Author's Note:
Don't go expecting an original poem to be Charlie's song. Any song sung here and in the future (there will be more) are existing songs, and all will tell you exactly what version they are, so that you know what's happening. Besides, any fan of the pilot remembers how awesome "Inside of Every Demon is a Rainbow" was. I can't do that justice. I ain't that clever, people.
Chapter 13
Charlie's Song
Everyone took their seats, and Charlie took a deep breath. She loved singing, but after the interview she gave this song some serious thought. Something that made her position clear, but could still be taken seriously.
Razzle and Dazzle appeared to play for her, and she summoned a piano and drum. She wanted to keep it simple, though the song was not going to be as lively as she had originally wanted. But that's OK. She needed to show she was serious, now.
Eliza was not overly enthused to be here, but she would grin and bear it. Music had an interesting effect on the therapist, and now she would hear her boss sing for the first time. Also, it seemed as though they had acquired some sort of special device. Was it just for this occasion, or would music become a staple of the hotel? She seriously hoped not, because that would mean she would be compelled to avoid this room at all cost, but her job would probably require her to listen. Oh, how difficult they were making this for her.
The Comeback
by Danny Gokey
Razzle and Dazzle started with some background singing. It was a calming start, which surprised Eliza. That didn't seem to be Charlie's style. It appeared that the princess was making extra effort to legitimize her business, which was a good sign.
Then she started singing.
"After a season of nightfalls and pushbacks,
After the heartache of wrong turns and sidetracks,
Just when they think they've got you: Game, set, match,
Oh, oh, oooooh~"
Eliza could feel the music in her mind, and Charlie's emotions were before her. She sighed and decided to have a listen, dropping a wall in her mind to let the audio affect her. If it got to be too much, she would simply leave. What she didn't realize was that, by doing so, her skin and hair began to shift colors slightly.
"Here comes the comeback!"
She felt her emotions pour out of her, and began to see images flash through her mind as she interpreted the inflections and subtleties of vocal expression.
"Just cause you laid low, got up slow, unsteady,
Don't mean you blacked out, or bought out, you're ready,
Just when I think there's nothing left, running on empty,
Oh, oh, oooooh~"
"I'm here," she heard, seeing dreams and ideas left burning behind her as she walked towards the hotel. "This is it, I'm finally doing it! This idea will work!"
"Here comes the comeback!"
"I can do this!"
"This is your time, your moment,
The fire, the fight, you're golden,
You've come so far, keep going,
Here comes the comeback!"
"I won't fail, not this time! I can't fail. Not again. Please, not again…"
Despite the words of the song holding such hope, she heard fear in her voice. She felt it in her mind, and it threatened to take hold. Eliza took a steadying breath to separate herself from the foreign emotion. It was dangerous to open her mind like this.
Alastor, however, lost his focus on the hotel's owner. He stood next to the stage, cloaked in darkness and hiding the glow his eyes usually carried. He shifted his attention to the therapist, who looked rather curious. She was near the back, deciding not to choose a seat for the concert. Perhaps she was avoiding sitting with Mimzy, which would be inevitable if Rosie decided to join her. When he left, the two women were getting testy with each other.
But now, he watched her colors shift. Her hair lightened ever so slightly, turning into a more golden-brown, and he watched as light-pink patches formed on her cheeks. Her appearance was starting to mimic Charlie's, and he wasn't sure what was going on, but it was very intriguing. The rose was the most interesting feature, however. Its petals had opened wide, and thorny vines formed behind it like a cone, making it look similar to a flowery satellite. Her eyes were closed, so he could not see what was happening behind those eyelids, but he couldn't imagine they were unaffected by whatever was happening at that moment.
"You feel the lightning, the thunder, your soul shakes,
Under the roar of the heaven, the tide breaks,
And from the ashes you will take your place,
Oh, oh, oooooh~
Here comes the comeback."
"You're a failure."
Eliza could tell that wasn't Charlie's voice; it was something someone else had told her. She felt haunted by those words.
"Failure…"
"This is your time, your moment,
The fire, the fight, you're golden,
You've come so far, keep going,
Here comes the comeback!"
"No, I won't fail. I can't; not this time! I have help, I'm not alone this time. Please, don't leave me alone…" The desperation was plain as day. "I'm a failure alone."
"There is no mountain you can't face,
There is no giant you can't take,
All of your tears were not a waste,
You're one step away!"
"I'm here to help. I want to help them all. I need to help them! I need… help…"
"Help me."
