it seems Little Miss Star can hold her liquor. She just did three shots.” Verosika gossiped as she sat down.
“Well, it’s not unusual for club owners to partake.” Ozzie shrugged.
“A performer shouldn’t drink on the clock.” Fizzie muttered.
“Aw, a little booze never hurt anyone.” Verosika teased as the lights began to flash to indicate the show would be starting again soon.

Chapter Text

Chapter 31 : Oogie Boogie!

Backstage, as the lights flashed their warning, Star slipped into her costume as Nova finished her makeup.
Star had seen Verosika at the bar, but she needed to get backstage to get dressed. ‘She's even prettier in person, and so tall.’ Stella thought as she adjusted her burlap hood.
‘She was the pink star shot, but who is the double trouble? It was blue. We never went over that code. Is it someone Verosika brought with her? It couldn't be Ozzie and Fizzie, could it?’ Star wondered as she went to her mark and waited for the lights to dim.
The clapping was her cue to go back out. Some audience members whistled as she appeared in her burlap knee length cocktail style dress with a hood. The dress looked dirty, ripped and stitched back together.

“Welcome to the second act of our Halloween show. I hope you're ready because you haven’t seen anything yet!” Star announced once she reached the mic.
She smiled out at the audience as she made the top hat appear in her hand. “I can tell some of you know who I am, so you know what my victim is in for, let’s see who it is.” She continued.

Star dug her hand into the filled hat and soon pulled a scrap of paper. She unfolded it and gasped at the name she saw, “Fiz-Fizzarolli.” She managed to choke out. ‘Is this some sick joke?’ She thought as she felt herself freeze in her stage smile. She started to look around the club trying not to look frantic until the spotlight finally settled on the table.
Fizzarolli looked just as shocked as she did as they stared at each other from across the room. Star’s eyes darted to the dark blue shadowy form next to him and assumed it was Ozzie, across from him was a chuckling Verosika.

The club began to cheer and clap around Fizzie as he looked around to see everyone was now looking at him.
“How wonderful to have such esteemed guests!” Star remarked as she tried to recover her facade. ‘What are they doing here? Were they the double trouble shot? Is that what Ash was trying to tell me?’ She thought as she began to weigh her options,
“I’m flattered to have such icons visit and on one of our best nights. I did pull your name out of the hat, but you’re free to say no, especially if you don’t know the role of Sandy Claws.” Star offered.

Fizzie got up from the booth with a stage smile on his face, he waved to the crowd, “H-hi, hi everyone.” He greeted, then cleared his throat, “It’s been a joy being here tonight. This has been a good show.” He continued as he made his way to the stage. “But now, we’re going to make it great!” He continued as he grinned out at the club and then at Star.
“Okay.” Star grinned back as she stomped her left foot loudly, summoning Kitty, Hazel, and Ruby, who were all wearing masks, looking like Lock, Shock and and Barrell.
The three of them began to sing, “La, la, la, kidnap the Sandy Claws.”

The trio began to help Fizzie get dressed into a Santa Claus outfit. They gave him a pair of red pants, a red jacket, a fake bread and a Santa hat. They whirled and twirled him around as they sang the song ‘Kidnap the Sandy Claws.’ They took turns to sing to the audience and Fizzie, holding up a cage and a bag when the song got to that lyric, at the end they had Fizzie tied up and sitting in a chair.
As they sang and distracted the audience and Fizzie, Star faded back until she was off the stage where she waited until Kitty, Hazel, and Ruby were running off the stage, giggling. The lights dimmed to near extinguish then slowly turned to a neon black, blue and green.
Once the music began, Star made her way back out onto the stage and began to perform ‘Oogie Boogie’s Song.’

The black light flared to life showing off the glowing background of a haunted casino with a blackjack table behind Fizzie and behind that a row of slot machines.
“Well, well, well, what have we here? Sandy Claws, huh? Ooh, I'm really scared. So, you're the one everybody's talkin' about?” Star sang as she quickly slithered up to Fizzie, popping up on one side then the other with a wicked grin on her face as Fizzie gaped up at her. Up close, he could see her detailed stitching makeup and the bugs crawling all over. Her face seemed to glow a sickly green that even the audience could see.

As Star sang and danced around Fizzie, bugs fell off of her and on to him then crawled across the stage. To his surprise, he couldn’t feel any of the bugs when they fell on him. ‘It’s all special effects, there’s no real bugs.’ He thought as he watched her dance back and forth across the stage dropping more bugs along away.
Soon the stage looked like it was made of bugs. The effect soon crept along the walls until it affected the entire club, as she continued her song.
Some audience members were screaming and jumping away from the walls. Some were even curling in on themselves to avoid touching the bugs.
“Oh yeah, I'm the Boogie Man.”

‘Despite the screams and being behind her, I can still hear her so well. This song seems to be at the low end of her register, but she’s still projecting well, her voice is strong.’ He thought as she turned towards him to prompt his next line.
“Release me now Or you must face the dire consequences! The children are expecting me, So please, come to your senses!” Fizzie sang when it got to his part as he wiggled against his ropes, he looked as nervous as he sounded as Star danced back over to him. ‘This was a bad idea, Oogie Boogie is too much like Mammon.’ He thought as he felt sweat break out across his forehead. He wasn’t sure if she could see the sweat, but he saw her hesitant for a moment.

Star looked at him, her back to the audience, she opened and closed her mouth for a moment, he could see her gulp as she closed her eyes before she continued on.
“You're joking, you're joking I can't believe my ears. Would someone shut this fella up?” She placed a hand over face covering her eyes as she faced the audience. I'm drowning in my tears. She dragged her hand down her face and danced behind him. “It's funny, I'm laughing, You really are too much. And now, with your permission, I'm going to do my stuff.”Star announced as she slung her arm around Fizzie’s shoulders. She stared into his eyes as if trying to relay a message.
“W-well, what are you going to do?” Fizzie asked as he stared back, his voice wobbling in the beginning, unable to hide how nervous he was. ‘I agreed to do this. I have to see this through.’ He thought with a gulp.

“I'm going to do the best I can.” Star replied as she winked down at him then slipped behind him and towards the blackjack table. She jumped up the table and began the next verse. She picked up dice and rolled them across the table as the slot machines rollers began to spin.
“Release me fast, or you'll have to answer for this heinous act!” Fizzie called out as he looked over his shoulder to Star who was suddenly right beside him again. She wrapped her arm around him again and gave him a small squeeze and patted his shoulder.

“Oh brother, you're something, You put me in a spin.” She moved her hand to the back of the chair and just spun him once in a circle. ‘I don’t think he can handle me spinning him across the stage like I originally planned.’ She thought. “You aren't comprehending the position that you're in! It's hopeless, you're finished. You haven't got prayer! 'Cause I'm Mr. Oogie Boogie And you ain't going nowhere!” Star smirked as everything going on suddenly stopped and everything went quiet except for the music and the lights narrowed in on them until it was only a spot line. As she finished her last line the music stopped and the curtain closed.

“Okay, let’s get you back to your seat so Jade can go on.” Star said as Fizzie quickly wiggled out of his constraints as Star went to help him, both unable to suppress their nervous energy anymore. “That’s it?” Fizzie asked as Star folded up the chair and picked up the ropes and led him towards the left wing of the stage and gave the thumbs up to Jade who was waiting in the right wing in her raspberry color velvet witch dress. She turned and held up a thumbs up to the other wing. “You don’t have any questions?” He asked.
“Oh, I have a lot of questions, but the show must go on. And if you can stomach staying until after, I would love to ask them.” Star answered as she showed him to the exit that would lead him back to the club’s anteroom. “Thank you for going along with this and for doing your part so well.” She continued as she gently placed her hand on his shoulder.
He looked down at her hand then up to her face. He didn’t see a malicious grin of having found out his secret, but a sympathetic smile, “You’re welcome.” He replied quietly, to her surprise, he said it with no venom or spite. “Can I please have the costume back?” She asked as she reluctantly pulled her hand back and held it out for the santa hat that was still sitting on his head. “Oh,” Fizzie said as he took the hat off and handed it to her then started to take off the rest of the costume. ‘She’s being so professional and kind. Was she really just being nice that day and not a suck up?’ He thought as she flung the costume over her shoulder.

“I hope you enjoy the rest of the show.” She whispered as she cracked open the door for him. He just nodded and disappeared into the anteroom.
‘That could have gone so bad.’ Star thought as she quickly made her way back to the wing just to see Jade floating through the air on her broom above the audience slowly circling them as the entire club took on the look of a starry night sky, singing ‘Come Little Children’ She performed the song flawlessly, embodying allure perfectly.
Star continued to watch Jade. ‘I’m so glad we put this song here, it’s a nice break.’ Star thought as she took the moment to collect herself. Once Jade was finished her feet were back on the ground. As the curtain closed, she received clapping and cheering.

The next song was a trio performance, Kitty, Hazel, and Willow all stepped out in Ghostbusters’ uniforms as the stage changed to New York City. The girls went out onto the dance floor and teased the audience by pointing their beams at them.
The audience would shout the title with them and sing the last line with them. “I ain’t afraid of no ghost!” By the end of the song the trio were back on the stage. The curtain closed and the audience clapped and cheering, some whistling added in.
Ruby took to the stage next, she was dressed in a blue, sparkly ball gown prom dress with a few spots of blood at the sweetheart neckline, a sash that read Prom Queen in gold glitter with a silver crown and a bouquet of red roses.

As she began to sing ‘The Ballad of Sara Berry.’ As the song went on, Ruby looked more deranged, she was bleeding from her lip and she ran her hand through her hair making it look messy, knocking her crown askew. Her dress got bloodier, dripping down the front of her dress until it began to puddle around her. The roses dried up and died until they were nothing, but thorny stems on her hand, the petals wilted off the stem then floated down to the bloody puddle.
As she reached the end of the song, behind her there were red flashes of the murders she was singing about.

“P” is for Patricia drinking poisoned punch, a red shadow girl drinking from a cup then holding her throat and dropping to the ground.
“R” is for Raquel dashed on a rock crunch, a rock being thrown at someone and the person hitting the ground.
“O” is what Anne said when Sara bludgeoned her brains, a red shadow attacking another with a baseball bat.
And “M” is Marianna’s marinated remains, a red shadow falling into cubes.
But, but!
“Q” is for Quiara quiet drowned in the pool, a shadow floating lifeless.
And “U” is for Eunice’s pieces spread round the school, missing limbs laying on the ground.
But “E’s” are for the easy way in five minute tops, a one-leg’d girl can bring a “N” for End by calling the cops. What a bitch.
This shadow was black showed a cop car with red and blue lights flashing.

Ruby sang the last part of the song wearing police cuffs, then the lights went out. The curtain closed as the audience went crazy over the performance.
Star returned to the stage in zombie makeup, her face pale, dark rings under her eyes and moss attached to the side of her face, her costume was a Hawaiian dress that was torn and dirty as she shuffled towards the mic. “Alright ladies and gents, we have one more number for you tonight. I think we’re going to knock you dead with it.” Star smirked.
The audience sat on their seats in anticipation and were shocked when they weren’t greeted by the steady drum beat, but instead a sick guitar riff.

Chapter Text

Chapter 32 : Thriller!

Star returned to the stage in zombie makeup, her costume was a Hawaiian dress that was torn and dirty as she shuffled towards the mic. “Alright ladies and gents, we have one more number for you tonight. I think we’re going to knock you dead with it.” Star smirked.
The audience sat on their seats in anticipation and were shocked when they weren’t greeted by the steady drum beat but a sick guitar riff.

The stage and dance floor began to transform into a swamp as the Star and the others sang and danced through the song of ‘Terror Time Again’. A full moon appeared as a backdrop as gnarly trees dripping in wet Spanish moss began to grow out of the walls. The club grew hot and muggy during the short number.
The girls soon returned to the stage and lined up to take their bows when the song ended. The audience did clap, but they seemed a little stunned.

“Thank you for all coming tonight. I hope you enjoyed our show tonight.” Star announced as she waved and the curtain enclosed behind her. It was only a long, silent minute before the soft drumming the audience had expected began.
The curtains opened to reveal the front of an old school movie theatre with the words THRILLER lit up on the sign.
Kitty led the group in her red leather jacket as they all began to sing ‘Thriller.’
The audience went nuts.

Kitty led the group through the dance as she called out to them. “Come on now! Get out on the floor and dance with us if you know the number!”
The club filled with fog as it turned into an urban street as everyone went out to dance. Vince Price’s voice enticed anyone who was shy as he reminded them ‘No mere mortal can resist.’
The audience mirrored the girls who stayed on stage. They marched away from each other, turned and marched back towards each other until the girls were at the edge of the stage.

“Cause this is thriller, thriller night
Girl, I can thrill you more than any ghoul would ever dare try. Thriller, thriller night So, let me hold you tight and share a killer, thriller, ow!” Kitty sang out.
Once the number was over the audience screamed and shouted. “This is Thriller!”
The girls laughed as they took their bows again. “Trick or Treat! Happy Halloween!” The girls shouted back as the curtains closed on them.
Star ran back on stage breathless. “That was the real ending. I hope you enjoyed our performance tonight. Please stay and enjoy our kitchen, bar and dance floor. Happy Halloween everyone!” With that she disappeared backstage again where she was greeted by the dancers, Lily and Nova.

“Did you know Fizzarolli was going to be here?” Willow, the chinchilla dancer barked.
“No, I’m as shocked as you guys. Please don’t bother him or his friends, he’s probably just here to enjoy a night off.” Star answered honestly as she held her hands up in defense.
“You met him that one day then never said anything about it. Why? Did you think we would mob him?” Kitty asked as she crossed her arms over her ample chest.
“Yeah, despite all that time you’ve been spending over at that hotel this past month.” Jade, the cheetah dancer added in as they started to circle around Star. “Well, there wasn’t much to talk about. I've just been practicing for their show. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I want to change out of this costume.” Star explained as she dodged her way through the group and towards the dressing rooms.

“You have nothing to tell us?” Ruby, the squirrel dancer, called after her as the group followed her towards the dressing rooms. On the way, there was a knock on the ‘secret’ hallway door. The one Star had led Fizzarolli through earlier, “What in the world?” Star muttered as she turned the knob and a pile of people fell to the ground before her. At her feet was not only Fizzie, Ozzie and Verosika, but Charlie and Vaggie too. She looked down at the pile then back up at the crowd of sinners then back down at the pile then at her stunned crew then back at the crowd who had circled around the group. “Restricted access only!” Star snapped as she shut the door in the crowd’s face.

“Ow, ow, ow!” Fizzie whined as he pulled himself out from under the pile by extending his arms and legs. “I forgot what animals sinners could be.” Verosika complained as she disentangled herself.
“They weren’t like this last time.” Charlie exclaimed as Vaggie helped her to her feet.
“We didn’t get on stage last time.” Vaggie pointed out as she dusted Charlie off.
“What happened?” Star asked as she glanced between each member of the pile.
“Your fans just about mauled us!” Fizzarolli snapped as his arms and legs returned to their normal lengths. “How many stars do we have here tonight?” Kitty asked as she peeked over Star’s shoulder.
“Don’t talk about our fans that way!” Ruby snapped. “Like your fans are any more sane?” Star replied as she arched an eyebrow at Fizzie before she glanced over her shoulder and shot the girls a look to quiet down. “She has a point.” Verosika chuckled. “Seriously, they weren’t like this last time, they’ve been respectful every time we’ve come before.” Charlie spoke up.

“Maybe it’s because we have a Sin here?” Lily suggested as she eyeballed Asmodeus who had stood up silently and began to look over Fizzie. She wasn’t the only one, all the girls were staring at the famous trio. “Maybe, but it could be a number of things. They’re usually a little crazier around holidays, last Halloween was kinda crazy too.” Star sighed. “It’s definitely the Sin, word is that Sins affect sinners.” Jade reminded the group.

“I thought that was just a rumor.” Star replied. “How do we even know he’s Asmodeus?” Willow asked. “He doesn’t exactly look like Asmodeus.” She continued as she pointed at the spindly man. “Who else would it be?” Hazel asked as she sucked her teeth and rolled her eyes, “Who else does Fizzarolli and Verosika hang out with?” She asked. “Maybe the crowd is acting nuts because they are THE Fizzarolli and Verosika Mayday. If we’re going to compare, we're Disney Channel stars and their international stars.” Ruby explained.

“Let’s get you guys out of here. I’ll show you the way out. Girls, please go work the crowd.” Star sighed as she rubbed her forehead. “We don’t get to hear about the theatre deal?” Nova spoke up, making everyone look at her. She blushed and hid behind Lily. “Theatre deal?” Asmodeus questioned, finally speaking up as his voice gave him away.
“It is Asmodeus! Oh sweet lord, it’s Asmodeus!” The girls gasped, all of them instantly fawning and adjusting something to boost their appearance.
‘Please, just kill me now.’ Star thought as pinched the bridge of her muzzle. She took a deep breath before she spoke. “Girls, please see to your after-show tasks while I see our guests out.” Her tone left no room for discussion. “You heard the boss, let’s go, you too Nova.” Lily announced, clapping her hands and herding the girls away from Star.

“This way, please.” Star said as she motioned towards the back alley exit. “What have you been telling them?” Ozzie quietly snapped as the group reached the standard metal gray door. “Nothing, and apparently that’s the problem. It seems their imaginations have run wild.” Star sighed as she leaned against the wall beside the door. “Thank you for attending tonight. I hope you enjoyed our show.” “It was wonderful, I can see why your reputation has leaked beyond this realm. Everyone here is very talented, especially your SFX tech. How did they do all that?” Verosika asked as she held her hand out towards Star and Star pushed herself off the wall. “Trade secret.” Star smiled at her and shook Verosika’s hand “That’s what you said to me too.” Charlie laughed from beside her. “It’s the truth.” Star shrugged.

“It was a great show.” Fizzie confessed as he also shook her hand, his large yellow and red eyes staring into Star’s. His tone lacked any sacaram and sounded genuine, even a little bashful. “Th-thank you, I appreciate you saying that.” Star said, unable to stop her eyebrows jumping up to her hairline. She felt blush despite herself, her tone honest.
“You really do know how to entertain.” Ozzie added it was hard to tell under the shadow of his top hat, but Star swore he was smiling. Despite the crowd and fangirls he seemed to be in a good mood. He then ushered his two companions out into the alleyway. “Have a good night.” Star called after them then shut the door.

Once the door was shut, Star leaned her head against the door. “Okay, that wasn’t so bad. No one was punched this time.” Star groaned. “We should get back to our table before Cherri and Vi drink this place dry, we shouldn’t have left our table.” Vaggie spoke up, she looked back uncomfortably.
“Yeah, let’s get you back. Hopefully the crowd has calmed down and hopefully your companions haven’t blown anything up. What exactly happened?” Star asked as she straightened herself up and took a step towards Charlie and Vaggie.
“I’m not sure, I went to go talk to Uncle Ozzie and Fizzie about the hotel’s show, I wanted them to know I still want them there even if they’re not going to perform.” Charlie confessed as the group made their way back towards the stage.

“The crowd rushed towards their table and we got caught up in the wave. They were trying to escape when you opened the secret exit.” Vaggie clarified as they reached the secret exit.
“I see, well thank you for agreeing to come tonight and for doing that song with me.” Star said.
“You’re welcome, it was so much fun.” Charlie beamed at her as she bounced beside her.
“Please enjoy the rest of your night.” Star replied as they went through the secret door.
On the side of the door, the club seemed completely normal, like any other night. The patrons were dancing, chatting and drinking. They were nowhere near the riot they were just minutes ago, they were even ignoring Charlie just like last time. ‘Being that level of famous must be such a pain.’ Star thought as she took in the scene before her, “I have rounds to make, so if you’ll excuse me. Have a good night, tell the others I said ‘hi’.” Star said as she dipped towards the kitchen.

Star made her rounds to check on the rest of her staff and on the way back in from checking on Bruno and Mickey, she ran into one of her favorite customers, Alastor.
“Alastor sir, you're here? I didn’t think this show would be something you would enjoy.” Star confessed as her ears wiggled and tail twitched.
“I enjoy entertainment and your shows are always provide, my dear.” Alastor praised as he took her hand and kissed the top of it.
“I'll take that as a compliment.” Star smiled as she felt herself blush.
“It was meant as one, the number where you took Charlie and Vaggie on stage was very interesting.” He smirked as he closed the small distance between them.
“Thank you, I was so glad they agreed to do it, who knew it would get so quickly overshadowed. We put a lot of work into that song.” She sighed.

“And here I thought you were only discussing her show, I’m curious about your inspiration for that number.” He prodded.
“My inspiration mostly came from the movie it’s from, but I did use my imagination from the rumors I've heard.” She smiled up at him, stepping even closer to him.
“What rumors?” He smiled back, his red eyes narrowing at her.
“Rumors about you.” She stated simply gently poking her finger into his shoulder. She did it gently as if she wasn't sure if touching him would burn or it would scare him away.
“Oh dear, those aren’t rumors, those are true.” He explained his grin growing as he took her hand in his.

“All of them?” She asked as she arched an eyebrow as her eyes darted to their hands still suspended in the air between them.
“You seem to have a lot of special guests tonight.” He stated, dodging her question as he glanced back towards the filled club and letting their hands fall to their sides.
“And yet, there's no one else I'd rather chat with right now.” Star confessed, not letting go.
“Such flattery.” He chuckled as his face softened.
“It's true.” She insisted.
“What a little mink, you are.” He simpered as he stepped back and raised her hand to his lips again. “Good night, dear Star.”
“Good night, Alastor.” Star whispered as she let him step around her and exit the anteroom and out into the street. ‘Jeez what a night.’ She thought as she headed back into the club.

Chapter Text

Chapter 33: Breaking News!

“BREAKING NEWS!” Katie Killjoy shouted as she sat behind her desk, “The Sin of Lust was spotted last night right here in our own Pride Ring. Tom Trench is on the scene at the club La La Land where Asmodeus was spotted. Tom, you piece of shit, can you hear us out there in the streets?” Kate asked as she tilted her head at a gruesome angle.

“Yes, I can Katie, you bitch.” Tom replied as the screen shifted to him out on the street in front of a corner brick building. The simple extinguished marquee read ‘La La Land’ and ‘Halloween Special’.

“Oh fuck!” Stella shouted as she got up from the couch where she had been eating her late breakfast of fried eggs, toast and bacon.
She raced back to her room to change into her suit.
“Lily! Nova! Stay inside until I come back up!” She ordered as she brushed her hair back into a low ponytail as she emerged from her bedroom already dressed except for her shoes.

“What the hell!? Who told Channel 666?” Nova asked as she stared at the screen.
“I think a better question is why are they here so early?” Lily yawned as pulled herself onto the couch so the tornado of Stella wouldn't knock into her.

“I'm gonna try and get rid of them.” Stella informed them as she shoved her feet into a pair of flats then raced down the interior stairs that led to the club’s backstage.
Stella quickly ran to the front door and as she reached it she stopped to take a few deep breaths. ‘Be calm. Cool and collected Star.’ She thought as she finished her breathing exercises. She straightened her charcoal blazer then stepped outside to see Tom and a single camera man.

“Excuse me, but this establishment is closed, please return when we are open.” She informed them as she stepped up to the short, blonde newsman.
“Miss, is it true Asmodeus, the Sin of Lust, himself, was here last night with his lovers Fizzarolli and Verosika Mayday?” Tom asked as he held his mic towards her.
“I can’t be certain whether he was here or not. Mr. Fizzarolli and Ms. Mayday were here. I don’t see why a star enjoying a night off is newsworthy.” Star commented, keeping her tone calm and her poker face in place.
“Is it true that Ozzie is looking to expand here into the Pride Ring and your club will be Ozzie’s II?” Tom asked as he pushed the mic closer to her.
“I couldn’t say but this is why no one trusts television anymore. All you do is inflate stories.” Stella sighed and shook her head.
“TV is very trustworthy. Who are you anyway, miss?” Tom asked as his gas mask face and neck began to turn red.
“I'm the owner, Star, in my personal opinion, radio is a more reliable source when it comes to news anyway. As I've just stated, we’re closed, please leave.” Star repeated as the camera man yelped and pulled his eye away from the eyepiece on his camera.
“The picture just went black!” The cameraman exclaimed as he stared up at Star.

“If you return, no cameras, please. It ruins the atmosphere.” Star smiled at them then returned inside. She made her way back up to the apartment and saw Lily and Nova were still on the couch, watching the news. The screen had returned to Katie and she had moved on to the next headline. “Hopefully that’s the last we’ll see of them.” Star said as she picked up her plate.

“Stella! That was so cool! I didn’t know you could do that to cameras too!” Nova exclaimed as she hopped off the couch and went over to Star wagging her tail.
“Blackouts are easy.” Star suggested as she smirked. ‘It was easy since there was only one.’ She thought as she bit into her cold toast.

“We’ll be lucky if they don’t come back but did you have to make the comment about tv and radio?” Lily sighed as she turned the tv off.
“Well it’s true, especially here in hell. I know you died before the term ‘fake news’ was coined, but it’s a thing and Vox is the worst peddler. The minute I took in the first refu-Vee, befriending Vox was out of the question. He might not be the abuser, but he condoned it.” Stella preached as she felt her whole body heat up from anger.

“Yes, I know, but the radio comment?” Lily questioned as she raised a thin plucked black eyebrow.
“Let’s call it bait, Alastor is already a customer and he’s a man. No man can resist his ego being stroked.” Star justified.
Lily pursed her lips to the side, looking unsatisfied with Stella’s answer before she finally replied, “Okay, if you say so. I think you’re playing a dangerous game.”
“Maybe, but if we get what we want, it’ll be worth it. It’s early, so maybe no one saw the broadcast.” Stella sighed as she headed to the kitchen to wash her plate.

Niffty enjoyed having the tv on for background noise as she cleaned the parlor. She was dusting off the large set when the breaking new trumpets blared from the speakers. “Oh goody! I wonder what happened.” She grinned as she stopped her feather dusting. She plopped down in front of the screen and watched the short segment.
Once the screen went black, Niffty blinked and got back up from the carpeted floor. “That was interesting.” She muttered as she turned the set off and continued to clean the parlor.

Since it was a lovely Friday, Niffty decided to take a long lunch. She left the hotel and headed to one of her favorite spots, Rosie’s.
She was in luck, Rosie had just finished up with a customer when she arrived .

“Niffty darling, it's been too long!” Rosie greeted as she stared down at the little sinner.
“Hi Rosie, do you have time for tea?” Niffty asked as she climbed up the glass paneled display case.
“For you always.” Rosie answered as she led the way back to her parlor.

As Rosie gathered a tray of finger sandwiches and cookies Nifty perched herself on one the high back chairs.
“What a pleasant surprise hosting you today. What brings you by?” Rosie asked as she sat the tray down, filled a small cup and handed it to Nifty before she poured herself a cup. “Sugar?” She offered.
“Yes, please.” Niffty answered.

Once Rosie gave her the cubes they began to chat. “Do any of your folks watch TV?” Niffty asked, she sipped her sweetened tea.
“Some, but not many. Why?” Rosie asked with a grin that exposed her sharp teeth.
“Well there was an interesting news segment this morning.” Niffty smiled back as she picked up a finger sandwich and nibbled on it.
“Interesting how?” Rosie asked as she sat her tea cups and saucer in her lap.

Niffty gave Rosie the summary of the short broadcast.
“My, that is interesting.” Rosie remarked as she picked her cup back up.
“It is.” Niffty agreed as she nodded her head and finished her sandwich.

Niffty stayed and chatted for a little longer before she decided she should return to the hotel.
“I should get back, there's always more to clean.” She joked as she placed her teacup on the table and got up.
“No rest for the wicked.” Rosie teased as she got up as well. “Please come by again, don't be a stranger.” She continued as she escorted Niffty to the storefront.
Niffty just smiled and waved goodbye then skipped out of the store.
“What a darling thing, if a bit strange.” Rosie smiled to herself as she returned to her customers.

At closing time, she wished her last customers farewell and locked up. Rosie returned to her home and changed into a dressing gown as she made herself a cup of chamomile tea. She sat down on her chaise lounge and thought back to her last conversation with Alastor. ‘He mentioned seeing that new overlord often now, did he finally extend his offer to her? I thought he was waiting until after the hotel gala. Did he get impatient? That’s unlike him. Well, this gala will be interesting indeed.’

Later that night, at the Vee Tower, Vox, Velvette and Valentino were relaxing together in their shared living room. Velvette was scrolling through the tags related to them when she came across a short video that had the comments filled with laughing emojis.
Once she watched it, she shoved her phone in Vox’s face. “Is News that slow?” Velvette laughed as he watched. “Really Vox? Gossip before brunch?” Velvette teased him as Val took the phone and brought it to his face to watch the video.

“Who the hell sent Tom out? Where’s the hot gossip columnist we hired last week? She was a real fox!” Vox growled as he slammed his whiskey glass down on the table in front of him.
“It seems your news channel is slipping out of your grasp.” Velvette smirked as she got her phone back and pulled the comments back up for Vox and showed them to him. “The comments are all laughing at Tom’s expense.”
“You take that back about my channel!” Vox snapped.
“I keep telling you, you’re too soft on them. Everyone knows chisme needs to have a kernel of truth and a second, Ozzie is just ridiculous and with someone so plano.” Valentino commented as he pulled out his cigarettes and placed one in his holders and lit it up. “Tomorrow you should go down there and remind them who’s in charge.” He continued as he blew out a puff of smoke.
“Val’s right about your people.” Velvette commented as she laid down across the couch and went on scrolling through their tags.
Vox just fumed as he got up and went to refill his glass.

Chapter Text

Chapter 34: The Show Must Go On

On Monday, Stella was surprised when she received a text from Charlie asking her to come to the hotel around noon.
“How strange, I hope she doesn’t want to make any major changes to the show, we have less than a month left.” Star confided in Lily when she showed her the text after their big breakfast.
“It’s hard to say.” Lily suggested.
When Stella arrived at the hotel, she saw a sleek, large, two-toned blue limo that had flames down the side and purple tinted windows. ‘Why are they here again?’ She thought as she walked past the eyesore.

When she entered the reception area, she saw Husk sitting at a desk, his feet propped up on the desk and a Bloody Mary in his hand. Sitting on the desk with his back towards her was Angel, who also had a Bloody Mary in his hand.
“Hiya toots, they’re waiting for you in Charlie’s office.” Angel greeted as he spun on the desk to face her. “You wanna drink before you head in?”

“Who’s they?” Stella asked as she looked in the direction of the office, from here it sounded quiet.
“You know who.” Angel smirked as he leaned back on his lower elbows.
Stella suppressed an urge to groan, instead as breathed in through her nose then out and rolled her shoulders back.
“Are you sure you don’t want that drink?” Husk asked as he lowered his legs to the ground.
“Maybe afterwards.” She answered as she made her way towards the double doors.
She knocked and went in as soon as she was told too.

On the other side of the door the atmosphere completely changed. Stella was greeted with the sight of several people sitting around the glass round coffee table. Lucifer at the ‘head of the table’ in an accent chair, to his right on a couch was Charlie, Vaggie, Sojourner, and Alastor. To Lucifer’s left on the opposite couch was Asmodeus and Fizzarolli. Across from Lucifer, an empty accent chair.

Each face had a different expression, Charlie was the only one who looked nervous. Lucifer, Vaggie, and Alastor all had neutral expressions. Ozzie, Fizzie, and Sojo all looked like different levels of annoyance. Sojo, the least annoyed and Fizzie, the most.

“Hi, sorry to keep you waiting.” Stella greeted as she took the empty seat.
“Hi Star, thanks for coming. I asked you to come here because Uncle Ozzie and Fizzie want to get back in on the show, but they have some reservations.” Charlie explained.
“Oh? And what are those reservations?” Stella asked as her vision shifted from Charlie to the duo.
“We want Teddy Ruxpin gone that night.” Fizzie spat out.
“Froggie.” Ozie sighed as he wrapped his arm around Fizzie's shoulder.

“This is Sojo’s home! I'm not kicking her out of her own home!” Charlie exclaimed. “The hotel is stupendous, surely we can keep you two separate. She could stay in her room or help with the tours.” She continued.
“I’m not playing tour guide. I built the stage, I should get to see the show.” Sojo spoke up.
“You’re pretty ornery, aren’t you?” Star asked as she glanced over to Sojo, who had her arms crossed over her chest. “What if we hire security?” Star suggested.
“I’ve already done that.”Fizzie informed them. “I still don’t want her here.”

“Ozzie, is this really necessary?” Lucifer spoke up as he slid further down into his chair, still looking bored.
“I want Fizzie to feel safe.” Ozzie answered as he glanced over to Lucifer
“It’s been over a month, why now? The show is only weeks away.” Stella asked, as all the eyes shifted to her.
“Your performance on Friday.” Fizzie answered. “You’re talented and from what I saw the other night I know this show is something I want to be a part of.” Fizzie answered.
Stella felt herself blush up to her ear at the sincere compliment. She coughed before she continued. “Thank you, but there’s a lot of things we’ll need to discuss and the first being you’re being a diva asking Charlie to barring one of her guests from the show. You said you have security hired, isn't that enough?”

“If his security is as soft as him, I’ll be able to beat their asses too.” Sojo laughed as she got up from her spot on the couch. “Let me know when you’ve figured it out.” She said then left the room.
“She’s a pistol.” Ozzie muttered, unable to hide his smirk.
“Ozzie.” Fizzie pouted next to him.
“I agree with Charlie, this is her home and you’ve hired someone, so the point seems moot. The real question is whether I want to share the stage.” Star pointed out.

“Wait, what?” Fizzie gasped, his jaw hanging open making a few people in the room snicker at his reaction.
“I’ve worked hard this past month and you’re coming in at the eleventh hour.” Star protested as she crossed one leg over the other.
“Star,-” Charlie began but was cut off.
“I thought-” Fizzie fumbled.
“Why don’t we do a trial day? Come with me to the stage right now and see what I have planned and decide if you want to do it.” Stella suggested as she stood up.
“Uh, sure.” Fizzie muttered as he got up too.

“Well, that didn’t go too bad.” Charlie sighed.
“How boring.” Alastor sighed as he got up and left the room.
“Should we keep an eye on them?” Vaggie suggested as she looked towards the open door.
“Let’s have trust.” Charlie smiled as she took Vaggie’s hand in hers.
“I agree. After her show, Fizzie and I talked and he wanted to try again. Luci, you’re gonna be here for the show right?” Ozzie asked.
Lucifer felt all the eyes in the room shift to him and he began to mumble. “I, um, welllll.”
“Dad.” Charlie whined, giving him puppy dog eyes.
“She’s worth the watch, outside of my own club, I haven’t seen a performance like that in centuries.” Ozzie praised as he propped his arms on the back of the couch.

Down at the stage, Star pulled out her phone and showed Fizzie the routine she had made.
“This is a completely different set than the last one I saw.” Fizzie gulped as he looked up at Stella.
“Well, the original set had a bunch of duets. I can’t exactly sing duets by myself.” Stella reminded him as she looked down at him.
“Yeah, it did.” Fizzie.
“If I picked duets I know very well, I could work them back in and we could decide which of these solos we like best. We could do a duet, solo, duet, solo, duet. I recommend we start with a real attention grabber.” Stella suggested as she closed the old notes. She had made a new one so she could start writing down the order of the new show.

