Chapter Two: The Reception
The gathering wasn't as big as she had hoped, but Charlie was nonetheless grateful for the twenty other people in the room that weren't part of hotel staff. Her grasp on Vaggie's hand tightened, hoping this was all real. When her girlfriend clenched her hand in response, Charlie sighed contently. She was glad Vaggie could join her, Husk opting to trade places and serve alcohol from the front desk, much to the moth demon's dismay. She had practically begged Charlie to remove the bar from their establishment, but Alastor won by promising to offer juice.
"Juice bars are all the rage, I hear!" His static lined voice cheered. "If they truly seek to change their ways, they'd choose the healthier option. Think of it as a test of progress." That was all Charlie needed to agree on.
Overall, 14 possible patients and 6 'sponsors' had shown up within the pass hour. Charlie doubted anyone else was coming and if on cue, a mic hummed through the speakers, interrupting the bluesy music Razzle and Dazzle had going. Alastor's shadow puppets disappeared in a puff of red smoke as he took center stage, scanning the room to look at every one of their guests. He briefly thought about paying a visit to the other dozen invitees who didn't show up, but decided this would have to do. Best not to overwhelm his pet before she had a chance to test the waters.
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us on this monumental and historical night." The radio clapped and cheered as the real guests clapped modestly, though bored. "Before the buffet opens for dinner service, I would like to invite the heart and soul of this project to the stage. Charlie, my dear, if you'd please." He reached out to her, motioning with his finger to come to him.
Charlie bit her lip nervously as she let go of Vaggie's hand and marched between her honored guests. To the left, nearest to the buffet, the posh looking sponsors stared at her with humor in their eyes. On the right, the motley crew of prospective patients eyed her wearily. Most were rough around the edges, but several genuinely took interest in the idea of getting out of the shit hole they were forced to live with for all eternity. Having had the chance to speak to Thorn before the others arrived had enlightened Charlie and gave her the resolve to keep fighting for this cause. She smiled as she passed him.
She took Alastor's offered hand and hoisted herself onto the stage. Alastor stepped away so she could be in the spotlight (manned by Dazzle) as Razzle dimmed the lights in the room. The Radio Demon's eyes glowed for a moment, but soon faded into the shadows. The sound of chairs sliding on the linoleum bought her enough time to steady her nerves as her guests settled into their seats on the tables that lined the sides of the dance floor. Once silence settled in the room, she took out her cue cards from a side pocket of her dress. She cleared her throat and let out a shaky breath.
"Good evening, everyone. Thank you for coming. As you may have seen recently on the news, my first announcement about Hap... Hazbin Hotel may not have done it justice. I didn't announce this gathering through the media because I didn't want to draw any more negativity and I wanted to create a safe and welcoming environment that represents what and who we are. A place to heal, to find peace, and literally God willing, the stepping stone for entering Nirvana. I hope by the end of tonight, word of mouth will spread throughout our cities and this hotel be a beacon of hope. Hope that there is a chance of redemption to right the wrongs done in past lives that brought the soul to Hell in the first place, or maybe in the future, be enough to purify a born demon to enter Heaven."
She continued on, more confident now as she went in depth with the Hotel's concept and hitting all the points she and Vaggie had missed on that god forsaken interview. She was determined to make these sinners believe, as much as she did, that there was a chance to be free, to be happy, to stop living in pain and suffering, and the fear of eradication by the yearly cleanse. More and more of her people died with each one and she had had enough.
Alastor tuned her out, preoccupied with surveying the crowd. A bug type demon was carefully inching his way to the buffet table. Alastor willed his shadow to the other side of the room, blocking the path of the demon and with frightening long, bony shadow fingers, pointed back to his seat. The man squeaked in fright, scurrying back to his place as the eye sockets of the shadow glowed a faint red. The literal hollow smile stretched, almost menacingly.
Vaggie had seen the exchange and decided to guard the table while Charlie continued her speech, highlighting the potential programs to be developed and reiterating the hotels purpose. She thanked the demons who were seeking treatment for their assistance and their patience as they explored their options together. She then went on to thank the sponsors and their consideration of financial support.
