Hello everyone, It's me Searchsnake00103.
Readers: (Start booing and throwing things at my head)
Yes, I know, I know! Most of you aren't probably happy with me especially since I'd have something new posted soon back in summer. I get that. But as luck would have it, a week after posting it, the frame in my computer started to give out and do that thing where if you try to close/open it, it would pop out and mess up the screen. So on top of dealing with my trade school classes and roommates who were loud as all hell, I had to deal with that issue.
But, I have some good news. After a year of dealing with classes and asshat roommates, job searching, and computer stuff I know nothing about, I finally have a job of my own! So now, I finally don't have to do any deal with any of that crap anymore besides the computer thing. Once I make enough cash, I'll get a new one that was built decently.
I wanna give a huge thanks to FaceOfNightmares for pointing out a small issue in my paragraphs. I try not to make them too large, but I also try cramming in as much detail as I can. And also to xxxGmanxxx who took a look at the chapter and helped me out. They were the ones that sorta motivated me to get the chapter out as soon as I could.
But without further adieu, I give you the long overdue chapter of Duality. Hope you all like it.
Within the confines of the Happy Hotel, secluded in her personal chambers, Charlie Magne could be seen sitting at her desk as she was going through various sheets of paper with a concentrated look on her face. Currently, she was busy looking over the many rehabilitation methods she had made for her client, Angel Dust, and was busy making changes she thought were necessary to aid in the process.
The reason she did this was because ever since her conversation with that Doppio person earlier this morning, she realized that perhaps her current methods for redeeming sinner's such as Angel might not be as cut and dry as she once thought, and figured it would be best to go back and see if she could improve on anything that might make redeeming the violent pornstar much easier. And she was glad she did, because so far she had either rewritten or completely gotten rid of entire sections of her notes that contained rehabilitation methods that wouldn't have just worked the way they were. For example, one of the methods she had written to help curb his violent tendencies was for him to channel that energy into melty beads. What was she thinking when she wrote that? There was no way someone as impulsive as Angel Dust had the patience for something like that, and even if he did he would've considered the activity to be for little kids. (Despite the fact that he himself was basically an overgrown man child.)
Knock! Knock!
"Hey Charlie, it's me. Mind if I come in?" The voice of Vaggie asked from the other said of the princesses door, breaking her from her thoughts but never taking her eyes off of the notes.
"Yeah, go ahead. It's unlocked." Charlie answered back. No sooner had she said this, the door to her room swung open and the sounds of Vaggie's footfalls echoed as she approached from behind.
"Whatcha working on?" The Salvadoran asked as she took notice of the various papers scattered about her girlfriend's desk.
"I'm currently revising some methods regarding Angel's rehabilitation process." Charlie explained as her girlfriend came to stop behind her and leaned over to get a good look at the papers. "I figured it wouldn't hurt to go back and look over a few things to see if there was anything to improve on." Picking up one of the papers and looking it over, Charlie gained a somewhat incredulous look on her face. "And I'm kinda glad I did, cause well…. Well, just take a look."
Turning and handing the paper over to Vaggie, the moth Demon grabbed the sheet and gave it a quick look over. After she finished reading the page, her face scrunched up as she let out a hiss. She had never read the papers regarding Angel's rehabilitation before, but now that she had, she wouldn't deny that what was on her was, well, as the kids would say pretty cringe. And she didn't need to tell her significant other this, her face clearly said it all.
"Yeah, it's…. pretty bad." Charlie said as she took back the paper, feeling slightly embarrassed. "When I wrote these I was still pretty happy about him joining the hotel, so I wasn't really thinking clearly at the time."
That made sense, Vaggie thought. She's known the princess of Hell long enough to know that whenever she gets too excited, she tends to have brief lapses in judgment. "Well, at least you're taking the time to fix these up, so it's not all that bad." She said reassuringly, before realizing something. "But, uh, if you don't mind me asking, what brought this on all of the sudden? Usually you're dealing with stuff regarding the hotel like it's budget or whatever trouble Nifty and Angel might've caused."
"Well, you remember that guy we bumped into while we were out right?" Charlie asked, earning a nod from Vaggie. "Well, after thinking about what he said, I soon came to realize what he said was completely right. If Angel Dust's only sins were prostitution and drug usage, then his redemption would've been easy, just find him some different outlets to put his energy into. But the fact that he's spilt blood when he was alive makes this whole thing much harder. That's why I'm going over these papers, and afterwards I might come up with a few new things to the rehab process. Maybe have him apologize to the sinners he killed when he was alive? That is if they weren't killed off by some exterminator."
"Him, apologizing?" Vaggie said as she gave Charlie an incredulous look. "Charlie, I don't even think the words 'I'm sorry' exist in his vocabulary. And even if it was, how do you think that might go down? It's not like he can just walk up to someone he killed and say 'hey, sorry about the whole whacking you thing. That's just how life was back then. I hope we're cool now though'."
"Yeah, I can see how things might get nasty if that happened." Charlie said as her face scrunched up a bit at the thought. "But that's why I'm still brainstorming ideas here. It might not be easy, but I'll be damned if I'm not able to help redeem Angel!"
Vaggie let out a small chuckle before jokingly asking. "But aren't we already damned princess? We're in Hell after all."
"Oh, you know what I meant." Charlie said as she rolled her eyes, smiling at the bad pun.
"Hehe, yeah I know. I just like messing with you." The Salvadoran said before giving her girlfriend a small peck on the cheek, making the princess blush slightly. "But regardless, I'm sure you'll think up something with that big brain of yours. After all, while you might not think it, you're actually a pretty damn intelligent person when you put your mind to something your passionate about. It's one of my favorite things about you really."
"Aw, thanks Vag." Charlie said with a smile, deeply touched by the moth Demon's words before realizing something. "Hey, speaking of which, did you know what Angel Dust is doing right now? I didn't see him once we got back here."
"Yeah, I looked around when we got back to see if either him or Nifty wrecked the hotel while we were gone." Vaggie explained. "After looking around for any damages, which thank God there weren't, I went to his room and found his door to be locked. I gave it a quick knock, and in response I heard him groaning inside. So it's safe to assume that idiot is going through a nasty hangover."
Charlie pinched the bridge of her nose as she let out a tired sigh. Of course he was hungover this late in the day. "And Nifty?"
Vaggie simply shrugged. "Didn't find her. Though, on my way here I happened to hear something scurrying in the vents. So my best guess is she's hiding out in there."
"Again?" Charlie cried out, exasperated. Clearly this wasn't the first time. "Didn't we put in new, more secure grates on those things? Those things were bolted on for crying out loud!"
"Clearly they weren't secure enough." Vaggie said as she patted her girlfriends shoulder reassuringly.
"Well that's just great." Charlie said sarcastically as she rested her head in her hands. When was Nifty going to learn that the vents were not something she needed to periodically clean?! Ugh, she could feel a migraine begin to throb in the back of her head. There was no way she could continue working like this until the issue was resolved. With a heavy sigh, she pushed her chair back from the desk and quickly got to her feet. "Come on, let's go get the traps out again."
"You sure?" Vaggie said as she watched the blonde make her way to the door, following close behind. "I mean, I could do this myself you know?"
"Yes, I know. But I won't be able to work on Angel's rehabilitation knowing that Nifty is hiding out in the vents. It would drive me crazy and I wouldn't be able to focus. It's better to get this out of the way before I continue working." Charlie explained as she pushed open the door and entered the hallway, making her way towards the main lobby where they kept their Nifty traps. She swore, the little cyclops Demon was harder to keep track of then Angel Dust. At least he didn't act like a feral animal most of the time.
"Well, if that's what you wanna do, then I won't stop you. I just don't want you to drop everything over stuff I can resolve on my own. I don't wanna be a hassle, you know?"
Charlie giggled before replying in a reassuring tone. "Vaggie relax, this is no big deal. It's not like what I was doing was anything mandatory or too important, so I can put it aside for a bit to help out real quick. Besides, if anything you've been more of a lifesaver than a hassle. If you haven't been helping me along, I don't think I would've been able to make it this far without tearing my hair out in frustration."
Pink lightly dusted Vaggie's cheeks at the princesses words. "Aw, well thanks. Sometimes I think I'm not doing good enough, but to hear you say that means a lot to me."
"Hehe, don't mention it. " Charlie said with a small smile before grabbing Vaggie by the wrist and leading her down the hall. Her slightly frustrated demeanor from earlier now replaced by her usual upbeat one. "Come on, let's go get that crazy girl out vents. If we're lucky, we might not even have to use the bear mace grenades to smoke her out this time!"
As both women traveled down the hallway to carry out their task, they were completely unaware that they were soon about to run into a familiar face that they didn't think they'd ever see again, and that their lives would soon get to become far more hectic then it already was.
The ball was about to get rolling.
Standing outside across the street from the Happy Hotel, Doppio stared up at the colossal building in awe, and was a little intimidated if he were being honest. He was no stranger to large buildings of course, but the sheer volume of the structure was just something else entirely.
"W-Woah." Was all he said before he got nervous and looked back down at the flyer advertising it, making absolutely sure this was the right address. 666th street near the center of the city. Yup, this was it.
After neatly folding up the paper and placing it in his jean pocket, the Rubber Demon looked at both ends of the road before quickly crossing the street. Thankfully there seemed to be less activity in this area, which was a godsend. Last thing he needed was some crazed driver coming out of nowhere and flatting him on the pavement.
As he crossed the street, he focused his attention back on the structure before him and still couldn't believe the size of it. Yes, granted it was only seven stories tall and there were certainly much taller buildings in the city, but given its massive width along with the giant front lawn, the place seemed much bigger than it was. It definitely made his crumby apartment building look like a cardboard box in comparison. Not to mention its design was something that made it a head turner. The building looked like an elaborate amalgamation of arched windows and turrets, with several portions of it looking like they had different architectural features from different parts of the world. He could make out Asian, European, Victorian, and even Italian architecture sticking out. Plus, there were also some other things thrown in all well such as a tent at the front entrance reminiscent of a circus one, a train resting on the lower roof, a carousel in one of the large turrets, and even a freaking boat sticking out of the side of it!
All in all the building looked like something an imaginative four year old would draw up and not at all what he expected of a rehab clinic.
