AN: Whoot second chapter and now I know how many there with be.
I had some trouble getting this story to post on so that's why the fast update.
Now I can not stress how little I know about the fashion industry. Seriously, I'm clueless as hell beyond what I've seen on reality TV shows like 'Top Model' and 'Project Runway'. I'm the kind of person who So quick sorry if some of this sounds unrealistic. I can sort of see Lilith being the kind of person who knows that she's the baddest bitch in the yard so while she's profession, she has no problems letting everyone around her know she calls the shots.
Chapter Two
Pass It On
Lilith chuckled as she watched Charlie's eyes fill with wonder and awe. The day had started as it normally did but once she was fed and dressed, Charlie could tell that something different was happening. Something new. It started with her mother very meticulously dressing her in a soft pink schimiz with white trimmed lace and golden music notes on the hem and a ruby apple charm on the chest, a crest symbol of the Morningstar family. It was a special little charm Lucifer had made just after Charlie had started to crawl. He had wanted it on her in case she would wander off without them knowing, the gem was filled with magic that would allow both him and Lilith to sense where she was, within limits off course. Today would be Charlie's first outing and since Lilith was used to reporters and photographers taking her picture, she wanted Charlie to be presentable no matter what. The baby wasn't too keen on having her hair brushed and the matching bow tied in place, but after a little struggling, Lilith won the battle.
And in Lilith's opinion, the battle had been worth it.
They were currently seated in a car as they were driving to where the photo shoot was in the middle of Pentagram City when Lilith started to have second thoughts about bringing Charlie along. Her husband asked of so little regarding their daughter. Was this the right thing to do? She was starting to wonder if she should cancel when she noticed how Charlie was 'oo!' and 'ah!'ing as she stared out the window. Their baby was clearly enjoying herself, fascinated at the many exotic things that their home had to offer.
'It's good for her to be outside of the manor,' Lilith assured herself, noticing a small park area as they passed through the Cannibal Colony. Despite its name and residents' preferred choice of diet, the place was very clean and well-kept. The more Lilith looked at it, the more she was certain a day in the park would be a wonderful family activity.
'I'm sure Lucifer will agree if I let him release a few rubber ducks in the lake,' She thought as she gently readjusted Charlie's bow. 'Would also be nice if we lost a few of them too.'
But those would have to be plans for another day after Lucifer had returned home from his meetings.
"Are you excited Charlie?" Lilith asked her daughter who just sucked excitedly on her pacifier as she tried to take everything around her in. "You're going to be joining Mommy at work today and it's going to be so exciting. Not like Daddy and his boring paperwork."
Charlie just giggled as Lilith tickled her, her sound music to her mother's ears as well as the Hell Hound who was driving them.
* * * Hazbin Hotel * * *
Charlie practically jumped in her mother's arms when they entered the studio. Unlike their home where it was calm and quiet unless Lucifer was playing his instruments or singing with Lilith, the studio was loud and filled with all sorts of demons and sinners. Most of them didn't notice her at first, all of them were used to Lilith waltzing in and walking past them with a dismissive glance. The interns and go-fors knew full well not to bother the talent unless they wanted the boot or worse.
It was slightly scary for the tiny baby.
Not that Lilith noticed as she made her way to her dressing room, ignoring the sudden whispers as a few models and staff members noticed the tiny bundle she had in her arms. Once in the room where everything was quieter, Charlie seemed to calm down enough not to hide away in her mother's hair.
But the peace didn't last long before Carl and a slew of staff barged in, all to get the two royals ready. Charlie quickly found herself placed on a table as four or five strangers flocked around her. With wide confused eyes, Charlie found her hair suddenly being brushed and reset, her clothes pulled off and replaced with a black baby romper. A brush was suddenly brought up into her face as some imp applied blush to her, making the princess sneeze loudly.
Honestly, it was all very confusing for Charlie and she was left stunned once she was ready for the first photo shoot.
Lilith however took everything in strides. She was use to the rush of hair and makeup getting down while being dressed in exotic gowns. Normally she would just relax and enjoy the pampering but because it was Charlie's first time experiencing someone other than her mother and father dressing her, Lilith kept a very close eye on those handling her. And it seemed most of them understood to be careful with the exception of one hair stylist who wasn't use to squirming clients. He certainly remembered to calm his brush strokes a little more when Charlie let out a little whine and Lilith left a few claw marks on the dressing-room table.
