Chapter 3

Cherri stood before the large building emblazoned with a sign that read "Happy Hotel". At first sight, it wasn't all that impressive. The dark brown building was an amalgamation of arched windows and turrets, creating a peculiar-looking structure that felt like someone had taken parts of several buildings and randomly put them together. An old wooden ship appeared to be embedded into the walls around the fourth or fifth floor, resting on its stern while its bow pointed towards the red sky overhead. It all felt like it was trying too hard, kind of like that theme park owned by King Luci Morningstar, Lu Lu World. There were even stained glass windows featuring apple motifs that brought the Lu Lu Corporation to mind.

"Angie is staying in this dump?" Cherri Bomb asked herself. "He said it was a crappy hotel on the other side of town, and this...does qualify as crappy. I need to make sure these 'brawds' that are letting him stay here aren't going to screw my best guy over. He's going through enough shit as it is."

Opening the front door, she cautiously entered the darkened foyer. If the outside was trying too hard not to appear depressing, the inside clearly wasn't trying at all. Boxes and crates were scattered everywhere, and a barely functioning fridge leaned against one wall. The only furniture consisted of old and/or broken pieces. Vintage posters and pictures of members of the Morningstar family were haphazardly hung on the walls.

"Welcome to the Happy Hotel," A winged cat demon groused from behind the front desk that seemed to double as a bar. He didn't seem to be paying her any attention, more content to be left alone with the bottle of cheap booze held in his clawed hand. The only reason he spoke to her at all was to let her know he was aware she had walked in. "Don't ask me why this dump is called that, I'm just here under protest."

"Yeah, seriously," Cherri smirked in appreciation that she wasn't the only one who thought the place was ridiculous. "If this dump is the 'Happy Hotel', what does the 'Hateful Hotel' look like?" The Demon Cat glanced in her direction; the quirk of his eyebrow was probably the closest thing he'd give her to appreciation. A blond-haired woman peered out from a back-office, curious as to who the unfamiliar voice belonged to, closely followed by a gray-skinned girl with long white hair.

"Hello," The blond girl said as she left the office. "You must be Angel's friend...Cherri right?"

"I see Angie's been talking about me," Cherri smirked, responding to Charlie's comment.

"Not really," The second girl responded, looking less than thrilled about the newcomer. "We were in the middle of pitching an interview about this place on live TV when you and Angel were involved in that turf war."

"Oh that," Cherri said with mock sheepishness as she gave a mischievous grin. "Yeah, I have a knack for bringing out his wild side. The two of us are practically partners in crime, in addition to being besties. It's all in good fun though, we never actually hurt anyone. At least not intentionally''

"And that is exactly why you shouldn't be here," The white-haired girl contentiously said. "We are trying to run a business where we are trying to discourage sin. And we can't do that if our only resident is going to be encouraged into entertaining his more nihilistic behaviors."

"You want to say that again, bitch," Cherri toothily grinned menacingly. Her hand disappeared into the bodice of her top. In a swift motion, she pulled out an unlit cherry bomb, the implication clear. "Or do you want to pull the stick out of your crotch first?"

"Wait, stop!" Charlie protested as she stepped between the other two girls, waving her arms to defuse the situation before things got too ugly. "Look, I think we all got off on the wrong foot here. I'm Charlie Morningstar, though I just go by Charlie. And this is my girlfriend, Vaggie."

Cherri's single eye widened in surprise before she glanced back at the portrait of King Luci with his wife and daughter. It was the same demon female that was standing before her now. ~The princess...? Is Angie...?~ She trailed off, her mind racing with possibilities.

"It's a pleasure to meet someone who Angel views as a friend," Charlie said, holding her hand out with a sincere smile on her face. Cherri gave a pleased smile herself and returned the unlit explosive to the bodice of her top before shaking Charlie's hand.

"I'm glad to meet you too," The punky cyclops responded. A snuffling noise drew her attention towards the bar. "Nuggzie!" Cherri knelt down as the small pig trotted up to her so she could scoop him up into her arms for a hug. "Aww, I've missed seeing you, sweetie."