“Is that why you wanted to start with ‘The Whole Being Dead Thing’?” Fizzie asked.
“It is, but Charlie asked me to axe it and made a few suggestions of her own. It is her hotel.” Stella answered.
“I see why you thought it would be a good fit for me.” Fizzie remarked.
“It would have been, but let’s focus. There’s a few songs Charlie came up with so they’re going to take time to learn.” Star informed him.
“Let’s get to it then.” Fizzie smiled.

Chapter Text

Chapter 35: Hotel Act One

Stella and Fizzie put in overtime for the next three weeks, but soon the Grand Reopening Celebration was upon them.
Stella arrived in the afternoon to get ready, she used one of the dressing rooms Sojo had built. She got dressed in the costume Lily had made. Fizzie had sent a picture of what he was wearing and Lily had worked her magic. It was a beautiful knee length dress, it was an ombre rainbow pastel color to match Fizzie’s rainbow themed outfit. It had transparent cap sleeves and was nearly backless except for the diamond straps that formed a pentagram. She wore silver t-strap dance shoes.

Stella was pacing behind the stage glancing at her watch as Fizzie’s bodyguards scoped out the stage.
“Where is he?” She muttered.
“He’s never on time. Don’t worry he’ll be here in time for the show.” The tallest imp with a scarred face informed her.
“Do you know him well?” Stella asked as she stopped.
“Since childhood. He’s a lot of things, but he’s always a great performer. I’m Blitzø, owner of I.M.P. we’re murder professionals, if you need someone killed on the top side come see us.” Blitzø introduced himself as he handed her a card.
“Miss Star, I must say it’s a pleasure to meet you. I really look forward to protecting you tonight and seeing you perform.” The shorter male in a tuxedo said as he vigorously shook Stella’s hand.
“He’s a big fan. Honey, you didn’t introduce yourself. This is Moxxie, my husband and I’m Millie.” The female imp in all black explained in her southern accent.
“Nice to meet you. I don’t think I need protection, but thank you all the same. I hope you enjoy the show.” Stella said as Moxxie released her hand.
“No, it’s Fizz that needs protection from our repair bear.” Blitzø laughed as he walked off to double check their all posts.
Stella noticed there was already someone sitting in the front row, so she headed over to them, “The show won’t start for a while.” She informed the tall owl demon as she crouched down.
“I know, I’m here with the bodyguards. I’m their secretary, Stolas.” He informed her, “We’ve all been looking forward to doing this job for weeks.” He continued.
“It’s nice to meet you, I hope you enjoy the show.” Star replied as she stood up.

Stella was pacing again when Ozzie’s limo pulled up. Fizzie leaped out already with his make up and in costume. His jester hat matched his shirt of rainbow stripes, his pants and ruffles were silver. “You’re gonna form a ditch if you keep doing that.” Fizzie teased as he walked up to her and handed her a bouquet of purple carnations.
“Oh, thank you.” Stella said as she took the flowers. “I wasn’t expecting.” She muttered as she brought them up to her nose to smell them.

“See? I told you it wasn’t too corny.” A voice said as they emerged from the limo. It was a glowing, colorful wolf and bee-like creature. She wore a red vest and shorts as she fluttered above the ground, it was Beelzebub.

Stella’s mouth hung open in shock.
Fizz smirked as he closed her mouth for her.
“Hello, I’m Beelzebub, it’s so kind of you to support my niece, Charlie.” She introduced herself as she held her hand out.
“I-it’s nice to meet you, I’m Star. I-I hope you enjoy the show.” Star stuttered as she shook her hand.
“I’m sure I will. I hope you enjoy the catering, Nothing, but the best for Charlie, I even brought the best booze!” Bee smiled.
“You’re gonna spoil Charlie.” Ozzie chuckled as he got out of the limo carrying a few six packs in his hands.
“You have no room to talk.” Bee smiled up at him, “Let’s go find Luci. Break a leg!” Bee replied then floated off to the hotel.

“You brought another Sin?” Star squeaked once they were alone again.
“No, Charlie invited her, she just hitched a ride with us. Now let’s stretch.” Fizzie corrected her and made his way to the stage.

The flyers that Charlie had posted up stated the show started at 5pm. Star had started telling her customers and Fizzie had posted on his social media. So when the clock tower struck 5, there was already a massive crowd around the stage.
Stella peeked out to see one of the largest crowds she had ever seen. ‘Did all of the Pride Ring show up?’ She thought as she saw the hotel residents sitting in the front row.
The second row was filled with the denizens of Cannibal Town, Star noticed their leader Rosie was chatting with Charlie and Alastor. ‘I didn’t know the cannibals left their town.’ She thought as her gaze shifted from to the freshly built balconies.

In the balconies, she could see not only Lucifer and Ozzie, but also Bee, Stolas and a large dragon being. ‘Is that Satan, the sin of Wrath? Did Charlie invite every sin?’ She thought with a gulp.
Stella took a deep breath as she closed the curtain. She closed her eyes and mentally repeated her mantra to herself. ‘You’ve got this Star.’ She thought as she felt Fizzie step up beside her.
“You ready?” Fizzie asked as he nudged her shoulder with his.
“Did you see the crowd?” Star whispered as she glanced at him, panic in her eyes.
“Just focus on the stage, you know the stage.” Fizzie coached her as he placed his hands on her shoulders, “You ready?” He repeated.
Star nodded, “Y-yeah, you?” She asked and got a nod in return.
“Yeah, we’re gonna knock them dead! Well, more dead.” He joked, making her laugh.

They both stepped into the spotlight and waved to the cheering crowd.
“Man, there’s a lot of you.” Star whistled as she looked out at the crowd.
“That’s wonderful because we’re here to celebrate the anniversary of the Hazbin Hotel!” Fizzie said as he gestured back towards the hotel behind them.
“In honor of the hotel, we’ve selected a few songs we think convey their wonderful ideology. Please see Princess Charlie if you have any questions about her hotel.” Star added as the music began.

Their first song was ‘Friend Like Me.’ Fizzie took the main vocals of the Genie and Star did back ups as Aladdin.
“Can you give me a "bada-yada-yada"?” Fizzie asked as he turned to Star. Star repeated it back to him.
“Good! Scotty-wop!” Fizzie continued and Star echoed again.
“Everybody! Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo!” Fizzie called out and the audience repeated it.
“Hit it!” Fizzie shouted and the band really took off. The stage transformed into a cave with stalagmites of gold and a gold tiger head behind them.

“Some heavy ammunition in your camp. You got some punch, pizzazz, yahoo, and how? All you gotta do is rub that lamp!” Fizzie sang as he twirled Star around until she fell down on a nearby pillow.

“Life is your restaurant, and I'm your maitre d'. C'mon, whisper what it is you want
You ain't never had a friend like me! Yes sir!” Fizzie belted out as a rainbow of Fizzie’s appeared behind him all dressed as waiters and carrying trays. They all began to dance in sync with Fizzie.

“Wah-wah-wah! (Oh no!), Wah-wah wah!
Can your friends do this? Can your friends do that? Can your friends pull this out of their little hat?” Fizzie asked as the Fizzie were joined by a rainbow of Stars.
The duo began to swing dance together as the others copied their movies.
“Can your friends go, poof? Well, looky here!
Can your friends go, Abracadabra, let 'er rip! And then make the sucker disappear?” They sang as all the extras disappeared and it was just them again.

They continued on with the song and each took turns singing the extra songs added in.
Once they reached the end they sang together as they poised towards the crowd, back to back and their arms outstretched.
“You ain't never had a friend, never had a friend! You ain't never had a friend like me!”
When they finished the crowd went wild.

“Thank you, thank you. I couldn’t think of a better opener than that, because honestly I can’t think of any friend like Charlie Morningstar. Will you please welcome her to the stage!” Star announced as she flung her arm out towards stage right.
Charlie walked on stage in a beautiful sparkly red suit set. She had her long hair braided into a crown style that flowed into a bubble braid.
“Hello everyone! Thank you all for coming.” Charlie greeted as she waved eagerly, “This hotel has been a journey, but I’ve loved every step of the way. I want to share this journey with you. I think every day at the hotel is a happy day. Both Fizzarolli and Star encouraged me to write this song. I hope you enjoy it.” She continued.
Charlie performed her song, ‘Happy Day in Hell’. The duo took on support roles of the song and Star made the stage into a mini Pentagram City as they sang and danced together.

When they finished, the crowd cheered and clapped. A few people went over to Vaggie who was standing off to the side, closer to the hotel to take people inside and show them what the hotel had to offer.
“Thank you, we’re just warming up so hold onto your seats.” Fizzie announced as they went straight into the next song.
‘Be Our Guest.’ Was a bigger hit with the crowd, especially once Star started breaking out her magic.
Once he sang the words ‘tie your napkin around your neck’ he was flanked by singing and beer steins.
‘You walked in and oops a daisy.’ Fizzie sang and flung Star into the air.
She tucked and summersault in the air, closer to the edge of the stage then sang Mrs. Potts's section. She summoned teacups and a kettle to dance around her and out into the audience.

When they finished they received whistles and stomping along with cheers and clapping.
“Thank you, the hotel can’t wait for you to be a guest with them, so please go see Charlie and the others about the hotel.” Fizzie announced. “In this next song, we’re going to take it down a little.” He continued as the lights lowered.

Star began to sing ‘Hallelujah.’ She took the lead and Fizzie did back up. Since it was a slower song Star had the scenery grow from around her.
“You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you.”
She had a full moon appear behind her and bathed herself , Fizzie and part of the crowd in its dim silvery light.
As she performed she stared up at the sky as if staring up at Heaven and despite herself her voice cracked on the final Hallelujah.
The crowd was quiet for several seconds once Star was done. ‘Maybe I shouldn’t have picked that song.’ She thought as she sniffled. Then the crowd finally began to clap.

“Oh wow, I don’t know how I’m gonna follow that up.” A voice announced from the wings.
Star and Fizzie’s heads snapped to the left wing as Verosika strolled out onto the stage carrying the spare third mic. The crowd went nuts! Verosika was in a pink ruffle top with one sleeve, a matching pink skirt and black knee high boots.
“You know what they say, it's not a true party unless someone crashes it.” Verosika smirked as she winked at the crowd. “This hotel is a good cause and I always support good causes.” She continued.
“Okay you two, see if you can keep up.” She stated before she launched into ‘Hotel Room.’

Fizzie did back ups as Star matched visuals to the words Verisoka sang. The stage turned into one of the rooms from the hotel. Star made owls fly over the audience and whales float through the sky as Verosika sang the verse.
“I have dreams of Orca whales and owls.
But I wake up in fear, You will never be my...
You will never be my fool, will never be my fool.”

Once Verosika finished the crowd went nuts again. Once they quieted down, Fizzie spoke up, “Verosika, that wasn’t very nice of you to crash this performance.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” Verosika said, looking bashful but not sounding sorry one bit.
“I don’t know if sorry is enough.” Star said as Charlie rushed up on the stage.
“Guys, it’s okay. Sorry, get her foot in the door. I have another song about it in fact.” Charlie stated.
“Okay, I guess we can hear her out.” Fizzie sighed as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Charlie began to sing “It starts with Sorry.”
“It starts with sorry, that's your foot in the door, one simple sorry.
Spoken straight from your core. The path to forgiveness is a twisting trail of hearts
But sorry is where it starts.”
Star made the entire stage turn pink and as Charlie took Verosika’s hand a heart formed around them.
Charlie and Verosika began to dance as Verosika sang the next verse.
“Who could forgive a hot bitch like me? I don't deserve your amnesty!”
Frizzie improvised the next line. “Can't we just cancel her? And boycott all her shows?”
“That's an option you could choose.” Charlie replied as her and Verosika stopped twirling together.

“Cool, here we go.” Star sang as she made the audience turn pink. She looked out and saw Angel wiping his eyes with his sleeve and Vaggie handing him a tissue and patting his back. ‘They’re crying at this song?’ She wondered as they continued on.

Once the song had ended, before anyone else could say anything, Niffty stood up in her chair and yelled out, “I still hate that song!”
The audience erupted with laughter.
“Niffty! Shush!” Sojo and Vaggie reprimanded her from both sides.

“Alright everyone, we’re going to take a short intermission. Please feel free to speak to Charlie or any of her staff members in the hot pink shirts.” Fizzie announced as he gestured to the front row. With that they closed the curtain on the first act.

Chapter Text

Chapter 36: Hotel Intermission

“Good job everyone!” Charlie praised once everyone was backstage, “That was incredible!” She continued as she high fived everyone.
“That was a lot of fun! Thanks for letting me ‘crash’ it!” Verosika smiled.
“Glad to have you.” Star beamed at her as her tail wagged.
“It’s great you could come, are you staying for the rest of the show?” Fizzie asked.
“No, I have to get back to Ozzie’s, both his headliners can’t be gone for too long.” Verosika teased as she headed towards the exit.
“Bye!” Charlie waved as she disappeared. “I have to go help the others with new residents, so I’ll see you guys later.” She continued as she turned towards Fizzie and Star.
“You’re gonna fill every room!” Star called after Charlie as she ran off to join the others.

“That was a great first act.” Fizzie repeated as he handed Star a bottle of water.
“It was, aren’t you glad you came?” Star asked as she cracked open the bottle and downed half of it.
“Yeah, I am.” Fizzie answered. He looked like he was about to continue, opening his mouth then shutting it again then took a deep breath.
Star could tell he was choosing his next words carefully.

“In light of tonight’s theme, I want to say I’m sorry for how I acted that day.” Fizzie apologized as he looked Star in the eye, “This is the first performance I’ve done since I quit Mammon’s. When I agreed to perform I didn’t realize the anxiety it would affect me before I even set foot on the stage. Mammon wasn’t the easiest to work for.” He continued.
“Thank you, Fizzie, for sharing that.” Star smiled at him and placed her hand on his shoulder.
“I’m thankful you forgave me. This has been one of the best shows I’ve done in a long time and I’m glad I got to do it with you. You don’t make a lot of friends in this industry.” He confessed as he pulled her in for a tight hug.
“Aw, Fizzie.” She giggled as she hugged him back. “I’m grateful you changed your mind. This show is 1000% better with you in it.” She admitted when she pulled back, taking his hands in her, “I’ve admired you since I got here and it’s incredible to me that we’ve become friends.”
“I wouldn’t want to do this with anyone else.” Fizzie beamed at her as they stared into each other’s eyes grinning.

“You asshole, when I asked to be a third, you told me to go fuck myself!” Blitzø complained as he ruined the moment, walking up to the duo.
“Blitzy!” Stolas gasped from behind him.
“It was when we were in our situationship.” Blitzø defended himself, “I came to tell ya the repair bear is busy with helping the princess, so you’re good. It’s just your regular psycho fans we’re watching now.” He continued.
“Those I can handle.” Fizzie chuckled.

“Being that famous must be hard.” Star sighed as she went to get a second water bottle.
“It can be, it’s not always easy. You should know what you’re getting into if you want to be a lead performer.” Fizzie commented as she handed him another bottle.
“Yeah, but theatre stars aren’t usually mobbed like you and Verosika are.” Star shrugged.

“Theatre?” Fizzie asked as he raised an eyebrow.
“You want to do theatre?! Oh Satan, you would do fantastic shows!” Moxxie squealed as he hopped up and down beside Blitzo.
“You would do a marvelous job in the Pride Ring. It’s so lackluster here, nothing compared to the Greed Ring’s theatre.” Stoles commented.
“Thank you, that’s the goal. I want to bring Boardway to Hell. I even got a place I want to use, but it needs a lot of work.” Star sighed.
“Maybe you'll get some patrons' offers after this performance.” Stolas said.
“Maybe, but for now, let’s focus on the second act.” Star said as she reached for her phone tucked away in her bag and flipped to the notes app.

Blitzø and the rest of I.M.P returned to their stations to observe the crowd. The crowd had thinned out a bit, but every seat was still filled. The standing section was overflowing and the sinners there now had some elbow room. He glanced towards the VIP section and saw all four Sins were still up there, looking awkward as hell around each other. Blitzø saw that Satan glanced at him, but the imp just glared then dropped his shades back over his eyes and went to make another round.

Up at the hotel, Charlie arrived just in time to help Vaggie with a rowdy group of potential residents.
“Charlie, thank goodness.” Vaggie greeted as Charlie walked up. Charlie gave her a quick side hug then began to answer questions being thrown at her.
“All the rules are printed in the applications. There’s plenty of room for everyone, so please form a single file line.” Charlie instructed as she motioned in the air with her hands.
“At this rate, we’ll miss the second half of the show.” Angel grumbled to Cherri as they gathered the completed forms from the sinners.
“Nah, once they hear that first line, they’ll go running.” Cherri replied. “That song's banging here, on earth, and on the other side of those pearly gates.”
“If you say so.” Angel replied as he took another completed form.
It was all hands on deck for the staff, but there was one member that was shirking his duties in favor of socializing. Alastor had vehemently refused to wear in his words ‘the garish atrocity against fashion’ that Charlie had tried to force on him.
When the others had got up to the hotel, he had insisted he would be right there, but instead had stayed behind to chat with Rosie.
“What do you think?” Alastor asked as he escorted Rosie over to the refreshment table.
“Why Alastor, what a gem! I can see why you’re intrigued.” Rosie cooed as she picked up a pair of glass bottles of ginger beer.
Alastor just nodded with a smirk as he toasted his glass bottle to hers.

Up in the balcony, Stolas returned to an awkward silence. He sat down in his seat at the end and looked over the dwindling crowd. “That first half was quite a doozy.” He said, trying to break the tension that filled the air.
“It was, when Charlie invited me and asked me to carter she only quoted me about a 100 people, but when she said she had Fizzie performing, I knew it was gonna be at least twice as much. Even I’m amazed at these numbers.” Bee replied as she leaned forward to look at Stolas.

“I’m kinda blown away by the turn out, but are they here for the right reasons?” Lucifer grumbled as he slunk down in his chair. “This show is about Charlie.”
“Fizzie and Star know that, I think they’ve done a great job conveying the message and having Charlie involved as much as possible. The audience seemed to buy their skit at the end. Even if she only gets one new resident won’t it be worth it?” Ozzie asked as he placed a hand on Lucifer’s shoulder.
“Aw, Ozzie always looking on the bright side.” Bee smiled at him.

“Mh, for once we might be in agreement, Lucifer.” Satan spoke up, making the whole balcony look at him in shock, “Charlie is what is important.”
“Well, this is the first royal party in forever, so of course curious looky-loos are gonna come. Look at the crowd, there’s gonna be a chance some of them want salvation. She’s gonna have her hands full.” Bee said as she gestured towards the crowd.
“If salvation is even possible.” Satan grumbled, bringing the mood down again.
“For sinners, maybe it is.” Stolas remarked, making the group look at him, “Everyone is capable of change.” He continued as he stared at the crowd and immediately found Blitzø.
“How naive of you former Prince Stolas.” Satan stated, refusing to even turn his direction.
“Shut up, Satan!” Lucifer growled as Ozzie and Bee glared at Satan.

Chapter Text

Chapter 37: Hotel Act Two

Anyone who thought they weren’t going to stay for the second act were sorely mistaken when they heard the first words Fizzie sang.
“Toooonnnighttt!
I’m gonna have a real good time”
The crowd gasped in unison then screamed. “QUEEN!”

Fizzie and Star went on to perform ‘Don’t Stop Me Now.’ The curtain had risen on the word tonight to reveal Fizzie and Star standing next to each other. They were still in their same costumes but now had roller skates on.
The duo were taking the intro slow, they embraced each other and began to dance around the stage and when they sang “I’m floating around in ecstasy” they began to float around in the air.
Then the beat began to pick up. “Causin I’m having a good time. Having a good time!”

Fizzie leapt away from Star and towards a rafter above the audience.
“I'm a shooting star leaping through the sky! Like a tiger, defying the laws of gravity!
I'm a racing car, passing by Like Lady Godiva! I'm gonna go, go, go
There's no stopping me!”
Fizzie leapt to the next rafter looking like a shooting star, then the next rafter he looked like Lady Godvia on a fat horse.

Star floated her way up to the first rafter as she sang the next verse, on the way up she kicked a VoxTex drone out of her way. The drone had appeared during the half-time break. “Viewing in person is the only way to see this show.” She announced with a wink.
“Oh, I like her moxie.” Star could hear a feminine voice chuckle as she began the next verse.
“I'm burning through the sky! Yeah! Two hundred degrees, that's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit!
I'm traveling at the speed of light! I wanna make a supersonic man out of you!”
On top of the rafter she pointed to the sky and summoned fire in her hand and then it quickly consumed her but just as quickly blew out. She pointed towards Fizzie at her last line.

The duo sang, danced, and bounced between the rafters. They set off rockets into the sky at the line mentioning rocketing to mars.
“I'm a sex machine ready to reload
Like an atom bomb about to-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh explode!”
Fizzie sang out as he danced like ‘his hips didn’t lie’ and winked at the audience.
“I’ll make a supersonic woman out of you!” He continued as he pointed to Star.

They continued their aerobatic stunts on the rafters and didn't stop until they neared the end of the song.
As Star made her way back towards the stage Fizzie continued on the rafter and made his way towards the balcony.
“Oh, I'm burning through the sky! Yeah! Two hundred degrees!
That's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit! Traveling at the speed of light!
I wanna make a supersonic man out of you!” Fizzie jumped into the balcony box and gave Ozzie a quick kiss before he flung himself back towards the stage.

They ended the song as slowly as they started it, dancing around each other, they had barely finished the song when the audience erupted with whistling and hollering.
“Fuck yeah, Queen!”

“Thank you! Thank you Everyone!” Fizzie called out with a wave. “Now that we have your attention, we’re going to remind you this show is about the hotel. Charlie, can you come back to the stage?” He continued as he gestured down towards the front row.

Charlie acted surprised as she scrambled out of her chairs and popped herself up on the stage and took the mic from Fizzie as he handed it to her.
“Hello again, everyone!” She greeted.
“Now Charlie, tell us a little about the hotel.” Star prompted.
“Thank you Star, the hotel has a lot to offer. We have great staff from our manager Alastor to our newest hire, our counselor, Sojourner. Would you all please stand up?” Charlie asked as she gestured to the front row.
The spot swung away from the stage and to the front row. Alastor stood up and nodded his head, Niffty waved at the crowd with a crazy grin on her face and Vaggie had to drag Sojo out of her chair who seemed to freeze in place.
“Let’s give them a round of applause for all their hard work.” Charlie prompted everyone and the audience indulged her.

“I know this hotel was hard work for all of you especially when everyone thinks it’s impossible. I would like to think that this crowd shows that there are people who believe in your idea. It was very brave of you to do this, it took so much courage.” Star said as she gently placed a hand on Charlie’s shoulder and smiled at her.
Charlie smiled at her blinking away tears. “I hope this song captures everything.” Star continued, as the song ‘Black And White’ by Todrick Hall.

Fizzie began with the introduction.
“I lived in a world full of peoples so unwilling to see the color bars beyond the endless static
Too content with living life like a rerun of an old back and white sitcom.”
Stella turned everything around them, black, white and shades of gray.
“And everywhere I went people would say, "wow you are definitely unique", huh
What they were really tryna say was.
Hey, dreamer, Why you gotta dream so big? How you gonna fit inside this box? Which I'm tryin' hard to fit you in?
Hey, Dreamer! Why, you gotta dream so bright? For you to dream in technicolor's, not okay, if it ain't gray, if it's black and white.”
Fizzie and Star made coordinated arm and hand movements. At the word technicolor Star made everything return to their original colors but brighter and more intense. They began to dance to the left and right in military-like steps.
The duo took turns signing verses to Charlie who joined them in the last section, singing and dancing. At the end, Star handed a handkerchief to Charlie who was sniffling. The audience applauded and cheered for them.

“Alright everyone, we got another banger coming up” Fizzie announced as Charlie took her exit. The duo went straight into ‘I want to break free.’
For this song Star kept it low key and let the words speak for themselves.

They barely took a break before going to ‘Man in the Mirror.’ Fizzie solo’d on this as Star summoned mirrors to reflect the audience.

“We’ve got one last song and we’ve saved the best for last.” Star announced as the first notes of ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ began to play.
At the end of the song, they received a standing ovation..
“That concludes tonight’s performance! Thank you all for coming!” Star announced once the song was complete.They took their bows and the curtain closed.

“We did it!” Star cheered once they were backstage she threw her arms around Fizzie.
“We did!” He echoed back as he hugged her back and spun themselves around. “Let’s change and head up to the hotel for the after party.” He continued when he pulled away.

Fizzie changed into pink pants, a crop top black turtleneck and a red crop top leather jacket with gold heart cuff links and a gold lapel chain with heart clips.
Star changed into a red and black a line dress. The bodice of the dress was a red velvet heart with off the shoulder sleeves, the knee length skirt made of black taffeta. With it, she wore a gold heart choker and wrist length satin black gloves with gold hearts at the fingertips and red kitten heels.
When Star came out of the dressing room, Fizzie, and the I.M.P gang were waiting on her.

“Dontcha look lovely?” Millie complimented as she trotted up to the group.
“Miss Star, that dress looks wonderful on you.” Stolas added as he did a little clap of his hands.
“Who knew sinners could clean up so nicely?” Blitzø smirked.
“Sorry to keep everyone waiting. Let’s head up to the hotel.” Star chuffed.

Chapter Text

Chapter 38: After Party

By the time the group made their way up the hill, most of the would-be residents had dropped off their applicants and left, leaving only the current hotel residents.
“Where’s Satan?” Ozzie asked as he looked for his brother around the reception area.
“He congratulated Charlie and left, saying he couldn’t be away from work too long or it would throw off his schedule. I bet he’s hitting the gym.” Bee answered as she floated over to the group. “Help yourself to the buffet, I know you guys didn’t get to enjoy the one outside. I’ve brought plenty of food and drink.” She continued as she gestured to the long table against the wall covered in every kind of food imaginable.
“Be careful with the booze though, I brought a special patch and it’s not for lightweights.” She teased as she fluttered off back towards Lucifer who was sitting at the edge of the bar.

“Don’t threaten me with a good time.” Blitzø called after her.
“Sir, we’re on the clock.” Moxie reminded him curtly.
“Like that’s ever- I mean you have a good point Mox, but the threat is already preoccupied.” Blitzø pointed out as he pointed over to where Sojo was relaxing on the couch with Vi.
“Worst bodyguard ever.” Fizzie groaned as Ozzie made his way over to Lucifer and Bee.
“Take that back!” Blitzø snapped.
“Ever!” Fizzie grinned as he pressed his forehead to Blitzø’s.
“Children, let’s not fight in public. Let’s go enjoy the food, I’m hungry enough to eat a boar.” Millie chided as she went over to the tables, with Moxxie right behind her.

As the others wandered off, Star heard someone clear their throat behind her, she glanced behind her to see Alastor standing with Rosie, “I would like to make a formal introduction.” Alastor began with a nod of his head. “Star, this is Rosie, a dear friend, and the leader of Cannibal Town.” He stated as he gestured towards Rosie who held her hand out.
“Rosie, this is Star, the owner of La La Land, the club I’ve begun frequenting recently.” He continued as he gestured to Star who gently shook Rosie’s hand.

“It’s wonderful to meet you. You look lovely tonight.” Star complimented as she glanced down at Rosie’s gown. She wore a raspberry pink ball gown with black lace trim around the hem, waist, and the bust, the lace draped over arms like sleeves, her opera length black gloves and evening cap matched the outfit perfectly. ‘She's so pretty and this dress is to die for.’ Star thought.

“Aren’tcha you a doll! I’ve heard wonderful things about your business from Alastor but he didn’t mention what a beauty you are.” Rosie praised making Star blush.
“Oh, um, thank you. Alastor is one of my favorite customers. He’s always a delight to have.” Star muttered.
“Rosie, don't embarrass the poor thing.” Alastor chuckled.
“I’m only speaking the truth. I just had to meet the new rising star of Hell, you put on quite the performance. Cannibal Town will be talking about it for weeks.” Rosie replied with her sharp grin.
“La La Land puts on a show every Thursday through Sunday. Please come see us, we don’t discriminate against anyone.” Star informed her.
‘Unless you bring those awful love potions in.’ She thought.

“I’ll pass it on, but it was lovely to make your acquaintance.” Rosie stated, “I must be going. Alastor, the gentleman, is escorting me home.” She continued as she looped her arm through his.
“Likewise.” Star replied as her eyes darted between the two of them. ‘The rumor mill is always turning out gossip about them, but is any of it true?’ Star wondered, “Have a wonderful evening.” She continued as she smiled at the two of them.
“You as well.” Rosie smiled back and the two exited the hotel.

“Star! Come get a drink!” Fizzie hollered from the tables. Star trotted over to him and he handed her a red solo cup with a gold liquid nearly to the brim. “Who was that?” He asked as she took her first sip cautiously, “Your lovers?”
Star began to choke on her sip and Fizzie laughed as he gently patted her back, “Oh no, just a good customer of mine and his friend.” She coughed.
“Uh huh, then why are you blushing?” Fizzie teased as he poked her cheek.
“You’re blushing too.” She reported as she poked his cheek.
“I am not,” He replied as she gently pulled her finger away from his face. “I’ve spent enough time with Ozzie to see when lust starts.” He whispered.
“I don’t have time for lust. I have a club to run and a theatre to start.” She giggled as she took another sip from her cup.
“All work and no play makes Star a boring girl, you need to let loose sometimes.” Fizzie stated.
“I know, and that’s what tonight is for. So let’s eat, drink and be merry!” Star smiled then chugged the rest of her drink. “I need a refill.”

“Look at this party animal over here!” Cherry cheered as she jogged up to the group and saw Star chugging, “Let’s play a game.” Cherri announced.
“What game?” Charlie asked as she bounced up to the forming group.
“It’s called,” Cherry began as she refilled everyone’s cup even if they weren’t empty, “See who can get to the bottom of their cup first!” She announced and everyone began to chug.
“Done!” Husk called out, making everyone else groan.
“No, let’s play a real drinking game.” Angel spoke up. “Let’s play, “Dive, Drink and Disco Delights”.”
“I love this game.” Vi added in.

Angel explained the rules as he pulled out a blow up ball that looked like a disco ball. “Okay everyone, we bounce the ball and keep it from hitting the ground. Whoever does has to drink.” He explained with a grin. “Anything goes to get everyone else to drink.” He continued.
Everyone began to relax and have fun, even as Cherri kept spiking the ball straight into the ground to get a few people to drink more. Angel and Vi got her back through. At first Husk was the best at keeping the ball up then started backing away to purposely let the ball hit the ground getting a laugh at everyone.
After ten minutes they decided to change the rules that they had to keep it in the air to keep drinking and if it dropped whoever let it drop couldn’t drink for that round until it fell to the ground again.
As the night went on they began to play other drinking games and started to play “I drink and I know things.”
Everyone took a turn and soon it was Fizzie’s turn. ‘I drink and I know things and now I know how Dumbo felt when he drank champagne. This BeeJuice is incredible.” Fizzie announced.
“I remember that scene! It was the trippiest thing I saw when I was alive.” Angel giggled.
“Really? That?” Cherri gasped.
“It was the 1940’s!” Angel reminded her.
“I don’t think it was that bad.” Cherri scoffed.
“Really? You wanna put your money where your mouth is?” Angel asked. “I’ll get the tape and show it to you.” He continued.
“Why get a tape? Star could perform it, right Star?” Vi asked as she sat up from the couch she had been laying on.
“I think I can, but I need the music.” Star replied from her seat at the bar.
“Angel, hand me the AUX cord!” Fizzie shouted as he made a grabbing motion with his hand as he extended his arm towards Angel.
“Okay but this better be the only musical song though.” Angel warned as he unplugged his phone, stopping the house edm that had been playing.
“No promises.” Fizzie teased as he struck out his tongue as he plugged his phone in.

Within seconds the music began, Star summoned a pink elephant. By the time the trumpet started there were four elephants who all joined together into one huge elephant that then popped.
She began to march around the room leading the pink elephants as the room changed to pink then black and white.
Fizzie began to sing the lyrics as followed behind the line of elephants.

Charlie shrieked then began to giggle and clap. She was completely tanked. By the end of the song there was a thundering of feet on the grand staircase and Lucifer, Ozzie and Bee appeared and took in the sight before them.

“Ch-Charlie!” Lucifer called out as he looked for Charlie who was on the couch next to Vaggie and Vi.
“Dad! Look! It looks like the circus we used to go to!” She cheered as she quickly stumbled over to him, red faced from the booze and delight.
“How much did you guys drink?” Bee gasped as Star and Fizzie marched past them, still into their little parade.
“Froggie?” Ozzie whispered as he picked Fizzie up.
“Ozzie!” Fizzie cheered as he snaked his arms and legs around Ozzie a few times and nuzzled his chest. “We-we should sn-sneak off.” He continued with a wink.
“Do-do you guys not like pink elephants?” Star asked as her voice pitched up an octave as it quivered. Her illusions fading and the room returned to normal as she glanced between the sinners who were all still looking happy and the three Sins who looked completely aghast.
“No! No, we loved the pink elephants.” Charlie soothed her as she quickly flung herself on to Star and began to nuzzle the top of her head. “You’re so soft.” She giggled.

“Maybe it’s time to wrap it up for the night.” A voice suggested from the main entrance of the hotel.

Chapter Text

Chapter 39: Lovely Night

“Maybe it’s time to wrap it up for the night.” A voice suggested from the main entrance of the hotel.
The entire room turned to see Sojo and Alastor standing there.
“I quite agree, Sojourner.” Alastor confirmed with a nod.

“Ah! Party poopers! Come on Sojojo” Vi called out as she slid to the ground from the couch.
“I think Sojo is right.” Lucifer added as the pair joined everyone else in the room.
“Awww!” All the residents including Charlie whined.

“I liked the pink elephants.” Charlie reassured Star as she released her from the strong hug she had wrapped her in.
“See, I told ya it was trippy!” Angel exclaimed as he tried to pick up the scattered red solo cups, but just ended up knocking them over. “Fu-fuuck!” He exclaimed as he knelt down and tried again.
“Trippy, but cool! Star, you did a great job. You should do a trippy Pink Floyd show, it would be so much fun.” Cherri suggested as she knelt down to help Angel, but just ended up laying down on the carpet instead.
“Mh, maybe.” Stella muttered as she saw Sojo shake her head.
“Angel, just leave it. I'll get it in the morning.” Sojo sighed as she went over and picked Cherri up.
“Sojo is right, let's all get to bed.” Vaggie added in as she lifted Vi from the floor.

“We’re not that drunk.” Husk hiccuped as he zigzagged towards the stairs.
“Don’t lie, you can’t even walk straight.” Angel laughed as he followed his boyfriend.
“I told them to be careful. It looks like they drank most of it.” Bee sighed as she went over to the keg and gave it a nudge to feel how empty it was. “Maybe I should have-” She began, but Charlie cut her off.
“No, Aunt Bee, I’m glad you brought it, everyone loved it. Tonight was so much fun. Thankssss.” Charlie then wrapped herself around the fennec fox.
“Aw, you’re getting to be so grown up Charlie.” Bee chuckled as she floated up and cradled Charlie. She then flew over and placed Charlie in Lucifer’s arms. “But not too grown.” She teased.
“Never!” Charlie cheered as flailed her arms and legs.
“Let’s head out Bee, thanks for having us guys.” Ozzie said as he leaned down and kissed Charlie’s forehead. “Drink some water kiddo.” He continued.
“Just as soon as I get her into bed.” Vaggie stated as she reappeared next to Lucifer, having taken Vi to her room.
“Yah, water’s probably a good idea.” Charlie sang out as she was transferred from Lucifer’s arms.

