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It had been almost a year since the Hotel had opened, and things were going fairly well. Sure, it wasn’t as good as Charlie had hoped, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as they feared it could be after their first interview with Katie Killjoy following last year’s extermination.
They had a few more residents, their staff of five and a half, Angel Dust having become halfway between guest and staff, Alastor took care of the few troublemakers who thought the idea so ridiculous that they wouldn’t stand for it, or that a bunch of “Hazbins” who wanted to redeem themselves would be easy pickings, or just had a beef with someone in the Hotel.
Over the past few months the original residents had gotten closer more or less. Charlie especially enjoyed the company of her co-owner. It was rare for her to find someone else who seemed to express themselves through song and dance. And he and Vaggie has reached a sort of truce, the manager curbing her suspicions of the Radio Demon slightly, but every now and then they would rear their ugly head.
Like today.
Vaggie had just finished ranting at Alastor, accusing him of dark ulterior motives for helping, and the taller demon had been rather subdued and simply walked away.
“That was really uncool Vaggie. He’s been a big help to the Hotel this year. Yes, he’s done a few things that don’t perfectly align with our goal, but there hasn’t been anything too bad. He changed the sign, he added a bar – and drinking itself isn’t necessarily a sin, and weaning someone off can be more successful than trying to quit cold turkey – and a few other things, but he’s defended the Hotel and those inside it, cooked for everyone, released out good – or at least better – press out for the Hotel, and he hasn’t hurt anybody here has he? Really hurt them?”
“No–”
“But you’re accusing him of horrible things. He’s helped us so much and you’re acting like he’s attacked us. It’s ungrateful, and just mean.”
Then, the Princess of Hell went off to find her friend to apologize.
She found him sitting in the small garden in back.
She approached him and said “I am so sorry for how Vaggie was acting.”
Alastor laughed. “Oh, there’s no need to apologize. Miss Vaggie can be a little paranoid, but it is perfectly understandable that she is suspicious of me. You really should listen to her more often. Truth be told, she was right, I did have another agenda when I joined your little Hotel.”
That admission pulled Charlie up short. “What?” She asked, voice small, far away, and carrying a note of betrayal.
Alastor gave a firm nod. “Of course I wasn’t necessarily lying, I did think this Hotel would be a wonderful source of entertainment. The idea was laughable, and you certainly looked fun with your wonderful – if saccharine – performance. But you also looked naive and foolish. Gullible. A perfect mark: having and being close to power, but believing in the goodness in the worst of Sinners. And desperate. I thought I could trap you into a Deal. I wasn’t overly surprised or disappointed at you declining my offer when I first arrived. After all, my reputation is rather well known. But I thought your deep belief in giving chances to the most undeserving would work in my favour. I’d stick around, help run your Hotel, and with time you’d stop seeing me as a threat. Then I could strike up a bargain you would accept. You already seemed to be warming to me after the little song and dance number I started.”
There was hurt in Charlie’s eyes, and she took a step back.
Alastor quickly but gently caught her hand, not wanting her to run away, and certainly not before he finished.
“But I was wrong. I thought I could lull you into my clutches, but instead I found myself charmed. Because of the very nature I sought to take advantage of, you reached out to me as a friend – not in an attempt to woo free favours and use of my power, not because I helped you, though you desperately needed it, but because you saw something in me you thought worthwhile, because you enjoyed my company. And I found I enjoyed yours in return. After a while, I found I wanted you to succeed, because the bright smile of joy suited you much better than the misery of failure. You accepted me into your friendship and I, against all my initial intentions, grew to care about you back.”
Still wary at the revelation, Charlie replied, “and how do I know this isn’t a ploy to trust you again?”
“I suppose you can’t really. But have I offered you a Deal lately? Or even since that first time? And you’d had no clue as to my original intentions before I told you of them. How would revealing them help me, even if I claimed to no longer have such intentions after I had already sowed your mistrust?”
“Then why did you tell me? Even if you’d abandoned those plans, why would you tell me when you could have just pretended they never existed.”
Now Alastor gave a little shrug. “While you are not stupid, or as gullible as I once thought you were, you are very trusting. You do let people in, and having come to hold you in some regard I dislike the idea of someone taking advantage as I had thought to do.”
He then gave her head pat or two. “And forewarned is forearmed. I do have a centuries worth of bad habits.”
A hint of a smile tentatively snuck across Charlie’s face, and gripping his hand said, “Thank you. Now come on, we have work to do,” leading him back towards the Hotel.
Alastor’s smile widened and lit up in a way the princess knew to be genuine excitement.
“Yes indeedy!”
It might take a little time, but they were going to be okay.