Sera watched Charlie's presentation with the upmost patience and soon Charlie was dying down. "Princess Charlie... If I may... I can see that you put a lot of effort into your ideas and dreams and I know that Emily would find your drawings nice and nothing against your singing but..." Sera then calmly and politely as the visitors from Hell could tell where this was going. "...I believe that you're heart is in the right place but do you really think that sinners can redeem their own... Well sins and ascend up to Heaven? Your home is a realm where they are free to indulge in what got them sent down there; you really think that they are capable of changing?" Sera said as Charlie looked firmly.
"I have seen them show that they are capable of showing the goodness within them... Goodness that they might not know themselves..." Charlie then shot back looking determined as Lincoln and Vaggie were watching intently; fully behind Charlie. "Plus Vaggie here is a sinner and she's the absolute best... But no; the hotel isn't to redeem her... You can't have her!" Charlie then said pulling Vaggie into an embrace and looked defiant as Vaggie's face was red and Lincoln couldn't stop himself from snickering.
Sera gave a small smile at this display but then coughed; "Come on Sera... I know that most sinners in Hell don't WANT to change and probably will refuse to... I am not saying that there aren't those that are too far gone, too unapologetic or their crimes were too much but... Surely the ones with the compacity to change should be given a chance..." Charlie pleaded as Sera watched silently as the visitors looked uncomfortable.
"Would you three please bare with me through a thought experiment?" Sera asked as they slowly nodded. "Say that there was a perfectly innocent human being; just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Witnessed someone being brutally murdered the murderer spots the person. The witness is silenced quite brutally and the trauma stays with him as he ascends to Heaven and has to seek therapy." Sera said as they stared at her uncomfortably.
"Imagine years later after dealing with the trauma of what happened... Then is let known that sinners from Hell have been stated to have redeemed and are allowed to go to Heaven... The witness sees that one of them was the murderer." Sera then finished firmly as their faces were speechless at this. "You can see an issue... Suppose a sinner is redeemed; how fair is it for the victims have to potentially share space with them? I know that there are plenty here who still have scars from their lives and deaths." Sera then finished.
"That wouldn't be fair..." Lincoln forced himself to admit with a big sigh as Charlie was thinking of things to say.
"Well... but... Okay; we can work through it when it comes to that... I am not saying that the rehabilitated sinners have to forgiven by their victims but... We can find a solution when it comes that...Make sure a distance or something..." Charlie then ended up saying as Sera looked at the three.
"How about this... You send reports of how things are going on at your hotel regularly and we will put a pin on the possibility of any sinners being rehabilitated enough to ascend up here. We take this slowly and when you produce evidence that it can be done; we can work from there..." Sera offered as Charlie excitedly went up to Sera to embrace her.
"Thank you so much Sera!" Charlie yelled as Vaggie went and got Charlie off Sera who sighed at them.
"Please feel free to enjoy the rest of your day in Heaven." Sera then said giving them a polite wave as they went out and made their way outside.
Lincoln managed a frown and asked "so... What do you think of what Sera said... I want Angel Dust to one day find himself here; don't get me wrong but... He said that he came from a mob family and... There could be his victims here and..."
"Something to work on... Activities to work on with Angel Dust; how to go about interacting with people that he wronged in life... That it starts with sorry and the long twisting road that follows..." Charlie softly told Lincoln putting a hand on his shoulder. "Now let's go and enjoy Heaven!" Charlie then said pulling them in together as they then went forward.
"Wonder if... Nah; Heaven is so big and what's the odds of anyone I knew in life running into them..." Vaggie thought to herself as the trio looked around trying to see where to go first.
In Heaven there were no shortage of support groups which can range from anything to dealing with the trauma of their deaths but certain ones were for those who had loved ones that they still loved and missed but they were damned to Hell.
Two ascended souls that met and befriended eachother in one such group were sitting together inside a café as the TV monitor there showed the news in Heaven; which was mostly talking about new ascended souls and new announcements from companies and what a wonderful day it was in Heaven.
There was the big haired Molly who looked younger despite having lived before her friend and there was the black dress wearing Julieta whose face consisted of only her eye. They both looked quite worried and sad about something. "...I spent a long time on making that present for her and I can tell that she appreciates it but it's so obvious that she was forcing herself to smile when accepting it... She didn't want to hurt my feelings... It just feels wrong with Emily be that depressed..." Molly spoke talking of her last visit to Emily the Joybringer shaking her head.
"I know the feeling... It's definitely wrong and I wish that I can do more... She has done so much to lift the spirits of everyone here in Heaven... She was basically my first friend here and offered her shoulder when I realised... That Vagatha will have died by then and if she wasn't here by now..." Julieta then said with Molly knowing.
"I know... It was the same when Ma and I found out that Anthony had died and he wasn't here... Only prey that he is far away from Pops down there..." Molly replied as they shared a sigh together. "Still... To think that such a wonderful soul... To finally get to be a guardian angel and blaming herself for... An innocent human child in Heaven; my motherly instincts are crying out..." Molly said as she stopped herself.
"Mine too... Honestly I hope that the poor boy won't be traumatised for life down there..." Julieta said as then entering the café getting attention of souls there was Emily herself; however much to Molly and Julieta's welcomed surprise her high spirits smile was on her face. "Emily! Has Lincoln been found?" Julieta asked thinking that would be what to retun the smile in Emily's face.
"He definitely has! Lucifer's daughter and her girlfriend have brought him here and... They are on a visit and I was hoping that you could help me make them feel welcome in Heaven!" Emily said as Julieta and Molly looked relieved and excited.
"That's great and... Lucifer's daughter?" Molly asked hesitant with souls in the café going to cower at the name.
"Don't worry; she real nice and sweet and have been taking care of Lincoln... He has been through a lot since it turned out that how he got to Hell... kind of made him... Her and her girlfriend's son and is now a half human hybrid." Emily then explained as they took that in.
"Oh my..." Molly said shocked and Julieta.
"Hope he was being taken care off by them... Did I hear you say that you want me specifically to welcome them?" Juliet asked as Emily nodded with a big grin on her face to which was a bit off puting to the two souls.
"Well if you're sure... I can help you with that and make sure the boy is okay! Plus I must say that it's great to see you in high spirits again Emily!" Julieta said as Molly nodded.
"Thanks so much... I think they must be finished with their meeting with Sera by now so hopefully we can track them down." Emily told Juliet who followed the seraphim out.
Julieta is basically a renamed Alma; a kind of OC that I used for This Could Be Bad... and I'm renaming based on comments from the story there. She appeared in a sequel in a more expanded role from the social media chapter that I put at the end of This Could Be Bad... Plus the argument that Sera put forward was based on something from a Tumblr post that I once saw.