"Mom! Violet took my phone charger and she won't give it back!"

Shutting the vacuum off, Jezebel took a deep breath and surveyed her living room. With the carpet hoovered, the mantle dusted and the lampshades wiped down, all she had left to do was-

"Mom~! Make her give it back!"

Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a small notebook and flicked it open. So that was the bedrooms, the bathrooms, the dining room, the utility room and now the living room. By her count, there was just the front hall to clean.

"MOM~! SCARLET WON'T LET ME BORROW HERS!"

Taking another deep breath, the Succubus set her vacuum aside and gently massaged her temples. Even after all these years, after all they've done with their lives, they regress to petulant children once they come home.

"Violent, stop stealing your sister's things. Scarlet, learn to share. Amber, stop yelling at me," Jezebel called, carrying the vacuum under her arm.

"You lot really have no tact," spoke a voice from the stairs.

"Don't be rude, Viridi."

As her daughters continued to squabble upstairs, Jezebel set the vacuum down in the kitchen and grabbed her duster. She didn't consider herself to be overly house-proud, but if she were to receive visitors with a messy house, she would be mortified.

She heard a great clatter as somebody thundered down the stairs, much to Jezebel's chagrin. And she told those girls so many times not to run in the house...

"Mom! Mom! What time is it?!" cried an exasperated voice.

One of Jezebel's daughters - Azul, judging by her blue apron - stood on the bottom step, clinging to the banister and gasping like her life depended on it.

"It's not time yet, honey. Stop fretting," her mother replied, dusting down the ornaments in the hall.

Azul shook her head.

"I can't! Do I look okay?! Do I need to wash again?!"

Setting her duster down, Jezebel turned and faced her daughter. It still filled her with pride to know just how well her children came out, even with the rough start in life that they had. Scarlet, Amber, Viridi, Azul and Violet... Raising quintuplets by herself was no easy task, but she couldn't supress the pride they made her feel. The five of them looked just like her when she was younger, save for their eyes, which was one of the few ways Jezebel could actually tell them apart.

Well, that and the colour-coding she sneakily worked into their outfits over the years.

With a sigh, the matronly Succubus stepped forward and gently wiped a tear from Azul's eye.

"You look wonderful. Now stop panicking, okay?"

Taking a deep breath, she blinked the tears from her eyes and nodded.

"Okay... okay."

"That's my girl. Now come and help me-"

"I'm gonna go do my hair again, though!"

With that, she spun on her heel and took off up the stairs towards the chaos upstairs. Jezebel rolled her eyes and returned her attention to dusting the front hall. Despite their myriad of differences, not one of her daughters cared much for keeping the house clean and tidy.

Still, it kept her busy.

"MOM! VIOLET TOOK THE STRAIGHTENERS!" cried Azul from on high.

"Girls, please! Could you all just stop fighting?! We're having visitors, for crying out loud!"

She heard the bathroom door unlock, followed by the distinctive sound of a phone charger being hurled directly at someone's face.

"Just the one visitor," called the distinctive voice of Violet, "and he can go fuck himself and all!"

Jezebel groaned and rubbed her eyes.

"Please don't say things like that about your br-"

The doorbell suddenly rang, scaring the ever-loving daylights out of the Succubus. Flinging her duster away, she took a moment to check herself over in the mirror before reaching for the doorhandle. With a deep breath, she pulled it open.

"Welcome home, snoo-!"

Rather than a single visitor, however, Jezebel found herself facing down an entire posse of demons.

There, on the Succubus' doorstep, sat an Incubus in a wheelchair, head buried deep into his hands. Behind him, a stern-looking Fallen nurse clutched the chair's handles, purple eyes staring dead ahead as a Succubus and a blue-haired Nymph argued with each other like their lives depended on it. Over to their left, an Oni stood scowling at the belligerent pair, sleeves torn and her muscled arms exposed. A dumpy Glutton nervously cowered behind her, all the while a silver-haired Golem and a behatted Imp chatted between themselves, oblivious to Jezebel's presence.

"They insisted on accompanying me, and wouldn't take no for an answer..." the Incubus groaned.

Looking up at her with bright amber eyes, he gave her a weary sigh.

"Good to see you, Mom."

-----

There was a number of reasons for why Cobalt didn't like talking to others about his family. For one thing, they were a very spirited bunch, and he couldn't help but feel embarrassed whenever he was compared to them. For another, he had gone most of his life living in the shadows of his sisters, and thus he wanted nothing more than to measure up to their achievements.

But most of all, he didn't like telling people about his family because Cobalt's mother was none other than Jezebel Trayer, a retired movie star. Known all over Hell for her passionate and heart-wrenching performances in numerous romantic tragedies, she was even cited as one of the greatest demon actresses of the modern age. She only retired a few years ago, and wound up settling in a large house overlooking Brimstone proper.

