Hello sinners! Here we go again with another update. :D
This update is pretty long so I truly hope y'all enjoy it. Think of this longer chapter as a gift from me. This weekend is my birthday, and I want to make it a bit longer. :) Remember, this weekend is Mother's Day and make sure you definitely show appreciation towards your mom (or any female figure that is like a mother to you). I know my mother is like my rock with all the craziness.
Warning, this is the first time I wrote Angel Dust so I truly hope I did him and his character justice, especially his New York accent. xD
Hazbin Hotel and its characters are owned by Viviepop. The original characters I create for this story are completely my own.
Enjoy!
Payday finally came, and Angel's wallet felt good from the fat cash stuffed inside. The spider couldn't help, but starting Friday on a good note. Val didn't mess with him today because his spat with his on-and-off partner (more like bitch) Vox kept him busy for most of the night, which left Angel Dust to do what he did best. Showing off his body and letting the cash rain on him like a storm. Make it rain, baby! Make it rain!
Angel's mood on top of that could only be described as the type of happiness of when you get laid. Fabulously laid. Sure, he had a couple of the regular johns like normal, but he had a select few clients that he absolutely loved to give his best treatment too. And oh, sweet Lucifer, they paid the best. And the best part was, these clients were better than Val's clutchy fingers.
Still, he would have preferred to have a more consistent schedule instead of these mixed up days and nights. He was pretty sure by the time he got back to the hotel, both girls from the RBS (Redemption Bitches Squad, something he created in his head) were going to grill him on why he hasn't been back. He knew every time he went back to Val, being sober made it to the bottom of the list of priorities.
Drugs, sex, money, and repeat.
Eventually, something would have to give. Redemption was nice and all, but it's not reality while you're here in this hellhole. Might as well make it to the top and take everything. Every demon for himself (and herself and themselves if that's how you describe yourself.)
He walked the streets of Pentagram City, thankful it was bright to the point not as many creepy fuckers like in the nighttime. His thigh high boots gave some soreness to his feet, but that always became part of the job and it became part of his daily routine now. Ignoring the slight discomfort, the spider pressed on to get back to the hotel. His tight dark pink sweater dress hung around his frame; the only thing to help him against the cold hellish winters here. (Winter in hell, can you believe it?) Angel could only blame himself for forgetting his jacket back at the studio, but getting away from Val was an opportunity he couldn't miss.
Keeping his bag close to him, the spider demon kept an eye out for any suspicious fuckers who would want to take a slice at him. Let them try. They'll get a lovely mouthful from his tommy gun if someone tries to pull something.
Thankfully, no action this morning. Everybody else was busy doing their own damn thing. Good enough for Angel Dust.
The hotel came into his sight, and for a small moment, he was grateful to be back safe for what it was worth. He brought his key into the lock and turned it to the right before hearing the click. Opening the door, the lobby appeared unexpectedly darkened. His eyes shifted around in the dark, closing the door behind him quietly. "Hmmm, maybe all the broads are asleep."
Boy, was he wrong.
"WELCOME TO THE HAPPY HOTEL!" A chorus of yells pierced the spider's hearing, causing him to cover his ears in pain like someone blew a giant fucking blowhorn in his ears. Rainbow confetti rained all over the lobby, pieces of the bright paper sprinkling down onto Angel as well thoroughly pissing him off more.
"WHAT THE FUCK, PEOPLE?!" he hissed out with his hands over his ears. "CHRIST, ya lucky I'ma in a damn good mood!"
"Oh my God, Angel!" Charlie cried out, approaching the spider giving him a onceover to make sure he was okay. "I'm so sorry. We thought you were the newcomer we're bringing to the hotel."
Newcomer what?
"What ta hell ya talkin' about, toots?" Angel asked, pushing the confetti off his dress.
"Well, to make it short. We needed new people to join the hotel and I figured we can throw the biggest party to make them feel welcome." Charlie rambled on happily, grinning from ear to ear.
Wait a minute? Now Alastor? "Whoa, ya actually got Smiles ta do somethin' nice?"
"It was more of a "on the way" type thing," Charlie explained sheepishly.
"He sent over one of his creepy ass shadows with the update a little while ago, so that's how we know. Ugh, why can't he use a cell phone like everyone else?" Vaggie added before trying to clean the pieces of confetti with the broom. "Charlie, you still don't have to go over the top with...all of this. We'll probably scare them off before they come to the door."
