Disclaimer: I know I said I was gonna make jokes in these but hear me out. I… suuuuck… at this part. Also, this is the last thing I write before posting. SO… I'll come up with a better excuse next time. THAT… you can maybe count on.
Oh right. Don't own nottin'
Finally, some time to myself.
The princess was laying on the sofa, facing the ceiling. With no other soul in the building, she was free to do… whatever.
For a while, she did. Until she abandoned the whatever and twisted to whichever way, lastly resolving on laying sideways. The horizontal view of the naked fireplace was truly the reward she was looking for.
Eah, don't know why everyone does this.
Sitting up, Charlie brought out a pen and a paper. The paper was an official enlisting form of the Hotel. She had picked a bit of a habit of carrying a stack on her, even to the couch.
Turning the form around, she pondered.
I could make a song, she thought, her inner child blowing bubbles in her psyche. Would definitely be more engaging than some simple broadcast.
The idea was taking flight. It should be about the Hotel, about its services. Not to mention how good it'll make people feel! Bubbly, Charlie began writing.
Or that was her intent before the sheet crumpled against her lap. So, she tried the couch. To no success. Hoping that the page was all the pen penetrated, Charlie stood up to go to the saloon.
Sitting at the stool, she set the victimized paper onto the bar desk. Only for it to become magically see-through. With a belated inspection, she discovered that the entire wooden surface was covered in liquid.
The moment Niffty's away…
Her bubble burst, the lone hostess used the sheet to wipe off the table. It wasn't very effective of course but enough for the uncaring female to set her elbows on the bar.
A moment later she was productively blowing air out.
Maybe I'll just continue lounging. Not like I get to do it often. Or ever
Just then, a 'knock knock' echoed from the front door.
"Welcome stranger!" Came a second later as Charlie blurted it before even reaching the door. Swinging it open, she took in the visitor.
"Angel?!"
Charlie had been so excited. And Angel noticed, the effect decreasing rapidly.
"Sorry to disappoint." He said, quite smoothly too given his own surprise.
"Why were you knocking?!
"Well…" Back to confident, the spider leaned on the doorframe. "I was hoping to ask if that nice lookin' furball was home."
"...You thought Husker would answer."
The golden tooth shone brighter while the owner nodded intensively.
Charlie's reception was dubious. "Why would you think that?"
Gold tooth disappearing, Angel straightened up to ponder it.
"...I don't know." He admitted before moving on. "Sooo, where is he?"
"Out." The hostess responded, now leaning on the frame herself. "Just like everyone."
"Wait, Husk actually went out? Into the daylight?" The spider was genuinely taken aback.
Charlie looked at him questionably, again. "Why is that weird?"
Angel just stared at her, eyebrows raised while sending a telepathic message.
"...Eah, I know." Charlie sighed.
Contented, Angel stepped through the doorway. "So, you expecting that lizard to just… what, knock on the door? Pretty sad way to spend your free time."
Charlie wasn't exactly delighted by the statement. "N-no, I just happened to be right there and because of the knocking…" She paused when Angel pulled out a smoke. "And I'm sure his name isn't 'stranger'." Reaching out, she joinked the cigarette before the spider could light it.
Angel didn't react, just stared at her for a moment. A whiff of a certain odor did bring one on though. "Have you been drinking?"
"WHat?!" It took Charlie a moment to understand. "NO!" Was her composed reply. "The bar- it was covered w-"
"Because that's not only sad but-"
"I haven't- Uuugh!" She didn't want to resort to swearing. Which was hard at the moment. "What about you then?" She asked, a little affronting. "I thought you were at work."
Angel considered pursuing the earlier topic. Eventually deciding against the fun, he pressed his back against the decorative wall.
"Well, it turns out, the job of taking your clothes off goes a little fuckywucky after you get smashed by magic. And not in a fun way. Either of them."
Charlie stared at him. She then sighed, already forgetting her previous frustration. "I'm sorry that happened to you. I shouldn't have let it." Her face was downcast.