So as he sat in the living room, staring into his tea and blocking out the sounds of his students' clamouring, the Incubus silently wondered just how he was going to get out of this particular situation.

"Sir, why didn't you tell us?" asked Whitney, jogging his arm as she vibrated excitedly on the couch.

"I- It was never brought up, what my mother does. I was hardly going to just say something out of the blue."

The Nymph shrugged.

"I dunno. If my mom was a movie star, I'd be, like, telling everyone!"

Across the room, as she reclined in a leather armchair, Karazelle scoffed.

"It's called having tact, Butterskin. I already knew, and I kept my mouth shut," she sighed, sipping her tea.

"Oh shut up, Whoretits!"

"As ever, I cordially invite you to make me!"

"CAN YOU BOTH SHUT THE FUCK UP FOR ONCE IN YOUR FUCKIN' LIVES?!" Izzbelle barked, baring her teeth as she shuffled about uncomfortably on the settee.

Beside her, Jelli put a pudgy hand on the Oni's arm.

"I- Izzbelle, not so loud..." she murmured.

"Sorry..."

Cobalt shook his head.

"Don't worry. Scarlet can be plenty loud herself. Mom's probably half-deaf by now, what with all her yelling..." he sighed, cradling his mug.

"How does someone have five kids at the same time, anyway?" asked Quinn, draining her mug.

Cobalt raised an eyebrow as he looked the Imp up and down. With most of the seats in the living room occupied, she had deigned to sit on Lottie's lap, who just looked happy to be involved.

"Multiple births are much more common with Succubi than other races. Quintuplets are still pretty rare, though," he replied, swirling his drink.

From what he heard from his mother, she had to undergo a rather disastrous C-section in order to birth his sisters safely, which nearly left them orphaned. Not many people knew, but Jezebel had a jagged scar spanning her stomach, left as a reminder of that traumatic ordeal.

"I brought snacks~!"

The living room door opened, revealing the woman herself.

Jezebel Trayer was one of those people who was recognisable by everyone, regardless of whether they had even seen her movies or not. A shapely Succubus dressed in a special red dress she reserved for visitors, her smile seemed to infect all those who saw it, and her laugh was similarly contagious.

As soon as Karazelle caught sight of the beauty mark beneath her left eye, she began to titter excitedly, delighted to be in the same room as the real Jezebel Trayer.

"Are you keeping these lovely ladies entertained, snookums?" she asked, handing out a tray of cookies.

"I- I'm not much of an entertainer, Mom"

"Nonsense! Why, I could bring your old violin down and you could give them a show!"

"Mom!"

Whitney's eyes opened wide.

"You play music, sir?!" she cried.

"With a great degree of proficiency unreachable by others," Elya said coldly, staring hard at the cookie in the palm of her hand.

Jezebel laughed and sat down in a reclining armchair, unfazed by the Fallen's haunting tones.

"Still a fan after all these years, Miss Yalfre?" she asked with a smile.

Elya's purple eyes glinted.

"I am more than a fan. I am his wi-"

Cobalt suddenly cleared his throat with so much force that it hurt.

"A- Anyway, why I'm here..." he stammered, still a little hoarse.

His mother nodded.

"Yes, yes, your hair. Don't worry, snookums, I'll cut it in a bit. But first, let me get to know these lovely ladies you brought with you!"

Cobalt stared at his feet, cheeks burning.

"I- I didn't bring-"

Sensing that it was her time to shine, Quinn leaped off of Lottie's lap and rushed across the room, firmly presenting her hand to Jezebel, whose eyes had widened with surprise.

"Quinn Redtile, ma'am! Regularly handy, me, so if you need plumbing, wiring, or anything fixed, I can do it on the cheap!" the Imp cried, rigorously shaking the Succubus' hand.

"Quinn, stop trying to scam my mother. You don't have any tradesman qualifications."

"Well don't tell her that!"

Amused by the Imp's brass neck, Jezebel peered past her and pointed at Lottie, who had fallen asleep on the sofa, half a cookie hanging out of her mouth.

"And who's this?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Quinn grinned.

"Lottie. Right-hand woman and all that. I can stand on her shoulders and do your lights, if you want."

Jezebel smiled knowingly.

"Well, you two have some wonderful chemistry."

Beside Cobalt, Whitney set her tea aside and cleared her throat.

"I'm Whitney. Whitney Brode."

The matronly Succubus' face lit up.

"I thought I recognised you! Oh, I remember seeing you at a function when you were little! Gosh, I was thrown off by the hair, but now that I get a good look at you, how could you not be Charles' little girl!"

She leaned back in her seat and smiled warmly.

"I must say, I love what you have done with your image. Very bold," she said, gesturing to the Nymph's electric-blue hair.

Whitney blushed and turned away.

"Th- Thank you. It's thanks to Mr. C, here, really," she murmured, nudging closer to Cobalt.