Everyone headed towards their rooms, wishing everyone a good night. Star was putting on her coat when Alastor approached her.
“It’s awfully late, it would be improper for a lady to be unaccompanied in the streets.” He professed.
“How chivalrous of you.” Stella smiled at him as he offered his arm and she took it.
He gave a smile back and escorted her out of the hotel.

Alastor walked Stella all the way back to La La Land with his arm hooked through hers. They chatted about the show and about Hell.
“I’m impressed you seem to hold your liquor well.” Alastor confessed as they strolled down the quiet street.
“Well, I was a guest and I didn't want to get too carried away. I was cutting the Beejuice with soda water from Husk’s bar. His bar is very well stocked.” Star confided.
“Oh, how sly of you.” He grinned.
“It’s the mink in me.” She joked with a small giggle.

“That drone you kicked during the show, are you aware it was Voxtex?” Alastor asked as they approached the shuttered club.
“I am, I’m not a fan. Vox seems sleezy.” Stella confessed as Alastor threw his head back and laughed.
“I couldn’t think of a better word.” He chortled as he patted her arm. “I’ve heard through the grapevine you think he’s untrustworthy.” He continued.
“I do think that, I think that about most news and tv. Both were undeniably incompetent before I died.” She confirmed.
“It seems some things never change.” He muttered as he gripped her arm a little harder.
“It would seem so.” She sighed.

“Your talent translated so well to an open stage it was nearly as wonderful as your normal show.” He commented quickly, changing the subject and not wanting to bring their good moods down.
“Thank you, I was a little worried I wouldn’t do as well in an open air theatre, but I would like to do that again.” She declared.
“The crowd size didn’t worry you?” He asked as he glanced down at her.
“Not at all.” She lied as she grinned back up at him.

“I appreciate you seeing me home. I enjoyed our chat.” She said as they reached the backstage door. ‘It went by way too fast.’ She thought.
“It was my delight.” He replied as he untangled their arms.
She fiddled with her keys and eventually unlocked the door then turned back to him. “Good night Alastor. I had a great time tonight.” She murmured. ‘You should do it Stella. When will you ever be alone with him again?’ She mentally hyped herself up.
“Good night, Star.” He replied as he twirled his cane and tapped it to the ground.
‘Now or never, you might not get this chance again.’ She thought.

Stella opened the door then glanced over her shoulder, she quickly went back up to Alastor stood on her tip toes and kissed Alastor’s cheek. “See ya around.” She quickly muttered as she quickly retreated back to the club.
‘I can’t believe I just did that.’ She thought. She was so lost in her thoughts, she must have not heard him stop the door or his footsteps, notrealizing he had followed her inside.
He suddenly appeared in front of her, she let out a giggly yelp as she stopped.
“Oh, is it like that?” She asked as she danced backwards a few steps. She smiled at him as she then turned and ran away from him again, towards the door.

Again, he was silent as he vanished and reappeared in front of the now shut door. This time she had to side step him to avoid crashing into him as she danced to the side, he stepped towards her.
As if choreographed, they moved in sync trapping herself between him and the wall. He smirked and cocked an eyebrow as he placed his hand on either side of her, caging her in.
She gave him a flirty smile. “Oh, what’s a girl to do?” She whispered.
“What to do?” He whispered as he leaned and kissed her cheek.

The moment was quick, but Stella could feel herself begin to radiate as she blush and gasped at the small gesture.
Alastor’s red eyes felt so intense on her when he pulled away and stared into hers, theyheyseemed to be glowing. his cheshire smile gave her the impression he was like the cat who had got the canary as he whispered, “Good night, dear Star.”
“Go-good night, Alastor.” She gulped, knowing it was audible.
He took a step back, the sly smile still on his face as he disappeared into a wisp of shadows.

“Fuck.” Stella whispered to herself once she let the moment pass.

Chapter Text

Chapter 40: Unwanted Guests

The next morning, the Channel 666 news was at it again. This time, they were set up in front of the empty stage.
“Good morning, Hell!” Tom announced into his mic. “Here, last night, the Hazbin Hotel Hell was treated to a show! For the first time in over a decade, the Morningstar put on a gala. Unlike their previous events, the only Morningstar centerstage was Hell's very own Princess Charlie.”
Tom moved so his back was no longer to the stage, but to the audience. “This massive arena was filled to the brim with sinners. They were subjected not only to Princess Charlotte's wonderful voice, but serenaded by two of the biggest performances in show business: Frizzarolli and Verosika MayDay!” He explained as he gestured to behind him.
“But there was also a newcomer! Featured previously on Channel 666, the brusque owner of La La Land, Star! Could the rumors of her, Frizzarolli and Asmodeus striking up a deal be true?” Tom asked as he moved back towards the stage.

His cameraman shrieked as Tom jumped and turned to see The Radio Demon standing on the stage with a distorted grin on his face.
The cameraman screamed again as the camera crumbled in hands. “My camera!”
‘Shit! Not again! The last one just needed a new sensor and Vox was irked, he’ll be livid that this one is destroyed and by The Radio Demon no less.’ Tom thought. ‘We got some footage but not nearly the amount he wanted.’
Alastor continued to stare at them as he began to tilt his head to the side.
“Sir! Is it true the show was really a cover to rebrand the hotel as a brothel for dyslexic lesbians?” Tom asked as he held his mic to Alastor.
The deer demon stared wide eyed in shock.

“Don’t eat him!” A voice yelled from behind the stunned overlord. The black bear sinner strided over towards the two men crew. “They’re too dumb, they’ll upset your stomach. No!” She scolded him as she finally reached them. “Hi, hello, Sojourner Knight, you’re the dumbest person I’ve met today. Please leave.” She introduced herself as she pointed behind them.
“Go on now, off you fuck.” Alastor politely ushered as he waved his hand.

“Sir, can you answer our question about the dyslexic lesbians? Tom asked as he shoved his mic in the small bear's face.
She was taken aback at his rudeness. ‘Sir?’
At this moment, Alastor decided he had run out of patience. “Oh look at the time.” He commented as he pulled a watch out of his pocket. “It seems I’ve run out of patience. LEAVE!” He commanded as his pupils turned to dials and his antlers began to grow.
Tom and his camera began to cowered and quivered with fear.
“Aht, aht! No!” Sojourner exclaimed as she pointed a finger at him. “Put them away!” She commands.
Alastor just heaved a sigh and walked off.

“We’re about to start deconstruction and it’s too dangerous for fuckwits like you to be around. Leave.” Sojourner explained as she hopped off the stage and began to guide them away.
As Sojourner was returning to stage alone, she saw the rest of the residents stumbling out from the hotel. All wearing sunglasses while carrying water bottles and chewing on bagels.
“Is the parlor all cleaned up?” She asked them as she hopped back up on stage.
“Yeah.” Angel sighed as he sipped his water.
“The carpet took forever to clean.” Cherri complained.
“Wh-who knew Beejuice would be so sticky?” Vi commented as she poured powder hydration mix into her mouth then swigged her water.
“That’s fucking wild.” Sojo commented as she watched Vi in horror.

“What? Is that not how you’re a’ppose to do it?” Cherri hiccuped around a mouthful of bagel.
“No!” She exclaimed.
“SH!” Everyone shushed her at once.
“Toots, I beg you, inside voice please.” Angel groaned as he rubbed his temples and another arm brought a coffee cup to his lips.
“You put the powder in water, then drink the water.” Sojo explained quietly, emphasizing the process.
“Ugh, no thank you.” Husk remarked as he sipped his coffee.

Charlie bounded up to them with Vaggie in tow, both looking as if last night had never happened to them. “Is everyone ready?” Charlie asked.
All the drunks groaned and covered their ears.
“Inside voice please.” Angel repeated as he lowered his hands.
“Oops, sorry.” Charlie apologized.
“Come on guys, the sooner we start the sooner we’ll finish.” Vaggie offered and only got groans in response again.
“Why can’t Daddy Lucifer just poof all this way?” Vi asked.
“We built it, we need to take it down.” Vaggie answered with a shrug.
“You mean I built it, y’all’re just helping because it’s easier to tear down.” Sojo pointed out.

Across town at the club, Lily saw something rare, Stella sleeping in past ten. Around eleven, she got concerned and knocked on Stella’s door. “Stel? You alive?” She asked from outside the door. She pressed her large, black bat ear up to the door to hear a groan in response. She quickly opened the door and went inside the still dark room.
On the side of the bed, closest to the wall, Lily could see a lump under the covers. “Stel?” She repeated as she sat on the edge of the bed, getting another groan in response.
“What did they serve you at that hotel, hon?You smell like a swamp. If you shower, you’ll feel a million times better.” Lily informed her as she placed her hand on the lump.

Stella pulled the covers down and glared at her best friend. “I do not smell like a swamp. Beelzebub was there and she gave everyone some of her Beejuice.”
“Excuse me, what?! Beelzebub was there!?” Lily exclaimed, making Stella pin her ears to her head and placed her hands on top of them.
“Too loud.” Star groaned as she slipped back under the covers.
“Sorry, who else was there?” Lily asked, pulling back not only the covers, but the sheets as well.
“Lily, can this conversation wait until after breakfast?” Stella groaned as she buried her face into the pillow.
“Breakfast? Hon, it’s almost lunch time.” Lily informed her.
Stella just groaned again as she sat up still holding the pillow to her face. “Shower, food, then gossip.”
“Deal, now go bathe, swampy.” Lily teased as she pulled the pillow away.
Stella just stuck out her tongue and dragged herself to the bathroom.

Thirty minutes later, she was at their little round dining table with a glass of water so large it could pass as a vase coupled with an oversize white coffee mug with a calligraphy like black S on it. Lily placed down a plate with a club sandwich, sweet potato waffle fries, and a pickle.
“Feel better?” Lily asked as she sat down between her and Nova.
“Yeah, I’m starting to.” Stella answered as she sipped her water.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you sleep so late.” Nova commented as she cracked open a cola.
“I usually don’t, but even watered down BeeJuice packs a punch.” Stella remarked as she bit into her sandwich. “Oh, this tastes divine.” She mumbled.
“Watered down?” Lily asked as she cocked an eyebrow at her.

“My own doing. Okay, so here’s what happened last night.” Stella explained in between bites of food.
“I thought now that we’re coming up on the slow season, we could branch out. What about doing a musical production in Cannibal Town?” She suggested as she reached the end of her story, ending where Alastor walked her home.
‘They don’t need to know about the kiss.’ She thought as she killed off her coffee.
“I don't know which sentence you just said is crazier, the fact you want to do a production in Cannial Town.” Lily began, but Nova finished her sentence.
“Or the fact you let THE Radio Demon walk you home.”
“The place we all sleep at night!” Lily exclaimed, making Stella shush her.

“When did you two start finishing each other’s sentences? Stella asked as she placed her head in her hand. “He walked me to my job.”
“Since you started abandoning us for stretchy dick, rooster teeth and princess snatch.” Lily answered completely deadpan. “I thought you stopped your tomcatting around.”
“I’m not sleeping with anyone.” Stella groaned as she rubbed her forehead.
“You? A tomcat?” Nova teased.
“When I was alive, men were mice for me to play with..” Stella confessed.

“Is that why you’re in Hell?” Nova asked as she raised a dark thick eyebrow.
“Probably, but let’s not get off topic.” Stella shrugged as she ate her last fry.
“Which one? The one where you lead a cannibal to our door or the one where you want to perform for other cannibals?” Lily asked.
“Is this a new kink?” Nova half joked.
“Why is it always about sex? Alastor is a regular customer of ours, I don’t think he’s going to eat me.” Stella remarked.
“Unless you want him to.” Lily mumbled, earning a gentle swat from Stella.

“I met the leader of Cannibal Town, she enjoyed the show. I think this could be a way to make another connection, to make more alliances.” Stella spelled out for them.
“Oh.” Nova remarked as she looked like she was rolling the idea over in her mind.
“You’re already making connections with the Radio Demon, the Princess of Hell and possibly the Sin of Lust, what other connections do you need?” Lily asked
“One more couldn’t hurt.” Stella stated as she got up to get herself more water and coffee. “As much as I enjoyed working with Fizzie, I don’t know if it’ll happen again.” She sighed.
“Fine, think of the play you want to do and we’ll see if we can get it off the ground.” Lily sighed as she got up from the table.
“Wonderful!” Stella cheered then winced. “I think I need some aspirin.”
“Yeah, I bet. Are you gonna be able to perform tonight?” Lily asked as Stella ran the water to do the dishes.
“Yup, I’ve got to do the last Halloween show. On Monday after brunch I’ll start writing up ideas for Sinsmas. On Tuesday, I’ll start the research on what show to do for Cannibal Town.” Stella informed her.
Lily just sighed and shook her head. “You’re lucky sinners can’t work themselves into an early grave.”
“Nothing in Hell is for free. Hard work will at least get you something here, more than I can say about what was happening on Earth.” Stella remarked.

Chapter Text

Chapter 41: Did you hear?

Ozzie and Fizzie fared better than the others the next day.
Ozzie had cleared their schedules, he looked over his paperwork while Fizzie slept beside him. It was nearly lunchtime when Fizzie finally woke up.
“Ugh, coffee and...bread.” Fizzie groaned as he threw his arm over his eyes.
“Coffee is ready in the pot, I’ll make you some french toast.” Ozzie chuckled quietly as he leaned down and kissed his lover’s cheek.
“That sounds amazing.” Fizzie smiled as he slowly dropped his arm.

After breakfast, they went back to bed, cuddling together as they watched their favorite soap opera.
It was late afternoon by the time Fizzie felt functional. He began to help Ozzie by checking their emails when he noticed an usually high number above the spam folder. He clicked it to see over a dozen emails from unknown sources all with the similar titles. ‘Is this true?’

He clicked the first email from hours ago and watched the video attachment. It was a famous blogger, a red panda sinner Riko, reacting to the short new clip.
“You'll have to listen closely so turn up the volume, but you can hear Tom Trench ask these sinners about the hotel.” Riko explained. She played the clip before she continued, “They don't deny it. So is Channel 666 on to something? Is the infamous hotel rebranding? Could Asmedeous be interested in that little club or could the singing mongoose be their next star?”
“Oz, you’ve got to see this.” Fizzie laughed as he turned the tablet over to his lover.

Ozzie watched the clip and laughed at the question. “What will the gossip rags come up with next?” He handed the tablet back to Fizzie. “Don't get too distracted by that trash. Poor Charlie is going to be so upset by this silliness.” He sighed.
“What if it's not silliness?” FIzzie asked as he pursed his lips and put the tablet into sleep mode.
“Fizzie, we're not turning her hotel into a bordello” Ozzie answered in a no nonsense tone.
“No, of course not, but Star,...”Fizzie continued.
“That's complicated, she's a sinner.” Ozzie reminded him.
“I know, we were talking last night and she wants to do more than just have a club, she wants to open a theatre for sinners.” Fizzie informed him.
“Was this before or after the Beejuice?” Ozzie chuckled as he crossed his arms over his robed chest.
“Before, way before, it was during the half time break. Pride is lacking in theatres, it's true and as sinners it's not like they can go to Greed.” Fizzie explained.

“Yeah, but theatre is Mammon's thing.” Ozzie debated as he rubbed his chin.
“And he's terrible at it! I know it's a tall order but if anyone could fill it, it's you.” Fizzie purred as he laid himself onto Ozzie's chest.
“We shouldn't fuck with Mammon.” Ozzie sighed as he placed his large hand on his lover's back.
“We aren't, we're helping a friend, who happens to be a sinner that loves theatre.” Fizzie pointed out as he gave Ozzie a Cheshire Cat grin.
“That's a big investment. Yeah, she can perform, but can she direct? Staging a cabaret is different from staging a play.” Ozzie asked.
“Why don't we give it a trial run?” Fizzie suggested as he began to wrap his arms around Ozzie's neck.
“Why don't we sleep on it?” Ozzie replied as he felt Fizzie's hands begin to play with mane.
“Alright, we can sleep on it.” Fizzie whispered as he pulled himself up for a kiss.

Tom Trench and the cameraman were summoned to Vox’s office when they returned to V tower.
The news anchor had only been in the office a few times and it still awed him. The cameraman gasped as he took everything in, the large room, bridge, the wall of tv screens that took up the entire wall behind Vox’s massive desk.

“Tom, tell me you have good news.” Vox prompted as the duo crossed the bridge. His tone had a fake pleasantness to it, like he knew the answer to his question and he didn’t like the answer.
Tom just shook his head as his cameraman trembled next to him.
“You sent us to the Radio Demon’s den!” The cameraman cried out.
Tom blinked and within those milliseconds the sinner was dead on the ground beside him, electrocuted by Vox.
The overlord whistled and sharks appeared on the side of the room. “Dinner time!” He called out actually sweetly. They swam around each other close to the glass, looking just as menacing as their owner. One of Vox’s cable-like tentacles appeared from his body then took ahold of the dead body and flung it into the tank.
The pets devoured their dinner within seconds.

Vox's genuine smile morphed back into the sickened one from earlier as his gaze shifted back to one of his news anchors, he slowly got up from his chair then prowled towards Tom. “You’ve disappointed me twice now, Tom. Don’t you dare disappoint me again or I’ll personally remove your masked face from your skull and broadcast it to all of Hell.” Vox threatened quietly as he ran a claw around his face.
Tom gulped as he barely nodded. “Yes sir, Mr. Vox.”

“Good, the audience wants a pretty face when you tell the garbage you’ve been trying to push. Your face isn’t pretty, get another gossip girl. I don’t care if you pull her off the street just make sure she’s pretty. The next time I see your face on the screen, it better be behind your desk. Do I make myself clear?” Vox asked as he placed his hand on Tom’s shoulder and dug his claws into him.
Tom winced as he repeated. “Yes sir, Mr. Vox.”
“Good, you’re lucky you’re still so popular despite your incompetence. Now get out of my office.” Vox ordered as he gestured towards the door.
Tom quickly and quietly left the office.

Once alone, Vox sat back down at his desk and turned towards his wall of monitors. He snapped his fingers and a few images flittered on to the screens closest to him.
A blurry red image he assumed was Alastor from this morning and a few stills of the video he got last night before that otter damaged his drone. “What are you playing at my old friend?” Vox muttered as he stared at the screens.

That night from the right wing of La La Land’s stage, Lily watched as Star and the others closed out their last Halloween performance of the year. ‘Just when I thought she would take a rest.’ Lily thought as she sighed, thinking of the secret she was hiding from her best friend. ‘She already has so much on her plate and keeps putting more on it.’ Lily thought as she watched Star perform Thriller. ‘Why did Diamond reappear now? Was it that stupid news clip from earlier this month?’

The week prior, a familiar face appeared in the club in the early afternoon. Ash had just let himself in to start setting up for the night, Lily and Nova were chatting with him about the interviews they would be doing the next day when the side door opened up and a familiar silhouette filled the frame. The long neck had been a dead give away.
“What do you want, Diamond?” Lily asked as the swan demon glided through the empty room towards them as the front door slammed behind her.
“Can’t a former co-star come by to say hi?” Diamond asked in her high pitched voice. She only stood taller than Lily thanks to the red patent five inch platform stiletto heels. Her shiny nylons were studded with rhinestones and her black and red ombre dress was so short, it barely covered her ass. She was wearing her signature diamond collar with its D diamond pendant and had overdone her makeup yet again. Her dark smokey eyes overpowered her red eyes and her bright red lips only emphasized her large yellow beak.

“‘Former’ is the key word there, you don’t work here, we’re not hiring madams, and we’re close. If you want to catch up, come when we’re open and spend your girls’ money, but I doubt any of the staff would want to talk to you.” Lily growled.
“Such hostility, is it really necessary?” Diamond asked as stopped arm’s length from Lily. “Really, what’s different between what I do and what Star does here? We’re both peddling flesh.”
“It is when you did what you did.” Ash reminded her as he stopped what he was doing. His glare made her take a step back as his tail arched towards her. “And don’t you ever compare what you do to what Star does again. Don’t insult us with your bare minimum intelligence.”
“I’ll admit I’m a little dramatic then and now, but we were all heated in the moment and said things we didn’t mean.” Diamond stated as she flipped her long white head feathers behind her shoulders.
“Yes, but only one of us traded one title for another and is still doing what got us sent to Hell in the first place.” Lily snapped as she stood up. “I repeat, what do you want, Diamond?”

“Another chance, my girls’ haven’t stopped gabbing about this place lately. It seems Star has really made a name for herself. Why don't we talk about a merger?” Diamond explained.
“No! Just because you can sing doesn’t mean your girls can, now leave.” Lily stated as she grabbed Diamond’s upper arm and began to pull her towards the exit.
“You’re not even going to let me talk to Star? Is she too good to chat with the ruffians now?” Diamond squawked as she tried to pull away, but was unable.
“Nah, but she’s too busy to deal with delusional beggars like you. If you come back I’ll have security throw you out.” Lily threatened as she shoved Diamond out the door then locked it.

“Who was that?” Nova whispered as she glanced between her normally calm coworkers who were both visibly stressed out.
“The original Refu-Vee.” Lily sighed as she sat back down at her barstool.
“Her!” Nova gasped, wide eyed as she looked back towards the exit.
“Yeah, it’s a long story, but let’s keep this on the downlow. Hopefully that’ll be enough to deter her from coming back.” Ash suggested as he went back to stocking the bar.
“Why?” Nova asked as she glanced at him. He seemed back to cool as a cucumber self.
“Let’s just say Star didn’t take Diamond leaving well. Please Nova, just let us handle this.” Lily explained as she gently placed her hand on Nova’s shoulder.
“Okay.” Nova whispered.

Chapter Text

Chapter 42: Tea with Rosie

After the Halloween and Hotel special Stella had a lull in her schedule and sent a letter to Rosie. It was over two weeks later when Stella was able to arrange a meeting with Rosie. Rosie had arranged it to be a lunch meeting.
“Really Rosie, a lunch meeting? Testing the poor girl so soon?” Alastor questioned as he waltzed up to his friend, who was arranging the sandwich tray.
“What? They are ‘alternative’ options, I’ve been told the ham and cheese are delicious.” Rosie countered as she pointed out the toasted triangle.
He looked over the large silver tray and yes there were ‘alternative’ options as Rosie called them, but three quarters of the tray still had her preferred options. “Venison is alway an option.” He pointed out as he straightened himself.
“So is liver, but let’s not push it. If she wants to work with my people, she can’t be squeamish.” Rosie reminded him as she took off her apron. “And honestly Alastor, how am I to gauge her with you hanging around? Girl talk can’t involve men.” She continued as she went over to a mirror and checked her perfect hair.

“From the letter she sent it sounds like she’s here for business not gossip.” Alastor stated as Rosie handed him a platter and picked up another filled with pastries.
“Well you know me, I can’t get together with someone as interesting as her and not ask her a million questions, some call that gossiping.” Rosie explained as she led them to her parlor.
“Or pumping them for information.” Alastor countered as he placed his tray down.
“When did you get so cheeky? I’m just curious, but some things you’ll find boring. People are like paintings, every detail is important.” Rosie stated as she pinched his cheek.
Alastor just rolled his eyes in response.
“Now shoo, shoo, I need to get ready for this meeting.” Rosie waved her hands at him before heading off to her bedroom.
Alastor carefully placed his cane in the corner of the room before he waltzed out.

That morning Stella was straightening her rose colored hat when Lily came up from behind her.
“Don’t you think this is a little much?” Lily sighed, Stella finished her fidgeting.
“I think she’ll appreciate the effort.” Stella countered as she stopped and took in the final result of their handy work.
Stella had begged Lily to whip up a new suit for her meeting with Rosie. This one was Victorian inspired. Stella already had a rose colored tie blouse and the hat, so Lily made her a cropped mutton sleeve boysenberry-colored blazer and matching ankle length walking skirt.

“I hope so,those sleeves were a pain in the neck.” Lily remarked as dusted off the perfect sleeves.
“We can use it for the show, dye it darker.” Stella suggested as she made her way out of her room and towards the living room.
Stella picked up her pink gloves. “I’m off. Wish me luck.” Stella beamed at Lily and Nova.

“Break a leg.” Lily said as she leaned against the wall and crossed her arms over her chest.
“Good luck not getting eaten.” Nova laughed from her spot on the couch.
“Yeah, cause we’re not sending a search party.” Lily joked.
“If you’re not back by sunset we’ll assume you’ve been eaten and Lily is now our new Overlord.” Nova quipped.
“You better come back, being an Overlord sounds like more trouble than it’s worth.” Lily stated as she pushed off the wall and handed Stella her small purse.
“Only if you care about your people, so yeah it’ll be a pain for you.” Nova whispered.
“Well, maybe Rosie can give me some tips. She seems to care about her people and likes being an Overlord.” Stella remarked as she leaned over and kissed the top of Nova’s head.
“Just don’t ask her for cooking tips.” Lily protested with a disgusted look making them all laugh.
“I won’t.” Stella giggled then left the apartment.

Stella quickly made it to Cannibal Town. The white picket fence had a cheery sign that greeted her with a blinking eye. Beyond the sign was like stepping back in time, everything looked like it was from the 1800’s. ‘Is this how Rose felt the first time she saw the Titanic?’ Stella thought as she stepped past the sign and into Rosie’s territory.
Stella was hoping the outfit would keep her from standing out too much, but she still felt so many eyes on her as she made her way towards the Emporium, she could hear whispers as she walked past. ‘Just keep your head held high, Star.’ She reminded herself.
‘I guess they don’t get a lot of visitors.’ Stella thought as she stopped in front of the medium size rose colored building. She stepped inside and took in the displays before her. ‘It’s even prettier inside.’ She thought as she glanced over one of the display cases that held delicate wristwatches.

“You’re early, Star.” A voice above Star stated as she glanced up from the display and came face to face with the leader of Cannibal Town herself, Rosie. Under the fluorescent lighting Rosie’s gray skin seemed to have a glow. She had a wide smile on her face that showed off her many sharp teeth. Her large eyes reminded Star of black jade.
“Better early then late, you can’t be late in show biz.” Star smiled back. “Am I too early Rosie?” Star asked as she glanced down at her own beat-up wrist watch.
“Not at all, please follow me.” Rosie answered as she went over to the divider and lifted it for Star then led her back towards the parlor.

They each sat down on cream colored couches opposite of each other. Between sat a warm wooden coffee table that was filled with trays of food and a teapot with a floral print with matching cups. The set up was in front of a stone fireplace.
“Sandwich? Tea?” Rosie asked as she gestured towards the spread.
“Oh yes, thank you.” Star nodded.

“So polite.” Rosie smiled as she handed Star a small plate with a diagonal sandwich filled with ham and cheese and an apple turnover.
“I hope you like chamomile tea.” Rosie said as she poured a cup and gave it to Star.
“I do, thank you for seeing me today. I wanted to discuss doing a collaboration together.” Star began but Rosie held up her hand to stop her.

“Please let’s save the business for later. Let’s enjoy this delightful food and of course each other's company.” Rosie stated as she poured herself a cup of tea.
“Oh, alright. All this does look good.” Star replied as she nibbled on her sandwich.
Rosie served herself a finger sandwich and quickly gobbled it down then dabbed her mouth with a napkin as a bit of blood sipped down the corner of her mouth. She quickly served herself a second one as she glanced up to Star who seemed unphased.
“Did you make these yourself?” Star asked as she sipped her tea.
“Some, but I had help from my shop girls, one of them loves to bake.” Rosie answered. “You seem polite and well mannered, so what landed you hell?” Rosie asked as she nibbled on her second sandwich.

“I’m not really sure. I have theories, my last day on earth was a little chaotic, so it’s possible I did something I don’t remember.” Star confessed as she picked up the apple turnover. ‘I wasn’t expecting her to ask that question.’ Star thought as she kept her gaze on her dessert.
“Why, what happened on your last day?” Rosie asked.
“I was at a protest that got out of hand. Once they launched the tear gas at us, everyone ran off it and things got out of hand after that.” Star explained with a shrug as she bit into the turnover. “This is delicious.”

‘Was the tear gas before or after that cop tried to arrest us? It was before we ran away and they chased us down for us. But did that cop follow us into that alley? I can’t remember, my lungs hurt so bad from that stupid toxin.’ Star thought as she tried to keep her mind from dredging up those moments of time and mental images.
“Oh dear, to not remember is terrible.” Rosie remarked as she placed her teacup down the it’s saucer. “How long have you been here?” She asked.
“Nearly four years, I’ve come to terms with it. Let’s move on to more pleasant things. To me, Hell is a second life, so I do what I didn’t get to do before.” Star confessed her voice returning to its normal cheery tone.

“Hence the cabaret club and the pursuit of the theatre?” Rosie asked as she now picked up the cherry turnover.
“Yes, as we’ve discussed in our letters, I would like to produce a show here in Cannibal Town.” Star reminded her.
“My, that is ambitious. When you aim high, you aim for the moon, dontcha?” Rosie smiled as she popped the whole treat in her mouth.
“You could say that.” Star smiled back.

“Cannibal Town isn’t always welcoming of strangers, especially outsiders. Most of us arrived in Hell together and have managed to survive together. So if you want to work with us, you’ll have to accept our customs.” Rosie explained as she sat very still and looked Star straight on.
“Yes ma’am, who am I to question your customs? Who am I to judge? I’m in Hell with y'all. Honestly, as long as the person shows up and does their part and doesn’t cause trouble I don’t mind what they do outside the theatre.” Star shrugged.
“Not everyone thinks like that.” Rosie remarked. ‘Is this what Alastor meant by refreshing? Her mindset? He just seems interested in her power set which I can’t blame him, a one woman show like her would be good to have on our side.’ Rosie thought.
“I know.” Star sighed as she picked up her tea again.

“Well, please tell me what show you had in mind for our little suburb.” Rosie prompted as she did the same and took a sip of the cool tea.
“Sweeney Todd, it’s a small, but grand show.” Star began but Rosie cut her off.
“We love that show! Although the last person to put it out cut out the music.”
“What?! You can’t have Sweeney Todd without the music!” Star gasped, nearly spilling her tea.
“He was a stick in the mud, but with your ability I believe it would be a hit here.” Rosie complimented.
“I believe so too, I would like to draw up a business contract so we can start on the show. There’s a lot involved with getting a show off the ground and the sooner we start the better.”

“A contract?” Rosie asked as she raised her eyebrows up to her hairline.
“Just a business contract, we can alter it as need be, no souls exchanged, no money even to either party. Just something that states that we are doing this project together.” Stella explains as she summoned a plain contract and a pen. “We can go line by line and negotiate everything from the scenery to the costumes.” She continued.
“Okay then, let’s negotiate.” Rosie agreed with a smile as she moved a few things over so Star could put the contract down on the table. Star didn’t leave until nearly sunset.
When they finally agreed on what they could, Star bid Rosie a good night and headed back to her club. She was barely out the door when Alastor appeared in the room next to Rosie in one of the occupant chairs.

“So, what did you think?” Alastor asked as he picked up the tea pot and poured himself a cup.
“I think you’re a naughty boy.” Rosie chided him as went over to the corner and pulled his cane out from the corner.
“Oops, did I leave that here?” Alastor smiled innocently as he sipped his tea.
“Yes, you did. Just couldn’t help yourself?” Rosie asked as she placed it beside him then sat back down.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Alastor remarked.
“With the right guidance, I believe she would make a fine asset to your collection.” Rosie stated.
“I’m glad you approve.” Alastor smiled at her.

Chapter Text

Chapter 43: A day out

The lull of Stella’s didn’t last long. After the Halloween special, the club closed for the week to give everyone time to rest, the next holiday was going to be another big one, Sinmas.
Rosie had suggested they wait until after the holiday to start their production of Sweeney Todd.
“It’ll be a wonderful show but we do like tradition. We put on a Sinmas Carol every year around the holiday and into the new year.” Rosie had explained.
“Can I come see it?” Stella asked as she wagged her tail.
“Of course dear, bring your whole crew if you want. I’m sure it’ll be a nice change of pace for them.” Rosie encouraged her.

Stella was still planning her own Sinmas performance when Fizzie asked if she wanted to get lunch together one day.
Knowing Fizzie would be dressed up, Stella picked one of her favorite outfits. Her suede hunter green petal hemmed skirt over tan tights and white gogo boots. Her bell sleeve white top had a printed red and green paisley pattern on it. She kept her hair simple, wearing it loose with just a red headband in it and wore no makeup.
When she stepped out into the street, she was greeted by the two toned blue limo, Fizzie quickly opened the door and pulled her inside.
“I thought we were meeting at the restaurant.” Stella laughed when Fizzie embraced her once she was inside.
“Yeah, I also knew you would say no to a ride. I can’t let you walk all that way, especially in those boots.” Fizzie commented as he pointed down to her shiny pleather boots.
“It’s not that far.” Stella countered as they sat up right.
“Hush, you’re in the limo now, so meh.” Fizzie teased as he stuck out his tongue.
Stella returned the gesture.

Fizzie took them to one of the nicest restaurants in the city, Belle’s. “This place is famous for its fried chicken.” Fizzie explained as he helped her out of the limo, looping his arm through hers.
Stella had guessed right, Fizzie had dressed up but for it was pretty casual. He wore striped pants, a pink button up and red suspenders.
“I’ve heard and I’ve also heard the wait list is months long.” Stella whispered as they walked under the awning and towards the door.
“It does, but I dropped a few names.” Fizzie smirked, making Stella giggle as the doorman opened the glass door for them.

The inside of the restaurant had shades of cream and apricots and warm wooden table tops. The lights were in the Edison style, but there was still plenty of natural lighting from the windows.
They sat down towards the back of the place in a light colored booth. The waiter handed them their menu and a glass of water then excused himself to let them decide.

“Everything looks wonderful.” Stella praised as she looked over the menu.
“It does, I’ve tried almost everything but I still recommend the fried chicken, they’re famous for a reason.” Fizzie explained.
The waiter took their order after dropping off two glasses of riesling.
“Thank you for bringing me here, Fizzie.” Stella smiled at him as she sipped her wine glass.
“I figured you could use a break, Star.” Fizzie replied doing the same.
“I am on a break, we’re doing an easy show this week and the next before we start practicing for Sinmas.” Star replied.
“That’s not a break, but even if it was, you need to enjoy some down time.” Fizzie chuckled. “But in all seriousness, are you resting?” Fizzie asked as he moved his hand over the table, placed it over Star’s and gently squeezed.
“I could ask you the same thing, you’re helping run an empire, I just run a club. Thank you for worrying about me, it’s sweet.” Star countered as she turned her hand so she squeezed his hand back.

Their food arrived and they continued to chat, they were nearly done when Fizzie approached the subject again. “I know theatre can be exhausting, especially when you’re the star of the show.” He said as he now sipped his water.
“It can be, but my girls really stepped up during Halloween, so I know they can handle bigger roles and I can step back to do other things.” Star said.
“Like trying to get into theatre?” Fizzie asked as he raised a white eyebrow.
“Yes, something like that.” Star answered, unable to hide her smile.
“Well, don’t keep me guessing, what did you do?” Fizzie asked, grinning back as he propped his elbow on the table then rested his chin in his palm.
“I got the Overload of Cannibal Town, Rosie, to agree to do a joint event of putting on a show together.” Star confessed her grin growing.

