1-6

Trigger Warning for this Chapter for sensitive subject matter. You have been warned.

Husk sat stooped behind the front desk, idly scrolling through Valentino's Variety Venue on his Hellphone. On the site were girls of every stripe: Hellborn, Sinner, some suspiciously royal-looking hoes with blurred out faces. As much as this squalid pit sucked the toes of a menopausal valkyrie, the boozy sphinx would freely admit that there was something for everyone down here, provided someone else could make a buck off it. For him, it was simply a matter of flicking through the pages until he found something that tickled his pud, rabbithole-ing from there. Today he was feeling adventurous.

He was reasonably certain he probably shouldn't be looking at porn while on the job, but he probably shouldn't be drinking either, so whatever. He took a slug from his labelless bottle of sour mash bourbon when there was some commotion at the door. A knock sounded and, as usual, Chuck appeared in front of it in a pillar of flames and glitter, swinging it open and giving her usual spiel. Excited chatter ensued, as it often did, her nigh-palpable sweetness about as welcoming and comforting to most demons as a gentle spritz of bear-spray.

Then, the babble ceased. Husk's ear twitched as Charlie's normally sweet chirping voice went low, flat with shock. Huh. That was weird. Could be trouble at the door.

Whatever.

He took another swig from the bottle, selecting a busty imp lady with what appeared to be a juicy russet potato shoved down the front of her daisy dukes; something different to spice up the day.

DING!

"Guh!" He grunted in surprise as Charlie rang the desk bell, quickly pocketing his smut-laden Hellphone. "What?!"

"Mr. Husk!" Charlie said, an uncharacteristic edge of tension in her voice, her smile strained. "We've got a new customer! Could you please log him into the roster?"

Customer?

For real?

The first legitimate customer that wasn't Angel Dust just looking for a place to room?

Charlie stood before him, two huge Hellhounds, a walking fridge of a male and damn well-stacked bitch, stood behind her. Since when did anyone actually sign up, much less Hellborn? "Uh… them, Chuck?"

Charlie glanced back at the Hellhounds before turning back to him, her smile faltering as she reached behind her. "No. Uhm, Husk, meet Briefers Rock."

She gently persuaded a small, skinny creature out from behind her. He was short by Hell's standards, maybe 5'6 or 5'7, and built like a pipecleaner doll, almost bouncing around inside his baggy green overalls. His face appeared remarkably humanoid, though it was half-encased in a ridiculous blob of curly muppet-orange hair.

"Uhh…" The little creature squeaked, waving stiffly with pink, clawless hands. "H-hello! Pleased t-to meet you, Mr. Husk."

Husk leaned in, eyes widening: this kid had no fangs. Had no claws. Not that he could see them, the surly drunk would bet his beleaguered liver that his ears weren't pointed, either. His skin was very light beige, with a dusting of honey-brown freckles. That kind of 'normalcy' alone was exceptional, but his eyes… his eyes, just barely visible behind his shag-curtain bangs, were a bright and lively green with… round pupils?

Was this kid a…?

"No fuckin' way," Husk muttered, glancing at his bottle of bourbon and back to the kid, shoving it away. "No more booze for me t'day."

"Husk," said Charlie, clearing her throat. "Now, I don't want to alarm you, but there's something you should know about Mr. Rock. Something everyone in the Hotel needs to know. After you add him to the roster, could you please send a general summons so we can all meet our new guest?"

"Uh, yeah…" Husk replied, entering the name 'Briefers Rock' into the roster before forwarding a general summons text to all the Hellphones on the Hotel's list. "Anything else?" No time to be surly.

"No, thank you, Husk," said Charlie as she led 'Briefers' and the Hellhounds out of the foyer. "Orientation will be in five to ten minutes, okay?"

"Gotcha," said Husk, watching as they left, grumbling to himself. It can't be. Ain't no way...

"I got a bad feeling about dis…"

(X)

Vaggie sat opposite the ominously normal 'demon' as he stared into the middle distance, a warm blanket over his slim shoulders and a small stack of papers on the table before him. She drew his attention with a click of her pen, handing it to him, her hand trembling ever-so-slightly. He was small, skinny, and not at all threatening. No claws, no fangs, no weird staticky aura, he was just… a kid. So where was this sick, cold clench in her guts coming from?

That was just it: He was just a kid.

No one Down Here was just a kid.

No one Down Here didn't have some weird, unnatural bent to their appearance, no outward manifestation of sin. Either he was doing a very good job of masking his aura, of altering his appearance, or he really was a… what, exactly?

Why did the first ever Not-Angel Dust client to have come to the Hotel… and be this?

He reached out and took the pen, his neatly trimmed nails thin and pale, his skin soft, plush, and pink. No scales to be seen, no hide, not even hint of anything resembling armor or aura-based protection. Just skin, soft and thin and vulnerable.

"Fill out all the lines," she heard herself say, automatically, impressed at how she kept the tension within her voice. "Be as honest as possible."

"Mhm." He scribbled away, slender frame moving about under the blanket as though it weighed a thousand pounds. "There are allergies in Hell?"

She smirked at this; this kid was a freshie! That had to be why he smelled so… "Yeah. It's Hell, of course there are."

"Uh…" He stared at the page for a moment, hesitating, his eyes peering out of his thick shaggy bangs. "Hayfever and penicillin?"

She wanted to laugh at this, but restrained herself. "I'd say stay outta Wrath in spring, but as a Sinner that won't be a problem for you. As for penicillin, well, medicine isn't exactly a thing Down Here, so you're good."

"Kay."

He filled out the rest of the papers in short order and she looked them over.

Name: Briefers Rock.

Age: 17. Height: 5'7/170cm.

Weight: 122lbs/55.4kg.

Hair: red.

Eyes: Green.

Cause of Death: …poor choice of friends?

Vague, but whatever.

His interests included… a laundry list of what Angel Dust would crassly dismiss as 'nerd shit' as well as 'ghosthunting/techno-occultism'. Suspected sins were listed as 'DK'. Don't know? That'll be fun to wring out of the cagey little demon. Fun like working out a kidney stone with a boxing glove.

"Okay, that should just about do it," said Vaggie, stacking the papers and getting to her feet. "I'll go enter this into the database and then we can see about getting you a room. Okay, Mr. Rock?"