"Is that so? Snookums, what does she mean by that?"

Cobalt knew what she was insinuating, and he wasn't about to stand for it.

"Stop reading into it, Mom," he grumbled.

Jezebel responded with a giggle. Taking a sip of tea, she turned to Elya.

"Well, I know our dear Elya, here. My my, you've really grown into quite the lovely woman since I last saw you, sweetie."

The Fallen nodded, still maintaining her façade of sterile professionalism.

"Thank you, Mrs. Trayer."

"Oho, so polite! Really, just call me Jezzy!"

"I'm not going to."

Laughing off her cold remark, Jezebel fixed her eyes on Jelli, who went very red in the face as she began to visibly panic.

"Ah, I'm, um... M- My name is J- Jelli! I- I mean... It's Adeline, but..." the Glutton stuttered, nervously wringing her hands.

She calmed down as soon as Izzbelle put her hand on her shoulder.

"She don't do well in front of new people," the Oni explained coolly.

Jezebel just nodded understandingly.

"Of course, sweetheart. And don't worry; I need no introduction from you, Miss Suyas."

The Oni's eyes opened wide.

"How'd you know my name?!"

"A little intuition goes a long way. What with the way you carry yourself, you're the spit of Aelda, with a little bit of Lorenzo mixed in!"

"You know my parents...?" Izzbelle breathed, seemingly unsure of how to process such information.

The Succubus nodded enthusiastically before finally setting her sights on Karazelle, who had been dying to introduce herself from the moment she crossed the threshold.

But surprisingly, Jezebel beat her to it.

"Karazelle Terna. Oh, it's good to see you again, honey," she sighed, smiling.

Karazelle's eyes widened - a little taken aback - but she didn't falter.

"I take it you know my momma, then?"

She nodded.

"Oh yes. Strongest woman I ever met, your mother. Tell me, does she still kickbox?" Cobalt's mother asked, peering over the rim of her mug.

This time, her statement really did catch Karazelle off guard.

"M- Momma was a kickboxer?!" she exclaimed, astounded.

"Perhaps not in any official capacity, but she practiced a discipline of her own making, and she was damn good at it. Gosh, I really must schedule a catch-up lunch with her one of these days..." Jezebel sighed wistfully.

Her daydreaming was cut off short by a sudden cough from her chairbound son, who looked to be at the end of his tether.

"Well, this really been lovely, Mom, but could you maybe-?" he began.

She wagged her finger.

"Ah-ah-ah, snookums, you're not getting out of this that easy. Now, tell Mommy the truth..."

She leaned forward and gave him an altogether different kind of smile to the one she had worn when she entered the room.

"... am I to be expecting grandkids from any of these ladies?"

Her words reached the ears of all those listening with rather explosive results.

As Cobalt spat out his tea, Whitney and Izzbelle nearly fell out of their seats, dazed by such a question. Jelli buried her face in her hands, embarrassed, while over on the other couch, Quinn burst out laughing, much to the recently-awoken Lottie's confusion. Even Karazelle couldn't hide her flushed cheeks.

Only Elya remained calm, staring intently at Jezebel.

"M- Mom, you can't say that! These are my students!" Cobalt cried, completely outraged.

Jezebel sighed and sat back in her seat.

"That's a no then, is it? Oh snookums, why do you do this to yourself?"

"I'm not doing anything to myself, Mom! I told you; I- I'm not like that!"

Jezebel looked at each of his students individually.

"I thought Cobalt was just a bit of a late bloomer, but really; this is getting out of hand. Did you know that he's never once masturb-?"

"MOM!"

She raised her hands defensively.

"I'm just saying, snookums; it's not normal! I've offered to show you how and all!"

Cobalt buried his face in his hands, completely and utterly mortified. Jezebel meant well - he understood that - but the way she went about asking after his sexual health was really off-putting. Worse still was her persistence on the matter. She was convinced that with enough encouragement, he would somehow magically gain an interest in carnal matters.

"Can you please just stop talking about this and cut my hair?!" he asked, voice muffled by his hands.

Jezebel smiled sympathetically at her youngest child.

"Okay, okay, I'll go get my scissors. But what about the girls here?" she asked, gesturing to Cobalt's uninvited guests.

He shrugged.

"I'm sure they could make their way back to the school..."

Jezebel gasped.

"Not on my watch! What kind of mother would I be if I sent my son's girlfr- ahem, friends home on a whim?!"

Folding her arms, she stood up and shook her head.

"No, as a proud child of Lady Fesser, my home is open to them! Tell you what; after I cut your hair, I'm going to make you all a nice dinner! To say thanks for keeping my boy in good company!" she announced joyfully.

As Cobalt sunk further into his seat, his mother's smile only widened.

"And why not stay the night while you're at it? We're not wanting for spare rooms!"

The Incubus buried his face in his hands once more.

This.

This is why he didn't visit home.