Fizzie went wide eyed in shock, he went quiet for a moment as he processed the information. “Cannibal Town?” He asked.
“Yes, she saw our performance and enjoyed it. I thought of a small play they’ll enjoy and Rosie agreed, so after the holidays, we’re going to put on Sweeney Todd.” Star explained in a hushed whisper as she leaned forward cupping her mouth with her hand.
“I see.” Fizzie muttered.
“You don’t think it’s a good idea?” Star asked as her ears lowered to her head.
“ No, I just didn’t think you would get the ball rolling so quickly. I wanted to talk to you about starting your theatre, but it seems you’ve already taken the first steps already.” Fizzie answered.

“Fizzie, if you think it’s a bad idea tell me. I trust your opinion, you’ve been in the business for so long, I would be foolish to not consider your opinion.” Star whispered.
“It’s just not how I would have gone about it, but it’s not a bad idea.” Fizzie explained. “I talked to Ozzie about your theatre idea and he thinks we should see how you manage a show before we invest. Being a producer is different from being the star, believe me on that.” He continued.
“Oh! You want to invest in my theatre?” Star gasped quietly.
“It’s a maybe. A Cannibal Town performance will be a challenge, but it’ll be a good way to show off your other skills.” Fizzie stated.
“So if Sweeney Todd does well, you might invest in starting my theatre?” Star asked.
“It’ll help convince Ozzie.” Fizzie answered.
“Well, no pressure then.” Star remarked as she blew out a breath.
“No pressure at all, just enjoy putting on the show, it’s a maybe.” Fizzie reminded her.
“A maybe.” Star repeated. ‘Well, a maybe is better than a no. I better enjoy this break cause it’ll be the last one for a while.’ Star thought to herself.

The waiter brought the bill which Fizzie snatched up and paid, they finished their wine and left the restaurant.
Fizzie dropped her back off at the club. “I’ll see if I can slip away for your first Sinmas night.” Fizzie said as they pulled back up.
“I hope you can, Sinmas Night will be the last performance. The girls and I are going to see a different show the night after. New Years will be by invitation only, so don’t lose this.” Star explained as she made a golden envelope appear in her hand.
“Oh, I’ll keep that in mind.” Fizzie smirked with a wink and took the envelope.
“I’ll text ya later, but don’t be a stranger.” Star said as she leaned over and hugged him.
“I won’t.” Fizzie smiled as he hugged her back.
Star got out of the limo and headed back inside. ‘That was a great afternoon, we should do that more often.’ Star thought as her tail wagged as she made her way up to the apartment.

Chapter Text

Chapter 44: Christmas

Michael had opted out of attending his niece’s grand reopening party. When he had returned, Charlie had shown him parts of the performance. He had assumed the concert missed the whole point of Charlie’s goal, but one clip made him second guess himself.
Heaven had better singers and better performers, but this sinner had captured his attention with her performance of “Hallelujah”. ‘How can a sinner still say that word let alone understand it? Sing it so openly in front of a crowd like that?’ Michael wondered as he stamped another piece of paper and slipped it into the blue folder and added to the growing pile.

“Is this ready for filing?” Olive asked as she approached his desk. She was still in a simple secretary-like outfit of black pants, flats and a white blouse, even as some of the other angels and winners dressed up in celebration of the upcoming holiday, Christmas.
“Huh?” Michael asked as he glanced up at her. She looked just as she did the day as she was assigned to help him with his filing.
“Is this pile ready to be filed?” She repeated, her tone monotone unchanging, she never sounded upset with him, but she never sounded happy either.
“Oh yes, please, Olive.” He answered as he quickly went to the next file. ‘Does she like this job? Does she find it boring? Most lower angels would love to work for an ArchAngel, but turning a fighter into a secretary isn’t an easy task.’ He thought.

“You seem distracted more than usual today, sir. Is it the upcoming holiday?” She asked as she picked up the pile.
“Yes.” Michael answered automatically as he looked up at her.
“It is the biggest holiday of the year after all. Do you need to leave early today to prepare for the Holiday Party with your brethren?" Olive asked as she made her way over to the filing cabinet.
“I should, but I’m already so far behind on my work.” Michael muttered as he looked over to the pile on his left, every soul he needed to judge.
“You’re so hard working, sir.” Olive remarked. ‘He’s probably one of the hardest working ArchAngels.’ She thought as she watched him go back to work on the file in front of him.

“Mh.” Michael mumbled with a shrug as he stamped the folder for heaven. “Do you need to leave early?” He asked as he started a new pile for filing.
“No, sir.” Olive answered as she made her way back to her desk. “If you're here, I need to be here too.”
“But if you have plans, you should go enjoy yourself.” Michael spoke up.
“I could, but how would it look if my boss is still working and I am not?” Olive reminded him as she sat back down at her desk.
“I suppose you have a point...” Michael mumbled as he went back to his work.
Olive’s words began to ping pong around his head as he tried to focus on the growing pile of folders before him. ‘Biggest holiday of the year, leave early, today, party with your brethren?’ Michael closed his eyes and tried to focus on his breathing.
‘Azreal will have a fit if I’m late.’Michael thought as he opened his eyes, knowing he wasn’t getting any more work done today. “I think you’re right, Olive, we should get ready for the party.” He announced as he stood up from his desk chair. “It’s nearly Christmas after all.” He continued, trying to hide the stress in his voice.
“If you insist, sir.” The secretary replied as she stood as well. “I hope you have a grand time at your party.” She smiled as she gathered her things.
“My party? You don’t attend the Grand Gala?” The Arch Angel asked as he raised his eyebrow. “No sir, we exorcists aren’t invited, Lord Azrael and Adam always thought it was inappropriate for us to mingle with the higher ups such as yourselves. We have our own party out at the training field, it’s fun.” Olive informed him.

The blonde angel looked at his secretary who seemed unbothered by the exclusion. He thought back to all the parties he had attended. He had been so focused at doing what was required of him then leaving that he barely bothered to notice anyone beyond who he knew, those he wanted to see and those he didn’t. He now realized he had never seen a gray hair among the bunch.
“Why don’t you come with me? Adam is no longer with us and his replacement, Lute, will most likely be there, so I don’t see why exorcists can’t come.” Michael suggested as he shrugged on his jacket. “Oh, sir, no, I couldn’t.” Olive protested weakly. “I don’t think I even have a dress.”
“I’m sure whatever you have will be fine. I’ll meet you out front of the Palace.” He insisted as he escorted them out of the office, turning off the lights as they left.
Out in the courtyard, Olive paled as she tried to make her way to her place. Mentally running through her closet trying to think of anything that would suffice for the biggest party in Heaven, she had nothing.
“Olive, why do you look so upset?” A voice asked from beside her. The secretary whipped her head to her right to see the Seraphim of Joy, Emily, beside her. The high ranking angel’s blue eyes stared down into her golden eyes. “Are you okay?” The Seraphim repeated.

“I’m fine, Lord Michael just invited me to the party and I don’t have a dress good enough to wear.” Olive confessed quietly as she looked around the emptying courtyard.
“You don’t! Oh no, I wish we had time to go shopping for you but most of the shops will be closing soon.” Emily gasped as she brought her finger to her chin. She tapped her long finger to her chin before she gasped again. “Why don’t you just burrow something of mine!” The Seraphim grabbed Olive’s hand with both of hers. “Come with me!”
Emily dragged Olive to her apartment which was decorated very girly and a dozen shades of blues and silvers. “Please excuse the mess, I just moved in.” Emily explained as she didn’t stop until they were in her bedroom.
“It’s no problem.” Olive muttered as she took in the room before her. She had barely gotten to see the living room. The room before her was so different then her own, the queen sized bed was covered with a filly comforter with a mountain of matching pillows, there were two white matching nightstands on either side of the bed, one had a bell on top of it. The walls were filled with pictures of Emily with her sister and friends. ‘Is that Abel?’ Olive wondered as she lifted an eyebrow.

“I think this will look great on you.” Emily exclaimed as pulled out a Cinderella blue dress. The tea length dress had a strapless bodice with a large poofy skirt, the entire thing was covered in a light blue lace overlay.
The dress did look great on Olive, even with it now being floor length since she was several inches shorter than Emily.
“Now let's see what we can do with your hair.” Emil smiled as she ran her hands through the exorcist's bob. “I'm thinking a bow!” The seraphim sang out as she floated away towards the bathroom.
Olive bit the inside of her cheeks so she wouldn't protest and risk upsetting the higher ranking being.
Emily returned and plopped a giant silver bow on top of Olive's head. “You look wonderful. Now let's do your makeup then I can start mine.” Emily announced as she went over to her vanity.
“Please Your Holiness, you've already done so much, let me.” Olive protested as she got up from the bed. ‘How dangerous is she with those concoctions?’ She wondered as she eyed the foundation in her capturer's hands.
“Aren't you sweet, if you insist.” The taller angel smiled down at her.

As Emily dolled herself up, Olive tried the mascara and eyeshadow. ‘I guess it looks okay.’ She thought she applied pink lipstick.
“Oh, don't you look cute.” Emily praised as she came over to start her own makeup.
Emily had chosen a white satin jacquard, tea length, A-line dress with a subtle snowflake print. Lace ran along the top of the lace bodice and the cuffs of the puff sleeves.
Even though she had never attended, Olive knew from all the gossip all the higher angels wore white to this party.
“That looks great on you.” Olive complimented her.

“Thanks! I really hope Abel likes it.” The seraphim beamed as she began to blush, or maybe it was the makeup she was applying.
Emily quickly tied a giant bow into her hair and they were off. ‘Maybe she just likes bows.’ Olive thought as she reached for hers.
Emily dragged Olive to the front gates of the compound. Olive had walked past those gates thousands of times; she had even stopped and stared at them a few times. ‘I would never imagine getting to walk through them.’ She thought as they stopped beside them.
“Abel is supposed to meet me here, did Michael say to meet you here?” Emily asked as she began to look around for her boyfriend.

The compound, the mansion and surrounding land was only for the highest of the high, the original angels, the creator and his son.
Even in the distance, the mansion looked beautifully decorated to Olive.

“There you are, sugar lump.” A voice called from behind them.
Emily squeaked as she clapped her hands and flew over to hug Abel.
“Honey bear!”
Abel wore a white linen suit, he looked relaxed but still put together.
Behind the couple, was Michael in a white tuxedo and top hat.
The embarrassed couple quickly pulled apart as Abel noticed Olive looking as uncomfortable as Michael.

“You have a friend with you, I've seen you around.” Abel began as he snapped his fingers. “Please excuse me, dear, but your name escapes me.” He stated sheepishly.
“He's so bad with names. Her name is Olive.” Emily reminded him.
“Nice to meet you again.” Abel said as he held his hand out.
“Thank you, sir.” Olive replied as she tightly shook his hand.

“Olive, I'm glad you could make it. You look great.” Michael complimented as he came to stand next to her.
“Thank you again for inviting sir.” Olive answered, stiffly.
“You don't have to call me, sir.” Michael said as he opened the gate.
“Oh, okay.” She gulped. ‘He looks so handsome in his tux.’ She thought as her eyes ran up and down him.

Behind them the other angelic couple had an entire conversation with their facial expressions. First confessed, then wondering, landing on hopefully.
“Let's go enjoy the party.” Abel smiled as he held his arm out for Emily who looped hers through his.
They led the way up the long walkway with the awkward duo behind them walking shoulder to shoulder.

Chapter Text

Chapter 45: Sinmas
Sinmas soon arrived in Hell. For the whole month of December, the club was sold out. Fizzie came to see the show the second week and even brought Verosika with him again.
Star was still a little surprised that on Sinsmas night that the place was filled not only with sinners, but with hellborn. ‘I didn’t think any hellborn would be here tonight.’ Star thought as she peeked out from the curtain.
Star had offered Sinmas off to anyone who wanted it, but so few had taken up the offer. ‘Maybe some hellborn don’t celebrate.’ She thought as she ducked her back to the other side of the curtain.

“Is everyone ready?” Star whispered as she looked over to the other performers. Everyone was in matching Santa Clause’s dresses. Lily was thrilled that the costumes had been so easy.
“Last show, let’s finish this run.” Ruby, the red squirrel performer, replied as she put her Grinch costume on the rack, waiting for when her and Jade, the cheetah performer, would be performing the number.
“Yeah, I don’t hear ‘All I want for Christmas’ again until next Sinsmas.” Willow, the chinchilla performer, complained.
“Same.” Hazel, the rabbit performer, grumbled.
“Well, you’ve got to sing it one more time.” Star joked as she adjusted her cap.
“Just one more time.” Willow sighed.
“Alright everyone, curtain in two minutes, so everyone get in place for ‘Jingle Bell Rock.’.” Lily announced as she walked up to the group with Nova following.
“Break a leg.” Nova smiled at them.

Star went out to greet the audience. The girls went into ‘Jingle Bell Rock’, dancing together in time as Star transformed the club into a winter wonderland. The crowd was awed, just as every audience was this month, bringing snow to Hell was no easy feat.
Star stayed on stage with Kitty to sing ‘Baby, It’s cold outside.’ Singing back and forth back to each other.
Once they were done, Hazel came out to perform ‘Santa Baby.’

“I can’t believe you jumped to perform that song.” Kitty whispered once they were backstage.
“Why? It’s one of my favorite Christmas songs, although it’s more of a winter song.” Star replied.
“Because it’s a love song, you never do love songs.” Kitty pointed out as she picked up a towel and tapped her neckline with it.
“I really wouldn’t call it a love song, it’s more of a flirt song.” Star shrugged as she picked up a water bottle and took a sip.
“You said the same thing about ‘A Lovely Night’ back in July.” Kitty remarked as she rolled her eyes.
“Cause it is, and I do sing love songs, but you girls seem to enjoy them more.” Star replied.
“If you say so.” Kitty sighed.
Star just rolled her eyes as she turned away from Kitty. ‘Is love really appropriate for a club in Hell?’ Star thought.

Willow sang ‘All I want for Christmas’ next with Rudy and Jade performing ‘Mr. Grinch.’ afterwards. They even staged the scene from the original animated movie. Rudy stole a christmas tree they had set up as Jade sang the song.
Everyone went back out for ‘Merry Frickin Christmas’ to which Star was thrilled it was a hit. They went straight into ‘Sinmas Party’ together and then paused for intermission.

Once they went back on, the rest of the show went on quickly. ‘Last Christmas’ was the opening, followed by ‘Deck the Hall’ and ‘Rocking around the Christmas Tree.’ The last two numbers ‘12 Pain of Christmas’ and ‘Merry Sinmas’ were huge hits.
“It’s finally done.” Star sighed, once she bid the audience good night.
“Finally!” Kitty cheered.
“Let’s go enjoy the chicken and cake!” Nova cheered.
“That’s such a weird combination.” Willow commented as she took off her hat.
“Is it? It's a tradition in Japan.” Nova informed her.
“Japan? Is that where you’re from?” Ruby asked as she tossed her red curls back up into a ponytail.
“I visited every summer growing up but, no, I grew up in America much like the rest of you.” Nova informed them as they made their way back towards the dressing rooms.
Everyone enjoyed the rest of the night. When they closed, Star reminded the crew they were going to see someone else’s show tomorrow.

The next night, everyone met up at the club and headed over to Cannibal Town.
“I can’t believe it got so cold so quickly.” Star remarked as she buttoned up her large green coat. Her breath forming puffs in the air.
“I can’t believe we’re going to Cannibal Town.” Kitty whispered to Nova as they headed out.
“I know, but you’ve got to admit, you’re curious about them.” Nova whispered back.
“Not curious enough to risk being eaten.” Jade added in.

“They’re not gonna eat us.” Lily remarked as she pulled her coat’s collar closer to her neck, trying to bundle up more.
It hadn’t snowed, but the temperature in Hell had dropped after dealing with nearly a 100 degrees fahrenheit almost year around, 40 degrees felt cold to everyone.
“They can’t eat all of us, can they?” Willow asked.
“Probably, but remember you’ve just got to be faster than them.” Ruby pointed out.
“Or faster than the slowest person. Who do you think that is?” Hazel asked as she glanced between everyone in the group.

“Don’t even think about it.” Ash spoke up as he rolled his eyes. He had ditched his normal bartender attire of a white button up and slacks for a more formal outfit of a black three piece suit.
“Oh, then it’s you.” Hazel teased him as she gently ribbed him.
“Is not.” Ash urged quietly as he shoved his hands in his pockets to keep them warm.
“We’re guests. They’re not going to eat us.” Star reassured them.
“More like a guest menu.” Kitty mumbled, earning a glare from Lily.

The group soon arrived at the Cannibal Town auditorium. Despite it being the day after Sinmas, the place was still full.
“Let’s sit in the back.” Lily whispered into Star’s ear.
“There you are, right on time.” Rosie greeted as she waltzed up to the group.

“Good evening, Rosie.” Star greeted her back as she stepped away from her friends. They greeted each other with curties.
“I see you’re dressed normally tonight, but so nicely.” Rosie complimented her as she took in Star’s wine colored burgundy velvet dress.
Star had made everyone dress up in an evening gown or a suit.
“Thank you, you look lovely as well. I think one’s wardrobe should always rise to the occasion whether it’s a business meeting or a night out,don’t you agree?” Star confided as she leaned forward as if telling Rosie a secret.
“Of course.” Rosie smiled in agreement. ‘She is a delight.’ Rosie thought as her gaze drifted back to the group nervously staring at them. “Come on, I've saved seats for all of you up front.” Rosie announced as she gestured towards the front row.
“Thank you so much, you didn't need to go through all that trouble.” Star faked protested as Rosie led them down the aisle.
“No trouble at all.” Rosie explained.

Everyone slowly followed Star as they felt the eyes of the town on them. They took the seats with Rosie, taking the last seat at the end, next to Star.
Star and Rosie chatted until the lights flashed their five minute warning.
Cannibal Town’s version of ‘A Sinmas Carol’ was funnier than the original ‘A Christmas Carol’, with lots of jokes about being cannibals. One of the jokes was the ghosts of Sinmas meals past, present and future named breakfast, lunch and dinner, but the funniest was having Little Timmy die and the cast having him for Sinmas dinner.

During the show, Star kept glancing at her group, especially when the cannibal jokes started, but everyone seemed to be enjoying the jokes. When they served Little Tim up on a silver platter at the end, her group was howling with laughter just like everyone else. By the end of the night, all of Star’s group was glad they came to see the show.
“So, whatcha think?” Rosie asked as she turned towards Star once the actors had taken their final bow.
“It was so funny, they were wonderful.” Star praised as she stopped clapping. “I think your leading man would make a great Judge Turpin.” Star whispered as she placed her hand over her mouth to block others' view of what she was saying.
“I couldn’t agree more.” Rosie smirked.

Star summoned a golden envelope. “For you, I’m hosting a private New Years Party and this is your invitation.” She explained.
“Oh, thank you.” Rosie gasped as she took the small favor.
“I hope to see you there. It’s been a lovely night, Rosie.” Star stated with another curtsy, she then led her group out of the theatre.
On the way out in the vestibule, Ash overheard a child talking to his parents at the show. “You wouldn’t really eat me if I misbehaved, would you?” The child asked.
“Maybe.” The Father replied with a grin.
“I would eat you.” Ash whispered as he leaned down towards the kid, his tail pointing at him.
“I’ll be good!” The kid screamed as he hid behind his mother’s skirt.
The parents chuckled as Ash winked at them. ‘Maybe they’re not so bad.’ Ash thought as he escorted the girls outside into the cold winter night.

On the way back to the club, Star dropped off the rest of her golden envelopes to the Hazbin Hotel.

Chapter Text

Chapter 46: New Year

The day after seeing Cannibal Town’s ‘A Sinmas Carol’, Star sat down with her crew and explained what she wanted to do.
“Have you lost your mind?” Jade, the cheetah sinner, snapped as she stood up from the table that they had been eating at.
“No, I’m in my right mind. If we want to branch out from just a club and into theatre, we need to work with others who have already done a show.” Star stated calmly, even as her tail twitched behind her.
“But Cannibal Town!” Hazel exclaimed.
“You saw the show, it was great.” Lily reminded them.

“Lily, you can’t think this is a good idea?” Jade argued as she looked over to the normally level headed backstage manager.
“I do, everyone last night was very polite, no frothing teeth or lip licking. It seems like a safe gamble.” The backstage manager answered.
“No gamble is safe, that’s why it’s a gamble. What if we hired more security?” Ash recommended as he sipped his coffee, he was back in usual attire.
“I think Rosie would find that insultive.” Star muttered.

“Oh, Hell forbid we insult the Cannibal Queen.” Hazel scoffed.
“Yes, Hell forbid! She’s an overlord and we already have an overlord who will kill us if he finds out about us. We don't need anymore enemies. If we befriend Rosie, she’ll tell her people not to eat us and if she says no eating, her people won’t even look at us.” Star corrected.
“If there’s any overlords you don’t want to upset, it’s Rosie the Cannibal, Carmilla Carmine and Alastor, the Radio Demon.” Lily reminded them as she ticked the names off on her fingers.
“It’s a smart move, and come on guys, don’t any of you want a role in Sweeney Todd?” Star asked as she glanced between her co-workers.

“I think Johanna would be a nice change of pace.” Kitty spoke up.
“Who says you’ll get it?” Willow spoke up as she killed off her coffee.
“Yeah, what if someone else wants the role?” Ruby added.
“Star, are there going to be auditions?” Kitty asked as she turned towards Star.
“Yes, I’m not sure about dates and times yet, maybe the end of January.” Star answered.
“Then let the best Johanna win!” Kitty exclaimed as she stood up, a wide smile on her face.

“Now I think you’re all nuts.” Jade said as she sat back down in her chair and nearly melted into it.
“Can we have bigger parts in the Valentine’s Day show then?” Hazel asked as she picked up another croissant.
“We’ll see.” Star sighed as she poured herself another cup of coffee. “How about for now, we’ll focus on the New Year’s Party?” She suggested.

Star had every employee give one golden invitation to invite someone. Even with their small crew of wait staff, cooks, and stage crew the club was going to be packed.
“Oh I can’t wait! My girlfriend, Holly, has been looking forward to our party since I invited her.” Hazel beamed with a silly grin.
“Brave soul.” Ruby muttered. “I don’t think I would ever bring my significant other here.”
“You would get a S.O.” Willow pointed out, Ruby just stuck her tongue out.
“Why not? It’s just basically a karaoke party.” Star pointed out.

On New Year’s Eve, there were no grand costumes and no script to follow, just a party at La La Land.
Star had wired up the speakers to an entertainment center that could play any form of music from the 20th century.
“I’m so glad we decided to upgrade.” Star beamed at Lily and Nova as they came down from the apartment just before the guests were set to arrive.
“I was starting to think I would have to set the old one on fire for you to get rid of it.” Lily ribbed.
She had kept her hair and makeup simple, she looked a little like Coco Chanel with how simple she kept it. Even her dress she made channeled Chanel. It was 1920s inspired with its silhouette but right above her knees where the dress would normally end, it tucked in before it flared out. The V neckline had ovals of crystal beading dipped to her sternum. The flared skirt had the same beading design. If Star hadn’t seen her whip it up, she would have guessed it took all year to make.

“We just had it since we first opened the bar, before we even became a cabaret. I had so much nostalgia for it.” Star sighed.
“Not all nostalgia is good.” Lily commented.
“Yeah.” Star remarked. “But no need to dwell on the past, let’s force on the future.” Star beamed at her.

Star had the entertainment system playing music until someone started singing at the karaoke machine, pleasant instrumental music floated through the air as everyone entered the establishment. There were plenty of hellborn and sinners alike. All enjoying themselves on the catered food, free booze and karaoke machine. One of the first to sing was Hazel’s girlfriend Holly who was a Himalayan guinea pig, everyone complimented them on what a cute couple they were. She was the first to volunteer to sing. She sang ‘Firework’ by Katy Perry.

Everyone still quieted down and stared when Charlie and her Hazbin crew walked in with Rosie in tow.
“You all came!” Star cheered as she approached the group. Star wore a gray and gold calf-length cocktail dress. The gray dress had a small gold starburst that radiated out from the over Star’s heart and throughout the whole dress. She kept her hair and makeup simple, her makeup was just a gray eye and a pink tinted lip and her hair was in loose waves clipped back with a gold starburst hair comb.

“Of course.” Charlie replied as she smiled down at Star. The princess was wearing a silver suit with blue starry glitter that matched Vaggie’s blue knee-length dress with silver starry glitter.
“We even managed to drag Sojo out.” Angel pointed out as he pointed down to the short bear who was standing in the back of the group. Husk was standing behind her to block her from running away.
Sojo just rolled her eyes as she looked away from Angel and smiled at Star, “Hey, girl.” She greeted, looking around the club. “Nice digs.”
“We even got her to dress up.” Cherri added in, wore a gold strapless mid thigh length dress under her pink cropped jacket. Her hair was down, and curled to frame her face.
It was true, the bear sinner was wearing a shimmery silver tank top and black jeans with silver chucks. Her multi-colored braids hung free with silver bands adorning a few of them. She looked cute in the outfit.

In fact, the whole group had dressed up. Husk and Angel were also in a matching combo outfit. Husk wore a nice suit, but his bow tie and cufflinks matched Angel’s silver tuxedo pink pinstripe dress.
“Welcome to La La Land, Sojo, everyone. I hope you have fun tonight.” Star smiled at her as the group filed past her.
“Why’s it so dirty?” Niffty asked as she scurried past and began to pick up red solos cups, including ones people were drinking out of. The housemaid was wearing a 1950’s style evening black dress. The sleeves went down to her elbow and she wore small black wrist gloves. The tulle skirt puffed out at her hips and had roses embroidered on it.
“Niffty, no cleaning.” Baxter called after her, following behind and giving people their drinks back. He just wore a black bow tie over his lab coat.
‘Is she always like that?’ Star wondered as she arched her eyebrow at the odd couple.

Most of the group took up residence in a large booth in the center of the club. Despite it being a casual party, almost every dancer went over to chat with the group.
“Try to relax, Sojo. It’s a club, not a dungeon, honey.” Vi nudged her. The witch had chosen a wine red spaghetti strapped velvet dress with snowdrop flowers embroidered on it that traveled up from the hem up to her straps. Her choker was made of snowdrops looped together.
“Sojo? You’re Sojo?” Kitty asked as she turned away from chatting with Angel and Husk to look at the black bear sinner. She had come up to chat with them the minute they sat down.
Kitty had worn a two piece silver glittery outfit, the upper half was a satin cowl neckline crop top and the bottom was a ruched maxi skirt.
“I am.” Sojo answered as she looked over to Kitty. “Why?” She asked.

“So you’re the one who punched Fizzarolli for Star when he was being a dick?” Kitty gasped loudly as she got an excited look on her face.
“I did not punch him, I twisted him into a pretzel.” Sojo corrected her.
“It was hilarious to see.” Angel laughed as he sipped his Cosmo.
“We’ve wanted to meet you ever since Star told us the story.” Kitty exclaimed as the other girls began to gather around the table. “We wanted Star to invite you to breakfast, but I think she keeps forgetting.” She continued.

“Breakfast?” Sojo questioned, raising an eyebrow as the other dancers came towards the table.
“Is this her?” Willow asked as she came over to the table, nodding to the small bear.
“Yeah, this is her.” Kitty answered with a nod.
“You should go to their breakfast, it’s delicious. I can go with ya if ya want company.” Angel said to Sojo.
“You should totally come to breakfast.” Willow added in with a nod.
“Come on girls, don’t crowd her, you have your own guests to bother.” Lily stated as she floated up to the group and shooed them off. “Enjoy your night everyone.” Lily smiled at them and floated back off towards the booth she had been at with Ash and Nova.

“My, this is quite a party.” Alastor remarked as he and Rosie hung back from the others as he removed his black tophat.
Alastor wore a dark red and black velvet tuxedo jacket. The lapels were a black satin and the rest of the jacket was dark red velvet. He wore a matching gray tuxedo shirt and vest and a red bowtie. His pants were a simple black slim cut.
Rosie had changed it up with another red and black evening dress. The dress had a transparent sleeve that turned into a cape that flowed down nearly to the floor.
“He’s right.” Rosie added in, grinning widely.
“Thank you, please enjoy yourselves.” Star smiled at them.
‘They both look so beautiful.’ Star thought she watched the two of them make their way over to the corner booth and everyone went on as usual. For the rest of the night, she could feel eyes on her.

After Charlie, the next large group showed up, Blitzø and the rest of I.M.P.
“Well, ain’t this place swanky?” Blitzø whistled as he and others entered the club’s innermost room. His outfit made him look like an imp butler to his boyfriend Stolas.
“Yes. it’s quite lovely.” Stolas agreed as he looked around. He wore a red ruffled blouse and gray pants.
“I can’t believe we’re here!” Moxxie squeed all starry eyed in a gray suit jacket with red lapels and a red bowtie.
“Remember to breathe honey.” Millie chuckled gently beside him in her black and gray form fitting sweater dress.
“Looks different with the lights on.” Loona remarked, earning her a glare from Moxxie. She was in her red pentagram dress. “Dad, I’m gonna go hang out with Bruno and Mickey over there.” She informed Blitzø then headed over to the booth where a bunch of the hellhounds were hanging out.
“Be safe.” Blitzø replied.
Loona just smiled and rolled her eyes as she went over to the group.

“Welcome to the party. I’m glad you guys could make it.” Star greeted as she waltzed up to the rest of the group to shake their hands.
“Yeah, no problem, we’re always done for free-” Blitzø began but Moxxie knocked him out of the way and vigorously shook Star’s hand.
“Thank you so much for inviting us, Ms. Star. After the hotel party, we didn’t get to chat much, so I just wanted to say getting to see you perform that night was amazing.” He yammered.
“Please, it's just Star. I’m glad you enjoyed the show. Thank you for all your hard work that night. I hope you enjoy the party.” Star replied as she let Moxxie continue to shake her arm.
“Oh, we will! Come on bae, let’s get a drink.” Millie smiled as she wrapped her arm around Moxxie’s shoulders and led him to the bar.

“Did Fizz say when he was dropping by?” Blitzø asked, sliding back up to Star.
“No, but I bet it’s hard to get away from a Beelzebub’s party. I bet a Sin’s party is outta this world.” Star replied as she pulled out her phone to open her text messages real quick.
“Her parties can be fucking ragers, but that really doesn’t seem like their scene.” Blitzø shrugged.
“I see.” Star muttered as she tried to imagine a Beelzebub rager.
“Fizzarolli and Asmodeus don’t know what they’re missing, this is the most lively event I’ve been to in ages.” Stolas complimented.
“You’re too kind. I’m sure this is a pittance compared to a Goetia party.” Star sighed.
“Oh no, not at all. Atmosphere can make up for lots of things and this place has an amazing atmosphere. Plus, Goetia parties were always a terrible bore.

Star just nodded in agreement before saying. “Well, this isn’t a rager but I hope you enjoy yourselves.” She then went off to mingle with other guests.

Almost every guest took a turn at the karaoke machine and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, the food and drink.
Even Lily and Nova sang a song.
Nova sang ‘Get the Party Started’ by Pink and Lily sang ‘Lucky Star’ by Madonna.

Near midnight, Star had handed out champagne flutes to everyone. As it got down to one minute before, she stopped the music and singing to turn up the radio so everyone could listen to the countdown. Everyone started to count down after 10 and once they hit zero everyone clapped and cheered.
“HAPPY NEW YEAR!” Everyone shouted to each other and toasted each other. Some of the guests kissed their significant others, some hugged or high fived.

“Happy New Years.” Star smiled at Lily and Ash who were sitting at the bar.
“Happy New Years.” They parroted back.
Star picked up her nearly empty champagne glass and clicked her to theirs. “I think it’s going to be a great year.” Star grinned at them.
“Our best yet.” Lily grinned back.
“Absolutely.” Ash agreed then they all took a sip of their champagne.

After the ball dropped and some more champagne Star was convinced to sing one song for her guests.
She chose to sing ‘I’m Good, (Blue)’ by David Guetta & Bebe Rexha. She took this opportunity to show off her powers a little by turning everything and everyone different shades of blue and making fireworks appear on the walls.

“Now this is a better demonstration of her powers.” Alastor whispered into Rosie’s ear as she sipped her champagne in the corner booth with him.
“I see.” Rosie purred as she watched the crowd react to Star’s display.

It was nearly dawn before Star managed to get everyone to leave the club. She got some sleep, but she was so excited to start the new year and her new plans.

Chapter Text

Chapter 47: Compromise

Star took New Year’s Day to relax with Lily, Ash and Nova, but the very next day went right back to work. The month of January was a jukebox show of 1950’s music, so it wouldn’t be too difficult on the crew as they prepared for Valentine’s Day.
In between all that, Stella planned on making weekly trips to Cannibal Town to plan their show.

So far, every trip to Cannibal Town had been a great success, so Stella hoped her luck would continue.
This time, when they met up, they discussed who would be a part of their production team. To Stella’s surprise this discussion happened over tea again.
‘Well Star, at least you get to socialize a little on top of doing work.’ She thought to herself as she sipped the mint tea.
“Well, I think we can handle being directors, you obviously can handle being the musical director. I don’t think we’ll need a choreographer since there's so little dancing.” Rosie suggested as she refilled her tea cup and did the same for Star.
“I agree, with what little there is, I’m sure we can manage. My costume designer is usually my backstage manager, but is there someone you have in mind for either role?” Star asked as she watched Rosie take a careful sip.
“For costumes no, I don’t know if you can tell but for ‘A Sinmas Carol’ we just used the normal clothing we had on hand.” Rosie confessed as she leaned forward to whisper the fact.
“Oh, no I couldn’t tell. I like that idea honestly, it’ll give it more authenticity. I would like to use Lily as a co-manager. I need her at the club, but I would like her opinion on this.” Star explained.
“Yes of course, that’s understandable.” Rosie agreed. “Walter did our play and I think he would do well for this project as well.” She continued.

“I would like to meet Walter next time then. Going back to the costumes, I think using personal garments will also help with the budget. What we save on costumes we can put towards props and backgrounds. We don’t have to worry about that much in the club, so I think who you used for Sinmas is our best bet. Do you think they’ll do it?” Star asked.
“I believe they would, I can arrange for all to meet you at our next visit.” Rosie said.
“Wonderful, if they agree then we can discuss a budget and a production timeline. After that we can do auditions.” Star offered.

“Auditions? You don’t already have your girls picked out for Mrs. Lovett and Johanna?” Rosie asked, going a bit wide eyed in shock.
“That wouldn’t be fair, maybe there is a hidden gem here in Cannibal Town. I know my girls can sing, but acting is different. They already know they have to audition, no role is a guarantee.” Star explained with a shrug.
“My, how strict of you.” Rosie teased with a small giggle.
“A little competition never hurt anyone.” Star smirked.