Eliza would need to talk to her after this was all over.
"Just when they think they've got you: Game, set, match,
Oh, oh, oooooh~
Here comes the comeback!"
Eliza's eyes were moist. She had opened herself up for too long; she was starting to feel as though the emotions were her own, and this would not do. She started to close off her mind once more; she had learned what she needed.
Alastor continued to watch as her colors shifted back to normal. He wondered if he would see this kind of display again in the future. In fact, he would try to encourage this. He wanted to see what it meant.
"This is your time, your moment,
The fire, the fight, you're golden,
You've come so far, keep going,
Here comes the comeback!
Your comeback!
Your comeback!"
As the song came to an end, applause started up almost immediately. It was an enjoyable performance, and most of the sponsors in the room seemed to prefer the calm ending to the evening. A lot of those interested in becoming guests looked rather bored; clearly they have hoped for something more lively.
"Lovely music!" Alastor praised, strolling onto the stage to stand next to his business partner. "Absolutely brilliant singing, my dear! Brava!" His stock applause began to die down with the crowd. "And now, ladies and gentlemen, kindly leave your contact info at the front desk. I will personally see to each and everyone's desires to sponsor this project…"
Charlie walked down to where Vaggie waited, and the moth threw her arms around her lover. "You did beautifully," she whispered into her ear. "Are you OK?" She had noticed that Charlie had gotten a little emotional during the song, though the princess did her best to hide it. She never liked showing negative emotions; not even around Vaggie when they were alone.
"I'll be fine," she informed the moth, putting a hand on her shoulder with a smile. "Everything's fine. Now, let's see who-"
"Excuse me," Eliza interrupted. "May I speak with you for a moment?" She turned to her girlfriend with an apologetic smile. "It'll just be a moment, but I'd like to speak with her alone."
Charlie and Vaggie shared a quizzical look before Vaggie nodded, going to block Alastor who was approaching them quickly. At first, the Radio Demon looked like he wanted to slap the moth, but when she told him it was a private conversation, his demeanor shifted to less offended and he went over to Jack, who was waving him down.
"May I be forward with you?" Eliza asked.
"Um… Sure?" Charlie answered, feeling somewhat unsure of what the therapist wanted.
"I think there are some things you may wish to talk about with me," she said. "For my own personal clients, which would include you should you wish, I like to offer free first sessions. When you sang, I sensed some… conflicts that I may help you resolve, or at least guide you in that direction."
Charlie felt surprised. It was a bit awkward to suddenly be approached by this, but Eliza felt unusually open about this. "I was actually thinking about it, if I'm honest. I kinda want to see how something like this works. I've never seen a shrink before. Dad… doesn't believe in them."
Eliza smiled. "If you ever wish for an appointment, do let me know."
"I will," Charlie agreed. "Oh, and just so you know, if you want to use the therapy room for your own clients, that's totally fine. If people walk through, they'll see what I'm- I mean we're- trying to do here, and they'll tell other people! So… don't feel like you need to find a new place to work, OK?"
Eliza offered a small bow. "Thank you, ma'am."
"D-don't call me 'ma'am'," Charlie stuttered, feeling flustered. "It makes me feel like my mom."
The therapist cocked her head to the side. "Is that a bad thing?"
Charlie's eyes were downcast as she replied "I'm nowhere near her level, yet."
"Whenever you wish to speak with me, tell me and I'll schedule a time. It might be a while before we become particularly busy."
"Yea, thanks." Charlie's voice felt hollow, though she tried to smile in spite of it.
Eliza wasn't deceived by the brave face. Audio was the therapist's greatest tell for what someone was thinking. Charlie's voice revealed that Eliza had struck a nerve that sat beyond her boss' happy façade.
"I apologize, I did not mean to upset you," she said quietly.
"Oh, no!" Charlie denied, raising her hands awkwardly. "I'm fine, really! Nothing's wrong. I'm just… tired, that's it! It's been a really long and exciting night and after giving a speech and singing and-"
"You're babbling." Eliza looked very amused as Charlie froze for a moment, unsure of what to say. "Relax, Charlie. Your performance was excellent, and everyone had a great time. People showed up tonight, and from what I've heard, before now they ridiculed this hotel. Keep this up and I'm sure everything will be just fine." She decided to leave it at that and wished the princess goodnight. Charlie waved, though her expression was an open book full of confused and conflicted emotions. Was she really so unaccustomed to people supporting her?
