Emily woke up that following morning with a knot in her stomach. A cruel cocktail of various different excitements and anxieties stuck in her stomach. She grumbled as she waddled out of bed, realizing she, for the first time in her life, did not smell very good.'What do people do when they smell bad...' she thought to herself, 'shower... is that what a shower is? Wait, I have one of those!'Emily tipped her way to her bathroom and looked at the rectangular stall that was, theoretically, a 'shower.' She cocked her head, fumbling around the outside before finding the handle that rolled the door open. She yanked it, stumbling back a bit as it slid ajar more fluidly than she had expected. She pocked her head in to see the faucet at the top of the shower, and the singular little knob bellow it. She squinted her eyes at it, a level of care that made it seem almost as if she was afraid the little thing would bite her, she delicately turned the knob an ever so gentle bit. She heard a squeak from the head above her, as a freezing cold stream of water soaked onto her back and head.
"BWAH!" She barked, slipping and thrashing in the shower, somewhat unintuitevely soaking more water into her clothes before scrambling on the stall, and standing back up, with a shiver. "Aaaaa, cold and gross, cold and gross!"
Emily scrambled at the bottom traces of her shirt trying to tug the heavy, wet fabric up and over her head around her wings.
"Ugh! How am I supposed to get this OFF!" She whined, finally succeeding in yanking the thing off and splatting it onto the floor. She rubbed her cold body before spotting herself in the mirror. She blushed.
It had been so long that Emily had been in that old heavenly cloth. She was created in it. She had never taken it off. In heaven, things didn't really get dirty, and it wasn't really possible to be uncomfortable, so she'd usually end up falling to bed in the same clothes she had been wearing every minute of every hour for the past few thousand years.
She moved toward the mirror, and put a hand to it, meeting that of her reflection. Both of her bare shoulders had additional arrays of little white freckles spackling them. She observed every part of her upper torso from the soft mounds on her chest downward. And she felt... emotional... for some reason.
She smiled softly at herself. "Wow, I'm... I'm so pretty..." She sniffled. There was something nice about being able to see, fully, and appreciate just purely her for what -to her recollection- might have been the first time since her genesis. Well, second time she had been naked, though she wasn't really thinking about anything more than wanting to be clothed again at that time. She daintily removed the bandage from her stomach, slightly surprised to see it already healed. she gently prodded it to feel no pain. She traced the scare left behind, thoughtfully. Her belly was flat, but soft, and around the remains of her wound where additional dottings of speckly white freckles. She gave herself a smile. Then, gingerly... she removed the bandsge of her wing. It too, had healed over: the stump of what was left. Her tears weren't as romantic anymore as thet started to mix witht he glistening water already on her cheeks. It really hadn't dawned in her: she probablt would never fly again.
She sniffled, and rubbed her eyes, unwilling to haev another thing to add to the pot of worry brewing in her skull. She shook herself off as she became accutly aware of the fact her shirt wasn't the only thing cold with wet. Her pants were, too.
She threw them off, letting them splooch right next to their accompanying shirt, before giving a similar amount of thought to her lower half, blushing at the exhibition of her own body before going back to the shower stall. She was mildly aware of showers... they usually had a way to heat them up, right?
Making sure not to soak her already still dripping form further, she poked her head at the cascading ice water, them at the knob. She noted, one side of the knob had a little, curbed blue bar, about halfway into its rotation, there started a little red one.
Attempting to dodge the stream of water, sliding along the back of the glass behind her, she slowly inched to the knob as the freezing liquid still tickled her toes. Cold... to warm... the shower squeaked again, and she gently fingered the continuing stream of water. Warm! She stuck her whole self under it and shook her body in a not un-dog-like manor, sighing with a smile as she felt the hot water caress her. It felt so good... in fact, there was something almost better about the feeling it gave her, because of the little unpleasentries that had led to the moment when she was finally comfortable.
After letting the water coat her and soothe her tension for a good few minutes, she reached for the tiny white bar laying on the tray that hung off the side of the stall, quriking a brow in curiosity. She held it up to her nose and sniffed it. It smelt... nice. Not natural. But clean, and fresh. Was she supposed to put this... on her?
