Chapter 4: First Meeting
Several Days Later
Pentagram City. This was it, after a journey that took nearly a full week, his destination stood just a few miles away. Tafford had stopped his jeep a few miles from the outskirts to take in the sheer enormity of the city. Miles upon miles of steel and concrete stretched out before him filling the horizon, making Tafford feel very small. This city was something else, it was large, impossibly large! Certainly leagues larger than any city on earth, and that was saying something! All manner of lights sound and smells assaulted four of his five senses, the glow of neon, smells and stenches of all varieties, the wails of the injured and dying, the battle cries of demons locked in combat, explosions, the incessant honk of car horns, and even a few moans of pleasure, all combined into the white noise of a thriving city of the damned. As he gazed into the city he tried to make out signage, anything that might point him in the right direction. Countless signs of flashing neon advertised all manner of services and goods, some you would expect of hell, others legitimate business, almost all advertised with childish tiring puns. After some minutes of this fruitless search he gave up. Not even his binoculars helped, the most interesting thing he saw through them was a large high rise building with signage he couldn't make out from this range, though from the neon structure depicting a scantly clad female imp demon that hung from the side of the building, it wasn't hard to make out what it probably was. Two challenges he did not anticipate, the sheer number of demons in this city, and the sheer size of the city itself. To find this "Happy Hotel" would take time, but time was one of the few things he had. So with a few more minutes taking in the sheer enormity of the city he got back into his iron horse and ventured into the city proper.
Many frustrating hours later
Fuck! All this time spent living out of what was, by hell's standards, a small town he had forgotten how much he truly hated cities! The rows upon rows of buildings, the forest of street and traffic lights, and all of the insufferable assholes that called this place home! Constantly underfoot, always getting in the way! If this city were on earth he would pull every string he had to gain command of a line of artillery and not stop firing until this city was leveled! After many infuriating hours, and several purchases he didn't want, the piss poor directions he received from several sources managed to lead him to the road he had been searching for. A very large building stretched to the sky in front of him, and the sign on top made of big bright bulbs read 'Happy Hotel'. Upon first sighting the building Tafford was filled with a momentary sense of relief at having finally reached his destination, but when his frustration taxed mind was able to actually process the sight in front of him he wasn't able to stop himself from saying aloud,
"Son of a bitch!"
This was, hands down, the worst architectural abortion he had ever laid eyes upon!
'Holy shit, whoever designed this building was retarded! Or on drugs! Probably both!'
He thought as a sense of foreboding crept into him.
'You could turn back now, after seeing the train wreck of a building they have to work with imagine what a cluster fuck of an operation this must be! No one would blame you for turning around right now and returning to your spot in Mr. Highball's bar. The demons here wouldn't be any the wiser.'
He entertained this thought of doubt for but a moment, though he did seriously consider it in that time, before crushing it with the strength of his rebel resolve. Pulling into the side lot of the building he parked his jeep and turned off the engine. The next few minutes were spent venting his frustration so it wouldn't interfere with his first impression. After that process was done he steeled himself for what came next, wiping out all remaining doubt and preparing to undertake, what may very well be, the meeting that would set the tone for the next phase of his existence.
In moments such as this, he contemplated the Slayer for strength. Meditating on a being of such will and power, that could conquer any obstacle or foe that got in his way, focused his mind and put him in the right state for such moments of seriousness. Thus reaffirmed by contemplation of the Slayer, he confidently stepped out of his jeep, making sure to lock the doors on his way out. He then adjusted the cloak he wore over his armor, made sure all his guns were properly seated in their holsters, and walked to the front door. He walked around the side of the building and through a large fixed canopy clearly meant for offloading vehicles, though the embedded lights were a nice touch, making the entryway seem fancy.
He turned the handle on the stained glass and ebony front doors and emerged into a grand entryway. As he looked around the room he gazed upon high ceilings, various gambling tables that looked to be in the process of disassembly or re-finishing into normal tables, lots of detailing featuring apples, the check in desk to the left, and a bar on the far side of the room. Behind the bar was a strange feline demon who, curiously, also seemed to have wings. It was plain from here he was either asleep, or very drunk, and either way he didn't notice as Tafford entered and looked around. Slowly Tafford walked up to the bar, taking in all the detail of the room as he did so. When he arrived he gave three firm, but not quite loud, raps on the counter. The hellcat demon roused to this unwelcome interruption, looking up to a sight he didn't expect.