Vaggie came up to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Everything OK? What'd she say? You look… shaken." For a moment, Vaggie wondered if she needed to give the therapist a piece of her mind.
"I can do this," Charlie answered, her voice cracking slightly. Then she took a big sniff, one that made nearby guests flinch, and hugged Vaggie. "She said I can do this!"
The moth stood there and held her beautiful princess, absolutely thrilled at how happy she was. "Of course you can," Vaggie told her, running her hand through her lover's long, blonde hair soothingly. "We'll get this done. We will succeed; I promise."
Eliza, now no longer needed for the evening, decided to retire to her room. There would be much to talk about in the morning, but for now the day was over.
After Charlie's song, she felt the need for a shower. Then she would meditate for a bit; she needed an emotional detox. During her talk with her boss, it became apparent that the therapist hadn't fully closed herself off. When Charlie tried to deny being upset, it had made Eliza feel a spike of anger, something that she hadn't felt in a very long time. She had to remedy that, and quickly, but shutting down that part of her mind.
She stood in the shower, enjoying the feeling of hot water cascading down her scales. Now in Hell, it seemed she was able to tolerate a much more intense heat than before, and it felt wonderful. Heat would bring on a feeling of arousal, allowing a person to feel more relaxed, among other things. Right when she really started to melt into the heat-
She turned it off, shifting the water to ice-cold.
The shock made her body tense, but it brought on the desired effect; her mind froze for a moment, allowing her focus on emotions to break, and she gritted her teeth against the cold to recite her mantra:
"I am who I choose to be. Genetics do not control me. My past does not define me. My heart will not deceive me. My mind is my own to shape."
Her muscles began to slowly relax, though the cold was invigorating after the steaming hotness from before. She repeated herself a few more times until clarity came, and she no longer felt open to others' emotions. Now, she could focus on her work once more, after she got some much-needed rest.
She walked out of the shower and dried off, wrapping her hair up in a towel. Though it was more obedient in the afterlife, her hair was still such a pain to dry simply because it was so thick. She walked through her room, deciding to sit in her chair with a cup of warm milk to help her relax before bed.
Then came a knock at her door. "Hey, do you have a-" Vaggie opened the door and took a step inside before freezing on the spot. Eliza had wrapped up her hair, but the rest of her body was out in the open. Luckily, her body did come with a nice little feature: when she desired, she could hide her nipples and vagina entirely, giving her body the look of smooth scales throughout, which she did whenever she simply walked around naked
Despite this, the moth looked very awkward at walking in on the therapist, who other than a towel and hidden special parts, was utterly nude.
"I-I am so sorry," she stammered, her pale purple skin flushing into a darker hue. Eliza noted that her blush didn't really turn her cheeks red, and wondered briefly what her own blush would look like, since she lacked skin pigmentation entirely.
"I will get dressed, if you still wish to speak," she offered, raising an eyebrow at the embarrassed manager.
"N-no, we can t-talk in the morning. Good night." She retreated, closing the door behind her and certainly not returning until morning came. The pale demoness heard Spanish obscenities, which gradually quieted down as the moth put distance between herself and the awkward encounter.
Eliza sighed. She forgot that she actually needed to lock her front door at this hotel. In the living world, doors had electric locks that opened with a card-key. Here, the locks were normal, and used actual keys. She often forgot about this little fact, and since no one really bothered her, it only now dawned on her that she would need to lock her door from now on, especially with the possibility of new guests coming.
Finishing up her milk, she put the cup away and walked over to the door. Right before she reached the knob, someone knocked. She recognized the pattern as "shave and a haircut," and paused in shock.
"Are you decent, my dear?" called the filtered voice of Alastor. She sighed in relief. She knew he wouldn't just barge in; he was too much of a gentleman. "May I come in?"
"Only if you have no problem with seeing me nude," she replied, turning to go find clothes. There was a long pause.
"Perhaps you should talk to Charlie about securing nightwear?" he suggested.
"No, thank you," she replied, deciding to grab her blue shirt and black pants. "I prefer to sleep this way."
She heard him clear his throat. "I… see." He would certainly have to be careful about approaching her room, in that case.
Unsure what possessed her to want to make him more uncomfortable, she continued on: "You should thank Charlie and Vaggie. If they hadn't bought me a second outfit, I'd still be walking through the halls every other night wrapped in a sheet to wash my clothes."