"Okay, thank you," said Mr. Rock. "And, uh, my father's Mr. Rock. Everyone calls me Brief."

Vaggie nodded. "Alright, Brief. The name's Vaggie. I'm the administrator around her, but I'm also the stick to Charlie's carrot. If any of the creeps around here give you a hard time, you tell me and I'll straighten 'em out."

"Yes, ma'am," he said, his tone nervous. "Thank you."

The door swung open with a bang, making the bizarrely normal demon pert near jump out of his skin with a "GAH!" as Vaggie looked on, unimpressed. In walked Niffty, the Hotel's maid and resident maniac. In the little one-eyed bug's skinny claws was a tray bearing a steaming mug of cocoa and a few biscuits.

"Speaking of creeps…" grumbled Vaggie. "Cocoa?"

"Boss lady's orders, said the new arrival seemed a bit–" Her eye raced over, locking on to the new demon, a huge fanged grin spreading across her monocular face. "Ohhhh boooy…"

Brief blinked. "Uh… hi?"

"Madre dios… Niffty…" The one-eyed moth demoness said, sternly. "Just give him the cocoa and leave."

Niffty shot Vaggie a sour look before scuttling over with roach-like speed, causing Brief to jump and recoil as she set the tray down with a 'bang' before perching atop the desk in a snap and invading his personal space. The boy leaned back in his chair as though he was within kissing distance of a King Cobra. "Hi! I'm Niffty! I'll be your maid and bestest friend here!"

She extended her slender, carapaced hand, sharp little claws flexing. Brief regarded it for a moment before hesitantly taking it. "B-Briefers Rock. My f-friends call me 'Brief'. Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Niffty."

"Funny name!" She chirped, shaking his hand just a bit too vigorously, her hard-shelled fingers digging into his soft flesh. "And Mrs? No no no! Just Niffty! I'm single. Very single~ Teeheehee~" She giggled, her needle-sharp teeth on full display, her pupil a pinprick. Vaggie took a deep breath through her nose, glaring at the wiggling hips of the gremlin and getting a front row view of her backside. "Say, you got real soft hands! Do you moisturize? What kinda lotion do you use? Do you use lotion? Do you need lotion? Some boys gotta use lotion because they got circum–"

Vaggie walked over and picked her up by the scruff and tossed her out the open door, kicking it closed.

"See ya real soon, Briefy!" Niffty called out as the door swung shut. She heard a crash at the wall, followed by the sound of a cat wail. Somehow.

The white haired demoness locked it for good measure. She looked back at the perplexed boy and shrugged. "She's… mostly harmless. But lock your doors when you shower."

"Will that stop her?" Brief muttered eyes wide with trepidation.

"Probably not, she likes to 'clean the vents' in her off-time, but you can cut her off with a thrown pillow or towel in front of the grate." Vaggie sighed and shook her head. "You're safe here, don't worry, but you're gonna draw attention looking like that."

"Tell me about it," the boy grumbled as he looked to the side. "That was the third Sinner that looked ready to… do things to me."

"The third?" Vaggie asked, concern edging into her voice. "What happened? You okay?" She knows that tone, and she knew what entailed for fresh Fallers. They were called fresh meat for a reason, whether for cannibals, murders, or worse.

"Oh no, it's fine. Vortex saved me from two guys in Imp City when I landed here."

Vaggie blinked. "Imp City? Sinners tend to land in the Pentagram. P-City Central, usually."

"Well, I landed in Imp City!" Brief snapped, before sighing and rubbing his arm. "Sorry. It's a long story."

Vaggie opened her mouth to ask the obvious, absolutely vital question, but restrained herself. This boy clearly did not belong here. He didn't look anything like a Sinner, and he seemed like a good kid. The kind her… past self would prey on for an easy buck for her pimp and Sicarios. 'A long story'. Yeah. She believed that.

Vaggie sighed and walked over, patting him on the shoulder. "Hey, look. I know this all seems–is a little crazy, but you made the right decision coming here." She said, finding the words. "Trust me."

"But… no offense, Ms. Vaggie–" Brief said, shutting up when she raised her hand.

"Vaggie's fine. None of that 'Ms' bullshit," she said, before smirking. "But I'm not single, FYI."

"Okay, didn't ask–But anyway! Charlie is, ya know…" Brief said, twirling his hands around. "HIS Daughter, right? The Big Guy?"

Vaggie blinked, looking at the sheets he signed. "…You're versed in the occult, right?"

"I guess you could say that."

"Yeah, well, everything you've read is bullshit," said Vaggie, setting her hands on the table and leaning over him. "It's actually worse. Worse than you can imagine. However… see, Charlie's dad doesn't like this place; never has been. But he can't be seen as being upset or threatened by it, right? Pride and all that. So, he leaves it alone. He has to. No word of a lie, kid, this is the safest place in all of Hell for someone like you."

"S-someone like me?" Brief stammered, tensing up.

"Small, pretty, ignorant," said Vaggie, smirking, patting him on the shoulder as she walked around the desk. "The sooner we get you outta here, the better."

Brief chuckled weakly at this, nodding. "That, I can get behind."

"That's the spirit." Vaggie stood up and turned towards the door before stopping and turning back. "Drink your cocoa. This is just about the only place in Hell where hot drinks are actually hot."

[X]

The common room was well appointed, the various couches, wing-chairs, love seats, and chaise lounges arrayed in a crude semi-circle. Brief sat sandwiched between Nebula and Vortex on a loveseat, their combined bulk surrounding him like mother cows guarding a calf from predators. He'd admit, despite Ms. Charlie and Ms. Vaggie being nice, the other Sinners he'd met so far seemed to range from apathetic to… predatory.

Granted, he'd only met the two.

Sure enough, additional Hellions filtered in. A pair of short admittedly adorable goat creatures clip-clopped into the room, identical in form save for a few inverted colors and patterns. They regarded him with those weird horizontal pupils caprines had, their expressions shifting from curiosity to undisguised mischief.

"Bah…" One bleated, conspiratorially, pointing at the boy and then at the hellhounds flanking him.

The other one chuckled, nodding. "Bah-bah!"