"He would have scared the damn sinner before he could even say hello." Husk muttered, his eyes shifting to the food displayed across the bar, his hunger coming into full swing since he's already used his drinking limit plus fighting off the hangover. He licked his lips as he saw the plate of sandwiches sitting on the bar so aesthetically...ready to be eaten.
"That's not nice, Husky." Nifty chastised him, unknowingly receiving a glare from the winged-cat being called by that name. "I know Alastor better than all of you and he's not that scary. He can be charming and nice if you get to know him long enough."
That's when the word sinner finally rang the bells for Angel Dust. Quick as a flash, he sped over to Charlie, all four of his hands gripped her shoulders. "Is this true? Ya bringin' someone new ova here ta this place?"
"Yeah, we're bringing someone else in to join you with your journey. That way you won't feel so alone."
The wheels turned in Angel's head as a seductive grin pulled on the ends of his mouth. "Oh, toots. I think him an' me are going to get along just fine. I sooo can agree ta this little arrangement. Just gimme me a minute to freshin' up for the big boy."
He dug into his purse, pulling out a compact mirror and a fresh tube of lipstick (courtesy from one of his gentlemen friends earlier), and began putting on a fresh coat. Popping his lips, Angel Dust finished it off with his expensive lush light pink lips. Oh, now he was ready and smoking.
"Ugh, Angel really?" Vaggie groaned.
"Ya can't stop me, toots. I am who I am." Angel Dust blew her a kiss before going towards the bar, taking a selfie of himself before approaching the bar, his eyes seductively looking at Husk. "Hey, baby. Missed me?"
"Not in your dreams…" Husk growled out, sneaking a sandwich with the girls' backs were turned.
"Come on, Husky. You know you missed me." Angel approached the bar, putting his "assets" seductively on display for the cat demon to see.
That was the last straw for Husk. "Will all you fuckers stop calling me that?!"
"SHHH, someone's coming!" Vaggie loudly whispered before everyone scrambled to turn off the lights. Soon darkness fulfilled the space once more, the only noise coming to life was the turning of the knob with the door. All of them could hear the familiar sound of Alastor's humming filtered through the door. The spider watched in glee as the door opened and two dark silhouettes stood in the doorway. Alastor's form was familiar, but the other one was not. Hmmm, the other one was shorter than him, but Angel didn't discriminate. He could see a long fluffy tail flickering in the dark along with pointed ears at the top and a ponytail at the top of their head.
Either way, this sinner was his.
He snuck behind the silhouette and closed the door behind him. Angel Dust stood behind the short silhouette, his chest fluff covering the darkened one's head. The spider could feel the end of the ponytail against his abdomen, and the fluffy tail flickering back and forth against his legs. Letting his first two hands settle gently on their shoulders, he seductively whispered, "Welcome to the hotel, baby. Tell me, what can I do ta make this a happy day for ya?"
"I appreciate the welcome, but I don't need that kind of favor to make the day better. Let's not rush it." A female voice replied back in the darkness, shaking off the spider's hands from her body.
It was then the metaphorical cold bucket of ice water washed all over Angel Dust like a stormy New York downpour.
And then, all was revealed.
"WELCOME TO THE HAPPY HOTEL!"
The lights flickered on, and everyone in the lobby could hear a loud shriek.
"EEEEYAHHHH!" Angel Dust hissed, his voice hitting about two octaves higher than normal, backing away sporadically until his back hit the wall, his fingers pointing at the wolf he'd just come onto. "Who da fuck is this?! What the fuck did I just do?! When were ya gonna tell me I was flirtin' witha fuckin' broad?!"
The stupid wolf in front of him stumbled back in shock, not know how to react to him, her back falling against Alastor's chest and into the deer demon's arms. In her view, she was worried the next thing she would say to him would cause him to have an aneurysm. Normally, Rory would have just sent him a glare and didn't give him the time of day, but with this being hell...she didn't want to piss off the wrong dude.
Angel Dust - on the other hand - didn't give two fucks. He was pissed. Between being tired and now this, he threw his already somewhat mild filter out the window, and everything was let loose.
"Coulda at least brought a damn sinner who hada good solid dick between their legs?!" Angel Dust angrily lashed out. "I finally came home on time. Ya get me all excited for once about some poor sap you brought to this damn place, I'm finally dressed halfway fucking decent, and ya mean to tell me this is a broad! Mix it up a little, people!"
Before he could let anyone finish, the spider stomped over to the bar, grabbed a good bit of food before making his way up the stairs. "If any of you bitches need me, I'll be in my room!"
So…at least Rory survived Round One. That's at least she'd hoped as she had entered the hotel.
