"Ya know, Hell may be the worst place in the universe, but the crack really does hit different." Angel commented to Oxie. "Happy birthday, you bitch."

"Aww, you got me crack? I love you, Angie."

He smiled. "And the best part? We don't fucking age!"

"That's true. 22 forever!"

Cynthia arrived at the bar. "Happy birthday, darling Oxie. I made you a cake!"

"You made me a cake?"

"Yeah. Red velvet." Cynthia smiled proudly.

Oxie smiled. "Awww. Thank you."

Verina was watching from one of the sofas. She sat before Alastor, who seemed to only ever stand up and hover over people.

"Mr Alastor, when is it your birthday?" she asked with a coy smile.

"First of January, why do you ask?"

"Wow, new year? It must be so refreshing to start the new year a year older."

Alastor's smile didn't falter - it never did - but his eyes narrowed. "Why do you ask?" he repeated.

"Maybe I'll throw you a surprise party." Verina giggled.

Alastor gave a chuckle, one of his usual sarcastic ones. "No need for that, dear."

She smiled. "Not a fan of surprises?"

"Oh, no, I just always see them coming." His tone was calm, and nothing was untoward about his facial expression - but it sent chills down Verina's spine. Good grief, this man creeped her out.

"Ah. Well, I'll make sure to get you an extra nice present." She smiled. He wouldn't make it to his next birthday if she had anything to do with it.

He laughed again. "I look forward to it."

There was silence for a moment as Cherri entered the hotel. Charlie clapped.

"Yay! You didn't blow up the wall!"

Cherri smiled at her. "Oxie said only 2 bombs were allowed at this party, and neither of them explode." She went over to her girlfriend and gave her a kiss. "Happy birthday, babe. I haven't got you a present yet but I'll be fucking you extra good tonight."

"You know me too well." Oxie smiled and placed her hands around her waist. Husk got to pouring drinks.

He handed Oxie a large glass of champagne, and handed them out to everyone else. "Happy birthday, kid."

She smiled. "Can everyone toast me? Nobody's toasted me before."

"Right, right." Angel said. "A happy birthday to Oxie Dream. She's a cunt, and she knows it. To Oxie!"

There was a few parrots of 'to Oxie!', and everyone drank.

"Lovely." Cynthia smiled. "I haven't had champagne since my Nonna's funeral."

"Well, you're getting drunk on it tonight, sorry Cynthia's Nonna."

"I'm already drunk." She responded, downing her drink "I need something stronger."

Angel shook his head. "I love you, Cyn. You're so funny."

She smiled and got a tequila from the bar. Husk shook his head. "She'll drink herself blind and smoke her lungs black but won't take drugs."

"They're very bad for the brain." She responded. "Anyone else want a tequila?"

"Me." Verina said. Cynthia handed her one. "Oxie, seeing as it's your birthday, I actually got you a present."

Oxie turned in surprise. "You got me a present? Me?"

"Mmhmm." She went into her bag and handed her a box with a necklace in it. She had actually received it from Valentino months ago, but didn't particularly like it.

Oxie looked at it and a small smile crossed her face. "Wow. Thank you."

"Oh, it's nothing." Verina smiled at Oxie, then her eyes flickered over to Cherri, who was watching with her eye narrowed. "You look pretty in that dress."

"Uh huh." She responded flatly. Verina's expression faltered.

"Alright, then."

Alastor cleared his throat. "Let's get some music on."

"Don't put jazz on." Oxie said, and sighed as Alastor's sick jazz playlist started playing.

Angel laughed. "Not what you're into, but you gotta admit it's kinda a vibe. I heard stuff like this when I was alive all the time."

"Ugh, I always forget you're from, like, the olden days." Oxie responded with a sigh.

Cynthia smiled. "Oh, my grandfather loved this song." Alastor turned to her and narrowed his eyes, less than happy with the pragmatics of that.

While the drinks were consumed, soon enough the jazz started sounding a lot more fun to dance to, and the birthday celebrations got into full swing.

"Wow! This is so amazing! You're all dancing, not arguing, and drinking responsibly!" Charlie smiled, pride in her eyes.

Verina, it turns out, was not the most graceful dancer. Unfortunately, she was yet to find out about that, and she grinded and swayed her hips, keeping uncomfortable eye contact with Alastor. He watched, despite his smile, with an expression of distaste.

Oxie finally got ahold of the playlist and started playing some songs more her speed.

"Oh, this fucking slaps!" Cherri said.

"I do, too." Verina butted in. Everyone went silent while Britney Spears served cunt in the background. "...if you're into that."

Cherri stared at her. "...ew. No. Just... no."

Oxie glared at her. "Don't fuckin' talk to my girlfriend like that, creep."

Verina looked at her. "I'm sorry. I just... uh... sorry. I was making a really bad joke. And, uh..."

She cut herself off. Never once, since arriving in hell, had such a pathetic string of words left her mouth. Usually, if someone had said something like that to her (which happened a good amount of times), she'd have laughed and rolled her eyes, or taunted them and stolen their bitch regardless.

"Watch yourself." Oxie said, glaring at her.

She nodded and got a drink from the bar, questioning where the little bitch inside her went.

"Got told off, huh?" Husk chuckled. She smiled slightly, glancing at Cynthia, who's head was laying on the bar.