"I told you to leave me alone you miserable- Fuck! Are we getting robbed or some shit?!"
He said as he began to berate whoever he expected to be there, but jumped when he saw a large armored man in full travel gear. Standing tall over this damned feline was a man about six feet high. He wore some kind of full body suit or jumpsuit over which were strapped the, obviously handcrafted, plates of a suit of armor. Over this armor was a leather traveling cloak, also handmade. Around the man's waist was a belt with various pouches and the holster of a pistol on his left side, with the sheath of a Bowie knife to the right. Two shotguns strapped across his back in a harness completed his look. He was thrown off guard at the accusation he could be a burglar and sprang, somewhat awkwardly, to his defense.
"No! No sir not at all. My name is Hardcase and I was wondering if I could find princess Charlotte Mange here?"
Began Tafford, startled that he was mistaken for a thief.
"What, we getting visits from tin-man gunslingers now? What's next a giant fucking anime-ass robot?"
"What? I don't know about any of that, but I need to know if I can find the princess here."
"Yeah asshole, you can, but the boss lady won't be by for awhile so your options are, fuck off and come back later, or park your ass in a chair."
The rude hairy avian said, counting off two fingers on his hand as he said this.
"Fine then, I'll wait."
Said Tafford as he went a short distance away to examine some of the room's detailing more closely. If the condition of this room was any indication, while the building itself was stable, it would take a LOT of work to bring this place up to even a decent aesthetic standard much less something that could be called nice. For instance cracks, chips, and outright broken sections were visible in numerous sections in this detailing. The wallpaper at least looked to be in good shape, as it appeared to have been recently replaced with a number of paintings displayed neatly on the walls. He noticed most of the paintings in some way depicted a strange young blonde woman with enormous reddish pink circles for cheeks. He recognized her as the woman from the broadcast. Was this really the princess of hell? Others depicted images of those he knew to be the king and queen, and other powerful looking demons that could be nobles of some kind. Then his eyes glanced upon one painting in particular, one in the style of a family portrait depicting the king and queen, along with the strange woman from the broadcast. There wasn't any doubt anymore, this was the princess of hell. After another moment to engrave the picture in his memory, he moved on to viewing the rest of the room. His pattern of observation and mental note taking continued for some minutes, with the hellcat going back to his nap, until finally the sound of conversation gave away the approach of others, and gave a signal for Tafford to look sharp.
"- e work on the upper floors is going slow but steady, lazy cabrones may be too drunk to hold a hammer half the time, but they'll get it done. Eventually."
"OK good and, with that, the hotel is shaping up pretty well. The kitchen is stocked, the new posters are up downtown, Nifty finished the fourth floor a bit ago, things are coming together. Right, this is going to be a lot of work, but if we succeed this could change the whole way hell functions! Now if we just had a few more people to help out around here, just to help whip everything into shape that much faster, you know?"
"My good lady, as much as your passion is as refreshing as it is novel, I wouldn't bother wasting my time or my breath on such laughable notions!"
"Unfortunately, as much as I hate this arrogant puta, he has a point. I'm pretty sure we're it, at least until we start getting some traction and maybe a couple more investors."
"*Sigh* Yeah, I know, I just want a few more people to believe in our cause, and if they become better people, maybe there can be a way to a place better than this."
"I know Charlie, I know. I just don't see that happening unless something big chang- Shit! Are we being robbed!?"
Started a dark skinned slender woman with large white hair wearing a short white and gray dress, as she and two others descended a flight of stairs. She was shocked at first but within a second collected herself and summoned a spear to confront the large, armored, and clearly heavily armed, intruder that was in the lobby.
"Oh what fun, simply marvelous! It's been just hours since I've witnessed a good holdup! What daring plot do you suppose this brutish miscreant has in store for us hmm?"
"Wait!"
Said Charlotte stepping in front of the gray woman and holding her back.
"Before you go confront him, this man needs a chance to speak for himself."
Said the princess, preceded by the taller red clad demon that Tafford knew to be the warlord known as Alastor, the radio demon. This was it, the meeting that would set the tone for the next phase of his damnation.
'Here goes nothing'
thought Tafford sarcastically. The princess turned to greet the armored man and said with cheerfulness and an abundance of enthusiasm
"Welcome! Good afternoon sir, and welcome to The Happy Hotel! I'm Charlie, the owner and founder, what can my staff and I do for you today?"
