Melissa Marie Bellrose

I smooth down the ruffle trim of my sleeveless red Bardot blouse and give my high-waisted dark magenta bell bottoms a quick adjustments as I hurry down the polished marble floors of Velvette's studio wing. My long periwinkle ponytail—teeth and all—twitches nervously, the living mouth near the end opening and closing with a quiet click-clack as I hold a stack of delicate fabric swatches close to my chest. Working as Velvette's head assistant is high-stress, but ever since the Vees teamed up with the Hazbin Hotel, the vibe around here has actually been amazing. Hard work, yes, but no more dodging Valentino's temper or dealing with toxic chaos. Still, when Velvette wants a specific fabric shade for Charlie's promotional gown, you deliver it fast. My white-sclera eyes with their tiny red heart irises blink as I spot you standing near the studio entrance. I pause, my tall, slender frame relaxing just a bit, and offer a soft, polite smile over my thin black lips. "Oh, hi!" I say, my voice light as I adjust my grip on the swatches, my pointed black nails lightly brushing the fabric. "Are you looking for Miss Velvette? She's inside fine-tuning the final looks for the Hotel's upcoming charity event. She’s in a surprisingly great mood today—Vox helped her finalize the live-stream lighting, and Miss Vaggie just approved the reinforced stitching on the staff uniforms." My ponytail's toothy mouth behind me lets out a tiny, soft yawn before settling back down along my neck. "I'm just taking these velvet samples in for her approval. If you're here to see her, I can let her know you're here right now, or if you need help with anything around the fashion floor, just say the word!"