The other occupants of the Happy Hotel watched the exchange with varying degrees of amusement and skepticism. Vaggie crossed her arms, looking unimpressed, while Husk took a long swig of his drink, clearly uninterested. Charlie, on the other hand, smiled at the sight of Cherri hugging the little pig.

"He's cute, isn't he." Charlie commented, gesturing towards Nuggzie.

"Yeah, he's my little buddy," Cherri replied with a grin as she nuzzled the pig's snout. "He's like family to me. Angie and I both take care of him, but I guess you could say we spoil him." She chuckled as Nuggzie wriggled in her arms, clearly enjoying the attention. "He's a bit of a troublemaker sometimes, but he's got a heart of gold. Just like his daddy."

"Great," Husk grumbled sarcastically, "If you're planning on moving in, you can take over the pig duty while that fluffy spider's at the studio."

"The studio..." A small flash of anger crossed Cherri's face, catching Vaggie's attention. Charlie was too busy cooing over Fat Nuggets to notice. Vaggie's remaining owl-yellow eye blinked in concern. The only studio in Pentagram City was the porn studio, and as an adult film actor, Angel would work there. Was there something going on, something they didn't know about yet?

"Is everything okay, Cherri?" she asked, trying to keep her voice calm.

As much as the Spider irritated her, there were times when she had noticed that something felt off about him. And there were some things about him that didn't seem to make sense. Not just over the past weeks since he moved in, but as far back as when they first met him. When Charlie had pointed him out to her and said they should talk to him. He had been out prostituting himself on the street on the lower side of Pentagram City. If he was such a famous actor, why wasn't he living in an apartment in a more upscale part of town? Vaggie couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something more that was going on.

"...I'm also three months behind on my rent, and so free housin' sounds like a fucking good deal to me. Plus it would be nice not to have to suck the greasy landlord's dick every month."

She at first thought that statement was him just being crude at the time, and maybe it was meant to be. But was that meant to imply something as well? Since he moved into the hotel, Angel often put on a show of his importance and made it seem like they were lucky to have him on board. But occasionally, Vaggie had caught him standing at the top of the stairs, smoking his red smoked cigarettes and staring into space, lost in thought. In those moments, he looked troubled, tired, and lost. She couldn't quite put her finger on what was bothering him, but she knew there was something going on.

Whenever Angel noticed Vaggie watching him, he would become irritated and quickly retreat to his room as if he was hiding something.

When he had to give a club performance just after the recent Cleanse, he had offered tickets to everyone for free. He had flippantly told them that performance tickets usually went for $350 each, but he was able to score a few on the house. The only person who had been interested in attending was Charlie. The blond may not agree or have any interest in the forms of entertainment that Angel was involved in, but she still wanted to be supportive of him as a performer. Vaggie, however, had talked her out of it insisting that they didn't need to watch Angel gyrating himself before a crowd at a strip club. He did that enough as it is without it being a performance. Thinking back on it, why would he give any of them tickets, despite knowing they wouldn't really be interested in attending. Was he trying to tell them something, something he didn't know how to tell them...or was it something he couldn't tell them?

"Yeah," Charlie explained to Cherri. "He said he wouldn't be back until late. One of the things I had him agree to when he involved himself in this hotel was that he couldn't offer himself on the street anymore. I mean I know he does..." Charlie paused, feeling flustered at the very thought of what Angel was doing as his job. "...things as part of his job at the studio. And I have been suggesting he request a break from filming. I get this feeling that being there might be part of what is holding him back."

~If you only knew, girlfriend,~ Cherri's mouth quirked at how close to the truth Charlie was. However, she knew it wasn't her place to say anything, so she just nodded sympathetically. ~If you only knew.~

As the front door swung open, Cherri, Vaggie, and Charlie turned to see who was entering the hotel. To their surprise, it was none other than Angel Dust himself. However, his usual flamboyant swagger was nowhere to be seen. Instead, he moved slowly and looked like he was carrying a great weight on his scrawny shoulders. Charlie and Vaggie exchanged a concerning look with one another.