Crossing her arms over her chest, Vaggie glanced over at Alastor who locked eyes with her. His head tilted to the left slightly and through the dark she saw his smile widen, though his eyes narrowed and took on a glint of mischief. She scowled, 'He has no business being here.' Angel's voice broke her train of thought.
"Well, tonight was a bust. Guess I'm kinda glad to see it's tame in here, but don't let our overlords know I'm back. Just waiting for some grub, ya hear?" Angel yawned, already grabbing a plate from one of many piles on the end of the table and serving himself.
"Yea, yea. Thanks for coming back." She smiled a little.
Angel smirked then turned his focus back to the stage. Even if he was in it for the free room and now free food, he actually did enjoy their company and the whacky nonsense they called their day to day life. He never had a friend who sincerely cared about him. Charlie was special, like a little-little sister he never had even if she was a few centuries older than him. Neither of his other siblings gave a damn about anyone but themselves, but to be fair, every one else in Hell was like that too. Even his Strawberry Pimp Daddy. He would rather get skewered by a massive thorny dildo or go through a 1000 man bukkake than admit to anyone how he felt, but the last few weeks had been refreshing to say the least. Maybe he would give sobriety a shot.
—
In the lobby Husk was nursing a bottle of cheap booze, his compensation for dealing with this crap. He hated Alastor, but knew better than to defy him. He'd seen first hand of what he was capable of, and quite frankly it was easier to just go along with this. The work wasn't hard, and even if Alastor called it charity work, he had him on a secret payroll Husk couldn't refuse that kept him out of the casinos.
The front door of the hotel had been shut to keep the draft out as it had been an unusually cold night. When the feline heard the door knock, he sighed exasperatedly and counted to five before standing up to see who the hell was interrupting his self medication and self loathing time.
"Can't you read the welcome sign? This shit started an... hour... oh." His gruff voiced faultered as he stared at the visitors, his ears swiveling to lay flat on his head, "Uh..." he stepped to the side and with a giant clawed hand, gestured toward the conclave the hotel managed to gather. "Your majesties." He said through clenched teeth.
Lilith was the first to step through the foyer, her heels clicking softly as she looked around the area with half lidded eyes. Lucifer bounded in right behind her, twirling his Apple staff and whistling no decipherable tune Husk was familiar with.
The Queen was dressed in a long form fitting, strapless evening gown with a high slit to her mid thigh made of latex. A golden apple pin was tacked on the middle of the sweetheart neck line, drawing attention to her ample breasts. The garment shimmered faintly as the fire roared in the hearth of the lobby's fireplace. Her long golden hair was French braided and her horns were decorated with a thin, golden chain. Husk, for a brief moment, was awestruck by her mesmerizing beauty and height as this was the first time he saw her in person. This was Charlie's mother? Damn, she got nothing from her aside from the thick mane of golden hair. No tits, no ass, nothing that came close to the Queen's assets. Damn shame.
Husk stared at Lucifer. Yes, he could see where Charlie got her clown face from. The King wore mostly whites and red, a white top hat with the apple sigil on the side and a purple scaled snakes wrapped around and shin high black riding boots. What bothered the feline were similarities between him and Alastor. A long pinstriped coat, bow tie, staff, and a smile. That damned toothy smile...
"Our little girl really fixed up this old drab." The king mused, putting a hand on his hip and nodding slowly, "Not the color scheme I'd choose, but... well, it doesn't really matter now, does it my darling?"
Lilith's black lips curled into a warm smile, "It's inviting, and warm, like she is. This is a reflection of her spirit, my love. I think it's perfect."
Husk knew he was being ignored. He didn't mind at all as he settled back in his seat to continue drinking from his bottle.
In silence, arm in arm, they walked toward the ball room and stood in the back of the congregation staring at their only daughter. Despite their sentiments, or lack thereof, they came to support their hell spawn. It's what parents were supposed to do after all. They had arrived just in time for her speech. They listened to her mission statement for the first time and deep down they were a little impressed of the originality and purity of it all.
She eventually wrapped up her speech, doing a curtsy that garnered a small round of applause that was suited better for a golf course and handed the mic back to Alastor. She stepped to the side but didn't make a move to get off the stage.