"Do be careful with my daughter," She warned calmly, making the lanky imp freeze mid move. Charlie seemed to look up at him for a moment before peering at her mother to figure out how she was suppose to react. "If she cries... you'll regret it."
After that, everyone was a lot more careful in touching the princess.
* * * Hazbin Hotel * * *
Carl could feel his patients waning.
Normally Lilith would already be on the set, dressed and make up perfectly for the photographer to use his orbs to capture her beauty. Diva as she was, Lilith was always punctual, respecting other's time as a professional should. Not like some of his more uppity bitches who thought because they appeared in some center fold, they were suddenly the starlet of the scene. No Lilith was the true perfect uncut diamond and it would be a cold day in Hell before he'd ever find another like her, no pun intended.
So why was she late? Was it the kid? Probably, seeing as she had been reluctant to even come in without her husband to foist the brat on. Not that he would say that to Lilith, unless he wanted to become a head shorter.
He had seen her temper before. It wasn't pretty.
'They're taking their sweet fucking time though,' Carl growled, taking a strong hit from his cigar as he watched the staff triple check that the scene was set up properly. 'Time is fucking money Lilith. My money! So where is-' "Lilith, finally! How was everything?"
Lilith ignored Carl as she strode into the room, all eyes immediately falling on her. She oozed radiance and power in the black and gold robe, appearing even taller and more elegant despite the massive amount of fabric it was made off. Her massive horns were ornated with golden chains and ornaments that reminded him of the stars he use to see on Earth, making them look both beautiful and deadly all at once. And the final piece? Her obsidian crown with a blood red diamond shaped like an apple that signified she was the Queen of Hell.
It had surprised him that she wore it because Lilith tended to keep her roles as Queen, Mother and Diva separate at all times. Today however it seemed all three were coming into play.
As he watched her nuzzle the baby in her arms, Carl finally took noticed of the Princess. Lilith's robes had done a great job of shielding her, as the kid had an unnatural beauty as well. It wasn't like her mother's, most likely because she was a baby, but Charlotte had something about her that was unearthly. Maybe it was her porcelain skin that stood out all the more against the black fabric of her mother's matching outfit, or the bright candy apple red cheeks bright and plump as she smiled. When he had seen her last, the infant had been drowsy and cranky but now she was wide eyed and alert. And her golden locks looked unnaturally fluffy and soft as it curled and framed her heart shaped face.
Carl was certain when she would get older, Charlotte Morningstar would be able to compete with and rival her mother.
That is, if the fucking kid could take directions!
The shoot was proving difficult as Charlie wasn't exactly great at sitting still and following directions. At first Lilith set Charlie down on a displacer beast's fur, wanting to have a few shots of Charlie alone in the lovely outfit. And Charlie was alright with this at first until her mother stepped away. Without warning, there was a bright flash of light with a loud 'PAFF!' that made her jump. She was blinded for a moment and tried to find her mother only to see a massive black form moving erratically about, neither coming or going, all the while being noisy. She didn't quiet understand that it wasn't a singular creature but the dozen or so staff milling about while her mother watched from the side lines.
Charlie was use to meeting others like her Aunts and Uncles, but she had always been at eye level with them, safe in Daddy's or Mommy's arms. Never alone.
Suddenly the mass started to call her name, barking orders for her to look here and there while a rattle was shook violently above her head as a semi dancing bear appeared at her right side. It was all too much and too new for her to understand what it wanted. Another flash had Charlie trying to crawl away, whimpering in fear.
However, just before Charlie could start crying, familiar arms picked her up and held her close. Suddenly the noise surrounding them didn't seem so loud nor were the flashes suddenly as frightening. Sure, they made her jump, but at least she was in Mommy's arms.
And Mommy always made her feel safe.
* * * Hazbin Hotel * * *
Carl had been ready to scream in frustration when Charlie proved herself uncooperative with her solo shoot. True, Lilith had warned him that the little princess wouldn't be able to do a lot, but he had hoped to get a photo of the baby alone showing off the dress. He had had the photographer, Wallis he thinks was the Sinner's name, tell her to do things for the photos. All sorts of things like smile, wave, stand up, crawl, just anything that could be a pose and what did he get? A single picture of her sitting and looking confused and half a dozen of a clearly more and more distressed princess.