"Angel," Charlie said, a hint of uncertainty creeping into her voice as she saw him come in earlier than expected. She could feel that something was off, but she didn't know what. "I thought you said you'd be back late tonight?" She hesitated for a moment before asking, "Is everything okay?"

"I wasn't needed for the club performance," Angel replied dryly, giving a sharp tug at the lapel of his jacket as if trying to regain his usual flippant persona. However, the sight that greeted him was obviously unexpected, causing him to pause mid-step. "Cherri?" he said, his eyes widening in surprise. It seemed like he hadn't expected to see her there, and for a moment, he seemed unsure of what to do.

"Hey, Angie," Cherri responded with a warm smile. "You told me you were staying here, so I thought I'd drop by and check things out for myself. I gotta look out for my 'favorite guy'," she added, her tone affectionate. Angel briefly looked away, the shadow of annoyance or irritation crossing his features.

"Yeah," Angel commented, a hint of displeasure in his voice. "I wish you had told me you were gonna be paying a visit. I'd have introduced you to the girls."

"As if I need any introduction," Cherri Bomb waved it away with a smirk. "Besides, I'm the one who involved you in that turf war the other week. I thought it'd be better for me to stop by so they don't end up thinking I'm a bad influence on you or some shit like that."

Her single eye narrowed slightly as she took in Angel Dust's appearance. It was clear that something had happened, and she knew him well enough to know that he wouldn't be acting like this without a reason.

"I didn't think you're a bad influence," Charlie said reassuringly, her voice warm and kind as she placed a friendly hand on Cherri Bomb's shoulder. "If anything, I'm glad to know he has someone like you here in Hell."

Cherri grinned in appreciation, knowing that Charlie was exactly the kind of person Angel needed to have behind him. As much as she wanted to stay and chat further with the two girls, she knew that she needed to excuse herself and Angel from any further conversation.

"Hey, Angie," Cherri said, using her nickname for Angel. "I think Nuggzie needs some time with his Papa."

"Oh, right," Charlie agreed with a smile. "Well, since you're back Angel, I'll be sure to let Razzle and Dazzle know that we have an extra person for dinner. Are you able to join us, Cherri? I'd really like to know how you and Angel met." Having met the self-proclaimed powerhouse for herself, Charlie felt herself growing even more curious about the friendship between Cherri and Angel.

"Thanks for the invite," Cherri said, turning to Charlie and giving her a small nod of appreciation. She then walked up to Angel, putting a hand on his shoulder as a means of ushering him towards the stairs. "But I will pass...I have something I need to talk about with Angie then I'm headed back to my place. Still, it was fun meeting you. I'd like to hang out with you gals real soon."

There was little talking as the two of them made their way to Angel's hotel room. Once the door was closed, the two of them began to voice the emotions they didn't want the other people in the hotel to overhear.

"Seriously Angie," Cherri exclaimed as she walked into the small room and took a quick look around. It was slightly more spacious and better furnished than his old SRO apartment, but there was still a cramped feeling to the place. The king-sized bed dominated at least half of the room, and Angel's vanity table also occupied a good chunk of what was left. The curtains over the only window were drawn closed, and the only lighting came from the overhead lamp fixtures, the heart-shaped string lights that hung beside his bed, and the neon sign that spelled out "Angel Dust" on the wall.

Nonetheless, unlike the SRO, there was still more of a sense of comfort. "When did you plan on telling me that one of the girls you were staying with was actually the fucking Princess of Hell?" Cherri asked, her tone a mix of frustration and incredulity.

Angel Dust groaned as he leaned against the wall, clearly in a bad mood. "Like that means chickenshit to anybody," he muttered, sounding frustrated and annoyed.