After her meeting with Rosie, Star returned to her club for her next meeting. She and the girls were going to be discussing the Valentine’s Day Special.
‘Ugh, we go through this every year.’ Star thought as she groaned, leaning her head against the exit door. She took a deep breath before she went inside.
All the girls were lounging around on the stage waiting for her. “Why don’t we practice for this weekend’s show before we talk about Valentine’s Day.” Star suggested as she began to make her way towards the stairs to change out of her suit and into her workout clothes.
“Oh no, we’re not falling for that again this year. You’ll just tire us out with an extra hard workout so we’ll be too tired to debate. We’re doing it now.” Jade, the cheetah performer, commanded.
“Yeah!” Some of the girls echoed behind Jade.
“Okay.” Star sighed as she made her way over to the group.

“I think we should get to pick what we want to do this year.” Hazel, the rabbit performer, spoke up first and handed Star a list.
“I dunno if-” She began, but Ruby cut her off.
“I’ve thought of cute matching costumes for us, if Lily approved of course.” She stated as she pulled out a sketchbook as always had on her.
“Let me see.” Lily said, holding out her hand.
“Hold on, I had an idea for this year’s show, maybe we could mix it up. Instead of straight romantic love songs, we can have some lustful songs in there, maybe a little heartbreak, and of course something funny.” Star protested, not looking at the list.
“I already thought of some of those, just look.” Hazel announced as Star took the list and opened it.

“Lust? Will we be having some special guests?” Jade asked as she raised an eyebrow.
“I’m not sure.” Star confessed. “Valentine’s Day is kinda Asmodeus’s thing, I don’t think they’ll be able to come, but it’ll give the show good balance. We always have something sultry.” Star pointed out as she glanced at the list.
“Fizzarolli and Verosika have both been back since Halloween, they’ll definitely come to the show.” Nova spoke up. “I think we should do a natural smokey eye look with red lips of course.” She continued as she pointed to her own beautifully done face.
“I like it. “Star approved. “Let’s just hope for the best, maybe isn’t a no.” She reminded them.
“This costume is good, I think we should do it.” Lily announced as she handed the sketchbook over to Star to look at.
Star blushed at the sketch but just nodded. ‘Pick your battles, if the girls want to look like Playboy Bunnies, who are you to stop them?’ Star thought as she handed the sketch back to Ruby.
“You like it?” Ruby gasped looking so excited.
“Y-yup.” Star answered with another nod of her head. ‘I think that is the most risque costume we’ve ever done.’ Star thought.

“Let’s go back, you want to do funny love songs?” Willow asked incredulously.
“Yeah, there’s funny love songs. People love funny people.” Star pointed out.
“I guess.” Willow sighed.
“Okay so what was your plan?” Jade asked, annoyed that this conversation has already gotten so out of hand.

Star explained the set up she wanted to do for the show and set down her list of songs she had picked.
The group together came up with the song list once they had figured out the order and type of song they wanted to sing.
Once everyone was satisfied they went on to practice for that weekend and for Valentine’s Day

Chapter Text

Chapter 48: Valentine’s Day

With Stella’s busy schedule January flew into February. She met with Rosie again at the end of January to meet with the production crew who would be making their backdrops and props. The first week of February they began their Valentine’s Special that would run all month long. Stella was thrilled to see Angel and Husk come opening day, followed by Charlie and Vaggie the next.

On Valentine’s Day itself the club was filled to near capacity. Stella got into her costume early and had Nova done her hair and makeup in a way that kept to the simple smokey eye and red lip idea, each girl got to pick their hairstyle. Stella had chosen a wavy 1930’s hairstyle. Once that was done, she made her rounds to check in on everyone before heading backstage.

“How are the desserts looking?” Stella asked as she sniffed towards the rose water and chocolate strawberry cupcakes cooling on the counter.
“Everything is going well, Star. The spaghetti is ready to go and the steak frites are going in now.” Irvine, the imp head chef answered. “Go check on the bar.” He continued as he shooed her out.
“Okay, okay, jeez.” Star sighed as she went towards the bar.

“How are things going Dewey?” Star asked as she approached the bar. They had finally found a second bartender that met Ash’s higher standards and Star’s background checks.
“Th-things are going great Miss. Star.” Dewey, the mallard duck sinner, answered with a stutter and a blush.
“Relax, you’re doing great. Is everything ready for the Head over Heels drinks?” Star asked as she gave him a smile.
“Y-yes ma’am, would you like one?” Dewey asked as he put a glass on the mat.

“Star usually doesn’t drink before shows, newbie.” Ash informed him as he walked up behind the Dewey. “We're gonna need more strawberries, can you go grab them from the kitchen?” Ash continued as he handed a container to Dewey.
“Yes sir.” Dewey replied as he took the container and quickly went off to the kitchen.

“Is the poor kid still nervous? It’s been over a month since we hired him.” Star asked as Ash poured her a glass of water.
“Only when you’re around, especially in that costume.” Ash smirked, making Star choke on her water.
“Ash, don't tease me, this costume still makes me uncomfortable. It's nearly a bathing suit even with the small changes I made.” Star coughed.

Every girl had made small changes to the agreed upon costume. The original costume Ruby had made was a red, strapless, corset bodysuit with a sweetheart neckline with a satin sash that laid over their hips and opera length cream colored gloves. Star had added satin cap sleeves and made the sash more of a skirt and wrist length gloves.

“It looks great on you, all of you. He’s great with the customers, I’m sure he’ll get used to working with all these pretty girls soon enough.” Ash remarked as she handed back her glass.
“I don’t think anyone ever gets used to it.” Star chuckled then headed backstage.
“Ain’t that the truth.” Ash muttered as he put the glass in the mini dishwasher behind the bar.

Backstage, Star checked on the girls. “Is everyone almost ready?” She asked as she checked her watch, they only had about 20 minutes until the show was about to start.
“Almost.” Nova called back. She was putting the last touches on Jade’s makeup.
“How crowded is it?” Jade asked as her ears twitched towards Star’s voice. Jade had added bedazzling to the sweetheart neckline of her outfit. She had kept her spotted hair long and straight.

“It’s a full house.” Star answered as she glanced back over her shoulder towards the closed curtain.
“Nothing we’re not used to.” Lily reminded them with a smile as she held her hand out towards Star.
“If this continues, maybe we’ll need a bigger club on top of a theatre.” Star smiled as she took off her watch and handed it to Lily.
“One big dream at a time.” Lily teased as she pocketed the watch.

Twenty minutes later, the house lights dimmed and Star sauntered onto the stage and up to the old fashioned mic that stood in the corner of the stage. There was some clapping and whistling as she smiled down at the crowd.
“Good evening ladies, gentlemen, and others.” Star greeted in a sultry voice. “As always we have a phenomenal show for you tonight but I believe tonight’s show is just a little extra special. We hope you love it and leave you lusting for more.” She continued.

There were a few more whistles and more clapping as she disappeared back behind the curtain. They let the audience wait a little longer than normal before they went into their first number.
It was a group number with all the girls singing ‘Stop in the Name of Love.’
The girls sang and danced together, they held their hands up in unison, snapping their fingers as they swung their hips and pranced around the stage. Star opened the song, then Willow and Ruby each took up a section of the song.
Star transformed the stage and club into a simple kaleidoscope of pinks, reds, whites and blacks. The words ‘STOP’ and ‘THINK IT OVER’ displayed on the walls of the club. She made a simple wooden door then a street.

The music had barely stopped before the audience began clapping. Star went back over to the mic as the others went backstage. “It seems you liked that number, now let’s see how you enjoy this one. Please feel free to get up and sway with me on this one.” Star smirked.

A trumpet struck the first few notes of ‘Sway’ and the audience began to make their way towards the dance floor. As Star sang she ‘danced’ with the mic, caressing it, pulling it closer to her body then pushing it away. The scenery grew out from around her. The stage and dance floor took on a beach appearance, hibiscus flowers floated across the walks and floated down through the air to land on the tables.

The audience clapped and whistled. “I hope we’ve left you hungry for more.” Star said then left the stage.
Hazel had doubled up on the transparent skirt so it looked like a tulip skirt.

Hazel, the rabbit singer, came out next and performed ‘Hungry Eyes’. The audience began to slow dance to the song. The stage, and dance floor shifted from colored to black and white and back. As she sang, Hazel slowly began to disappear until only her large red and pink eyes were left, she would slowly reappear again as she continued.

Once she was finished she got a ton of applause. She took a small bow then left so Jade, the cheetah diva, could come out in her bedazzled costume to perform her song, ‘Exs and Ohs.’ The drums began and the stage and club turned into a desert. The state of California and the U.K. appeared as she sang.
Jade held her fingers up as she counted and made a running motion with her fingers as she swayed with the music. The dance stayed full through her song and when she was done they clapped and whistled for her.

Then Kitty came out, she had left the costume as Ruby had designed, she made her headscarf match the hip scarf. Kitty performed ‘Honey Honey’. The place went from a desert to a tropical paradise, waves crashed behind her on the shore.

The next song was the first duet between Willow, the chichilia and Ruby the squirrel performers . They were performing the song ‘We’re Just Friends’ and the musical number ‘I Love You Because.’ Ruby took the role of Diana and Willow took the role of Jeff during the song. They strolled onto stage arm-in-arm as the stage turned into a New City Street. They wrapped each other up in their arms and winked at the audience who had stopped dancing to watch the performance.

They would separate then dance back together as they sang. At one point they took each other's skirts off causing the audience to holler. They began to twirl the skirts as they high kicked back across the stage. The audience went wild as they ended the song. They took their bows and left the stage giggling together.

The stage went dark as Star and Kitty came out for the next song. The stage transformed into a forest, fog accompanied the actors as they stumbled out onto the stage. Star and Kitty held each other tightly then kissed each other before they began to sing ‘As Long as You’re Mine.’

They held each other throughout the song and found moments to add more quick pecks on the lips but as Star said the last line of feeling wicked, she grabbed a hold of Kitty’s head and gave her a long passionate kiss causing the audience to go wild.
A gruff voice yelled out “Touch her boob!” unclear at which one he was yelling at.

Star and got up from their knees and went over to the mic in the corner breathless. “Thank you, we’ll be taking a quickie- I mean quick intermission. So please enjoy the dance floor, the kitchen, and bar. We won’t leave you waiting for too long.” Star announced with a wink then they disappeared behind the curtain and the lights came up.

Chapter Text

Chapter 49: Not Beating the Allegations

Sojourner Knight, the bear resident of the Hazbin Hotel, had never been so happy to get an emergency repair call. She really needed to get out of the hotel for the day, especially after the ‘surprise performance’ she got that morning when she went into the dinning room with her morning bowl of cereal. She had been hiding out in her workshop since breakfast, eating her hidden snacks and listening to loud music.

The high pitched nasally voice had explained he needed a track light fixed. “It simply won’t do anything, toots. It won’t turn on, let alone move or swivel.”
“Yeah, I can fix that. When do you need it by?” Sojo asked as she opened the calendar app on her phone to schedule the appointment.
“Can ya do it right now? I need it for the show.” The voice asked.

Sojo stared at the empty day. “Yeah, but it’ll be a rush charge. I’ll have to see how damaged it is before I can quote you anything.” Sojo explained as she grabbed Hot Mic.
“Yeah, yeah, no problem doll face.” He replied then began to rattle off the address.
“I’ll be there in an hour.” Sojo said before he hung up on him.

“Well, let’s go. We have a job to do. Hopefully, it’s a long one like last time.” Sojo told Hot Mic as she placed him on her waist. She quickly ran to her room to grab her earbuds, covering her ears to try and block out all the squeaking that was coming from nearly every room in the shared hallway.
‘I know what to get everyone for Christmas or Sinmas or whatever they call it down here.’ She thought as she popped in her earbuds before leaving her room. “Why is it always Valentine’s Day?” She muttered as she thought back to a few years ago when her friend, Eggy’s refrigerator and oven fried due to a very old and very melted breaker box.

She hopped into her van, punched in the address and followed her GPS. She pulled up to a building that looked familiar. “La La Land?” Sojo muttered as she got out of the van. “It was a man’s voice who called, an annoying one, but a man nonetheless.” She continued as she strapped Hot Mic to her waist.
“I thought Star had mostly women working for her.” Sojo puzzled as she grabbed a ladder out of the van and made her way towards the club’s closed entrance.

“Hi, I’m Sojourner Knight with Devil Dog’s Mechanics and Electrical Repairs, I got a call about a bad light.” She introduced herself to the pair Hellhounds guarding the door.
“I don’t know anything about a repair, what about you, Bruno?” The chow-like hound asked as he turned to his partner, a rottweiler hound.

“Nope, Ash would know. Though, it’s not like him to drop the ball like this.” Bruno replied as he reached behind him and opened the door. “Go to the bar and see Ash, he’s the scorpion behind the bar. He’ll know where you need to go.” He explained as he held the door open for Sojo.
“Ash at the bar, thanks love.” Sojo repeated back as she picked her ladder back up and headed inside.

Inside, she found the place was packed, but everyone moved out of the way as she made her way up to the bar.
“A ladder sinner? Well, there’s a famous TV head overlord, so stranger things have happened. What can I get you and your date, sugar honey?” Dewey asked as he waddled up to Sojo.
“Date? Sugar honey?” Sojo questioned, her face contouring in confusion. “Sir, this is a ladder. I’m here for a repair.” She continued.

“Uh, we-well a pretty thing like yourself here without a date.” Dewey stuttered as he glanced between her and her ladder.
“I’m here for a repair.” She repeated. “I was told to talk to Ash, are you Ash?” She asked. “Nope, you are not. You are a farfetch’d.” The bear mutters.
“I’m Ash.” A deep voice answered as the head bartender approached the pair. “Dewey, go help that couple over there.” He ordered as he nodded towards a couple over by the register.
“Yes, sir!” Dewey answered as he scurried over to them.

‘Well, it wasn’t him on the phone.’ Sojo thought as she looked over the tall sinner before her.
“I heard something about a repair job, Sojo?” Ash commented as he rested an arm on the bartop.
“Yeah, I got a call from a high pitched nasally male voice, sounded like someone put gravel and an accordion in a blender.” Sojo described as she leaned her ladder against the wall. “Said one of your track lights wasn’t working.” She continued. “Have we met?”

“We all know who you are, Slugger.” He grinned.
“I didn’t punch him!” She huffed as she rolled her eyes.
“That voice doesn’t sound like anyone here. Are you sure you’ve got the right address?” He asked as he scratched the back of his head.
“This is the address they gave me.” She answered as she glanced around the place.
“Maybe they got it wrong, but there’s nothing broken here.” He informed her.

“Oh, bummer.” Sojo sighed as she leaned against the bar.
‘She wants to work on Valentine’s Day?’ Ash thought to himself as he glanced back to her ladder. “Why don’t you stay for the show? It’s one of their best.” He suggested as he nodded towards the stage.
“I didn’t pay the cover fee.” She whispered as she glanced back towards the entrance.

“On the house, as a thank you. The cooks whipped up some great food and we have some wonderful drinks tonight.” He offered as he handed her a mini dark pink menu. One side had the food specials and the other had the drinks.
“Can you make any of these virgins?” She asked as she glanced up from the menu.
“Yup, no problem. What are you thinking?” He asked.
She put in her order and sat in the corner to people-watch until the show started.

Sojo enjoyed the show’s variety of love songs and genres.
“So are you staying for the second half?” Ash asked as he came over and refilled her virgin strawberry daiquiri.
“Yeah. I wasn’t expecting that opener, or that closer. Damn, those two were dedicated to the bit.” Sojo commented as she took a slow sip of her drink.

At the booth closest to her corner of the bar, Sojo heard a commotion, it sounded like a couple fighting.
“I knew they were lesbians!” A familiar voice called out.
“Shush, Tom, you idiot! We’re surrounded by the gays.” A condescending voice snapped back.

Sojo leaned towards the booth to see Katie Killjoy and Tom Trench. They were too busy bitching at each other to notice her spying on them.
She waved Ash back down and whispered to him. “Hey, would Star want Vox’s idiots here?”
“Absolutely not, who let them in?” Ash growled as he picked up a walkie talkie from under the bar.
“Hey, we got two perverts who we need to get out now, booth 19.” He spoke into the device.
“Roger, roger boss.” Bruno replied back.
Within minutes, the news team was thrown out of the club.

“Even intermission was entertaining.” Sojo joked to Ash as the lights began to dim for the second act.
“It’s never dull around here.” Ash chuckled as a waiter sat down a plate of steak frites in front of her.
“I bet.” Sojo chuckled, popping a potato in her mouth. It was cooked to perfection with a crunchy exterior and hearty interior. The salty flavor was light and complemented the medium rare steak bites that were seasoned beautifully.‘I need this spice blend, it’s delicious!’

Chapter Text

Chapter 50: Love by Chanel and Subtext by Calvin Klein

After the intermission, Star came back out on stage. “I hope everyone enjoyed their breather because now it’s time to get back down to business.” She smiled at the crowd. “Let’s start with one of my favorite numbers tonight, ‘Kiss Me’ sung by our wonderful doll, Hazel. Remember, dancing is highly encouraged tonight.” She continued as the curtain opened.
Star disappeared off stage as Hazel glided on and began to sing, the stage and dance floor transformed into a grassy field. The ceiling and walls took on the appearance of a starry night sky.
“Strike up the band and make the fireflies dance.” The rabbit cooed as fireflies began to float around in the club’s air.

One even landed on Sojo’s paw then flew away.
As Hazel, the rabbit singer, went on, an old tree house materialized behind her. “So Kiss me.” She sang, getting softer with each rendition until she was whispering, she winked out at the audience as she finished.
The couples stopped their dancing to give her a round of applause.
“Thank you, and next is Jade singing ‘I would do anything for love’.” Hazel announced as she strutted over to the mic.

Jade, the cheetah diva, sauntered on to stage once Hazel left the stage. The stage transformed as she entered, one half was turned into a cemetery and the other half a forest. Jade stood at the center of the stage where the cemetery hill began to turn into the forest’s edge.
Jade began off strong and stayed strong. “Some days it don't come easy! Some days it don't come hard!
Some days it don't come at all, and these are the days that never end!”
“Some nights you're breathing fire!” She sang and made it look like she was breathing fire!
“Some nights you're carved in ice!” She continued and she turned to ice then shattered to reveal she was perfectly fine.

She continued on. “And maybe I'm crazy! Oh, it's crazy and it's true! I know you can save me, no one else can save me now but you!
As long as the planets are turning! As long as the stars are burning!
As long as your dreams are coming true! You better believe it”
Above them the ceiling turned into images of Mars and Saturn then just turned into a starry sky with bright stars.

She was nearly done when she got to her favorite part. “And some days I pray for silence!” She made praying hands then covered her ears.
“And some days I pray for soul!” She put her hand over her heart.
“Some days I just pray to the God of Sex and Drums and Rock 'N' Roll!” She called out as she held the sign of rock and roll. She paused to let the audience cheer.
When Jade was done the audience stopped dancing and cheered her name as she went over to the mic. “Next is Ruby performing ‘I Won’t Say I’m in Love.’

Ruby, the squirrel performer, then pranced on stage with a smile on her face. The squirrel immediately went into her song. The stage morphed into a Greek garden.
Once she reached the second verse, Star, Kitty and Hazel appeared at the edge of the stage and sang the Muses’ lines.
“You swoon, you sigh!
Why deny it? Oh-oh!”
They had just wrapped sheer fabric over their red dresses to make themselves look like the muses.

Ruby continued on. “No chance, no way, I won't say it, no, no!”
The Muses sang back.
“Give up, give in
Check the grin, you're in love.”

They went back and forth until they reached the end.
“Oh! At least out loud, I won't say I'm in love.” Ruby sang out.
The audience applauded as she made her way over to the mic. “Thank you, coming up next is Willow singing ‘No One Needs to Know’.” Ruby announced.

Willow, the chinchilla singer, came out on stage with an acoustic guitar as the stage turned into a wooden porch.
“Am I dreamin' or stupid? I think I've been hit by cupid, but no one needs to know right now.” Willow sang out as she strummed the guitar.
“Hell yeah, Shania Twain!” An audience member hollered. The audience began to country swing dance through the whole song.

Once Willow was done, the audience whistled for her. She smiled and waved as she made her way over to the mic. “You know her, you love her, for your enjoyment is Star with ‘You Make Loving Fun’.” Willow said as she gestured towards stage left.

Willow quickly disappeared as Star appeared. “Alright everyone, I hope you enjoy this one.” Star said before she began her song.

As she sang, the stage, dance floor, and entire club seemed like it went back in time to the 1970s.
The audience enjoyed the song, they danced throughout and cheered when she was done.
“Don't, don't break the spell, it would be different and you know it will.
You, you make loving fun
And I don't have to tell you, but you're the only one.” Star sang as she swayed gently from side to side.

“Thank you, thank you, we have just a few more performances, so please welcome Kitty back to the stage to perform ‘The Way You Make me Feel’.” Star announced once she was finished. She clapped along with the audience as Kitty came on stage.
A few audience members whistled as someone shouted. “Woot! Michael!”

Kitty had barely waited for Star to leave before she began. “Hee Hee!” The drum began and the stage morphed into a city street.
“The way you make me feel! You really turn me on! You knock me off of my feet now, baby! My lonely days are gone. Ain't nobody's business, the way you make me feel!” Kitty cooed as she shuffled and danced around the stage like Michael Jackson.

The audience just grooved to the music as she performed at the end they stomped, clapped and whistled for her as she made her way over to the mic.
“Okay everyone, we’ve got one last number for y'all, but we saved the best for last.” The calico cat announced as the rest of the girls returned to the stage. They closed out with the finale of ‘Save the Last Dance for Me.’

Each girl got a line in the song and danced with each other as they performed. The crowd copied the girls and began to waltz together. The entire club turned into a beautiful moonlight garden party. The walls filled in beautiful red roses as the stage and dance stayed the same and the lights took on an otherworldly blue glow.

When the girls finished, everyone stopped and gave the loudest and longest round of applause of the night. They took their bows and left the stage except for Star who went up to the mic. “Thank you all for coming tonight. I hope you had as much as we did. Please stay and enjoy the dance floor, bar and kitchen. Happy Valentine’s Day.” Star purred with a wink.
She took her last bow and left the stage.

Back in the dressing room, all the girls were giddy as they refreshed their makeup and checked their hair. “I hoped Holly enjoyed the show.” Hazel smiled as she put her lipstick away.
“After how you performed ‘Kiss Me’ how could she not!” Ruby praised as she wrapped a red curl around her finger to give it back some bounce.

“You want to talk performance, you and Willow knocked them dead in the first act. That song was so funny! I thought you were insane when you both first recommended it.” Kitty chimed in as she adjusted her head scarf.
“What? It’s a funny song.” Willow added in.
“And fun to perform.” Ruby smiled as she released her curl.
“Yeah, it looked like a lot of fun.” Jade commented as her yellow eyes darted between her fellow dancers.

“It really shook them up, now girls, don’t spend all your time with the customers tonight. Enjoy yourselves, make a round, then clock out if you want. You got it Hazel?” Star asked as she smiled at her blushing coworker.
“Yes, Star.” They all replied.

Chapter Text

Chapter 51: The Beetle

As the curtain closed for the last time, Sojo stood up from her bar stool and clapped for Star.
“That was a great show.” Sojo smiled as she began to gather her things. “Thanks for keeping me company, Ash.”
“There you are, toots!” A high pitched nasally voice said as it got closer to her.

‘The accordion in the garbage disposal?’ Sojo thought as she looked up and saw a beetle sinner. He wore a black, blue, and purple tuxedo jacket with fancy joppers. He was just as tall as her, but much skinnier, barely thicker than a twig.

“I’ve been looking for you all night, toots.” The Beetle continued as he looked over her.
‘You obviously weren’t looking very hard.’ She thought as she strapped Hot Mic back onto her hips.
“Why are you in that, doll?” He asked as he gestured towards her green coveralls and tan boots. “It don’t matter, you’re still beautiful. The name’s Gilbert Beetle, I’m the one who called you.” He informed her.
“Oh, I didn’t realize you worked for Star.” She commented, ignoring his comments about her appearance, she had heard it all before.
“He doesn’t.” Ash deadpanned, narrowing his eyes at the man.
“What? Then what needs fixing?” She asked, looking confused at the loud stranger.
“What needs fixing? Why my heart! I need you to fix my heart. Call me TinMan and, babydoll, you’re my Dorothy." Gilbert cried out as he got down on one knee in front of her.

“Sir, I’m an electrician, not a surgeon.” Sojo replied. “And a couple of things: A. Dorothy didn’t fix anything, she committed manslaughter and theft. B. She was closer to the Scarecrow than the Tinman, which you are clearly the former in this situation cause you’re fucking clueless. And C. Why did you call me if you don’t work here?” Sojo snapped as she listed these items off on her paw.
“Oh doll, don’t be like that.” The Beetle cooed as he grabbed her hand. “I just want to give you a fairytale.” He continued as he tried to kiss her hand.

“AY! YO!” Sojo shouted as she ripped her hand away from him. “Don’t put your lips on me, asshole!” She snarled at him.
Ash raised his tail high in the air ready to strike. “Back off!” The scorpion warned him.
Star heard the commotion from across the club and quickly made her way to the bar. “Sojo?” Star asked as she approached the situation. “What are you doing here?”

Star took in the scene before her. Sojo is in her green coveralls with a tool pouch and ladder, nearly backed into the corner by a beetle sinner and Ash on the other side of the bar ready to strike the beetle.
‘Green coveralls? A tool pouch? Those look so familiar. She’s probably not here for a date but nothing’s broken.’ Star thought as her eyes darted between the trio before settling on Sojo again.
“I’m here because this fuckface called and said you needed your lights fixed! Fun fact: He’s a liar and just wants to put his mouth on me instead.” She glares at the beetle. “You don’t even go here!”

Star had to bite back a chuckle, she took a deep breath before she formed her response. “So you’re telling me that this man,” Pointed to the beetle. “Lured you here under false pretenses to get a date with you?”
“Hey now! When you put it like that, you make me sound like a bad guy.” The Beetle argued as he got up on his feet and straightened his jacket and turned his nose up.
“Cause you are.” Ash, Sojo and Star all said in unison.

“How rude! Is that how you really see me, toots?” Gilbert turned to Sojo as he clenched his chest dramatically.
“Who are you!?” She snapped as she took a step back from him.
“Aw, you’re breaking my heart, dollface.” He sniveled as he attempted to make puppy dog eyes at her.
“Ugh, fuck off!” Sojo scoffed as she shoved him away.
“Oh, you got some fight in you, I like that.” He purred as he wiggled his eyebrows at her.

“That’s it! You’re done.” Star growled as she yanked him away from Sojo by his collar and placed one of his arms in an arm lock behind his back. Behind her, Star could hear the crowd gasp. Patrons part ways to give the mink and beetle space to move. ‘Well, this isn’t a good look for the owner.’ She thought.

“Wh-what? Wa-wait!” He protested as he tried to turn and look at Star but could only see her snarling muzzle full of frothing teeth and glowing neon yellow eyes.
“Aw, demon face.” Sojo cooed affectionately.
“That’s not good.” Ash whispered to Sojo.
“Nah, it’s fine. She made that face at Lucifer a while ago.” Sojo shrugged.

“The fuck you mean? I’ve only seen that side once!” Ash informed her. ‘Diamond was lucky to leave alive that day.’ He thought.
“Really? I thought she made that face all the time.” Sojo remarked.
“Wha?” Ash questioned as he stared at her in confusion.

“I never want to see your fugly mug in my club again.” She snarled quietly as she frog marched him towards the exit. She kicked open the doors, scaring her bouncers on the other side.
“You’ve got it all wrong, baby!” Gilbert pleaded as Star threw him out into the street.

“If you ever see this fucker in line for this club again, eat him!” Star ordered her bouncers.
The two hellhounds looked at Star, each other, then at the beetle. They snarled at him, showing their full set of teeth.
The beetle screamed then scrambled off the pavement and ran off into the night.

It was a long minute before Star reappeared at the bar, the crowd still giving her space. “Shots for everyone!” Star announced to the crowd with a smile back on her face, the crowd cheered loudly.
“Shots?” Ash questioned as Star turned towards him.
“Yes, well of course. Can I have a shot of Casamigos?” Star asked as her eye began to twitch.
“Okay, boss.” Ash sighed as he poured her the shot.

Star took the shot quickly then stepped aside so the customer could order. “So Sojo, other than the creep, how's your night been?” She asked.
“Oh great, you put on a great show! I really enjoyed it.” Sojo answered as she looked at her wristwatch.
“I should head back, they should have tired themselves out by now.”
Star just chuckled to cover up her confusion and shook her head. “Well, I’m glad you liked the show. Have a safe trip home, good night Sojo.”

“Good night Star.” Sojo replied as she picked up her ladder and headed for the exit.
“Let me walk you to your van.” Star offered.
“Trust me, I’m okay.” Sojo reassured her as she pulled a soldering iron from Hot Mic.
Star bursted out laughing at this. “Okay, I believe you.”

The rest of the night was thankfully uneventful, as a sorry for putting Ash on the spot, Star offered to close down the bar, so he could leave at a decent time.
“Thanks, Star.” Ash yawned.
“No problem, I’ll have less work to do tomorrow morning, when I balance the books.” Star replied as she flipped a stool up on the bar top.

Thinking she was alone, Star began to hum ‘I Do Adore You.’ muttering a few words as she performed the simple tasks. “But it brings me to my knees when you say, hello, how are you my darling today’?”
“How are you today?” Alastor asked as he appeared on the next stool she was gonna flip. He was dressed up in an outfit similar to what he wore on New Years but the suit was nothing but dark reds, rose reds, and pinks.
Alastor wore a dark red and rose red velvet tuxedo jacket. The lapels were a rose colored satin and the rest of the jacket was dark red velvet. He wore a matching pink tuxedo shirt and rose vest and a dark red bowtie. His pants were also dark red.

Star let out a small squeak as she did a small jump back. “Alastor, sir, you startled me.” She confessed.
“My deepest apologies, dear Star.” He smiled at her, revealing his sharp teeth.
“That’s quite alright, I’m well today, yourself?” Star asked as she smiled back. She could feel herself begin to blush as she remembered the last time they were alone together.

They had chatted in groups since during the holidays, and she had seen him at his usual booth, but they hadn't gotten to be alone together.
“I’m just swell, you’ve been one hard mink to catch.” Alastor smirked.
“Oh yes, we minks can slip most traps, we’re clever like that.” Star replied as she leaned her elbow on the bar then propped her head upon her hand.

“I’ve been laying in wait for you all night, biding my time for the perfect moment.” He confessed as he slid off his bar stool and stood up. “May I have this dance?” He asked as he held his hand out towards her.
“Oh?” She gasped then quickly nodded and took his hand.

As Alastor led Star out to the empty dance floor a vintage love song began to float out of the speakers. Star recognized the tune as ‘One more Kiss.’
He took her in his arms and they began a foxtrot. He took a step forward and quickly took a step back and soon they were twirling around.

Alastor began to sing along with the cooner.
“One more kiss, then good night, dear. One more thrill of delight, dear.
Through the long night of rest, may my dreams be caressed, by the one I love the best.”

Star was thoroughly enjoying the attention he was giving her. The song had barely ended when Alastor made the song start up again. They just listened until it got to chorus and he began to sing again.
“It's midnight, two sweethearts standing by a doorway, and it's time to say goodbye”
He whispered. "Let’s linger just a little while."

Then she answers with a smile. He smiled down at her.
Star back and sang the next verse back to him.
“One more kiss, then good night, dear. One more thrill of delight, dear.
Through the long night of rest, may my dreams be caressed by the one I love the best.”

This time when the song ended they stopped dancing and stood in the middle of the dance floor.
Star stared up at Alastor as he continued to hold her against him. His smile looked sweet to her and she wondered if his heart was beating as loud as hers.
He leaned down and kissed her cheek.

“Just one more kiss?” She whispered when he was pulling away.
“Just one more kiss.” He sang back as he leaned back down and kissed her other cheek.
She returned the favor quickly and kissed both his cheeks before he could pull away.
“Oh, you minx.” He smirked.

She just grinned at him as she took a step back from him but didn’t let go of his hand. “Good night Alastor.” She sighed contentedly.
“Good night, my dear.” He replied as he took her hand and kissed the top of it before disappearing into nothing but shadows and radio static.
Star just sighed again as she came out of her blissful state and realized she had to close the rest of the bar. “Fuck.” She groaned and went back to work.

Chapter Text

Chapter 52: Auditions

It was March before Star was able to start the auditions with Rosie for the cast of Sweeney Tood. They had agreed to start on the morning of March 1st.
As she got closer to Cannibal Town, she started to notice red flyers advertising the open auditions being held all week at the town’s auditorium.
Entering Cannibal Town, she noticed the small white picket fence was covered in the things.

‘For the first week of March, any outsider who is auditing for Sweeney Todd who enters Cannibal Town will not be eaten.’
The flyer read with a picture of a straight razor along the side. At the bottom in fine print was a disclaimer.
Cannibal Town is not responsible for feedings outside of our domain.

Star picked one of the flyers and folded it into her briefcase, ‘A souvenir for Lily.’ She thought as she continued to the auditorium.
She was shocked to see the line wrapped around the side of the building and down the block. ‘Oh my god.’ She thought as she fought the urge to gape at the crowd.
She quickly made her way inside before anyone could start introducing themselves.

“Rosie, I’m here.” Star called out to the semi-lit theatre.
“Early, as usual! Down here, honey.” Rosie called out standing up from a table fin the front row. “Did you see the flyers? Aren’t they swell?” She asked.
“I did!Did you see the crowd?” Star asked as she sat her bag down. “It’s around the block!” She exclaimed as her tag wiggled.
“Well, we said 10 am start time, but why not get this show on the road?” Rosie suggested.

The two went outside to the large crowd and explained the process of how they would be holding the auditions, then headed back inside to start.
To Rosie’s surprise, one of the first people on the stage was Susan.

The elder cannibal handed her audition form to Rosie then introduced herself. “Since you don’t fucking know who I am yet, ya filthy vegan, I’m Susan and I’ll be auditioning for Mrs. Lovett.” Susan announced as she stared Star down.
Susan began to croak out ‘I’ll be Your Sweetheart.’ When she was done, she. simply said, “Call me when I get the part and you’re done with all these fucking nonsense auditions.”
She then hobbled out of the room.

“Well, she was charming.” Star sighed as Rosie put a red X on Susan’s form.
“That was her on a good day. Last time I had a ‘vegan’ in town she complained for days she couldn’t eat them.” Rosie chuckled. “Next!” She called out over her shoulder for the next person to enter the room.

The day was filled with good auditions and bad auditions. One of the best was from the actor who had played Scrooge in A Sinmas Carol. “Hello, my name is Victor and I’m auditioning for both Sweeny Todd and Judge Turpin.”
The handsome man introduced himself. He wore a well tailored gray suit with a red ascot. His pale face was clean shaved except for his handlebar mustache. His pitch black eyes shined with happiness.

He sang ‘Stars’ from Les Miserables. “Thank you ladies.” He stated once he was done. He gave a small bow and left the auditorium.
“He was wonderful, such a voice.” Star whispered to Rosie once they were alone.
“That’s why he always gets the lead male parts.” Rosie smirked.

They saw plenty of sinners and hellborn who just wanted to brag they went into Cannibal Town and left untouched because some of the sinners couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket, some had terrible stage fright, or were completely unprepared.
One of the worst was not because the sinner couldn’t sing or was unprepared, but because he picked one of the worst songs, ‘Dead Puppies.’

