Chapter Text
Dimly lit and clouded by a heady sky, hell reeked of blood and death. Smoke hung in the air, grey and thick, and it twisted around every corner, settling especially in small nooks and crannies like that very alleyway.
Distant screams rang out as the angels continued their slaughter on every pathetic sinner who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
A grey female sat coiled in the corner, her hands wrapped around her knees as she hid from the commotion around her. She was static. Her right eye was scored out with a large, red cross whilst her remaining eye was wide and shifty. The sky’s red hue reflected in it like flames. She looked completely shell-shocked.
Charlie frowned. She had noticed two angels leaving from the area and decided to scope it out. Finding a survivor was rare. Had this sinner really survived an angel?
Slowly, Charlie approached the dumpster Vaggie had been hiding behind. She looked down at the woman and gasped when she noticed that her right eye was injured. Charlie kneeled next to Vaggie and immediately pulled out a gauze. Vaggie’s expression shifted from apprehension to shock as Charlie wrapped the bandage around Vaggie’s head, covering her right eye.
Pulling away, Charlie felt her heart hammer in her chest as Vaggie smiled up at her. A soft, small smile that looked far too pretty. Charlie smiled awkwardly, suddenly feeling rather flustered. She ran a hand through her hair and reminded herself to be realistic.
You can’t fall in love with every pretty sinner you lay eyes on.
Instead, she bent down and reached her hand out to Vaggie.
“Are you okay there? Do you need any help?” She asked, keeping her voice low to try and prevent any angels from overhearing them.
Vaggie eyed her hand, shifting her eye up and down between it and Charlie’s face. Slowly, she reached hers out and let Charlie grip it gently. Charlie’s smile widened and she was equally gentle when pulling Vaggie up to her feet.
Vaggie staggered like a newborn deer, her legs shaky and unstable as she tried to find her footing. Charlie’s hand moved to her shoulders. She held Vaggie steady and allowed her to lean against her for support.
Vaggie closed her eye and sighed. “Thank you,” she said quietly. “Thank you for helping me.”
Charlie looked at Vaggie, concerned. “Are you okay? I saw two angels leaving from over here. How did you survive?”
Vaggie’s eye snapped open, wide and sharp. “I… they cornered me and got my eye but I managed to…” she paused for a moment, her gaze shifting, “run away,” she mumbled.
Charlie closed her eyes and nodded, a pained expression painting her face. “I’m so sorry that happened to you. These exterminations… they’re so cruel. Let’s get you back to my place so we can get you cleaned up.”
Vaggie nodded warily. She clung to Charlie and closed her eye as Charlie summoned a portal and led the both of them through to her room.
“Sorry, this must be weird. A total stranger taking you to her house,” Charlie said upon entering the room. “I know it’s difficult to trust others in hell, so I understand if you want to leave.”
Vaggie stared at Charlie, surveying her up and down. She slowly shook her head. “I’ve only just arrived here. I’m grateful for you helping me out.”
“Oh! Oh wow!” Charlie suddenly lifted her hand to her mouth in shock. She moved closer to Vaggie, brushing the dust off her clothing. “I’m so sorry that this was your introduction to hell! It’s not this bad usually, I promise. Today was our yearly extermination. There’s… a lot of deaths.” Charlie stared at Vaggie’s wide-eyed expression and felt her heart drop. With sweat on her brow, Charlie ran a nervous hand through her hair. “I’m sorry, I should have introduced myself! I’m Charlie Morningstar!”
“Morningstar?” Vaggie asked, raising a brow. “As in…”
“Yeah…” Charlie said, chuckling nervously. “My parents are, uh, Lucifer and Lilith Morningstar.”
“Oh, shit,” Vaggie murmured, her eye widening. “You’re like… the Princess of Hell.”
“Yeah, I am,” Charlie rushed out quickly, then swiftly moved on. “Anyway, as long as that isn’t too off-putting for you and you’re happy to stay, I’d love to know what your name is!”
Vaggie smiled and sat down on the edge of Charlie’s bed. “My name’s Vaggie.”
“Vaggie,” Charlie repeated slowly, then smiled. “That’s a lovely name. Welcome to hell, Vaggie!”