Brief wasn't sure what they were saying, but was somehow sure it translated to 'new meat'.

Next was Mr. Husk, looking decidedly more sober. The sphinx-demon glanced over at Vortex and Nebula, his feline hackles rising as Vortex shot him a monocular glare and bared his fangs, Nebula casting her arm around Brief and pulling him close. Husk scoffed and rolled his eyes, moving for a wing-seat, but not before glancing at Brief, his orange-within-black eyes narrowing. Brief felt a chill race up his spine; drunkard or no, that demon was no fool.

Next was Ms. Vaggie, and under her arm was Niffty, the unnerving scuttling little maid. Vaggie set the smaller demon down on the couch opposite them in the semi-circle and sat down next to her. She muttered something in her ear. The little cyclops pouted and crossed her arms, looking over at the boy and winking at him. Brief wasn't sure how, but he could apparently tell right away when a cyclops was winking.

"Arright, arright!" An effete masculine voice called out, his accent that of a nasally Brookynite. "I'm here, so stop sendin' the texts already–" In walked a towering, slender demon of some stripe. Brief could only see six limbs, suggesting an insect, but the two-part body layout and ubiquitous white and pink fluffy fur strongly implied an arachnid. In overall appearance, the spider-demon was effeminate, dressed in a white and pink blazer with a bow-tie as well as a black high-cut miniskirt and knee-high kinkyboots. The spider looked around, his mis-matched black and yellow eyes wide with surprise. "Whoa. Th'fuck's up with the town-meetin'?"

"We gotta new customer, Angel," said Husk, jabbing a thumb at Brief. "Chuck wants to formally introduce us to firecrotch over there!"

The 8-foot tall demon streaked over to Brief and the hellhounds, towering over them, a fanged, gold-toothed smile on his face. "Heya cutie~"

Brief whimpered and recoiled; it was always unnerving to see something that size move that fast! Nebula and Vortex bristled and growled, moving in and squeezing him between them even more.

"Watch it." Vortex growled, while Nebula's hairs were on end.

"He's adorable! I want one!" Angel crooned, evidently unconcerned with the growling hellhounds, leaning forward. "Take 'er easy, kid. I'm friendly. Real friendly…" he bit his lip, eyeing him up.

Brief felt the gaze on his skin, crawling around like greasy little insects. Wasn't the first time someone looked at him like that, and that was before coming to Hell!

"Angel Dust," said Vaggie, her tone stern as she pointed to the chaise lounge. "Sit." She was glaring at him hard.

"Sit?" Angel Dust scoffed, jabbing a thumb at the snarling Vortex. "Do I look like a dog to ya, Snatch?"

Vaggie snapped her fingers and pointed to the lounge, her eye narrowing and glowing.

"Bah! Fine…" Angel scoffed, rolling his eyes and heading for the seat. "Don't have a rack-attack, Vag-Hag. There, see? I'm sittin' like a good widdle boi."

Lastly, was Charlie, her smile bright but brittle as she looked at the assembled demons, her red eyes falling on Brief, a furrow of concern on her brow. "Alright! Everyone's here! Great! Now, I have someone to introduce to the Happy Hotel crew!"

"What?" Angel said, looking about. "But what about Grins?"

"He's been here the whole fuckin' time; he always is," said Husk, his lip curling back from his fangs. "Carry on, Chuck."

"Thank you, Husk," said Charlie, walking over and extending a pale hand to Brief. "Now, let's all give a big Happy Hotel welcome to Briefers Rock, our newest customer!"

A low, droning greeting rose from the assembled demons.

"Another customer?" Angel grumbled. "Maaan… what with those guard dogs, I figgered Chuck went and got us some fancy twink stripper…"

"He look like a stripper to you?" Husk growled.

"Ever hear of tear-away coveralls?"

Brief looked at Charlie, his expression flat. The platinum blonde sighed, rubbing her temples.

"Ahem!" Charlie interjected, patting Brief on the shoulder. "Brief here is particularly motivated to seek redemption and get out of Hell. However, I thought it would be nice if we could introduce ourselves personally to make him feel at home. Who's first?"

Silence.

Charlie sighed, slumping a bit before stepping back and pointing at herself. "Hello! I am Charlie Magne, formerly Charlotte Morningstar. I'm the Princess of Hell, resident rehab expert, and proprietor of this fine establishment! It's my mission to reduce the population of Sinners by way of redemption and self-improvement! I believe that everyone Down Here has a spark of good in them, and despite what they may have done in the past, that no-one is beyond redemption. So long as you live here, Brief, you'll be safe and accepted, you have my word!"

Next was the goat demons, whom Charlie introduced as 'Razzle and Dazzle'.

"Bah bah, bah," said Razzle.

"Bah-bah baaah," said Dazzle.

Vortex cocked his head to the side. "Musical accompaniment?"

"Me next! Me next!" Niffty cried, hopping up and down. "Me me me! Hiya! My name's Niffty! We met before, though, so you already knew that. I'm the Hotel's maid, cook, and seamstress. My sins include wrath, envy, and murder. My interests include cooking, cleaning, ~boys~ and writing fanfics!" She zipped over to him, a large stack of paper in her hands, even Vortex and Nebula were put off by the little demon's speed and energy. "I've already written one about you, Briefy! In it, you fall madly in love with a beautiful one-eyed–"

"Thank you, Niffty," said Charlie, her expression flat and tone foreboding. "That will be all."

"I'll slide it under your door, later," whispered the manic little demon. "Also, I'd like to drop by and take your measurements."

"For… clothing?" Brief asked, hesitantly.

"That too, I guess, but mostly for my fanfic," said Niffty, grinning. "Specifically, how big is your–"

"Hey, everyone." Vaggie interrupted, pressing the bug-demon face-down into the couch cushions.

"Oh, there's that key I've been missing!" Nifty cheered, muffled by the cushions.

"I'm Vaggie. I'm the Hotel administrator, security advisor, and workplace consultant. My sins are 'cartel work' and all that implies. I like singing, dancing, and helping Charlie. Next."