“Uh.” Rosie and Star mumbled as they stared at each other then back to the golden receiver hellhound, who eagerly waited for their responses, wagging his tail.
“You have a lovely voice.” Star complimented, which was true.
“But I was so distracted by your song I barely listened to you. I’m a cannibal and I even find that song distasteful.” Rosie informed him, his tail stopped.
“I thought it would be funny.” He whined.

“Do you have another song you want to try Jeremy?” Star offered as she glanced down at his paperwork.
“Oh yes, I do!” Jeremy nodded, his next song was ‘Michael in the Bathroom’ from Be More Chill.
“Thank you, we’ll let you know.” Rosie told him once he was done.

One of the biggest surprises was Moxxie applying for the role of Adolfo Pirrelli. “Hi I’m Moxxie.” He greeted as he walked on to the stage.
“Oh, what a cutie.” Rosie whispered to Star. “Like a little opossum!”
“Isn’t he.” She replied.

“I’ll be singing an original song I wrote for my wife last year.” Moxxie announced as he began to strum his guitar. He began to sing ‘I love you.’
Rosie gave him a small clap when he was done.
“Thank you Moxxie, we’ll post the results next week.” Star informed him, smiling up at him.
“Thanks, Star. Thank you, ma’am.” Moxxie replied then hopped off the stage and left.

“You know him?” Rosie asked.
“He’s a fan, he’s been to the club a few times. He was there at New Years and he was a bodyguard during the hotel performance.” Star said.
“Oh.” Rosie muttered.

If one I.M.P employee auditioning was a surprise, the next candidate was even more shocking. Right after Moxxie was Stolas, the former Goetia prince. “He-hello, I’m Stolas and I’ll be auditioning for the role of Anthony.” Stolas cleared his throat as he needlessly introduced himself. The tall owl sang ‘Sibella’ from A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder.
He stopped at the two minute mark that was required for the audition.

“Oh no, please continue, finish the song.” Rosie prompted with a sigh. Her pale skin was glowing with a lovely blush.
“Please Stolas, finish the song.” Star giggled, sporting the same blush.
“Oh, alright.” Stolas chuckled and started the song over again.

Once he was done, Rosie and Star gave him a round of applause. “Thank you.” He cooed as he blushed.
“We’ll be posting results next week.” Star smiled at him.
“I look forward to it Star, thank you both for your time.” Stolas replied with a bow and left.

It took several minutes before they recovered from their swooning.
“What a beautiful voice, did you know he could sing like that? How do you know the former prince?” Rosie asked as she looked over to Star.

“I met him through Moxxie and the other imps. The two will come together sometimes for the show. They seem to be good friends. I remember Moxxie singing at New Years, but I don’t think Stolas did.” Star replied as she put a gold star next to Stolas’s name on his form.
“Well, lucky us to get to hear him here today.” Rosie grinned as she took the sheet from Star and put a second gold star on it.

Despite the unexpected royalty, one of the highlights of Star’s day was getting to see Kitty, Ruby and Willow audition for Johanna. Each had done wonderfully, each choosing a song that fit them well. Kitty had chosen ‘Please, Please, Please,’ by Sabrina Carpenter. Ruby picked ‘Mama Mia’ by ABBA and Willow performed ‘Strangers like Me,’ by Phil Collins.
“All your girls were wonderful.” Rosie complimented Star at the end of the day once they had seen every performer.
“Thank you, they are wonderful, but only one of them can be Johanna and they’re up against succubus.” Star whined in distraught.
“Oh yes, decisions, decisions.” Rosie teased.

To both Rosie and Star’s surprise Mimzy even showed up to audition. “Hey girlies, you know who I am, I’m Mimzy and I’ll trying out for the role of Mrs. Lovett.” The short flapper announced as she took the stage. “I’ll be singing the song ‘What’s Gonna Happen?’ from ‘Tootsie’.”
Once she was done Star and Rosie clapped for her like they did everyone else. “I hope to hear from ya soon.” Mimzy smiled as she left the stage. Star took Mimzy’s application from Rosie who had put a a silver question mark on it.

‘That’s the first time she’s done that.’ Star thought as she did the same and added it to the pile. ‘She’s still smiling but it seems forced.’ She thought as she took in her partner’s face.
“Next!” Rosie called over her shoulder before Star could ask her anything and they continued on.

At the end of the day, they went through the list of applicants, who had no shot, who was an absolute yes, and the inbetween.
“I’m surprised more people didn’t apply for Mrs. Lovett, especially your girls.” Rosie commented as they separated the applicants into the three piles.
“I am too, but the bigger problem is those who auditioned for the role don’t seem quite right.” Star remarked, trying to gauge Rosie’s reaction.

“I agree, Mrs. Lovett can’t be outshined by Sweeney and if we choose Victor for the role, we’ll need someone who can hold their own.” Rosie said staying neutral.
“Yeah, and that’s a tall order.” Star sighed as she scrunched her face in thought. “Rosie, why don’t you do the role?” She suggested after a moment.
“Me?” Rosie asked as she raised her thin eyebrows.

“Yes you, I honestly can’t think of a better fit.” Star informed her with a genuine smile.
“But I didn’t audition.” Rosie protested.
“The stage is right there.” Star countered as she nodded towards the stage.

“It is.” Rosie muttered as she looked over at it. She went over and went up on stage and stood where nearly a hundred people had stood today. “Hi, I’m Rosie and I’ll be auditioning for Mrs. Lovett.” She announced once she was in place.
“Hi Rosie, what will you be singing for us today?” Star asked with a giggle.
“I’ll be singing ‘The Worst Pies in London’.” She replied then went into the song.

“Oh Rosie, that was wonderful!” A voice from behind complimented.
Star whirled around to see Alastor standing there with a genuine smile on his face.
“Thank you, Alastor. I believe you’re early for our afternoon tea.” Rosie stated as she glanced at her pendant watch.
“I am, but I thought I’d swing by to see how the auditions were going.” Alastor replied as he went over to the stage.

“We just finished.” Star informed him as she watched him make his way over to Rosie on stage. ‘Mh, they look good together.’ Star thought as she tilted her head to the side then straightened it. She went back a few rows and tilted her head again to the other side.
‘They look really good together.’ She thought as her ears flattened to her head. She scowled at her thought then tried to push it out of her mind. ‘A good looking cast is always a plus.’ She reprimanded herself as she shook her head. ‘This isn’t the time to be jealous, but if I really can't tell who I'm more jealous of Rosie or Alastor? They’re both so damn beautiful, no they're beguiling.’

“Alastor sir, do you have stage experience?” Star asked as she made her way back towards the first row where she and Rosie had been sitting.
“Excuse me?” Alastor asked as he cocked an eyebrow.
“You two look great together on stage, and the two of you in starring roles would be a great draw.” Star explained.
“She has a good point, why don’t you give us a song.” Rosie said as she grabbed his hands, giving him a sweet smile.
“I suppose I could.” Alastor sighed, eager to put on a show.

Rosie sat back down in the front row with Star, to give Alastor the stage. He went straight into ‘Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile’ from Annie. Alastor summoned a hat and began to twirl it. He placed it on his head then began to twirl his cane. He danced a little jig as the song went along.
‘He definitely has a strong presence.’ Star thought as she watched him.

Once Alastor was finished he smiled down at Rosie and Star. Star felt herself grin back as Rosie gave elbow a gentle nudge with hers.
“You did wonderful.” She complimented him.
“The results will be posted next week.” The Vicortian Lady informed him as she side eyed her new partner in curiosity.
“Oh, come now Rosie.” Alastor prompted as he gracefully and slowly made his way down to them.
“You’ll be a great Mrs. Lovett and he’ll make a great Sweeney Todd.” Star exclaimed.

“And you’d be playing favorites.” Rosie pointed out as she poked Star’s nose, making her sneeze.
“So?” The deer demon asked as he sat on the other side of Rosie.
“Just a little,” The club owner admitted. “But don’t you want the role? And who would you rather be on stage with?” She asked.
“Victor is a great actor.” The cannibal overlord argued.

“Yes, and he’ll be a great Judge Turpin, it’s still a great part. Maybe he’ll enjoy playing the villain for once.” Star countered.
“It’s still a great role for him.” Alastor added.
“Okay.” Rosie sighed as she held her hands up in surrender. “Alastor and I will be Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett.”
“Excellent!” Star exclaimed as her tail twitched happily.
They discussed the rest of the cast and when and where they would be posting the results.

“Well, that went better than expected.” Alastor mused once Star had left.
“It did, I was genuinely surprised when Star suggested this to us on her own.” Rosie commented as she picked up her pink reticule purse.
“She is full of surprises.” Alastor smirked as he looped his arm through hers to escort back to her shop.
“It would seem so.” Rosie clucked.

Chapter Text

Chapter 53: Casting Call

Fizzie was glad it was a beautiful day out. He wasn’t glad he was being dragged to Cannibal Town by his best friend Blitzø.
“Why am I here again?” Fizzie groaned as the large group made its way towards the Victorian Territory.
“Cause bitch, if those two don’t get their parts, you’re the one who’s gonna buy the ‘sorry’ ice cream.” Blitzø hissed in his ear.

A week ago, Fizzie had been running errands when he had seen the blood red flyers posted throughout Pentagram City. He had picked one up to show Ozzie. When Fizzie had stopped by IMP to have lunch, the flyer had fallen out of his bag.

“Fizz, what’s this?” Moxxie asked when he picked up the flyer as he followed behind the others into the conference room. He read it then gasped. “Stolas, look!”
“What is it, Moxxie?” Stolas asked as he doubled back then leaned down as Moxxie shoved the flyer up to the owl prince.
“Oh!” Stolas gasped as he took the piece of paper.
“What’s got you two so out of breath? Last I checked, none of us are in an open relationship.” Blitzø asked as he looked up from the buffalo chicken pizza.

“Miss Star is putting on a play!” Stolas answered as he brought the flyer over to Blitzø.
“Where did this come from?” The head imp asked as he glanced at the flyer.

“Oh sorry, I grabbed it to show Ozzie. Star mentioned she was doing a show last time we met up and I wanted to show him her progress.” Fizzie confessed.
“You two got that tight, huh?” Blitzø asked as he handed Fizzie back the flyer then went back to his slice of pizza.
“Yeah, it’s nice to talk with someone who loves performing like us. Who isn’t as jaded as so many performers are now.” The clown replied with a smile.
“Well, good for you.” Blitzø smiled back.

“Are you one of the directors?” Moxxie asked as he jumped on to Fizzie.
“No, this is strictly between her and the Cannibal Overlord.” Fizzie replied as he pried Moxxie off him.
“Moxxie, calm down.” Millie spoke up as she brought him over to the table to eat some of the food.
“But he would be an in.” Moxxie grumbled.

“You don’t need an in, honey. You have a wonderful voice.” The wife replied, kissing his cheek.
“She’s right, Moxxie, we don’t need an in. We’ll try out and get the parts.” Stolas stated in a manner that left no room to argue.
“I love when you talk like you’re all in charge and shit.” Blitzø flirted with his partner as his tail wrapped the owl’s waist and pulled him closer so he could kiss him.

“Get a room.” Loona groaned.
“The best we can do is the couch, sweetie.” Her father shot back, making her roll her eyes.

Fizzie had wished them luck when he left that day and now he was being dragged to help deal with something that wasn’t his problem.
“They’re gonna cry.” Loona muttered as she glanced up from her phone.

“She’s right, but we’ll take them over to Rodeo Whip to get them an extra large sundae to split and then they’ll feel better.” Millie reminded them with a whisper.
“To split? Nah, they can each get their own since Fizz is paying.” Blitzø chuckled as he ribbed Fizzie.
“An extra large is the size of Moxxie! I don’t think he could eat one on his own.” Fizzie protested, looking shocked at the others.
“Don’t underestimate my husband.” Millie smiled with her gapped teeth.

They four of them hung back as Moxxie and Stolas fought their way up to the single piece of paper that hung on the door to Cannibal Town’s auditorium. They watched with bated breath as their boys made their way to the paper then back again.
Both had tears in their eyes.

“Oh honey,” Millie began as she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.
“Pa-part.” Moxie sniffed.
“What?” His wife asked.
“It’s okay, Big Bird.” Blitzø said as he reached up for Stolas’s hand.
“We got the parts!” Stolas exclaimed as he bounced on his clawed feet making Blitzø bounce with him.

“What?” The group exclaimed as they suddenly forced their way up to the paper.
Blitzø quickly took a photo before they were shoved to the back of the crowd again. He pulled up the photo and zoomed in. and scrolled to the bottom to find.
Adolfo…… Moxxie the imp.
Anthony…..Stolas Goetia

“Congratulations!” Fizzie cheered as he shook both their hands. “I can’t wait to see you two in these roles!”
“Thank you.” Moxie replied as he finally recovered.
“We’re going to knock their garments off!” Stolas smiled.
“It’s ‘knock their socks off’.” Millie corrected gently.

“Let’s get ice cream as a celebration!” Fizzie announced as they moved away from the crowd.
As they walked away from the auditorium, Blitzø sent a text to Octavia with the photo attached.
‘Maybe she’ll reply this time.’ Blitzø thought as he put his phone away then took Stolas’s hand in his.

The following week, the entire cast met up for the first time. “Hello everyone, thank you for coming and congratulations on getting your parts. This production will require work and dedication, if you can’t give me that, say so now so I can get someone who can.” Star announced.
She just got stares and silence.

“Okay good, now let’s go around and play the name game, you’ll say your name, your part and then one thing about yourself. I’ll start, I’m Star, your stage manager and my favorite flower is magnolias.” Star introduced herself.
She heard a few coughs from around the circle the group had formed and even a few snickers.

“I’ll go next!” Moxxie said from beside her as he raised his hand. “I’m Moxxie, I’m playing Adolfo. I’ve been mistaken for a possum before, but clearly I am not a possum.”
Moxxie got a few laughs and this seemed to loosen the cast up so the rest of the exercise went well. Moxxie’s understudy, a silver haired incubus named Dennis, went next, his boyfriend was also named Dennis and both thought it was hilarious.

Stolas tripped up a little as did his understudy, the hellhound Jeremy. But Kitty, Ruby and Willow were able to recover to keep the group laughing. Kitty had won the role of Johanna, Willow was Tobias and Ruby was the beggar woman. She had made a joke about this. Their understudies were Kiki, a succubus, an imp named Azara, and a cannibal townie named Alice.

Victor announced he was thrilled to be the judge, his understudy another Cannibal Town denizen, Laharal echoed his sentiments. The role of Beadle was won by two Cannibal Town sinners named Ocsar and his understudy was named Felix. Oscar was short like his character Beadle and Felix fitted his name to a T, he seemed very cat-like.

Rosie executed the exercise perfectly. “I’m Rosie, I’ll be playing Mrs. Lovett and I just adore tea.”
Etna, the Mrs. Lovett understudy, admitting to loving reading.
The last to go was Alastor. “I’m Alastor, I’ll be Sweeney Todd. I’m sure you all know who I am.”

“Now that’s out of the way, I’ll hand out the schedules, scripts and Town Passes. I would like for us to open at the end of May. That gives us roughly 9 weeks. We’ll have rehearsals three times a week. This counts as first day rehearsals. For the first two weeks we’ll be doing read throughs, then blocking the next two weeks after that. Scene work after that for three weeks and then finally full run-throughs. The last week will be in costumes.” Star explained.

She glanced around at all the new faces and everyone seemed to be tracking but she asked anyway. “Tracking?”
She got some stares, but a few echoed back. “Tracking.”
“Once we finish up today, I would like to get everyone’s numbers , in case you can’t make it to your scene day, we can call in someone who can.” Star continued as she flipped open her copy of the script.
“Let’s begin.”

It was hours later when Star and Rosie were closing up the auditorium when Star heard a familiar nasal voice.
“How dare you not cast me!?” Susan snarled as she hobbled up to them.

Star suppressed a groan as she turned to the ancient woman. ‘Of course she would complain about not getting a part, she seems the type.’ Star thought.
“I can understand casting Rosie as Mrs. Lovett, but I should have at least got Johanna.” The hag continued as she pointed her cane for Star.
Star failed to suppress a scoff at the thought of this crypt keeper being cast as Johanna.

“You scoff at me? I’ll have you know I’m as beautiful as the day I won Miss Bathing Beauty at Rehoboth Beach in Delaware. Just cause I ain’t one of your starlet harlots? I don’t get a part? Boo! You cheat!” The fox wearing crock screeched at Star.
Rosie just sighed and shook her head as if to tell Star to let her vent. Alastor had his ears pinned back and his usual smile now looked pained.

‘Is this how Buttercup felt in the Princess Bride in that one scene?’ Star thought until she heard the word harlot. “Excuse you?” She asked.
“What? I’ve seen the way you and your girls flounce around these days, not only showing off your ankles but your knees as well!” Susan snapped as she smacked Star in the ankle with her cane.

Star winced but kept herself from smacking the old maid back. She glanced down at her outfit. A knee length a-line style gray and black houndstooth patterned dress. It had a solid gray peter pan collar and a black bow at the notches. She had even worn black tights with it to hide her legs. She had topped it off with sensible gray kitten heels and a black beret. She thought the outfit said ‘Director’.

“My fellow performers are not harlots.” Star argued.
“Ha!” Susan laughed in her face then began to cough. “What kind of career is that for a young lady?” She lectured once she recovered.
“Rosie, I’m gonna head out now, good night.” Star whispered as Susan began to rant about ladies these days not being real ladies.
“Good night Star.” Rosie whispered back.
“Good night ladies.” Alastor said then disappeared into his shadows.

Star could barely hear Rosie “Are you done now Susan?” Once she was around the corner.
“Why that teenybopper!” Susan exclaimed.
It didn’t do Star any good that Susan just followed her out to the border of Cannibal Town, lecturing her all the way. “You’re so rude! Look at me when I’m talking to you, young lady! Don’t you pin your ears at me!” She thankfully stopped at the white picket fence, but Star could still hear her nearly a block away.

‘Susan is definitely worse than the old hag from Princess Bride. I wonder how many times they had to shoot that scene.’ Star thought as she reached in her bag for her earbuds to try and erase Susan’s words from her mind.
Star was so distracted, she didn’t realize that she was walking right into someone. She pulled back and stared right at the last person in Hell she ever wanted to see again, Diamond. To make matters worse she was with Mimzy.

“There you are! I’ve been waiting all day to talk to you.” Mimzy announced, sounding sweet as honey. “That crowd was insane, I got pushed away before I even saw you.” “What can I do for you Mimzy?” Star sighed, she knew what Mimzy wanted.
“So, I’m good enough for your rinky dink dime show, but not your cannibal show?” Mimzy snapped, dropping all the niceties.

“Your reputation has really taken a dive since I hired you last year.” Star reminded her.
“Reputation!” Mimzy and Diamond squeaked together.
“Yeah reputation, it's something you ladies should keep in mind. I shouldn’t be surprised that you two are connected. You two suit each other.” Star remarked as her eyes drifted between the two sinners. “Excuse you! We’re famous! What are you!?” Diamond snapped.
“Oh, fuck you! Let’s not confuse famous with infamous. I’ve had my fill of talentless hacks for today.” Star snapped as she maneuvered around her former colleague.

“Excuse you!? “Diamond snapped, as her long white wing stretched out and grabbed ahold of Star’s arm. “Is that anyway to talk to an old friend?” “Friend!” Mimzy gasped wide eyed as she between the two.
“Old friend? Ha!” Star replied. “Look here you walking mattress, unlike you, when I say I’ve had my fill, I mean it! It’s not a ploy to go another round, so get your HIV encrusted wing off me before I chew it off for you, okay, Diamond?” Star snarled.

Diamond gasped and reeled back as if Star had hit her. Mimzy just stared in shock.
A random sinner walks by muttering under their breath “Good lord.”
Star just yanked her arm away and continued on her way, leaving a stunned Diamond behind.

Chapter Text

Chapter 54: Taking Requests

At the end of February, Cherri Bomb decided that she wanted to do something big for Angel’s birthday.
She went to Charlie with her plan,
“Charlie, I think we should rent out La La Land for Angie’s birthday.” Cherri confessed once she, Charlie, and Vaggie were shut in Charlie’s office.
“Goodness, yes!” Charlie cheered as she hopped up and down and clapped her hands.
“Whoa guys, do you think Star would shut down her club just for us?” Vaggie pointed out.

“It wouldn't hurt to ask her. She loves us and all the girls love Angel.” Cherri pointed out as she popped her bubblegum. “I bet she'll say yes if you offer to pay her.”
“Why is it always about money with her?” Vaggie grumbled as Charlie pulled out her phone and began to text Star. “She's got a business to run! The girls haven't told me much but apparently she's got some big dreams and dreams take money.” Cherri shrugged.

“Star says if we don't mind her keeping to the performance they already have planned and if it's on one of their off days, she'll charge us half of what she did last time.” Charlie announced as she held up her phone and waved it around.
“Only half?” Vaggie gasped then began to mutter in Spanish. “She did a lot of work for us last time.” Charlie reminded her as she placed her hand on Vaggie's shoulder.

“What's the performance?” Cherri asked as she raised her eyebrow. “Oh right.” Charlie chuckled as she quickly sent off another text. “She says disco.”
“Disco?” Vaggie repeated as she wrinkled her nose at the idea. “It sounds fun.” Charlie smiled as she clapped her hands together. “Oh, hell yeah! La La Land becoming Club 54 sounds fucking great! Ang will love that!” Cherri exclaimed.
“We should all dress up to fit the theme!” Charlie added in. “Fuck yeah!” Cherri cheered.

Up in heaven, Olive worked up her courage to ask Michael an important question. “Excuse me, sire?” The young exorcist cleared her throat as she approached his desk.
Michael looked up at her after he finished the paper he was working on. He frog blinked and after a long moment he finally asked.“Yes, Ol-olive?”

‘He’s so dedicated to his work, his dedication is so appealing it makes him so handsome.’ She thought as she smiled down at him and his silly expression. “Well sire, you’ve been working with Princess Charlie for a while now and, excuse my impertinence if this is out of line, but could I accompany you?” She asked, tucking her hands behind her back.
He blinked at her again, seemingly stunned. “Mmm~, I don’t know about that.” He mumbled, “Hell is not the ideal place for you.” Placing his finger on his chin.

“I’ll do all the paperwork associated with this request, of course.” She explained. “You just seem so overwhelmed every time you come back, and as your secretary, I’m not doing my job properly if I can’t help you in every aspect of yours.” Olive explained.
‘She just wants to do her job?’ Michael thought as he felt the tension lessingly just a bit. “But you're an exorcist.” Michael protested.

“Yes, but only one day of the year.” The angel argued. “The rest of the time, I’m your secretary. I can separate the two.” Olive explained. ‘There’s over a hundred of us exorcists but there’s only one Lord Michael and he only has one secretary. Being an exorcist is a great honor getting to punish those horrible sinners but getting to help winners is a greater honor.’ Olive thought as she tried to give him a sweet smile.

“If the paperwork gets approved, I guess we can give it a try. You can accompany me one day and then we’ll see from there. Charlie will also have to approve this addition.” Michael replied then went back to his paperwork. ‘Next time I go down, I’ll have to talk to Charlie about this, I doubt the paperwork will be approved.’ He thought.
“Thank you, sire.” She said then went back to her filing. She smiled as she felt her face heat up and her heart skip a beat. ‘I’m so lucky to have this position.’ She thought.

*TRIGGER WARNING*
*Prostitution/ Pimping/ Valentino*
*TRIGGER WARNING*

Back down in Hell in a less than glamorous part of Pentagram City, Diamond was readying herself for the night when she heard a knock at her business's front door. The knocking was loud and persistent, Diamond could even hear it down in her basement apartment. She threw down her foundation and brush and slipped on a silk black robe over her black silk nightgown before stomping upstairs to her business proper.

Her small basement apartment was designed to her taste, but the upstairs business was designed to make and keep her customers comfortable as they waited their turn for their favorite model.
Every ‘bedroom’ was identical, with hunter green walls and couches that were black velvet or leather. The curtains were gold damask that covered what few windows there were. The queen sized canopy beds were draped with warm red sangria sheets. The ‘waiting room’ was designed to look like a cigar lounge with warm wood furniture and perfectly stuffed leather chairs. This is where she trained the new girls and where she mainly worked as the Madam of ‘The Ice House.’

Diamond unlocked her triple locks and opened the door to see Travis, a short owl sinner who was Valentino's right hand. She remembered him from her days working for Valentino, but she knew he didn't remember her. She was just one of a couple dozen after all.
When he darkened her door nearly two years ago, she was afraid he had been sent to drag her back to Vee Tower, but he didn't recognize her at all.

“Excuse me ma’am, my boss is missing something important to him. Have you seen a one-eared calico cat girl?” Travis had asked as he held up a pin up photo of a beautiful sinner. In the photo, she had both her ears. Her slick fur was flawless except for her face framing curls, those were just a little fizzed. She was on her knees on a fussed up bed, nude but held up a thin bed sheet up to her chest. It gave the impression you had just woken her up. For Valentino, it was one of the most tasteful pictures he had ever done for his videos.

“It’s Madam.” She corrected Travis. “Haven't seen her.” Diamond had informed him and sent him away. Since then, she had seen him more often than she liked. The first time she did have someone he was looking for, she was honest with him. “Lacey is in the back with a customer.” The swan stepped back to let him into the empty waiting room. Lacey was her newest hire. “Okay.” He replied as he sat down in one of the chairs.
“You’re going to wait?” Diamond asked, her draw on eyebrows arching up.

“Sounds like they’re having fun, no harm in letting them finish.” He shrugged as they both stopped to listen to sounds coming from the back rooms. “Would you like a cigar and whiskey on the house then?” Diamond asked as she went over to where she kept the high selections and bent over to get him one. “Sure.” He answered as he watched her.
She picked a cigar, cut off the end, lit the end and sucked on a few times to get it going. She blew the smoke up towards the ceiling then handed the cigar off to him. “Just so you know, that’s her last client for the rest of the night.” She purred with a wink.
Once the’ John’ was gone, Travis disappeared into Lacey’s room and Diamond didn’t see him until closing time. “Thank you for your assistant, Madam, if you see the mouse sinner, Lacey, tell her Valentino is looking for her.” Travis said as he put on his hat and left.

In the eighteen months they made their unspoken agreement, he would come in and take a look around and leave if she didn't have the escapee. But the few times she had who he was looking for, he would look the other way for the right price.
“Travis, why are you here so early this time? I've barely had my coffee.” Diamond complained as she let him into the waiting room. “I was told to find this one ASAP.” Travis grumbled as he pulled out a colored sketch of a tanuki, it was just a plain head shot like a glamorous passport photo, nothing like the usual photos Travis had shown her. “He wants this raccoon dog, Nova, back now.”

“Well, I ain't got her this time.” She replied as she glanced down at the drawing.
“I can't look away this time, Diamond. My boss wants this bitch back like yesterday.” He informed her.
“I'm being for real.” She insisted as she took the sketch from him and looked at it again. “But I think I know where you can find her.” “I don't need you to think, you dumb whore.” He snapped at her as he took the drawing back.
“No need to be rude. Let me get dressed then take me to your boss and I'll tell him everything I know.” She snapped back.
“There's no reward, you know that. Just tell me and I'll tell him.” Travis sighed.

“Oh no, I insist this is something that has to be heard in person and not through the grapevine. I'll go get decent.” Diamond purred as she turned and went back the way she came to put on her best dress. If she was going to see her old boss, she needed to look her best. Travis could wait, he would probably ramshack the place looking for that poor sinner.
Travis was sitting on the waiting room's plush couch for nearly twenty minutes when she returned upstairs in her favorite little black dress. “Let's go.” She announced as she made her way out to the limo that he drove. The owl sucked his teeth and followed her out, he made her sit up front with him as he did drive her to Vee Tower.

Travis escorted Diamond straight to Valentino's office,it looked the same as it did the day he fired her for ‘stepping out of line’. When Valentino glanced up from his phone with a bored look on his face Diamond could feel her heart begin to pound.
Valentino stared at her for a long minute before he spoke. “I was expecting mi mapache, not a cisne. What can I do for you Diamante?”

“I heard you’re looking for someone special.” Diamond replied as she made herself continued up to his desk. ‘Don’t be scared. If he knows you’re scared, you won’t get what you want.’ She scolded herself as she sat down on his desk.
“I’m always looking for special someones.” Valentino replied as he began to set up a cigarette on its holder and began to look for his lighter. “A certain someone, someone exotic.” Diamond countered as she pulled out her lighter and lit the cigarette for him. She hoped he didn't notice the small tremble in her hands. “A raccoon dog.”
“I am.” He said as he puffed his cigarette.
Diamond glanced from Valentino’s cigarette to his face. His face was unreadable to her, his heart glasses blocking his glowing eyes. “What if I can tell you where she is?” The swan sinner asked.

“We both know I don’t do in what ifs. You’re starting to bore me again.” The moth overlord threatened as he blew the red smoke at her. Diamond quickly but elegantly flapped her winged arms to blow the smoke away from her. “And we both know you can’t get something for free. The little theatre your raccoon works for won’t sell to me. Once you take back your companion, the theatre will be devastated and worthless. So let’s make a deal, you get your pet back and I get the theatre. Once I start turning a profit, you get ten percent.” Diamond offered as she held out her hand.

“Haven’t we gotten so elegante.” Valentino smirked as he took her hand, kissed it then licked up her arm. ‘Can he tell that I'm clammy all over?’ She wondered.
“It’s not that kinda deal.” Diamond muttered once he was done and she took back her arm.
“Give it time.” He smirked. “So the theatre?”
“La La Land.” She confessed.

Chapter Text

Chapter 55: Rehearsals

Stolas and Moxxie left the IMP office right after lunch to try to be the first actors to arrive at the auditorium the following week for the next round of rehearsals.
Star had sent out a mass text asking everyone to come in today just like the schedule she had sent instructed. They would be starting from the beginning again.

“I'm so glad you're here with me Moxxie. This part of Pentagram City gives me the heebeegeebees.” Stolas confessed as they entered Cannibal Town.
“Yeah, me too. Rumor is that they only eat other sinners but we shouldn't take any chances.” Moxxie whispered as he hand fluttered to his waist to check his holster.

“Lady Rosie said the passes should be enough to deter her people.” Stolas reminded his friend as he held up the bright red square that was attached to a lanyard around Stolas’s neck. The red square had the words ‘Sweeney Todd Cast’ printed on one side and ‘Off Limits’ on the other.
“It never hurts to be prepared.” Moxie replied.

When they arrived at the auditorium, they saw the tall deer sinner that had won the title role. He was standing off to the side with a short blonde flapper sinner. They both looked unhappy with each other, more so her than him. He had his ears slightly back and his smile looked fake where her arms were crossed tightly over her chest and her face was scrunched up with a frown.

“Lovers spat?” Stolas whispered as he glanced at the duo then quickly away from the duo then opened the door for Moxxie.
“Maybe. There’s a lot of rumors about the Radio Demon, but nothing about his love life.” Moxxie answered as he swiftly ushered his friend inside.
“Oh, that’s who he is?” Stolas gasped.

“Yes, which adds to the reasons not to interfere.” Moxxie explained as they made their way through the ticket lobby.
“I see.” Stolas replied quietly as his breath hitched.
Moxxie took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

Inside wasn’t much better inside for Stolas. They were some of the first actors to arrive, only Star, Rosie, the other La La Land singers were inside and some grumpy old lady who was giving Star an absolute earful.
“How dare you not give me a role.” The fox fur wearing old lady bitched.

“Susan, why don’t you loosen your corset so you can breathe properly and form a coherent thought for once.” Star suggested in a tone that she was serious.
Susan looked taken aback, her gray face reddening, shocked someone would mention such an intimate piece of clothing in public. “You and your sailor mouth, saying such things in public! So unladylike!” The old cannibal snapped.

“Susan, you’ve made your point clear.” Rosie spoke up as she cleared her throat.
“You’re lucky Rosie is here, young lady.” Susan snapped as she started to cane away and pass Moxxie and Stolas. “A goddamn possum got a part, but I didn’t, unbelievable!” She muttered under her breath.
“I’m not a possum!” Moxxie called after her. but she must have not heard him as she continued her muttering as she left the building.

“My, you can really take a tongue lashing.” Rosie commented as Star rolled her neck then her shoulders while taking deep breaths.
“It’s not my first time, one of my jobs when I was alive it was common to get chewed out even if it wasn’t your fault.” Star sighed as she went to her bag and took out a small thermos.

Once she cracked the lid the smell of coffee filled the air.
“And your job was?” Rosie prompted with a raised eyebrow.
“It doesn’t matter, my life isn’t the same as my death.” Star shrugged as she sipped her coffee.

Alastor decided next time that he would appear inside the auditorium. Today he had appeared outside the theatre and right into an unknown trap.
Mimzy had nearly pounced on him when he stepped outside his shadows. “Alastor.” She purred as she backed him against the wall. “Congratulations on getting the lead.”

“Why thank you, Mimzy, a shame I can’t return the sentiment. Better luck next time, darling.” Alastor replied as he held his mic out to keep Mimzy from getting any closer.
“Yeah, about that, you’re friends with Rosie, and I introduced you to Star last year. I need you to help convince them to give me a part. I’d be a much better Johanna than that Kitty girl.” Mimzy informed him as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Alastor nodded as he saw an imp and an owl demon walk by. They nodded back, but thankfully kept their distance from him and Mimzy.
“Now Mimzy, dear, desperation doesn’t look good on you.” Alastor sighed as he stepped around her. “There’s no need to beg, Star and Rosie made their picks.”
“Yes, but I know if you give them the old Alastor charm you can at least get me an understudy part. I’ve never known anyone to say no to your charm.” Mimzy praised.

“Where that is true, some skills are best used sparingly. You’ve lost Mimzy, accept it.” Alastor replied as he made his way towards the theatre’s double door.
“Your charm is the only thing these high society ladies like about you, who are you gonna turn to when they get sick of you?” Mimzy asked as she glared at her friend.
“That’s none of your concern.” Alastor shrugged as he went inside.

The rest of the actors soon arrived and they started rehearsals. “Thank you everyone for coming. With the opening scene I want all named characters to be part of the chorus. I think it'll be more impactful this way.” Star explained once everyone had arrived. She had set up several folding chairs in a circle on the stage.

She had had certain people sit in certain seats. The main characters all sat near each other but across from Star. “We’ll start with memorizing lines before we start blocking.” She reminded them. “We’ll open on a large group, all of you and the extras. I want to focus on all of you right now and we’re just focusing on the lines, singing will come later.” She repeated.
Everyone nodded in understanding and some took notes.

“Okay Willow the first line is yours.” Star prompted kicking off the first scene, ‘The Ballad of Sweeney Todd.’

“Attend the tale of Sweeny Todd.” Willow said she recited her first set of lines flawlessly.
“He had a shop in London Town.” Stolas read out next, fighting the urge to sing his line; he had been listening to the soundtrack since he won the part.
Everyone else joined in the next line except for Alastor.

They ran through the opening scene, ‘The Ballad of Sweeney Todd’ It took about five times before everyone was comfortable with the scene and they moved on to ‘No Place like London’.
This scene went much smoother since it had less actors involved. It took only about three times before the actors involved felt comfortable enough to move on.

