Chapter Text
6:00 AM
Hazbin Hotel
Charlie Morningstar's Bedroom.
Nobody could tell Charlie she wasn't driven. Passionate. Overbearing, even. It's what made her so her. As the Hazbin Hotel was happily blooming, residents coming in daily, therapy sessions being made, new friendships blossoming, she was proud. She was also proud to share it with everyone who has supported her daily.
As Hell's brightest birds sang a crooked lullaby, the lights sprang on in her and Vaggi's shared bedroom. The morning orange sky soothing into their usual brooding red, slipping into the window to cascade in with a peaking light. The screams of Hell, some joyful, some horrifying, swirling together in brilliant harmony!
Today was a new day! One full of endless energy, fulfilling activities and brand-new opportunities.
Charlie gleefully pranced out of bed, smoothing out her cherry red comforter. She gave her beautiful girlfriend, her biggest supporter, a peck on the forehead before slipping into the bathroom.
Her brain was swarming with ideas. She should probably ask Husk if he's willing to take more sinners at his brutally honest therapist sessions.
It's beyond her that people actually enjoy hearing it straight. Well, majority of people actually cry, but Husk seems to be able to set them right. Which she's pretty sure he's just giving them alcohol.
It wouldn't be so bad, but the hotel needs some moral. With Angel gone, Husk is more mellow, while Cherri just looks so full of sorrow.
She's talked to Cherri a handful of times, she's come into her office. They often talk about Pentious and Angel, how Cherri feels sick to her stomach about losing the two people she loves.
But, thanks to that, Cherri is looking for some sort of redemption! She's still dabbling if she wants to go to Heaven or not.
Charlie swiftly braids her hair, tugging on her rubber band to snap tight.
She smiles, tugging off her comfy silk pajamas to her glamorous, worn down old suit.
She yanked on her suspenders before fitting into her red coat, slipping one of the buttons to fit snug.
She dusted off the suit, smiling to herself. Today was a new day.
Her people we're slowly being saved, Heaven finally giving up the exterminations as meetings we're constantly being made to try and keep some sort of peace.
Her mother is back. Has been. For 6 months.
It was incredible. Her father was so, so happy. They were practically attached at the hip! Everywhere Mom went, her Father was right there, trailing along like a puppy. It was so cute!
Her mother loved Vaggi, they got along very well, which made her heart swell.
Sure, Lilith hasn't told them about anything. Like, where she went. What she was even doing. Who she was with, basically she just returned.
But! Charlie refused to let that get her down!
Her family was back. With her found family.
Nothing can get in her way now!
With the Vees being off the air for some time and Imps doing constant construction, Hell was slowly piercing themselves back together. It was going to be a happy day in Hell!
She bursted out the door, twirling out the hallway as she greets the awake residents with a bright smile.
"Morning, Zai!"
"Happy Day, Richard! Tell your wife I said hi!"
"Harper, be careful! You got this!"
She eventually treads down the stairs, smelling a syrupy smell that makes her stomach squeal.
Pancakes!
She checks into the kitchen, peeking around the door to find Alastor and Nifty.
Alastor was cautiously scooping up batter, pouring it out onto a steaming fryer with his typical grin, which for some reason has been so gloomy recently.
Nifty, sitting on the counter swinging her legs as she pokes her hand on the pan just to feel the burn.
"Alastor! Nifty! Good morning!" She pumped up, treading into the kitchen as she places a delicate hand on Nifty's shoulder.
Alastor whipped around, holding up the plate of pancakes like a trophy.
"Charlotte! Just the shining star I wanted to see this morning!" He spins around the plate, bowing down dramatically, edging her to take a pancake. He raises one eyebrow, his neck snapping grotesquely.
She giggles, plucking one from the plate and taking a small bite. Delightful! Alastor was their resident cook, so she knew that it was obviously going to be amazing!
"This is great, Alastor! Thank you!"
Nifty claps her hands together, fluttering her eyelashes on her one eye.
"I helped!" She cooed.
Alastor swings up, putting the plate down and tugging on Nifty's cheek.
