Despite being in literal hell, she found herself under the good graces of a barista. Which was poetic in an odd way, especially since that had been her last job in the overworld before figuratively dropping off the face off the earth for a few weeks and then literally following up on the actions the day before. She had no place to go, no money, no home, no friends, not even a new name in this new world, which was something that everyone did apparently. The barista's name was Cyrus, which she couldn't help but giggle through when he drew out the introduction through his teeth, and he'd stopped her when she'd gone to finish the pleasantries.
"A names a powerful thing down here sweetheart, and it's about all you've got right now."
The community board, or what would usually be a community board, drew her attention. This one was covered in ads for sex work, parties, and other such debauchery. An oddly upbeat flyer caught her eye, pulling the laminated paper from beneath another for "murder professionals' and blinking down at the bubbled lettering.
'You're Invited To: The Happy Hotel! Visit us for your chance at redemption!'
A lack of pricing and humanitarian wording was enough to convince her to memorize the address, writing it down on a napkin to tuck into her boot just in case. She got a decent idea of what direction to go from Cyrus, thanking the daytime glow for bringing the once dark streets into new light as she once again stepped out into what she knew now was Pentagram City.
It wasn't a long walk to the hotel, not after her adventures last night, and most of the time was consumed by navigating the confusing streets and pondering what she should call herself in this second "life". Finally she hit the crossroads she'd been directed towards, thankful for the straight shot to her destination. Adrenaline was fading fast, making space for anxiety to burn into her chest and weigh down each forward step. She was putting all her faith, as rich as that was, into this "joke of a charity project". There were no supportive words from her barely-acquaintance at the prospect, simply a chuckle and vague instructions from Cyrus on how to find the place with mocking parting words.
"Nice knowing ya', hope ya' don't die...again."
The area was surely nicer than the one she'd fallen into, cleaner streets and neon signs blinking through the haze to find what she'd come for. Finally she did, finding the mish-mashed tower looming above her from across the street. She laughed when she read the sign, comparing the address to make sure it's correct before quickly scurrying across the street. It was a hotel, should she knock? Or just walk in like you would at a normal hotel, slide right up to the desk and ask for a room? The few seconds it took shuffling under the front entrance awning to decide what she wanted to do felt like hours but finally her fingers found the handle and pushed enough to crack open the door.
Shades of red and eclectic decoration stared back at her, muffled piano playing softly on a radio from beyond the expanse of her vision. A few more inches revealed high ceilings and a grand staircase, the intricate vintage decorations contrasting to the menagerie that was the building's exterior. She made sure to kick off any street debris from her boots before walking in, decorative carpet silencing her footsteps.
It was...something.
Skeletons and odd murals decorated the space, a few broken windows with battered curtains allowing little air to circulate into the dark space. Despite the odd decor, it was surprisingly clean inside. The door clicked as it closed behind her, but it barely disturbed the being collapsed into the concierge desk, their snoring only stuttering lightly. The closer she walked to the only sign of life, the more interesting that front desk became. It obviously doubled as a bar, various unlabeled bottles lining the back wall and an empty glass clutched between the desk attendants' claws. They didn't move as she dinged the small bell next to him. After a short pause, she swallowed the lump in her throat and winced when her voice broke the silence.
"Hello?"
The near instant thundering of footsteps and the sounds of chairs scraping across the floor devoured the sound of her voice, turning her towards the noise in time to see another person come running from around a hallway corner before shouting her own greeting.
"Hello!"
Standing in front of her was a chipper looking young woman, bright eyes flickering over her person before wrinkling at the corners as her smile widened. She was blonde, dressed professionally and nearly bouncing on her heels.
"How can we help you?"
"I, uh, kind of need a place to stay... I saw your flyer, and it seemed safer than my other options."
"Oh hell, she's new."
The blonde in front of her turned to reveal the other woman behind her, leaning against the wall of the hallways they'd come out of and eyeing her quizzically. This woman was stern, long white hair hiding half her sharp features with a familiar cut, with purpled skin that drew attention to the fairness of the girl next to her. Nerves began to crawl up the back of her neck as they looked at her, and the urge to run started to build all over again. Focusing on the next question was the only thing keeping her still even as her eyes flickered towards the doorway.
"How long have you been here?"
"Since last night."
"Do you know where you are?"
"Hell, apparently, which is exceptionally funny considering I hadn't believed in it until a few hours ago."
The two girls shared a look before the first one smiled, calmer and more concerned than the peppy grin that had once widened her features. Before she could even finish taking the breath to speak again, a resounding voice startled all of them into silence.
"Quite so! But you are not the first of little faith to be designated a sinner, my dear!"
"What the FUCK is scaring her off with shit like that going to do?"
Well, it startled them all into silence except for the purple girl, apparently.
Turning around to see who exactly had joined the conversation and hopefully quell the heart beat racing in her chest, her vision turned red. She stared at the breast of a sleek crimson suit for a moment before taking a step back and following the stripes upward.