"Aah, don't be." Angel said while waving her away. "I'm just pissed to go there only to come back. Would have just stayed in bed if I'd known."
"I'm serious." Charlie spoke, raising her gaze. "I won't let him do something like that again."
Angel gave the statement some thought. "Sure" He phrased before getting off the wallpaper to venture deeper into the building. "I'll go back the moment these scrapes have healed" He yelled back. "Or can be covered with makeup. Now, I'm off on my temporary vacation!"
The princess followed the spider's retreat, a little dejected. Until she remembered something.
"Angel, wait!"
Halting at the lobby, the stripper turned around, a newfound ciggy between his lips. Charlie was quickly by his side.
"I actually did have something I wanted to talk to you about."
Angel turned back forward to continue walking. "Shoot away" He managed to mumble through his closed lips. He was padding his pockets for a lighter.
"Well, first of all…" Charlie started before making a familiar snatching motion.
"Aaah, come on!"
"Please, don't smoke inside again." The hostess advised, tossing away the cancer stick. "It's rude to others."
Having stopped to follow the flight of his valued possession, Angel glanced at Charlie. Then, turning his pout forward, the trip continued.
"Of course I won't." The spider mocked. He spread out his arms to animatedly move his hands.
"BEcaUse iT's rudE to OthErs!"
Charlie walked next to him, deadfaced at whatever comments the other hands were throwing out. After the spectacle dried from its very fruitful high, Charlie resumed her topic.
"About what I wanted to talk about-"
"I can't smoke outside either?"
Now in the dining room, the hostess gazed ahead at the approaching kitchen. "The injuries, Angel. The ones that you have managed to cover."
The spider paused the walk to look at Charlie.
"I don't mean to intrude." She commenced as Angel stayed silent. "But… I spoke with Cherri. I know what's going on and… I want you to know that you can talk to me."
One of Angel's eyebrows had begun its ascent the moment Cherri was mentioned. It reached an all time high before the sentence ended.
"You spoke to her?"
A little caught off, Charlie shook herself to answer. "Yep."
The spider's brows turned crunched as he searched the hostess' facade. After a second he burst out a laugh, seemingly finding Charlie's frustration hilarious.
"What?" She asked, annoyed.
"Nah, it's just- I mean I heard you were a bad bluff but… wow!"
She stood there, arms crossed and pissed, letting the stripper have his fun. It was only after the joyful sounds cooled off that the princess opened her mouth.
"What do you mean?" The stoic impeachment came.
"Oh please Charles!" Angel expressed before again resuming his way forward. "Cher wouldn't talk to you."
Taken aback, Charlie raised her arms questioningly. Only, the spider wasn't looking.
"Why?!" She asked, again by his side.
"You're royalty." He clarified, waving his hand about. "You know, one of those in control. Elite… Whatever. She's just too much of an anarchist to trust you with anything."
"Well…" Charlie prepared her rebuttal. "...Damn."
Pushing through the door, they were in the chef's kitchen. The area was spotless, the appliances all neatly set with no grime in sight. The spider went to scavenge the cabinets.
"You really need to work on tha' bluff of yours." Angel stated as he opened the first storage. "Not gonna win poker games anytime soon."
"Could everyone just stop saying that?" Charlie pleaded. She was standing by the door. "It's not like I'm inefficient. Afterall…" She switched back to serious. "You didn't deny being injured."
Another pause came between the pair as the mishap was pointed out. The hostess didn't gain any satisfaction from it.
"Look, you're right. I don't know how you got them…" She paused to express her regret for lying as Angel turned to her. "...But I do have a pretty good idea."
She took a step towards the unmoving demon. He had stopped his searching all together.
"You know… we can help you. I-If you want. You could… stop going there altogether. You wouldn't have to worry about money, we have enough to cover you, not to mention the food and housing would stay free."
Outwardly, the spider wasn't too far from being cool as ever. The remaining silence however, urged the princess to go on.
"You don't have to take that kind of treatment. From anyone. With us, you-"
"That's adorable."