"That you did. That you did, sweetheart!"
Nowadays, Alastor and Nifty seem closer. It was sweet, like Alastor was worried about her, but she thinks it the other way around. After Alastor was kidnapped and tortured by the Vees, Nifty has been extra cautious about Alastor being alone.
But, there's times that Nifty lets too much slip that worries Charlie. It's small things. Just a word or two, if she's lucky it's a sentence.
'Bad boys are back!'
'Hehe, sparks!'
'Static frequency combine!'
'TV boy, Alastor happy!'
She doesn't quite understand, but she's sure that if Nifty's saying it, it must mean something important.
She plucks up another pancake giving Alastor and Nifty a small wave before slipping out of the kitchen to let them continue their morning work.
More and more residents wake up, the hotel lobby piling up as a long line awaits outside the kitchen with happy chatter and groggy chirping.
She dances around the room, giving her lawful hellos, and delighted hugs.
Most sinners were scared, some were just here for the free rent and came to crash. But, to the handful of sinners who just wanted redemption, it was dazzling.
As the breakfast tables started to fill up, people sitting with their new found friends or old hookups, the lobby was now buzzing with positive energy.
Proud, she watched from the corner of the room, soaking in all of her hard work.
Vaggi, now wide awake and ready for the day, marched down the stairs. Seeing Charlie, her face softened as she flew down the rest of the stairs, meeting her in a tight embrace.
"Mornin' Char." She grumbled.
"Vaggi!" She squealed, wrapping her arms around her. Vaggi spun her around, giggling softly.
"I have a bunch of activities planned for today. Like, group meetings, arts and crafts, venting ventures, and even a petting zoo plan!" She sings, looking down at her gorgeous girlfriend, cupping her face as she's lightly put down.
"That all sounds great, Charlie, but first, breakfast."
Yeah, that's reasonable. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! It really sets the mood! Your morning can really make or break your day!
Intertwining her and Vaggi's hand, she leads them to the end of the kitchen line, making small talk with two new residents who were quite shy.
It was always wonderful seeing how people learn to be in a safe space, it really ties together the warmth of the hotel. In her opinion, it makes it all the better. Seeing people get loose and comfortable in their environment was truly something that made her heart beam.
When Angel was around, seeing him come home after a long day and watching him relax, always made her so happy.
It meant that he knew he had a safe space.
If only he would come back to it.
She can't focus on the past, it'll only hurt her, no matter how much she wishes she could change it.
Charlie now knows better. She knows that the Vees are bad people, that they hurt and hurt and take and take.
She had hope for them, wanted to stick it to them that she was absolutely not a manipulative fanatic like they craved her out to be!
But, with the help of the people around her, it doesn't matter what other people say about her now. She's got her community behind her. She's now standing strong.
Squeezing Vaggi's hand once, she gives her a soft smile of reassurance as they grab their plates off the marble counter and sit at the reserved head table.
Vaggi cuts into her pancakes, taking a slow bite. She still doesn't trust Alastor, but she's making progress.
"So~" She taps her fingers on the table excitedly.
"I've been thinking, along with everything we've completed, I think I'm going to ask my mom if she's ready to start going to meetings again! I mean, Heaven still doesn't know she's back! I would hate to go alone, especially because I think Abel and Emily would love to meet her, y'know?! Lute might not exactly be the biggest fan, but I'm sure they'll work it out!"
Vaggi gives her a sympathetic look. "Charlie, I don't think that's the best option right now. Heaven's still sensitive about what happened. They're border is still broken, and their power is down immensely. It's best if it's just you for now."
Charlie brushes her off, taking a bite of her syrup drowned pancakes which could never be too sweet for her. "Nonsense! Think of it! With mom back and her working here, they'll know that they'res no one else trying to overthrow them! It's perfect!"
Vaggi tilts her head, placing a firm hand on her shoulders. "I trust you, a hundred percent, but I think you should wait a bit longer—"
Charlie scoffed, placing a hand over Vaggi's with a lop sided smile. "Vaggi. I got this."
