This is the first part of a comedy Hazbin Hotel three-part oneshot, involving Charlie ... and Alastor, to an extent. This is based on an idea I had about Alastor's past, and how Charlie might reach what positive human emotions he might have left ... behind his constant smile. I hope that you guys like it! 👍
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In the front hall of Hazbin Hotel, in the morning (after the pilot) ...
"Okay!" Charlie said brightly, clapping her hands together once. "First official staff meeting of the Hazbin Hotel is now in session!" she continued, beaming at the demons in front of her.
It was the morning after Sir Pentious's attack, and Charlie had decided to quickly call everyone together in the main hall for an important announcement!
Some of the aftermentioned staff came along more eagerly (Nifty) than others (Husk), some were just curious (Alastor), and the rest ...
"Err, technically I'm not staff!" Angel Dust announced loudly, interrupting Charlie pointedly. The disgruntled spider demon was slouched in his place on the nearby couch, all of his arms folded in disgust at being woken up EARLY in the morning!
"Why do I have to be here?!" he complained. The whining Angel Dust then promptly flinched back as Vaggie's angelic spear swiftly impaled the table before him.
"You're HERE if you want any FREE breakfast!" growled the moody moth demon, who sitting next to the spider one. Angel instantly grinned at the prospect of free food.
"Oh yeah! I remember now!" he said cheerfully. Vaggie's tired eyes quickly turned red with rage!
"I'll give you something to reme—"
"Simmer down, Vaggie, please", Charlie said quickly, sending a pleading look at her best friend. The moth demon sighed deeply as she nodded and removed her spear from the table.
Vaggie's eyes also turned back to their normal colour as she went back to listening to Charlie.
The aforementioned princess smiled as she looked around the hall. Vaggie and Angel Dust were on the couch, Husk in his usual spot at the bar, and Nifty sitting on top of said bar.
Alastor was leaning against the wall directly to Charlie's right. The Radio Demon seemed to be occupied in cleaning invisible dust off his microphone staff, but the blonde girl knew that he was listening intently.
"Now ... as I was just going to say, we next need to look at our hotel furnishings. If we're going to open this hotel, we'll need to fix the decor in here first", Charlie continued, gesturing to the hotel around her.
She smiled wryly, and also apologetically.
"It's been a few decades since this place had anyone in it ... and we can't have people criticising the decor!" Nifty's eye widened as she nodded enthusiastically at the blonde hotel manager's words.
"She's right! The princess is absolutely right! I've only just cleaned the bottom floor, and everything was really manky!" the cyclops demon said, sincerely smiling at Charlie.
The aforementioned girl smiled back, in contrast to Angel and Vaggie's rolled eyes, Husk's indifference ... and Alastor's silent approval.
"Thanks, Nifty!" Charlie replied, and then cleared her throat. "Since this will be a team effort, I'm very happy to accept any decor suggestions you might have?" she suggested. "Any ideas, anyone?"
Surprisingly, one of Angel's hands shot up instantly ... followed by one of Nifty's. None of the others' hands were raised though.
"Ooo, pick me!" the spider demon said, grinning. "I have some awesome ideas!" Charlie's eyes lit up, and she nodded expectantly. Vaggie narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"We could start with (Angel Dust suggests some very unsuitable things, which are unprintable in a non-mature fanfic) ... MMMMMM!"
A panicked Angel Dust abruptly let out a surprised, muffled yelp, and scrabbled at his mouth with all of his hands. The spider demon's mouth now had a tight cloth gag on it, courtesy of a quick-thinking Vaggie!
"Enough! I think that we can certainly do without all of that kind of nonsense!" the moth demon snapped, responding with a glare to the scowl Angel was currently shooting at her.
"That's more Valentino's style ... and certainly not the kind of stuff to encourage redemption!" Everyone else in the room was in silent agreement with Vaggie, to tell the truth.
Husky was grimacing, Charlie was wincing politely, Niffty looked a little awkward ... and Alastor looked more or less the same as usual. Except for one thing: his deer ears were very much flattened down!