Said the blonde haired rose cheeked woman, addressing this armored man with an abundance of pep. He then approached, stopping a few feet in front of the strange woman. To make absolutely certain, he just had to ask,
"Are you Charlotte Mange, princess of the entirety of hell?"
"Yes, how can I help you sir?"
Said the woman, with a tad less exuberance, but still with a bright demeanor. Suddenly, the armored man knelt to one knee before this woman, now confirmed to be Charlotte Mange, princess of the seven circles. For a moment this sent mild surprise through all three standing in front of the man, as no one had bowed in her presence in some time. After just a second of adjusting his balance he began to speak,
"Your highness, firstly I want to say I am not here to rob you or cause any damage to your hotel, on the contrary I am here today to see if there is any possible way I could assist to you in your unprecedented venture. In life, my name was Sargent Emris Tafford, but when I died and fell, I came to adopt the name Hardcase, as is hell's custom. I herd your broadcast and drove hundreds of miles from the outlaying town of dumpford to be here, because I wanted to find out if there is any way I can be of service to you and your hotel. When I herd your broadcast, it was nothing less than the wake up call I didn't know I needed. For seven years now I survived the inferno on a tiny patch of land out on the outskirts of a backwater so small and remote no one would care about it unless they were traveling through and needed gas. But as time went on, I eventually came to realize that wasn't living. Going through the cycles of life day in and day out just wasn't good enough anymore. Your broadcast was also the opportunity I didn't know I had been waiting for. I don't know if redemption is possible, but if by doing this even one soul can get out of this horrible dimension, then that will have been time well spent. I'm not even sure if your accepting new members of staff but please, I want to help you try."
he said as his to-the-point statement of intent concluded. He looked up, hopeful that all his efforts hadn't been in vain, only to be met with disappointment in the form of the tip of a spear.
"I'm not buying your bullshit for one second! I don't know what kind of game your playing, but if you think you can come in here acting all submissive with some half-baked speech and screw us over the moment our backs are turned, you've got another thing coming!"
"Vaggie wait-"
"No Charlie, if this tin plated jackass thinks he can just barge in unannounced, think we'll buy some sob story, and then the moment our backs are turned steal everything that isn't nailed down or try to set the place on fire, he's dead wrong!"
"Well could you at least let him get up off his knee?"
Noticing that the man was in fact still kneeling in front of them, she reluctantly backed off a step to allow him to rise to his feet, which he did, but never let her spear away from his helmeted face. Then he did something none of them could have predicted. He reached out, and what happened next surprised all three of them. With one hand he took the head of spear with a feather touch, but he did not try and rip the spear from her iron grip. He did not tighten his grip and snap the head off the spear, which he could have easily done. He did not, attempt to lower it from his face in a pathetic attempt at diffusing the situation. What he did was, still with that feather touch, take the head of that spear and guide it's tip to the gap between his helmet and breastplate, then spread his hands out in front of him in what, he hoped, was a placating gesture.
"Okay, I'll admit, maybe that was too much. But please before you throw me out, could you at least allow me a chance to explain myself? And if at any point you don't like what I'm saying, then one thrust from that spear will end any threat from me."
Vagatha considered this, as this man had given her what was essentially a kill switch, if she didn't like what he was saying, it was one thrust and he would be done. Not many would willingly put themselves in this situation. But what really sent her over the edge was when she glanced over at Charlie, the pleading look she gave her finally making her relent.
*Sigh* "Fine, if you've got something to say, say it. But if it's not a damn good explanation you'll be out on that curb so fast your helmet will spin."
"Thank you. To start with I really am here to help, maybe I didn't convey that in the right way, but please understand I had to operate under several assumptions on the journey here. Ms. Mange here is royalty and I didn't know to what extent she wanted to be treated as such."
"Oh, well, nobody really uses my royal title anyway, you can just call me Charlie."
interjected the princess
"Apologies your highness. Moving on, I didn't know what she was like, but from what I gathered from her broadcast, she seemed like the type that might appreciate a big gesture, and this was my attempt at such."
"Well, your not wrong"
Said Vagatha with momentary glance off to the side
"Go on"
she said allowing him to continue.