"I guess that's me, then," said Angel Dust, clearing his throat and adjusting the cleavage-like outcropping of fluff on his chest. "Sup. I'm Angel Dust, Hell's most famous pornstar and prostitute. My interests are fightin', fuckin', gettin' paid, and doin' all the drugs. Ditto my sins. I got a pet pig named Fat Nuggets, and if I so much as hear anyone say 'bacon' within earshot of 'im, I'll install a new asshole in their face with a pickaxe! There. Howuzzat, Chuck?"

"Better than I expected," sighed Charlie, hand to her face. "…Sadly."

"Yer next, Mittens."

"Husk," said Husk, waving unenthusiastically before popping open a hipflask. "Doorman and bartender. Gamblin', cheatin', and drinkin'. Yadda yadda. And don't call me 'Mittens', hooer." He snarled with a pointed claw at the spider demon who scoffed. "Next."

All eyes turned to Brief, who fidgeted nervously before turning to Charlie, steeling herself upon seeing her hopeful, supportive smile and steeling himself. "Uh, hey everyone. M-my name is Briefers Rock, but everyone calls me Brief."

"Hello/Hi/'Sup, Brief," was the collective reply.

"Yeah, so, uh, I just got here a day or so ago," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "What next? Oh! My hobbies are building and collecting models, playing tabletop games, watching sci-fi movies and researching and investigating the occult."

"Pfft! Nerd." Husk scoffed, gesturing broadly around them. "Occultist, huh? That why yer here? Didja draw up a few petagrams and sacrifice a goat or a baby or somethin'?"

"N-no! No, I…" Brief hesitated, centering himself and exhaling before looking around at the demons. "I-I don't know why I'm here. I don't belong here!"

"Haw!" Angel Dust barked, waving him off. "Ain't heard that one before! Put that on a t-shirt, kid, cuz ain't no-one thinks they belong in the Bad End!"

"Maybe so, but for me it's true! I don't belong here because…"

Brief raised his hand to his face and lifted his bangs. The demons gasped, sparkles hanging in the air as his bright green eyes met every pair – or lack thereof – in the room. His face was that of an extraordinarily handsome young man, a Human man, but that was not the source of the reaction. In the realm of Hell, no natural forms truly existed, all defiled in some subtle way by the corrupting energies. Now completely bare, radiating off this lad's face was the unmistakable natural form of a living Mortal. The light of one still within the sight of the Almighty, one the former Mortals instantly and instinctively recognized.

"…I'm still Human."

...

"Get the fuck out," said Husk, his eyes wide, harrowed.

"It's true," said Brief, shuttering his face behind his bangs once more. "I was brought here by–"

"No, seriously," snarled Husk as he stood, baring his fangs and pointing at the door. "Get the fuck out! Now! D'you have any idea what yer bein' here could mean for us?! Any demon who could bring one'a ya Down Here ain't no-one we want ringin' our doorbell!" Brief flinched, lip's puckered while Vortex glared at him. "And that goes double for you two mutts!"

"You callin my girl a mutt? Punkass." Vortex hissed standing up, his eye glaring hard at the Sphinx as Husk growled back, wings furled. Brief felt Nebula put an arm around him, for solace and support.

"As much as I hate to agree with Husk, he has a point," Vaggie turned to Charlie, her expression one of shock giving way to outrage. "Charlie, did you know about this when you let him in?"

Charlie folded her arms across her chest, nodding. "I did."

"And ya still let him in?!" Husk shouted, rounding on her. "Why?!"

The platinum haired girl walked over, going behind him and sitting where Vortex sat. Charlie cast an arm around Brief's shoulders, pulling him close. "Because he needed help."

The sphinx looked at her, mouth agog, before groaning and rolling his eyes. "Of fucking course…"

"Uh, hey?" Angel Dust raised his hand, pointing to the kid. "So Gorgeous Ginj here is a Human, yeah? So what? What's with all the hoopla?"

"Think with the big head, Bug!" Husk snapped, pointing at the ceiling and then at Brief. "Since when do livin' Humans show up Down Here? He's here because he got grabbed, grabbed by a demon what can visit the Mortal Realm! Something we can never do! That means Royalty, and Royals don't do somethin' for nothin' which means they'll probably want him back! What're we supposed to do when fuckin' Astaroth or some shit drops by to collect?!"

"Asmodeus, actually," said Brief, clearing his throat as his voice was hesitant. "H-he's the one who brought me here."

A deep, pregnant silence filled the air, all eyes on the boy.

"Asmodeus?" Angel croaked, his eyes wide. "Like, as in 'Ozzie' Asmodeus? As in the fuckin' Deadly Sin, King of Lust Asmodeus?"

"Uh…" Brief paused before nodding. "Yeah. No, uh, no real way to sugarcoat that."

"That's…" Husk said, hoarsely. "…Yeah."

"Okay," said Vaggie, briskly, getting to her feet and walking over to Brief and grabbing him by the elbow. "Sorry, Brief, you seem really nice, but out you–"

"–Go." Vaggie was sitting on the couch an instant later, her hands folded neatly on her lap, her eye wide in confusion. "Huh?"

Charlie was walking a confused Brief and his equally baffled hellhounds out of the common room and towards the main staircase. "Come on." Her voice was sweet and comforting. "Let's find you a room."

"When did we…?" Brief muttered, looking around. "Uh… yeah, okay. Sorry for all the trouble Miss Magne… I mean." his voice was waving. It's like this. Always like this.

It was the same as home. The same in school. The same when in Oten City trying to help the Sisters and Garterbelt against the Ghost Factories. His presence was nothing but a blight. A curse.

Charlie hugged him.

Brief went rigid.

"Nonsense!" Charlie chirped, smiling gently. "Any luggage?" She asked with a ruffle of his hair, smiling genuinely as her red eyes looked warmly into his green ones.

"Just what you see," said Vortex, scratching the back of his neck and turning to Nebula, whispering. "Weren't we just sitting down, babe?"

"She's fast…" Nebula said, smoothing out her frazzled hair.

"Whuh-Charlie!" Vaggie exclaimed, shooting to her feet. "You can't be serious! What if Asmodeus tracks him here?! Or worse! Your Fa-"

Charlie turned back to her outraged girlfriend, her smile sweet but her eyes glowing hellish red, her pupils orange with catlike slits for pupils. "We'll talk about this later, Vagatha."

The white haired girl froze.