During this scene Ruby did trip up a few times. Ruby was sitting a few seats away from Alastor but as he recited his lines she still reacted to him, shaking in her chair.
“He’s just so scary.” Ruby whispered to her later as they made their way out of Cannibal Town.
“He’s been coming to the club for nearly a year.” Star pointed out.
“Yeah, but he barely talks to us there.” Ruby informed her.

The next scenes they were able to get through were ‘The Worst Pies in London’ and ‘Poor Thing’.
Both the scenes only had Rosie and Alastor, so they ran the smoothest.
I think we have time for “My Friends” and the “Ballard Reprise.” Star announced as she glanced at her watch. “If you're up to it, Alastor.” She continued as she glanced up at him.
“Of course I’m up to it.” Alastor answered then went on to perform the scenes.

Once he was done, everyone was dismissed. “If you need a copy of the soundtrack, please let me know and I’ll get you a copy.” Star announced as everyone put the chairs away.
As Ruby, Kitty and Willow were getting ready to leave, Star went up to Rosie and Alastor. “I actually already got you two records of the soundtrack. I wanted to make sure my leads have everything they need to knock this out of the park.” Star confessed as she handed them each a record in a black and white cardboard sleeves.

“My, how sweet of you.” Rosie commented as she took her record.
“So thoughtful,” Alastor echoed as his smile got a little bigger.
“It was no big deal.” Star smiled back as her ears and tail twitched. “I also know there’s so many versions and this is the best one.”

“Thank you.” Rosie said as she looked up from her present to the mink’s blushing face.
“You’re welcome. Have a good night you two.” Star replied and headed towards her fellow La La Land performers who were now waiting on her.

“Lily’s not gonna be happy if we’re late.” Kitty teased from the top of the aisle.
“Moving!” Star called out as she grabbed her bag and made her way up towards them.
As they left the theatre the teasing got worse. “I think Star has a crush.” Ruby whisper sang.

“But the question is who?” Willow asked as they made their way out of Cannibal Town.
“Both are hot in their own way but girl I’m starting to question your sanity.” Kitty spoke up.
“I don’t have a crush on either of them.” Star protested.
“Uh huh sure.” Willow replied.

“Them AND Asmodeus and Fizzarolli. You sure are busy.” Ruby commented.
“I thought you stopped your tom catting ways.” Kitty added.
“You know those rumors are false.” Star groaned, making the other giggle.

Chapter Text

Chapter 56: Don’t Lie to Me

Domestic violence trigger warning (and Valentino warning)

Angel was getting ready in his dressing room, listening to EDM. He was just vibing to Bibi’s song ‘Vengeance’ lost in his ‘getting ready’ routine when Valentino slunk in.

Angel didn’t realize Val was there until he was literally behind him in the mirror.
He gulped before he turned around to face Valentino. “Heeyy Daddy, did you come for some pre-shooting fun?” Angel asked instantly, turning himself into his ‘Angel Dust the Porn Star’ persona.

He propped his head on hand, his elbow on his vanity and stared up at the pimp.
‘Just my luck, the first time we’ve been alone like this in forever and he looks unhappy.’ Angel thought as he took his owner's posture.

Valentino’s body radiated pissed off vibes, from his glowing red eyes narrowed and scowled down to his clenched fists at his side. His jaw was clenched and his body was stiff. “I’ve heard you’ve been keeping a secret from me Guapo.” Valentino growled as he began to light up his cigarette.

‘His hands are shaking.’ Angel thought as he watched Valentino closely. “Secret? Of course not. What secrets could I have?” Angel asked as he blinked up at Valentino. ‘There’s no way he knows about Husk.’ He thought.

Valentino blew smoke into Angel’s face before his lower arm reached out and gripped Angel’s jaw between his long fingers. “Don’t lie to me.” Valentino hissed as he dragged Angel up so they were face to face.

“What could I be lying about?” Angel coughed out once Valentino dropped him back down to the chair and moved his lower arms moved to Angel’s shoulders.

“A new club, it seems to be making quite a splash lately. Rumor is Fizzarolli and Verosika have been there multiple times and so have you. So why haven’t you told me about this La La Land?” Valentino asked as he squeezed Angel’s shoulders.

Angel gasped and felt himself begin to sweat. “La- La Land, that rinky dink place? Daddy, it just didn’t seem like your type of place. You at a cabaret? Ya never seemed into show tunes.” Angel snorted as he tried to cover up his gasp.

‘Has the grape vine about La La Land finally gotten to him? Did someone slip a phone pass Bruno and Mickey?’ He wondered.

“A cabaret? Show tunes?” The moth repeated as he took another puff of his cigarette. “You’re right, it’s not my scene, but how could such a place bring in such popular stars?” He muttered, seeming to have calmed down.

“Who knows? The princess dragged me there, she loves that kind of stuff.” Angel lied as he rolled his eyes and took a step back out of Val’s reach.

“Or could it be the exotic stars on stage?!” Val snarled as he grabbed hold of Angel again then slammed him against his vanity mirror, one hand on Angel’s neck as two others gripped Angel’s shoulders and the last one held the cigarette.
“Exotic stars?” Angel coughed.

“Yes, mi linda mapache on stage. Mi peritta Nova!” Valentino snapped as he brought his face just inches away from Angel’s.

“V-Val, what are you talking about? There’s no raccoon performer there! There’s no Nova!” Angel choked as he put his hands over the pimp’s on his windpipe.

Valentino stared down at him as if trying to figure out if he was lying or not.
“There’s a mink, maybe someone is just confused. Their bartender is pretty heavy handed.” Angel confessed as he stared back.

The hand on Angel’s neck released him then drifted up to his face and gently cradled it. “You know better than to lie to me.” Valentino threatened as he leaned down and kissed him.

“I’ll have makeup come in and fix you up.” The moth sated as he left the dressing room.
“Yes, Valentino.” Angel whispered as he sat back down at his vanity trembling from head to toe.

Angel put his head on vanity and tried to take deep breaths, he tried to focus on what was around him. What he could feel, his vanity. What he could hear, his playlist was still going. The playlist was now on tripleS’s ‘Are you Alive?’.

End of Domestic Violence

It was morning by the time Angel got to go home. When he walked in the door he was surprised to see Husk sitting at the empty bar sipping his black coffee.
“You’re up kinda early.” Angel mumbled as he dragged himself over to his boyfriend and stood beside him, leaning on the bar.

“You’re getting home kinda late.” Husk countered as he stood up and hugged his lover. “Long day?” He whispered as he held Angel close.

“Yeah, Val was in a mood.” Angel sighed. ‘I’ll tell him after I get some sleep, I need to think of a way to tell Kitty or Star without Valentino finding out.’ He thought as he buried his face into Husk’s gray furry head.

“ You look like shit, but maybe breakfast will make you feel better.” Husk said as he wrapped his arm around Angel’s waist and led him to the dining room.

When Husk opened the door, he revealed the rest of the hotel. “Happy Birthday!” They all cheered. Inside the dining room they had prepared a grand slam Italian breakfast for him.

They had everything, charcuterie boards with meats, cheese and olives, savory frittatas and tarts with potatoes, prosciutto and spinach. There were a lot of sweets too, including his favorite cannolis from his favorite baker.

“Ah, you guys.” Angel sniffled as he looked around at the spread.
“Don’t go turning on the water works already, ya cunt.” Cherri teased as she came up and gave him a hug.

“You haven’t even opened your presents yet.”
“If ya love this, then you’re gon’ love tonight.” Nifty beamed as she came up, crawled up Angel’s head and placed a paper cone birthday hat on it.
.
Cherri quickly snatched Nifty away, “Oof!”
“ Nifty, it’s a surprise, remember, but it's gonna be a guaranteed rip roaring good time.” Cherri promised as she led Angel to the table.

After Angel ate breakfast, Husk escorted him to their bedroom so he could get some sleep.

The rest of the crew spent the day getting ready for Angel’s big birthday surprise.
Charlie made sure the limo was ready to go, she stocked it with Sojo’s help. Together they made sure there was plenty of water, liquid IV, saltine crackers, and pretzels.

“Sojo, don’t you think the trash bags and first aid kit is a little much?” Charlie asked as she put the items under the seats.

“No.” Sojo answered bluntly, leaving no room for discussion. She stared directly into the princess’s eyes, unblinking.
“Oh, okay then.” Charlie said, laughing nervously.

“Joey, can we get your help up here!?” Cherri called out a window from the second floor.
“With what?!” Sojo yelled back.
“A light switch ain’t working!” Cherri replied.

“Which light switch?” Sojo asked, suspicion heavy in her tone.
“Uh, the bathroom one.” Cherri answered.
“I ain’t falling for that one again, not after New Years.” Sojo yelled back.

“One of these days, we should really work on your trust issues.” Charlie sighed under her breath.
“What?” Sojo asked as she turned towards her.

“Oh nothing! Come on, Sojo, it’s Angel’s birthday, we’re all dressing up. I think they picked something great for you this time.” Charlie reasoned as she shut the limo door.

“I can pick my own clothes, what they picked last time was ridiculous. My ass would have been hanging out!” Sojo complained as they headed back towards the hotel.

“Which is why I told them to pick pants this time.” Charlie smiled at her as they headed up to Cherri’s room.

Cherri had picked everyone’s outfits this time so no one would spoil the surprise for Angel. She, herself wore a revealing red romper with fringe hanging off the sleeves, the belt buckle was a cherry. She wore red boots and a cherry print ascot tied around her neck.
“Absolutely not!” Sojo seethed as she glared at the outfit presented to her.

“Guys, what happened to the pants?” Charlie asked, exasperated.
“Those are pants, hot pants.” Vi argued.
“That’s a thong.” Sojo corrected. “Not the shoe kind, but the kind that goes up your ass.”

“We agreed to pants this time.” Charlie groaned.
“You didn’t say what length.” Cherri stated as she crossed her arms over her chest.
As the three of them began to argue over what is and what is not pants, Sojo slipped away quietly.

As the bear got to her room, she found a garment bag laying on her bed with a note from Vaggie.
“Your real outfit for tonight.”
Inside was a two piece set with gold flared pants and a gold halter top. “Well at least someone has some sense.” Sojo sighed as she hung up the bag on her closet door and made her way to the bathroom to do her hair for the night.
Vaggie had picked her and Charlie’s outfits as well. For Charlie, she had chosen a bronze jumpsuit with spaghetti straps and flared legs. Vaggie outfitted a turtleneck mini bronze dress to match Charlie.

Angel woke up as the sun was setting and was greeted by Husk dressed in his old overlord suit with a blue bow tie. “Good morning.” He leaned over and kissed his cheek. Angel could smell his lover’s minty cologne, he wrapped his four arms around him and nuzzled into him.

“Good morning, let’s just stay in bed.” The spider mumbled.
“I would love that, but everyone is waiting downstairs. They’re so excited to give you their presents.” The gambler chuckled as he petted his boyfriend.
Angel just sighed as he untangled himself and headed to the bathroom for a quick shower.

Dressed in his normal attire, Angel went downstairs where he was immediately blindfolded. “Mh, kinky.” He purred, teasingly. “Where are ya takin’ lil ol’ me?”

“You’ll see when we get there, we have the whole night planned.” Charlie informed him as they ushered him out to the limo.
Only when they arrived, did he get to see where they were: La La Land.

Chapter Text

Chapter 57: Angel’s Birthday

Angel’s blindfold was untied and his birthday surprise was revealed, they had taken him to La La Land.
‘No not here, not now.’ He thought with a gasp as his heart sank.

“We’ve rented the place out so it’s just us tonight.” Charlie informed him as she looped her arms through his and escorted him inside. “It was Cherri’s idea.”
“Yeah, since you seem so comfortable here, it would be a good place for you to let loose.” Cherri explained as she leaped onto his back.

“It seemed like a great idea, Star is just so minky!” Charlie smiled.
“Ugh, Charlie honey.” Vaggie whispered, her gray skin turned red.

“Charlie, minky means pussy.” Angel informed the princess, making her blush.
“Oh, uh.” Charlie stuttered, making Angel laugh.

‘Well, we’re already here, maybe I can play this off if Val finds out. Now I can tell Kitty or Star that their secret is out.’ He thought as his friends quickly escorted him inside.
They entered the club to find it was decorated like a disco. The nearest wall had the numbers 54 stenciled onto it and the floor was made up of multiple colored blocks. The lights were shades of red and pinks and there were flashes of rainbows from a disco ball.

Everyone inside was employees who just seemed to be relaxing at tables and booths.
“There’s the birthday boy!” Star beamed as she came bouncing up to the group.

Star was thrilled to have a laid back night after the week of rehearsals she had. They were starting blocking this week at Sweeney Todd and several actors had near misses of some sort. La La Land had gone smoother but when she had told the girls they were sticking to the planned script for Angel’s birthday, you would think that she had told them they were shutting down.

“No! We need to do something special for his birthday.” Kitty argued.
“We don’t have time to come up with new dance routines.” Star reminded her.
“We don’t have to. Angel is pretty groovy. Why don’t we stick to the theme but pick songs that remind us of him.” Hazel suggested.

“That could work.” Lily commented.
“Okay let’s see what you come up with.” Star conceded.
They had delivered songs before practice was even over.

Tonight, each performer wore a disco and 70’s inspired costume. “It reminds me of my teenage closet.” Lily smiled when she was making each costume the week before.
“Really? You wore more than black?” Star had teased when Lily handed her a green Cher dress.
It was one of the more simple outfits with just silver metal detailing at the top and straps, and a cloud like puffs at the bottom, the sheath dress in between was plain lime green.

“Yes, back then black was only for funerals and punks.” Lily replied as she stuck out her tongue. “And I wasn’t a punk.”
Lily’s dress tonight wasn’t black, but a replication of Cher’s rainbow dress.

“Come on birthday boy, I’ve got something for you.” Kitty smirked as she pulled Angel away from the others and back towards the dressing room. Kitty had worn an Abba outfit, a pink jumpsuit with a heart cut out over her navel.
Inside the first dressing room was a two piece outfit, a sequin blue crop top with a silver spider design and blue sequin bell bottoms.

“Kitty, I have to talk to you!” Angel exclaimed once they were alone in the dressing room. He quickly closed the door, locking them in together.
“Angel, are you okay?” Kitty asked, instantly dropping her flirty persona as she took him in. He looked scared, his breathing was rapid and shallow.‘How did everyone miss that?’ Kitty thought as she took his hand in hers.

“Valentino knows, Kitty.” Angel whispered as blinked down at her, trying not to cry.
“Valentino knows what, Angel?” The singer asked as she reached up and wiped the tears that were sliding down his face.

“I don’t know, but he mentioned La La Land and Nova.” The spider confessed.
“Angel, take a deep breath. I need you to calm down and then you can tell me what you’re comfortable with repeating.” Kitty said as her hands dropped to his upper arms and rubbed them.

Back out at the front of the house, Star had taken to the stage as the hotel group sat down at the biggest booth after getting some drinks.
“Alright everyone, it’s nearly time to get this show started. Once the birthday boy returns, we’ll serve the cake and his rainbow shots.” Star announced as she made her way to her mic.
“How are those coming...” She began, but she stopped.

The figure that darkened her doorway made Star’s heart jump up to her throat. ‘Stay calm Stella.’ She thought as she gulped. Valentino stood at the edge of the main room. He already looked pissed off.

“This is a private party and you’re not on the guest list, please leave.” Star said her voice left no room for discussion but hadn’t moved from in front of the mic. Everyone’s head snapped towards what Star was glaring at. A few gasps filled the room.

“I’ll leave once I get what I came for, my tanuki, Nova. A little birdie told me she’s a performer here.” Valentino replied with a sneer.
‘Nova? How did he find out about Nova?’ Star thought trying to keep her face calm. “I don't have any tanuki performers named Nova.” Star informed him.
“Don’t play dumb with me perra-” The pimp snarled as he started to unholstered his gun.

Star managed to choke out her next words to warn everyone before he had finished “Alert 5!”

From the bar, Ash let out a low long whistle then the lights went out then blinked back on in a dim red. The speakers began to blare out “General Quarters! General Quarters! All Hands man your battlestations.” Followed by a ringing horn, and gunshots.

The club transformed into a maze of metal gray walls, several were put up in place to hide everyone but Star and Valentino.
Beyond the metal walls Star could hear the gasps and shrieks of surprise from the staff members who agreed to work tonight.

“The O-3? Oh shit!” Sojo muttered as she quickly took in her surroundings. They could no longer see Valentino, they were inside a small metal room.
“Shipmate!” Star shouted from the other side of the thin wall. “Do you know where you are?”

“Aye!” Sojo shouted back.
“EVAC to the Island!” Star shouted as the floor behind to gently rock beneath Sojo’s feet. Everything around them began to sway from left to right.

“What the fuck is going on?” Nifty shouted over the horn.
“Just follow Sojo!” Cherri ordered, as she picked Nifty up and put Nifty on her shoulder.
Sojo went away from Star’s voice and towards an opposite door.

“Vaggie, take point. Husk take rear.” Sojo ordered as she opened the small metal door. “Everyone silence, single file, left hand on the shoulder or hip in front of you. Vaggie, head three hatches aft, they look like arched doorways, you’ll have to step over the coaming.

The floor tiles will change from gray to blue, follow the blue tiles starboard, they’ll take you to a door. The first door is a regular door that leads to a small interspace. From there you exit through the Circle W hatch.” Sojo pointed down the hallway that went towards the back of the building.

“What’s Circle W?” Vaggie asked.
“It’ll have a white circle with a W in the middle." Sojo answered, then pushed everyone outside the small room counting as she did so.
“7.” She muttered as she watched her friends exit the room, including her, there should be nine.

“Where’s Angel? Husk, I’m gonna go get Angel.” She informed the bartender.
“Copy.” Husk replied with a nod.
Sojo watched her friends go down the narrow passageway.

“If the island is in the front of the building and Angel went to the dressing rooms, then I need to go forward.” Sojo muttered as she pointed behind herself then went the opposite way she sent the others.

On the other side of the wall, Star stood at a junction of pathways, in front of her stood a disoriented Valentino. He had held on to the wall with his left set of arms, in his lower right hand he held his long barreled handgun, his upper right hand on his forehead.

‘Of all days for his ass to show up.’ Star thought as she went down the left hallway.
‘Everyone who works here has gotten this drill at least three times, they’ll be fine. Hopefully, Sojo can lead the hotel crew out safely.’ Star thought as she tried to make her way towards the focsle.
Star could hear Valentino stumble after her as she led him a circle around the ship.

Back in the dressing room, Kitty had calmed Angel down and gotten him into his birthday outfit, discussing what to do about Valentino when the dressing room changed and the lights went out.
“What the fuck?!” Angel questioned as he looked around at his new strange surroundings.

“We’ve got to go!” Kitty exclaimed as she grabbed her phone from the counter and his hand.
“Go? Go where?” The spider asked as he pulled his hand back.
“Out of here! Someone who isn’t supposed to be here is here. Someone Star thinks is more powerful than her. ” The calico shouted over the alarm and grabbed his hand again and started to drag him to the nearest exit.

“Who? We have to get the others! Kitty, what if it’s Val!?” Angel argued.
“Star will get them out! We’ve trained for this. This is all to give us time to get away from the threat.” She informed him as she pulled him up a ladderwell.
“Trained? You can’t train for Valentino!” He snapped.
“Just shut up and listen to me and we’ll get out of this alive” She snapped back.

Kitty pulled Angel through a hatch to the outside where everything was back to normal. “We’ve got to make it to the safe house, it’s not far.” She informed him as she began to lead him away from the club as she began to text someone.
“But my friends.” Angel protested, stopping as they reached the street.

“Angel, you can’t go back in. You’ll put yourself in danger, look at everyone who's already come out, we're probably some of the last to get out. It might not even be Valentino.” The singer reasoned as she grabbed his hand to lead him away.
“You don’t fucking know that!” Angel snarled as he yanked his arm away from Kitty causing her to lose her balance and fall.

Angel locked eyes with Kitty as she looked up at him in shock, his eyes were glowing, even his extra eyes. He turned and ran back down the alleyway towards the back of the club.

Chapter Text

Chapter 58: Hit the Deck

Star could hear Valentino stumble after her as she led him in a giant figure 8 inside the walls of her disgusted club, her illusion of the inside of a Navy ship was holding up well.
As she was coming back towards the real exit, she came up on a small pile of bodies.
Dewey was holding up an injured Ash and each had a shotgun, at their feet were the four bodies of Valentino’s goons.
“Dewey! Ash!” Star exclaimed as ran up to them.

“His goons got the jump on us and got Ash.” Dewey explained as Star began to look her friend over.
The senior bartender had his hand over a bleeding hole where his left eye should have been, holding the shotgun in his right. “It’s a bitch to aim with one eye.” Ash mumbled.

“You still got them though.” Star praised as she took the shotgun from him. “Dewey, just focus on getting the two of you out of here-” Star began when a hand grabbed her shoulder and yanked her back.
Valentino had caught up to her, Star screamed and bucked away from him. She turned to face him and fired the shotgun, but it just clicked, it was empty.

Star stared up at Valentino in a panic. ‘He’s huge.’ She thought. He had red drool dripping down his chin and his eyes seemed to be glowing behind his sunglasses.
“I asked you nicely, perra estupidia.” The Overlord snapped as took a step towards her.

“She’s not your fucking girl.” The mink snapped back as she flipped the shotgun around and shoved it into his abdomen, causing him to double over.
“If I say she’s mine, she’s mine!” Val snarled as he lunged for Star, ignoring his pain.
Star jumped back just out of reach and hit him in the face this time, breaking one of his ridiculous heart shaped lenses.

He began to string together a necklace of curse words as he reached for his gun and leveled it at Star from his position on the ground.
Star willed the lights to a white and a level of brightness that could burn retinas, and began to back away from him again as she pressed herself against the wall, he wildly fired his gun twice.

The sharp ringing drowned out everything else, disorienting Star. Val pulled himself up, still cursing as he fired his gun a third and fourth time not bothering to aim.
The shots hit the floor, but the shrapnel flew up and caught Star in her left ankle. She winced in pain and tried to limp away from the moth.
The pain caused the mink to lose focus, the lights began to dim to a normal level, and stayed white as the walls around them began to shift away.

‘Don’t let him notice Ash and Dewey.’ She thought as she tried to focus again. The lights became bright again but this time to the level of sunlight, the sound of waving lapping nearby filled the air along with the smell of salt, metal and fuel. They were in a large, crowded space surrounded by military aircraft.

Valentino fired a fifth time, missing due to Star pitching the environment suddenly to the right.
“Maldita sea!” Valentino cursed as he kept his narrow eyes on her, he didn’t notice Ash and Dewey behind him at all.

The pimp took aim again and the singer willed the deck to pitch up and down as he shot his sixth bullet. The flash was gold and despite her actions, the bullet still hit her dead center of her left ankle.
Star screamed as her leg suddenly gave out and she hit the deck. The pain was intense, like a bomb going off,the wound felt like it was on fire. Her vision blurred as tears filled her eyes, the ringing was replaced by the whooshing of her blood.

Valentino stalked over to her, his large frame looming over her. He picked her up by her throat and slammed her back into the deck, knocking the wind out of her. She could see him talking, but couldn’t hear him as he got his face inches from hers. All she could hear was roaring.

Sojo heard a scream, the lights dimmed and then two gunshots rang out. Pinpointing where it came from, the bear sprinted towards the commotion. She could see the back on Valentino’s tall frame when the club began to shift around her.

The sailor took in her surroundings as dread began to fill her, the familiar smell of the exhaust, the heat of the jetblast, the roar of the engines turning. “The flightdeck.” She whispered to herself.
“Sojo!” Ash screamed from beside her, snapping her out of the trance. The bear jumped at the gruesome sight of her friend.

“He’s got Star!” Dewey yelled pointing towards the bow. “She’s down!”
Dewey had hidden the two of them behind a turning F-18. The duck had propped the bartender up against a main landing gear tire and squeezed himself behind his mentor.

Sojo looked ahead of them to the other side of the six pack. Valentino was on his hands and knees, hunched over a fallen Star, who he had in his grip.
She began to duck, dip and weave between the aircrafts that separated her from her friend. Once Sojo cleared the six pack, she sprinted towards them, failing to see the aircraft taxiing towards her.
A wing barely missed her, but the exhaust knocked her over, shredding her skin on the dirty non-skid as the blazing air dragged her along.
Sojo felt a blast of heat explode from her chest then everything went dark.

After fighting with Kitty, Angel ran back into the club and tore down the empty, metal passageways. He tried to remember the way Kitty took him, he took a left, then a right, finally he stopped to take a breath. “Fuck!” He snapped as he looked around, it looked exactly the same as where he started, he was lost.

“What the fuck is this place?” The spider snarled as he began to run straight ahead. He heard a scream then the lights went out followed by two gunshots. ‘They have to be close!’ He thought as he followed the sound.

Once the club began to shift again, he stopped. He was outside in broad daylight, but he was surrounded by turning aircrafts. He heard another shot then another scream. He tried to follow the sound, but had to avoid the moving birds. “What the fuck, Star?!” Angel snapped as he pressed him against a tall metal wall with a large discolored window.

The spider sinner stopped to look around him, he couldn’t see any of his friends, no Husk, no Charlie, and no Sojo. His eyes landed on something bright red and lime green, in between all the gray. “Valentino.” He gasped, realizing the moth was on top of Star.

Suddenly, the overlord was tackled to the deck by a horrific beast made from the fusion of flesh and metal.
Angel had to look away as the beast snapped its jaws onto Valentino’s neck and ripped him in half, its black claws tore his legs from his waist spraying blood everywhere.

When Angel opened his eyes again, the club was back to normal. He was on the stage, but the monster was still there in the middle of the room, each wingtip digging into the concrete walls. Red wings and sinew hung from its bloody mouth. It walked over to Star, who was just feet away, and leaned down, gently nuzzling her with its muzzle. A low, mechanical chuff rumbled from its chest.
Angel could hear Star groan as she reached up to pet the damn thing.

Without thinking, Angel sprinted to the creature, “Don’t eat her!” He screamed. It turned around, its black orbs settling down to a familiar red and green. Angel stopped in his tracks and took in the creature before him, the ears, the nose, the muzzle, the lights. “Sojo?” He whispered in shock.

The beast lumbered towards him in the last few steps, nuzzling his face gently before laying on the floor, eyes closed. The roar of its engines died down as a blast of steam engulfed the monster, shrinking it down to Sojo’s sleeping, nude body.

“Angel?!” Star called out not moving from her spot on the dance floor, pulling him back from his shock. “Angel, please go get help! The safe house is a doctor’s office, Serena Frankenfrut is a few blocks over. She needs to look at Ash.” Star shouted frantically.

Angel rushed over to Star who’s left foot was dangling on by tendons. He gasped at the sight before he nodded. “Ye-yeah!” The spider choked out, racing out the club and into the street.
“Angel!” A deep voice shouted his name. Angel stopped to see his friends and Kitty, they had all gone back to the limo.

Husk beat everyone as they ran towards him, he quickly pulled the tall sinner into a fierce, tight hug. When the bartender finally pulled away, he began to look over his lover for injuries. “What happened to you?” Husk asked worriedly, “Are you hurt?” Freaked out by the amount of blood smeared in his white and pink fuzz.

“I-I’m fine, this isn’t my blood.” Angel answered, still in shock.
“Oh my god, Angel!” Charlie exclaimed as she quickly went up and hugged him. “We were so worried!” Tears lined her yellow eyes.
“Kitty said you went back in.” Vaggie said as she looked him over. “You look red and pale. Are you sure it’s not your blood?”

“I did. And I s-saw- I saw something. We need to help Sojo.” Angel explained as he pulled away from the hug and grabbed Charlie’s hand, dragging her back towards the club.
“What happened to Sojo?” Nifty asked as the group followed him back into the building.

“What about Valentino?” Kitty asked, keeping up surprisingly well in platform boots.
“He- he’s dead.” Angel informed the group.
“What do you mean dead?” Husk asked, surprised. “How?”
“Did Star kill him?” Charlie asked.
“No, Sojo did.” Angel answered as the group stumbled back inside the room.

The interior of the club was destroyed, it was as if someone had set off a bomb inside. The walls had several large holes in them, the stage had chunks missing out of it, and the only light left hanging was the newly installed disco ball.

Dewey and Ash were propped up against the decimated bar, it was half the height it had been just minutes before. Dewey was awake but shaken, Ash had lost consciousness.
Booths were torn from the walls, tables and chairs in bits all over the ground.

In the middle of the wreckage lay an injured Star, an unconscious, naked Sojo, and the bloody, mutilated remains of Valentino.
“What the hell happened?” Vaggie asked as she took in the destruction while Cherri poked a dismembered leg of the pimp.

“Yeah, he’s dead dead.” Cherri announced, chuckling humorlessly.
“What happened?” Vaggie repeated as she turned to Angel.
“Sojo happened.” Angel clarified as Husk took off his jacket and quickly covered her up.
“Why is she naked?” Hsuk gasped as he knelt beside her, checking for injuries.

“Overlord form will do that if you can’t control it.” Star announced between gasps.
“Star!” Kitty shouted as she went over to her, quickly kneeling on the ground.
“I’m fine, go get Dr. Serena for Ash, take Dewey with you. I’m not going anywhere.” Star ordered her as she began to slur her words.

“Fine? You’re not fine!” Kitty shrieked as her hands went to Star’s sweaty face.
“Do what she says, Kitty, we got her. We’ll take them back to the hotel with us.” Charlie said as she knelt beside the dancer and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

Kitty suppressed a sob then hugged the princess. “Don’t let them die!” She cried then went over to Dewey and had him follow her out of the club.
“We need to get all of them back to the hotel now.” Vaggie ordered in as she went to pick up Star as Husk lifted Sojo up.
Cherri and Charlie each took an arm of Ash and held him up.
“Well this was one helluva birthday.” Angel muttered as he brushed Sojo’s hair out of her face.

Chapter Text

Chapter 59: Unlikely Guests
Lucifer had convinced Charlie to let him skip the night out for her friend’s birthday by telling her he still needed to work on his gift for Angel.

“Oh okay, Dad. That’s so sweet of you.” Charlie praised him, happily.
It had been a lie originally. But after seeing how happy it had made his daughter, the king had decided to make the sinner a duck.

The ruler of Hell was enjoying the quiet evening in the parlor crafting the pink duck, he didn't even mind that Alastor had joined him.

The red demon was sitting in a chair near the unlit fireplace, reading a book as the radio played soft jazz music.
Surprisingly, they were both existing in the same room quietly, not bothering each other.

Lucifer sat on the floor at the coffee table nearly finished when the hotel doors flew open.

The scent of blood preceded Charlie’s screaming. “DAD!”
“Charlie?” Lucifer answered as he sprinted from the parlor and out into the foyer. “Charlie, what’s wrong?” The dad panicked as he began to look his bloody daughter over.

“I’m fine, it’s Sojo and the others!” Charlie sobbed as she glanced back over her shoulder towards the entrance.
Lucifer followed her gaze and saw Husk carrying in Sojo, Vaggie carrying in the performer who had challenged him back in August, and Cherri was carrying a third sinner.

“What happened? Charlie, you need to calm down.” Lucifer said as he placed his hand on her face.

“I’m putting Sojo in her room.” Husk informed the group as he and Angel went into the elevator.

“Star and Ash are going to spare rooms.” Vaggie added as they followed. “Sir, we need you to portal Penny over from the sinner hospital, she’s bringing a team, including Star’s personal doctor.” She informed Lucifer.

“Is Sojo injured? What happened?” Lucifer asked as he opened a portal and a medical team streamed through.
A mummy-like sinner led the group followed close by a white rabbit sinner.

“I’m Dr. Serena Frankfurt, please to meet you, your majesty. Where are our patients?” The rabbit asked as her nose twitched, smelling the air.

“They were taken up to the second floor, take the elevator, but I don’t know which rooms.” Charlie answered as she blinked down at the doctor.

“I think we can just follow the blood spots.” Penny pointed out as she pointed to a trail of blood that led to the elevator.

“Right.” Serena replied as the group piled into the elevator.
“Well, this is quite the commotion.” Alastor commented as he appeared next to the royal duo.
He quickly glanced among the chaos and watched as the elevator disappeared behind its gold doors.

“Sweetheart, what happened?” The king repeated as he gently put his hands on his daughter’s shoulders and floated up to her height, his wings going the speed of a hummingbird.

Charlie explained everything to the best of ability, her audience was stunned by the end.

Once the medical team took over, all the hotel residents went down to the parlor and waited.

Lucifer and Alastor leaned against the wall to give space to the others, Husk paced behind the couch Angel sat on as he wrapped himself up, pulling his legs to his chest to hug them. He was still covered in blood.

Cherri sat beside him hunched forward, her elbows on her knees.
Vaggie and Charlie sat on the loveseat. Charlie quietly sniffling as she leaned her head against Vaggie’s shoulder as her girlfriend tightly held her.
At their feet sat Niffty and Baxter, who were both silent. No one said anything, all lost in their own thoughts.

About twenty minutes into the surgeries, there was a knock on the door, making everyone jump. Charlie opened the door to see Lily, who was still in her rainbow Cher costume.

Charlie escorted Lily to the parlor.
Lily had an overnight bag slung over her shoulder. “Your looks aren’t encouraging.” She confided in them as she glanced between the residents.

“The surgeons said it’ll be hours before they’re done.” Charlie fretted as she brought a tissue to her running nose and sat back down beside Vaggie.

“And your girl, Sojo?” Lily asked as she looked up at the ceiling.
“She’s not bleeding out, so she’s a lower priority.” Husk answered as he swirled the whiskey in his glass. “What took you so long to get here?”

“I wish I could have been here right away, but I have other obligations right now.” Lily confessed with a shaky sigh. “There’s a lot of moving parts. We’ve been compromised, I’ve got to move Star, Nova and myself out of the club and find a place for us.” Lily looked between each resident again before her eyes settled on Vaggie.

“Would you pass on a message to Star for me?” She asked.
“Yeah, I can do that.” Vaggie answered.
“Please tell Star ‘the cabaret has moved out of Berlin.’ She’ll know what it means.” Lily explained as she dropped the bag on the coffee table in front of the loveseat.
“This has a change of clothes for both of them.” She explained then turned to leave.

“You’re not going to stay with her?” Charlie asked, making Lily stop at the doorway.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can, but there are things I need to take care of. Star will understand.” Lily sighed as if she was already tired, knowing she wasn’t going to be resting any time soon.

“Why don’t you and Nova stay here? There’s no place safer in Hell. I’m sure Star and Ash will be more comfortable if you were here.” Charlie suggested as she stood up.

“I would appreciate that, but I still have to find safe places for the others. They’re all freaked out, afraid Valentino will come to their homes next.” Lily explained.

“He ain’t going anywhere for the next few days.” Cherri snorted quietly.
“From what Kitty said, that's true. She's trying to reason with the others, but fear is hard to argue with.” Lily said.
“True.” Alastor smirked.

“The hotel is big enough for them too. They can stay here until they feel safe to go home.” Charlie offered.
“It certainly is.” Lily mumbled as she nodded looking around.