"After I saw that broadcast it triggered a hereto unprecedented amount of introspection within myself that resulted in the revelation that major change in my lifestyle was needed. So after deciding on a course of action, and two weeks preparation, I hit the road and eventually arrived here. If you need proof of this, my every possession is at this very moment stored in the back of my old jeep parked in the side lot. If you need further proof I am not here to cause harm I will open my various trunks and luggage for you, and allow you to paw through every possession I have to my name. And for the record I did announce myself, to your receptionist over there."
Concluded Tafford as he stood there with his hands still splayed in that gesture to try and show he was no threat. All three turned their heads to the bar to find their feline receptionist snoring loudly, out cold.
"Ugh, can he be at least semi-competent at his job for five minutes?"
said the gray skinned woman who apparently went by Vaggie. The radio demon walked over to the counter while summoning his cane-staff. When he reached the counter he leaned over close to the furred receptionist and tapped the head of his staff which, apparently, doubled as a microphone.
"HELLO HUSKER"
Was the phrase which caused the hellcat behind that bar to nearly hit the ceiling. After his unhappy landing the hellcat groaned as he pulled himself back up to his usual spot.
"What the fuck Al! What in Lucifer's name did you do that for?!"
"Why my good Husker, that rude awakening was on you, for not informing us that a potential new employee had breezed through our door."
"So some asshole in a tin foil suit comes in asking for princess sparkles over there, she wasn't even around when he tromped on in and interrupted my nap. Don't expect me to get up just because any dipshit comes in here and wants to see the boss!"
"*Sigh* Husker, what is a receptionist for if not to inform his employers of just such prospective appointments?"
"You brought me in to tend the bar and sit behind the FRONT desk"
Said the winged cat demon putting emphasis on the word 'front'.
"Do NOT expect me to do any more than that"
"Yes well, I suppose what's done is done now isn't it? Therefore I suggest we get back to the big armored elephant in the room."
"Right"
Said the gray woman turning back to Tafford. During the time that the radio demon was speaking to his subordinate the gray woman had lowered her spear to her side, as Tafford had done the same with his hands.
"So now that we know what you claim to be here for, what can you do? What do you have to offer working for our hotel?"
The gray woman asked, still not trusting this well armed stranger.
"As you probably gathered from my prefix I was a solider in the army, the engineering division to be exact, so I can offer my services in both security and maintenance capacities."
"Oh that's great! We could definitely use a maintenance man around here!"
Excitedly interjected the pale woman known as Charlie.
"Yes, and the extra security wouldn't hurt either"
observed the gray one.
"Now that you understand who I am and my intentions, are there any objections to my services ma'am-s?"
The gray woman and princess Mange went aside to discuss this development, and after some minutes, turned back to Tafford. The gray one spoke first,
"Not at the moment, but don't mistake my acceptance of your presence here for trust. In hell more than anywhere else, trust needs to be earned."
"I understand completely ma'am, I'm no stranger to uphill battles."
"Great!"
Interjected Charlie taking charge of the situation.
"Well since your going to be our newest employee how about a tour of the building?"
"I think that would be best ma'am."
"Awesome! If you'll step this way we can begin with the first floor."
Said Charlie half leading half pulling Tafford as they went, but before they were completely out of view Charlie hung back a moment to shoot the others a look of pure smugness.
"And what was that about no one else believing in our cause hmm~."
She said before ducking out of sight. The two remaining occupants of that room (and the sleeping cat demon) stood there in an uncomfortable silence for a few minutes until a certain lanky, pale spider rode to the rescue, sauntering down the stairs.
Elsewhere the tour of the building began with the Happy Hotel's newest employee.
"Commander I have a somewhat … touchy question I need to ask"
"Oh no worries ask awa- wait, did you just call me commander?"
"Yes ma'am, as the founder, and owner, of this initiative it is only proper that I address you by your rightful title"
"But I've never held any kind of position in the military before, and the whole point of the Happy Hotel is to eventually end the killings from the exterminations and stop violence, so I don't know how to feel about being addressed by a military rank."
"Please commander, think of it as a term of respect on my part, I'm used to operating under military terminology. Could you at least consider giving it some time and if you really don't like it I can come up with something else?"
"Well … I guess we could at least give it some time. Now, you had a question."
"Right, well I was wondering if there's any kind of, staff housing, so to speak? It's entirely alright if all rooms need to be saved for clients, but I was wondering if there were any rooms available for staff?"
"Oh, yeah, all the rooms on the first floor are reserved for staff so you can pick out whichever you like once the tour is done!"
