Leaning against the edge of the wall up on the hotel's roof, Claire took a contented bite of her sandwich and enjoyed the relative peace and quiet being above everything offered. It wasn't that she disliked the company of the other inhabitants of the hotel, it was that they could be a little…much. Between Charlie's exhausting optimism, Angel and Husk's constant bickering, and Niffty's admittedly imaginative insect torture, she sometimes just needed some time to herself. Never mind the complicated song and dance routines people would just break into more often than not. She'd so far managed to avoid taking part in any of it, but privately wondered if she was hallucinating every time it happened.
But here, up on the roof with a wide view of the city she could relax. It was just her and the sky and the sandwich. And usually Alastor, since the entrance to his private suite was up here, but she didn't mind their daily chats. It was often the most interesting part of her day, though she'd never admit to looking forward to them.
And lately, the hellcrows. One in particular, a large black specimen with a starburst of white across his chest, kept hopping closer to her on the edge of the ledge. Two hops forward, one hop back, he cawed and tilted his head this way and that hoping she'd drop a bit of the sandwich she was currently biting into.
"Alastor warned me if I fed you, you'd keep coming back," she told the hellcrow. She tore off a corner section and tossed it to him, causing his wings to flutter in surprise. He cawed loudly, then gobbled it down in almost one gulp, sharp teeth helping to make short work of it.
"If only everything came with foolproof instruction like that," Claire sighed, considered the rest of her sandwich with a mournful look before setting it down on the ledge beside her. The hellcrow preened and leaped forward to claim it as Claire pushed back, leaving him to enjoy his feast. "Time to go prove I know what I'm doing in the kitchen at least."
The kitchen was one of the only other places in the hotel besides the roof where Claire felt completely at ease. Cooking and baking kept her busy, she was good at it, and even better she enjoyed it. She always had, even as a child. As with all things, she approached it like a puzzle that needed to be solved. Put all the pieces together in the right way and something delicious resulted. At least, in the kitchen that was the case.
She pushed open the door of the kitchen and walked down the short hallway to the lobby, carefully balancing a large plate piled high with treats with both hands. Everyone always seemed to congregate in the lobby in the late afternoon, which made for the perfect time to drop in with treats or a new recipe. "I made cookies!" she announced, setting the plate down on the front desk.
"Oooooh!" echoed across the room as everyone rushed forward to grab one.
Charlie held hers aloft like a trophy, beaming, "What kind are they?"
"Oatmeal raisin," Claire answered cheerfully. The disappointed groans and general sounds of disgust from the previously excited group were immediate.
"Yum!" Niffty declared, already halfway through her second one, only pausing to brush up the crumbs she dropped with a dust pan, which was then emptied into her mouth.
As Claire watched Angel try to force-feed Husk a raisin, Charlie started excitedly waving to a short man in a white suit and matching top hat who appeared to be transfixed by the phone in his hand.
"Oh, Dad! Dad! C'mere!" She put her hands on Claire's shoulders and turned her towards him. "There's someone I want you to meet!"
"Huh?" Lucifer said eloquently, looking over only briefly, "Oh, well, hang on sweetie I—no, no, don't send me back to the menu—argh!" he shouted into the phone, squeezing it between his hands as if he were throttling it.
Charlie gave Claire a weak smile, then turned to hiss at her father through gritted teeth, "Dad. First impressions!"
"Right. Sorry," Lucifer apologized distractedly, while still looking at his phone and pressing buttons, "I've just been on hold for, haha, three days now and the hold music is really just awful—it gets to you, you know!" He gestured as wildly as the look in his eyes, "It's like they want you to hang up!"
"They do," Claire pointed out, "They can also hear whatever you're saying or doing while you're on hold if they feel like it."
There was silence as Lucifer gave her a long, wide-eyed stare and then held up a finger and pressed it down on the red disconnect button. "That information would have been very helpful earlier!"
Still mostly through gritted teeth but determined to remain cheerful, Charlie cleared her throat, gesturing to Claire. "Dad. This is Claire, our newest guest and the hotel's new cook!" She then gestured to Lucifer, "Claire, this is my Dad, Lucifer Morningstar, the King of Hell!"
The phone back in his pocket, Lucifer now turned his full attention to his daughter and Claire, giving the latter a winning smile, "Charmed, I'm sure! No need to bow," he stated loftily as he tucked a thumb behind his lapel.
"Oh, I wasn't going to." Claire replied, not bowing.
"HA!" Alastor said from across the room.
Lucifer eyed her a moment, critically. "We've met before, right?" he rubbed his chin, considering, "What was it—one of the von Eldritch parties, maybe? Wait—" he snapped his fingers knowingly, pointing at her, "Have you ever been to Georgia?"
Claire gave him a quizzical look and shook her head, "I'm pretty sure I'd remember meeting the King of Hell."
"Huh," Lucifer looked like he might push the issue, then shrugged, tone lifting once again, "Well, there are a lot of sinners down here and they all start to blur together eventually—" he waved a hand then offered it out to her, "Pleasure to meet you for the first time then, Claire!"
As Claire reached out her gloved hand, shadows swirled beneath their feet and rose quickly from the floor, causing Lucifer to jump back and glare at the suddenly apparated Alastor. "Agh!" he exclaimed with a distasteful grimace, "Someone tie a bell on that guy!"
"As nice as this is," Alastor commented, linking arms with Claire and firmly leading her away even as she gave him a dubious look, "Claire and I have somewhere to be."
"Oh. Well, thanks for the cookies, Claire!" Charlie rallied, giving a big smile and a wave.
"Oooh cookies?!" Lucifer brightened, turning in a small circle before spotting them on the counter, as Alastor escorted Claire out the front doors.