She rubbed the bar against her wet body, and watched as it started to sud. She giggled with a wholesome childishness. Bubbles were fun. This whole thing was all just... weirdly simple, and pleasent... why didn't she get to do this in heaven?
After a while, Emily realised she had both begun to smell better and, also, apparently wrinkle like a raisin on her fingers, which caused only the mildest bit of panic as she finally decided it was time to turn the water off. She stepped out of the water to be hit by a wave of cold, and shivered, hugging herself. She went to her crumpled pile of clothes and gently toed them; they were still wet, of course. She pouted, unknowing what to do.
Looking back over her shoulder to the stall, she saw a fluffy sheet of fabric hanging from the front. Now, that, she knew, was called a towel. And, also realizing she was no soaking the floor with her wetness, swaddled herself up in it, and patted her frame and hair dry. Well, dry-er. Unsure of what to do with the whole clothes situation, she wrapped herself in the towel, though, was unsure of how to keep it suspended up, so she elected to just do so with her hands. It would, at least temporarily, suffice in preserving her minimal decency while she got some... assistance.
Emily proceeded out of the bathroom, and her room, before entering into the hall, speedwalking towards Charlie and Vaggie's room. She passed the decorated door of the room she knew was Angel Dust's, which just so inconveniently had to open just now as his first sight of the morning was a damp, naked angel, wrapped in a towel and speedwalking away. He quirked a brow.
"Uhh, you good, Em?" He asked. The angel, continuing in her decided direction, turned her head to answer.
"Mhm!" She said, with a cherry grin. Angel wasn't any less confused, but he shrugged.
"Uhhh... cool." And so she continued, down the hall. And Angel gave a breif glance down before mumbling to himself of platonic respect. "I got nice legs but, damn those things are fuckin' long."
Emily finally reached the door she was looking for, giving it a gentle rap with her one free hand. No answer. A slightly harder knock. She heard a door open from inside, then was pleased to be greated by a sleepy Charlie who was holding a small mechanical toothbrush in one hand. She widened her eyes.
"Emmy," she said, her face reddening as she spoke around the toothpaste in her mouth. The adressed 'Emmy' nodded for her to continue. "Why are you at the door at seven in the morning naked?"
"Um... My clothes got wet, and, uh..." She shrugged, shyly. "I don't have any morrrree... so..."
"How-?" Charlie started, before shaking her head. "Nevermind. Come in, you can sit on the bed while I finish brushing, then I'll go flag down Nifty. For future reference, she's our house janitor! If you need anything cleaned or dryed, go to her."
Emily nodded. "O-okay! I'll try to remember that. I-I can just go get her," Emily said with a desperation indicative that she was displeased to be causing Charlie so much trouble so early. Charlie gently used her free arm to pull her into the room.
"N-nooo, you're fine, Em! I don't want you to have to be running around after that tiny little gremlin trying to keep your towel on," the blond woman said as she closed the door, before gesturing for Emily to sit.
"I-I," she started, before sighing. "Thank you, Charlie. I... I'd definitely appreciate to not have to chase Nifty around in the newd." She delivered her last word in a silly way that made Charlie have to stiffle a giggle.
"Stoooop, you'll make me spit out my toothpaste!" The slightly taller woman giggled, as Emily sat down. She gave her own airy laugh.
"Sorry," she said through a grin. Charlie smiled at her.
"Alright," she said, "gimme just a bit." Before returning to the bathroom.
Charlie entered the bathroom and closed the door behind her, as her and Vaggie's guest gently kicked her legs passively as she glanced around the room.
"What was it, Charlie?" Vaggie asked, as she had just gotten out of the shower and was drying herself off.
"Just Emily, I've just gotta get Nif really quick," Charlie responded before spitting the contents of her mouth into the sink.