"Thank you ma'am"
They continued through the first floor, indeed finding the staff rooms, as well as the kitchen and dining room, several storage areas, and some larger rooms that were earmarked as meeting rooms or for various therapy sessions. They continued up through several floors, all of which were in a state of mild disrepair, it seemed Tafford would have his work cut out for him. The second floor was dominated by rooms reserved for additional meeting and therapy spaces and it wasn't until the third floor that actual hotel rooms meant for guests became the predominant feature. Charlie and Tafford continued up through more floors until they reached the sixth which had evidence of construction. Wallpaper and paste, tools, some lumber, and other supplies cluttered the area, especially around the staircases.
"Oh, forgot, the higher floors are under renovation."
"The floors I've seen so far aren't that bad, in rough shape sure but nothing that would require a construction crew."
"Well the first few floors are in decent enough shape but the higher floors and premium suites needed so much work that it was just easier to bring in a crew to do renovations."
"I see"
was Tafford's simple response. With the tour of the open floors done they began their descent back to the lobby. However when they reached the fifth floor something caught their attention, a door opening on it's own. As there were no staff or other guests to Tafford's knowledge, his hand instinctively went for his sidearm. A woman the size of a child accompanied by two small flying red goat-men emerged into the hall and, when the woman noticed them walking to the staircase, began to speak.
"Oh Charlie, I'm almost finished with the rooms on this floor, Razzle and Dazzle have been a big help so- Who is this?!"
Tafford didn't have time to draw as he was quickly swarmed by these strange new faces. The little woman zipped around and all over Tafford as he turned, twisted, and tried in vain to keep her in view, while the goat men eyed him with suspicion, as they hovered overhead surveying his armor and armaments.
"Look at that armor, whoa, your guns look like they really pack a punch, and did you make the cape yourself? It looks like it."
The comments continued much like this as the nimble little sprite sped around and on Tafford, who by now had given up trying to keep his eyes on her instead choosing to observe the goat men that had begun to slowly circle above him.
"More employees commander?"
the armored guardian spoke after about a half minute of this.
"Oh right, sorry!"
Charlie began as she had watched this play out with a mixture of surprise and amusement.
"Nifty could you stop zipping around for a minute?"
"Yes boss."
Said Nifty coming to a stop in front of the both of them.
"Nifty meet our new staff handyman, Mr. Tafford! Mr. Tafford meet our resident housekeeper, Nifty. Oh, and before I forget, these two are Razzle and Dazzle. They are my bodyguards, but also help around the hotel."
"Nice to meet you all, it's good to meet those I'll be working with."
He said extending his hand to shake, first the two goat men, and then crouching down to shake hands on the same level as this Nifty.
"Good to meet you Mr. Tafford I'm sure I'll see more of you later. Now, Charlie, I'm almost finished with the rooms on this floor. Razzle and Dazzle have been a big help with reaching tall spaces and getting behind the furniture."
"That's great Nifty, after your done you can come down to the lobby and have a break."
"Thanks, well back to it."
Nifty said as both she and the helpful bodyguards entered the next room, the two goat men hanging back for just a second to observe Tafford a moment longer.
"The small one, Ms. Nifty was it, seems to follow orders well. I like that."
"Yeah, she's a big help around here. You would not believe how dirty this place was before Nifty got to it"
The conversation continued much like this the rest of the way to the lobby, where it was found that a new face had joined the conversation, and the radio demon had gone.
"Hey, it's true, we did get an oversize wind-up toy comin thru here."
Said a tall lanky spider-like demon covered in white fur who looked somehow familiar.
"Yes angel, meet our new handyman Mr. Tafford"
"Good to meet you sir. I have to say do I know you from somewhere? You seem vaguely familiar."
"Not surprised, your looking at the greatest porn star this side of the inferno, and the name's Angel Dust, bein called sir brings back all the wrong kinda memories. So now that you've got a good eye full whatdaya think tall dark and manly?"
"Oh yeah, now that you put a bead on it I remember you from all the commercials and billboards for your smut pieces. You know your pretty tall, you should play basketball. With those long legs and four arms you would dominate the court."
Said Tafford ignoring the question, and unintentionally making an innuendo. Mild surprise went through Angel Dust's mind at Tafford's words as he had never considered such a thing before. The lion's share of his time since coming to hell was taken up by making porno films and whoring, so he didn't really take the time to think on using his arms and legs for much else besides taking drugs and the occasional turf war.