"How about mine then?"Niffty piped up, thankfully breaking the embarrassing silence. "We could maybe get some skulls and other bones and redecorate the place with them! How about that?"
Her smile was unnervingly manic, even for a demon.
"We could get some from the nearby turf wars ... it'll give the place a nice 'homely' look!" The following silence was EVEN worse than the last one!
Every demon, apart from Alastor, was trying to ignore what they'd just heard ... and trying not to shiver too. Charlie, in particular, had a peculiar expression of mingled sympathy and strong aversion on her face.
VAGGIE looked like she wanted to explode with rage, on the other hand! But, in respect to her best friend, the moth demon restrained herself from going on a destructive rampage against Niffty.
"Look ... like I just said", Vaggie said, through gritted teeth. "We want furnishings that encourage redemption, not carnage!"
The little demon maid pouted a bit, but nodded in understanding.
"I liked the idea though. What's wrong with a little bit of carnage, my dear?" drawled a horribly familiar, static-filled voice. Charlie, Vaggie and their acquaintances all froze for a moment, and then turned to look at the speaker.
Alastor.
The Radio Demon had suddenly changed into his more monstrous form: longer claws, radio dials for eyes, antlers that had grown bigger and wider, and a jaw filled with more teeth than a shark's.
Alastor seemed to enjoy the now-pale faces of his fellow demons, and the fear he could smell rolling off them in waves. It was a pointed reminder to Charlie of Alastor's more monstrous side ... the one that hid behind the veneer of charm and politeness.
But the princess knew that the even the darkest and most twisted of hearts had a tiny sparkle of goodness in them. She was very careful with her following words though!
"Um ... there's nothing wrong with it, per se, Al. I was really thinking along the lines of getting some classic stuff, really", Charlie explained. "Things that celebrate the arts, a bit of culture and class to spruce up the hotel's appeara—"
"Well, why didn't you say so, my dear?!"
To the princess's eternal embarrassment, she squeaked a little as Alastor's hands suddenly plucked her from the floor.
"That's a wonderful idea, Charlie! And who's better to help you with it than I!" the Radio Demon exclaimed happily, whirling the startled girl in his arms around in a circle.
Alastor's super scary appearance had swiftly vanished, returning him to his 'refined' appearance.
"I'm an expert on the finer tastes of life, full of proper class and culture! Someone who can bring this dump of a place back to true style again!"
Charlie blushed deeply as her co-business partner lightly bopped her on the nose, and laughed heartily. She then blushed again as she realised how close she was being held to Alastor's chest.
Vaggie's expression quickly turned stormy as she scowled at the sight of Alastor holding Charlie.
"YOU?!" the moth demon scoffed loudly, making Alastor's deer ears twitch. The aforementioned demon turned around to face Vaggie, still smiling and holding Charlie in his arms.
"Problem, my dear?" he asked, in a cheerful but slightly tense tone. Both Husk and Niffty unfortunately knew that tone very well, and quietly hid down behind the bar.
Angel subtly edged himself towards the other end of the couch, as far away from the Radio Demon as he could get ... inconspicuously. Vaggie just glared uncaringly into Alastor's blood-red eyes.
"Well, I was under the impression that 'common, low-down serial killer scum' wouldn't know 'proper class and culture' if it came up and bit them!" she said, acidly.
"Plus, you'd need a good sense of morals to truly appreciate the finer tastes of life!"
The words were deliberately insulting, and at worst ... very aggressive! The Radio Demon would have like nothing better than to make a moth sandwich out of the impudent girl ... but that would upset Charlie.
It would also wreck his ultimate entertainment goal!
"And I suppose that YOU'RE the prime example of the latter, then?" Alastor retorted ... to which the moth demon lifted her chin defiantly. The red-suited Overlord just shook his head in mock sympathy and put a slightly nervous Charlie down.
"Oh, Vaggie, Vaggie, Vaggie", Alastor purred, as he then took a couple of steps towards the moth demon. The Radio Demon smirked as he saw the aforementioned girl's glare falter, and her feet back up a little.