"Ah," Vaggie said simply, now putting her usual red button-up on. Charlie left the bathroom again, her hair still a mess from bed, presumably to go flag down the little cleaning demon. As Vaggie pulled up and fastened her skirt, she went to the mirror to re-tie her ribbon. When she finished, she left the bathroom, and...
...
"... Emily, sweetie, why are you naked on our bed?"
Emily had never been in a limo before. Well, that's to say, Emily had never been in a vehicle before period. There was little point in such things when one could fly or teleport wherever she wanted. Of which she had suggested to do today with Charlie, but the other woman strongly urged against it. An angelic portal opening in the middle of a hellish street would not be the most welcome sign in the world, and as it was, Charlie was trying to be careful with where she took Emily today. She didn't want her to be too turned off -or worse, even fearful- of what Hell had to offer. She was well concious of the place's acquired taste, so she wasn't going to force the heavenly woman to accept it so quickly.
Emily chuckled. "Well, um..." She sighed. "I mean, I'm feeling... odd, I guess. I'm just..." She looked to Charlie and gave a nervous laugh. "Everything's, y'know... it's a lot.""Oh, Em..." Charlie in the neighboring seat to her gently put a hand on hers, which was resting eloquently atop her thigh. She always had a very polite posture when she sat. At least when she was in company. "I hope me and Vaggie didn't, like, y'know... jump on you, I guess... I know this... everything... there is a ton for you right now..."
Emily, who up until the point had just kinda been spacing out, snapped to and looked to Charlie. "Hm?"
"How are you feeling? Yknow... just in general, I guess," Charlie said, giving the other girl a gentle smile, before quickly adding, "I'm not asking for a blow-by-blow! Just, yknow. Generally..."
"You're sweet, Charlie," she said, softly, before clearing her throat. "Do you think... do you think there's anyway at all I could help as well?" The woman gave Charlie a soft smile, and the princess beamed.
"Of course, Emily! The more the merrier! If your body is feeling better, all of us would really appreciate the help."
Emily smiled at her. "Thanks, Charlie." She frowned. "I do still feel bad though about leaving her alone to manage construction today..."
Charlie gave a, 'pshhhh,' and waved her hand. "Don't feel badly, Emily. This is something you need, and I'll be back to help her in not too long! I don't want you to feel badly about this." She smiled at the angel, and Emily's cheeks yellowed.
"You're sweet, Charlie," she said, softly, before clearing her throat. "Do you think... do you think there's anyway at all I could help as well?" The woman gave Charlie a soft smile, and the princess beamed.
"Of course, Emily! The more the merrier! If your body is feeling better, all of us would really appreciate the help."
Emily gave an eager grin. "Yay!" Charlie giggled at her. Emily shifted in her seat a little. "So... where are we going?"
Charlie practically shone. "Oh, Emily, you are gonna loveeee it! It's this nice little indie boutique! They have some super cute stuff, I go there all the time! I'm not sure what your, y'know, sense of style isss, but I'm positive we'll be able to find some things you'll like!"
Emily giggled at Charlie's exuberance. "Well, I'm not so sure what my sense of style is either! Wearing one dress your whole life will do that to you. You think maybe you can help pick a couple of things out for me?"
Charlie gave another glowing smile. "Fuck yeah!"
Emily briefly jumped at the profanity, but laughed nonetheless.
"Ch- Charlie!" Emily stuttered out, exasporated by the weight of cloth she struggled to manage in her arms, meeping as the accompanying woman plopped yet another frilly dress on top of the others, "Are you sure I'm gonna have time to try all these on!? What about Vaggie, and everyone else at the hotel!?"
"Now now, Emmy," Charlie tutted, waving a hand at her dismissevely. "You deserve this. You're a good person, and you should have something nice done for yourself. We'll still be able to get back in plenty of time! Besides-" Charlie did a little gesture with her hands as if emulating magic sparkling from her fingertips. "-Can't you just magic each outfit on?"
"M-magic each outfit on? I-" Emily stopped and gave the statement some actual thought. "Actually, yeah. I mean, I- I guess so. HUP!" Emily gasped as a cute, pale blue denim jacket was plopped on top of her pile. "I- I mean, seraphim magic can be used to... 'magic' small items to ourselves... So, yeah... I suppose."
