After the applause finished, I was led back to the private room where everyone was waiting. The door was opened for me and I walked in, instantly greeted by my niece in a tight hug. I returned the gesture with a chuckle.

"That was amazing uncle!"

Bill made a noise of obvious annoyance that stifled her joy and made her move a three foot distance away. The demon made his way over to me, meeting my glare with a level gaze of his own. A black claw scraped along my jaw lightly that I fought down the urge to smack away.

"Nice performance out there Pinetree." A grin scrawled across his features.

"Stop trying to seem scary Bill." Tom's voice carried over, the comment making Bill pause then turn.

"Seem scary?" he repeated in a tense tone. I side stepped to Marmibelle, gesturing with an open palm for her to step back farther. Thankfully she understood and did as ordered, along with my great uncles and Beufo. "I do not 'seem scary' Tom." Bill continued. "I am scary!" Blue flame ignited around him. Marmibelle shrieked in alarm alerting Beufo, who in response ran from his waiting position beside Stanley and Stanford to her side and started growling in warning. I grabbed ahold of his leash and hooked it around a low placed coat rack in the wall then walked into line of sight.

"Calm down!" I called over Beufo's growling. "And scary doesn't cover it!"

The blue flame extinguished in an instant. "Then what would you say that could cover it?" Bill asked, narrowed gold eyes staring down at me.

"There are several that come to mind." I grumbled, silently choosing a word that would appease the angered demon. "But currently 'terrifying' would cover it."

A moment of silence that consisted of a harsh stare down. Then Bill smiled his approval. "You flatter me, Pinetree." I received a pat on my head before returning to the now semi circle of cushions. I took hold of Beufo's leash, patting the mutt's head, and led him and Marmibelle back to Stan and Ford. Leaving them with the elder twins, I took my place beside Bill again.

Two more of meaningless conversations and three performances later, there was an unpatterned pounding at the door. Confused looked were exchanged before the blonde with Sock, Jonathon, was assigned to answer it.

A turn of the blend in knob and the door slammed open, knocking Jonathon back and putting everyone on alert.

"Bill Cipher!" a deep voice bellowed as a lumbering figure entered the room. "I challenge you!"

Oh great, just what the evening needed, I thought with an eye roll, an open challenge.

"Rejected." Bill answered bluntly, making the now seeable intruder pause stunned.

The newcomer was respectably built, green and mucus covered scales covered him, and he was dripping swampy, muck water all over the carpet. "Wha- why?" the creature demanded.

Bill was examining his black nails with a bored gaze. "Well, first of all, incorrect timing, then, improper place; wrong audience, and it needs to be a formal declaration. Try again some other time."

Honestly I was impressed by the regulations to declare a challenge being wrongly done.

"Also," he continued without glancing back to the disappointed looking creature. "You wouldn't have been able to win anyway."

The door shut and the creature was gone. I felt an almost nonexistent tug of pity for it.