"Hello!"
The man in front of her was tall and slim, towering at least a couple of heads above her with a smile that sent chills down her arms and sunk her heart down into her stomach. Whether the reaction came from the sharp teeth put on display or just a lonely flutter as she took in handsome features, she wasn't sure. He was the least unpleasant looking man she'd laid eyes on in the last twenty-four hours, that she was sure of.
Hell, this is what had gotten her into this mess in the first place.
"Hi?"
Her voice sounded so small next to his, so soft under the constant string of piano music that buzzed with static occasionally. It was only when his voice laid over that melody again and echoed in a fashion that only antique radio frequencies did that she realized that music was coming from the demon in front of her.
"It's incredibly impolite of us to forego proper introductions for this long! The name's Alastor, this charming young woman is Charlie and her waspish companion, Vagatha."
"Vaggie is enough, thanks."
The only sign that he'd heard Vaggie at all was a sharp tilt of the head that turned quickly into another flourish as Alastor leaned down far closer than should have been acceptable for someone who had just been going on about maintaining manners. From this proximity it was easier to see just how sharp the teeth behind the smile were, and she had to swallow the dryness in her throat at it.
"And, what shall we call you?"
Fuck.
She still hadn't thought this far ahead, and even though they all seemed nice enough, she still couldn't ignore Cryus's warning. Thinking fast on these things wasn't her strong suit but she hadn't any choice now, and the first good idea she got was the one that would have to work.
"Uh, it's...Clover."
"How lucky."
Clover couldn't help but laugh, knowing she'd entirely set herself up for a new lifetime of jokes about her new name and finding herself more-than amused at the knowing grin and cadence of the joke. Her smile became more permanent as Alastor held out a hand, grabbing her own before she could barely lift a finger with a sharp tug and shaking it with enough enthusiasm to throw her off balance.
"Pleasure to meet you my dear!"
"Nice to meet you t-"
She barely got to finish before he'd turned away, rapping on the concierge countertop next to the sleeping attendant with a microphone stand that he seemed to pull out of thin air and smiling through the sputtered curses that came back at him. The girls, Charlie and Vaggie, had come up beside her as soon as Alastor had moved away, Charlie turning to talk to her while the now-awake concierge cursed at Alastor.
"You don't have to worry about anything, we are here to help!"
"That's great, but uh, I don't really have anything to give you guys in return…"
"Nonsense, your patronage is more than welcome and any other issues shall be discussed at a later date!'
Charlie could only nod as Alastor spoke, her smile growing wider than her cheeks seemed to be able to manage, bouncing over to the counter herself before holding out open arms, only dropping them to pull Vaggie to her side to finish off the almost clique group photo-op that was the apparent hotel staff standing in front of her.
"Welcome to the Happy Hotel!"
Deciding to forego commenting on how their sign outside didn't match the flyer nor the introduction, Clover could only smile politely. As welcoming as they all were, this situation was still increasingly odd.
"Thank you, are you guys like, a charity or something? I feel like that would be a hard thing to keep up with down here."
The laugh track startled her, pulling her eyes back to the red suit leaning casually against the desk before her attentions were drawn away again as Vaggie spoke, calmer than she looked and with more sincerity than she's heard all day.
"We can tell you everything later, for now you're welcome to stay here while you get on your feet. Some of us-"
No-one missed the pointed glance towards the rest of the group.
"-don't remember how vulnerable some people can be when they first fall. And well, you've definitely been designated as one of the softer ones for some reason."
Clover felt her new-found ears twitch at the reference, suddenly feeling like shrinking into herself entirely. Relying on people had never gotten her into anything more than trouble, and as perfect as this place seemed to be, she couldn't help but be cautious.
"I'll repay you somehow, once I get things figured out."
Before Alastor could even finish taking a breath and adjusting his lapel, Vaggie turned on him with a growl and earned a spike of radio static and a grim smile in return. He bounced back quickly, leaning back against the bar and gesturing to the interesting creature that had now finished cursing through his rude awakening.
"Husker, my friend, would you please give this woman a key for a room in my hotel!"
"Our hotel, is open for whatever you need until you've been rehabilitated, don't worry."
Charlie linked arms with her, smiling gently while ignoring the implications of other conversations.
"For a bunch of demons, you're very accommodating."
"Well, you're a demon too now, and some of us like to look after our own."
"And some of us are just looking to get something out of it."
The slam of Vaggie's fist against the counter only earned a short huff of a laugh from the desk clerk. Clover finally looked at him fully, an odd mismatch of wings and fur topped off with the most unamused expression she'd ever seen on a person. He'd been named by Alastor, Husker, and he didn't really seem keen on introductions beyond that. She took the small, literal skeleton key from him with a polite smile before looking at the room number.
"Thirteen, how lucky."