"Yay!" Charlie cheered. "Now, let's go look at jewelry!" Emily gave a dreading look.
"Charlie..."
Charlie gave the other girl puppy eyes the size of dinner plate, with a tiny little pout. "Pleasssseeee? Em, you would be soooo cute with, like, a tiny little necklaccceeee, or some little braceleeettts," she whined.
Emily blushed, grinning goofily. "Y-y-you really think so?" Charlie nodded vigorously. "W-w-well..." The angel cleared her throught. "I-if you insist, I mean... I guess I could try some..." Charlie beemed, while Emily gave a small frown. "I don't want to be, like... putting you out, though." Charlie giggled.
"Oh, Emmy, you're not putting me out! Not only do I just wanna do this-" She gestured to herself flamboyantly. "Princess of Hell. Remember? I'm richy richy rich. That's three times as much rich as a normal rich." She gave a faux haughty look, and Emily had to giggle before stumbling and fluttering a little to keep her growing fabric tower afloat.
"Fair point. I suppose I can't stop your spoiling of me, hm?" Emily said with narrowed eyes and a grin. Charlie nodded again with energy.
"Nope!" She beamed.
Emily grinned at the other woman with a hint of dreaminess, only pulled out when she saw a sky blue dress hanging from one of the racks. She turned to Charlie. "H-hey, Charlie?" The other woman cocked her head at hwr with a warm smile.
"Hm?"
"C- can you pull out this one?" she asked, gesturing to the article of clothing with a point of one of her wings. It took Charlie a minute to figure where she was gesturing to, but eventually she found it.
"This sky blue one?" she cheered.
"Y-yeah!" Emily said, cheeks dusted in yellow and a shy smile on her face. Charlie pulled the dress off the rack, and both women turned their own colors of embarassment with similar faces.
"O-oh my," Emily said, "th-that's... more... revealing, then I expected."
"Y-yeah." Charlie cleared her throat. "N-not what I would've expected from you."
Emily looked off shyly, then out of the corner of her eye at Charlie, her face thoroughly drenched with golden. "Is... is it okay if we put it on the pile anyway?"
Charlie laughed, flustered. "Y-you're body your rules, Emily! I-if you wanna... try it out..." Emily giggled coyly.
"I think I would."
Charlie placed the dress to the piled and returned to her shuffling through the racks, red as the realm she was born in.
Emily stepped out of the changing stall with a grin on her face, and a pile of clothes substantially smaller than what Charlie had previously sent her in with. Though it was still a respectable amount, nonetheless. She even had picked out a couple of the pieces of jewelry Charlie had gotten her; the cheaper ones, however, out of the still present distaste in making the demonic princess shuck out such an egregious sum of money on the girl who she had formally met just a month ago. Charlie smiled brightly at her.
"Watcha think, Em?" She beamed.
"I like these ones a lot! I've never tried on clothes before. I really like these... the jean shorts with the fray-y legs are called, 'cutoffs,' right?" Charlie nodded.
"They arrreee, aren't they cute?" Emily nodded with a sweet little smile. "So, you ready to checkout?" the blonde half-angel asked.
"I suppose I am!" Emily gleamed.
Charlie stood up and stuck out her hands gesturing for Emily to dump her clothes into her arms. "Gimme."
Emily cocked her head. "You know I can carry them, right?" Charlie giggled.
"Oh, I know, but I am the one paying." It was Emily's turn to giggle, now.
"At least let me take them to the register."
Charlie sighed, melodramatically.. "Finnneee, if you insisted." She snickered after, and Emily joined the chorus.
Upon reaching the register, Emily plopped the clothes down on the desk, and Charlie smiled at her as she pulled out her debit card. Emily stepped back and waited for the woman to finish her payments, mindlessly looking around and toying with her own hands.