Vaggi winced, looking back down at her plate, the food suddenly not seeming so appealing anymore. "Okay, hun. If you believe so."
Charlie gives her a side hug, suddenly rising from her seat triumphantly. Kissing her cheek, she sprints off up the stairs, leaving Vaggi to worry alone.
6:45 AM
Hazbin Hotel
Lucifer Morningstar and Lilith Morningstar's Bedroom
As Charlie happily knocked on the door, jumping in place to barely contain her excitement.
She couldn't help it! The thought of her and her mother proudly standing side by side! Them maybe even singing together in hopes of combining Heaven and Hell! It's wonderful! Her mother would adore it!
The grant doors clicked open, revealing her beautiful mother dressed in a flowing purple silk robe with her golden hair trailing down her back. Her horns a deep red, curled to the very edge of her sharp tip. Deadly, yet she can't help the believe that that's a appeal part.
Her face changed from a sour expression to a polite smile.
"Charlie." Her soothing voice stated it as a fact, instead of a welcoming demeanor. It was odd, her mother never truly seemed happy to see her, yet she understands! It's been a long time. It's difficult when she's been kept away for so long! Human interaction is new and she's just now learning to open up. Nothing Charlie can't handle.
"Mom!" She sighs and watches as her mother's hands curl as they rest in her lap.
"Come in, come in. The day is bright and I'm sure you have something very important to tell us. My little entrepreneur."
Charlie whisks into the room, which is now decorated completely different. Every single duck was gone. Either thrown out or hidden somewhere deep in the closet. It was now pristine, clear cut, with a sharp edge to it. It looked like it had been cleaned once and nobody was been in it sense.
Purple curtains trail down the walls, as a bright chandelier brightens the room. The master bed is made neatly as the two counter tops are cleared completely. Every message from the Sins, her uncles and aunts have been disposed off completely. Almost all the furniture has been thrown out, only leaving a small coffee table in the middle of the room along with three chairs.
Her mother said it was because she wanted to make new memories, with new furniture. Not dwell on the past.
Photographs her dad had hung up now are stashed into the closet, leaving the walls dull and empty. Surely that meant that her mom was ready to take new ones. It gave her a shudder if excitement. Mom and Daughter picture time! She'll add that to her list! Along with Mom and Daughter sight seeing, Mom and Daughter dance time, and now Mom and Daughter Meeting time!
She sits down on one of the small red chairs, sitting uncomfortably as she's tucked between the two tight sides squeezing her hips. Smiling anyway as Lilith sits down on the bigger chair, crossing her leg and giving her a lazy smile. Her eyes are narrowed as she watches Charlie intensely, lazily fiddling with her fingers.
Her dad, spinning around the room while laughing maniacally as he poofs his hat on. Plops himself down on a chair with a massive grin. Rubbing his hands together as he wiggles his eyebrows.
"Char-Char! Charlie! What have you got for us today?!" He exclaims. "Us! Me! And my wife! Your mother! Both of us! Because we are both here! Both of us! Together! Living in the same room! Lilith, my stunning, mesmerizing—"
Her mother bashfully kicks his foot with her heel, flushed. "Lu, let the child speak!" She amused, playfully rolling her eyes.
Charlie can't help the way her heart clenched and her smile growing possibly bigger it's strained. Her family is back. Her mornings have been amazing so far. Every day a new adventure. She feels like a million bucks with her family by her side.
Lucifer straightens up in his chair, fondly looking at his wife while caressing his ring. "Of course, my love." He sighs. "My love. I get to say that."
He dreamily leans against the chair, smiling like an idiot at his wife. Charlie giggles.
"Okay, so I wanted to tell you both about a little plan I've been cooking up!"
Her mother raises her brow, a signal to continue. Charlie nods.
"Mom, I think you should start coming to meetings with me! Honestly, I think they'd love to have you! Heaven and Hell are trying to join forces as they help the souls of the afterlife!" She rambles, flapping her hands around as her eyes glisten. "Once they know you're back, there's no more threat! No more thoughts of revenge or revolution!"