"Another round of applause for our dear, sweet princess. Lively this time." Static crackled in the air and the guests clapped a little too enthusiastically, "Alright ladies and gentlemen, please form a single line. There's plenty for everyone. Feel free to hang around and join us on the dance floor. We shall be coming around to set up appoints for consolations or if you are a sponsor, I will discuss with you privately. Carry on."
The lights were gently turned back on as not to blind anyone. The shadow voodoo puppets reappeared and took hold of the instruments, playing electro jazz to liven up the room. Alastor turned to Charlie, "Inspiring darling, simply inspiring." He cocked a brow, sensing a change in the air, "We have visitors." He looked behind him and smirked, "Nice of you to join us, your royal majesties." His smirk widen, matching the smile on Lucifer's face. Their eyes locked.
Charlie gasped and peered from behind Alastor, "Mom? Dad? You made it!" She rushed to hug them, elated that they had bothered to come at all. Even if they weren't a hundred percent on board with this idea, especially her father, she let out a shutter breath as her emotions took hold of her. Tonight was so overwhelming -in a good way- and she hoped this wasn't a dream. She let them go and held on to one of their hands, "Th-thank you. It really means a lot to me and Vaggie."
Lucifer's smile relaxed as he broke eye contact with Alastor, who at this point turned around completely, to stare at his daughter and caressed her cheek with his free hand once he willed his staff away, "Oh honey bear, we happened to be free tonight so of course we came to show you some kind of support. I must admit, I didn't think this many people would be here, so color me impressed." Lilith smiled, nodding in agreement, "We also had to see for ourselves." he turned to the red headed 'gentleman' again, "It's been a while Alastor. Looking dapper, as usual." With a flick of his wrist his staff returned and he leaned on it, letting go of his daughter's hand and face.
"Lucifer, good to see you too." The red demon stretched his hand out to shake his King's in a friendly manner. It was a short, respectable shake, neither flexing their power. "Lilith, my Queen, you look absolutely stunning as usual." He reached for the hand that Charlie had just let go and bent down slightly as he brought her knuckles to his lips. He placed a feathery kiss on them which caused the Queen of Hell to give him her trade mark smirk. Most demons groveled at their feet. It was refreshing to be around one as bold as he.
"Thank you, Alastor. You don't look so bad yourself. Tell us, how did you and our daughter come to such an agreement? I didn't think you'd be so..." she waved a hand in the air, trying to think of the right word, "...empathetic. You have quite a reputation that begs to differ." Her voice was soft as silk, but Alastor did not swoon like those below him. She may have been the mother of the first incubi and succubi, but Alastor was not easily influenced by the mistress of seduction. He put an arm around Charlie's shoulder and willed the mic he had been holding onto most of the night away.
"Empathic? Ha, no, never your highness." A laugh track played as his ears wiggled a little, "However, she has moved me with her passion to help others. You know how it goes, the same mundane things get boring after a while. Day in, and day out. How you and our great King managed to occupy your time after so long, I'll never know!" He smiled widely, eyes narrowing as he tilted his head to the side.
Lilith shrugged, "It's not hard at all."
"No, after some time you pick up new hobbies." Lucifer said, tilting the front of his top hat up with his cane. "Why are you here anyway?" The king looked at the crowd with boredom.
"I thought this would be a delightful little project to participate in. Who knows what will happen! It's rather exciting." He gently moved his thumb against her arm, causing Charlie to stiffen and gulp nervously. Her parents didn't seem to notice, or perhaps mind. "Plus, after that interview, it was clear no one would step up to assist our dear princess! Charity work still runs like a business, and I'm quite savvy on that front." The cheers of the radio echoed around the group.
The quartet moved off the stage as Charlie's servants and Alastor's shadow minions continued playing music. The upbeat electro swing filled the room, but was not booming loud enough to drown out all conversation. The guests lined up and began to serve themselves. Those with multiple arms held onto several plates as not to get up for seconds. The wealthy had first dibs before the riff raff tainted it.
Vaggie, and surprisingly Angel, assisted Niffty in changing out food trays, going back and forth between the double doors behind the buffet tables that led to one of three kitchens in the hotel. So far everything was going as planned, save for a shout at the back of the line that was quickly silenced by Alastor nearly rotating his head 180 degrees with a look that could vaporize them if he stared more intensely. No one would ruin his pet's night, not even her parents.