She survived the spazz attack from the cross-dressing demon spider so she'd take that was a win. Looking across the lobby, she couldn't stop her pounding heart. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
Everyone stared at her with expectant eyes, making her uncomfortable, but she didn't didn't let it show. She just kept quiet as she untangled herself from Alastor's arms.
She scanned the room, seeing everyone in front of her, narrowing at them like she was looking at odd pieces of art. Was she still in hell?
Right to left, there was the spastic cross-dressed spider. Then the wolf demon already knew about Alastor. Her eyes caught an over smiley blonde demon with rosy cheeks. Beside the blonde stood a female moth demon colored in shades of gray and silver with a light pink ribbon in her hair. For some strange reason, glaring at her as if she were inspecting if Rory was a flight risk. Then more to the left, there was the bar. Sitting on one of the seats was a slightly short and adorable cyclops demon wearing a poodle skirt. And then at last, the barkeep behind the counter was the oddest anthropomorphic creature she'd ever seen. A black cat with red wings.
For a moment, she thought she'd taken drugs and watched too much Looney Tunes today and was having an episode.
"I am SO sorry about that," the little blonde demon apologized, shaking her hands profusely. "BUT we're so glad you're here. My name is Charlie, and I own the hotel."
"Nice to meet you too." The wolf replied with a small smile. Judging by her height, she was about the same height as the blonde demon making them even. "I'm really glad to be here. I'm Rory."
It didn't take long before the silver demon to make her debut. "What exactly is your reason to be here?"
"Isn't the hotel's purpose is to rehabilitate and redeem sinners?"
"Yes, but we don't want sinners who think this an easy meal ticket. We need serious people for the program," the moth answered sternly with her eyes narrowed. "And we're not going to just take Alastor's word for it until we've seen it for ourselves, which is why I am going to ask you again. What is your real reason?"
"Vaggie, we don't need to rush her." Charlie said.
"Charlie, after what happened with Angel, I want to make sure we invest in someone good this time."
The golden wolf could feel almost all of the eyes on her, eager with interest in some form or another. She kept a neutral mask while weighing her words carefully, especially the pair of scarlet eyes not too far away that still creeped her the hell out.
"You got pen and paper?" she asked out of the blue.
Vaggie arched an eyebrow, wondering why in the hell she made that request. However, within a snap, Alastor already whipped up a piece of red paper and an older fashioned ink pen, magically floating right in front of her on a invisible wind.
"Here you go, my dear." Alastor crooned, a little bit of radio feedback following soon after.
Now it was Rory's turn to arch an eyebrow. "...um. Thank you...very much."
"You're quite welcome, sweetheart."
Putting him outside of her head, Rory hurriedly scribbled down something on the piece of paper, folded securely from prying eyes, and handed it over to Vaggie, looking at her square in the eyes. Hopefully, her request would be sincere enough.
"My reason is on here, my full honest answer. You can talk with Charlie about it, but please keep it between the two of you. I'm not so comfortable with everyone knowing everything about me yet."
Rory watched as Vaggie's eyes shifted back and forth between her and Charlie. The wolf knew it was better to be honest if she was truly going to make it work here, but her instincts kept most of her walls up. It was too early to trust anyone here, especially in hell. Vaggie's facial features softened slightly as she gave the note to Charlie.
"Okay, we can go along with it. Like what Charlie said so enthusiastically before, welcome to the hotel." The moth demon greeted her a little more warmly than before. "Help yourself to the food at the bar, I'm sure you're starving."
Green eyes turning to the bar, the moth demon wasn't joking. All the food looked good, especially the pizza sitting over there close to the cyclop demon. All the meat and cheese made Rory's mouth water. With her animal instincts taking over for a moment, she didn't notice the ends of her mouth pulling into a hungry grin, showing her sharp white teeth. Her tongue slipped out of her mouth and circled over her tongue like she was Wile E. Coyote.
She was starving. Really starving.
With speed she never knew she possessed, the wolf flashed over to the bar, swiping a pizza slice before anyone blinked and ravenously biting into the slice like she hadn't eaten in weeks.
Once the taste hit her mouth, her eyes widened into saucers, a bigger smile gracing her face for the first time truly since she descended into hell. "Who ever made this pizza definitely has my thanks. This is amazing!"
"Awww, thank you." Charlie beamed, her happiness growing. "We had to do something quick, but with the magic of the newly updated appliances, we were able to get something done for the special occasion."
"HA-HA-HA!" Alastor scoffed with maddening laughter. "You call this frozen trash experiment "real food"? Oh my dear, food is not truly appetizing unless the time and effort is put into it. Not just magically made with a snap of a finger."