“Okay, I’ll see if I can get them to come here, but I can’t guarantee they’ll take the invite. If I’m not back by the time Star wakes up, please pass on my message.” Lily repeated as she looked between Charlie and Vaggie.
“We will.” Vaggie reassured her.
Lily nodded then left for parts unknown.

Stella felt as if she was resurfacing after a long underwater dive when she came to. Her body felt heavy, even her eyelids, but her left leg was the worst.

Her eyes finally open to see in an unfamiliar room.
She was in a queen sized bed with a comfy blue blanket over her, her left leg was resting on a wedge sized pillow with a semicircle cut out. It was encased in an old fashioned cast.

She began to glance around the warm room, but everything seemed slightly out of focus, the only thing she was sure of was the same section of beach shore in the corner. The lapping waves was the only sound she could hear.
She groaned as she closed her eyes again and put an arm over her eyes.

“They say the room shifts to its occupant.” A voice beside her said. Stella lifted her arm, turned her head to the side as she opened her eyes to see Serena sitting an oversized stuffed cream colored chair, the kind that looks great to read a book in.

“Huh?” Star questioned.
“The princess says the hotel’s rooms change to fit their residents, hence the beach. How do you feel?” Serena asked as she opened a manilla folder and clicked open a pen.

“Heavy, a little groggy still.” Stella answered. “Thanks for coming.”
“Of course, I’m sorry it was under such serious circumstances this time. Stella, you were in surgery for three hours and we did what we could, but holy damage always takes a long time to fix.” Serena informed her

“Holy damage?” Stella parroted.
“He shot you with a holy bullet.” Serena explained as she gently put her hand over Stella’s.
“Bastard.” Stella snapped, already feeling exhausted.

“You won’t be able to walk on that ankle for weeks, let alone dance.” Serena broke the news as gently as she could.
“How many weeks exactly?” Stella asked.

“It depends on a few factors but my guess is 5 weeks of no weight bearing then 5 more of slowly introducing weight back. After that 2 more weeks to learn to walk again.” Serena answered.

“12 weeks before I can walk again!” Stella exclaimed. “I have too much to do to sit around for that long.”

“It’s better than losing the ankle, with a holy bullet it wouldn’t have grown back. You need to rest, I want you on convalescent leave for the first two weeks.” Serena said as she wrote down everything she had just said.

“Two weeks?” Stella groaned as she closed her eyes again.
“You could use the down time. Go back to sleep, rest is important in healing.” Serena reminded her as she stood up from the chair.

“Wait Dr., how’s Ash?” Stella asked.
“His prognosis is better than yours. He’s alive and he’s still sleeping, you don’t need to worry.” Serena reassured her as she gently put a hand on Stella’s shoulder. “Get some rest.”

“I’ll try.” Stella yawned.
“Good night, Stella.” Serena said as she turned off the overhead ceiling fan light.

Next door, Serena checked in on Ash who was still asleep. Someone had dropped off a set of blue pajamas for him, they were folded and sat on the nightstand next to the bed.

Finally, the good doctor went to their third patient where she found her friend, Penny, taking the sinner's vitals.
Someone had put her in a set of green sweats.

“How does she look?” Serena whispered as she came up to Penny.
“All vitals are normal, but I would like to come back tomorrow when she’s awake.” Penny answered as she put her stethoscope around her neck.

“It seems we’re done here for the night then.” Serena suggested as Penny turned away from her patient.
“It would seem so.” Penny sighed as they left the bedroom.

Chapter Text

Chapter 60: Convalescent

The bright light drifting through the large bay window, woke Stella the next morning.

This time, waking up didn’t feel like she was booting up a Windows 92 era computer, but it still felt longer than normal.

The room gave vintage elegant beach vibes. The room was now shades of blues, green and creams. Stella could see the bed was now a wooden poster bed with transparent teal curtains, beyond the railed footboard sat a cream bench. She could see hardwood floors, and wooden dressers, a vanity and a set of closet doors.

She was surprised that she was still sleeping on her back, but when she shifted to lay on her side to ignore the light disturbing her, she felt her body resist and her left leg not move at all.
“You should probably just keep on your back.” A voice from the doorway suggested.

Stella glanced at the doorway to see Lily carrying a metal tray with a metal dome on it, she was followed by Charlie and Vaggie. “I brought you some breakfast.”

“I hope you like pancakes, my dad thinks pancakes fix everything. And I brought this.” Charlie joked and handed Star a glitter covered card as Lily put the tray down on Star’s lap.
The card said ‘GET WELL SOON’ in rainbow glitter.

Stella opened the card and more glitter fell in her lap, she could hear Lily stifle a laugh. Inside, the card had a rainbow that arced diagonally and the words ‘Welcome to the Hazbin Hotel’ written in gold glitter pen.

“Thank you for the card. Wait, the King of Hell made these pancakes?” She asked as Lily lifted the lid to reveal a short stack of thick pancakes that took up the whole plate. They were topped with a dab of butter, strawberries and whip cream. They look amazing.

“Yup, it’s no big deal.” Charlie smiled at her as Lily sat down at the chair that Serena had left beside the bed. The chair’s back now had a slight shell shape to it.

“Try to eat as much as you can, Serena said ‘the anesthesia might leave you devoid of appetite for a day’. She left us a list of things for the both of you.” Lily informed Stella as she picked up her silverware.

“Always so thorough.” Stella said as she cut into her first pancake. “How is everything else?” She asked.

“Always straight to the point, but for the next few weeks the focus is on you.
After breakfast, Dr. Serena will be back to show you how to use crutches.” Vaggie spoke up.

“Oh, no need, I already know how to. This isn’t my first ankle injury, just my first since being dead.” Stella informed them as she continued to eat.

“She’s gonna come back anyways.” Lily remarked as she rolled her eyes. “She says this first week is important to check in.”

“How is Ash?” Stella asked as she picked up a slice of bacon that was a smaller side plate.

“He’s awake, so we brought him breakfast too. I was surprised he was up before you, I’m guessing that’s because you were under the anesthesia longer.” Lily answered.
“Can I see him?” Stella asked.

“He asked the same thing.” Charlie announced with a giggle as she looked around the room. “You changed the room, Ash’s room still looks the same.”
“I didn’t mean to, but I like the look. That sounds about right for Ash. Always so overprotective of us.” Stella smiled down at her breakfast. “So can I see him?”

“After Serena checks on both of you again. Once you’re done eating, you’ll have to take your pain meds.” Lily informed her as she held up an orange bottle.
Stella made a face, but nodded.

She ate what she could and took the pills. “Charlie, is there a library? If I have to lay here for a while can I get a book to read?” Stella asked as Lily picked up the tray.

“Yeah there is!” Charlie beamed at her. “I’ll bring you something, we have anything you could want.”
“Mh historical fiction is usually what I go for.” Stella confessed.

“Mh what do we have in that category?” Charlie pondered as she tapped her finger to her chin.
“I can help with that, I know what she likes or we can unpack one of the boxes I brought.” Lily volunteered as she opened the door to see Nova.

The tanuki looked terrible, her fur was greasy and flat, her eyes were bloodshot and her black eye rings were more bluish and purple than black. She was sniffling. “H-how is she?”

“Nova?” Stella called as she leaned forward to see Nova pass the others. “What are you doing here?”
“Nova, I said you have to wait.” Lily sighed.
“No, let her in!” Stella called out. “I want a famous Nova hug!”

Nova dodged around Lily and the others and nearly tripped as she went to lean down to hug Stella. “I’m sorry Star.” She cried into her shoulder, squeezing her.

“It’s fine, Nova. It’s not your fault.” The mink whispered as she hugged her back.
The tanuki climbed on top of the bed and cuddled the singer, leaning back against her stack of pillows.

Vaggie took the breakfast tray from Lily so she could handle this situation, leading Charlie away. “Let’s give them some privacy.” She whispered as they went into the hallway.

“Star, I’m so sorry that Valentino did this to you. If you want to end our contract I understand.” Nova sobbed into Stella’s chest.

“Shh, it’s okay Nova, I don’t blame you. You’re being silly, I don’t want to end our contract.” The singer whispered as she petted her brown hair.

“But Valentino’s gonna come back.” The tanuki protested as she looked up at her boss with her big black eyes.

“After that beating? I doubt it. ” Stella snorted.
“Stella!” Lily scolded. “You don't know that. We’re all here in the hotel because it’s the one place in Pentagram City Valentino and the Vees won’t dare attack.”

“Everyone’s here?” The mink asked as she sat up a little more.
“Yeah, all the girls, Ash, even Dewey.” The make up artist answered as she released some of her grip.

“I see.” Stella muttered as she laid back again.
“I think the drugs are kicking in.” Lily said.

“Yeah, my brain is starting to feel slow again, like an old computer. Old computer or not, you’re not going anywhere, Nova. We’ll rebuild in some way, Valentino has been a looming threat since I pulled the first Refu-Vee out of the trash.” The singer stated.
“We should have left her in the trash.” The seamstress muttered.

“Yeah, Diamond was a headache, but she was worth it in a sense. We got so much out of what we were doing.” The mink sighed.

“A broken ankle?” The tanuki asked, wiping her eyes.
“I hope she’s back in the trash.” The bat quipped, making the others laugh.
“We can only hope.” Stella chuckled.
“The others want to see you too.” Nova informed her.

“Well, how about once Dr. Serena sees me, we can have a meeting or maybe I can come down to the lounge? I’ll go stir crazy if I stay in this room too long.” The singer confessed.

“Why? Is it so pretty.” The make-up artist commented as she looked around the stylish room.
“Yeah, my room doesn’t look anything like this.” The seamstress added, touching the teal curtains.
“It’s nice, but to me, a bedroom is for sleeping.” Stella shrugged.

“Maybe once you can walk, we can get into the water, Star.” Nova suggested.
“That’ll be nice, but right now could you use my real name? I won’t be on stage for a while so it seems weird to go by my stage name. Just call me Stella.” She said.
“Okay, Stella.” The tanuki replied, snuggling into her friend.

Chapter Text

Chapter 61: What was that?

Once she was cleared by Dr. Serena, Stella showered and had Lily escorted her to Ash’s room.
Ash’s room looked like any other room in the hotel. He was sitting in a plush chair in his blue pajamas. He looked like he just woke up.

Half his face was covered in gauze, the other half was almost as pale as the bandages and he wore a black eye patch over the damaged eye.
Dr. Serena was just packing up as they entered the room. “I’ll check in on you in a few days.” Dr. Serena announced as she left the room. Ash nodded and waved goodbye.

“How do you feel, Ash?” Stella asked as she gently sat on the edge of the cream colored bed.
“Like a cyclops.” Ash sighed as his hand tenderly touched his face. “You?”
“Like a peg-legged pirate.” She answered as she looked down at her cast.

Both began to laugh. “What a pair we make.” Ash chuckled.
“A pair of pirates.” Lily joked, shaking her head. “Isn’t it a little soon to be laughing?”
“Better than crying.” Stella replied.
“I didn’t expect to see you two here.” Ash said as he looked over to Lily and Nova.

“All the performers and Dewey are here in the hotel, it’s the best place for us right now.” Lily informed him as she sat on the arm of his chair. “Why don’t you make a list of what you want from your place, cause you ain’t going anywhere until you’re healed.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Ash sighed as Lily handed him a notepad and pen.
“Good boy.” Lily smirked, earning a glare from the scorpion. She just started to giggle again.
“I was hoping to go home by tomorrow, but yeah, living alone with no depth perception is probably a bad idea.” Ash remarked.

“Why don’t we see if we can get a tour of this place since we’ll be here for a few weeks. I only know where the offices are.” Stella suggested as she stood up and popped her crutches under her arms.
“I think that can wait.” Lily spoke up.
“Yeah, but no time like the present.” Stella said as she led the way out to the hallway.

Ash just shook his head as he slowly got up from his chair. “Let’s just indulge her, maybe she’ll wear herself out quickly.”
“Her tired? Ha!” Nova laughed as she took the end of their little train.
Together, they made their way to the lounge.

As they approached the lounge, they saw the rest of the dancers lingering in the hallway.
“What’s going on?” Stella asked as she crutched towards the group.
They all turned to shush her then did a double take.

“You’re on crutches?” Jade, the cheetah sinner whispered.
“Well, I can’t walk on a broken ankle.What are you guys eavesdropping on?” Stella asked as she tried to peek around the group.
“Sojo is ripping everyone a new one because I accidentally let it slip that she killed Valentino.” Kitty confessed quietly.

“Why would she be mad about that?” Ash asked.
“We’re not sure, that’s what we’re trying to figure out. Should you two be out of bed?” Hazel, the rabbit sinner asked as she glanced up to Ash.
“Laying around all day has never been my thing.” Ash shrugged.

Stella stopped to listen for a moment. “How exactly is keeping this a secret from me a fucking good idea?” Sojo shouted, she sounded absolutely livid.
“Why is there so much drama in this hotel?” Stella sighed as she tried to crutch around her group.
“No, Star.” Ruby stage whispered as she made her way into the doorway.
“Please don’t call me that right now.” Star replied.

When Stella knocked on the door then opened it everything in the room to stop. “We’ll talk about this later.” Sojo growled through gritted teeth. “Star, Ash, what are you doing out of bed?” She asked after taking a deep breath and lowering her heckles.

“We were bored.” Stella shrugged as she made her way to an empty couch. She plopped down and Ash sat beside her after feeling his way.
“How are you feeling, Sojo?” Stella asked.
“Oh fine, but I’m not the one who got shot.” Sojo pointed out as she looked down at Stella’s ankle and Ash’s face.

“It’s not the first time I’ve been shot at, just the first time someone landed a shot on me.” Ash professed as he glanced over to Husk.
“So Valentino just got the drop on you?” Husk asked from his spot at the bar.

“He did, I blew the whistle and he shot me during that.” Ash confirmed.
“What was with that whistle? What was that whole thing?” Angel spoke up.
“It’s a Bosun Pipe.” Sojo answered. “But yeah, Star, you were a sailor weren’t you? What ship? What rate?” Sojo rapid fired her questions.

“Yes, I served, I served on the USS Valencia with my Squadron VAX 150 as an AVT.” Stella answered as she folded her hands in her laps.
“Oh.” Sojo remarked.

“So that was a ship?” Vaggie asked.
“Whatta about the last part with all the sunshine and the airplanes?” Angel asked.
“Oi, when did that happen?” Cherri asked as she scrunched her face up in confusion.
“Right before Big Bear here chewed up my boss.” Angel replied as he gestured towards Sojo.

“Yes, that was the inside of a ship. When we decided to have an emergency exit plan, it made sense to me to teach the girls what I already knew. I can drill them in what I know about emergency egress; however, the flight deck was not part of the plan. I guess the ankle pain just caused me to have a flashback.” Stella explained.

“A flashback to what?” Charlie asked.
“To the first time I broke my ankle, I fell off a jet.” Star confessed.
“How the fuck?” Sojo snapped, grimacing from the imagery.

“Long story short, someone left red gear on the wingtip and I went to get it off. It was lightly raining so the jet was slick and I slipped trying to get that stupid noodle block off.” Star described as she began to talk with her hands.

“You were working in the rain?” Vi asked, looking concerned.
Sojo and Stella snorted. “If the Navy stopped for a little rain, nothing would get done. If there’s no lighting within 10 miles, then you’re good to work.” Sojo clarified. “So you fell off the wing?”

“Yes, I fell to the deck, broke my ankle and had to be nightingaled off the ship back to the west coast. We only had a month left to deployment.” Stella answered. “I guess Valentino slamming me down on the nonskid brought back my memories.”

“Did it kill you?” Charlie asked with a gulp.
“No, I survived. I was killed in a riot in New Year City a few years later. I was medically retired from my fall and decided to go to college there, to treat myself after the hell I was put through.” Stella announced.

“Medically retired.” Husk whistled, sighing. “That’s a hell of a break.”
“It was, but this beats it.” Star chuckled as gestured down at her cast, causing Sojo, Husk, and Ash to crack up laughing.

“You’re laughing?” Vaggie questioned, appalled at their reaction.
“Hey, that’s all you can do sometimes.” Ash replied.
“True that.” Husk, Sojo and Star responded.

“Any more questions?” Star asked as she looked around the group, she got no responses. “Okay then, Charlie, why don’t you give all of us the grand tour?”
“Are you sure you’re up for it? It’s a big hotel.” Charlie asked as she glanced down at the cast.

“Maybe just show me the important parts and everyone else can get the whole deal.” Stella suggested.
“The important parts, mh.” Charlie pondered.
“Yes, the kitchen, dining room, the library, movie theatre if you have one, the gym.” Star listed off.
“The gym?” Charlie gasped, her eyes going wide in shock.

“I’m joking about that last one. I really just want to see where the first three are.” Stella said as she got up and propped her crutches under her arms.
“You’re not cooking anything soon.” Lily informed her as she got up too.
“Define soon?” Stella asked as Charlie led them out of the lounge.

“Three weeks.” Lily answered firmly.
“Okay, that seems fair.” Stella sighed.
“More than fair.” Ash added.

“The kitchen is this way and it’s open to everyone, but we do ask that you don’t use or eat other’s stuff if it’s labeled.” Charlie announced as walked backwards and gestured in the direction of the kitchen. “We’ll stop at the library at the end of our short tour since you asked about it earlier.”

“Thank you, you can just leave me there.” Stella joked.
“Well right this way, Star.” Charlie said with a bounce in her step.

“Since I’m not performing anytime soon, I figured you can just call me by my given name, Stella.” She corrected Charlie.
“Oh, that’s beautiful! Well right this way, Stella.” Charlie beamed.

Chapter Text

Chapter 62: Where’s Valentino?
After five days of not answering his phone calls and texts, Vox was beyond pissed off at his boyfriend Valentino. “Where the fuck is he?” Vox snarled as he sat down in his desk chair. His screens lit up with images of the city. He had spent all morning checking the cameras from the last day he had seen his porn director.

The media demon was trying to trace Valentino’s path through the city when Velvette threw open the door to his domain. “I think I found the shit heel!” She shouted as she stomped across his bridge. “I’m sending you the link now.” She continued.

Vox’s phone beeped with the message, he opened it and clicked on the link. His screen changed to the image of a red panda. “Who’s this bitch?” He snapped.
“A wannabe, but a popular wannabe, just watch.” Velvette replied as she rolled her eyes.

The video began with the face of a young red panda sinner. “Hi everyone it’s your girl Riko. I’m here outside La La Land.” She introduced herself. “I’m gonna go inside and demand to know why she left us outside for hours with no explanation. I’ve tagged Star @ Star-Struck_Mink and La La Land @ La_La_Land_Club.” She continued.

Vox sucked his teeth and fast through the entire short 2 minute video until he reached the end.
“I don’t get it.” The TV demon snapped as he tried to play it again.
“Those glasses look familiar?” Velvette asked as she started to tap away on her phone, pausing the video just in time to show the red panda holding up a pair of heart shaped glasses looking sick.

“They do.” Vox replied as he paused the video on the frame of the glasses.
“He wouldn't shut up about them the week he got them.” Velvette reminded him as she began to click away. “I can’t find shit about this place, there’s only photos of the outside.” She growled.

“And the owner of this establishment the video mentioned?” The TV demon asked as he turned to his computer and started to search the tags of the video.
“Even less, her profile is private, and she seems to only have a few dozen people she follows, but she has nearly 10,000 followers and hundreds of posts. All her posts seem to be about her business, La La Land, her profile picture is giving old-school Hollywood star.” The designer answered as she turned her phone back towards Vox again.

The profile photo had a black and white filter over it and was shot from the shoulder up. The edge of the dress strap sat as if it was about to fall. Her shoulder length hair was done into waves and pinned back behind her round ears by a magnolia. Her lips formed a Mona Lisa smile and her hooded eyes were intense as they stared at you, egging you on to have some fun.

Vox quickly scanned over the locked down profile and clicked on the link to her club. Velvette was right, only the photo was of the outside of the building with a caption saying ‘Some things need to be seen to be believed.’

This profile had a few more accounts it was following and over 10,000 followers and a nearly hundred posts, most were of the marquee noticing the act of the month.
“What the fuck does that mean?”Vox growled as he felt his short patience getting shorter.

“I think it’s a gimmick, this doesn’t seem like a club Val would go to. I doubt these girls are wearing only pasties, so it’s too classy for him.” Velvette said.
“It’s the only lead we have. Tell the driver to bring the limo around, I can find this place.” Vox ordered as he turned back to his computer.

“Excuse you?” She snapped looking at him with disgust.
“Please Velvette?” He corrected himself, she just sucked her teeth as she left the room.
Within minutes, he found the address and they headed to the edge of the entertainment district.
“Well, it’s not a lot to look at.” The fashion designer commented as they pulled up to a brick building with a marquee over the entrance.

The marquee read
Closed April 1st: Private Party
April: Disco Fever!

“Disco? You don’t think he came here to ‘boogie down’ do you?” Velvette remarked as they got out of the limo.
“How the hell should I know? Maybe he was high?” Vox answered as they crossed the street and into the building.

“Val’s been missing for five days and the club has been abandoned for four days according to Sintagram.” Velvette explained as she turned on her phone’s flashlight.
“What the fuck happened here?” Vox gasped as he moved his phone’s flashlight all around the room.

What they hadn’t seen in the reel was the massive holes in the walls or how the room smelled of fuel, oil and rotting flesh.
“It reeks.” Velvette complained as she brought her shirt up to her nose.

“Does it? Valentino!?” Vox yelled out as he dropped the phone to the floor. The floor was covered in bits of wood and fabric from the tables, chairs and booths. In between all the debris were pieces of Valentino’s outfit and his wings, but nothing else.
“What the fuck?” Velevette mumbled as she flipped a piece of his antenna. “Val!?” She shouted.
The two of them shouted his name for a few minutes as they looked around the room.

Soon wheezing filled the air.
“What the fuck?” Vox asked as he put up a hand for Velvette to stop.
“What was that?” She asked.
The wheezing began again and they followed it to the most intact booth.

On the torn red leather seat was a heap of a body. The body looked whizzed, the fuzzy more gray than purple, Valentino’s signature white fuzz with red hearts matted down.
“Valentino?” Vox whispered as he knelt down.

“He looks like shit.” Velvette laughed as she began to take photos.
The wheezing turned to groaning as Valentino cracked his red eyes and stared blankly up at his friends.
“Stop that!” Vox snapped as he put his hand over her phone.
“Why? He deserves it after getting himself killed.” She snapped back, but stopped taking photos.

“See if there’s a safe way to get him out of here.” The TV demon suggested as he moved to get Valentino out of the booth.
“Why not just ask for the moon? I doubt there’s a safe way out of here.” The fashion designer remarked as she turned her light back to their damaged surroundings.

“I don’t want to drop him.” The media overlord snapped.
“I don’t care, he’s already got brain damage!” The diva shouted back. “I’m gonna get Travis, so he can help you.” With that she left the boyfriends alone.

“It’s okay baby, I’m gonna get you out of here.” Vox whispered as he gently placed a hand on top of his lover’s head. He gently stroked him. ‘Hell help whoever did this to you.’ Vox thought as he felt his special eye twitch.

Chapter Text

Chapter 63: Changes

Charlie strode into her room with a large grin on her face. She felt exhausted but thrilled. She had just taken all the La La Land performers on a tour of the hotel.
“I knew we remodeled to be bigger but I didn’t realize just how big.” The Princess muttered to herself as she threw herself on the queen sized bed.

They had started near the top where her bedroom was. “Just in case you need to get a hold of me and I’m not answering my phone. I have an open door policy.” Charlie had told them. They went all the way through the hotel, down to the basement.
Most of the basement was a gym for Vaggie and Sojo but a third of it was a lab for Baxter, but none of the girls had really seemed interested in the lab. A few seemed interested in what the gym had offered.

“There’s a lot of different equipment.” Jade had commented as she eyed some of the stationary bikes that were in the corner.
“What good is a gym if you get bored of it?” Vaggier replied.
“Good point.” Jade muttered as she looked over to the basketball court.

Once they left the basement they walked the grounds. The back yard was even bigger than the front yard hill. Sojo had requested a track when she moved in, which she and Uncle Michael used nearly daily.
“Oh a track, that looks way more fun.” Willow cheered.
“Ugh running, no thank you.” Nova groaned as she rolled her eyes.

“Running can totally be fun.” The chinchilla replied.
“If you say so.” The tanuki muttered.
“Running in this heat? No thank you.” Ruby spoke up.
“This ain’t nothing compared to the Texas summer.” Willow bragged making everyone groan.

“Not this again.” Jade sighed as she lead the girls down the path to keep following Charlie and Vaggie.
“Is Texas hot?” Charlie asked as they approached the garden.
“Is it hot!” The chinchilla exclaimed looking shocked.
“Please not now Willow.” Kitty huffed.

“It’s something we can explain later princess but Texans love to brag about Texas even if it’s something as stupid as the heat.” Hazel whispered to Charlie.
“Just because you have nothing to brag about Arizona!” Willow snapped.
“Ugh the Grand Canyon!” Hazel snapped back as she whirled around to face Willow.

“Girls, now isn’t the time or place.” Lily reminded them as she pinched the bridge of her nose. “I’ll never understand American's state pride foolishness.” She muttered.
“So Americans are more proud of their states then being American?” Vaggie asked stopping the rest of the argument.
“It’s complicated.” Kitty answered. “So is this a vegetable garden? These look like corn stalks.” She continued as she pointed to a chest height plant.

“That’s right, we thought that if we gave the residents a healthy and productive outlet it would help with therapy.” Charlie explained as she gestured towards plots of land on either size of them. “The next thing we’ll be seeing is the flower garden.” She continued.
“A flower garden?” Nova asked.
“Yes, it’s really pretty.” Vaggie answered.

The gardens were the last item on the tour as Vaggie stayed to explain some the rules of the hotel and Charlie came up to her room to rest.
She fished her phone out of her pocket and went to her contacts and went to her favorites at the top of the list and hit the icon of her mom.
“The number you are trying to reach is either out of service or is ignoring you. Leave a message.” The operator said immediately as always.

“Hi Mom, I just wanted to give you an update. I got several residents, 9 of them actually. I got them in an unexpected way but they're here. So far they seem to love it. I hope they stay. I think you would really like them.” Charlie said with a smile.
“Well I guess I should stop rambling before I get kicked off again. I love you, wish you were here. I hope you call me back soon.” She continued then hung up.

Her good mood suddenly felt gone. ‘Why won’t she answer me?’ Charlie thought as she stared down at her phone.
She felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist and squeeze her close.
“You okay honey?” Vaggie whispered.

“I am, just tired.” Charlie lied as she put her arms over Vaggie.
“It’s been a bust day. Why don’t we rest before dinner. It’s not our turn anyways.” The fallen angel suggested as she settled her hair into Charlie’s hair.
“You always have the best ideas.” The princess smiled as she closed her eyes.

Chapter Text

Chapter 64: Rise and Shine!

With the hotel doubling in size, you would think there would be a few growing pains and there were.
One of them became pretty obvious pretty quick: the kitchen and breakfast.

Now that all of La La Land lived in the same location, they wanted to do their Monday morning brunch every morning.
Charlie loved the idea, a few of the other residents not so much.

A few days into the new normal, Charlie tried to rouse everyone from their beds to join the dancers for breakfast, but she did have much luck.
“Not everyone is a morning person.” Vaggie reminded the princess as sat down next to her girlfriend.
“Ain’t that the truth. Eggs?” Kitty snorted as she nodded towards the serving dish piled high with scrambled eggs.

“I know.” Charlie replied as Vaggie took the dish and began serving herself.
“Or not everyone is so social first thing in the morning?” Jade grumbled over her coffee as she watched Angel sneak into the kitchen to avoid the crowd at the large dining room table.

With his normal schedule, it wasn't easy to tell if Angel was coming in or going out at breakfast. But for the next few weeks, there were no shoots scheduled until Valentino returned.

In the kitchen, Angel watched as Star struggled to reach up in the cupboard for the bag of coffee on the second shelf.
She put her crutches to the side and was stretching up with her hand on the counter for balance, her good foot just inches off the ground.

“Here, I gotcha.” He said as he quickly and easily grabbed the yellow bag.
“Thanks, who put the coffee on the second shelf?” Stella griped as he placed the offending object on the counter.

“I’m sure they just weren’t thinking. Should you be in here?” He asked with a yawn.
“I wanted a second cup of coffee.” She pouted. “But the pot was empty.”

Angel glanced at the nearly empty pot with a swig left of the brown liquid. “Ah, well let me. Why dontcha go sit down and I can bring it to you?” The spider suggested as he nodded towards the dining room.

“I can handle a pot of coffee.” The mink assured him as she took the pot off the burner and looked towards the sink, across the kitchen, a good few hops away.
“This kitchen is so much bigger than mine.” She sighed as she reached for her crutches, still holding the glass pot.

“It is bigger than my last one too, it’s nice. Come on Stella, you don’t need to be that stubborn.” Angel remarked as he gently took the pot from her hands.

“I’m not being stubborn.” Stella snapped as Angel made his way to the sink to fill the pot up.
He just laughed at her little outburst. “Uh-huh, sure you’re not.”

Once he was done filling the pot he turned to see Stella rubbing her eyes as she sniffled. “Oh come on, don’t cry. Why are you crying?” The spider asked as he placed the pot on the counter next to the yellow bag.
“It’s nothing.” She lied.

“Around here, you’ll find out ‘nothing’ doesn’t get out of dealing with your emotions. Charlie will either pry it out of you or sic Sojo on you.” Angel explained, making her bark out a laugh.
“Yeah?”

“So why are you crying over coffee?” He asked as he crossed his arms over his fluffy chest.
“It’s a lot, but right now, I just hate being helpless. I can’t even make a pot of coffee.” Stella cried as she ran a hand through her hair.

“I understand being helpless sucks, but you’ve got good people ‘round here to support you. You’re not the first cripple we’ve helped.” The spider said as he gave her a quick hug. “At least you and Ash haven’t tried to maul us.”

“What?” The mink gasped, looking up at his white and pink face.
“I’ll spill the tea over a cup of coffee. Go sit down and I’ll bring yours out when I bring mine. How do you like yours?” Angel asked as he picked the pot of water back up.
“You’ve got to tell me this one. Two creams and two sugars, please.” Stella replied as she nodded towards her large, white mug with a black S on it.

Angel brought her coffee out and told Stella about how Sojo almost ate him alive when she had broken her arms the previous year.
“No way!” She laughed.
“It’s true, just ask Cherri when she rolls out of bed at noon.” Angel chuckled as he bit into his bagel with smear.
“I’ve been wondering this since I ran into Kitty again: how did you end up rescuing so many of Val’s victims?”

“The first RefuVee wasn’t on purpose. I had opened La La Land and heard a rumor that Vee Towers updated their electronics pretty often. So, I went to see what I could salvage. I was hoping for a speaker, instead I found a charred, mostly featherless swan, Diamond.” She explained as she set her coffee cup down.

Angel looked up at the ceiling as he tried to remember a swan sinner with that name. He had seen so many people come and go. “Did she have a giant, ratchet diamond studded ‘D’ necklace?” He asked as he pointed to his fluffy chest.
“Yeah, she did. I’m surprised Valentino let her keep it.” She answered.
“So this whole thing started because you were dumpster diving for upgrades?” The spider chuckled.

“Yeah, pretty wild huh? Well, she was in such bad shape, I didn’t even know if she would live or regenerate right there. I just knew I couldn’t leave her so I took her back to the club, nursed her back to health, and offered her a job under one condition.” The mink explained.

“She had to sign a contract?” He asked.
“Yup, at the time it seemed like the smartest thing to do.” She shrugged.

After breakfast was therapy, behavioral therapy. Which was mandatory to stay in the hotel, well mostly. Lucifer and Alastor were no shows. Stella and her entire crew now took up most of the space in the lounge.
“We’re gonna have to get more couches.” Charlie smiled as she, Vaggie and Sojo sat on the loveseat across from everyone else.

“The sooner the better.” Cherri complained from her spot on the floor. She sat with Angel, Vi, Nifty and Baxter.
“You can say that again.” Angel snorted as he rubbed his semi-sticky hand against his shorts.
“I know we’ve all met before, but I think we should start with an ice breaker. Let’s start with the six word story. You must use only six words to describe your human life.” Charlie explained as Sojo handed her a legal pad.

“Do we really have to do this?” Jade asked as she looked over to Stella.
“I don’t know how I feel about this.” Willow added in her Texan draw.
“It’s part of the deal, we’re staying here for free, so we have to participate in therapy.” Lily spoke up from beside Stella.

“But Charlie, the note taking?” Stella asked as she raised an eyebrow.
“She always takes notes.” Vaggie told them.
“And there’s so many of you. I want to keep your stories straight to help redeem you better.” Charlie explained her voice pitching up at the end.
“Note taking is a normal part of therapy.” Sojo added.

“If it helps redeem us, what could it hurt?” Ruby said as she glanced around the group but no one made a move.
“Really guys, someone has to go first.” Kitty sighed as she stood up. “Hi I’m Kitty.” She introduced herself.
“Kitty, we already know who you are.” Angel chuckled at her feet and placed a hand on her calf.

“Oh right, sorry.” She giggled. “Let’s see six words about my human life. Ohio, Boring, Bad home life, Particide.” Kitty ticked off her fingers.
A few gasps escaped from the hotel guests and a few chuckles.

“Particide?” Charlie gulped and Angel muttered.
“You’ve never been shy about that detail have you?”
“Why should I? We’re all in Hell for a reason, at least mine is a good one. That son of bitch was gonna touch my kid sister.” The calico snapped as she crossed her arms over her chest. “And if I find him here I’ld do it again.”

“You sound proud of it.” Vaggie remarked, unable to hide her disdain.
“I wouldn’t say proud, it’s just a fact about me.” She replied.
“To redeem yourself you have to repent.” Charlie began, but Stella cut her off.
“Maybe we shouldn’t focus on just one person’s faults today. Let’s keep going with the six word story.”

“No, no, let’s keep going with this.” Charlie beamed as she quickly scribbled something down.
“Stella’s right. Today is supposed to be about everyone.” Sojo reminded the princess.
“Kitty, maybe you should sit down.” Nova suggested.

“Kitty, why exactly are you in Hell?” Charlie asked with a manic look in her eye.
Kitty back at her in disgust. “Charlie, you look crazy and I ain’t telling you another word.” She replied as she stormed off.
“Kitty!” Angel shouted as he went after her.

Stella rubbed her face with one hand and held the other up with one finger up. “Wait one.” She muttered.
“Huh?” Charlie asked, looking confused.
“She wants you to wait.” Vaggie and Sojo answered at the same time.
“I may be injured but I won’t have you badgering my girls.” Stella said as she dropped her hands. “Kitty might have crossed a line but so did you. And I think this might be enough for today.”

“I didn’t mean to upset her.” The princess said as her red and yellow eyes shifted to the floor.
“But you did and I think both of you should apologize to each other once you’ve both calmed down.” The bear suggested as she got up and stretched. “And yeah we’re done for today, who wants to go train with Vaggie and me in the gym?”

“Train for what?” Ruby asked as she got up from the couch.
“Just train, a strong body can help keep the mind strong.” Vaggie answered.
“Plus it’s fun.” The bear sinner grinned.
“You have a weird definition of fun.” Hazel said but followed the bear out of the parlor.
“Let’s go find Kitty.” Stella said to Lily as she struggled to get up from the couch.