"Come on Brief. Let's go." Charlie assured. As she took Brief's hand and led him deeper into the hotel, the two hounds on his tail.

His hand was in her's… he'd never felt this way before. Not with the Angels. Or the Sisters. Or anyone.

He felt, perhaps for the first time in his life, safe. Assured and secure as the daughter of the Morningstar guided him.

(X)

"Phwhoa…" Angel Dust said, a dumbfounded expression on his face as he glanced at Vaggie, whose expression was somewhere between utter dismay and hurt outrage. "Even I felt that."

"We're dead," said Husk, taking a heavy hit from his flask and placing his head in his claws. "We're so fucking dead oh my god oh my fucking god why is this happening fuck fuck fuck fuck!" He was bent over, panicking.

"Oh, Husker, you worry too much," said a jaunty, high-toned voice, crackling with static. "Why, this is the safest place in all of Hell!"

Husk turned around to see the tall, red shape of the Radio Demon, the Wendigo of Hell, the Overlord known as Alastor looming over him, his yellowed grin a lunette of fangs on his sepia face. "What do you know about this, ya grinnin' fuck?!" He stood right up, claw at his chin.

"More than you," said Alastor, chuckling and looking over at the staircase as Charlie and their new client ascended them. "But less than I'd like. Excuse me. I need to… observe our newest client~."

He vanished in a crackle of static. Leaving the remaining occupants to sit about in aghast silence. Vaggie stood there, stunned and silent as a statue.

"Wait, so is the strawberry pimp into voyeurism now?" Angel asked.

Husk fell back on his couch, grabbed his flask and chugged it straight up. "We. Are so… fucked."

"Dammit!" Niffty cried, throwing her printed fanfic to the floor. "Fucking canon changes! Now I'm gonna have to rewrite this whole thing!"

(X)

Brief breathed a quiet 'whoa' as he walked into his room. It was large, even by his standards, roughly 20 by 12 feet, with a queen-sized veiled bed and a pair of loveseats set in front of the three large windows, all in the similar style to the rest of the hotel.

"…And through here is your en suite bathroom," said Charlie, opening the door. "Full toiletries and walk-in rain shower with three settings."

"Pretty swank, eh, Brief?" Vortex said, whistling. "Brief?"

"Yeah, it's, uh, really nice!" Brief said, turning to face them. "Really, uh, really nice…"

"Are we seriously not going to talk about what just happened?" Nebula said, her arms crossed. "I mean, doesn't exactly seem like Brief's welcome here."

"Oh, don't worry!" Charlie said, waving her off. "It was just first impression jitters! They'll come around after! I just have to give them time to digest the info, then I can explain the situation better."

"B-but Ms. Charlie!" Brief exclaimed, pointing to himself. "They're right, aren't they? What if Ozzie comes here looking for me?"

"He won't!" Charlie said, chipper. "Trust me."

"I don't trust like that," said Nebula.

"Yula!" Tex exclaimed, scandalized. "That's The Princess of Hell you're yappin' at!"

"Well, it's the truth, Tex!" Nebula said, pointing at the floor and then at her. "That was almost a mutiny down there! Who's to say one of them doesn't try and sell Brief out to save their own miserable hides?"

"Look," said Charlie, her face set and stern. "I'm going to be blunt: that won't happen. Ozzie won't drop by and my friends and clients, despite their concerns, aren't going to risk escalating the situation. It's as simple as that."

Nebula waited, gesturing for her to continue. "…Oh? Do go on, please."

Charlie sighed and shook her head. "If Ozzie drops by here to grab Brief, if anyone here sells him out – which they won't – that means I'll have no choice but to involve my father. No one wants that. Not me, not them, and especially not Ozzie. Bringing a Human to Hell is a big no-no. The fact that my dad's not here already means he doesn't know. If he doesn't know, that means it was done behind his back. My dad might be the Prince of Lies, but that doesn't mean he takes kindly to getting bamboozled, especially by his senior staff. He'd be obliged to… make an example."

Nebula and Vortex exchanged nervous glances, with Vortex shrugging and gesturing at the Princess.

"Okay…" Nebula said, eventually, her tone far less dismissive. "That's a fair point."

"Don't worry!" Charlie said, smiling gently, walking over to them and taking their hands in hers. "That's the nuclear option. For now, our best bet is to get Brief settled and work on sending him home. Mr. Vortex, you work for Ozzie, yes?"

"Uh, yeah?" Vortex said, surprised. "How did you know?"

"Asmodean Crystals leave a distinctive energy 'smell'." Charlie turned to Brief. "And you. You tried to use a Goetian grimoire recently, right?"

"Yeah!" Brief said, his expression concerned. "But it didn't work! I tried walking through it and it was like there was a wall or something!"

"I figured as much," said Charlie, her hand to her chin. "Hm. That's tricky…"

"Do you know why he wouldn't be able to go through?" Nebula asked. "We're not really up to snuff on how this whole 'royal demon magic' stuff works."

Charlie sighed, shaking her head. "No. This sort of thing doesn't exactly happen, so I can't really say for sure. But if I had to guess, I'd reckon that, despite being a living Human, Brief here has some pretty serious sins to address."

"What?" Brief said, pointing to himself. "Me? Sins?"

Charlie nodded, gesturing to Nebula and Vortex and then to herself. "You see, Hellborn like us, we were born here. Hell's energies are integral parts of our beings, but Souls like yours, you were born in the Mortal Realm, your energies are different. The sins a Soul commits there are what binds them to Hell, they resonate, attach and intermingle. In your case, especially since you still have your Human body, it's those entanglements that's keeping you here, preventing you from passing back into the Mortal Realm."

"So… what?" Vortex ventured. "Brief has to, like, redeem himself, or something? Then he can go through?"

"That's the theory!" Charlie said, smiling. "We put Brief through the program, redeem his sins, free him of Hell's grasp, and bing-bang-boom! Back he goes!"

"Theory?" Nebula asked, skeptically.

"Uh…" Charlie deflated someone, smiling nervously. "Yeah, I haven't, uh, exactly redeemed anyone…" Nebula, Vortex, and Brief stared flatly at the Princess of Hell. She rallied quickly, standing up straight and pumping her fist. "Yet! But I'm confident that this will work! Once we sort out Brief's sins, there'll be nothing holding him here!"