"Is she okay?"

"Oh, yeah, she's just been drinking since 7am."

She laughed. Sir Pentious, who was hovering a few feet away, walked over and tapped her shoulder.

"Miss Cynthia?"

"Wha- huh?"

He blinked. "...I was wondering if... perhaps... you would, um..."

"...I'm gonna throw up."

"...pardon?"

"Not on the goddamn bar, you ain't." Husk quickly handed her a bin. Verina turned away and walked off, not caring to take care of a vomiting young woman. With the buzz of alcohol in her system, she approached Alastor.

"Alastorrrrrr?"

Alastor turned. "What is it?"

She giggled. "I like your smile."

His eyes narrowed. "Anything of importance to ask?"

"No, no, no... no, sir, I just..." her eyes widened as she felt a stabbing sensation, this time in her leg. She turned. "Ah! What the fuck?! Niffty, I swear to fucking God, if you don't stop stabbing me, I'm gonna gouge that big ass eye out of your face!"

Niffty blinked up at her, bug on her knife like a kebab. "You just had a bug on you. They like you." Her eye blinked. "You must be a bug."

"She is a bug." Oxie said, stroking one of Verina's wings. She flinched away. "Go on, Niff, get her."

"No!" Charlie interrupted. "No stabbing other residents, Niffty. If you see a bug, perhaps... calmly let them know."

"Yeah, Oxie, that's not cool." Angel added.

"I was just joking around. Sorry." Oxie shrugged.

Cynthia looked up from her vomiting. "You know, one time Paul hit me and gave me a black eye, then he said that."

"Cyn... just shut up and focus on throwing up." Husk sighed, patting her back.

Alastor laughed. "This party is amusing. Arguments, bloodshed, vomiting."

Verina sighed. "I'm gonna go check on this stab wound." Her mind flashed back to killing Mimzy. "...Al, will you help me?"

"Ah, I am not in charge of first aid here. Besides, it doesn't appear to be bleeding heavily. Leave it to air; it'll be better for it."

She bit back a "dammit" and smiled and nodded. "Alright."

Alastor smiled (not that he ever stopped), and patted her head. "Good girl."

Her smile faded. "Uh, yeah, no, don't call me that."

He nodded, as if he was obliging. "It's been quite some time since you came to the hotel. Do you feel better? Do you feel your good deeds piling up?"

She smiled again and nodded. That pit in her belly came back. "Yeah."

"Oh, that makes me happy. I expect it wasn't easy going from the Vees to this." His eyes burned into hers. "It must be difficult working away from them. Losing your status as an overlord."

She nodded again. The whole of Hell thought she had lost her power. Her whole reputation lied upon killing Alastor or not. The pit grew, extending to her chest, and a lump grew in her throat all of a sudden. She ached inside, glancing at Oxie and Cherri dancing, then at Cynthia bashfully talking to Sir Pentious, then Angel chatting to Husk, and finally at Charlie swaying Vaggie in her arms.

Verina looked down. Alastor took note of her change in expression. "You fit in much better here than you did with them. In my eyes, it seemed you were their underdog. I'm glad you recognised their manipulation and left."

She blinked a couple of times, her eyes clouding over with tears. She fought the urge to defend the Vees: she wasn't being manipulated and she definitely wasn't their underdog. She was their equal, powerful in her own right, and not to mention easily the hottest. But she couldn't stray from the story. "Yeah. Me too."

"I'd be pissed off too if I realised the control I so desperately craved was nothing but a ruse. Watching it was like watching a child believing they were being included in whatever their older siblings were doing. I was quite embarrassed for you at times!"

She nodded and looked upon the rest of the group. She wanted desperately out of this conversation: something deep inside of her was being ignited with a cocktail of guilt, betrayal, sadness, and anger. Yet it seemed everyone was firmly in their couples. It only left her, Alastor, and Niffty.

"Well, I've drank quite enough, I'm going to bed. Goodnight."

Alastor chuckled and nodded. "Goodnight, dear Valerie."

She turned to leave, then the words registered in her mind. He said it so casually, she barely believed it for a moment. She turned, eyes wide. "...how did you...?"

Alastor said nothing for a moment, smiled, and turned away. "I have my ways, my dear. Don't worry your pretty little head about it. Get some rest."

As she retired to her room, her heart pounded. She felt queasy, and sat on her bed.

There was a name she hadn't been called in a long time. All it did was serve as a stark reminder of her past.

How did Alastor know that was her name? And why would he throw it in her face now?

For once in her life she doubted she'd be able to pull this off. She had underestimated Alastor, and she wanted to return to the Vees and forget about this stupid hotel and her life and the girl she once was. She wanted to grasp the power back in her hands; to feel the fear of those weaker than her surging through her body.

And what did that make her? Was that not the mindset of those who hurt her so deeply?

Verina stared at herself in the mirror for a moment. And for once, Valerie stared back at her.

For once she saw herself clearly.

A teenager dressing up in low cut clothes in a body she didn't recognise. Someone not old enough to drink, but old enough to kill. Someone who had been manipulated and groomed into thinking she was somehow equal with the fucking Vees.

A broken, lost little child.

Backing away from the mirror, Verina sat on her bed, breathing quickening. She didn't move the whole night; only the aching of a racing heart to accompany her.