The response was such a sucker punch that Charlie wondered if she even heard it. With the princess successfully stumped, The spider continued.
"I think your highness has gotten the wrong idea." He ran a pair of hands down his bodily lines. "My job. Is Awesome." Grabbing one of the cans on the counter, Angel went to pass Charlie. "Now, I really am off to my vacation, starting with feeding my Baby. If that's all then… bye!"
Charlie was left to watch the flapping door, the wood going in and out of its frame. A moment later, she also left the kitchen, all the while wondering if she should have handled things differently.
Maybe I should've just kept loitering.
"No, NO!"
"Buut!" Niffty protested. "It's dirty!"
"Yeah" Vaggie confirmed "That's the point!"
As soon as the two had walked in, the shorter one had fixated on the bar. Specifically on the liquid that was unbottled.
"You got to ease up!" Vaggie coached, her energy at an unnecessary high. "It's not good or healthy!"
The juddering maid begged the differ. "You don't know that!" She yelled, her eye never leaving the mess.
"I do!" Vaggie yelled back in the most supportive way. "It's an obsession! If you take steps to improve… Fuck. God fucking..!"
The slander continued for a while as Vaggie witnessed one of the most efficient clean ups in Hell. Deciding to cease her support, the salvadoran left the saloon to flatten the stairs with her stampede.
Charlie, having been reading on the sofa, had her hearing molested just the same. She did try calling out for her maddened partner but didn't receive any coherent response. Turning towards the purifying of the bar, it didn't take long for her to pinch the bridge between her eyes.
A couple pressurized seconds later, the princess closed the book and stood up, stretching to prepare going after her girlfriend. Just before she did though, a certain feline entered the lobby.
Husk was basically dragging himself in, his steps sluggish and expression blank. He had no idea he was being targeted.
"Husker!" The cheerful squee echoed from somewhere out of view. A view which broadened as the room began spinning. Next thing the cat knew, he was being dragged back outside by paw.
Stumbling all the way, he managed to keep his footing. Dashing through the front door, the pair found themselves under the darkening sky. It was then that Charlie ended their sprint and turned back to face the cat.
Said cat had his paws on his knees, coughing.
"So how did it go? What'd you find out?" She asked eagerly. The response was a single raised finger from the still winded cat.
Slowly straightening out, Husk achieved a few steady breaths. The night air was brisk, invigorating and still. The cat surveyed the lit up city view before meeting the hostess' expecting gaze.
"Nothing."
"Nothing?" Charlie was shocked. "She didn't talk to you? Or… you didn't find her?"
Husk put his paws up in effort to slow the princess down.
"Found her." He stated in a helpful tone. "Took a little to get her to talk. Bloody rooftops didn't help."
"And… nothing?"
"Nothing of use." Husk said, his paws in akimbo while turning back towards the city. "Angel hasn't told her anything about it."
"A-are you sure?" She knew it was futile but asked anyway.
"Eah." The cat confirmed. "Even made me promise to keep her updated. Not that I will but… you know."
When the princess didn't add anything, Husker thought to continue.
"What about you? Did you talk to him yet?"
"No" She said. "-I mean yes." She corrected. Bothered, Charlie moved next to the wall to push her back against it. "I tried to bluff him into telling but he saw through it."
The cat appraised the princess. "You tried to… bluff?"
She wrapped her arms around herself. "Could you just not."
Hearing her sigh, Husk chose to shut up.
The air remained quiet between the two as the feline joined the hostess on the wall. A couple feet apart, both gazed into the dark horizon.
It was some time later that a voice cracked the serenity.
"I'm worried about him." Charlie stressed. "Some days ago I found him singing in the hallway." When the cat glanced at her, she clarified. "Not happy like. The tune he was carrying was so… pathetic."
Couple seconds passed and the only reply was a slight grunt. Husker turned back forward and so did Charlie, both putting their attention on the stars that had begun to appear.
The moment didn't last as long.