"I told you this wouldn't work," he recalled Lilith hissing, her aura emanating a wave of threatening anger as she quickly made her way over to her daughter. "She needs to feel comfortable first."
And once Charlie was happily in her mother's arms, the photo started to go better.
It had probably helped that Wallis wasn't ballsy enough to order Lilith around as she got her daughter to cooperate better for the photos. Lilith would coo, tickle, and hold Charlie in ways that allowed her charm to show and display the dress perfectly, before insisting on a more personal photo to be taken.
She shifted Charlie to rest in her arms, facing the picture orb fully all the while using her hair to hide her face. It was clear that she wanted Charlie to be in focus for the picture, going as far as retracting her horns completely to appear more human. Charlie made little happy sounds of 'Mmm' and 'Aaa' and 'bah bah' as she tried to reach for her mother's hair and face, though none of them were close enough to be considered actual words. Just infant babble.
"This... I want a picture of this." Lilith whispered to the staff, eyes fixed lovingly on Charlie. Her voice was soft and gentle for her little Spitfire so that she wouldn't ruin the magic of the moment as Charlie stared lovingly back at her with trusting eyes. When nothing happened, Lilith spoke a little louder. "Today, Carl."
Wallis gave a tiny yelp when Carl's bony fist smacked him before quickly capturing the moment with an orb. To think he would actually get to see the Queen of Hell without her horns...
* * * Hazbin Hotel * * *
By the time, Lilith had gotten the photos she wanted of Charlie, it was obvious that both Carl and Charlie were done with the experience. Carl was over the novelty of a baby on set, slowly understanding that he couldn't commandeer around a baby that didn't understand him, and well... if he ever thought he could control Lilith, he was certain now that she would have no trouble firing him in a heartbeat if he tried. As for Charlie, the flashes were annoying her as tiny spots danced before her eyes and she was getting hungry. The clothes she wore weren't comfy either, the material feeling stuffy and hot.
Returning to her dressing room, Lilith allowed herself to give a low warning snarl when one of the staff members tried to take the slightly fussy Charlie from her to undress. Once she had Charlie back in her normal clothes, Lilith pulled out a mason jar of applesauce and handed it to a very confused Carl.
"Well then?" She stated firmly, handing her daughter over to the man as if it was the most natural thing to do. Carl had to juggle the baby and jar in his arms for a moment, nearly dropping both as Charlie squirmed eagerly for her favorite food. "You wanted me to finish this shoot in a timely manner, I'm going to need a hand with Charlie."
"Lilith I-" Carl started only to grimace as Charlie blew a raspberry in frustration as she could see her lunch but not reach it. It covered him in spit which left Carl disgusted.
"This is why my husband normally has her when I work," Lilith just smiled sweetly, but it didn't reach her eyes. Carl could feel his plumage frazzle out of instinct. "He's working and thanks to you, so am I. So, you're going to watch and feed Charlie while I work."
"Lilith I don't-"
He suddenly felt her finger tapping his beak, the digit elongating to a slightly crimson claw. By the third tap, Carl could not only feel the tip of her claw beating lightly against him. He could see her chipping a dent in it.
"I suggest you get to feeding my little girl, Carl," Lilith warned, her eyes flashing crimson with her threat. "If Charlie isn't happy... I'm not happy."
With a stiff nod, Carl quickly rushed off to find somewhere more private as Lilith turned to the makeup staff waiting for her. She wasn't a fool after all. The rest of the shoot didn't involve Charlie in the least and the sooner she could focus on that instead of her daughter the sooner she could finish. And then...
"You there," She turned her attention to one of the assistants who was helping set Lilith's hair. The girl looked nervous for a minute before pointing at herself. "Yes, you. Tell me... are there any peaceful parks around here one could enjoy?"
* * * Hazbin Hotel * * *
Carl could feel his face flaring red with embarrassment as he heard a few snickers around him. Once he had found a quiet little corner of the studio to sit in, he had rushed to open the jar and spoon-fed the baby, afraid Lilith might suddenly appear if the child cried. He watched with disgust as the baby ate, the sight messy and unappealing.