"Maybe not, but she's still the heir to Hell's throne, right?" Cherri pointed out, trying to reason with Angel. "She may not be King Luci, but she does have some influence on things. You could have told me, you know. I thought we were supposed to be honest with each other."

"Look, babydoll," Angel said wearily. Cherri was one of the few people he felt he could drop his self-centered facade around. "I appreciate that you want to look out for me and all. But next time, do me a solid and let me in on your plans before you drop by unannounced."

He let out a sigh and pushed himself off the wall. As for the Princess of Hell, well, it's a complicated story. I didn't want to involve you or anyone else in all that drama. You know how it is, right? In my line of work, the less you know, the better."

"You'd do the same for me," Cherri defended as she put Fat Nuggets down on the bed before sitting down herself. She leaned back, supporting herself with her hands and hooking one leg over the other. The small pig settled down, making a nest among the blankets.

"You've got enough shit going on with that bastard you work for," she continued. "You'd think I'd just sit by and let someone else screw over my guy pal." She gave Angel a pointed look, hoping he would understand that she was just looking out for him.

"Yeah, I guess," Angel responded as he took out his cigarettes from the inner pocket of his jacket. Pulling one out, he lit it with a disposable lighter. The heady scent of tobacco filled the air as it burned. This was the same brand that Valentino used, and the only one his employer permitted him to use. Maybe it was because of the particular color of the smoke. Val's brand was the only one that produced this reddish color. Though he had no idea how Val could tell when he tried to use other brands. He had used a cheaper brand of cigs while he had been at home away from Val's prying gaze. Only for the moth to jump on him the next day about using a different brand because he smelled different. "I'd like Vags a lot better if she'd lighten up and..."

"Pull that huge stick out of her vagina!" Cherri supplied. "Sorry, but after seeing her, that fucking thing is stuck up there so far that I doubt it'll ever see daylight again."

Angel chuckled, the tension in the room dissipating slightly. "Exactly, she needs to quit being so uptight about everythin'" He took another drag of his cigarette before flicking the ash into a nearby ashtray. "What bugs me most about her, is that she doesn't seem to like or trust men in general. I mean, whether she's a lesbian or not, that ain't something gals do for no good reason."

"That's what I've always loved about you, Angie," Cherri exclaimed with a delighted grin. "You have this incredible knack for picking up on things about people that others simply don't notice. And let me tell you, that girl Charlie - she cares about you. I could see it in the way she looked at you, the way she talked to you. It's like she sees the real you and knows exactly what sort of person you are. Do you even know how fucking rare that is? You should really get to know her better, Angie. I have a feeling she could be an amazing friend."

"I know she does," Angel stated, letting out a breath through his nose. "I want to trust her but..."

"You don't know her well enough," Cherri finished the statement. "I get that, and I completely understand. Still, you don't know how relieved I am to hear that you're starting to get more people in your corner. Is she really that cheery?"

"I wouldn't say that all the time," Angel shrugged. "At least not 100% of the time, see? It's more like 89-95% tops. It's kind of fuckin' ironic, ain't it? Here we are in Hell, the place where the sinful and the damned suffer for all eternity, and she's the only one who sees visions of rainbows and fluffy clouds everywhere. Her enthusiasm can be intense, but I gotta admit, there's something about her that's got me it's appropriate, considering her father used to be…" Angel paused as a thought came to him, then he glanced towards the door.

"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning," he softly recited to himself, as though pieces of a puzzle he was trying to solve were falling into place.

"What's up," Cherri asked in concern.

"Nothing important," Angel said after a moment of contemplation. "Anyways, this hotel we're in, it's a building that Charlie's old man owns? And now she's turned it into a rehab center, of all things, to redeem demons. Can you believe it? It's her way of offering an alternative to the Cleanse. Charlie, she's got this wild hope that she can change the nature of these hellish creatures, give 'em a shot at redemption."