Walking across the large lawn and up to the front door, Doppio was about to reach for the handle but stopped when something came to mind. Was he able to simply just walk in or…. did he have to be buzzed in or something? Sure it was Hell, a place where the chaotic and wicked ran rampant, but a place like this had to have some form of security to keep out any unwanted visitors, right? After all, bars and clubs had bouncers and office firms and stores had iron magnetically locked doors.
Looking around the front and seeing there was an intercom or doorbell to press, the Pinkette decided to do the next best thing to alert his presence and gently knocked the doors glass pane.
"Um, hello? Is anyone there?" He asked aloud as he continued to knock on the door. "I found one of your flyers and was wondering if it'd be possible to come in?"
No response.
Seeing that no one had answered him the Demon thought maybe he wasn't loud enough, and so knocked on the glass much harder while stating. "I'm not here looking for any trouble! I'm actually considering joining this place and just wanted to talk with the person in charge. Is that alright?"
Again, nothing but silence greeted the young Demon as he lowered his arm down with an uncertain expression. Was anyone even inside he thought? Pressing his face against the window, Doppio tried his best to see if he could make out anyone or anything inside, however the red tinted glass made that almost impossible, he could hardly make out three feet in front of him. Was this place closed or something? Shit, he hoped not. He was hoping to get this over with as soon as possible.
Looking down at the elegantly designed golden doorknob, Doppio reluctantly raised his hand up as he complimented on whether or not he should try the door. It wouldn't hurt to try after all, and if it was locked up he would simply come back another time. Sure this was important, but it didn't have to be done right this second, he had plenty of time to work this out. Buuut If it was unlocked, well…. surely it would be alright to step inside, right? Only one way to see he supposed.
Gently gripping onto the knob, the rubber Demon slowly but surely twisted his wrist and, much to his surprise, he was able to completely turn the handle all the way through, allowing him to push the door in slightly as he opened up a small crack. Peering inside a bit, the pinkette looked around the lobby only to be met with the sight of nobody around, making the place seem abandoned.
"H-Hello?" Doppio timidly called, hoping that there was at least someone within earshot. Sadly though, after a few seconds, no response came to the young lad, much to his confusion and disappointment. Opening the door a bit wider, the Demon stepped inside before quietly closing the door behind him resulting in a soft click to echo out in the desolate room.
Turning away from the door, Doppio looked around the massive lobby with an inquisitive look on his face as one question repeated in his mind: Just where the hell is everybody? This was supposed to be a hotel or rehab center, right? So where was the staff at? Surely there should've been at least a receptionist in here to let him in. But no, instead it was completely devoid of any signs of life. Heck, he couldn't even hear the sounds of people shuffling about, aside from his own breathing and heartbeat, it was completely dead silent. He was actually beginning to suspect that the place was closed and whoever was responsible for locking the place up must've either forgotten or did a half-assed job. Regardless of which, if this place was indeed closed up then he knew he should leave as soon as possible. He didn't want to be wandering in here after hours after all, that would just be plain rude of him. Plus, there were probably some hidden cameras recording him at this second, and the last thing he wanted was to be accused of breaking and entering.
But, on the other hand however, a small, gnawing part of him did want to check the place out and see if there really was someone here he could talk to. For all he knew, everyone could be having a staff meeting or something in some other part of the building. It wouldn't hurt to try after all, and besides, he could always leave a note claiming his intentions.
Slowly stepping forward, Doppio looked around and took a good look at the lobby's architecture. While he didn't notice at first, due to being preoccupied in his mind, he saw that the room itself looked similar to those belonging to old Victorian style mansions. The walls, supports, heck everything he could see had this…. I dunno, regal look at it. Even the doors behind him and the glass stained windows were gorgeously designed too. That Charlie lady clearly must've come from some kind of wealth if the place looked this fancy.
There was also something else he noticed as he looked over his environment. It might sound crazy, but could've sworn the place had some kinda…. carnival esthetic or something going on? Weird I know, but seeing as some of the wall paper had drawings depicting elephants balancing on giant balls, some nearby status had colorful demonic looking seals, a few support beams were wrapped in black and red stripes like those old barber signs, and the…. bizarre amount of apple symbols everywhere. Seriously, they were on the wall, the statue pedestals, the supports. Just everywhere. All these things kinda reminded him of that LuLu World place he's seen in advertisements.
Besides that though, there wasn't really much he could say about the lobby. All there was left to mention was some elegantly designed furniture, some passageways that led into different parts of the building, the previously mentioned statues as well as some other ones, a fireplace, a large staircase leading to the second floor, and to his left was a…. was a….
"A bar?" Doppio asked aloud as he rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was seeing correctly. Though as he opened his eyes once more, he saw that it was no elaborate trick of the eyes. There was a fully stock bar just a few steps away from where he stood.
This just added even more to the boys' ever growing confusion. What on Earth, er, Hell was a bar doing here in all places? This was supposed to be a rehabilitation center wasn't it? So shouldn't stuff like alcohol be, I dunno, the last thing to be in here? He was no expert on rehab centers or anything, but he was fairly certain that it would've made redeeming clients suffering from alcoholism much, much more difficult. Honestly with the lack of any staff and now this, the pinkette was beginning to think this wasn't even the right place. It just couldn't be, right?
Digging into his pocket, Doppio rummaged around for the flier to check and see if he was at the right address or not. However, just as he felt the familiar paper brush up against his fingers, he stopped when his eyes caught sight of something that he didn't see before.
Resting on the counter with its eyes closed shut, the head of a somewhat large "cat" with black and white fur and a small top hat on its head could be seen sleeping away, slightly snoring away without a care in the world. Doppio couldn't make out much from the "cat" other than its head, and the size of it did seem a little strange as he's never seen a house feline that big before. Then again though, this was Hell and animals here weren't exactly like the ones back on Earth.
Looking around, the pinkette tried to see if the "cat's" owners were anywhere in sight. They had to be near after all, other than animal abusers, who would just close the place up and leave their pet behind? That just didn't make any sense, right? But alas, just like before, he could find neither hide nor hair of anyone nearby. The only ones there were both him and the large "cat".
Seeing that he was the only one around and, not really sure on what else to do, he decided to slowly make his way over to the slumbering feline, taking care to make sure his footfalls didn't disturb the animals rest. In a matter of no time he found himself standing directly in front of the counter, staring down curiously at the creature before him and noticing a few small details he hadn't noticed from afar. The first being the sharp, copper colored teeth that were visible from its snoring mouth and the small little hearts just above its massive red eyebrows, which he thought were mere spots before. The second thing he noticed was the grey fur underneath it's eyes, which took Doppio a second to quickly realize that those were bags, and heavy ones too judging by how dark the fur was. Finally, the last thing wasn't something he saw, but rather smelled. It was faint, but the pinkette could've sworn that the "cat" smelled like a cheap brewery or something equally pungent, he had to take a step back from the stench. He couldn't make out the rest of the body however, as it seemed to be hidden behind the bar. Though, one thing for certain, It was definitely huge.
Those first two details weren't exactly oddities however, almost everyone in Hell had jagged, shark-like teeth and he has seen Demons with heart-shaped markings, Blitzo being a prime example. Though, as for the bags, well that wasn't really something easy to explain. Could animals even get bags, he wondered? Stupid question sure, but he wasn't exactly well versed in animals to say for sure. Though something told him that if they did, it wasn't supposed to change the color of their fur…. he thinks? Also, what was up with the smell? Does that Mrs. Charlie lady, or whoever owns this thing, let it drink all the booze it wants or something? He couldn't help but cringe every time he inhaled with his nose. Ugh.
Despite all that however, he couldn't help but find the not-so-little guy to be kinda…. cute, in a sort of weird way. Sure, it's teeth look like they could eviscerate him no problem and it smelled like brewery sewage, but as it slept there peacefully dreaming of who knows what, Doppio just found it to be a little adorable. So, with some caution, he slowly placed a hand atop the "cat's" head and, upon feeling it's surprisingly soft fur, began to gently rub it's head. As he caressed the locks of black and white fur, the rubber Demon smiled as the "cat's" face scrunched up and began to purr slightly.
"Aww, do you like that my little amico?" Doppio asked as he continued to rub the feline's head, thinking it was enjoying his affection. He would be in for a rude awakening however, as shortly after, the "cat's" eyes shot wide open before snapping directly up towards the young man, catching him off guard and making him flinch. What happened next though was what really shocked him.
"Get your Goddamn hand offa me before I rip it off and shove it far up your ass!" The "cat" said in a low, venomous tone, causing Doppio to help as he jumped back in surprised fright, falling on his rear as he quickly backed a few feet away from the bar. As he sat there on the floor, completely flabbergasted at what just happened, Doppio saw the "cat" lift its head off the counter and reveal the upper portion of its very humanoid body, showing that it was no mere house pet.
"H-Holy crap, you're a guy!" He blurted out, feeling both surprised and embarrassed over this sudden revelation.
"Gee genius, really? What gave you that idea?" The Demon said sarcastically before letting out a yawn, stretching its arm's out over its head while a pair of crimson wings behind himself opened widely, before folding back behind him as he lowered his arms onto the counter. Smacking his lips, the feline had a disgruntled look on his face as he stared down at the shocked Doppio, clearly pissed off that his afternoon nap was interrupted by some random shitstain that waltzed into the building. Eyeing the trembling demon up and down, the Sphinx Demon's mouth twisted into a frown as he ran a hand down his face, an annoyed sigh escaping his lips. "Just my fucking luck. I try to get a shut-eye and the next thing I know, some fruit from off the streets just walks in and tries to molest me, just like how the damn bug does."
Doppio's alabaster cheeks turned pink at the feline's implications, clearly embarrassed and shocked. So, he tried his best to remedy the situation. "W-What?! H-Hang on, I wasn't trying t-to do that to you! ! I-I thought y-you just some k-kind of giant house p-pet or something! I-I wouldn't have t-touched you had I known you were a D-Demon! I swear!"
"Uh huh, sure you would." The Sphinx sarcastically once more before reaching underneath the counter and pulling up a large bottle of alcohol Doppio wasn't familiar with onto the counter with a thud. Popping off the cap, the Demon grabbed the bottle with one clawed hand and brought it to his mouth, chugging down at least a quarter of the contents inside. This was most likely gonna wreck havoc on his hangover later but right now he couldn't care less, he just wanted something nice to drink.
