Clover had crawled out of bed a few hours later, unable to sleep despite her satisfied nerves and shaking extremities. Eyes still rimmed with the leftovers of the night's makeup, she hid herself under an oversized hoodie and a pair of tights, shoving bare feet into sneakers and wincing as the backs bent beneath her heel. The kitchen called to her, promising the cure of her slight hangover and post-orgasm cravings and pulling her into the dim, spotless room. Niffty had already done her morning work, a batch of cookies still steaming on the countertop and a pile of laundry sitting in front of the hallway to the connecting wash room. Clover opened this world's version of a music app, scrolling through her slowly growing Voxify playlist until a song caught her interest and allowing it to play softly as she started her breakfast.
A cup of coffee, brewed over squares of milk chocolate, warmed the slight chill of the morning air but couldn't keep away the residual trembling of her fingers. She added far more cream than normal, watching her coffee turn into a familiar shade of tan that made her thoughts begin to wander before she forced herself to return to the task of making her breakfast.
She was just turning it in the pan when a short cough startled her, Clover looking up from the browning peanut butter and honey sandwich with a start to find Husker leaning against the doorway, shuffling a deck of cards between his palms and watching her recenter herself with a raised brow before speaking.
"You, uh, you wanna' play cards?"
Clover blinked at him for a moment, taking the time to plate her breakfast before nodding slightly as she picked up her plate.
"Sure."
"Ya' got any sevens?"
"Go fish."
"Mother fu-"
Clover smiled as the elder demon reached for another card, sighing heavily at the newest edition to his steadily growing hand and looking towards her expectantly. Why Husker had asked her to play cards was beyond her, but she was happy for the distraction. Taking another bite of her sandwich, Clover analyzed her hand before looking back to Husker.
"Got any Aces?"
"Fuck."
Husker tossed a pair across the table sighing heavily as he slumped back in his chair, ears twitching for a moment as he shifted cards into one hand and leaned down to the floor. Her camera was slid across the table to her, Clover blinking at the sudden movement before looking to Husker.
"Ya' left that on the bar, I, uh, thought you might want it back."
Clover instantly put the camera around her neck, feeling comfort from it's weight against her chest and muttering a small thank you. Husker nodded, returning to shuffling through his cards before clearing his throat and speaking again.
"So, uh, ya' have fun last night?"
"Oh, uh, yeah! It was a lot of fun, I'd never been to something like that before."
"You twos were out real late, I, uh, saw Alastor on his way out, you spend all night in the Colony?"
"We did, we didn't get back until the sun was coming up. Al just walked me to my room."
"I, uh, wasn't insinuating anythin' or- Fuck, ya' got any twos?"
Clover tossed him a single card, now more invested in whatever goal Husker was moving this conversation towards. She tried not to reveal her amusement as he shifted uncomfortably, taking a long sip of her coffee to give him time. Husker groaned loudly, setting down his cards before dragging a paw down his face.
"Look, it's just real fuckin' dangerous to be ova' there, that's all. Even with that smilin' bastard, he's crafty but he ain't the only one with power 'round here. I don't know what the fuck is goin' on with the two of ya' but just be fuckin' careful in the Colony, alright? Ya' don't wanna' become someone's breakfast, or somethin."
Tilting her head at him, Clover could only think to restate a question she'd asked before, curious as to why the grumpy feline seemed to be so bothered by her social life.
"Why do you care, Husker? I'm not complaining, I see you as a friend, but you're making more of a fuss about this than I would assume was normal for you."
"I told ya' kid, ya remind me of someone."
"Yeah, but who?"
"My daughter, happy? Now ya' know."
Clover blinked, dropping the sandwich that hovered halfway back onto her plate in favor of continuing this conversation. She thought for a long moment, unable to stop her smile as she gave into the temptation to make an incredibly specific joke.
"Husks's gots kids?"
"...Did you just quote a fuckin' movie at me?"
"Maybe, I wasn't sure if you would know it."
"Not all of us old timers are as hard headed as Alastor, sweetheart, especially the ones of us who lived long enough to start goin' grey."
"Wait, how old is he? How old are you for that matter?"
"Al, he died young, in his thirties. As for me, well, I was up there, old enough to start lookin' for retirement before my shitty life choices caught up with me."
"Interesting."
"Does that like, change things for ya' or somethin'?"
"No, I just had never thought to ask, I guess it doesn't really matter now. Anyway, I didn't know you had kids."
"Kid. One, just one. This conversation is ova' now, it's your turn."
Looking down at her hand, Clover vaguely took stock of what she had before making a call, deciding it best to leave Husker's personal life alone for now.
"Uh, sure, do you have any Queens?"
"Hah! Go fish, fuckin fina-"
A loud bang startled both of them, cards scattering across the table as Husker stood abruptly to turn towards the intrusion with a low hiss, fur rustling and wings extending outward. Clover leaned around the table, ears twitching and alert at the excitement added to their quiet morning. The sound of doors opening upstairs followed by rapid footsteps signaled the approach of the rest of the hotel staff, but neither Husker nor Clover turned towards the sound in favor of facing the person currently standing in the hotel's entry. A woman, dressed in a slashed array of fuschia and black, was cautiously looking around the lobby as she stepped inside with a single, bright pink eye, her attention becoming focused on Husker's imposing form as she drew closer. Clover was vaguely aware of the sounds of people coming down the stairs behind her, allowing the hotel's staff to take initiative as she sipped her coffee.