"So you're really doing this, sweetheart?" Lucifer sounded dejected, a pout on his up turned lip. He sighed, "Very well, sweetums. To be honest, I didn't know how you were going to run this place by yourself, just look at your track record with your passion projects." Charlie looked down in shame. Decades upon failure washed over her. None were able to get off the ground. Charlie's heart dropped and she fought to not let her watery eyes shed tears. Her father was always blunt. Involuntary she leaned into Alastor who gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. She instantly relaxed as his scent filled her nose. "However... Tonight is a success in my books, even if no one stays. The fact there is even a speck of consideration means something got through to these crazy people. I'm a little proud, but mainly impressed." Charlie's heart stopped and swelled. He was proud of her?
"We should get going, dearest. We can come back when it's calmer. Charlotte and her friends should focus on their guests," Lilith said as she wrapped her arms around his narrow waist and bent down to kiss his lower jaw. "Oh!" She perked you, "Here, darling. This is for you."
She snapped her fingers and a shadowy being appeared behind her, holding a red folder, "After some consideration this week, accept this a donation from me and your father." She took the folder from the shadow, "Stop dipping into your accounts. We set up one for the Hotel and left some money that should be good to take care of things for a while. Everything you need is here." She held out the red manila folder to her daughter.
It was Alastor who took hold of the documents. One of his shady minions appeared and he passed it off to them. The creature dashed out of the room. "It'll be safer in the office. I'll make sure we go over it as soon a possible." Lilith and Lucifer nodded and began to exit the room before the party guests took more notice. They promised to stop by and check up on Charlie in a few weeks if the work load eased up.
Alastor stared at their retreating figures and noted the difference between Charlie and her parents. Aside from some obvious features, like her blonde hair, rosy cheeks, black lips, and pale skin, she really didn't look like she belong to them. He turned to look down at Charlie who sighed and rested her head on his side, his arm still around her shoulders, comforting her even if he hadn't meant it. At least someone aside from Vaggie supported her, though for different reasons. She brought an arm up behind him to give him a side hug and looked up into his crimson eyes.
"That... that went better than I expected." She sighed, "Last time dad and I got into an argument because this is much bigger than anything I've ever tried. It's nice to hear that they're proud of me, though they probably don't really mean it." She sniffled a little, her eyes glazing over as emotions swirled in her. She looked away from her companion and fought back a tear that threatened to fall. She wiped it away with the back of her hand. "I'm sorry, Al. I just want to help my people. Is that so wrong?"
Alastor grabbed hold of her chin, tilting it up higher that her bangs fell to the side, giving him a clear view of her doe-ish face. He leaned down until their faces were mere inches away, she could feel his warm breath on her skin, causing goosebumps and a blush to appear. Her lips involuntary parted as she tried to stay focus on those fiery eyes of his rather than his thin lips and vicious smile. He looked like a hungry wolf about to devour its pray.
"A-Alastor?" Her eyes were wide and searching. What was he doing? She placed a hand on his chest to steady herself as her head began to spin, his addicting scent invading her senses. All she could see was the passion burning in his blood colored eyes, calculating her next moves.
The tuning of radio channels subsided as he spoke, "Don't worry, my pet, even without this gift I will not rest until this hotel has seen the light of day. If they are never proud, know that I will be, success or not. Truly. I find it kind of precious you care so much while nobody in their right mind here does. It's what sets you apart from the rest of us, like a shining star in the dark. You're special, sweetheart." He cupped her cheek, his thumb running soothingly over the burning flesh. "Now put on a smile, love, and join your friends. A smile suits that pretty little of yours. I have business to take care with our would-be sponsors but I won't be far, so run along. I'll come get you for a dance later." He pressed a chaste kiss on the top of her head, then grabbed her hand on his chest and kissed the pads of her middle fingers, causing Charlie to stop breathing for a moment. Alastor grinned to himself. 'Slowly,' he thought, 'Slowly I'll make you want me. Let's see how far this goes, Charlie dear. Do not disappoint me.'
