Hazbin Hotel: First Week Part I

The first week was turning out to be a huge learning curve for everyone. Somehow Charlie had thought that living with an infamous overlord under the same roof as sinners seeking redemption would go over as well as it had with Alastor. Even if Alastor didn't have quite as large a reputation. Therein lay the problem. Charlie watched as guest after guest either checked out or barricaded themselves in their rooms and vowed not to come out. They had to come out to eat but even then, they scurried back to their dens with food in their cheeks like rodents. Caine acted in much the same way. He didn't like to mingle, was uncomfortable with groups of more than three people and often stuck to the shadowy or dark corners of the rooms, as if the light would hurt him in some way. He would appear at the bar every now and then for a drink, but Husker was quick to serve him and then retreat as far away as possible.

Charlie was trying to keep everything running smoothly. She still hosted activities, but few residents showed up if at all, and Caine couldn't be any less interested. Emily could see that this wasn't going to work, at least not in the way Charlie hoped it would. People needed to see that Caine was just another sinner, just like them. Then maybe Charlie's other plans could work. Emily could see her frustration and also the fact that she was out of her depths on this one. Her usual niceties and pleasantness just weren't going to work with a man like Caine. Emily had vowed to be the one to help him and she would, but first, she'd need to put Charlie's mind at ease. She knocked on Charlie's door to speak with her, but it opened on its own, not closed all the way. "Charlie? Are you here?" She stepped in and turned on the light.

Her eyes went wide at the state of the office. Once again Charlie had out the red yarn and was drawing connections between drawings and papers she had up on the wall. In the midst of it all Charlie was everywhere all at once, muttering to herself as she added things, took things down, made more connections with tacks and strings. "He won't do trust falls, won't do the dancing or arts and crafts. Wouldn't sit down for show and tell…." Emily almost backed out of the room but remembered why she was here and approached instead, putting her hand on Charlie's shoulder "Hey…" Charlie turned around so fast she got twisted up in her own spool of string, but she was in her demon form. After a few deep breaths and seeing the angel, she calmed down. "Sorry. I'm just…. I'm trying…" Emily offered the gentlest and most sympathetic of smiles "I know you are. This may all work for some sinners, but Caine isn't going to respond to the basics. I think this is going to require a special touch. A seraphim's touch." Charlie sighed and hung her head "Charlie everyone else here is afraid of him, but I'm not." She feared no evil.

The wall before them was covered in rainbows and everything was written in crayon. Charlie hated to admit it, but she was right. "I guess I thought I did it with Pentious so why not try it again." she pounded her fist on the wall "This has to work Emily." There was a tremendous weight on her shoulders to make this all work. The more time that passed, the more it became clear that one redemption wasn't enough. They couldn't just be a one hit wonder as her dad liked to put it. "We will Charlie, just give it time. Some tasks require a different approach and just a little bit of patience" She just needed to find the right approach and muster all her patience.

It was during the first time Charlie asked him to join what she called a "Sharing circle" that Caine almost walked back out the front door. It was like being in a candy coated, rainbow printed version of Hell. If these mind-numbing exercises and asinine displays of kindness and affection were what passed for redemption, he wanted no part of it. Every time things got too bright and cheery, he retreated to some dark corner he could find, even going so far as to take the light bulbs out just to make things a little bit darker. The bar was quickly becoming his retreat as the restaurant was dimly lit anyway but all the dark woods sapped the light out of the room, making it the perfect atmosphere for him.

While he enjoyed dark, aged wines the most, Husker was quickly introducing him to all kinds of beverages he'd never tried before. He was on his second whisky sour and Husker's commitment to keeping his distance gave him all the quiet he needed to be alone with his thoughts. Husker would make whatever drink Caine asked for and then quickly retreated to the kitchen to converse with the spider he obviously had feelings for. Caine had been there for a couple of days and could already feel the air thick with the hormones raging between them. That was another bright spot to this place. Despite what he thought about him and the cat, the spider made excellent food. He was just placing his knife and fork back on his plate and dabbing at his mouth with a napkin when he felt what was becoming an all too familiar presence around him.