"That's ironic coming from someone who can magically snap anything into existence," Vaggie commented, rolling her eyes.
"Look, I'm happy to have food and a roof over my head right now, especially being taken into consideration." Rory explained gratefully, trying to get her second slice of pizza. "Alastor, how about this? Next time you cook, I'll try whatever you make. Is that okay?"
His red eyes glowed with hellish happiness. "Marvelous! I knew you would fit in! I definitely need to look into my recipe book, and oh! I need to whip up some of my best jambalaya."
Jambalaya? "That's from New Orleans, right?"
"Ohhh, so you've tasted it?" Alastor turned his head to the side in interest, almost like a dog ironically enough.
"Let's just say I grew up with it. There was an old neighbor who used to make it for me and my family every now and then. The best stuff she made was the gumbo, though." Rory explained, laughing softly a little at the memory still there in her brain. "I'm only from Cali, but I heard there's stuff you're not supposed to do with that kind of food. She would go crazy and rant about her brother wanting to add kale into the gumbo and how that was a crime against nature."
And with that brought a sickening crack.
Rory turned to Alastor, shocked to see the demon's eyes turning to radio dials. Unknown symbols began to appear around him as his magic and radio static warped around him, almost wanting to choke everything around him. She couldn't help, but stepped back in trepidation, not sure how to engage him.
But she definitely made a mental note: do not piss off the creepy demon.
"Is the sinner in hell?" the Radio Demon growled out, black ooze dripping from his mouth. "Does the man have a name? Come on, the man must have a name! He'll pay for this ATROCITY!"
Rory didn't know what the hell to say to this damn thing. "I don't know! I know the man was sorta wrapped into shady crap, so maybe. The old lady was never married. Try...uh...Fontaine. Yeah, that was her last name!"
Hopefully she can say anything to make him turn off the pissed off demon-mode.
Another sickening crack with a turn in his neck, and he stood there silent for a long damned second. And then as if he weren't angry to begin with, all of his static and magic vanished and his eyes changed back into the red blazing ones she was slowly becoming used to.
"Thank you, my dear!" Alastor's voice changed back to the chipper chatterbox from before with a still bit of a dark edge tinted in the end. "Your effort to root this sinner out is definitely appreciated. Oh, this is going to be delicious."
The wolf stood there in shock, not sure what just happened. She could only watch as the deer demon magically tucked his microphone staff away and began to reluctantly pick at the food at the bar. He sat over at the bar next to the cyclops demon, magically whipping up a plate of fine cuisine in front of him plus empty glass. "Husker, my dear friend! Bring on the bourbon, will you?"
The grump cat behind the bar gave him a heavy glare. "Any specific requests, your majesty?"
And he didn't say that in a nice way.
"Just the best you got. If you have some originally from home, I'd prefer that." Alastor answered, biting into his steak after cutting it. "Ah, I already miss home."
"You can always go and get them yourself, Alastor," Husk grumbled, showing his sharp teeth just a bit.
"Hey, how come you've never taken me?" the one-eyed demon finally spoke, causing the wolf's ears to perk forward. Was her voice really that high and adorable?
"Aww, Nifty. One day I will." The radio demon answered as if talking to a child. "I promise you, sweetheart."
"What did he mean by "delicious"?" Rory asked, looking at Charlie.
"Oh, I'm surprised he didn't mention it. The thing is…"
Vaggie cut Charlie off. "Alastor's a cannibal."
Cannibal?
WHAT. THE. FUCK.
"He's…" she gulped slowly. "Eating me?"
"No! No, no, no!" Charlie reassured her. "No, he only eats other demons who've wronged him...or at least that's how he explains it."
"Still doesn't help much!" Rory almost hissed, her voice slowly rising. Hoping that she didn't fuck up on her first day. "Did I just sentence someone as his dinner?"
Vaggie shook her head. "You probably did, but don't worry. You can't control what Alastor does. We're going to be strict with you, but you don't have to feel like you're walking on eggshells. Just tell us what's going on, and we'll talk about it and see what we can do. We would rather you be honest about your sins and we can do what we can to fix it."
This was so overwhelming. Cannibals, cross-dressing demons, walking and talking animals? What's next? Lucifer marching through the door and doing tap-dance.
She needed more food. Stomach gurgling, she swiped up two more slices of pizza, trying to calm her crazy heart with all the anxiety messing with her body.