"But…" Brief said, quietly. "I don't even know what my sins are! I've always tried to be a good person, or at the very least not a bad one. I mean, what even constitutes a sin Down Here, anyway?"

"Oh ho ho~ My boy…" A low, crooning voice sounded from behind him. "Don't you know that God hates a coward?"

Brief yelped and spun around to see a tall demon towering over him. He was slender and tall, at least seven feet, dressed in an immaculate red pinstripe suit. His skin was sepia brown, his hair red with black highlights, seamlessly merging with a pair of tall pointed ears, between them two multi-pointed black antlers jutting from his mane. His eyes were red-within-red, leering down at the small Human terrible, predatory glee, his mouth twisted into a wide, yellow-fanged grin. Brief gulped.

"HOLY SHIT IS THAT–?!" Vortex exclaimed, his eyes wide as his ears went flat, his hand going to his Bowie knife and whipping it out.

"Alastor," Charlie grumbled, her arms folded across her chest. "I was wondering when you'd show up."

"Ah, my dear…" Alastor chuckled, his aura glowing dim crimson, his eyes shifting into red radio dials. "I've been here the whole time."

Nebula and Vortex growled and bristled, reaching over and grabbing the petrified Brief, pulling him to their side. Charlie, for her part, seemed more annoyed than anything. "So, you're all caught up?"

"Indeed." Brief raised an eyebrow. Why is his voice changing from normal to static like?

"Thoughts?"

"While my opinion on the subject of redemption remains the same, Ms. Magne," said Alastor, static crackling behind his words as he strolled over to the terrified trio, his hands behind his back. "However, your assessment of the situation is surprisingly well developed. Just one hiccup, though." And now it's back to normal?

"And what's that?"

Alastor appeared behind the huddled trio, his arms elongating grotesquely as he pulled them into a crushing embrace, his hideous taloned hand reaching up and pinching a petrified Brief on the cheek. "Why him?"

Charlie reached over and slapped his hands away from the terrified three. "What do you mean?" She asked, glaring up at the demon.

"Is this actually fucking happening right now." Vortex whimperer. Nebula was shaking while Brief was looking side to side.

"I mean just that, Ms. Magne." Alastor teleported to her side, looking pomp, proud and proper. "Just what about this muppet-faced mophead has Ozzie so ruffled? So ruffled he'd arranged to have a Human brought to Hell behind your father's back? Why, if he was so hot to trot on the idea to begin with, perhaps he'd be inclined to seek desperate measures to procure him?" Alastor said, turning to face Brief, looming over the Human with that fanged grin. "So, I ask, Mr. Rock. Why you?"

Brief gulped, seeing those demonic red eyes bore into him. "I, uh, I-I…"

He looked around at the assembled demons, two – perhaps three – of which were his friends, his protectors. How much longer did he think he could keep it a secret, especially with that red grinning nightmare lurking around? "Uh, excuse me, who are you again? I thought Charlie was the owner of this place."

"Quite true, my little friend," Alastor oiled as he paced around the bedroom. "I am, you could say, a very close investor in this fine establishment. And you, my good fellow, are our second-ever client!" He put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing lightly as Vortex growled again at the contact. "I need to know if my investment is getting a good return, you see. Besides, I played a significant role in helping Ms. Magne get this humdinger of a circus act off the ground! Didn't I, 'your highness'?"

Charlie rolled her eyes. Brief looked back at her, and she sighed. "Alastor did help with this place, that's true. Think of him as a sort of stakeholder? Brief, you can tell me what happened, I promise that not one word of it leaves this room."

"Okay…" Brief said, sighing. "I'm a descendant of the Hell's Monkey."

Charlie stared at him, silent, her eyes wide. Alastor loosed a low, bubbling chuckle, standing up straight as his chuckle rose into high, merry laughter that slowly cracked and broke, throwing his head back in a hair raising cackle, hand over his eyes. Vortex and Nebula glanced at one another, confusion clear on their faces.

"The what now?" Vortex muttered, clearly worried at the reactions of the other, powerful demons in the room.

"What's the 'Hell's Monkey', Brief?" Nebula asked.

"Centuries ago, on Earth," said Charlie, her voice low. "A pact was made between seven Humans and the Seven Deadly Sins. In exchange for eternal success and prosperity in the living realm and in Hell when they pass on, the descendants of these Humans will bear the mark of Sin on their bodies. They accept this with the knowledge that one day, on Judgement Day, any bearing the mark will be used to open the Gates of Hell and usher in the end of days," she muttered, and Brief gulped.

"Okay… that is new to me." Brief said. Corset always said he was the descendant of whatever the Hells Monkey is, but the tool never got into the details. 'Figures the Princess of Hell would be up to snuff with all this stuff!'

"Oh." Nebula turned back to Brief, her eyes wide with shock. "I see."

"Guess that'd be why Ozzie wants him, huh?" Vortex said, casually. "To, like, bring about the apocalypse or something?"

"No, he's going to go shopping!" Alastor said, snickering. "What a fun day this is turning out to be."

"Yeah, I figured…" Vortex said, patting Nebula on the shoulder. "'Scuse me, babe."

With that Vortex eye rolled up and he keeled over backwards, falling to the floor with a thud.

"Night night, Texxy…" Nebula murmured, stunned.

"Okay, so… uh…." Charlie said, rubbing her temples before setting her hands together, touching her fingertips to her lips, forcing a smile. "Well! Thank you for sharing that with me, Brief. That certainly, uh, explains things."

The boy cringed, clearly seeing her starting to feel overwhelmed. Just like the ones downstairs. "I'm sorry for causing so much trouble." Again.

"Hey…" Charlie said, reaching over, grabbing him by the shoulders as he looked right into her eyes, emerald meeting ruby. "We're going to get through this. I was just… a little surprised." She looked to the side. "But considering your lineage and whatnot, it makes a lot more sense now. But Brief…" She smiled warmly and Brief felt that tide of emotion swell within him, so close now, battering against that numb plug he felt at his core. "I will help you get back home. No matter what."

Brief felt his eyes get wet. And he needed… he needed this warmth.