As he downed the beverage, Doppio could only watch on in confusion as he slowly got back to his feet, unsure of what to say or do. He was still a tad bit flustered from before, so he thought it would probably be best to keep his mouth shut to avoid things getting even worse. However, as he watched the Sphinx chug down the (cheap) booze straight from the bottle without any sign of stopping, he couldn't help but feel a…. irked. Even though he wasn't the prime and proper type, he did like some etiquette when it came to eating or drinking. "U-Um, not t-to sound rude or a-anything, b-but shouldn't you be using a glass or something? I mean, drinking straight from the bottle does seem a little crass, doesn't it?"
"Tch, who the hell do you think you are, my mom? I'll drink however I like you fucking candy land reject!" The bartender snapped back, causing the pinkette to flinch back slightly as the feline went back to his bottle. However, before he could resume drinking once more, his eyes widened with realization. "Hang on, who-who the fuck even are you?! And what in the Seven Circle's are you doing in a place like this?! Are you a friend of that goddamn bug or something?! Cause if so, I only got two words for ya: Stay. Away. I don't need another one of you guys getting all handsy with me!"
"I-I'm sorry, what?!" Doppio asked back, confused by the accusation. "Sir, I have no idea what you're talking about but I can assure you that I don't have any bug friends. I came here just looking to see what this hotel was all about and maybe even consider checking in, that's all."
"Huh?" Now it was the feline's turn to be confused as he stared at the pinkette with a raised brow. Did he hear that right? "Wait, wait, wait, back up. You wanna check into here? Like, for real?"
"W-Well, not right away exactly. I'm still not sure if this place is really right for me, so I was hoping to talk to someone in charge. You know, to ask questions and maybe even took a look around. It would help me make the decision of possibly joining alot easier, you know?" Doppio said casually with a small, nervous smile.
However, the barkeep wasn't entirely convinced of the rubber Demon's explanation. "Uh-huh. And, uh, you are aware of what this place exactly is, right? Don't let the bar fool you, this place isn't really a casino or anything fun like that. This is exactly the opposite of somewhere fun in all honesty, so if you're looking for a fun time, I'd suggest going literally anywhere else."
The pinkette blinked in confusion. "Uh, I know that? I saw it in your ad." Digging into his pocket, he pulled out the flier that brought him here and presented it to the dubious feline. "See, right here. I saw this on my way home and figured I'd check the place out, and unless I'm in some other Happy Hotel, I don't think I'm in the wrong place. So with all due respect sir, I'd really like to just check this establishment out while the day is still young. Can you just, I dunno, show me around or get someone here to do so or something?"
The bartender said nothing to the young man's demand and instead just continued to eye him curiously, sizing him up and looking to see if there were any signs of deceit. In the short amount of time he's been here nobody, and he meant nobody, never even stepped foot on the front lawn, and honestly he can't blame them. Everyone here in Hell thought the princesses idea was completely ridiculous, himself included, so there was no way anyone was gonna move into this dump. Sure he knew there were probably some Demon's out there that did regret their actions, heck he had a few things he wished he could take back himself, but seeing as how the hotels been open for days and yet literally nobody has shown up yet just shows that even the remorseful denizens of Hell didn't believe redemption was possible.
Yet now, standing before him was this scarlet schmuck saying he was thinking about actually joining Charlie's asinine redemption process and was asking him to be shown around. "Yeah…. I ain't buying it."
"H-Huh?" Doppio said aloud as he cocked a brow, confused by what the feline meant. "Uh, I don't follow here?"
"I'm saying I don't buy into that bullshit lie of yours kid." Husk elaborated before continuing. "Do you honestly expect me to believe that you're considering actually joining this place? I mean you're a pretty convincing liar, I'll give you that, but I'm not an idiot."
"W-Wait, liar?!" Doppio exclaimed. "About what?! Everything I've said has been nothing but the honest truth!"
"Tch, sure it has." The Sphinx said with an eye roll before raising a hand up defensively. "Look buddy, I don't know if this is some kinda prank or a dare your friends made you take, and honestly I don't give a shit. We're already the laughing stock in all of Hell, so what do I care if some group of punk's want to make a joke out of us? Not like you could make our rep go any lower than it already is." The Sphinx paused to take another drink from his bottle before continuing. "Though if you're little stint is done here, then I'm gonna have to ask you to get the fuck out. Personally I don't really give a shit if you were to stay or go, however the two drama queens that run the place don't really take too kindly to people who disturb the peace around here. And since they're the ones who pay me that means I actually gotta do my job unfortunately. Plus I'm still hungover and I just wanna go back to sleep. So again, I'm gonna have to ask you to skedaddle."
"B-But I-." The rubber Demon tried to stammer out a response, but was interrupted by the bartender when he let out an annoyed sigh and reached under again, this time pulling up a large bat that he placed on the counter with a loud thunk.
"Look kid, I'm really not in the mood to deal with this shit any longer. You did your little joke, so now it's time for you to fuck off elsewhere. I've been nice so far, but that's gonna change real quickly if you don't leave in the count of three." The barkeep threatened as he glared at pinkette, hoping he would be smart and just walk through the door.
Unfortunately though, even though he was intimidated by the Sphinx's threat and weapon, Doppio was still adamant on trying to explain himself. "N-Now h-hold on just a-a second, I t-think you m-might be escalating t-things a bit. W-Why don't we just p-put the bat away a-and talk l-like civilized people he-here?"
The felines glare only hardened before he muttered underneath his breath a 'oh for the love of God' and grabbed the handle of the bat with his hand. "One." He said aloud as he stared Doppio directly in the eyes to show that he wasn't kidding.
"U-Um, h-hey now, l-let's just back u-up for a m-moment. T-There's no n-need to get so h-hasty. If you'll just c-calm down a bit I'm s-sure you a-and I can just t-talk this through like r-reasonable adults." Doppio said with a weak smile while his body subconsciously shimmied back a few inches. Even though he wanted to try and reason with this hostile kitty, his fight or flight sense was beginning to act up. And right now, they told him to start flighting.
"Two." Getting up from his stool behind the counter the Sphinx made his way out of the bar and now stood a few feet away from the Italian youth, revealing the lower portion of his body to the now panicking young man.
"U-Um, h-hey, m-maybe we just got o-off on the wrong fo-foot here a-and s-should start o-over. W-What do you sa-say, s-sound g-good?" Doppio nervously laughed, hoping that last pathetic attempt at de-escalating the situation might've done the trick.
It didn't.
"Three!" The Sphinx shouted as his wings folded out and he dashed right at the rubber Demon, bat held high over his head as he was ready to bust the S.O.B's kneecaps in. At the same time Doppio let out a, somewhat rather, girlish scream as he covered his head in his arms defensively and braced himself for the incoming blows from the irritated barkeep.
"What the Hell is going on here?!"
However, those would never come. For as soon as the Sphinx was halfway from reaching the cowering Italian, a familiar female voice from atop the lobby stairs resounded through the room and stopped the barkeep in his tracks. Turning their attention towards the source of the voice, both Demon's saw that the one responsible for stopping the one sided brawl was none other than the princess of Hell herself, with her girlfriend standing not too far behind. And suffice to say, she wasn't looking very pleased at the scene before her. Not one bit.
When Charlie had entered the lobby to get the traps needed to coax Nifty out from the vents, she was expecting to pass through the same old scene that she usually does. A big, empty room void of any life save for Husk who would've been tending to the bar or just passed out drunk from whatever hangover he was suffering. Sometimes the scene would be different though, such as Alastor lounging around or Nifty cleaning something, but other than that the place would be the same as always, and that's what she expected to find.
So imagine her surprise when she saw that Husk was about to attack some poor stranger in the middle of the lobby. Though, she really couldn't call him a stranger, as she met the guy earlier this morning. She was confused on what exactly was happening here, though that confusion was overshadowed by the irritation she had for the hotel's resident bartender who was about to manhandle a (for the time being) sweet young man.
And Husk seemed to realize this as he lowered his bat, taking a step away from Doppio in order to save this situation. Though this didn't seem to placate the princess as she shot him an even harsher glare and spoke with a more authoritative tone. "Well Husk? Care to explain why you were about to bash this guy's brain into mush just now?"
"Ah, calm your tits princess," Husk said nonchalantly, irking Charlie and Vaggie. "It ain't nothing to concern yourself over. This punk was in here trying to play some kinda joke, so I was about to kindly suggest for him to go somewhere else with his schtick."
"A joke?" Charlie said as she glanced over to a nervous looking Doppio. That didn't sound quite right. Even though their earlier encounter was brief, the pinkette didn't seem like the comedic type. "And what kind of joke would that be?"
"Tch, well that's the weird thing. Fruit loop here said he wanted to-." But before the feline could explain, his superior cut him off.
"I wasn't asking you Husk, I was asking our guest here." Charlie said with an annoyed look before looking back at Doppio, her gaze somewhat softening. "I apologize for that Mr. Vinegar. Please, explain yourself."
'Mr. Vinegar?' Husk thought, caught off guard by how she addressed the not-so-strange stranger. What kinda name was Vinegar, and more importantly how the hell did princess here know who this guy was? Also, why did his name sound so familiar for some reason?
"E-Eh, thank you Mrs. Charlie." Doppio said with a slight bow. Whether he was showing gratitude for her allowing him to continue or stopping Husk from smacking him with a bat, Charlie wasn't too sure. "Ahem, as I was explaining to your…. generous barkeeper here, I was somewhat curious in checking out this fine establishment and wanted to ask some questions if that was alright?"
This caught both Charlie and Vaggie off guard, while Husk rolled his eyes at such bullshit. "O-Oh, and what for may I ask?"
"W-Well," Doppio stammered, trying to explain himself without revealing his true intentions just yet. "Earlier today on my way home from work I stumbled upon one of your flyers and well, I couldn't help but think back to that conversation we had this morning and…. Well, to put it simply, I'm considering joining this rehab program you got. And I feel like checking this place out and asking some questions could help me in my decision. So if it's not too much trouble, I'd like a little bit of your time here?"