Charlie was thankful Vaggie was preoccupied with dinner service to not see that exchange. Did anyone? She scurried away, breathing heavily to stop her racing heart with her assaulted hand clenched into a fist against her chest. She could feel Alastor's eyes on her and she gulped. Was he... was he flirting with her? Or was this how he really was? He sure had a lot of pet names for her that he hadn't used on anyone else in the hotel and he undeniably touched her more intimately. Did he really just kiss her head? She bit her lips and looked at him as he spoke to a couple of well suited demons, laughing at his own joke and the laugh track faintly audible. Their eyes caught for a moment, and he winked at her.
"Oh god..." she felt butterflies in her stomach. What was he doing to her! It wasn't fair to Vaggie and Charlie vowed that in the morning, or whenever they had another meeting, she would lay down her boundaries and shake off this silly and dangerous crush some how. She stood beside Vaggie and hugged her, catching the other demon off guard. She breathed in deeply to get him out of her head and fill herself on the honey and lavender that was Vaggie's scent.
"There you are, hun. Want some food?"
Charlie nodded and looked down at her girlfriend before pressing a kiss on her lips, "Did I ever tell you that I love you?" It was Vaggie's turn to blush, wondering what had gotten into her partner. They had agreed that when it was 'business' related at the hotel, they wouldn't display too much affection, not that she cared at this moment. She smiled warmly and cupped Charlie's face, nodding.
"Siempre." She whispered loud enough for Charlie to hear.
Angel gagged, "Get a room you two. Pretty sure a demonstration of lesbian karma sutra wasn't on the itinerary." They knew he was teasing, but they still couldn't help but glare at him. Please let the other patients be more manageable than this guy.
—
Alastor smirked and returned his attention to three of the sponsors he was currently entertaining. One was his dear friend Rosie.
She had laughed up a storm when he paid her a visit earlier in the week and told her about his recent endeavor with the Princess of Hell. He thought she would pass out before she finally collapsed on her couch in her parlor, fanning herself furiously and her pale face red as the pentagram sky.
"Oh Alastor, dear," she had said, "The adventures you have. Of course I'll be there. I'll gladly start a monthly donation of $2,000. Should you last more than three months, make it 10 and five thousand more for each additional five after this first batch! Sinners going to heaven? Ha! The ridiculousness."
Presently she was hanging on his arm, smiling devilishly as she looked at the prospects. "Pitiful. They're all so pitiful. Yes Alastor, I'll gladly pay to keep this silly idea afloat. Some actually look hopeful! Ha, ha!" Her hallow eyes narrowed menacingly, "Pathetic."
"How much did you pledge, Rosalin?" An Egyptian like cat demon purred, looking at her clawed hands, filing them into sharper points.
Alastor raised a hand before his associate could speak, "Ladies, ladies. Please. I'd very much like to keep sponsorship pledges under wraps, as not to make you feel pressured to do more or retract your offers. All I ask is that you leave me an address so I may forward you some documents and set up your monthly donations. It can be one lump sum or on going installments. Whichever suits your fancy."
The other male demon in the group rolled his eyes, "And why ssssshould we waste our money for this laughable 'passssssion project'? What benefit do we have? I only came to ssssee if it was true. You and the the princesssssss? Partnerssss?"
The Radio Demon sighed, though his smile never faltering, "Tell my Flaust, what do we all have in common here? Aside from being better off financially and in power?"
The snake demon crossed his arms and looked around, "Not ssssssure."
Alastor leaned toward him, his voice low, "Have you ever tasted a sinner who's souls is consumed by fresh anguish and remorse? A hint of... Fear?" Flaust shook his head, "It is the most delectable treat you'll ever have. As shareholder of this establishment, I have access to the bottom of honey lined barrel. Really, the notion of a sinner transcending to heaven is laughable, but I dare not let Charlie know how pitiful I find this idea to be. Besides, I am more in it to see these poor souls fail repeatedly rather than a meat locker for myself. I'll gladly share for the right price."
"Alastor, you sly dog!" Giggled Rosie as she stepped away from him, "I knew there was more to it. Ooh, Mimzy was silly to not come!"
"Only as an incentive for you, dearest." With microphone staff in hand, he tapped his right with it as he grinned mischievously.
—
Alastor made his rounds with the other sponsors and was more than delighted that all of them had been on board. Cannibals were easy to please, he noticed, and it was a wise choice for him to get the ball rolling on financing the hotel. If he offered a bigger incentives to others, maybe he wouldn't have to twist a few arms after all. Things were successful on his end, now it was up to Charlie to seal the deals on hers.