"At least someone is trying to come up with something," Cherri dryly remarked as she mentally debated whether Charlie was completely oblivious or delusional. "The Cleansings suck, everyone in Hell agrees on that. But I know you well enough to know you wouldn't join up with something as far-fetched as this unless you knew there was a good chance of it happening. And even then, it would take more than free housing as an incentive...unless...you're using this place to escape Val, aren't you?"

"That was the plan," Angel drawled, his voice thick with sarcasm. "But I gotta tell ya, things have taken a bit of a detour, if you catch my drift. Let's just say the situation's changed, and leave it at that."

"What happened?" Cherri asked, cocking her head to the side as she regarded her closest friend with a concerned expression. She had a feeling that she wouldn't like the answer, but she needed to know nonetheless. "Spill it, Sugar Dust, I can tell something's gone sideways."

"During an interview Sweet Cheeks did the other week," Angel clarified. "At one point, she mentioned that I was a part of this hotel. It rubbed me the wrong way, I won't lie. But I guess I can't hold it against her completely. She doesn't know a damn thing about what's going on with the studio and Val, and I sure as hell haven't spilled the beans on that either."

Cherri's fists angrily balled into the bedding as she spoke, "So your boss knows you're here." Her ire wasn't directed at Charlie; she didn't know her beyond being the Princess of Hell. Despite that, Charlie didn't seem like the type to betray Angel by revealing his involvement with the hotel, even if she had some inkling of what was happening. Still, that didn't stop her from feeling angry. Val's decision to turn a blind eye only meant he didn't see the hotel or its occupants as a threat. But if he suspected Angel's loyalty was slipping, there was no telling how far he would go to maintain control.

"The folks you met downstairs, they're just a number of the people staying at this hotel? This place is a real melting pot of souls, a mix of characters you wouldn't believe…" Angel explains "Husk, the guy who runs the bar, he may come off as a tough nut to crack, but deep down, he's got a soft spot buried somewhere in there. You just gotta catch him at the right moment, you know? And then there's Niffty, the female demon who works as the housekeeper. She's a whirlwind of energy and a real firecracker, that one. Hard to put into words, but trust me, she's a charmer in her own unique way.

Oh, and here's a little tidbit for you: both Husk and Niffty were brought in by Alastor."

"Who's Alastor?" Cherri asked. The way Angel Dust mentioned him made it sound like someone she should know, but the name didn't ring any bells.

"Oh, he's just this really creepy prick," Angel Dust replied. "The infamous Radio Demon. I don't think I need to tell you, he's got that moniker for a reason and it ain't just for show considering the guy is considered an Overlord. You won't catch him roaming around much, though. He prefers to keep to himself, hold up in his own room upstairs. The only time he really shows up is usually for his own twisted amusement. He claims he wants to help out with the hotel, but deep down, I can't shake the feeling that he's just here to watch everything crumble and fall apart. That devilish grin of his, it's enough to give anyone the creeps. It doesn't help that his grinning mug is just as unsettling as Valentino's."

"Speaking of Val," Cherri said, her Australian accent slipping through unconsciously. "He did something to you today, didn't he? You always seem on edge after he gets his hands on you. Unlike the girls downstairs, I know what he does to you. So don't try to pull the webbing over my eye, mate."

"He uh," Angel sighed as he leaned his head back against the surface of the wall and closed his eyes. "He made me suck his dick today."

"WHAT!?" Cherri exclaimed, sitting up immediately with a look of shock and concern on her face. "Oh, Angie...Angie, Angie this is bad."

Angel let out a frustrated snort as he spoke, "Ya see, he was keepin' a watchful eye on me, makin' darn sure I wasn't usin' the folks I'm hangin' around with here as a means to escape his clutches." He shook his head and continued, I ain't too sure what Charlie can truly do to persuade Val to let me loose from his control. She can pull out all them fancy words like, "As Princess of Hell and Heir to the throne, I command blah blah," but let's face it, Valentino is an Overlord, and he's chums with two other bigwigs who can cause some serious trouble all on their lonesome."