If Charlie and Vaggie were caught off guard before, they were completely floored by what the rubber Demon had just said. Did they hear that right, he was actually interested in joining the hotel of his own accord?! Both women couldn't believe it, though for varying reasons.
While Vaggie did want Charlie's goal to succeed, the pessimistic part of her couldn't help but feel wary of the pinkette. She still didn't trust him after all and giving him a tour of the place, even if it did sound reasonable, didn't sit right with her. After all, what if, on the off chance, Husk was actually right for once and this guy was trying to pull some kinda joke? She didn't wanna risk that and have the hotel's public opinion dip farther down the negatives than it already did, and was about to advise her caution to Charlie.
Unfortunately for the Salvadoran woman, Charlie would not be listening as the giddy, child-like optimistic part of her overrides any semblance of logical thinking, causing her to bolt down the stairs towards Doppio at surprising speed with a large smile plastered on her face. "N-No, no! Not at all! I'd be honored to give you a tour of the hotel!"
"Huh?!" Husk said as he stared at his boss as if she grew a second head. "Hang on here Charles, don't tell me you actually bought that crap?! The guy's clearly just trying to get a cheap laugh from ya!"
"Hush you!" Charlie said, her eyes briefly turning red for a second. "Unlike Angel Dust, Mr. Doppio here doesn't seem like the type to pull such cruel jokes if our first conversation is anything to go by. He seems like a true gentleman."
"First conversation? What are you talking abo-?" Husk paused as his mind wandered back to what Doppio said moments before, and the conversation that he and Vaggie had much earlier. Piecing it together, he looked up at Vaggie with clear realization. "Wait a second, that's the guy you two ran into this morning?"
"Pretty much." Vaggie plainly answered, arms folded as she looked down at the scene below.
"Huh." Husk looked back at Doppio with an inquisitive look. So this was the guy who actually thought the princesses' idea could work. Gotta say, this was a surprising turn of fate in his opinion. Few hours ago Vaggie was talking about the guy, and now here he was in all his glory. He didn't think he'd be meeting the pinkette at all, let alone this soon. Honestly, Husk didn't know if he should've found it funny that the kid just so happened to show up or strange.
Though, it appeared Charlie didn't share in the feline's thoughts, as she excitedly grabbed the young adult's wrist and began ushering him to a passageway to the right. "Oh, you can't tell how happy I am to have a brand new resident at the hotel! I promise you Mr. Doppio, that by the end of this you'll just love the place! And don't be afraid to ask anything either, it'll be my pleasure!"
"U-Uh, sure thing." Doppio said, flustered. Between her giddiness (that he had to admit found somewhat cute) and the fact that a pretty woman was holding him, Doppio was about ready to melt from embarrassment. "L-Lead the way Mrs. Charlie."
Taking his incentive, Charlie began to drag the blushing Demon out of the room to show him the many wonders the hotel had to offer, excitedly chatting about every little detail about the place, leaving Husk and Vaggie behind, the latter climbing down the stairs as she stared in the direction her girlfriend went off.
"Wow, I haven't seen her this excited ever since she was able to convince Angel to join the program." Vaggie said, a bit surprised to see Charlie in such a giddy mood after so long.
"Ain't you gonna go after her? Make sure pinky don't try anything funny?" Husk asked as he returned to the bar, placing the bat back where it was.
"Eh," Vaggie shrugged. "I don't think that's necessary. If his quivering at your threats when we got here is anything to go by, he doesn't seem to be the confrontational type and even if he did try anything, I have no doubt Charlie could wipe the floor with him easily. Besides, did you see the look on Charlie's face? I haven't seen her this happy since she got the go-ahead for the hotel from her dad. I say let's let her have fun and, if by some infinitesimal chance that you're right for once and this is some sorta cruel prank, the second he hurts Charlie's feelings I'll happily make it so that he'll have to regenerate for the next ten thousand years." She said that last bit with a serious ferocious scowl on her face.
Though as quickly as it came, Vaggie dropped her scowl and began making her way to a nearby utility closet. "Besides, there's a reason we came down here in the first place. Nifty's in the vents again and now I gotta get the traps back out."
"Seriously," Husk asked incredulously. "I thought you two bolted all the freakin' grates?"
"We did, but I guess not tightly enough," Vaggie said exasperatedly as she grabbed the closet's handle. "So if you'll excuse me, I'm going to try and see if I can get her out before nightfall. And before she can accidentally wreck the hotel's ventilation." She said that last bit more to herself than to Husk as she opened the door and stepped in, closing it behind her.
With the Moth Demon temporarily vacant, Husk was once again alone in the lobby of the Hazbin Hotel, left with the only company being himself and his thoughts. And suffice to say, he had a lot to think over as he made his way behind the bars counter and began pouring himself a drink to help him think over exactly what the Hell just happened.
In the short amount of time he's been working here, the Sphinx quickly learned that outside of Angel's usually asinine antics and Nifty's frequently cleaning frenzies, the hotel offered little in terms of excitement or activity. The most eventful occurrence he can remember was when that freaky fuck Alastor destroyed that old timey worm's zeppelin when he started his tenure here. After that, it's just been him sitting at this bar doing nothing, bored out of his freaking mind, while his employers were upstairs trying to rack in patients or whatever shit they did.
Now, he was no stranger to these types of jobs. Back when he was alive and serving the military, he did a lot of stuff that was mostly just sitting around guarding some shit or laying in wait to ambush the enemies. But holy fuck, during those assignments he could at the very least talk to someone in his platoon or something! This was just him sitting here counting away the seconds. If it weren't for all the free booze, he would've left this place on day two.
Anyway, he's getting off track here. So imagine his surprise that the guy Charlie and Vaggie bumped into earlier just so happened to waltz on in, claiming he was interested in this rehab junk. Now, Husk wasn't exactly sure what to think of the pink haired rubber doll. Thanks to his experiences from playing poker, he's developed a knack for reading people based on little details and from what he's seen, this Doppio guy seems like the type he should be worried about. Just a soft-spoken, regular guy that clearly can't handle direct confrontation and, by the way he spoke and the way Vaggie described him earlier, a seemingly honest guy who's one of the only people in all of Hell that believes Charlie's idea has some merit. And despite his frightened behavior when he was being threatened with a baseball bat, he didn't show any signs of deceit.
However, that didn't mean Husk shouldn't be wary of him. Because while sure, he could read people, that didn't mean he was a perfect judge of character. He's met a few people both in life and afterlife that were good at hiding their true natures, and he wasn't sure if this Doppio guy was one of them or not. Plus this was Hell after all, you don't just wind up down here for nothing. The kid must've done something awful in life to end up here in the first place.
So, in case the kid were to decide to stay here, Husk would make sure to keep a close eye on the kid for a little while, at least until he got a good feel on the kid. With any luck, he won't be as much of a headache as the other occupants in this madhouse.
Meanwhile, far off in the western area of Pentagram City, the sounds of explosions and laser fire filled the air as two opposing forces duked it out with one another, reducing the cityscape around them to nothing but mountains of rubble and flaming wreckage. If you weren't a denizen of Hell or a new arrival, you'd certainly be asking yourself "who or what could be causing such devastation and why"? Well to answer that question, one needn't look to long-
BBBOOOOMMMM!
To find the source.
"Kyahh!" A figure screamed as he, along with several others, went sailing from a powerful explosion. Causing them to rather painfully slam into the remains of a partially destroyed brick wall, which crumbled into a mere pile beneath the figure and kicked up a pile of dust in the wake, while the other individuals landed on the pavement around them with some letting out wet, sicking cracks.
"Gyahhsssss." The figure hissed as it lifted it's head up and rubbed it's aching head while the rest of it's bruised, battered body throbbed in pain from the force of the impact. The dust cloud around him quickly settled, giving any onlookers a full view of his frame.
The figure was a male Demon that resembled a humanoid serpent, a cobra to be precise, with charcoal black skin with yellow coloring on his hood and tail and had a long gangly neck and arms that ended with pointed red fingers, red eyes with narrow pupils, and a wide mouth full of sharp teeth and fangs. On his cobra hood rested four additionally similar eyes that were so large they completely dwarfed his head, as well as several softball sized ones that traveled down his tail's length. His outfit, which was torn and covered in singed marks, consists of a dark grey jacket pinstriped with yellow, a yellow undershirt with yet another eye in the center, a black bowtie with a yellow center, black fingerless gloves with yellow dots on each knuckle, and lastly a tophat with the top being the same dark grey on the bottom while it was a lighter shade on top. The most eye catchy detail about the headwear however was the fact that it had a maw of sharp teeth and a red eye of its own that actually moved on its own accord as they held a similarly pained expression like that of its master.
This finely dressed character, who would look right at home during the Victorian era, was Sir Pentious. A former inverter in life, Sir Pentious arrived in Hell sometime during 1888 after a failed botched experiment ended up taking his along with half a small town's worth of people's lives. Being here such a long time, Pentious has made his way through the lower echelons of Hell's society and has secured himself the title of being a wealthy, steampunk mad scientist…. and a would-be conqueror.
And lately, he's been trying to seize up the empty territory of the west side of Hell after the previous occupants were wiped out during most recent exterminations. However, as you could tell be the state of both his attire and the surrounding area, that wasn't going over so smoothly. Normally with the help of his inventions and underling's the Egg Bois, sentient eggs wearing clothing Identical to his (who were currently sprawled out all around him on the ground, some of which were heavily cracked or destroyed), it would be no issue to snatch up this piece of territory. But his plans have been facing a constant roadblock. An annoying, insufferable roadblock who goes by the name of-
"So Cobra Commander," Sir Pentious' eyes snapped open at the taunting female voice a few feet in front of him. Causing him to look up with a scowl plastered on his face. "Help me out with this will ya? That had to be like, what, the twelfth or thirteenth time I've sent you and your bootlicking chicken abortions here flying so far today? Can't really remember honestly, I lost track after the sixth time I sent you rocketing into the air when I blew up that toy robot of yours."
"You…." Sir Pentious hissed, figuratively this time, as he glared up at the bane of his afterlife who was standing atop the rubble of what was once a two story building, tossing a small red cartoon bomb in her hand nonchalantly as she gave a cruel smile down at the exhausted snake.