"Hey, chicklet," Emily heard a voice snear from beside her, just out of her current field of vision. She swiftly turned her head to see the source of the sound. A spindly, hairless demon with an uncomfortable toothless grin and spindly horns that looked like they could have just been hardened protrusions of the rest of his skin on his head became visible.
"Do... do you mean me?" She said with a quirked lip, giving herself a point.
"Of course I meant you, ya holy piece of meat," he hissed. Emily couldn't tell if he was objectifying her, just trying to be intimidating, or a combination of the two things. Emily looked at him with an unamused expression.
"Mhm, yeah?" She deadpanned. Her flatness was replaced with mild fear as he snatched her wrist and pulled her into himself.
"Don't be so dry, little birdie. Or so... non-complicit." Emily's eyes widened with a now utterly genuine fear, as the man moved a hand to her neck, and pulled a very small pistol decorated with a holy, silver trim from his pocket. "I know you angels aren't as... impervious as you like to think you are." Emily gulped.
"You're threatening me..." She said, simply, but dreadful. The man chuckled quietly. Flashes of a hostile angel with hate in her eyes flew to her memory and her fear heightened even further.
"God damnnn. I knew you looked like a bimbo, but I guess you are actually just as slow as you look," the man gave a sneer, and pressed the gun the Emily's belly. "Why don't we go take a little walk, and I can show you a time less than the holiness you're-"
"Excuse me?!" Came an uncharacteristically seething growl as Emily saw Charlie standing before them both. Her eyes were red and her horns were unsheathed as small sparks flickered about her. "I think if anyone here's slow, it's you for threatening my friend right in front of me."
"Oh yeah...? And what are you gonna do to stop me, I could just shoot her guts out right-" The man had no time to finish his sentence before a devilish, whip-like tail had wrapped around his gun-holding wrist. She twisted her hip and tightened her tails grip sharply, forcing the mans hand to open painfully and drop the handgun on the ground. "Shit!" He yelped.
"You do not get to treat her that way!" Charlie grabbed the man with sharpened nails and through him with inhuman ferocity. The sinner crashed into a distant rack of clothes, thoroughly shattering the thing, dizzily clawing his way out. Charlie crouched down and lifted up the blessed handgun like it was something foul that had fallen from the trash. Unsure of what yet to do with it, she shoved it in her waistband like it was the most disgusting thing she had ever had to do.
She sighed, before looking to Emily who had her hands clasped to her chest, and was subtly shaking. Her eyes widened and she gently grabbed and squeezed Emily's hands with a worried look in her eyes.
"Emily, are you okay?"
"I... I," Emily tried to push out. But she wasn't going to lie...
"No..."
Charlie gave her another squeeze. "Let's get you home, Em."
The lady behind the counter cleared her throat. Charlie looked to her. She glared and tapped on the counter. Charlie blushed. "Ehehehe..." She chuckled nervously, quickly pulling a large bill out of her wallet. "I am so sorry about the damage." Charlie grabbed the couple of large bags that had been loaded with Emilys clothes and smiled at the cashier. "Thank you!"
She went back to the rattled angel and gave her one of the bags. "Can you hold this for a tiny bit, Em? I just need like, two seconds." Emily gave the most nod she could and gingerly took the plastic bag from the other girls hands.
Charlie speed walked to the demon who had just finally managed to crawl his way out of the pile of clothes. He stood up dizzily, before taking note of the red eyed, glaring woman coming toward her.
"What are you-" he started, before being promptly kicked in the genitals with such an un-chartable amount of strength as to give him a reassignment he probably hadn't been hoping for. Gasping hoarsely, he crumpled to the floor, as Charlie sneered at him. She bonked him in the stomach roughly with her heal before turning around and going back to Emily. Poof! Horns gone, grin back.
"Let's go home, Emmy."
Charlie hopped out of the limo, as Razzle, who had been driving, kindly took one of the bags and hovered it to the hotel doors. Charlie held the other. A shaken up angel followed out of her limo, moving as quickly as possible so she could be close to Charlie again. Charlie gave her a soft and gentle smile. Emily blushed as she felt the other woman's hand gently move into a guiding position on the small of her back. She gently guided her to walk with her to the door.