Angel's expression darkened as he thought about Vox and Velvette. "Vox, that slick talkin' devil, he's got enough pull to bring this whole dang hotel down if it tickles his fancy. And Velvette, she's got them social media connections that could obliterate any chance of Charlie bein' taken seriously...ever. They got the power to make or break folks in a heartbeat. It ain't like I'm sittin' pretty high up on the status pyramid for her old man to give two hoots 'bout what happens to me or any of them poor souls stuck down here. Nah, to him, we're just small fry, expendable pawns in the grand scheme of things."

Angel paused for a moment, his mind racing as he considered the situation. "Now, when it comes to Smiles, he's a character who only does somethin' if it brings him some kinda benefit or if it tickles his funny bone. But ya know what? The boss ain't entirely wrong to be a tad scared, 'cause Al, he ain't no pushover. You shoulda seen what he did to that ol' Snakelords airship. It was a display of raw power that was enough to make demons like my old man and Fratello, close to pissin' themselves outta pure fright let me tell ya, Charlie, she may seem all sweet and innocent, but she's got more than a touch of savvy in her. Sure, given this whole redemption project she's got goin' on, it might be hard for some to believe. But there's more to her than meets the eye. " He shook his head, clearly troubled by the situation he found himself in.

Cherri Bomb leaned forward, her expression filled with concern as she spoke, "But still," she said, "I know this is Hell and this is the sort of shit that happens to people every day and no one blinks an eye. But that doesn't mean it should happen." She took a deep breath and continued, "Have you tried telling your new friends about Valentino at least?

Angel Dust let out a heavy sigh and responded, "I had this plan, a bit of a scheme, to give 'em some tickets to my recent club performance. I figured if they saw me somewhere that Val was present, they'd start gettin' suspicious. Maybe it'd make 'em think that somethin' fishy was goin' on. But ya know what? Not a single one of 'em showed up. And truth be told, I didn't really expect 'em to. Lookin' back on it, it might'a thrown up some red flags for Val if Charlie decided to be showin' up at one of the strip clubs simply by coincidence."

"And you won't let me go after him myself," Cherri's voice was choked with emotion, tears welling up in her eye. "I don't care if he's an Overlord. What I do care about is that he's hurting you, my best friend, for his own sick pleasure. How long before he fucking crosses the line and rapes you or erases you? I can't stand to see you suffer like this.

~He was raping me before you met me, Sugar Tits~ Angel mentally thought

"He already punishes me because of the billboards you've been blowin up," Angel pointed out. "So involving yourself isn't exactly helpin', sweetheart."

Cherri's single eye widened in shock as she realized that even doing something as minimal as blowing up billboards around the city could have repercussions. In Pentagram City, there was always something being vandalized or destroyed by someone for whatever reason. So why would Angel Dust be subjected to consequences just because she decided to blow up a billboard or two? It was because Angel knew her well enough for them to suspect that he was the motivation behind it, even if he would never openly tell Val or anyone else. Moving away from where he was leaning against the wall, Angel stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray on his vanity table before sitting down beside her and wrapping all four arms around her.

"Angie..." She sobbed into his jacket. "I didn't think...I'm sorry."

"It's alright, baby-girl," Angel said as he held her. "I know you want to get me out of Val's hands, and I appreciate it. But this was going on even before Val came into the picture. This ain't something I can just run from or erase. Much like my Pops and brother, I can estrange myself, drop all contact, but I can never wash away the fact I'll always be connected to sin in some way."

"But there has to be something to get you out of there," Cherri protested. "You need to have other people besides me know what is happening. What he's doing to you just isn't right, even in Hell... it just isn't right. I know you want to believe that you have some sort of control over this, but it's only going to become worse. I can't bear the thought of losing you to him. I don't want you to go through all this shit, I love you, Angie."

Tearfully looking up, Cherri lovingly cupped his cheek and leaned up, lightly pressing her mouth against his.