The woman in question was an alabaster skinned cyclops Demon with long pink hair, some of which was tied into a ponytail that contains white and blond accents. Her singular hot pink eye, which had a ton of mascara, contained a yellow X-shaped eye with a deathly pallor. Pink freckles peppered her face and right shoulder, along with a tattoo running down the length of the right arm. Her choice in fashion could be described as very pink rock, as her outfit was a red off-shoulder crop tops with a black X on the left over a black bra, an equally red miniskirt with buttons on the front and a loose suspender, torn black leggings, long fingerless satin gloves that match with the rest with her outfit, with a tattoo sleeve ok n the right, and lastly and most certainly oddly, a single red boot with a star on the front covering her left foot while her right one was covered in a white and red sock. And unlike her much older adversary, she was as fit as a fiddle.
This spunky little firecracker was Cherri Bomb, a one woman explosives depot with enough ka-boom to probably reduce all of Pentagram City to cinder's if the mood ever struck her. Which wouldn't be too out of her character thanks to her wild, carefree attitude. She could honestly be described as the complete polar opposite of Sir Pentious really. Whereas he's a (somewhat) strategic inventor with an army of eggs behind his back and is constantly trying to be "hip", Cherri was a more eccentric lone wolf who, despite having street cred and a reputation, didn't really give a shit what others thought of her. Though she wasn't afraid of showing others who was boss.
Which was what she was currently doing right now. Showing, as she liked to call him, Sir Edgelord who the vacant territory of the westside really belonged to.
Cause you see, both her and hissy here have been fighting over this part of town since the last poor bastard's got iced during the purge, and if you think she's just gonna let this old-timey, mustache-twirling senile fuck take it for himself, she'd laugh in you face about how fucking stupid you'd sound. This place belonged to one motherfucker, and that was her and her alone!
Now yes, she could've probably taken the westside by now had she decided to stop fucking around and took this seriously, but…. Come on, she was fighting the snake equivalent of Dick Dastardly here! She was having waaay too much fun to stop now.
Speaking of whom, said serpent from a bygone age quickly got to his, uh, tail, and pointed a miniscule finger at the smug Cherri. "I've had it up to here with you missssy! At every turn you've been nothing but a constant thorn in my side! I should be building my vassst empire by now, not toiling away in the streets duking it out with some harlot like a common drunkard! I have standards!"
"Aww, what's wrong Penty? Mad because I blew up your toys earlier?" Cherri said in a condescending tone, as if speaking to the elderly. "I'm surprised you still remember that, given your Alzheimer's and crap."
Sir Pentious growled in fury at the degrading jab at his age, clearly not finding anything about it hilarious. "Will. You. Stop That! I'll have you know that I died at the ripe old age of 41! I've practically been in my prime for over a century!"
"Pffthhahaha, right, sure! If your definition of prime means those spindly little noodle arms then I guess you're right!." The bombastic gal asked, her smile never leaving her face as she hopped off the pile of rubble she stood upon, landing a few feet in front of Pentious. "But it doesn't really matter what kind of condition your body's in regardless. You could be a fucking three-time olympic gold medalist and still get your ass kicked by me! Honestly, I would feel bad for ya if it weren't so hilarious!"
"Why you no good little-!" Sir Pentious fumed as his eye twitched at the cyclops sheer disrespect, before digging into his ruined jacket with both hands to pull out a pair of dual futuristic-looking pistols. "Why don't you just go and get as the kids say; Yeeted On!"
With his declaration the mad scientist aimed his devices and the still confident Cherri and pulled the triggers, sending out two bolts of pink fluctuating energy that screamed through the air towards their target. However, almost as if by practice, Cherri merely approached the incoming projectiles with an aloof stride and positioned herself in a way that, when she twisted her body so that her side faced forward, she was able to narrowly fit in the space between the beams, causing them to fly past her and strike the rubble pile she stood on previously. Turning it into a cloud of finely granulated brick and mortar.
"Hahaha! Oh God, that's another thing I fucking love about you! The way you try to sound like you're hip and shit when really you sound like an idiot!." Cherri cackled, finding the serpent's attempts to be "hip" absolutely adorable while Sir Pentious was infuriated even further as he aimed his weapons once more.
"Grrrh! Shut up Pwned, get Noobed!" With a speed you wouldn't expect anyone to have in their fingers, Sir Pentious fired out a volley of deadly laser beams at his enemy in the hopes of reducing some part of her body, (mainly her head), into nothing but a fine pink mist wafting in the wind. Yet no matter how many he sent her way, Cherri Bomb was able to effortlessly dodge each incoming beam with a flawless grace that could put even the most acrobatic figure to shame, and with every successful dodge, she would inch closer and closer to the old-fashioned inventor. A fact that he was able to notice despite his furious state and only served to make his shooting more erratic thanks to panic.
After dodging what seemed like an endless reservoir of laser fire, when Cherri was merely a few meters away from being within arms length of Sir Pentious she swiftly brought her hands to her chest and raised her right leg up into the air in the blink of the eye and, without warning, tossed the little red bomb she had been hanging onto right at the snake like a pitcher, giving the poor s.o.b little time to react as sailed right for him. The explosives small wick receded into itself when it was mere inches away from his head, causing it to explode in his face and sent him flying once more with a pained cry, much to Cherri's delight and remaining Egg Bois dismay.
"Oh no, boss!" One of them, who thankfully didn't look too worse for wear unlike most of his brothers, cried out as he watched their leader get sent flying once more. "Boys, cmon! Get yourselves together already! We gotta get out there and help out the bo–!" Unfortunately for him, however, his attempt to rally the remaining Egg Bois together fell flat when an explosive struck him against the back of the head and sent bits of shell and yolk flying, frightening the others.
"Nobody likes a third wheel Shell Head." Cherri said disinterestedly as she simply materialized another bomb and began tossing it in her hand as he sauntered off to where Pentious had crashed landed, eager to continue their little date.
Meanwhile, said serpent was currently trying to get back up on his metaphorical feet while coughing out small clouds of black smoke and bits of concrete he accidentally swallowed during his impact with the ground, which only served to remind him of the predicament he was in. Things have certainly been going downhill as of late ever since his humiliating defeat at the hands of the Radio Demon some time ago. After he and his minions managed to lick their wounds, the would-be conqueror decided it was best to set his sights on the west side for now and deal with Alastor later. After all, what was one pyrotechnic harlot compared to him, his inventions, and an army of loyal egg minions in the end?
Apparently a lot given the past few days.
At the time, he figured it would be easy to take care of Cherri in the long run as long as he overwhelmed her with numbers and superior tech, especially now that her four armed companion was nowhere to be seen. The west side of Pentagram City should've already been his by now! Yet It wasn't. Instead he was pissing away both machines and minions that had taken him years to obtain left and right all because this ruffian was making a fool out of him. It wasn't right, he thought. He shouldn't have to be reduced to this by someone like her! He's been here far longer than her, he's spent decades working his way up from the bottom with his blood, sweat, and tears (before he got minions to do the work that is) while this jezebel toiled about like an uncivilized child! He isn't going to lose to someone like her, he was gonna–!
Tink! Tink! Tink!
Sir Pentous was broken from his mental build-up by the sound of something metallic landing on the ground in front of him, making him look down to see it was one of Cherri Bomb's explosives. It seems that while he was, as the kids call it, hyping himself up, he failed to notice the Demoness flick on of her trademark bombs at him.
"Oh bollocks." Was all Pentious was able to say before the bomb exploded, once again sending him flying back from the force while Cherri clutched her stomach and laughed like there was no tomorrow.
"Gahahahahaha! Oh man, he didn't even see that one coming! It was like he had his head so far up his ass he didn't notice me standing a few feet away! Man, what fucking dumbass! Gahahahahaha!"
"Mhmhmh, I must say, the sigh of that old fool going flying was certainly a treat to see. Though, perhaps you're enjoying torturing the poor man a bit too much in my opinion." As if a switch had been flipped, Cherri immediately stopped her laughter as her expression became one of shock and surprise from hearing the voice coming behind her. Now, normally Cherri wasn't one to be caught off guard by something like that. During her formative years in Hell, she learned quickly to expect the unexpected if she wanted to so much as survive on the streets, as an attack from anyone could happen at any given moment in time. However what surprised her was that the voice didn't belong to any of those dopey Egg Bois Sir Pentious kept in his care. It was deep, masculine, and had an accent to it that she thinked was cajun, but she wasn't sure. Again, this normally wouldn't catch her off guard if it weren't for the fact that they were in the middle of an active warzone, one that not even the likes of the Vee's would step one foot in, so whoever this was either had balls of steel or was a reckless moron.
Turning her head back Cherri bomb was met with the sight of, in her opinion, the most human looking Sinner Demon she has ever come across. He had short blonde hair in sparse spikes, an average build and height for an adult man, and wore a violet coat and pants with black paisley patterns all over them with a blue shirt underneath. Interestingly, he seemed to have two sets of eyebrows. Normal dark ones, and ones in the shape of large circles tapering into short tails just above the first pair. Other than that though, he looked like he could fit on Earth if he wanted to.
Though, keyword being could.
Because even though he was the most human looking Demon she had ever seen, there were some things that still ousted him. Mainly his clammy, rotting looking skin that clung to his body making him look gaunt. Eyes that were so milky white Cherri couldn't tell if he could see or not. And the fact that he lacked a nose, lips, or any skin on his cheeks, showing all his teeth for the world to see. For all intents and purposes, he looked like a corpse that had been left rotting in some Floridian swamp for weeks.
Cherri was about to ask just who the fuck this guy was supposed to be, but was cut off when he continued. "Now, I can understand the appeal of smacking around a poor defenseless schmuck every now and again. Heck, I'm guilty of that myself. Though after a while, it gets stale real quick. It's not much of a challenge if you don't even give the s.o.b a chance after all."
"What can I say, fucking with the guy has a certain charm to it that never gets old." Cherri said in a not so friendly tone as she eyed the stranger suspiciously, ready to fight back if he tried anything. "Though I don't remember asking for your opinion at all, so who the fuck asked you? While I'm at it, who the fuck even are you and where'd you come from?!"
