Shattered Innocence Ch. 11
Emily helps the Carmine sisters unload the van of various parts and tech to place on a cart.
The Seraphim then looks up at the old building they parked in front of. "Hazbin Hotel. What is this place?"
Odette looks up at the building. "It's a project of Charlie Morningstar."
That catches the angel's attention. "Morningstar? As in the Princess of Hell?"
"Know any other?" Clara giggles. "Though, she doesn't act much like you'd expect of her. She seems to think that us Sinners could be redeemed."
"You don't think so? But you guys have good in you. That must mean it could be possible. Right?"
"Um…" the puffy-haired sister glances away as she's unsure how to answer that.
"It's highly illogical," Odette tells her while looking over the paperwork and products to make sure everything is in order. "Every Sinner here was sent here for one reason or another. Even Clara and I. Even if redemption was possible, do you think Heaven would allow that? If Heaven had once considered that there was good in Hell, Extermination would have never been an option," the spectacled Carmine glances at the angel and hesitantly tells her. "And you are evidence as to how far they will go to keep Exterminating."
At that, Emily glances at the ground. After a moment, a hand is placed on her shoulder.
Clara asks, "How about you wait in the car?"
She thought about it for a moment before shaking her head. "I'm fine," then the seraphim helps Clara push the cart into the building.
As soon as they walk through the doors a raspy voice shouts. "Ooh! The new parts for my machine are here!"
A snake man approaches them, and Emily's chest eye opens just as she hops over to the other side of Clara, who pats the disguised angel in attempt to comfort her. Due to hiding, the young seraphim missed an eyepatch woman going wide-eyed at the sight of her.
Odette passes the clipboard over to the snake man. "Sign please!" and the man immediately does so and returns the clipboard. "Thank you for your business. Enjoy your Carmine purchase," and the sisters walks back out.
"That wasn't so bad, Em," Clara comments but only received silence. "Em?"
Turning around both Carmines are disturbed by the empty space behind them.
.oOo.
Emily finds herself walking through the building, running her hand over the walls. The place may not be in the best condition but can tell that the owner takes good care of everything. The angel knew that she should have said something to the others about wanting to see more of the Hotel, but she also knew that they would likely be against it.
She immediately gets the feeling that someone is watching and quickly turns around. But finds nothing. Unknown to her, something melts out of the shadows behind her and as soon as the seraphim turns around, bumps into something.
"Oh, sorr…" Emily goes to apologize but trails off as she looks up at very tall man with antlers and wearing a large and disturbing smile on his face and her large eye opens.
"My apologies, my dear!" his voice sounding like it was coming out of a speaker. He then held out a hand, causing her to flinch. "The names Alastor. Perhaps you've heard of my broadcast. Or maybe you have not, being a new arrival."
As afraid as she was, Emily couldn't help but shakily asks, "How do you know that?"
"This face may have been made for the radio, but I have eyes for these things," his smile increases. "Especially for such a delicate angel as yourself."
Her eyes widened as her hands reached up, wondering if the fake horns fell off but felt that they're still in place, then glanced behind her to see if her wings were revealed and they were still hidden. There was nothing off.
She turns back to the demon and just as he was about to say something, a spear is imbedded into the wall, separating the two.
"Em!" Clara pulls the angel away and finds herself being embraced by the puffy-haired Carmine.
Odette is then there and starts examining Emily. "Are you unharmed."
"I'm, I'm fine," Emily reassures them while still glancing at Alastor.
"Is everyone okay?" A blonde woman walks up to them along with the eyepatch woman who grabs the spear and points it at the tall man.
"What did you do to her?" the eyepatch points the tip of the spear at Alastor's face.
"Why nothing," the man points the tip of the spear down to the floor. "My little, short-tempered friend. I would never lay a finger on someone as pure and innocent as her." he did not miss the disguised seraphim away shamefully.
"Hey, Alastor," the blond walks up to him. "I know that you enjoy making people uncomfortable but perhaps you should go?"
"Very well," the tall man bows before walking away and Emily's chest eye closes.
The blond then turns to Emily and the Carmines. "Sorry about Alastor. He can be unsettling, but I know that he has some good in him."
Both the Carmines and the eyepatch woman deadpans at her.
The blond then lets out an awkward cough. "Anyway. My name's Charlie and this is my girlfriend, Vaggie," she pulls in the eyepatch woman who appears suspicious of the young angel. "I'm the owner of this Hotel."