A sob choked out from inside him as he hugged her tight as he felt her hand pat his head.

When was he last hugged like this? Not at the height of awkward teenage infatuation and lust like with Panty. Or when Loona was blasted drunk? No…

Just the warm embrace of another person, someone who wants to help him. Someone who's known him for all of half an hour, learned of his crazy, dangerous, apparently cursed bloodline. Someone who would, by any sane metric, been well within her rights to throw him out on his ear. And yet here she was, ready to face literal Hell for him.

"It's gonna be ok," Charlie murmured, smiling, patting his back.

Brief… didn't remember ever being hugged like this.

"Ahhh… the warm and fleeting tides of crass sentiment. Oh, the sickening humanity~" Alastor droned, hand to his forehead in a maudlin swoon. Brief and Charlie looked up at the red haired demon, Brief could feel her irritation rise even with her arms around him. "Of course that does beg the question, my friend, how did you come down here in the first place and what manner of sin did you commit?" He loomed over them, leering. "I have a pretty good idea as seeing the worst in people is my favorite pastime. Which is it? Wrath? Did you paddywhack your school chums after one too many swirlies? Envy, perhaps? Did your crush fall for the star quarterback and you gave her a fond farewell? Oh! I know~ If Ozzie's after you, it must be lust! Maybe you're a monkey in–"

(X)

"–more ways than–oh?"

Alastor blinked, looking around at the Hotel's parking lot he was suddenly standing in. The door to the Hotel opened, standing in it was Charlie. Eyes red and yellow, blazing like fire as she brought her fingers to her lips, making a zipping motion, followed by a silent challenge with her eyes. 'Got it?'

Alastor grinned, cocking his head to the side.

Horns erupted from her crown as she smashed her fist into her open palm with a thundercrack. She shook her head, glaring daggers into him.

…

"Fair enough." Alastor turned about and strolled off, twirling his cane as he hummed a jaunty tune.

Definitely Lucifer's daughter, that one. There was a time and place for everything, and here and now was not so for winding up Charlie's new pet monkey.

Still…

Alastor smiled as he faded into the darkness. "This is going to get entertaining tout suite, and no mistake! I wonder how you will manage, Ms. Magne, mon chéri." He chuckled as he went on a pleasant afternoon stroll.

(X)

Charlie took a deep breath. The sooner she can put a Kibosh on Alastor's mouth the better. This wasn't just any Sinner, after all, a fallen Soul who knew full well what their sins were. This was a scared, frightened Human kid. A delicate situation if ever there was one.

She turned back to Brief, and to the two hounds as they sat on the bed in the bedroom.

"Will he.. be a problem?" Nebula asked, going up and placing her hand affectionately on the orange haired boy's shoulder. "I-I mean… it's the Radio Demon…"

Charlie smiled, shaking her head. "Not while I'm around. And don't listen to what he says. He just wants to get a rise out of people." She clapped her hands, beaming. "Now, let's have a talk!" She went back to her desk, the hounds and Brief following after, sitting on the sofa opposite her. "Now, despite being a colossal asshole, Alastor did have a point. This process is, by its very nature, extremely personal. No two people are alike and neither is their treatment, so it is very important that we start from a place of honesty. Brief, you seem like a wonderful young man, very polite and gracious, with a gentle heart and a loving Soul. But you're here for a reason, there's no doubt about that. Something is keeping you here and if you want to leave, we have to address it. Do you understand, Brief?"

(X)

Brief looked to Nebula and Vortex, the male hound nodded and patted him on the shoulder as she took his hand in hers. "Yes. Uh, but… I don't know what–"

'Oh, but you do, don't you?' Brief thought, that harsh, acid voice bubbling up from within him. 'You know. You know, you just don't want to tell them. You don't want to think you're some sad, mopey loser whose own father could give two shits about. That you're some Priest's boytoy! And don't get me started on that blonde angelic whore!'

Shame and rage bubbled up within him, his hands balling into fists on his lap. "I don't…"

"Brief?" Nebula said, concerned. "Are you alright?"

'Alright, she says!' That Voice scoffed. 'I'm a skinny dork with a magic cock who's stuck in Hell! I'm an incel in all but having my cherry popped by that slut I devoted my heart and soul to! I've got the Demon King of Lust searching for me, presumably to use me to open the Gates of Hell and bring about The End of FUCKING DAYS! No, Nebula, I am not 'alright'! And the only way out of here is to tell the only people who seem to care about me… that.'

His mind went back to that night. That night on the roof of Rock Manor. The days, weeks, months of heartbreak leading up to it. Sure, he was in Hell because Corset had ambushed him up there, opening the portal before wrestling him in. But he hadn't chased him there, like some slasher villain. Brief was already on the roof when the cenobite wannabe showed up.

He was already falling when he was grappling with the demon.

He had wished he hadn't opened that portal.

"I…" Brief muttered. "I wanted to kill myself."

There was silence, Nebula gasped, both hands over her mouth while Vortex remained silent, only sighing deeply through his nose, shaking his head.

Charlie was silent, her eyes on him. Red and orange but she had a hand reach out to grasp his from across his desk.

"Brief…" she took a deep breath herself, doing her best to remain steady.

"I-I-I tried to, but Corset, one of Ozzie's minions, showed up. That's why I'm here." Brief said, tears starting to stream down his freckled cheeks as he grew manic, his voice frantic and rising. "That's why I'm stuck here! That's why I can't go back! It's a sin, isn't it? I may have not have done it but I ACTED on it isn't it! It's cowardly and pathetic and God hates a–"

Brief was silenced as two pairs of furry arms, one soft and one strong, wrapped around him, Nebula and Vortex pulling him into a warm, smothering hug. Even Charlie was surprised before a warm smile crept across her face.

"I'm weak…" Brief uttered. "A coward…"

"Shh…" Nebula hushed, soothingly. "It's gonna be okay, Briefy. You're gonna be okay…"

"We got you man." Vortex whispered. "We got you."

Brief was stunned, unable to process as Charlie had his hand in her's.

"He's right. We will help you through this Brief." Charlie murmured. "One step at a time."

Brief was silent, closing his eyes and crying as she held onto his hand. "We will redeem you." She promised. "I swear on it."

"We'll help, too. However we can." Nebula added. "Won't we, Tex?"