Rather than take offense at Cherri's tone and language, the gaunt Demon politely bowed to her. "Where are my manners Ma'am? Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Introbra, a fellow Sinner and a gang leader such as yourself. I apologize for taking the time out of your… busy schedule, but I'm afraid I didn't come here to make small pleasantries. I came here to discuss the business regarding the transfer of the West Sides territory to a new owner. I'm afraid that it is no longer on the market, so to speak."
If she was capable of doing so, Cherri would be cocking a brow in confusion at the sheer ridiculousness at what the Demon just said. Was-Was he being serious right now?! Or was this some kinda lame ass prank or something?! Either way, Cherri's confusion was giving way to humor, and she could help but guffaw. "Hahaha, are you for real buddy?! Cause if so, you've gotta be the biggest dumbass in all the Seven Rings if you think I'm gonna give up this stretch of turf!"
This seemed to cause a reaction, as Introbra's ghastly maw lowered into a frown somehow. But still, he kept up the appearance of a fine southern gentleman. "I'm afraid not Ma'am. You see, It may come as a shock to someone with a… flair for the dramatics such as yourself, but there are other, more civilized, ways to obtain territory than through brute force. And as of recently, the paperwork to finalize the transfer of land has been completed, meaning that you and your friend that's sprawled out on the pavement some ways off must take your brawl elsewhere so that we can begin renovations."
This… was news to Cherri as her previous amusement returned back to confusion and was slowly building to rage as she thought on what was said. There was someone else vying for the West Side as well, and they already got it through… paperwork?! T-That's such bullshit! This was Hell, you didn't get shit through boring office crap, you take by force and kick down anyone who tries to say otherwise. Unless you held more power than some of the most powerful Overlords, pieces of paper were nothing against gunfire and explosives. Besides, who the here did this walking corpse think he was talking to?! She was freaking Cherri Bomb, the baddest bitch in this dump! She worked her ass off to the bone to get everything she had, including this place! And if he thinks she's about to give this place up because some asshole has their name on the deed, they're in for a rude awakening!
Twisting her full body around to face Introbra, she glared menacingly at him as she readied her bombs to send him to the second grave. "Oh yeah tall, dark and butt-fucking ugly?! Says who?!"
"Says my employer, the leader of the Gears of Fate." Introbra says with the most uninterested tone he could.
And just like that, all the fire in Cherri's body was instantly snuffed out as her body locked up and her eye went wide at the name while the grip she had on her bombs vanished, causing the little red orbs to fall and bounce on the ground harmlessly.
"Ah, it seems now I've finally got your attention." The living husk before her said as his frown turned upside down. "That's right missy, your ears do not deceive you. I personally work under the big man himself. I'm sure you've heard of their illustrious reputation given your reaction there."
Heard of? That's the biggest fucking understatement of the century right there. Practically everyone in all of Hell has heard of the gang, and she hasn't just heard of them, she's seen the kind of influence they have down here.
The Gears of Fate, one of the most, if not the most infamous gang in all the seven circles. A once small group of no named Fallers that quickly rose to power in '90 after wiping out a previous big gang and claiming their territory. Since then, they've only been gaining more power, going from a dinky little group with little to their name, to a massive criminal empire with huge swaths of territory, manpower, money, political influence, and a fuckton of other things. What made them particularly dangerous was the fact that most of the high ranking members possessed some kind of weird abilities, supernatural powers and shit, kinda like she does with her bombs. It's been said through the streets that the only force that could rival them was old Lucy and his army, though that was probably over exaggeration. It just had to be.
And then there was their boss. Nobody knows exactly who he was or where he came from, if they weren't a part of his inner circle that is, but there have been rumors here or there that she wasn't sure were true or not. All anybody knew was that he showed up down here sometime during the 90's and since then he's been amassing power like nobody ever has. He was practically an Overlord in everything but name due in part to the large stockpiles of Angelic weapons he's garnered during his time here.
Weapons he's gotten by killing Exterminators mind you. With his bare fucking hands no less.
That fact alone was enough reason for Cherri to be put off by the guy. Because nobody, not even the strongest of Overlords like Alastor or Vox, fucked with those guys. Sure they looked like scrawny shits with spears and wings, but they were definitely faster, stronger, and a hell of a lot more durable than looks would suggest, and the fact that they use swarm tactics to overwhelm Demons made them an unstoppable force to be reckoned with. Yet every year, after the yearly Exterminations, an entire group of those fuckers would be found lying dead in the streets with their weapons gone and their bodies riddled with deep craters caused by blunt impact. And although he's never come out and outright admit to it, there are several witnesses who can verify that fact.
But that wasn't the only reason she had to be extremely cautious with the guy. She never met the guy before, never even seen his face, but she could tell that there was something wrong with him. Something oppressive. She's seen what kind of an effect he's had in Hell's criminal underbelly, how once powerful gangsters and even Warlords just disappeared one day without a trace, only to be found dead days later while their territory and everything that came with it were absorbed into his empire. She's heard rumors about how those who were lucky enough to meet him and live were so scared that they either pledged their lives to him, or just gave him everything they had before fucking off to go live in the barren wasteland outside the cities. If that wasn't enough, the guy had eyes and ears everywhere in not just the Pride, but all the other Rings as well thanks to the numerous natural born Demon's he has in his pocket. That means if there was something important going on, he'd be one of the few to find out about it first.
And she was being told by an errand boy of his that he was claiming the entire West Side for his own. Now under normal circumstances, she would've just blasted the creep into smithereens and sent his still functioning head to his boss in a box as a message. However unlike Sir Pretentious, she knew fucking with the Gears in anyway wouldn't end well for her, so as much as it made her want to violently puke out her innards, she'd have to tread carefully.
So, steeling her nerves, she spoke up in the most confident voice she could muster. "I've heard some stuff here and there, what of it? You think that's gonna be enough to scare me off or something?"
"Well, I would certainly hope so." Introbra said as he kicked a small piece of rubble off to the side. "Because depending on what you've heard, you should know the big man doesn't like squatters living on his turf for free. Heck, the only reason you and snake boy are still breathing is cause you're not even worth wasting Seraphim bullets on. Plus, boss and I are sure someone as crass as yourself is smart enough to know what battles you can and can't win."
That seemed to put a little fire back into Cherri as she scowled at her fellow Sinner. "So I should just give up the place I've spent weeks fighting for and fuck off somewhere else then?"
"Well, I wouldn't put it like that, but yes. You see, just like me, the previous gang leaders of this area worked under him before they bit the big one, and before that they signed a contractual agreement stating that upon their deaths, the area was to be transferred over to my employer. Originally, I was meant to oversee the transfer of this territory, but unfortunately two certain people just had to have their little fight here. The only reason I'm doing this now is because the chaos has died down enough where I can step into this mess without having to risk getting blown to bits." Introbra explained before adding. "Though, it doesn't necessarily have to be that way. If this place means so much to you, I'm sure the boss would let you have it. That is, if you decided to join us that is. Going freelance must be pretty tiring after all?"
"Tch, hard pass." Cherri said, lips curling into a sneer. "If you knew anything about me, you would know that I don't work for or with anyone besides this bitch," She pointed to herself. "So you can take your piss poor excuse of an invite and shove it up your ass!"
"Is that so?" Introbra asked as he raised a brow. "That's funny considering all those times I've seen you on the news parading around with that pornstar wreaking havoc on whatever poor S.O.B in your path, like when you two were making scrambled eggs out of snake boy's henchmen. Wasn't that an example of you working with someone, or was he just doing you a favor to get into that ratty little skirt of yours? I have heard despite the little fruitcake's preferences, he wasn't afraid of playing with the opposite team now and then, hehehe."
"Hey, don't talk about him like that asshole!" Cherri snapped, venom dripping from her voice as she pointed an accusatory finger at the mobster while forming a bomb in her other hand. "I don't give a rat's ass if you work for the Gears or not! If you speak about Angel again I'll atomize your fucking carcass across this entire place!"
"Whoa, easy there tiger. No need to get the claws out, I get the message." Introbra said as he raised his hands up defensively, but his tone and expression made it clear he wasn't intimidated in the slightest. "And if you don't wanna join our crew, then it's no skin off my bones. Either way we're still gettin the turf, recruiting you was just something to earn me brownie points with the big man."
Turning on his heel, the emaciated corpse began walking back to who knows where, still talking to Cherri as he did so. "I'd recommend vacating the premises before nightfall my dear, you know how the boss gets about squatters in his property. Oh, and take that little worm with you too. I don't care where you two have your little lovers' spats, you just can't do it here anymore."
Cherri's eye narrowed at the retreating form of the Demon, teeth snarled as she tightened her fists. How dare that patronizing piece of shit talk back to her like that, she was the fucking Cherri Bomb! She did not spend forty long, grueling years of her goddamn afterlife building her rep for some jackass to treat her like that! She had half the mind to go up to him, pry open his jaw, and cram the biggest bomb she could hold down his rotten fucking thro–!
"One last thing," Introbra suddenly stopped in his tracks, his voice suddenly cold and serious. Twisting his head back in a sickening angle, his dead grey eyes peering into her red one. "I wouldn't suggest going off and doing something stupid to piss the big man off, sweetheart. I know girls like you with such a fiery disposition tend to throw caution in the wind, especially when scorned, and with your explosive reputation that's an understatement. So from one gang leader to another, I'd really suggest you just cut your losses and find something else to fret over. I'd hate to hear one day that such a pretty little thing like yourself getting murked all because she decided to mess with the wrong person. Just cause you lost the West Side don't mean it's the end of the world."
"Fuck you." Cherri snarled, her patience with the freak about ready to explode any second.
Instead of being offended though, the gangleader just shrugged. "Just saying, you got that look in your eye that tells me you're about to do something too reckless even for you. Figured I'd give a piece of advice."
Turning away, he resumed walking off in the distance, leaving Cherri to just stand there and simmer in her own rage as she watched him go. Even when he disappeared from sight by walking down a hill of debris, she still stood there as she let her fury fester and boil. Once she thought he was out of earshot though–
"RRRRAAAHHHHH!"
– she finally exploded. Screaming so loud it shook the ground beneath her, she raised her booted foot high before kicking it against a chunk of concrete next to her. Shattering a huge portion of it in the process.