The music changed and guests were actually starting to roam the dance floor. The would be patients mingled as the night went on and the sponsors, after speaking with Alastor, saw themselves out to the bar to get a few glasses of booze in their system before leaving.
"It's a good time to get that dance in." He said to himself. He tugged on his cuffs and swatted his bangs over his eyes away. His eyes glowed in the dark, searching for his prey. His ears at the top of his head swiveled slightly.
He spotted Charlie and Vaggie at the far end of the dance floor, stiffly dancing to the jazz music as Vaggie was known to have two left feet despite her Latin heritage and the misconception that they were excellent dancers. Charlie did her best to lead but Vaggie was just too nervous with so many unfamiliar faces around. Angel was seated at a table not too far from them, flirting with one of the soon-to-be patients and it seemed his advances were working as the poor guy looked enamored. He put his hand behind his back and walked toward them.
He came up behind Vaggie and cleared his throat, startling the demoness.
"Yea?" She said, trying to not sound too rude but failed. He just rubbed her the wrong way.
"Mind if I cut in?" Before Vaggie could protest, he stepped in between the two females and whisked Charlie away, moving with her further onto the floor. Vaggie fumed, bearing her teeth and growling but she dared not make a scene. She saw red, but instead of seeking out inebriations to drown out her anger, she instead decided this would be a good time to finish introducing herself to their remaining guests. Anything to prevent her from running a spear right up Alastor's ass. That smug bastard.
Charlie looked like a fish out of water, especially since the song was now more of a tango and Alastor had brought her close to him to start off, one arm around her waist and another holding her hand delicately up higher. He swayed with her, pleased that she moved seamlessly with him and didn't have to worry about her scuffing his shoes. He faintly remembered a time during his youth during the 1910s visiting New York when it had first arrived on US shores. He couldn't remember why he was there, or who he was with, but the music and the moves were clear as day. Then in the 1920s, he had learned the Americanized style of it in his home town of New Orleans, just before its popularity waned after the Great Depression.
He picked up the tempo of his foot steps, pushing Charlie in a way that she knew to extend one leg up toward his hip as he spun them around then dragged her across the floor in several quick steps, his right arm encircling her waist as he dipped her in front of him, then snapping her back up and twirling her away, the hem of her skirt flutter around her thighs like a spinning rose.
The crowd watched, mesmerized by their dancing and the energy flowing between them. The dancing duo never lost eye contact with one another and they continued, their legs kicked and bent, twirling, and spinning, stepping across the floor in sure movements, hands reaching for each other, hips moving side to side.
Angel stood next to Vaggie who once again stopped to watch her girlfriend practically get spirited away before her eyes, "Ya know... I never really noticed the chemistry between them." Vaggie snapped her head up to glare at him, her lips a thin line. She chose not to speak, afraid it would crack from the anger bubbling up inside her, "Heh, I mean... I didn't peg our strawberry pimp to be such a good dancer, especially the tango. You think he'd want to take me for a spin like that in bed?" He ran a hand through his hair, and two others fluffed up his bosom, "Anyway, I'm hitting the sack. Gotta get my beauty sleep if I wanna keep up this gorgeous face. Nighty night, bitches." He walked away and winked at the male demon he had been flirting with. The male who looked to be a type of canine looking demon, stood and followed him out the room. It could be assumed that Angel did not get much sleep that night based on the distant thumps to be heard later that night.
As the song neared to an end, Charlie's back was to his chest and her head was against Alastor's chest as he held her up, her right arm above her, encircling his neck for support. He ran his hand on the underside of the raised arm down to her hip, sliding her back with more quick steps, then snaked his other hand to her hip, gripping it as he dipped her again across his waist, then pulled her up to stand in front of him. Charlie raised a leg to rest it on his calf, then moved it as far as it would go toward his hip and extended it out, her right hand moving slowly from its raised position to extend outward from her side. He leaned her back once last time as the song came to a final conclusion.
The party attendees clapped, transfixed on the hotel's owners. Their movements had been flawless, Charlie barely breaking a sweat but breathing a little harder than she would like. Alastor's sharp teeth glistened and his mouth opened to a wide, devilish grin.