"If you indeed had a good sense of morals, you wouldn't be down here with the rest of us ... isn't that right, my dear?"
The moth demon seethed inwardly, but remained silent ... her face going a deep mauve with rage. Satisfied, Alastor turned around and strutted smugly back to Charlie's side ... leaving a fuming Vaggie behind.
"Remind me for the hundredth time why that red-suited scumbag is here again, Charlie", snarled the aforementioned, humiliated girl.
The princess of Hell chuckled in a stressed fashion as she tried to restore order in the now rather chaotic staff meeting.
"Okay, okay! Well, I can see that we've simulated a very lively discussion so far ... but we do need to get on with it", Charlie said pointedly.
"Alastor, you and Vaggy will be in charge of decorating the hotel in a classy and cultured style ... not including blood, bones, or any kind of gore!"
The last part was delivered in a polite but firm voice to said Radio Demon. He responded with a 'semi-innocent' smile, and nodded. Vaggie looked very unhappy, but also nodded.
"The others will help you on this task too. Is that okay, guys?" the princess asked cheerfully, turning to look at Niffty, Husk, and Angel. She received a couple of grumbles (Husk and Angel), and one enthusiastic nod (Niffty).
"Meanwhile, I will pop up to the living world to search for a few authentic antiques", Charlie added, putting her hands on her hips confidently. Vaggie's eyes widened in shock at this last statement, and she raised both hands up in protest.
"Woah, woah, hold on there, Charlie! Are you out of your bloody mind?!" the moth demon exploded, her face full of exasperation and worry.
"You know very well that your parents have expressly forbidden you from going up to the living world on your own! Plus how many times have you actually visited it?"
Alastor's deer ears pricked up in interest! He smirked in dark delight at the news of this 'goodie-two-shoes' princess actually being naughty and breaking rules.
It was now Charlie's turn to stick her chin out defiantly, her arms folded.
"Four. Two with my parents, two with you ... but that's not important right now! Anyway ... Mum and Dad are never going to know!" she said, with a pointed look at the moth demon.
Vaggie ... just sighed deeply, and bit her lip in stress.
"Still, I wish that I was going with you ..." she mumbled, honest concern in her eyes.
Charlie's hard stare quickly softened into a sympathetic smile, and she took Vaggie's hands gently. The princess knew that her moth demon friend was just trying to look out for Charlie's well-being.
"It'll just be a short trip, Vaggie! Just a short trip ... to a nice little antique shop ... in a perfectly friendly neighbourhood", she insisted. Charlie's best friend merely raised an eyebrow and frowned.
"How 'friendly' exactly, will it be?" Vaggie asked dryly, and suspiciously. It was then the princess's turn to look exasperated.
"Please, Vags, trust me on this?" Charlie begged, giving the moth demon 'sparkly eyes'. Her friend sighed once again, and then slowly nodded.
"Fine ... but you better be careful, okay? I don't want to be the unlucky one explaining to the King and Queen of all Hell why their daughter got hurt up in the living world!"
Vaggie shuddered at the very thought of the imagined anger of Charlie's parents!
"They'll eviscerate me to atoms ... at the very least!" the moth girl muttered. Alastor's eyes glinted at this, his grin growing bigger in excitement.
"Oooo! Can I get front row seats to that, please?" the Radio Demon asked, thinking about the sheer entertainment value. Unsurprisingly, the two friends completely ignored him.
"I'll be all right, Vaggie, don't worry!" the princess said softly, giving the aforementioned girl a quick hug and smile. The moth demon smiled back: a more relaxed, and open smile.
"Hey, Princess!" Angel Dust's sudden words chopped through the happy moment like a knife, and drew Charlie's attention immediately!
"Yes, Angel?" she asked, turning to the now sweetly-smiling spider demon.
"I was kind of wondering ... while you're up in the living world, could you please get me some of the best cologne?" Angel Dust said, charmingly. The blonde princess raised an eyebrow in confusion at this.
"Um ... don't they sell it at the mall down the street?" she pointed out. The pale spider boy's smile then turned awkward, and embarrassed. "Well, yeah ... but it's all sold out at the moment!" he admitted.