Her mother flicks her nails out, checking them over with a uninterested gaze. "Charlie, honey, let's think about this logically. I would love to go to meetings with you."
Charlie could a feel a massive but coming. She took a shaky breath.
"But," Called it. "They might be fearful. Rightfully so. Vox twisted my words, so horribly so." Her voice cracked. Lucifer softened, snaking up and grasping Lilith's hands gently.
They share a look.
"I never wanted a revolution. I wanted change. Now, Heaven might think I still want that. It's a huge risk we have to be willing to take."
It was a risk she was a hundred percent willing to take! Times change. People change. It's a huge movement for change!
She beams, her heart racing.
"I'm willing to take that risk with you, mom. You both have helped my life so much."
Even with the dull and empty room and her insanely cramped chair, they manage to make it feel like home and warmth like when they used to curl up by the fireplace for a small movie night when it was just their small group. No, no! She should be thinking of her parents, not her friends. Both equally important!
Her mother clings onto her father's hand, curling it tight against her palm. Her father tears up, his voice brittle. "My two enchanting girls, I promise. This dream will work, no matter how crazy this all seem."
The meeting was set. Her mother was ready.
Her hotel was ready. Her people ready.
She couldn't ask for anything more in the world right now.
She ran and hugged her parents, smushing them all into a big hug.
Her mother politely patted her back lightly, whereas her father practically tackled her back.
She loved having two loving parents.
3:12 PM
Heaven's Golden Meeting Room
As Charlie and her mother entered the white room, the bright lights shining upon them as holograms of Abel, Emily, Lute and Sera appeared as soon as they entered.
Emily excitedly slammed her hands on the table, waving to Charlie.
Abel, blushing bashfully as he echoed a small wave.
Lute's stern face twisted into an unreadable expression as her mother's appearance shook the room.
Her mother and her took a seat as Charlie took out her colorful and flashy flashcards. Reading the major points of the meeting she spent all night decorating until Vaggi forced into bed by picking her up and throwing her onto the bed.
Star doodles and glistening rainbows covered the pastel highlighted words drawn in a glitter pen.
She smiled proudly, passing a card to each individual.
Emily gasps, delightfully tracing the colors. "Charlie! These are so cute! Absolutely amazing! This pink is too die for!" She squealed.
Abel inspected the card, his finger tapping the sharp edge of the paper. "I think the color scheme really pulls it together..." He mumbles.
Lute looks in disgust, glancing around the room as if she was with a bunch of children.
Lilith foxily takes a card, her gloved hands skimming over the card. Her face was as still a statue, no show on approval or appreciation.
But, under the table, her leg crosses tightly.
Charlie giddyily perks up at the compliments before Sera coughs loudly, her cold eyes glaring at Lilith, who keenly smiles back.
Charlie stands up, ready to take on the meeting.
"Council," She starts, holding her claws close to her chest. She smiles brightly, taking her advice from Alastor. "Now that the exterminations have been exterminated, I believe that it's time for the next big step!"
Sera cuts in, her voice booming and steady. "The next big step will be calming Heaven."
Huh?
"I understand, yet we need—"
"Don't misunderstand, Morningstar, Hell is a priority, yet not the first priority. Heaven's people are terrified. Emily and Abel have been doing their best to try and lighten the mood, but it doesn't work when the threat of war is placed into kind spirits heads and our border is broken."
Lute forms a small smile. "Sera, Commander, what we need is a new army. Even with the man gone, it still proves what Hell's people are capable of. If one can build a doomsday weapon like that and go mad with power, they all can. It's in our best interest to take out the strongest ones now and savor the weak ones."
How could she say that? Doesn't she know that people are people. I mean, yes, Vox isn't the greatest man alive and did try to kill everyone and himself and maybe declare war and maybe just maybe have to have every Overlord in the Pride Ring have to shut down her father's power...but that doesn't mean that they can just kill them all! Overlords are the ones who saved everyone!
She opens her mouth to fight back, only for her mother's sly tongue to get there first.