"Nicely done, dear. I appreciate a good dance partner. We should do this more often."
Charlie blushed and straightened herself out. Looking around, she bit her lips, "I-i think we should wrap this up. Tomorrow's going to be a long day starting consolation and room renovations."
"Understandably. Did you need me to stay to see the last guest out?"
"N-no." She shook her head, "Vaggie and I can handle it. Thank you, Alastor. Good night."
Alastor lifted her hand he was still holding and planted a kiss on her knuckle. "Very well. I won't head home yet, but I'll be in the office if you need me. I'll see myself out when I'm done. Good night, dearest." The radio buzz behind his voice hummed a gentle lullaby like melody as he exited the ball room. He stopped by the front desk where Husk had dozed off.
The Radio Demon placed his left hand on the counter and drummed his finger loudly. Husk flinched and mumbled in his sleep, scowling and burying his head in his arms.
"Go away..." he groaned.
"Huskers, do wake up. You're getting slobber on our counter. I don't think Niffty would appreciate it after all the redecorating she's done."
Husk slowly opened his eyes and glared at his boss, "What do you want?"
Alastor straightened up, "You may retire to your bedroom when the last person leaves. Make sure Charlie has their contact information."
"Why do you care? I don't get what's the big deal, this project is gonna fuckin fail miserably before the end of the month. Watch." He got up and wiped the drool off his face with the back of his paw, "Are they at least gonna leave soon?"
"Any moment." The radio crowed boo'ed.
"Fine."
—
As the last guest exited the building, Charlie waved a good night and smiled peacefully. In the end, there was a glimmer of hope that maybe this could work. The demons who left actually looked they were interested in considered redeeming themselves. She hoped beyond hope it would work. It had to. She was tired of the fear and screaming of extermination days.
Husk turned off the desk lamp and grumbled a good night to Charlie before lazily flying up the stairs to head to his room. Charlie smiled. For a moment she thought about paying Alastor a visit, but then thought better of if. She was confused to say the least, and she was certain he was giving her mixed signals. There was no way he was interested in her, he was just friendly. Extremely, and almost uncomfortably friendly. She had to quell these feelings. It was just a puppy crush, no need to get too worked up. They were business partners and maybe even friends, but their relationship was nothing more. It couldn't be any more.
Entering the ball room, she helped Niffty and Vaggie with cleanup. Razzle and Dazzle were busy sweeping the linoleum floor. She hummed to herself as she picked up a tub Niffty had brought from the kitchen to bus the tables. Vaggie was busy sorting out the left over food.
"We can leave the tables and chairs for tomorrow, but we should really make sure we don't leave any food out. Charlie, can you take the tubs to the sink and have them soak before I wash them? Vaggie, I made room in the walk in for those. I'm going to collect the linen." Niffty snapped the end of one of the table cloths, the plates and glasses rattling but never falling.
For the next hour the girls and goats tidied up the room before finally retreating to their rooms. Vaggie was in the lead going up the stairs and Charlie glanced at the light underneath the office door. Red light emanated and the distant sound of old jazzy music on a vintage radio could be heard. She shook her head and instead made sure that the front door was locked, noting that buzzer should be connected to her room in case of any late night visitors.
"Business partners... that's all we are." By the time she got up to her room via the lift located on the second floor, Vaggie was already in the shower. Charlie tested the knob and frowned when the door was locked. Vaggie never locked the door unless she beyond pissed. She sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, falling back and looking up the ceiling, already planning a talk she knew she Vaggie needed to have.
"I don't like him," she said to herself, "He's just a lot friendlier than we thought." 'Damn.' With the balls of her hands she rubbed her eyes and groaned in frustration.
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Hey everyone! Thank you for stopping by and reading. In case you didn't know, yes, I am the very same Mightiest Glitch from AO3. I decided to come back to after a decade hiatus but sadly I had to make a new account because no one has reached out to me on how to reclaim my old one. At some point I'll repost my old Inu Yasha and Metalocalypse fics after I get a laptop and do some major edits~
I thought I'd post the first two chapters. I'll post regularly every Tuesday moving forward, starting this Tuesday. Enjoy and don't forget to review!