"What should we do?"
The vocalized concern came from Charlie.
"Nothing."
She turned to look to her side, the cat there focusing only on the sights in front of him.
"You know," She began. "It is likely someone he's working with. We could-"
"No" Husk's voice deepened. "If he wanted help, he'd ask. He's not our responsibility." He locked eyes with the princess. "We shouldn't do anything."
Charlie assessed the cat's words. "You mean I should do something?"
The feline gave a sounding exhale. "Do what you will." With that, he pushed himself off the wall.
Charlie was now assessing the cat itself. Or, what she could as the hairy figure was moving away from her.
"Why now?" She called out.
The figure stopped. Standing straight as well, Charlie approached him. "You could have looked into this at any time. Why the sudden interest?"
The cat didn't respond. His wings lowered slightly while his tail picked up a pace. Charlie stopped just short of said tail.
"Husk… caring is not a bad thing."
She waited for him to say something, to even lash back at her if he wished. Yet there was nothing.
"...Alright." Charlie spoke gently, yelding. "You don't have to tell me."
Before she could return to her spot, a deep, gravely voice spoke from behind her.
"I lied"
The hostess turned back around to meet the sloth-like cat's gaze.
"-About Cherri." Husk elaborated. "I did figure something out."
Mind swirling with questions, Charlie conveyed her intrigue with a tender "What?"
The cat took a single, closed eyed breath of frustration.
"This is not the first time something like this has happened to him."
Husk was already turning away before the sentence was over. Charlie had plenty of time to stop him but didn't. When the front door opened, the feline trundled through the frame, his tail being the last thing the hostess saw of him.
The 'click' sound signaled that the door was shut. Charlie, instead of leaning back on the wall, chose to sit down next to it. Looking up at the brightly shining specs, she wasn't sure what to make of the day's events. Or what she should do about them.
A/N: Be prepared for a long ass author's notes.
So, I tried a new approach with this chapter, as you might have noticed. More serious, uuUUuu :D. And a little different style for the conversations, which I'm mainly talking about here. I really tried to get this one out sooner but apparently I just forgot how to push buttons suddenly. Husker's part was especially hard to word right. Took one sleepless night to… I dunno, get in the mood? Whatever it was, it helped. Btw, got the little references to a certain music video?
About taking a new approach, I also want to point out that the aim of this story, along with making it funny and well… good, is also to challenge myself. If you thought I was struggling with the serious scenes, well you're right, I was indeed. Kinda the reason I do them and other things. Just so you know, if you ever wonder why I try to take every chapter for a ride ;)
Which brings me to mah next point: Chapter 4, The Grand Re-Opening. So I originally thought to ask here if I should do a little cleaning with the fourth chapter since I remembered there was something off with it. But then I went back to it and Mah GAWD! Sorry, I mean, what in the fuck? And so, I DID some major cleaning. If you have already read it, you don't need to again in order to continue. Unless you want to, of course:) The story is the same, it's the style that changed. I did change the ending, but again, more style than story. Also, I wanna stress the fact that this will not become a habit. I have no intention of doing changes like this in the chapters already posted. If there is a mistake, I think it's better for it to stay, to kinda mark something I can improve on. I have done a little cleaning on the earlier chapters but those were about clarifying a sentence or to, not to erase an oopsie. Chapter 4 is a one time exception.
Talking about edits, just a small mention that I have added some tags, at least on Ao3 site. Pointing it out cause I'll propaply continue adding them. Not planning to remove anything though.
Also, another thing. I usually end these with a plea to comment or something else smartpansy (it's a word now 'cause I said it). However, my highnosed ass (also a word) just realized that I haven't said much to those who have followed my story so far. So thank you. For the kudos, follows… (Mentioning both cause imma use the same a/n in multiple sites. Really shows how great of a person I am). But really, thank you guys.
And sorry for dumbing this kinda serious… dumb on you but, if I was gonna do it, I thought it appropriate to use this chapter as it was already quite heavy.
C ya next time, fellas!