"Fuck! Fuck, Fuck, Fuck! FUCK!" She screamed, kicking the slab with each swear from her mouth. By the twelfth kick, she had completely reduced it into nothing more than pebbles, while her only boot was torn up from the force of her kicks. Not that she cared mind you, as she just proceeded to stomp the pebbles into dust. "Four weeks, four goddamn fucking weeks down the fucking drain! It's not fucking fair!"
With one last stomp that shattered the pavement beneath her, she snarled as she processed everything that had happened. This wasn't right! It took her several sleepless nights to wipe out all the competition from this place and just as she was about to reach the cusp of victory, some cocksucker swoops in and tells her the place was already claimed?! Fuck him, and fuck his boss too! This was suppose to be her territory, she fought hard for the fucking thing! Who was he to just swoop in and take it from her when he didn't so much as lift a finger?! He couldn't even come here himself to tell her, he just sent that shriveled up shitstain instead?! And to add insult to injury he had the nerve to warn her not to do something reckless?! Oh, she'll show that motherfucker reckless alright, just you wait!
"There you are, hussy!" The shrill voice of Sir Pentious suddenly shouted from behind, having finally recovered and was pointing what looked like a raygun at the back of her head. "Thought you could get rid of me that easily did you?! Well tough luck missy, It'll take far more than that to defeat the almighty Sir Pentious! Now d–!"
Before he could finish his spiel and pull the trigger, he choked up when Cherri whipped her head around towards the cobra, her expression on longer holding its smug playfulness or care-free nature. What took its place was a fierce snarl full of sharp teeth, and her eye becoming filled with pure animalistic rage. So much so, that the eccentric inventor believed she'd pop a blood vessel any second. Pentious couldn't lie… seeing her in this new light was unnerving.
He didn't get to see her like this for long though, as she immediately spun the rest of her body around and chucked another bomb at him, this time with a lot more force. Resulting in the snake being blown away by yet another explosion and slamming back first into the cracked and charred remains of a nearby brick wall with a crunch. Which then promptly fell apart and crushed the poor Sinner in a pile of debris.
"Piss off you fucking edgy shitstain, I'm not in the fucking mood anymore!" Cherri yelled so angrily that a bit of her Australian accent slipped out. Spinning on her heel, she began to stomp away as she clenched her fists and ground her teeth. She couldn't deal with Sir Pretentious right fucking now! She couldn't deal with any shit right! She needed to get the fuck out of their and– and–! Fuck she doesn't know, drink, fuck, blow shit up?! Anything to calm her down, she doesn't care!
As Cherri disappeared from sight what remained of the Eggbois, who had been standing in freight the whole time and listened to the conversion between her and Introbra, simply watched her leave before turning their attention to the rubble pile their boss was buried under. And fearing she may come back, they immediately rushed toward their master to dig him out and retreat to their lair. They might've lost today, but they knew their boss would pull through and come up with another ingenious plan. He always does after all.
"And finally, we have the second story ballroom that we've converted into a sorta rec area for residents to simply pass the time if they so please. I apologize for the sparsity in here, we're still trying to get our hands on some equipment to fill out the room. Still, there are billiard tables, foosball, and velcro darts if you're interested. Do you play darts Mr. Vinegar?" Charlie cheerfully said as she ushered Doppio into the last stop of their tour.
"Sadly no," he said as he strolled into the room and looked around. "I'm more the type of person who enjoys calming pastimes like reading and such."
"Well, nothing wrong with that I suppose. We do have a study on the fourth floor that we are planning on turning into a library of sorts, but we're still in the process of cleaning that up. Aside from that well…" Charlie smiled slightly as she gestured around the room. "This concludes the tour of the hotel. Do you have anything you'd like to say Mr. Vinegar? Questions, comments, concerns?"
'Whether you'll be staying here or not?' She thought to herself, desperate to hear a 'yes' from him.
"O-Oh, it's over already? With how big this place was, I imagined there was a whole lot more to see?" Doppio said, surprised that their tour of the place was so quick. It couldn't have been no more than half an hour since they began.
"Well, unfortunately, we're still in the middle of renovations and acquiring the equipment necessary to transform other areas of the hotel into places where guests can engage in more productive activities. We are still relatively new after all." Charlie explained, hoping that the lack of amenities wouldn't put off a potential client. Angel Dust had been quite vocal about there being not much to do since taking up residency.
Thankfully, Doppio was more understanding than the resident porn star."Oh, well in that case I can understand that. Regardless of its state though, I must say this is quite the nice operation you've got going here Mrs. Charlie."
"Does that mean you'll consider checking in?" She asked in a hopeful manner, trying not to get ahead of herself. While he may sound sincere, that didn't mean he was fully onboard with the idea.
"Hmm, I don't know?" Doppio said in an uncertain tone. "While this place is nice, I do have a few questions to ask before I can make a decision."
"But of course. I'd be more than happy to answer any questions you might have." Charlie said with sincerity. She had done something similar with Angel before, so as long as he didn't ask anything like 'hey, there any drug vendors in this dump' or 'I can bring fuck buddies over, right', she should be able to answer whatever he throws her way. Piece of cake.
"Alright, well first thing I was curious about was the general rules and guidelines about the place. Like is there a mandatory curfew or something, do we have to attend daily meetings, that sorta stuff?"
…Okay, Charlie wasn't expecting that sort of question. How in the here was someone so well mannered and mature down here in the first place? "U-Um, well, we do have a few small rules for our residents to go by. Firstly being that you don't cause any trouble for us or any other residents in our care. We can't have anyone who's staying here negatively impact the mission of our hotel after all."
Doppio nodded. "That makes sense, you guys are running a rehab clinic after all so it'd do nobody any good to cause any sort of ruckus all of the sudden. Anything else I should know?"
"O-Oh, um, well besides that the only other "major rule" we have here is that those who do sign up must engage, or at the very least show up for any of the activities that help in rehabilitation. Although the place might have 'hotel' in the name, we can't just exactly let people live here without doing the program."
"I see," Doppio said, sounding a little discouraged by what he had heard. He knew it was something to expect, it was a clinic after all, but he was worried whether their program would cut into his life or not. "What if a potential client had a job or other responsibilities they had to attend to that would prevent them from engaging with the hotel's rehab process at times? Would that prevent anyone from joining up or get them kicked out?"
Charlie opened her mouth to say something, but stopped to carefully think over the good point he brought up. "Well… that depends on the kind of job and responsibilities. If you must, we can allow you to miss out on a few activities to take care of any business you may have, but it must be something productive. Our current patient is an exception to this, though we allow it as he still partakes in the program most of the time. Do you have a line of work that demands a lot of your time, Mr. Vinegar?"
Doppio nodded. "Yes, actually. I'm a private tutor currently working for a wealthy family, helping teach their teenage daughter highschool subjects like math, history and the likes. Most of my freetime after work is spent grading papers and making sure to get all that information to the board of education which, like with every other bureaucratic system down here, is a massive headache to deal with. So as you could probably imagine, I'm not left with a lot of freetime. I'm worried that could be an issue though if I do join."
Charlie slowly blinked as she processed the Demons words, unsure if she heard that correctly, before a large smile graced her features. "No, no Mr. Vinegar, not at all! A Sinner like you having such a productive line of work is exactly the type of person the hotel is looking for, in fact we actually encourage our patients to seek out such careers as we believe it helps with the redemption process! We can easily set up some activities that work around your schedule, so you won't have to worry your pretty pink head about shrinking on your responsibilities!"
"Really? That's fantastic to hear then. For a minute there I was worried that this place would have the type of rehab that keeps you cooped up here 24/7." Doppio said somewhat relieved.
"Haha, goodness no," Charlie laughed. "Here at the Happy Hotel, we like to give our patients the option to leave the premises so long as they either behave in a respectable manner or have a sponsor with them. We're not like those clinics Verosika Mayday goes to every other week that practically locks their patients up, that wouldn't do so good for redeeming Sinners now would it?"
Doppio gave a small smirk. "I guess not. I imagine it'd be pretty hard to manage a bunch of rowdy residents 24/7?"
'Heh, yeah. Cause one is already hard enough as is.' Charlie thought before. "Ha, like you wouldn't believe. That's why we like to run a very lax ship here, no question about it. Speaking of, are there any other questions you have? Cause I'm happy to answer."
The pinkette hummed thoughtfully before answering. "Just one, about the accommodations. I… won't have to pay for anything right? I really don't have much despite my job, so I can't afford much outside of basic necessities. Is stuff like food and showers free or…"
"Everything is free of charge." She clarified. "The only thing our residents have to worry about is making their way through the program one day at a time."
"That so?" Doppio said as he delved into his thoughts to decide his next actions. He had to admit, this place was practically a paradise compared to his dump of an apartment. Not only was the place closer to work, but the fact that they were offering free food and room in exchange for partaking in their redemption program that he actually believed could be beneficial for him? Granted, from his observations he could tell that the place was slightly rundown and disused, but when compared to the pros the hotel had to offer, those issues were microscopic. He'd be a fool to pass an opportunity like this up!
So with his mind made up, he gave the blonde a smile and answered. "Well Mrs. Charlie, if that's the case then… where do I sign?"
Charlie blinked lazily, a smile still plastered on her face as her mind tried to process the words she just heard. When it finally did, her eyes dilated in disbelief. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that? What did you just say?"
"Uh, where do I sign?" Doppio repeated, confused. "I've thought it over and I've decided that giving this place a shot wouldn't be all too bad. Who knows, maybe this could end up helping me figure out why exactly I'm down here in the first place?"
"I see." Charlie said with that same smiling blank expression before going still as a statue, not even daring to blink. After a whole minute of just standing there with that unsettling look on her face, the pinkette took a cautious step toward her.
"Mrs. Charlie? Is everything alri–?"
For the second time since opening the hotel, with the first being after Angel Dust decided to join, the Princess of Hell let out a squeal of utter joy with such volume that everyone within the hotel (and a five mile radius) heard it.
"Jesus fuck!" Husk yelled as he covered up his ears in pain due to his lingering hangover and having more sensitive hearing than most. "What the fuck Chuck?! Like having an ice pick stabbing my brain!"