Vaggie let out a heavy breath and looked out through Charlie’s window. Tens of demons walked past, surrounded by flames and absolute carnage. Charlie watched too, then shifted her gaze back to Vaggie. She was probably wondering why the Princess of Hell chose to live in the city centre, but everyone seemed to underestimate how much Charlie loved her people.
Vaggie sighed, turning back to Charlie. With a small smile, she remarked, “You know, I never thought I’d end up here.”
Charlie smiled too. “I hear that a lot, surprisingly. Hell’s all I’ve ever known, but for you guys,” Charlie stared at Vaggie with so much emotion, her smile getting wider, “you’ve experienced the world. It must be so strange to come here.”
Vaggie lowered her head, avoiding Charlie’s gaze. She nodded subtly. “Thank you. Again. You’ve shown me a lot of kindness today. That’s not something I’d expect from the Princess of Hell.”
Charlie smiled bashfully. “Oh, it’s nothing. Honestly. You can stay here as long as you want. I live on my own so you can crash in the spare bedroom. Oh! And I have snacks. Lots of snacks.”
Vaggie’s stomach rumbled at the mention of food and Charlie grinned, immediately heading for the door.
“I’ll bring in what I can find and you can have something to eat. Then we can get you cleaned up.”
With that, Charlie left the room and headed towards her kitchen. She rummaged through her fridge, grabbing some chips, chocolate and candy. Huddling them in her arms, Charlie carried the snacks through to her room and threw them down on the bed.
“Take whatever you want, I can get as many as you like,” Charlie said, pushing the snacks a little closer to Vaggie. Vaggie smiled and thanked her. Charlie smiled too and stood up. “I’ll go and run you a bath. Oh! Bath’s tend to run hot in hell. Is that alright?”
Vaggie nodded. “That’s fine. Thank you, these snacks look lovely.”
“No problem! Please, make yourself comfortable. I’ll find you some pyjamas from my closet so that you can get changed after the bath, then I’ll show you your room. If you’re sure you want to stay, that is. I understand this might be kind of overwhelming.”
“No, you’re making it better,” Vaggie admitted with an awkward shrug. She offered a small smile. “Thank you.”
Charlie grinned and left the room, walking towards the bathroom. She dropped the plug in the hole and turned the taps, filling the tub with water. She hummed as she ran her fingers through the water, testing the temperature. Once she was happy with it, she returned to her bedroom and told Vaggie it was ready. Vaggie smiled and thanked her once again. Charlie handed her a pair of pyjamas and Vaggie entered the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.
Charlie let out a deep breath as she walked away. Who knew sinners could be so sweet?
*****
Vaggie sighed as she stripped from her clothes. She gave her body one look over and cringed at the dried golden blood on her skin. She was glad Charlie didn’t insist on seeing her in this state. It was hard enough to trust Charlie’s kindness considering she was the first person she met upon entering hell. She knew for a fact that she couldn’t trust the Princess of Hell with her secret. It was far too risky.
Still, it was nice that Charlie had been so generous to her so far. She would still be cautious, of course, but Charlie seemed to be alright. A little chirpy for a demon, but alright.
Vaggie sighed as she stepped into the bath. She lowered herself into the tub, shuddering as the warm water encased her body. Just like the steam rolling off of her body, Vaggie felt the stress of the day release into the atmosphere. She winced as the water splashed against her back, touching the open wounds. She ran her thumb across her back, tracing the dried blood that ran down the middle of her back.
Grabbing a sponge from the side, Vaggie soaked it in the bath water and scrubbed furiously at the trail of blood on her back. She avoided her wounds, cautious to not irritate them. Once she was sure that she had removed all traces of golden blood from her body, Vaggie submerged herself in the water. She cringed as the wounds on her back made contact with the water, the sting piercing through her body. She bit her tongue and persevered, however. She had been through worse.
After stalling for as long as possible in the confines of the bathroom, Vaggie stood up. She dried herself with the towel and quickly dressed herself in Charlie’s pyjamas. She couldn’t help but smile at the cute rubber duck pattern printed across them. This demon princess wasn’t quite who she expected, and Vaggie wasn’t quite sure how to feel about that.
When she left the bathroom, Charlie was quick to greet her and give her a tour of the apartment, showing her the kitchen, living space and the spare bedroom.
“You can stay here as long as you like! And, please, have whatever you want from the kitchen and tell me if you need anything,” Charlie said, flattening an untucked corner of the bed subtly.