Rory never had been one for large crowds, especially with people. Back when she was alive, Katie drugged her out to Disneyland in the middle of Christmas. Get that in your brain. Christmas. Disney. Too many damn people. Rory loved the classics as much as the next person, but Katie bringing her to an overly crowded park for the holidays was not her idea of fun. But..she had to admit that she still had a good time being with Katie, and if it made her happy, then she'd go for it.
While there weren't so many people now, the wolf's anxiety still shot up a bit. Her heart hammered in her chest earlier as she got thrown with the onslaught of welcomes when her foot first stepped into the lobby. She covered her ears multiple times with the super loud cheers and screeches pierced her eardrum to the point she wanted to run away from the crazy day so far. It made her truly wonder how did someone like Alastor last and fit in with this crowd of crazy people. How did anyone last in this place? Honestly, all she wanted to do was just fall asleep.
But here she was, hoping to be accepted and she got the most overdone welcome that she never expected. After all, these were the starting steps to get into Heaven, right?
Hopefully after some food and maybe some sleep later, she can calm down.
A little while later…
Charlie had to admit, this turned out way better than she thought. Maybe there was a smidgen of someone higher up that could help put her plan in motion. She couldn't help, but beam at the promise of the newcomer that came through their doors. She had been watching the wolf demon - who introduced herself as Rory - intermingling with the group. So far, no riots had broken out in the group. So far, she didn't seem scared of their little ragtag family (yes, Charlie even called them that).
Watching her with the others, she seemed thoughtful and more reserved than most demons. The wolf felt more comfortable sitting at the bar, happily chewing on a sandwich while nifty and Alastor were chatting away like monkeys in a tree. She seemed alright with the comfortable silence after she answered their excited questions. Those green eyes were still nonetheless observant, though.
One thing that Charlie immediately loved and noticed about her: she loved food and sweets.
As soon as the wolf bit into the lemon rainbow cookies (Charlie's favorite obviously), she watched as the wolf stopped mid-chewing as if she froze. For a second, Charlie swore she saw Rory's eyes flickering with tears before happily biting into the rest of the cookie and starting "wolfing" down on the rest of the plate.
Charlie beamed in happiness, looking back towards Vaggie in happy victory. "I told you those cookies were going to be a hit."
"I was sure we were going to lose her after Angel's outburst, but I'll admit it, babe. She stuck it out. Job well done." Vaggie congratulated her, watching with observant eyes too at the newcomer.
"What do you think of her, Vags?" Charlie asked, ever curious of her girlfriend's opinion. After all, she was the manager of the hotel besides Alastor.
Her girlfriend shrugged. "It is too early to tell, but she at least seems more open to this than Angel Dust. Hopefully, she doesn't cause us as much trouble."
"We can't lose hope in Angel. He's still new to this. We just gotta find a way another way he can receive the knowledge knowing we are here to help."
"We are gonna need to make some calls if we are going to make sure sinners can be redeemed. Like licensed therapists, counselors. Not to mention how we need resources to fund the project too. You've already got a lot on your plate."
Charlie agreed. "This is so exciting, but I totally see what you are saying. Let's take this one thing at a time."
Vaggie smiled back at her, happy to at least for once have Charlie using good sense. Still too early to tell, but it was a good start. Both of them watching the wolf interact with Husk and Nifty, quietly partaking in the two chatting away and just observing them in quiet curiosity.
"By the way, are you going to be set for the first session on Monday for both of them? It may be a while before we can get a professional here."
Charlie nodded, digging for her notepad in one of her pockets, also pulling out the rest of the contents. "I've already got ideas for what we need for job applications. And don't worry, I'm...definitely taking in more of your input this time. After what happened at the station...I don't want to be an embarrassment."
"You're not an embarrassment, hun." Her girlfriend reassured her firmly, meshing her fingers through Charlie's open hand and giving it a soft squeeze. "It's not your fault about the Wicked Bitch of the West, but...we need to be smart. I'll definitely be there for you every step of the way."
This without doubt jumpstarted Charlie's heart to jump out of her chest with joy like an old cartoon. She pulled Vaggie's face to her own, landing a sweet kiss to her lips and all of her excitement and happiness pouring into it. It didn't take long before they needed to stop to take a breath.
"Thank you so much, Vags." The blonde thanked her gratefully. "You're the best."
Vaggie returned the sentiment back to her with a loving smile, when her eyes caught the piece of paper sticking out of Charlie's notepad. "Hun, what's that?" she asked, pointing to the note.
"What's what?" Charlie parroted before following the direction of Vaggie's finer. "Oh, that's the note Rory gave us earlier. About her stuff on why she's staying at the hotel."