"That makes no sense. Killing the strongest, or Overlords, that would spiral into complete chaos. Collectively, Overlords hold many souls. Souls under control. Killing Overlords would also mean taking away major industries in Hell, ones we cannot rebuild without their minds. If you take away Overlords, you take away deals, deals which hold weight. It prevents a soul from complete free will, at least majority do. You don't want millions of souls free, do you?"
Sera and Lute exchange a steady look, nodding to each other while Abel and Emily look sympathetically.
Charlie looks down at her flashcards, unsure of what to do next.
Sera stands, her chair screeching out from under her. "Lilith, your return does not give you immediate question on anything that has happened so far. You abandoned your people in a time of need."
Lilith scoffs, her eyes narrowing sharply as her hands clutched her arm rest. "A time of need from what? Exactly. You. Heaven was the one who allowed the exterminations. He'll was given no choice—"
Sera's wings flared out, her voice screeching. "Hell was given all the choice! You are the one who left. You started a revolution you could not finish!"
Charlie gave a shaking Emily a unsteady look. Sera never gets this mad, Seraphims are supposed to be internally happy. Charlie bites the inside of her cheek, her stomach churning as her Mother's horns start to glow a violent red.
"I could not finish?!" She slammed her fist on the table abruptly. "I will have you know that when I left I left for a good cause." Her voice was sharp, demanding.
Abel cowered, slumping into his shoulders as Lute grit her teeth viciously.
Emily walked over to Sera, her hologram glitchinh out.
Charlie cautiously stepped over to her mother, placing a comforting hand on her tense shoulder.
Unexpectedly, Lilith just looked up with a snarl.
Once Emily sat down after leading Sera back to her own seat, did the conversation calm down.
Lute spoke up, a hint of mischief in her eyes. "What was the cause?"
Lilith glanced at her, her nails digging through the fabric of the chair.
"Excuse me?"
Charlie' breath quickened, the scene unraveling before her quicker then he could imagine it.
She took a pleading step forward, clinging onto her flashcards like how a child clings onto a stuffed toy.
"Mom, Sera, Lute, let's calm down. My mother's return isn't what this meetings about, we are supposed to discuss Heaven's next choices and Hell's rebuilding. How's Sir. Pentious doing?"
Sera coldly spoke out, her wings still on full display as if on high alert. "Sir Pentious has been isolated for these past 6 months."
Emily looked away guilty, pouting down to look at her crossed hands.
Abel just sunk further into his chair, starting to look more and more queasy by the minute.
Lute, obviously, just looked proud.
Charlie's feet became heavier, glued to the floor as her throat started to swell. "Isolated? Wha—why? He earned his spot in Heaven! He worked hard! He did everything right!"
Sera's eyes flickered a white glow. "We don't know that. He is not a rightful citizen of Heaven because no, he didn't 'do everything right.' That's what got him in Hell in the first place. You have gotten nobody in Heaven except him. Nobody has been proven worthy. Until you can prove that he wasn't a fluke and more people can be redeemed he will continued to be isolated. We can't have him running around about the damnation of Hell, their tendencies, the threats of War, the violence. It will plague our people."
Charlie swallows her words, looking to her mother for some well-needed advice, only to find the graceful woman looking out the window, internally bored. She's surely thinking of a plan, right now. She knows it. It makes her heart burn.
Eventually, Emily does speak up, a optimistic plea. "Charlie, I believe in redemption fully. We just have to find out how to do it. Human souls are far different then we are, their logic and functioning is weird. Even the highest of Angel's and Seraphims can't figure it out."
Lute snarkily cut in. "You'd know about humans, wouldn't you, Lilith."
Sera gives a warning glance as Abel starts to turn green, his hologram fading out.
Lilith snaps her attention back to Lute, her heel digging into the floor.
"I would. That's why my people are satisfied."
"Satisfied? Is that what you call it? When you're out on a beach you're people are happy? Living the same miserable, disgusting lives they do? They're demons. They don't deserve anymore shit then they do."
Beach? What beach? How did Lute know about a beach? Charlie gives a confused glance to her mom, tiling her head down to see the bitter look on her face while her chest heaves.
