Inspired in part by all the DPxDC tumbler posts I've seen, this story has been bouncing around in my head for a while. I hope you all enjoy! And Happy New Year Everyone!
It took a lot to make Charlie Morningstar nervous. She grew up as the daughter of one of the most personally and politically powerful beings in creation, as the honorary niece of six more, and was a powerhouse in her own right as well if she really put her mind to it. She was, as much as she may not like to think about it, the one people should be nervous around… People tended not to be due to her reputation in Hell and 'childish and naive optimism', but there was a time when the words 'Lucifer's Daughter' had struck fear into many Sinners' souls.
So when she felt the tell-tale feeling of her stomach feeling heavy and hollow, of the lights of the hotel being too bright, of being aware of every breath she took, she didn't have the luxury of calling it anticipation. She was nervous about her coming meeting. Terrified even. Her last meeting with someone from outside of Hell had ended in disaster, halving the time between one Extermination Day and the next, who was to say this one would be any better? For all she knew it could result in the Infinite Realms agreeing with Heaven and joining in on the next Extermination!
No. No she couldn't think like that. The new Ghost King was a good guy! He was even some kind of guardian spirit. There was no way he was as bad as Adam and the Exorcists right? He even agreed to have their fist meeting be at the hotel and everything! Not neutral ground or in his territory, but in what could generously be considered her own base of power and with the added protection of being in her father's domain! There was just no way this could be anything less than Phantom giving her an honest chance she was sure of it!
"Ten bucks says princess spazzes out when this king ghosty guy arrives," Angel Dust joked from one of the couches in the lounge den.
Husk snorted behind the bar, "Suckers bet."
Vaggie glared with her lone eye at the two Sinners, her hand lying on Charlie's shoulder in an attempt to convey comfort and support. If she were being honest she didn't exactly have any high expectations for this meeting either, but that didn't mean she would let the hotel's guests make her girlfriend feel worse about their chances.
"It'll be fine Sweetie," Vaggie assured Charlie. "Adam is an asshole but this Phantom guy isn't even from Heaven. You'll do great."
Charlie placed a hand over her girlfriend's own and gave the shorter woman a smile of gratitude. Even if it felt like empty platitudes she appreciated the optimism and faith Vaggie had in her. Sometimes that really was all it took.
A knock echoed through the foyer, startling the Princess out of her thoughts. "SHIT!" She began scrambling for the door, "He's here. He's here and we don't even have any refreshments and–" She forced herself to stop and take a deep breath. She had to be calm about this. Had to look presentable and in control. She was going to be asking for a big favor after all, and she didn't want to shoot her chances down to Wrath because she couldn't keep her act together.
Forcing a smile onto her face Charlie flung open the doors to… greet… that was a human. A tall human, but still a human. No fur or scales, no extra eyes or limbs, a pale but distinctly human shade of skin. There were none of the telltale signs of a Hell or Heaven-born soul on his body, or any of the monstrous aspects that a Sinner took on in death. He was just… a guy.
"Uh, hi?" The newcomer gave his own nervous grin. "I'm looking for someone named Charlette Morningstar?"
"That's… that's me." Charlie cleared her throat, "Are you The Ghost King Phantom?"
The human looking man scratched the back of his neck, his nerves still clearly showing. "That's me," he confirmed, "and just Danny is fine. Or Phantom. No titles or anything please."
Well, she couldn't fault him for asking for that. She didn't really like being referred to by her titles either most of the time. Sure she wouldn't complain about it if it was in a formal setting, but when things were more casual she liked being talked to more casually. But then again, this wasn't exactly a casual thing was it? It was an official meeting between the heir of Hell and the King of what was essentially Limbo. Middle ground it was.