This is why he hated kids.
They were clingy. They were loud. They were smelly and worse of all, they were messy. He hadn't even started feeding her when Charlie had fought him for the spoon, spilling applesauce down his expensive shirt.
Damn it this was beneath him! He was a manager, a known name in the business. Not a bloody wet nurse for babes.
"Fuck this," He growled as someone muttered 'Mama bird' in passing as Charlie sat mouth open for another spoonful. Looking around, he stopped a mouse-looking Sinner, hiding in the background of the hustle and bustle. "An intern. Perfect. Hey you! Yeah, you, Rodent Face. Get over here. What do they call you?"
The intern jumped nervously, pointing at herself before scurrying nervously over to him, her eyes darting back and forth as if she were looking out for something. Carl gave the tiny thing a once over before rolling his eyes. He figured she was one of those lost souls who thought if they worked in the industry from the bottom they would be discovered and become famous, but for this girl, it was out of the question. Her posture was awful, her face a hideous mess and she had no confidence whatsoever in her stance.
Not to mention the gaudy tattoo on her arm of a dragon climbing on what looked like three teeth.
"Um... Velma, sir?" She stammered, her tiny paws rung her fingers nervously. "Ummm, listen I-"
'Perfect for exploiting,' Carl thought and quickly thrust the jar and toddler into her hands. "Here. Watch this... thing until I call on you. Just keep it quiet, got it Vera?"
"Ummm it's Velma," The girl looked nervous as Charlie was roughly handed to her, the toddler looking curiously up at her before smiling brightly. "But I-"
"Just fucking do it or else," Carl growled as he got up and proceeded to shove past the intern, knocking the jar from her hand and spilling it all over his pants leg and shoes. Carl froze as he let out a threatening vulture-like call. "You fucking clumsy..." He paused as he looked at the mouse clutching the princess nervously. No, he couldn't yell at her. It would make the baby cry and if the baby cried, then Mama wouldn't be far behind. "Just get the fuck out of my sight and watch the fucking kid."
Growling, Carl walked off to see if he could find some extra clothes lying around to change into. He refused to be covered in baby food as a professional. As he stocked away, muttering about 'useless fucking interns' and 'annoying little shits', Velma hurried to scurry back to where she had been before and rushed outside of the studio. She was in such a rush, that she nearly knocked over an imp who was carrying a few boxes of jewelry, accompanied by a Hell-hound doberman.
"Hey! Fucking watch it!" The imp yelled, barely managing to not drop the boxes that were probably worth more than her life.
"Sorry!" Velma squeaked as she dashed out the door.
"Fucking idiot," The imp huffed as she and her companion watched the wispy tail slip around the door leading outside. "Who the fuck was that anyway, Bruce?"
"Don't know. Probably some looser that snuck in and hoped she'd get noticed," The hound shrugged indifferently. "I know everyone who works here and she ain't one of them. Now let's get going. They need those for the next couple of shoots."
AN: Oh boy Carl. Yah fucked up. You fucked up royally. Probably shouldn't have passed Charlie off to be someone else's problem. Not to worry folk, our precious Charlie will be fine, I promise. After all remember rule number one:
Don't be like Carl.
Though it brings to question; who the hell is Velma?
So yeah, trying to do a photo shoot with a baby, can't be easy I imagine. I know actual professionals know better how to handle infants for photos but since I can't imagine too many children being in the Pride Ring, I can imagine them being idiots and thinking they can just tell a baby to do stuff and get annoyed that they don't understand. In short, idiots.
The fashion photo of Lilith and Charlie. I'm not sure who the artist is, so please tell me if you know: pin/281543705348248/
Displacer Beast: wiki/Displacer_beast
For those who aren't familiar with DnD, a Displacer Beast is a monster from the Forgotten Realms. I play a little DnD with my husband and BIL once a week, so that's how I know of them. I decided to use them in Hazbin as some of the natural Hell wildlife because of the Satanic Panic that hit the USA back in the 1990s. I know this will sound insane to those who didn't grow with this, it was to me as well because I didn't know about it until I was an adult, but it was a period where people were convinced that playing DnD was like a gate way drug to Satanic rituals and worship. It was so bad, some peoples were told if their children were playing DnD, don't look into her eyes because they will cast spells on you. Crazy right?