"Is it okay if we take a look? It's only going to be between us."
"I don't see how it would be a problem." Charlie admitted. "It would be between us before Monday would come around."
"Might as well get a head start."
Both agreeing, and making sure that no one else can see, the girls watched as Charlie unfolded the note. As her eyes skimmed through the note after opening it, a sudden pang hit her heart.
My reason for going back to Heaven is to be with my mom. I miss her so much that I'm just ready to be with my family. I am willing to do whatever it takes to see her again.
However, what the girls didn't realize was the hidden shadow, lingering in the dark warm space of the cabinet of the alcohol shelves above them. Icy blue eyes watched and skimmed through the note as well, almost allowing a guttural chuckle to escape his mouth.
The afternoon winded down into the evening room, and Rory was more than ready to pass out. Her body became lead, and it took all her energy to keep going. And speaking of her new body, she still couldn't get over the fact that she had a tail moving back and forth now. That was a new one to wrap her brain around.
And guess where was her new room going to be close to?
No one other than the creepy deer overlord.
Should she applaud for this? Should she have salt and pepper shakers nearby in case she pisses him off?
Nope. She just wanted to be redeemed and head on her way out of this crazy wonderland.
Charlie approached the door with Rory following behind her. "We haven't gotten the rooms on the upper floors just done yet so everyone stays on the same floor for now. This was one of the few that were left."
Rory didn't voice her discomfort, but offered a warm smile instead. "I'm not complaining. I'm just…overwhelmingly grateful for everything. Thank you again."
This made Charlie's eyes grow big with stars in her eyes, grinning ear to ear and grabbing the wolf into a huge bear hug. "Awwwww! You are so welcome!"
The golden wolf couldn't help but freeze, unsure how to respond to this. Eventually, she allowed herself to wrap her arms around Charlie too, enjoying the contact. Needing it more than she realized with everything that she'd gone through.
But Charlie then realized she didn't know how Rory liked dealing with touch.
"Oh crap, I'm so sorry." She quickly apologized, wrangling herself from the wolf. "I know not everyone likes touch, especially Alastor. I really do try to keep it to myself and not to go overboard."
Rory tilted her head, watching the uncertainty swirl in the blonde demon's eyes as she looked at the ground. She knew that look well. Charlie was just as unsure of herself just as Rory when it came to all of this. At least Charlie had that pushing optimism, which was something the wolf had to admit that wasn't one one of her best strengths right now. Giving a soft smile, she laid a hand on the blonde's shoulder.
"It's okay, Charlie." She reassured her. "You have a good heart, and it's in the right place. Personally, although I like physical touch, I prefer to get to know people before I allow them to do that with me. So beforehand, if you need…" she couldn't believe she was going to say this. "...a hug, just let me know first. Is that okay?"
"Definitely!" Charlie beamed. "Let me show you your room."
She opened the door for Rory, and her forest green eyes scanned across the room. If she could put a name to the theme of the room, it would be Hell Gothic with all the Gothic influence and red to burgundy tones. The walls filled the bedroom with the color of burgundy and black Gothic patterns lining side by side. There was a queen-sized bed with a modern-looking lighter shade of red bed frame behind it against the wall. An aged nightstand stood on each side of the bed with some vintage lamps to go with the décor. At the bottom of the bed, laid an ottoman bench that was able to hold some extra storage. An armchair was close towards the edge of the open window with the curtains drawn open, showing the darkened skies of hell and the glowing pentagram above them.
Across the room was an old dresser with a full length mirror sitting in the corner. The wooden floors underneath her paw pads chilled her, but thankfully the few spots of rugs helped to push back the sensation. There was also a bathroom attached to the bedroom, which was a sweet bonus. It was simple enough for her to redecorate with her own small touches later down the road. While she was staying here, this was enough.
"The hotel is still going through some renovations so things will be touched up and updated in time." Charlie mentioned as the wolf observed the room. "But don't worry, that's not going to stop us. While I am sure I am going to get a schedule soon, I'm going to let you sleep late tomorrow. First drop into hell is always going to be...uh…"
"Bat-shit tiresome…" Rory finished with a knowing small smile.
"Right. So sleep late, it's gonna be the weekend. It's going to give you extra time to prepare and get used to things. We definitely start your first day on Monday." That was a relief. "I don't want you to feel overwhelmed."
Charlie was too damn sweet. Is she truly a demon from hell? "Sweetie, you're good. I'll be okay."