"Right, no problem Phantom," she gestured for him to come inside. "If you'll follow me I can introduce you to the guests and staff!" Guiding the king along towards the bar and lounge Charlie pointed out each of her friends as she introduced them. "That's Husk, our bartender, he's a great listener. That's Angel Dust, he was our first guest and is making tremendous progress. Over there is Niffty," the one eyed maid was distracted trying to stab a particularly large cockroach with one of her needles and seemed oblivious to the world around her, "she's harmless. Probably. Over there is Sir Pentious," She noticed the king at her side snort humorously at the name, no doubt noticing the pun that Charlie was pretty sure the snake themed Sinner still wasn't aware of, "he is our second guest and a great inventor. I don't know where Alastor is, he's the hotel's host and our main benefactor. And this," she took Vaggie's hand, "is Vaggie, my girlfriend and head of security here at the hotel!"
Oh fuck, was she being too pushy? Going too fast? She wasn't prepared for this! She hadn't expected Phantom to even agree to meeting her let alone being available so soon! She hadn't had time to think of a speech or anything! Fuck, why wasn't he saying anything? Did she already blow it somehow? Was he looking for Al? Put off by Niffty? Maybe he was a fan of Angel Dust and didn't know what to say?
"Nice to meet you all," Phantom smiled at the other members of the hotel before turning back to Charlie. "Do you want to go somewhere where we can discuss whatever it is you wanted to talk to me about? Or would you rather everyone be part of the conversation?"
… Okay, she could work with this. Maybe. Probably.
"Here is fine," Charlie sat down on the couch next to Angel Dust. "Would you like to sit down?" She waited until he did before continuing, "So, I don't know how much you know about my goal with this hotel," she began, "but I want to rehabilitate Sinners so that they can one day leave Hell and go to Heaven, giving us a new way to deal with the population problem plaguing Hell and putting an end to the Exterminations employed by Heaven."
"I heard about those," Phantom cut in, "but I thought they were about something like making sure you guys can't raise an army or something right? But Hell has locals doesn't it? If the Exterminations are only for damned souls couldn't you just raise an army of demons if you really wanted to?"
"But that's just it!" Charlie exclaimed, "We don't WANT to raise an army! So the only problem is the overpopulation! There's no actual need for Heaven to care about the Exterminations! I just need to redeem a soul so Heaven can see it's possible and I'm sure I'll get their support!"
Phantom sat up in his chair, "Wait, you don't know if it's even possible? I thought it was just super rare and you wanted to give people help on their journeys of self improvement or whatever!"
Oh. Oh this wasn't good. "Well, I mean, while we technically don't have any proof, I really do believe it is possible. And isn't belief more important when it comes to things like this? Just like how the living believing in Heaven and Hell is more important than actually knowing they exist you know?"
Phantom shook his head, "That's not the same thing and you know it," he sighed. "Look, why did you call me here? I can't really help you with all," he waved around the room, "this. I wouldn't know how and I have an entire dimension to keep stable."
"That's just it though," Charlie told him, "you have a dimension. One other than Hell."
"I'm not letting your guests move into the Infinite Realms," Phantom deadpanned. "I'm not risking a war with Heaven over this. I can't afford to."
"That's not what I'm asking!" She assured, "I just want them to have the chance to take a vacation there. Away from all the…" she tried to find the right word.
"Fucked up shit," Angel Dust offered.
The princess sighed, "Yeah, that. And just for a week or two, I promise. Just long enough for them to gain some perspective and not be subjected to all the peer pressure and stuff that brings out the worst in so many Sinners." She clasped her hands together in a pleading gesture, "Please. That's all I want."
Phantom dropped his head into his hands and groaned, clearly conflicted. "Look," he began as he straightened back up, "I know you might not think it is, but what you are asking for is a pretty big deal. I mean," he swept his hair back with one hand while gesturing at Charlie with the other, "you are literally the princess of Hell and you want to make a deal with me, the king of another afterlife, that would allow members of your father's kingdom entry into my own. Even if it's for a vacation or rehab or whatever this is supposed to be, that doesn't look good from the outside. Heaven might think we are becoming allies and I like I said before I really don't want to end up fighting them. Even if we could win against them the moral implications of fighting literal angels to defend demons sure as fuck won't sit well with a lot of my subjects. More so if any of them end up dying because of the conflict."