"My people are free. Your people are delusional."
"Go tell that to your hidden soul-eaters." Lute spits out, tugging on her mask.
Sera snaps, groaning as she cuts off Lute's hologram.
"This meeting is over. Heaven will be in contact shortly, Morningstar."
Abel is is shock, his mouth hanging wide open as he glares into the wall like the least scary thing in the world.
Emily gasps, turning to yell at Sera when all connection is cut off, leaving Lilith and Charlie gawking alone.
Soul-Eaters?
She's never heard of those before.
Why did Lute know so much more about her own mother then she did?
"Mom, what was she talking about?" She turns to look at Lilith, who was seething in her chair.
"Nothing." She bites, aggressively standing up.
"Mom, surely it wasn't nothing. What's a soul-eater, what beach?!" She pleads, going around the table frantically and picking up the leftover flashcards sprawled out. Her happy drawings now turned foolish.
Lilith starts for the door, heel stomping with every menacing step. "Nothing Charlie. Don't dwell on stupid things like the rambling of a fool."
Charlie darts after her, grabbing her wrist.
Her heart stops when she's pulled through a portal, opening them back up to the master bedroom. Though...it's not a bed room. It's a massive library.
A swirl of colorful books, pages upon pages. Stairs spiraling up for forever.
Lilith rips from Charlie's grip, gesturing around the empty area.
"Charlie, you want to learn more about Heaven's past? Find it." She grumbles.
What the...
She shudders, the cold and dark aura of the atmosphere creeping in.
Lilith continues, circling Charlie as her fingers drag along the infinite rows of books.
"If the story of Hell I gave you, the one I used to read to you, was once in here, then the story of Heaven shall be too."
She stops, brushing off specs of golden, gleaming dust.
Lilith gives Charlie a look of distance. A unfamiliar look.
Charlie's heart quickens as she licks her lips, the sight becoming dizzy.
"Anything we can use against them will be useful."
"Against?" She chirped, voice quiet.
"This is war, Charlie. Make no mistake."
Charlie stood up, her shoulders sinking down as dust started to collect on her suit. her fingers tightly curled around her flashcards as if the only thing keeping her stable. She feels the walls creep in as Lilith's prominent figure eventually fades out into the darkness.
War has no place in Hell. Even if that's all Hell is. Her friends have already fought too much. But, it's understandable. Her mother came from a time of war, she's still stuck in her head. It's okay, Charlie will help her get out of it!
Not wanting to disappoint her mother, she slithered into the creaky library, something so full of sorrow many pages of life, somehow sucked out of the room itself. She lit a candle, lighting her way across the maze of books.
Her eyes land on a vibrant purple book, a page ripped out at stuffed back in you can see the corner sticking out like a sore thumb.
It's like a magnet, calling her in with shadowy figures and a shallow whining in her ear.
She takes a step forward, releasing her strained grip on her cards, letting them flood onto the floor like a droopy puddle. They sprawl out, landing messily.
It's a pretty color, it's may more vibrant compared to every dull book cover in the library.
She drags it out with a finger, lightly tracing the letters.
Different Radio Frequencies and What They Mean.
She lets out a small chuckle, plucking up the book with a warm smile.
Radio's, huh? Alastor would probably adore this book. It would be an excellent gift. Then maybe he wouldn't look so down, like he lost something important to him.
He hugs it closer to chest, slipping out the ripped paper, placing it on the cover to read it.
Drawn on the yellowish, stained piece of paper was a old radio, looking around the 1940's possibly.
It was a detailed drawing of everything inside the radio. Gears, screws, even some duct tape. But it was the words that intrigued her.
Duplex/Frequency Pair: Using two distinct frequencies together (one for transmitting, one for receiving) to allow simultaneous two-way communication.
Full-Duplex: Both parties can talk and listen at the same time, similar to a telephone call. This requires separating the transmit and receive frequencies (using a duplexer) or using advanced digital techniques to prevent self-interference.
Half-Duplex (sometimes referred to as repeater mode): Both parties can communicate in both directions, but only one party can transmit at a time, often using a push-to-talk button.