"Damn right." Vortex looked down at the short boy before turning back to Charlie. "So… do we need to fill out anything? He's getting this room, right?"

"Correct! IT's right next to my own in fact!" Charlie winked as the boy perked up. "And, while you're only our second client in this Hotel, I know for certain that you want to get better. I'll help you in any way I can."

"Charlie… Yula… Vortex…how can-" He sniffled, shuddering before he took a gulp. "How can I ever th-thank you?"

"By getting better and getting home. If you need us, just howl." Vortex added as the hug was parted and Brief took a big sigh, eyes closed. He reopened them and turned to Charlie, green eyes wide. "Okay. I… need help. I admit it. A-and I want to get better, but I don't know how! Will you help me?"

"Of course." Charlie took out a form and began to sign it. "Alright, I'm gonna fill this out, then you can fill this out with your signature marked here." She indicated a spot on the form. "And Mr. Vortex and Nebula, you can fill in these as points of contact." She handed the form to the group as Brief began to fill in his signature.

"I'd prefer if we kept our contact to a minimum, your highness." Vortex stated. "Ozzie's working with the Vee's, so smartphone communique…" he waved his hand in an "eh/iffy" sense.

Charlie blinked, and nodded. "I understand. I do have a landline here." She gestured to the deskphone. "Do you have one at your home?"

"Never saw the point of one, 'til now." Nebula smiled, ruffling Brief's hair as the boy handed her the form.

"We're also setting up private email accounts to use just on landline computers. As long as we don't use that email on our phones, Velvette can't backdoor her way in." Charlie nodded as Vortex explained more their plan as she wrote it down on a notepad.

"You guys have this figured out. I'm impressed." She smiled as Vortex rubbed the back of his head. Not every day a Hellhound gets praised by the Princess of Hell.

"Thank you kindly, your highness." Vortex added. "We'll fill in the dummy emails for you as well and-" His phone buzzed in his pocket and he jumped, and he sighed.

"Fuck, work." He grabbed a different looking smartphone. "Ma'am? Yes. Yes. I'm–" He winced, Brief could hear a lady's voice on the other end, sharp and pitchy with tension. "Well, I'm in a bit of a family thing at the moment–" His eye went to the group as Nebula began to sign it, but she was glaring at the work phone. Vortex nodded. "Yes, I know him. What, again? Right. Yes ma'am. I may be a bit late though, gotta drop off Nebula and-" He rubbed the pinch of his snout. "Triple Overtime and I'll be there." More voices, this one sounded affirmative. "Alright. See ya soon." He hung up. "Whelp, Verosika wants me on hand for a recording sesh and she's not taking no for an answer. Your Highness, if it's too much to ask, can you drop off Nebula at my home?"

"Fucking gonorhea-riddled skank," Nebula huffed, lips fleering back in a snarl.

Charlie smiled and nodded. "My chauffeurs will get her home safe and sound!"

"Thank you, Your Highness," said Vortex, bowing. "For everything."

With that, Vortex took his leave, pausing at the door to smile at Brief, shooting him a thumbs-up and a wink. Brief smiled softly, returning the gesture, lifting up his bangs so that Tex could see him wink. The Hellhound chuckled and left.

The two little goat demons, Razzle and Dazzle entered the room and escorted Nebula to the door. Just before she left she rushed over and scooped him up into a crushing hug, nuzzling his cheek.

"I'm so proud of you, Brief," she whispered in his ear. "Admitting that took courage."

Part of Brief felt like scoffing at this, but he returned the hug, squeezing back. "I'll need all the courage I can muster. Thanks Yula, I mean it. You and Vortex, I can't thank you enough."

"Thank us by getting home, baby," said Nebula, setting him down and rustling his hair. "We'll visit as often as we can."

Brief nodded, smiling. "See you then."

With one last sad little smile, Nebula walked out the door. Brief heaved a heavy sigh, walking over to a chair near by and sitting down. Charlie sat across from it, as the room did have a little table.

"Long day?" Charlie said, amused.

"Long week," Brief groaned, sinking into the chair. "I feel like I haven't slept in a year."

"Well, rest up and settle in," said Charlie, walking over to her desk to collect some paperwork. "How about I show you to your–"

Brief was slumped on tne thable, snoring softly. Charlie smiled and walked over, gathering him up in her arms. An instant later she stood before the bed. With a gesture, the blankets rolled back and the pillows fluffed. She set the passed out Human boy down on the soft mattress and tucked him in. He muttered something and settled in, turning on his side.

"Welcome to the Happy Hotel, Briefers Rock," Charlie whispered as she exited the room, switching off the light. "Enjoy your stay."

And there you have it. The reason why Brief is in Hell, because after Panty's betrayal and his father's negligence, losing a year of school and Garterbetl in general. He had enough. He just wanted it to end.

Unaware that even Corset was alive and caught him as he fell, and Corset's quick thinking opened the portal to Hell, leading us into the Prologue.

Wr1teAn0n did this one with help, and I envisioned this going about differently a while back but he did it justice. Better than I could. BEtter that Brief's confession be in the presence of people who were concerned for his well being than in a therapy session with the other Sinners(and Alastor would no doubt dogpile, but as you can see, he has a good idea why he's in Hell).

We are using A24 show designs for the Hazbin Cast, so Charlie has the Red Eyes and her red suit here.

As for Brief's mindset and the confession. WA did a good job on that front and I will openly confess that I had a similar experience years ago back in college. Although I wasn't looking to end my own life, I was doing self harm. It was a low point too. My grades were bad. My sleep was borked. I was fucked over by three girls I tried asking out for dates but they wound up ghosting me. I found solace in a family I had known up there and they gave me comfort and support, and we are long time friends to this day as they were my family-away-from-my-family so to speak(I'm from California, I went to school in Utah). So part of this story is largely thereauptic for me and in some ways I can sympathize with Brief in being janked around.

Girls more these days are more like Panty or Stocking, when we should have girls more like Charlie, Yula, or form my other works: Yamato or Momo. They're becoming such a dying breed...

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this. I would say we are a third of the way through Purgatorio so far. Hope you all get to see how Brief and the Hazbin cast mingle.

We'll see you all in the next one.