"We aren't asking you to go to war," Vaggie cut in. "Charlie is only asking for–"
"I know!" Phantom cut her off, "But like I just said Heaven might not see it that way!" He stood up from his seat, "I'm sorry but it's way too much risk with no potential gain for me and my kingdom. I can't grant you this request."
"But what if you could get something out of it?" Angel Dust asked before the king could leave. "Something that would explain to Heaven why you'd let us shack up in your castle without it looking like some kind of alliance?"
"I swear to FUCK Angel if you suggest–" Vaggie didn't get the chance to finish her threat.
"What if we made a movie together while we are at your place? Make it seem like you just wanted to get freaky with a big star like me?" Angel suggested.
Phantom's deadpan look was back. "I'm straight, and I don't think they'd buy that anyway. I'm a king, remember? I could literally snap my fingers and a million, an actual million, women would offer to spend the night with me. Sex with a… I don't know what kind of star you are, but it still wouldn't cut it."
The rejection didn't even phase the spider-like pornstar. Instead, he just jerked a thumb towards Charlie, "Well what about the princess of Hell over there?"
"Angel!" Vaggie snarled, grabbing her spear in anger at the Sinner's implied suggestion while Charlie herself froze with a massive blush painting her face red.
"What!?" The man held up two of his arms as if in surrender. "I'm just saying, even if he has a couple thousand pornstars over there waiting to suck his dick I doubt he has any princesses on sweet cheeks' level on hand! Making a movie with her would pass whatever bullshit 'worth the trouble' test right?!"
"If it didn't look like an engagement it might," Phantom continued to deadpan. "Not to mention the whole 'already has a girlfriend' thing."
"Pretty sure they are both bi," Angel fired back, "and fucking a couple nights away doesn't mean you are gonna get hitched. Double so if you make it look like it was all about bragging rights."
Vaggie looked just about ready to stab Angel through his testicles and gut him like a fish when Charlie put her hand on her shoulder to stop her. "I don't think that would work Angel," she said softly, "but thanks for trying… I guess."
Phantom ruffled his dark locks with an open hand and sighed again. "Maybe if one of us can reach out to Heaven and convince them to send an angel or two to my castle for the same timeframe, we can pass it off as me working to mediate a ceasefire at Hell's request or something," he suggested. "I'm not sure it'd work, I don't really know anyone up there other than Azrael and he isn't exactly in charge of that kind of stuff, but it might be worth a shot."
The suggestion made Charlie perk back up. "Yes! That sounds perfect!" She shouted joyfully. "I can call my dad and see if he can help me get in contact with anyone in Heaven I'm sure there is someone up there more reasonable than Adam and his Excorsists!"
"...Adam as in–?"
"Yeah, the OG dick is the dick in charge of the slaughterfest down here," Angel confirmed with a nod. "Honestly wasn't too shocked to find that out to be honest. Guy was the first one to ever get cucked and it becomes one of the most talked about stories of his life. I'd be kinda pissed off too. And that's without it happening the second time, by the same dude at that!"
"Can we please not talk about my parents getting together like that?" Charlie pleaded, knowing that it wouldn't stop the Sinner from describing the events of Eden like that. She had been hearing about what he dad did back then all her life in a dozen different ways, and while Angel was far from the first one to describe it like that, it was far from her own preferred version of the story. She like to think she was a romantic at heart, even if some people would disagree given the kind of person she was before dedicating herself to her hotel.
Phantom just snorted. "I'll send a message in a week," he promised. "Do what you can to get in contact with someone up there willing to hear you out and I'll do the same. If either of us get a bite, your guests and staff can spend a week or two at my castle while you and I speak to Heaven's own representative."
Charlie nodded in agreement. It wasn't the result she had been going for, but she could work with this. She hoped.
I'm not too sure how good the pacing is for this. I wrote it in two days so I could post it today to get the timestamp. Still, I hope it was good enough that everyone was able to enjoy it! Please let me know what you all think!