"No actually, but now that you mention it I probably could. Who knows, a game where you dominate a court while dribbling men's balls, could be fun~"
"Angel!"
Snapped the gray one for the blatant innuendo.
"Hey what can I say babe, a good idea's a good idea"
"Speaking of which"
said Charlie refocusing attention back on her.
"Has anyone actually introduced you to Vaggie?"
said Charlie gesturing to the gray one.
"No ma'am" Began Tafford "She was one of the first I saw when I entered the hotel with yourself and the radio demon, but we were never really introduced."
"Oh well let's change that then, Mr. Tafford this is Vaggie my manager and best friend. And Vaggie you already know Mr. Tafford, he's going to be the staff handyman."
"And security"
Began Vagatha, now addressing Tafford.
"And you, if your going to be working here let's get a few things straight right now. You will address me as Ms. Vagatha or Ma'am, and starting this very moment you take direction from me or Charlie. When we give you an order you follow it immediately, understand?"
"Yes Captain!"
Was Tafford's boisterous response. OK Vagatha had to admit, out of all the responses she could have received, that was one she didn't expect.
"Whoa there, slow down. I may be the manager of the hotel, but I'm no captain. I've never even been in any military."
"But you are the manager of this place, and that makes you captain of the day to day operations. Please ma'am if nothing else, think of it as a term of respect. I'm used to operating under military terminology. Just for now, could you please give it time, and if you don't like it after a few weeks, I'll think of something else. Commander Mange already agreed to see how it goes."
Vagatha turned to Charlie who gave a sheepish smile and a small shrug.
*sigh*"Fine, I'll see how well I like it after a few weeks. But I still don't like sound of being called 'captain."
"Unless there are any other concerns or current orders for me, I believe it would be best to bring in my belongings and pick out my quarters."
"Right, better do that before it gets too dark out. Would you like some help bringing in your things?" Asked Charlie "No ma'am I can handle it myself."
said Tafford as he exited the hotel to collect his things. And with that he started the process of moving the trunks out of his jeep and into the hallway outside the staff rooms, as he hadn't picked out his room yet. As he moved the first of his trunks into the hall he found Vagatha waiting for him.
"Is there a problem captain?"
"No problem, but you said if it would prove you weren't here to do harm you would open those trunks and let me go through them. And I'm gonna hold you to that."
A short pause passed between them before Tafford set the trunk down close to the wall and said
"Well I did say that, and I'm not about to make a liar out of myself now."
He then opened the trunk and went through it's contents with Vagatha. Afterwords she pointed out which rooms were occupied by which staff members. Tafford chose a room a few spaces apart from the rest of them preferring some privacy and solitude in what would surely be his few moments off duty. This did not go unnoticed by Vagatha who took it as yet another reason to view this newcomer with suspicion. This cycle of bringing in and going through trunks continued until Tafford emerged from the outdoors carrying a cloth roll clearly used for transporting tools in one hand, and a chainsaw in the other.
"What the hell is this? Why in the seven circles do you have a chainsaw?"
Tafford paused at this question, trying to find the right words,
…
"Emergencies miss."
he stated finally.
"What kind of emergency that could happen at a hotel would possibly call for a chainsaw?"
Another pause before Tafford stated
"Captain, we're in hell, do you honestly want to know how many answers there are to that question?"
Now it was Vagatha's turn to pause, briefly considering Tafford's statement, before she finally relented with a huff
"Fine, it can stay for now, but if it ever becomes a problem you and that saw will be out of here before you can blink."
"Thank you Captain."
"Ugh, never getting used to that"
Said Vagatha putting a hand to her forehead. With that minor disagreement finished Tafford went back to offloading his gear. Finally the last trunk was brought in and processed. As Tafford set the last trunk down in his new quarters he didn't notice as a small cloth bundle fell from the inside of his cloak as Charlie walked in through the open door
"So Mr. Tafford how do you like the room? You can decorate the interior anyway you like and- oh, it looks like you dropped something."
Tafford turned to face Charlie with mild curiosity, only to be turned to surprise when he saw what exactly it was he dropped.
"I'll get that commander you really don't have to-"
But it was too late as Charlie had already picked up the bundle and began absentmindedly unwrapping it out of curiosity revealing the cool, black, metal of the exterminator dagger inside it's sheath.