Cherri knew that Angel Dust was gay and that he would never truly be interested in her as more than just a friend, or at best, a sister. But she had always been there for him when he was distressed. Occasionally, she would offer her own body to him as a lover just for the sake of comfort when she felt that was what he needed. In the same way, he would open himself to her when he felt that she needed someone. It wasn't about lust or pleasure; it was just a simple act of love between two close friends.

"What does he have you scheduled for tomorrow?" Cherri asked.

"I have the next couple of days off," Angel said.

"Well, that's good, isn't it?" Cherri brightened. "We can use this time to explain what's going on to Charlie. Maybe she can do something or figure out what we can do about it."Angel shook his head in response.

"The days off aren't a vacation," Angel sighed heavily. "Valentino is testing if I'm going to use the opportunity to run for it." Cherri's hopeful smile lowered in disappointment as she leaned her head back against Angel's chest, realizing that the situation was more dire than she had initially thought

"So if you drop contact with him," Cherri said, her voice heavy with concern. "It only proves he was right that you're trying to escape him, and he'll punish you for it. And if you don't, you're only going to let him win." She looked up at Angel with worried eyes, knowing that he was caught in a difficult situation with no easy way out.

"Catch-22," Angel sighed in agreement.

"You can't keep this subterfuge forever, Angie," Cherri stated firmly as she got up from the bed. "Sooner or later, the Princess or her friend are going to notice something is going on, and you don't want Valentino to be behind it when they do. What if...maybe if I moved into this place, it might help you get comfortable enough with the two of them to explain what's happening? At the very least, there will be someone else who can try to diffuse any situations that are a concern." Cherri turned to Angel with a determined look, hoping that her suggestion might offer a glimmer of hope in a seemingly hopeless situation.

"Ya wouldn't like it, Sugar," Angel Dust smirked. "Remember...no fights, no pranks...no fun."

"Yeah," Cherri chuckled, her signature mischievous grin spreading across her face. "But between you and me, we might just have to bend those rules a little bit to make things interesting. I mean, where's the fun in playing it safe all the time, am I right?" She winked playfully at Angel Dust, a silent agreement passing between them. "And who knows,if Charlie and Vaggie ever get bored of their little duo, I could be down for a little...threesome action."

"Hey, it might be good to have someone I know I can actually talk to around here, besides Fat Nuggets. " Angel agreed with a laugh.

"Thanks for coming by and visiting us," Charlie said as Cherri started her journey back to her apartment.

"Hey, no problem," Cherri responded, offering a toothy grin at the other blond. "It was nice meeting you and your friend And I'm glad you're trying to be someone Angie trust here in Hell."

"It's not easy," Charlie said, giving an exhausted sigh. "I'm sure you can relate. I know he's a good person, but I get this feeling that there's just so much pain and anger built up inside him that he just acts out and doesn't know how to respond in any other way."

"Yeah, he can be a bit much," Cherri responded with an understanding sigh. "When it comes to him, the only advice I can give you is to be patient. He won't tell you himself...but he has been jerked around by a lot of people, both when he was alive and now. Still, if there's one thing to be said about him, he's a good listener and he does pick up on things. So include him in conversations, ask him about anything that might be on your mind, it doesn't matter what. Just genuinely be open to talking to him, because that will help him become less guarded.""

"Thank you," Charlie exclaimed enthusiastically. She felt like she had received a key to unlocking the puzzle that was Angel Dust. "Thank you so much. Please come visit us again. I believe having you around would also be beneficial to helping him in our project."

"Yeah, about that," Cherri said. "I was wondering if I could participate in this hotel project as well." Charlie gave a delighted squeal and immediately hugged the other girl.

"Yes!" Charlie beamed. "Yes, you are welcome to join in. I'll have Vaggie draw up the paperwork tonight and fill you in on the rules in a couple of days. I'm so glad you want to be a part of this, and I know you'll love it here. Having you here as one of our patrons will definitely be helpful in Angel's progress and maybe bring in others as well."

"Okay, see you in a couple of days," Cherri said as she walked out the door and into the night.