The seraphim radiated holy light wherever she went. Whenever she was near, it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on edge. For someone who had been steeped in darkness so long, light was not kind to him. It felt like a burning sensation on his skin and in his soul. Every time she drew near his mind screamed retreat and yet he stayed. Ever the gentleman he rose from his chair and took his hat off as he bowed to her "Seraphim…to what do I owe the pleasure of your company" Emily wasn't used to such gestures in a place like this, not even from Alastor who prided himself on his manners. She blushed, even returning the gesture with a little curtsy "I was wondering if you'd like to join me for a walk?" she smiled with such earnestness he was taken aback by it. It was such a simple request. "I…suppose, a walk would be a fine thing after a meal" He could swear her wings flapped when he said yes. Hopefully he won't regret this. She wasn't as air headed as the princess, but they were damn near the same person sometimes.

She took the lead and he followed, unsure of where she was headed. "How are you finding the hotel?" She hadn't asked him anything since he arrived, wanting to give him time to adjust but also unsure of what to even say to a man that was thousands of years old. Then again, she was a timeless being herself. "It is…. adequate. A far cry brighter than I'm used to, especially compared to my home but it will do." He really felt he should say something to her, after all she'd seen to it he could be here at all. He trusted Alastor to remember their deal, but even then, if Alastor couldn't follow through in convincing Lucifer to allow him to be here…well the results would have been very ugly indeed. "I want to express my gratitude for having such…openness about my being here. I'm sure the others didn't share your sentiments" She flapped her wings and rose off the floor, turning around to face him but continuing to move backwards as they walked.

"Why are you so sure that no one else wants you here? It came down to a vote and you should be happy to know that five out of seven people wanted you to be here" That did surprise him, and he arched a brow at this information. However, given the way the other angel watched his every move and how Lucifer avoided him like the plague he could hasten a guess as to who had said no. "It's the two that didn't I'm more concerned about, seraphim. Aside from your angel sister lurking around every corner waiting for me to flinch, it seems the king does not wish to be anywhere near me at all" She lowered back to the ground and stayed facing him "You and Lucifer have a history. A long one. Part of changing is to recognize where you've wronged other people…." she regretted the words as soon as she said them, the walls around them taking on shadow as his one good eye glowed bright red "I wronged? You have no idea what happened back then, what that man is responsible for. He puts on this show of being as bright and bubbly as his delusional daughter, but you don't know the real Lucifer at all!" His voice echoed around them, but she didn't budge an inch until he regained his composure "You've only been in hell a short time, you don't know what the rest of us have endured" He continued to walk, stepping around her as she watched his back.

"Is that how you deal with everything? Parlor tricks and intimidation?" he froze, and she watched as he clenched his fist around his cane "You're right, no one wants to be near you right now because you've cultivated this image of yourself as being a murdering, rampaging beast who doesn't care for anyone or anything but himself!" her voice raised and her third and fourth eye opened up. He turned slowly, already feeling the heat of her gaze until it met with his own "You have no idea what I care about" he said quietly, this time not balking at her glowing eyes. "If you knew why I put myself through this, why I'm willing to engage in these inane conversations…" he stopped and turned away as she started to calm herself "Then tell me. Tell someone, open up and maybe we can help you" she pleaded with him, but she knew he just wasn't ready.

She wasn't sure what to say or do. When an idea sparked into her head, she looked at him then flew around him to face him once more "If I tell you a secret about me, something no one else knows. Will you tell me one too?" Opening up to someone usually worked best on equal footing. He wasn't sure what she was getting at, but then perhaps if he made this little effort he could retreat once again "A trade, a transaction…I suppose that works" though over thousands of years, secrets could accumulate. She decided to start small, just an ice breaker to open the door. "I know everyone thinks I'm a lot like Charlie, that I love rainbows and pretty things as much as she does. But sometimes I get tired of all of that and when I do I like to go back to my room and spend some alone time. Usually reading trashy romance novels"

Caine blinked and stayed staring at her for the longest time. But she was pleased to see the smallest smile turn the corner of his mouth. "Well ... clearly you have a problem, and we should find the right support group for you" She too was shocked but then smiled brightly "Was…was that a joke?" She had no idea he had a sense of humor, but she actually giggled a bit at his teasing. That sound to him was like sweet music. He'd never made anyone laugh before. It was his turn to share, and he thought long and hard, staring at a spot on the carpet. To her credit she was being enormously patient, hopefully knowing how hard it was to open up to another person.