"Alright, that's good." Charlie breathed out a sigh of relief, her brain suddenly tired from all of the craziness and excited. "Okay, okay. I'm gonna go ahead and leave you to it. Good night!"
Watching the sweet blonde demon go warmed her heart a bit, touched by how much Charlie was going out of her way to make her feel comfortable. But now...she was happy to be alone with her own thoughts.
Sitting on the ottoman, she couldn't stop the energy that drained out of her. God she was tired.
"Hello sweetheart." A familiar trans-lantic tone popped through the door.
"HOLY SHIT!" Rory yelled out, her heart jumping out of her chest. "Like do you not have any conception of giving people a heads up before announcing your presence?"
"It is not like I snuck through the crack at the bottom of the door. The door was wide open." He remarked, his grin not so sharp as before but still smug.
Crap, he got her there. Damn, her tired brain.
Trying to gather what little energy she had left, she tried to keep her tone even. "Can I help you, Alastor?"
"I was just checking in on the wellbeing of our newest sinner." The demon overlord replied happily, leaning against the open door frame. "You and I can definitely agree the welcome earlier was most unexpected."
"Pretty much," Rory agreed, albeit a little reluctantly. As long as he kept his distance from her, she didn't seem any harm talking to him. "I thought I was totally fu-screwed earlier with...what's his name?"
"Angel, you mean?"
"Yes, I thought he was going to eat me alive."
Alastor chuckled. "Trust me, dear. That's the last thing that would ever happen."
"Because you want nothing bad happening to your entertainment right?"
"Hmmm, yes." Alastor answered honestly. "There is that and you are also under the princess' protection too."
"Wait a minute? Charlie is a princess? Of this place?"
"That would be a yes to everything, my dear."
"And that means she's the kid of Lucifer?"
"The fallen angel himself, yes my dear."
Oh god. She was not going to fall down the rabbit hole with this one. Trying to get her bearings, she tried to ask the best she can without sounding stupid. "When does it say in the bible that Lucifer has a kid?"
With the mention of that wretched book, Alastor couldn't hide the scoff of disgust bubbling in his throat. "Oh, please do tell. Were you one of those bible holier-than-thou thumpers back when you were alive?"
Rory shook her head. "Trust me, the last thing I would want is to associate myself with that crazy crowd. It's bad enough that there's enough rotten apples in the bunch to ruin most of the ones who aren't. Besides, I never fell in with them."
"Ah, so you have a different belief system? Interesting." Alastor muttered as if he were interested and taking mental notes. Rory couldn't shake the feeling that she was becoming too interesting to Alastor. Using a bit of his magic, he manifested in a flash beside the wolf, sitting on the ottoman a little too close for her tastes. His maddening grin still gave her shivers. "What exactly do you believe in, my dear?"
Rory's walls shot up. "What's the fun in showing you all the cards? I barely know you, and you hardly know anything about me.
"And you are so right, darling. I wouldn't want you to spoil me giving it all to me in one go, but I can say this. I know enough to have a guess in what you might believe in."
Man, this man never stops talking. Her tired brain grew annoyed and without realizing, a small growl began to grow in the back of her throat with her teeth slightly showing. "Alastor, as much as I would love to keep going on about this, I really need some sleep. Can you push this off to another day?" she tried to ask as nicely as she could, pushing herself off the ottoman and keeping her distance.
The Radio Demon didn't say a word. Just hummed to himself while releasing a sigh. "Ah, and I was so eager to speak with you more in person," he replied while fighting back a yawn. "I have to admit that I'm rather weary myself. Allow me to at least bid you adieu."
Ugh, why can't he just go now?
"Fine, and then will you please let me sleep?" she groaned sleepily.
He grinned at her, looking with red eyes reminiscent as if she were looking at a happy puppy. "You have my word, my dear."
It didn't take long before both of them approached the door, the wolf anxious for him to finally say his good nights and let her sleep. One day in hell was enough for her to process.
The wolf bounced her foot against the ground, a yawning escaping her.
"Sleep well, my dear. You're going to need it." He reminded her gently in his own strange manner, bringing her hand to his lips, but the words slipped right over the wolf's head.
"Good night, Alastor." She replied politely before shutting the door.
Finally alone in her own room, Rory could finally breathe.
"What the hell just happened?" she muttered to herself.
It surprised her that as soon as she hit the bed, she didn't pass out from exhaustion. She felt like she had fallen against a mattress made of marshmallows, and more of the marshmallow pillows behind her cushioned her fall. Was this really hell? It was hard to wrap her brain around it. Demons, kids of Lucifer, Heaven, Hell. Too many thoughts sped through her head, which was too common due to her overthinking. So much to take in to the point where it caused a hammering headache behind her the front of her skull. However, all of this came to a single conclusion.