Duplex's? Charlie turned over the back page, scowling to find nothing more.
She wondered if Alastor could communicate with people if they also used radio signals. Sbe giggled softly. What a funny thought. It would be so fun, though.
Imagine if her and Vaggi and their own secret channel, just them tuning into each other to block out the rest of the world. It would be so romantic and refreshing.
She glides over the paper, her hands stopping at a weird symbol drawn in black ink.
It looks like a heart, only broken and twisted lines smeared all over. Cascading a golden glow on yo hands to see better, the signal starts to twitch and buffer as the book starts fo violently shake in her hands.
She flips her arms back, but fails when her hand is sealed onto the sigil. Crying out, she tries peeling away but is unfortunately stuck as the book floats, glowing energy that swirls around her, making her body start to feel light as she can feel a massive energy wave start to sink into her body.
The book shines, the bright color taking over her eyes, then her vision. It consumes her body, crumbling up into the page.
She screams, feeling the rattle all around her.
She feels her soul be sucked into something that feels like a wide range of emotions. Hunger, Fear, Excitement, Love, Sadness, Happiness, and even Laughter.
She soaks it all up, feeling her body tear open.
2:45 AM
1970's Hell.
The Old Entertainment District
She drops onto the ground, slamming her knees into burning concrete.
She yelps, hearing snickers and rowdy whispering all around her.
Charlie's gaze is thrown off, seeing stars and muliple buildings at once. Her stomach lurches as she throws up on the black sidewalk.
Alertly, she looks where she is.
Oh my goodness.
What a incredibly dull place.
No bright neon lights or TV's blasting your ears off. No Jazz bars or Inappropriate clubs. No booming music or wicked cannibals laughs.
She's left with slience, trying to pick herself off the side walk.
She sits in her own throw-up, trying to think of her next plan, when howling laughter fills the streets.
Windows slam shut. Neon bar signs that barely work flicker out to close. People scream ducking in trash cans and breaking into homes.
When Charlie sees it. She wants to cry. Scream. Maybe even sing. But. She doesn't. Instead, a disbelieving smile curls onto her face.
Roaring with laughter, climbing up the hill is a way younger Alastor, crooked smile, messed up hair, his ears flickering back. He seems to have lost his coat, his suspenders snug as thre buttons are undone on his shirt showing red fur peek out to cover his chest. Yet, that's the shocking part. Nope. Not even close.
The shocking part is who he's with. Charlie would be so proud for Alastor for giving someone a piggyback ride! They're fun, and she always loved them as a kid. It just never occurred to her that Alastor would give a piggyback ride to his sworn enemy.
Equally laughing as hard, on Alastor's back clinging on like a koala, is none other then Vox. A old CRT head sith a dinked screen with glass falling out. Also like Alastor is coat is gone, wearing a cozy sweater and rolled up sleeves. He's messing with Alastor's hair, guiding him by his antlers.
She can't help but laugh as they almost run into the same light pole three times.
She can tell they're both insanely drunk.
She can also tell they're insanely happy.
Her heart clenches.
What happened? How did they go from this to well.. whatever the hell they are now?
She winces as Vox is screaming something, probably curses at the top of his static lungs as Alastor starts to spin uncontrollably down the hill, belting a old song which she believes is Louis Armstrong's, Let's Do It (Let's Fall In Love.)
She watches in pain as Vox's claws fly up to Alastor's eyes, covering them in a sake of trying to hold onto something.
Now, that Alastor can't see, he starts to sing louder, never missing a note while Vox at this point is just screaming slurs. Also, never missing a note.
She watches in awe as the eventually pull their act together as Alastor's song comes to a close along with his spinning. Vox is still screaming, which he never seems to stop. How does he have that much air?
She finds it cute that even though it's incredibly loud and right next to Alastor's ears, he doesn't shut him up, instead, just adjusts him higher on his back, and darts off over the hill starting his next song.
Charlie then realizes she's fucked, because where the hell is she, and sprints after the two Overlords, singing her own happy song gleefully.