"I'm Emily," she smiles at the two as Clara and Odette steps back to let her open up. "I, I love what you're trying to do here."
Charlie gasps and grabs the angel's hands. "Thank you so much! You have no idea how happy I am to hear that! If you're interested, maybe I can show you around. It looked like you were given yourself a tour anyway," she then starts dragging Emily way. "I'll introduce you to the other residents. Like our first guests, Angel Dust and Sir Pentious." The hand is then pulled away from her. Turning around, the Hotel Owner finds her new friend uneasily stepping back. "Emily?"
"I'm a bit… uneasy around men," she confesses.
Vaggie then comments with a smirk, "What? You have an extreme fear of them or something?" she then notices our Emily only looks way, refusing to meet them in the eye. "My God." She turns to her girlfriend who seems as worried as her.
"Clara," Odette turns to her sister. "Please take Emily to the car."
The puffy-haired Carmine didn't have to be told twice as she led the angel away.
The spectacled Carmine takes a deep breath and sighs before turning back to the princess and her girlfriend. "We don't know the exact details, but Emily is a new arrival who had some terrible experience and it traumatized her."
The grey woman then raised a brow. "And so one of the most powerful Overlord family just took her in? Carmilla doesn't seem to be the kind of person who'd care for anyone outside of the Overlords. No offense."
Odette looks down. "I don't fully understand myself as knowing my mother, it's completely illogical. But she seems to be sympathizing with Emily. Clara had always been the kindest of us. She must have gotten it somewhere. As for me?" she looks back up at them. "You didn't see her when we found her."
With that, the Carmine left the two.
Odette sighs in relief as she is finally out of there and her sister and Emily can finally return to the office. Her eyes then widen at the sight of the angel sitting behind the wheel. The spectacled Carmine runs up to the van and throws the door open.
"Out of the driver's seat!"
A startled Emily tries slowing her heart down. "But Clara said I could drive?"
"Clara also said that we could handle Beelzejuice and we still have no idea what happened that night. Now, scoot over! I'm driving!"
"It wasn't that bad… I think," the puffy-haired Carmine looks up in thought before shaking her head. "Anyway! What's the harm? Em seems like she's really interested in driving."
"But she's never drove before!"
"At one point, neither did we," Clara stumps her sister. "We all have to start somewhere."
Odette slams the door shut and mumbles something while getting into the seat on the other side. It's not often that her sister wins an argument with logic, and it always annoyed her.
"Now then," the puffy-haired sister turns to the angel. "safety first as seatbelts are very important. You also have the brakes and gas pedal. And this is the gearshift."
The spectacled one then voices her concerns. "I still don't think this is a good idea."
"Don't be that way, Odette. Besides! What could possibly go wrong?"
.oOo.
The three young women are now standing in Carmilla's office, looking down shamefully, with Emily having her large eye opened. The matriarch of the family who still has her hair down is glaring at them and behind her is Zestial missing his cloak. Neither of their clothes are in the best condition.
"What do you have to say for yourselves?" Carmilla asks them.
Emily looks up at the woman. "I just wanted to try driving myself and for that, I'm sorry."
The Arms Dealer's face softens. "Emily. I'm not upset with you wanting to try something new that seemed interesting. It's in everyone's nature to do so."
The angel smiles up at her, but it soon dropped as Carmilla starts glaring again.
"However! I'm furious that one of my delivery vans is parked in my office!" the woman gestures at the vehicle that is just setting in the room just beyond a hole in the wall. "How in the Hell did you manage that!?"
"I am rather curious as well," Zestial speaks up. "As this is the top floor."
Emily looks back down and fiddles with her fingers. "I, uh, I mistook the gas for the breaks."
Carmilla deadpans. "That doesn't explain anything," she then pinches the bridge of her nose. "You three just go wait in the lobby. I'll figure something out and then Emily and I will have to leave for her appointment."
With that, the three girls walked out and as soon as the door closes Emily had a question.
"Why did it look like your mom and Sir Zestial just got out of bed?"
Odette hesitantly looks at the angel and then over at her sister who has a smirk.
Clara tells her. "It seems like Mom and Zestial had finished up one of their… meetings," she adds air quotes. "She thinks we don't know but we know."
This just confused the seraphim even more.