Vaggie smiled and walked into the bedroom, sitting down on the edge of the bed.
Charlie continued, “I was wondering whether you’d like me to show you around hell tomorrow? There’s so much to see and it’ll be easier if you’re with someone who knows what they’re doing. What do you say?”
Vaggie smiled. “That sounds great.”
“Great! Great! Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow then!”
Vaggie nodded and Charlie turned to leave. Vaggie watched Charlie walk away with a certain lightness in her chest. She would have almost mistaken the fuzzy feeling for hope, if it wasn't for the heavy weight that was pulling it down. The reality that Vaggie would be stuck here forever began to sink in, and it stung more than the wounds on her face and back.
*****
Charlie smiled as she left Vaggie’s room, grateful that, at the very least, she was able to support one sinner during the extermination. She went to bed herself fairly soon after, eager to start a new day with her new friend.
*****
Vaggie woke up with an incredibly sore back. She groaned, shifting around in the bed. No matter what position she twisted into, she seemed unable to find any comfort. Reaching her hand behind her, she ran her fingers over the wounds on her back. The area still stung but luckily the wounds were no longer open.
Her right eye also ached. It was a searing pain that leaked into the back of her head, giving her a dreadful migraine. Vaggie groaned, realising there was no point staying in bed any longer. She sat up, almost screaming as a ripping pain tore through her back. It appeared as though her muscles had weakened; she struggled to pull herself up.
Slowly, she grabbed her white dress from the side and threw it on. Looking in the dressing table mirror, Vaggie ran her hands through her hair, attempting to straighten it out. The bandage Charlie wrapped around her eye was still there, covering the ugly thing from view. Vaggie was grateful for that, at least.
She took a deep breath, willing herself mentally to face Charlie once again. She had a feeling that she would be stuck with her for a good while yet.
*****
Charlie placed a knife and fork on the table, leaving a gap for their plates. Razzle came up beside her and handed her a plate full of food with his mouth. Charlie smiled and thanked him, then did the same when Dazzle brought the other one. She placed a plate down on either end of the table and sighed happily, proud of her work.
She made her way over to the fridge and poured two glasses of orange juice, placing them next to the plates of food. Just as Charlie was about to call for Vaggie, she emerged in the doorway.
Charlie smiled, “I’ve made breakfast! If you’re hungry?”
Vaggie offered a small smile and nodded. “It looks lovely. Thank you.”
As Vaggie walked towards the table, she noticed two creatures that hadn’t been there when Charlie gave her the house tour.
“Ah!” Vaggie screamed, jumping away. She pointed at Razzle and Dazzle, and Charlie stared at her confusedly. “What are those? You told me you live alone!”
Razzle and Dazzle growled at Vaggie, placing themselves in front of Charlie protectively. Charlie rubbed the top of their heads and whispered to them, telling them that Vaggie was okay and they were safe.
She looked at Vaggie sheepishly, realising she had forgotten to tell her about her ‘bodyguards’. “Sorry! I totally forgot to tell you. These are Razzle and Dazzle. They’re like my little demon… companions! I promise that they’re harmless. Well, unless you’re attacking me, hahahaha. Which you’re not. Right?”
Vaggie stared at Charlie strangely and slowly shook her head. “No, I’m not.”
“Great! Good! Perfect, even. So, uh, Razzle, Dazzle, are you going to say hello to our new guest?”
Razzle and Dazzle looked up at Charlie obediently for a moment before nodding. They flew over to Vaggie and began licking her face like a pair of dogs. Vaggie stood there uncomfortably for a moment before awkwardly patting them on the head and shuffling away.
Charlie beamed and immediately led Vaggie over to the table, pulling out a chair for her.
“I can already tell, you’re gonna get along just fine here, Vaggie!” Charlie said gleefully, taking the seat opposite.
Vaggie nodded and began to eat the breakfast. Charlie followed suit.
Once they were finished, Charlie stood up and waited by the front door.
“Okay, so I was thinking we could start your tour of hell by walking through the streets! You get a better feel for the place once you’ve had a walk around, you know?”
Vaggie tried to flash a smile and nodded. “Ah. Nice.”
Charlie grinned. “There's so much you need to know about hell if you wanna get along here. And lucky for you, I know a lot!”