All of this was real. Heaven and Hell existed, and she fell straight to the bottom.
Contemplating on it, it didn't surprise her. Rory had too much blood on her hands to probably even have the consideration to go to Heaven. Although, it didn't stop the hope inside of her that she could have ended up in Heaven with her mother while she'd been alive.
Rory remembered that not all was lost. She knew that, but it was hard to hope these days. She choked on it for so long waiting for her mother to get better, but it did nothing to help. It only caused more heartache for her. At this point though, what else did she have to lose?
In some weird and strange mix of circumstances, a sweet demon by the name of Charlie greeted Rory with open arms as if she was greeting a long lost cousin she hadn't seen in forever. And even gave her cookies along with offering her a safe place and food to eat as long as she committed to her program. "Giving" didn't fall within the definition of Hell yet here they were, offering her solace within this nightmare. And if all of this succeeded, Rory would be in heaven with her mom.
At least that would give her something to get up in the morning, but she knew redemption didn't come overnight. She would need to work harder than she'd ever done in the past.
And it didn't help that the depression inside of her still liked to play tricks with her brain. Her heart still hurt from the recent death with her mom. It was still raw. Even though there are moments when Rory smiled, she could still feel the looking sadness occupying her heart and brain.
Releasing a heavy sigh, she pushed herself off the bed and began stripping herself away from the clothes she'd been in all day. Rory threw out the bloodied clothes into one of the corners of the room and stepped into her bathroom. She skidded to the shower and let the hot water pour over her body, allowing the water to wash away all the grime from the exhausting day.
Another thing she needed to get used to was her fur. Never in a million years that she thought of when she went to hell, she would turn into some anthropomorphic wolf on two legs like some weird cartoon. She realized as she took a shower that she would need to take more time to fully get the dirt and the soap out of her coat. "Ugh! Seriously! As if I don't have enough on my plate already."
As she finished drying, she couldn't stop herself from glancing at the mirror, looking at the stranger staring back at herself. A tall and stocky golden wolf stood in the mirror, blinking back the same green eyes back at her. Her lighter blonde hair fell limp and damp against her head out of the ponytail. She brought her hand across the fogged up mirror, wiping it across to see better up close. Her eyes were still the same as they were when she was human. Strong, but tired.
She looked down at her hands, black tips for claws glistening the sharp edges in the light. Rory still didn't know what to make of all of this. She was too tired. The wolf strolled over to her dresser naked, grabbing a big enough shirt even though it still felt snug around her chest and abdomen. Deciding to go commando with the underwear, she slipped on a pair of decent shorts before slowly trudging to bed.
Slipping under the covers, it didn't take long before she closed her eyes. But before she could sleep, there was one last thing. There was a routine still ingrained into her that she couldn't forget, even if she was in hell.
In her mind, it was better to keep her beliefs in herself. And just like her interaction with Alastor earlier, they would only laugh at her until they were blue in the face. This secret of hers was best known between her and Katie and her mom. Even though Christianity had burned her out to the point where she almost loathed it, a part of her was still spiritual. She hoped that some higher power above was still caring for her mother and keeping her safe. She tried not to ask for too much with the sins she committed, even with the ones recently marked against her. Every time Rory prayed, she only asked for one thing: for the safety of her family.
"Please keep them safe. That's all I am asking. Please keep them safe."
Wherever her mother was, she was sorry for letting her down.
And for her dogs, Rory deeply regretted leaving them behind, making them wonder why she wasn't coming home anymore.
And worst of all, she miserably hated letting Katie down. Because of her reckless actions, she left Katie alone in the fucked up world they were trying to find safe harbor against.
Hopefully, they could forgive her.
1) This is a nod to one of the chapters to a comic dub on YouTube, which portrays Alastor narrating a...certain sexual adventure featuring Angel Dust. I laughed my heart out with this video, and I am sure y'all would too. (Link: watch?v=VIDP-cincOo)
2) This chapter title is inspired from the song "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" sung by Judy Garland from the 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz.
3) A little bit of the MC: Rory is a wolf demon, but is not a hellhound. That is going to be explained later in the story.
4) There is going to be more talk about mental illness within this story. The depression and anxiety is going to be mentioned and I am going to appropriately tag the story as I go.
5) Rory is also a plus-sized character, so I'm happy to debut this kind of character out in a story. :)