"I remember when I was alive what joy farming was. The tilling of the field, the sweat of a hard day's work, toiling as I gathered the wheat. I would like to try gardening again. It was always such a simple joy to make things grow." She beamed at him for opening up like that, wondering if she could get him to do it again "I have hobbies too! I love to read, sing, write stories and sometimes I even go to the theater in heaven to see a play or two." This was good progress; hobbies were always a way to spread joy and include other people. "I suppose reading is something I do enjoy; I've trained myself to read in the dark. I suppose since you're so interested in secrets, I will admit that I do on occasion enjoy a film or two. I'm afraid I agree with Alastor on his disdain for frivolous technology. But at some point, I came into possession of a film projector. I liked the noise it made when I turned it on, so I thought why not try it with film in it." this got Emily floating in the air again, a brighter smile on her face than he'd ever seen on a person before.

"Oh…my…gosh I love movies!" she then began to rattle off all the movies she'd seen, which ones she loved the most, which ones made her cry, laugh, scared. He hadn't realized they'd kept walking, the time passing on without remark. "...and then he had to…well…I don't like to talk about it." She became very sad all of a sudden, but he knew what she was referring to "Yes, I know, I've seen Lassie as well. You can add to your list of secrets about me that I did in fact shed a tear. However, if you tell anyone, I will have to think of a suitable punishment" She outright laughed this time, and he didn't understand why it made him feel joy. It was infectious the way she expressed herself. However, his face remained stoic, except for the odd twitch of a muscle or eyebrow. It was going so well, she wanted to try going a little deeper. Just something that she could say she knew about him that proved he could open up.

"Can I tell you something personal? Something no one knows about me, not even Sera" At her shift in tone, he stopped their walk and angled himself to look into her eyes "You may tell me. I won't betray your confidence" she wrung her hands together nervously; it was a big secret after all "I often wonder what it's like to have a family. Seraphim are forbidden from such things and it's difficult to watch so many of the people in Heaven, especially the Heaven born, have the things that I can't." Especially the ones that found that one special person, the one she longed to meet for herself.

He could see it had taken a lot for her to share something so meaningful to her. It was only fair he returned the favor. "I…I had a son when I was alive. Enoch. I don't even remember his mother, but he was an intelligent boy. Despite my disfiguration he never seemed to be afraid of me. I would tell him stories of angels and heaven. Even as angry as I was for my situation, I never forgot the old stories, the words that seemed to mean so much to him. He was always repeating them." He was trapped now in that memory; one he was particularly fond of and hadn't called to the forefront of his mind in many years. "I remember he would stand on a rock and would talk to the animals that would happen by. Tell them about the legend of Eden, the other stories I knew from my own father. He looked so…right. I hope whatever became of him, he was a good leader, a good man."

He was brought from his mind by what sounded like crying and looked up to see her weeping. He was about to ask why, but then a strange sensation came over him. His hand came up to his cheek and he felt wet there as well. He cleared his throat to recover himself but pulled a handkerchief from an inside pocket to offer her. He shook his head to rid himself of such melancholy and put back his composure, his carefully controlled facade "I believe we've shared enough for one day. Thank you for the walk, I enjoyed my time with you" He moved to leave her, but not before he looked back for a moment "Thank you…for letting me remember for a moment that I was a real person" he left it at that, feeling once again that he needed a drink.

She'd watched a change come over him as he recalled memories of his past, of his family. He'd been smiling, had a brightness to his face that when she'd met him, she hadn't thought could be there. He almost seemed human, more human than most of the sinners she'd met so far. But her heart broke when he shed a tear for his lost humanity. So many people she'd come across in the hotel tended to forget they were once alive, once had full lives and a single mistake, some greater than others, some so miniscule it barely registered as a sin, granting them a one-way ticket to Hell. She'd accepted his gesture, clutching the silk cloth and wiping away the tears that flowed. He'd left her before she could give it back, but his thanks were enough to almost make her start again. Progress was hard, it was at times painful, but it was necessary and today he'd made a small step in the right direction.