Charlie led Vaggie out of her apartment and into Pentagram City. As they walked along the main street, Charlie explained as much as she could.
“So hell has seven rings. Sadly, you can only stay here in the Pride Ring because you're a sinner, but there's still a lot to see here! This is Pentagram City. There's casinos, bars, clubs, cafes, you name it!”
Charlie gestured to a nearby café that immediately burst into flame. Demons ran from it, scattering like headless chickens. Then two imps ran out with bags full of cash in their hands.
Vaggie looked at the scene with concern. Charlie laughed nervously and bounced back and forth on her heels.
“So, maybe it can look a little rough on the surface, but trust me, hell has a lot of positives too!” Charlie said brightly.
“Sure…” Vaggie hummed, unimpressed.
Charlie led Vaggie towards a group of demons sitting outside a restaurant. She gestured at them and said, “Another amazing thing about hell is the types of demons who live here. You have imps and hellhounds, sinners, overlords and, of course, hellborn. That's me, by the way. I was born in hell. Well, actually, I'm a little different to most hellborn, because of my… well, parental situation. Oh! And there's the Ars Goetia too. They're pretty cool! Oh! Oh! Did I mention the seven deadly sins? They're a wild bunch, haha…”
Vaggie's eye narrowed in concentration as she listened to Charlie's explanation, her head nodding subtly.
Charlie took that as a sign to continue.
“Anyway, the most important thing for you to remember as a sinner is to not make deals with overlords. And try to stay out of trouble, especially with overlords…”
Vaggie nodded. “Okay. Thanks.”
Charlie smiled as widely as she could, the strain clearly showing in her eyes. Vaggie offered a small smile in return. Charlie's smile softened and she felt her brain short-circuit.
Vaggie has a very pretty smile.
Oh.
Charlie realised after a few seconds that she'd been staring at Vaggie for a little too long. She was forever thankful that the permanent blush on her cheeks covered her embarrassment. She quickly snapped her head away and tried to ignore Vaggie's confused expression.
Fuck. She probably thinks I'm a freak…
“So, uh… wanna see Cannibal Town?” Charlie asked quickly.
Vaggie smirked. “From the sounds of it, no?” She muttered sarcastically.
And Charlie laughed. Vaggie seemed to smile at that and Charlie chose to ignore the butterflies that erupted in her stomach.
“I'll show you where it is,” Charlie offered, then quietly added, “So then you'll know to avoid it.”
Charlie stuck her tongue out and tapped her nose. Vaggie's smile widened a fraction and she nodded her head.
Charlie grinned, her cheeks becoming a darker red. “Perfect.”
After showing Vaggie where Cannibal Town was, Charlie led her closer to the heart of hell.
Vaggie stared up at the clock tower looming above them. It had the number 364 in shining lights.
Charlie frowned. “That's uh… That's a countdown until the next extermination. They happen yearly. It's unfortunate that you got caught up in one so early on, but I'm impressed that you survived it! I don't think I've ever seen a demon escape an angel before.”
Vaggie averted her gaze to the ground evasively.
Charlie, noting her discomfort, decided she wouldn't bring that up again.
Clearly she's sensitive about it. You shouldn't keep reminding her.
“Uh, over there is the Vees’ tower!” Charlie explained, gesturing at a tall tower in the distance. “That’s where hell’s best TV and movies are filmed. And next to it is the, uh, infamous pornography studio.”
Charlie chuckled nervously and stared off to the side.
Vaggie chuckled. “Sounds like fun…” she said sarcastically
Charlie hummed, “For some.” She flashed Vaggie a wide grin and gestured to another building. “That’s 666 News! Tom Trench and Katie Killjoy report, like, basically everything going on in hell.”
A nearby screen flashed a news report from 666 News.
Breaking news, after the recent extermination more turf wars have broken out across the city.
Charlie frowned. “Uh, we should probably head back to my place. The turf wars can get a little rough, especially just after an extermination.”
Vaggie quirked a brow. “Turf wars?”
“Oh, right! Yeah! Turf wars are like… demons fighting for bits of land to call their ‘turf’. Because the exterminations cause a lot of carnage, it means there’s a lot more opportunity for demons to claim land.”
“Oh,” Vaggie said, sounding quite surprised. A strained smile crossed her lips. “It’s, uh, quite violent down here, huh?”