"Madre de Dios!" Vaggie jumped at the sudden noise, causing the traps in her arms to fall to the floor. After getting over the initial shock, a look of shock marred her features as she whipped her head around to look down the hall behind her. She recognized that sound, and she knew it could only mean one thing. "There's no fucking way."
Turning on her heel, she made a break for the main lobby. Screw Niffty, she can wait! This took more precedence!
Somewhere deep within the hotel's ventilation, a small figure crawling through the place looking for dirt and grime jumped in surprise from the sudden noise, causing her to bang her head against the cold hard metal.
"OW! SON OF MOTHER FUCKING–!"
"Bitch!" A gangly, fuzzy white Spider-Demon jolted up from his sheets, looking around frantically. "What the hell was that?!"
In a small broadcasting room at the top of the hotel, a red clad figure cocked a curious brow at the high pitched shriek, not at all perturbed by the volume. "Hmm, wonder what's got the dear princess so eager?"
Back in the ballroom, after having recovered from the assault on his ears, Doppio stared bewildered at the princess. When he was about to ask if everything was alright, he was immediately cut off when Charlie grabbed him by the hands and started hopping excitedly. "Oh thank you! Thank you! Thank you! You have no idea how much this means to me! Oooo, I can't believe this is happening a second time!"
"U-Uh, glad I could help?" Doppio said in a dazed tone, not really what to say to this sudden development. He would admit though that the Blondes excitement certainly was… adorable if anything else.
However, whether because she didn't hear him or was simply ignoring him, Charlie paid no heed to his words as she began going over the next steps in her head. "Alright, we gotta get you signed up! Once you're in the system, we can get to know you, come up with some things to start your rehab, and– ah! I'm getting ahead of myself! Let's go grab you a sign-up sheet first before I lose my focus!"
As soon as those words left the princesses mouth, what happened next made being dragged around by a giddy Charlie seem like a leisurely stroll. The world around Doppio quickly turned into a blur as he felt his arms being pulled forward by a great force. All he could hear was the wind rushing by as his rubbery face pulled back slightly from the momentum, as if he was on the world's most intense roller coaster ride. The pinkette was about to voice what the Hell was going on, but as quickly as it happened, it stopped abruptly. All of the sudden, he was back in the main lobby, looking shaken while his hair was frizzled.
"I- wha- huh?!" He stammered out, looking to and from before turning to Charlie for an answer. Much to his surprise however, the blonde was no longer in front of him. Rather, she was skipping toward the bar where a still slightly intoxicated Husk was at.
"Husk! Quick, I need you to get something for me! I have fantastic news!" Charlie raved as she did a small spin before placing her elbows onto the bar, grinning eagerly as her eyes sparkled.
"Gah, for the love a– can't cha lower your down Charles? My head's already killing me from that screech you made earlier!" The Sphinx
"Oops, sorry about that. I just can't help myself! The most wonderful thing has happened for the hotel!"
"Yeah, I could tell." Husk flatly said. Peering over her shoulder, he spotted Doppio standing not too far off looking like he had taken a free fall, and immediately the gears in his alcohol pickled brain turned. "So, I take it that the reason you almost ruptured my eardrums was because…"
He trailed off as he gestured to the Pinkette, making Charlie eagerly shake her head. "Yes sir, Mr. Vinegar here has decided to sign up for the hotel! Isn't that great?!"
"Yippee." The feline said sarcastically, making the princess pout a little.
"You're no fun." Charlie said with some disappointment, before regaining her smile as she remembered what she came for. "Anywho, I need you to hand me one of the
Husks face scrunched up in confusion. "The wha–?"
"Uh, the sign-in sheets." Charlie repeated, only to see that Husk was still looking at her with no idea what she was talking about. So, clearing her throat, she tried to clarify. "The paperwork that Sinners fill out when they step into the main lobby, the ones you're supposed to hand out because you work the front desk." Again, she was met with silence as the sphinx still had no idea what she was referring to. Sighing, she clarified more precisely. "That huge stack of papers we gave you on your first day."
"OH, those things!" He said as it dawned on him. "I just thought that crap you handed of to me was some 'terms an services' kind a shit."
"I told you what they were when I gave them to you!"
"Yeah, but I wasn't really listening." Husk shrugged much to Charlie's ire. Kneeling down, he opened a cabinet and began to shift through all the assorted beverages of his little slice of Heaven. "Alright, hang on. I stuffed them down somewhere. Just gotta find them through all my booze.
"Ugh, we really gotta work through your problems one of these days." Charlie sighed as she rubbed her temple. While she greatly appreciated the help Alastor gave them, she'd be lying if she said they're… quirks didn't grate on her nerves from time to time.
"Charlie!" The blonde was snapped from her thoughts by the voice of her lover, causing her to turn around and see the grey skinned Demon rushing down the main stairs as she made a beeline right toward her.
"Oh, hey Vaggie. I take it you took care of our little Nifty problem?" Charlie beamed with a smile as Vaggie came to slow stop in front of her, panting heavily due to running all the way from fourth floor to get here.
"Not… exactly. I… huff… had to… drop everything when I… I heard you squeal earlier."
A dusting of pink spread across Charlie's cheeks as she looked away from embarrassment. "Ah, hehe, yeah. I, um, heard that from Husk. Guess I lost control of my indoor voice. Sorry about that Vaggie."
"I… It's fine. It wasn't the volume I was worried about… but more so the reason behind it." Vaggie said as her breathing grew more steady, eventually allowing her to fully collect herself. Taking a deep breath, she asked her partner in a serious and concerned tone. "Charlie, did he… did that Doppio guy
Her slight embarrassment giving way to a smile of sheer jubilation, the Princess of Hell grabbed the Moth Demons hands as she pulled Vaggie close to her. "You bet your butt he did! Can you believe it Vaggie, another client! And one who isn't a violent pornstar at that! This is what the hotel has been looking for!It'll only be a matter of time before we've got people lining up to be redeemed!"
Let it be said that among the few things that brought her joy in this wretched pit of sin, seeing her girlfriend in such a state of pure ecstasy was among her most favorite of them. However, as much as she wished she could share in Charlie's glee, her inner skeptic couldn't help but raise some alarms at the prospect of getting a new resident.
"Uh, Charlie. Can I talk to you for a moment?" Vaggie said before glancing over to Doppio, who at this point was just standing there silently as he tried fixing his messed up hair, and adding. "In private."
Charlie's smile dropped a little as she nodded and followed Vaggie near the center of the lobby. When they were a good distance away from the bar, the blonde simply asked. "What's up?"
"Oh nothing, just the fact that your letting in someone we hardly know join the hotel after meeting him on the same day!" Vaggie whisper-shouted so as not to be heard. "What the heck Charlie, I thought we talked about not letting people in until we knew they wouldn't cause trouble first?! Don't tell me you forgot about that?!"
It was at this that Charlie's smile completely diminished at the reminder of what Vaggie was talking about. In the days after Angel Dust's little brawl on the news, her and Vaggie talked about it and agreed they wouldn't do walk in patients anymore until they were vetted. It was a pain seeing as they were in Hell, but it was a necessary sacrifice to ensure the reputation of the place didn't go down further than it has.
"I know Vaggie, it's just… well look at him! From what we've seen, he's perfect for the hotel! He's even got a job as a personal tutor, how could I not let him join?!" Charlie tried to defend, hoping her girlfriend could see reason.
Vaggie turned her gaze over to the pinkette, who was done trying to fix his mess of hair and was just standing there, looking at the two with a puzzled look. Noticing the Latina staring at him, he just raised a hand and waved. "Hi?"
She turned her gaze away from him back to the blonde. "Be that as it may, we just met this guy today! Just because he seems sensible doesn't mean we should take him in with open arms right off the bat! We don't even know what it was he did to even end up down here, for all we know he could be worse than Alastor!"
"Oh, now you're just being paranoid." Charlie deadpanned. "Look, I know you're just looking out for me and have my best interest, but just this once let's just let someone join right off the bat. Sure we don't know what he did to get into Hell, and maybe it could be pretty freaking bad, but the whole point of the hotel is to redeem anyone who comes asking for it, no matter their sin. Who knows, maybe this will end up as a life changing experience for us?"
"Well, yeah. But what if–?"
"Vaggie, relax. Just trust me on this okay. I'm sure that once we get to know him some more, we'll all be able to get along just fine. Just give him a shot, please? For me?" Charlie pleaded, fluttering her eyes for extra affect.
And it worked, as Vaggie could feel her resolve being to crumble. Knowing that trying to argue with her would be pointless, she just sighed and said. "Alright, fine. But I'm gonna keep my eye on him just in case alright?"
"I think we can agree upon that." Charlie smiled before giving Vaggie a peck on the cheek, making her blush and smile too.
All while this went down, Doppio silently watched from the side curious as to what the two were talking about. He thought maybe to ask, but decided against it. Probably something
"C'mere you piece a– ah, gotcha!" Husk called out, standing to reveal himself holding a piece of paper in his paws. "Hey Chuck, got the sheet. Just want me to hand it to Pinky here?"
Charlie looked over to the Sphinx and smiled when she saw the paper. "Oh yes, go ahead! I've got a pen he can use in my pocket!"
"Sure thing you're highness." Husk sarcastically said before tossing the sheet to Doppio, who nearly failed to grab it. "Man, I really hope you know what kinda shit you're getting yourself into pal. Cause you're about to in for on Helluva ride."
That… didn't fill him with much confidence.
"Husk, don't go saying stuff like that!" Charlie chastised as she walked up to Doppio, elegant pen in hand. "Don't mind him, once you get to know him and the others, you'll feel at home in no time."
Handing him the pen, she added with a reassuring smile. "Trust me, you won't regret this decision. Call it Fate, but something tells me you wound up here for a reason."
Doppio doesn't know why, but the corner of his mouth curled up slightly as if hearing a joke. Fate huh, for some reason that word oddly fitting… and familiar for some reason. Regardless, it was enough to life up his spirits.
So, taking the pen, he brought the paper onto the bar, and signed his initials.
This was the start of a new chapter in his afterlife.
And that's the chapter. What do you all think of it, was it bad, good, worth it in the end? I tried putting as much in there as I could while keeping the chapter relatively short and tried keeping the characters as close to their originals as possible. Let me know what you guys think, and have a wonderful day/evening/ night.