"The only other source of cheap cologne is from Valentino, and I KNOW what he'll ask for in exchange!" Angel shuddered and hugged himself with both pairs of arms. "I ain't doing that, not even for cologne!"
Charlie and Vaggie both exchanged a grimace. They knew enough about Valentino to know how heinous he could be to other demons ... and to poor Angel Dust.
"Riiiggghhtt ... okay, I'll get you the cologne, Angel", the princess said, winking and smiling reassuringly at said demon. The aforementioned spider looked absolutely delighted, as a result!
"Woohoo! Sweet!" Angel exclaimed, clapping his hands together and grinning.
Charlie then felt a small hand tugging on her trousers, and looked down. It was Niffty, looking very excited, and ... smiling a 'sweet, charming' smile.
The same kind of smile that Angel Dust had used when begging the princess to buy some cologne. The aforementioned girl's smile slowly turned to a nervous look as she looked around the room and saw similar expressions around her.
Husk was trying to copy Niffty's smile ... which looked frankly absurd on his perpetually scowling face. Vaggie had a rather guilty and sheepish smile on her face.
And as for Alastor ... when Charlie whirled around to look at the Radio Demon ... said entity was trying not to laugh. The look in his ruby eyes said it all.
Charlie was screwed.
The blonde princess gulped quietly.
"Oh boy", she murmured.
———
5 minutes later ...
Surprisingly enough, the 'deluge' of personal requests from the hotel staff ... turned out to be not as big as Charlie had expected.
Niffty had just asked for a few hair ribbons, in the colours of red and pink. Husk wanted a bottle of the strongest human alcohol that the princess could get.
He didn't care what brand it was ... just as long as it was very strong! Vaggie just asked Charlie to choose for her, trusting in the fact that her best friend knew what she liked best.
As for Alastor ... who'd not made any request at all ... the blonde princess still took the time to ask him if there was anything he'd like her to get for him. The Radio Demon's reply had been courteous, but not surprising.
"Oh, you don't need to get anything for me, Charlie!" Alastor answered with his usual broad smile. "What could I possibly need from the living world now? No, no, I've got everything I need right down here in Hell!" he continued, slipping an arm around the princess's shoulders and squeezing for a second.
Charlie's face went a charming shade of dark crimson at this ... which remained long after Alastor had removed his arm. She inwardly wished that the Radio Demon would give more notice before invading people's personal space like that! It was quite unnerving and ... 'awkward'?
Then again ... that was probably what Alastor intended in the first place?
While the blonde princess recovered from her business partner's space invasion, Niffty quietly slipped out of the hall. She returned seconds later ... with a big trolley; the kind of trolley that some people use to carry furniture in.
"Here you go, Princess! It'll be easier to carry the antiques back in this!" the little cyclops demon sing-songed cheerfully, parking it next to Charlie. The older girl smiled in thanks, touched by the obviously kind gesture.
"Thank you, Niffty!" she said. The princess then took a deep breath. "Well, here I go!" Charlie walked around the trolley and took hold of the handle. She then gestured with one hand, and a portal opened directly in front of the blonde girl.
All of the demons (apart from Alastor and Vaggie) around her widened their eyes at the ease of the unspoken portal spell cast. Having known Charlie for some years, the moth demon was not really surprised at the seemingly limitless number of advanced spells the princess could do.
The Radio Demon merely raised an eyebrow at the sight, a look of interest on his face. So dear Charlotte here really IS the little power package! I suspected as such when I saw her on the picture show ... but now I know for sure! he thought.
Alastor's smile promptly grew another centimetre, and more crooked. The little 'nephillim' could possibly provide even more entertainment than he'd first thought ... provided the Radio Demon played his cards right!
Charlie whistled happily as she then pushed the trolley quickly towards the portal, but, just as she reached it ...
"Wait a moment, darling!" The princess stopped, sighed at the sound of Alastor's chipper voice, and turned around.
"What happens if I get bored after the decorating's finished?" The Radio Demon's eyes were unnaturally sparkling and big, a faux innocent look in them. He was trying to pull off the same look that Charlie had given Vaggie earlier ... only more flirtatious.