Charlie half-smirked and shrugged. “I don’t know…” She hummed, running a hand through her hair awkwardly. “You get used to it. Besides, not everyone down here is violent. Just a little… lost.”
Vaggie looked down at her feet. She sighed, then offered a more genuine smile. “That’s quite a positive way of looking at things,” she stated, staring deeply into Charlie’s eyes.
Charlie had to remind herself not to blush or squeal like a little pig.
Instead, she beamed and nodded her head. “I don’t think all sinners are bad people. Heck, with enough kindness and encouragement, I’m sure any sinner would be able to challenge the holiest of angels!”
Vaggie let out a little giggle. “You’re very optimistic. You know, for the Princess of Hell .”
Charlie shrugged. “I care about my people, sure.”
Vaggie looked up at Charlie with a tentative look on her face. A very subtle smile tugged at her lips. “I suppose that’s quite admirable.”
Charlie’s heart practically jumped out of her chest. Vaggie’s eye was locked with her own and she couldn’t help but stare into it.
Suddenly, a violent crashing sound broke Charlie’s train of thought. She turned around and, from a large cloud of smoke, emerged two demons shooting at each other.
Charlie’s eyes widened and she quickly grabbed Vaggie’s hand. Running away hastily, she tugged Vaggie along, turning her head every so often to check that she was okay.
“Is that a turf war?” Vaggie asked, trying desperately to keep up with Charlie as she dragged her along.
Charlie nodded. She stopped to a sudden halt then turned and pulled Vaggie into a nearby alleyway. She crouched down to the floor and tugged Vaggie down with her. Then, finally, she let go of Vaggie’s hand.
“Sorry about that,” Charlie said breathlessly. She turned her head to Vaggie and smiled. “I didn’t want you to get all caught up in it all. Those things never end well.”
Vaggie nodded, closing her eye. “Thank you. You… looking out for me. In general. Thanks. It’s very kind considering you barely know me.”
Charlie shrugged. “I’m happy to help whoever I can! What kind of princess would I be if I didn’t, huh?”
Vaggie smirked. “I would have thought the Princess of Hell’s job would be to torture her citizens, not help them.”
Charlie smiled and shook her head. “That’s not what being a Morningstar is,” Charlie said, so quiet it was almost a whisper. A soft smile wavered on her lips. “People always misunderstand what my parents wanted. They were passionate about humanity and wanted to give them free choice. Isn't that great? So yeah, maybe the sinners here didn’t choose to do the best things, but I don’t think that necessarily makes them bad . I’d prefer the term… misguided!”
Vaggie looked at Charlie intently. “You see so much in them,” she observed. Charlie was almost worried she was putting Vaggie off, until Vaggie’s lips curved upward. “You’re too good.”
Charlie rolled her eyes playfully. “You don’t seem too bad yourself, Vaggie,” she hummed.
Vaggie laughed.
Heavens, that laugh sounded beautiful. Oh wow. Oh fuck. Brain short-circuiting. Gay. Gay. Gay. Gay -
“So, how are we getting back to your place then?” Vaggie asked, snapping Charlie out of her stupor.
Charlie stared blankly for a few moments, blinking twice.
Then, with sudden clarity, she said, “Ah, right! Yes! A portal. I’ll summon a portal.”
Charlie closed her eyes and summoned a portal. She grabbed Vaggie’s hand once again and led her through the portal.
They arrived in the kitchen, Razzle and Dazzle both working together to make a meal for them. Charlie grinned and ran up to the pair, giving both of them a big hug and praising them for their initiative.
When she turned back around, she noticed Vaggie had sat down at the kitchen table. Charlie eyed the timer on the kitchen work surface and sat down next to her.
“It’ll only be like 10 minutes,” Charlie said, resting her elbows on the table.
Vaggie smiled and looked down at her hands shyly. Charlie’s heart soared at how Vaggie was already starting to show more emotion around her.
Charlie waited for a few moments before asking, “So, did you enjoy our little tour around hell?”
Vaggie nodded. “Yes. Thank you, Charlie. It was very useful. I’m glad I’m not going into this blind.”
Charlie grinned excitedly. “Of course! I’ll help you every step of the way if you need it.”
Vaggie didn’t offer a response, but she smiled.
Keep smiling like that and you’ll have me head over heels for you in no time.