"You doing okay, Emily? That seemed to do a number on you..."
Emily shook her head quickly to shake of some of the daze. "I... to be honest? No, not right now, but... I will be." Charlie sighed.
"I am so sorry, Emily... there is good down here. I see it every day. But... we are in Hell. There's... no shortage of bad, either..." Charlie looked down sadly. "Even though I really wish there wasn't..."
Emily sighed, and gave Charlie a tender smile. "Maybe. But... you're doing your little part to make things better." Charlie gave her own, genuine grin.
"... Thank you, Emily."
Emily laughed meekly. She smiled softly as the two kept walking to the door. "Thanks for... standing up for me back there..."
"Of course Emily..."
"Why... Why did that man want to hurt me?" Charlie sighed sadly. That was a painful set of words to have to hear from the sweet angel.
"I... I don't know, Emily. I don't know."
Both women gave each other a gentle look before Charlie finally opened the hotel door and stepped in.
"Welllll," Angel drew. "Guess who's finally back." Emily giggled at the reaction.
"Hi, Angel," she said with a wave. "I'm sorry, did we take too long?" She gave Charlie a jokingly sly look. "I tried to tell her she picked out to many things but she just wouldn't listen." She sighed, un-seriously ashamed.
"It's not my fault they had so many cute things there," she pouted. Emily daintily patted her head.
"Hey, girls!" Vaggie called from top of the hotel stairs. Her hair was tied up in a long ponytail. Emily, who hadn't seen it up before, yellowed a bit.
"Hiii, Vaggie!" Charlie cheered, waving with enthusiasm. "I'm sorry we weren't back sooner, but we're here to help." Vaggie had come to descend the stairs as she continued talking.
"No, you're all good, sweetie." She chuckled as she finally came to approach the two women. "Looks like you two had fun at least. We're actual done, now, anyway."
"Woah, no shit, really?" Charlie said with surprise. "There was a bunch of finishing in the top floor rooms, and those all needed furnishingggg, plus the other rooms we didn't get to yesterday. How' ya get that all done in just a couple hours?"
"A little angelic power, sweetheart," her father's voice spoke as the angel descended next to the three girls. He swiftly gave Emily a big squeeze, knocking the air out of her. "Emily!" He pulled back and smiled at her. "How ya doing, kiddo?" After getting her breath back, Emily giggled.
"Good, thank you, Lucifer!"
Charlie giggled. "Of course." She hugged her father, who returned with a grin. "Thank you so much dad." He gave her a, 'psh.'
"Nonsense. I had a little free time, so, you know, I figured, might as well." He laughed. "I do have to be on my way though now, unfortunately, my duckling. Have some important things to attend to."
"Awe, okay dad," Charlie said, before smiling softly. "I'm sorry I missed you!"
"Ah, no, that's fine, sweetie! I'm glad you got this one out," he said, gesturing to the five winged angel, before leaning into Charlie's ear and adding, "she really needed something other than those sweatpants, they are not smelling greattt." Charlie had to cover her mouth to stifle a giggle at his delivery. It also wasn't an inaccurate statement.
"What? What is it?" Emily said, pouting as she looked in between the two before huffing. "Why do I feel like you're talking about me?"
"Whaaat, nooooo, we would never," Charlie reassured, waving her hand in a very unreassuring-reassuring manner.
Suddenly, Nifty ran in between the three girls, before latching onto the bags like a velociraptor, crawling into one and sniffing the contents. "Ewwweee! These smell gross and chemically, I need to wash them!" She snatched both bags away, and carried them in a stack in a not un-Loonytoons-esque fashion. Charlie smiled at her with a quirked eyebrow, and Vaggie looked to her flatly. Emily jumped a tad, before shifting to giggle.
Charlie's father smiled at her. "Well, see ya later, kiddo." Charlie returned the expression.
"Bye, dad." And away he went in a swirl of magic.
Vaggie cleared her throat.
"So... that date tonight?"