"Mr. Tafford what is this?!"
Began Charlie in a tone that conveyed surprise and mild anger.
"Oh, that's my e- dagger. I got it before I made the trip to pentagram."
"Mr. Tafford I'm afraid I can't allow you to have something like this here."
"But why commander? Lots of demons have weapons made from exterminator metal."
"Look, I know that exterminator weapons aren't exactly uncommon, but the entire point of this hotel is to save demons from the exterminations, so I won't allow any of my staff to possess something capable of just that!"
"I understand that commander, but I also need that weapon to defend myself. This is the only weapon I have made from e-metal, and if myself or this hotel were to be attacked I need something that can put down the threat for good."
"What about those guns? I think they would definitely be a more effective weapon than one small dagger?"
"True enough, but I don't possess any munitions made from e-metal, so no matter how many times I put a threat down they would just come back, hence the need for the dagger."
At this moment Vagatha entered the room, having been close by as she didn't want to leave Charlie alone with this shady new stranger, and heard the heated discussion.
"What's going on in here?"
"Oh, Vaggie, good. Mr. Tafford here is in possession of an exterminator weapon and doesn't want to give it up."
"What!? he can't have something like that! You can't have that Here!"
Said Vagatha, first speaking to Charlie and then Tafford in turn.
"Captain, as I was just explaining to the commander, without that weapon, every threat to the hotel I would stop would be free to just keep coming back over and over in a cycle that may very well end up costing the hotel, it's staff, and it's clients dearly. And it's not as if this is some kind of contraband, many many, many demons have weapons made from exterminator metal, they scoop them off the streets after every extermination!"
"I know that exterminator weapons aren't a rare sight in hell, but the entire point of this hotel is to stop exterminations and eventually get demons to go to heaven. So we can't have an employee possessing even a single exterminator weapon! I shouldn't need to tell you how hypocritical that is!"
"Yes but Captain-"
"Enough"
said Charlie raising her voice to regain control of the conversation.
"I'm sorry I yelled, but this isn't a matter up for debate! Mr. Tafford I'm afraid I'll have to put my foot down here. You can keep the dagger, or you can keep your new position but not both! I won't have one of my employees possess something that can exterminate our clients, so you need to think about which is more important. I think these choices are more than fair, so which will it be?"
Tafford thought about this for a moment. Everything he had said about the risk of recurring threats was true, but if he was adamant about keeping this dagger, then he would lose his opportunity to serve what may very well be the only worthy cause in hell. Not willing to let this opportunity slip through his fingers he let out a sigh and said,
"Alright commander take the dagger, I won't lose my brand new position over some hunk of black metal."
"Thank you"
said Charlie as she summoned a gout of fire from her palm and held the dagger over it. Then before all their view, after a few moments, the dagger began to fizzle, deform, and seemingly evaporate before their very eyes! After just a moment, the weapon was completely gone! This reaction surprised and amazed Tafford as he had never seen anything like this before. What was so special about the fire that came from commander Mange's palm? What was so different about this flame that it could deform and seemingly evaporate exterminator metal. A substance that had resisted all attempts to destroy it that Tafford had herd of? While it was clear these questions weren't going to be answered tonight, Tafford made a mental note of this phenomenon to potentially investigate later. After this Vagatha would make Tafford go through all of his trunks again and inspect all of his possessions for further contraband in full view of Charlie. At last all of his trunks, the various containers within, and even the pouches on his belt were searched again, and by the time they finished it was late in the day.
"Well that's the second time today we've gone through all my worldly possessions. Is there anything else I can do for you and the commander tonight?"
Said Tafford, annoyance and weariness evident in his voice.
"I myself don't have anything else for you tonight, but watch your tone."
Said Vagatha who didn't like the experience any more than he did.
"Commander?"
questioned Tafford.
"No I don't have anything for you tonight, and it is getting late. Vaggie why don't we call it a night and allow Mr. Tafford to settle in."
"Right"
was Vagatha's straightforward reply. The two of them would then depart Tafford's room leaving the man to close the door and take a seat on one of his trunks.
'That could have gone better'
he thought to himself
'But it also could have been much worse. At least I've got my foot in the door, so at least today ended in success.'
After taking a few minutes to rest he stood, and silently began the process of unpacking as he knew that the next phase of his life would begin tomorrow.