Incredibly enough, Alastor was SUCCEEDING!! The blonde girl bit her lip slightly as she realised that she hadn't thought about that, in advance.
"Oh right!" Charlie murmured, her cheeks flushing slightly. "Well, you're free to amuse yourself after you've finished the furnishings, if you want?" she replied.
The blonde princess then resumed pushing the trolley into the portal. "Have fun!" Charlie called, as she and the trolley vanished through the whirling gateway.
For a few seconds, silence reigned supreme. Then ... Alastor's face started to twist itself into a DANGEROUSLY ecstatic grin, his eyes glowing a bright nightmarish shade of red.
The Radio Demon began to chuckle quietly as his claws and grin started to grow bigger and longer. His antlers also grew and branched out rapidly, as his shadow silently cackled and grew COLOSSAL!
The shadows of the room all seemed to spread across the room like liquid; living, breathing shadows. A really alarmed Husk pulled an actually scared Niffty into his arms and hid behind the bar again.
An equally frightened Angel Dust did the same with his couch.
Meanwhile, Vaggie summoned her angelic spear and used it to keep back the nearest shadows. She turned to look at the still existing portal, a panicked look on her face.
"CHARLIE!!"
As quick as lightning, the aforementioned Princess stuck her head back out of the portal.
"One thing, Al!" Charlie said in a perfectly deadpan voice and look, aimed straight at said demon. "You can amuse yourself, but you're not allowed to kill, maime, and / or torture anyone during that time though, okay?"
Her tone and expression then brightened up as she addressed the others. "See you later, everybody!" The blonde girl then pulls her head back through the portal, and vanishes.
The portal itself swiftly closes and disappears. Alastor's nightmarish grin then quickly fades to a normal, slightly disappointed one.
His other physical attributes also shrink and return to their original appearance. The shadows retreated back, and everything was ordinary in the hotel's front hall again.
Husk and Niffty cautiously poke their heads above the bar, and Angel slowly rises to his feet behind his couch. A trembling Vaggie still clings onto her spear, like her life still depended on it.
All four of these demons look utterly petrified and on the verge of hysteria ... in contrast to the still smiling, darkly amused Alastor. The Radio Demon's smile then changes to a sadistic smirk as his gaze turns to fix itself on Vaggie.
The aforementioned moth demon's frightened expression immediately changes to a defensive look, as she brandishes her spear at Alastor again. Vaggie might have been terrified earlier, but she'd be damned (again) before she let Alastor scare her to submission.
"Oh no, no, no! You're not amusing yourself with me, you escoria de sombras roja, con dientes de tiburón, sonriente (red, shark-toothed, grinning scum of shadows)!" snarled the moth girl, in attempted intimidation.
"We're decorating the hotel stylishly, remember what Charlie said!" All she received was a raised eyebrow look; full of malicious intent and glee.
Vaggie's pupils shrank slightly in fear, but she gripped her spear harder.
"Err ... Angel Dust! Husk! A little backup, please!" the moth demon barked, turning her head to look at her three compatriots. Only now ... none of them were where they had been.
Vaggie saw a faint flicker of red (Niffty) go shooting up the stairs, shouting mostly inaudible words. The only ones that the girl could understand was ... 'urgent' and 'cleaning emergency'.
You've GOT to be kidding me! thought the moth demon, mentally facepalming. Vaggie then heard the front door squeak open, and whirl around to see the grumpy cat demon high-tailing it through.
"HUSK!"
"Sorry!" the bartender called back awkwardly, over his shoulder. "I'm going to ... err ... hit the nearby bar for half an hour! Actually, make that an hour! See you!"
Angel was hot on his heels, never once looking back.
"I'm with you, Husky!" he said, enthusiastically. The moth demon's visible eye twitched a few times, as the hotel door slammed shut.
"SERIOUSLY?!"
Am I getting the characters right so far? This is the first fanfic I've ever done of Hazbin Hotel, you see? Vote and comment if you like it! 👍