Charlie's bright voice was instantly recognizable behind her, Clover not even having to look to see who had placed a hand on the back of her chair to know that Vaggie wasn't far behind her. The princess of Hell hesitantly stepped between Husker and the stranger, Clover unable to stop her small snort as she shuffled forward in bunny slippers and pigtails.
"Welcome to the Happy Hotel! How can we, uh, help you?"
The other woman looked Charlie over, tossing side swept strawberry blonde bangs out of her eye with a small snort before speaking.
"Have you guys seen Angie?"
She seemed irritated at the confused silence, planting gloved hands on her hips as she stared down the princess. Charlie stuttered, looking back to Vaggie for support before turning back.
"I'm sorry, I-"
"Are you talking about Angel Dust?"
Clover regretted speaking up in the situation when everyone turned to her, the anxious bubbling in her stomach barely soothed by her drowning it in a long sip of coffee. The stranger quickly walked around Charlie, planting her hands on the card covered table in front of Clover. She seemed genuinely worried, heeled boots tapping anxiously and a single furrowed brow that fell deeper as she spoke.
"Yeah, have you seen 'im? We were supposed to meet up this mornin' but he never showed up."
"Sounds like Angel Dust."
The woman's gaze snapped to Vaggie at the quip, sharp teeth flashing dangerously.
"I wasn't talkin' to you! He doesn't do that shit to me, he's my fuckin' friend and he's never dipped out on coming over for breakfast after working."
"Angel disappears all the time, he's probably broken his deal with us again and is high off his ass somewhere."
"No one fuckin' asked you!"
Clover stood, placing herself in the middle to try and deescalate the situation, focusing back on their missing mutual friend and hoping to find some common ground.
"What's your name?"
"Cherri Bomb, who are you?"
"Clover, Angel is also my friend, what happened?"
Cherri Bomb tore her gaze away from Vaggie, looking Clover over with a quick look of her crossed pupil before she sighed, visibly trying to regain composure as she pulled out a cell phone, scrolling through it momentarily before speaking.
"We were supposed to hang out before he went on last night, but that prick Valentino was at the club with that stupid television, and that damn moth fuckin' hates me so I didn't go in so I wouldn't piss him off while Angie was there. We agreed to meet at my place afterwards to get something to eat, but he never texted me and then when I went back to the club, they wouldn't fuckin' let me in!"
"He left here at like eight, right before I did. I got back at sunrise, and I've been awake since, and I haven't seen him."
"Wait, where were you all night?"
Clover turned to Vaggie, cursing herself at getting herself into this but irritated that she was being questioned at a time like this.
"With Alastor, it's not important. I'll explain later. Anyway, when was he supposed to go on last night?"
Cherri blinked at her for a moment, looking between the dysfunctional group that was the hotel's residents and staff before replying, turning her phone towards Clover as she stepped closer.
"At eleven, we were gonna have some drinks and watch the other dancers before he went on, but that obviously didn't end up happening. His set is like, eight minutes long, there's no way he would drop off like that when we had plans. Look-"
Scrolling through the messages told exactly the story that Cherri had painted, the two of them messaging back and forth casually. Clover couldn't help but be endeared by Angel's lack of punctuation and overuse of shorthand, finding it extremely on brand for the spider demon. Another thing stood out to her as she looked through the handful of texts Cherri had sent after Angel's call time, the realization dawning with a sinking sense of dread that pulled her heart into her stomach.
"He read some of them."
"Yeah! He never leaves me on read, even when he does AWOL he usually doesn't open messages at all or has lost his fuckin' phone again. Look, I've known him for longer than any of you have, if you don't believe me when I say he doesn't do this, then you're dense."
Clover looked up at Cherri, finding honest concern at the cyclops's face before she turned to Husker.
"C'mon, we're going to find Angel."
"Why the fuck do I have to go?"
"Because I'm a fuckin' bunny girl and she's not allowed in, I'll go alone if I have to."
Vaggie stepped up beside them, shaking her head and taking Clover by the shoulders.
"No, I am not letting this happen. There is no way in hell you're going into a fucking strip club, I'm sure Angel will show up eventually."
"Yeah, he might, but at what cost? What if something happened to him? I know about Valentino, okay, Angel and I are friends, and if his "boss" has anything to do with this, I can bet that it's not anything that Angel had a say in. It's broad daylight, no-one knows who I am, if anyone is going to be able to get in there it's going to be me and Husker."
It was quiet for a long moment, Vaggie seeming to try and think through the situation but getting nowhere fast. Finally, she sighed, cursing softly in what sounded vaguely like Spanish before she pulled away.
"Fine! Charlie and I will stay here in case Angel shows up, and we'll call you. Just, be fucking careful."
Clover turned to Cherri and Husker, pushing down the nervous fluttering in her stomach and trying to sound as confident as she could as she looked between the two demons before settling on Husker.
"Well?"
The tall feline huffed, staring down at her for a long moment before grumbling out a rough response.
"Let's go."