The sound of a muffled microphone screech was his only reply. She smiled to herself, strangely pleased with her sudden ability to make him sweat under the collar. Perhaps Mimzy had rubbed off on her more than she realized. She opened the door, and Alastor twitched slightly, as if suppressing a jump. His face betrayed nothing, but she wondered if he had nervously expected her to greet him in less than appropriate attire. Oh the relief he must feel to see her clothed.
"May I come in?" he asked, recovering fully.
"Of course," she said, moving aside. He entered, careful not to brush past her. In fact, Eliza noticed he seemed to avoid touching her entirely. Her smile widened; had she truly made him that uncomfortable? Her expression returned to its more neutral state when he turned around to face her once more. "I have a question about Charlie's song, if you have a moment."
She looked very confused at that statement. "Very well, though wouldn't it be better to ask her about it?"
"In this case, I'm referring to your reaction to the song." When she didn't respond with anything more than a confused stare, he decided to continue. "You were doing something rather odd, during her performance. You skin was… changing. You started to actually look like her."
"I beg your pardon?" Eliza was genuinely surprised by this revelation. "I was changing into Charlie?"
"Not entirely, just your colors," he answered. "Her red cheeks, the blonde hair… I'm not sure about your eyes. They were closed. And the rose, too."
"What was it doing?"
"I don't know, I was hoping you could tell me."
Eliza thought hard. She was truly unaware of whatever he had seen. Her colors were changing? So her skin held chameleon tendencies, but to mimic another person? And it was not her conscious effort to do it. Unless…
"I was reading the audio," she said suddenly.
"Excuse me?" Alastor inquired, utterly confused by the seemingly nonsensical statement. "One does not 'read' audio, my dear."
"It's something I've always been able to do," she said, deciding to gloss over details. He didn't need to know it was developed to navigate through an abusive family life. "An ability to understand what someone is actually trying to say through paying attention to inflections and indirect implications. It's not perfect, but I use it often during my work."
"I've never seen you do that before," he countered.
"Tonight was different," she continued. "Music is a deeper form of communication for me. I can open my mind and read the emotions behind the voice. It's like hearing someone's inner monologue, in a manner of speaking."
"Truly?" Unable to hold back his curiosity, he asked "What did our charming demon belle communicate through song tonight? What did you hear?"
"That is private," she replied dismissively. "But to think I was starting to look like her. How strange."
"And if I sing, you'll start to look like me?" he asked.
"If I opened up to it? Possibly." She stated it very matter-of-factly, as though it weren't really cause for concern. Alastor, however, found this idea very intriguing.
"Could you do it right now?" he probed.
"No, I've already shut it down and don't wish to do it again tonight." She sounded genuinely tired, but she hadn't said she wasn't interested, which encouraged him to continue.
"Would you be opposed to doing this at a later date?"
She looked thoughtful for a moment, seriously considering his request. "I'll have to think about it. This transformation thing is troubling."
"Why?"
"My powers do not seem to respond to conscious control," she said, looking less than pleased about this little detail. "My wings only show up when I need them, or when I'm tempted to do something unsavory. Now my skin changes color without my conscious consent, because I listened carefully to her song. It's frustrating."
However, one part of what she said stuck out to him more than the rest. "Unsavory, my dear? What 'unsavory' things are you tempted to do?"
'You, for one,' Id cooed. Eliza mentally strangled her darker half.
"In this case, Alastor, I must insist that it's none of your business." Alastor didn't budge, but the shadowy tendrils lashing out behind her warned him not to push any further. There was something inside of her that desperately was trying to reach out, and he wanted to push it over the edge.
All in good time.
"As you wish, my dear. Then I shall bid you adieu. I'm sure you must be very tired." He strolled up to the door and excused himself, turning to wish her pleasant dreams as the door closed.
She locked the door and undressed once more, climbing into bed and not caring if anyone else had something to say to her. It was time to sleep. Anything further could wait until morning.
As the Radio Demon walked up the stairs to his office, he paused as the thought of Eliza walking through the halls wrapped in a sheet ran through his mind. While he was grateful that she was no longer wandering around naked, he couldn't deny that the image wasn't entirely unappealing. He shook his head, banishing the image from his mind. Perhaps he was more tired than he thought, letting his mind wander like that. Nothing a glass of brandy and some light sleep couldn't fix.
Author's Note:
Has anyone ever written a chapter multiple times because you can't seem to get it right? That's chapter 25 right now. Why is this shit so fucking hard?!
