Chapter 13: The Hazbin Hotel

I shadowed myself to my room, and summoned Dex with a tug of their chain, after giving a few warning tugs to let them know what I was doing.

They popped into the room, a look of understanding on their face when they see the stack of icey boxes containing their things.

"Show me to your room, I'll snap the crates there when we get there.

Once that was done, and I was back in my room, I called out to Shade. "Shade. Unless you, and Al, want a show, you'd better stay outside the bathroom while I shower..."

The shadow detached himself from me, and moved around the room curiously. Picking up, or poking random objects, as he familiarized himself with the space.

"You're welcome to read anything in the crates, or on the shelves. The book on sign language may be helpful to you in the long term, but that's just my suggestion." I give my input, as I gather a change of clothes.

A pair of comfortable short basketball shorts, a tank top, and of course undergarments. I didn't plan on going anywhere else tonight, so why dress up simply to make dinner.

Shade tilts his head questioningly.

"It would help you, if you wanted to communicate with anyone other than Alastor. I can only make an educated guess on what you want, or what you are asking me. With sign language, I would be able to understand you fluently. As would Dex." I say, pulling out the recommended book. "The rest of my team would also be able to at least get by on the sign language they know." I add with a smile.

The shadow man nods, taking the book from me, and moving to sit at my desk to flip through it patiently.

I proceed to grab the clothes I gathered, and head off to the on suite to shower.

...

After my shower I collected Shade, and headed downstairs where a slight buzzing was heard.

The closer I got to the last set of stairs leading to the entrance, and common area, the louder it became. Slowly morphing into a musical number.

I got to the balcony area beside the stairs, jumping up and sitting on the rail overlooking the fun below. Tilting my head at Alastor, and his obvious attempts at manipulating Charlie, accompanied by a shoe tapping song, and dance.

My ears twitch.

The man could sing.

There were two new faces amongst the group downstairs, a grumpy looking winged cat demon drinking out of a liquor bottle, who the bubblegum spider from earlier was flirting with, and a little red headed cyclops woman that was zipping all over, cleaning everything in sight. As well as a green tinged bar that looked pulled right out of a casino in the south.

Interesting.

Alastor had just separated himself from Charlie, and was geared up to start a solo part in his dance, when my voice rang out.

"Hey, Red. Quiet a nice performance, mister Radio man." The sound of a record scratching screeched through the air at my interruption, the makeshift band manned by shadow creatures halting their tune as his red eyes snap to my person. "But, did you notice you are missing something, darling?" I add with a teasing smile, not yet moving from my seat on the rail, kicking my legs lightly, tail swishing happily behind me.

The air grew tense among the group, the cat demon's eyes widening as they darted between Alastor, and myself.

The red demon tilts his head as he narrowed his eyes on me, his irritation at the interruption palatable.

"And what pray tell, would that be, my dear?"

My grin widens. "You lost something earlier today, and yet you still haven't felt the loss?" I push myself off the rail, land gracefully on my feet on the floor below where I had sat. "Should I simply leave you guessing?"

"Ooo, pretty white fur, for my collection!" The little cyclops skitters around me real quick, only to be snatched up by Alastor, before I could react.

"Nifty, dear. That's not polite. This one doesn't like to be touched." Alastor scolds her, before sitting her down. Turning his attention back to me.

"Thank you." I walk circles around the grinning deer demon as I continue, his ears twitching to follow my movements, even as he held his position to appear unbothered. "Did you simply not notice that Shade has been missing from your person?" I stop in front of him. "Or did you tell him to accompany me, while you disappeared?" I tilt my head, my eyes searching his face.

His eyes widened an almost unnoticeable amount, the way his static fizzled for a moment giving it away.

I spoke again before he could reply. "Shade, dear. Do come out and join us, it's quite rude not to inform your master of your whereabouts." I crook my finger at the shadow merged with mine, beckoning him out.

The shadow emerged from his hiding place, looking like a scolded child. Chirping at me, making a couple simple signs that were a little bit off due to lack of practice.

"I know you are sorry, and didn't mean for it to be taken that way." I reply verbally.

The cat demon seemed to be unable to contain himself anymore, as he blurts out. "What the fuck? You can fuckin' understand that thing?"

"Language, Husker. Need you be reminded, you are in the presence of ladies." Alastor snaps at the cat. Then he levels his narrow gaze on the sheepish shadow man next to me. "You and I, will be having an extensive conversation about this later. Until then, return to where you belong, you traitorous thing."

Shade makes dark face at the cat, then an expression almost like like a pout, in my direction, before he melds into the ground as Alastor's shadow.

Alastor throws me a look a exasperation at Shade's antics. "You taught him those little hand movements in the short time he was with you? Should you really indulge him?"

I give him my best innocent impression, batting my eyes a few times rapidly. "I don't know what you are insinuating. I simply gave him a book to read, to occupy him while I showered." A grin stretches across my face. "I quite liked his company while I was shopping though, he was very entertaining with his pranks on the staff. He may even be more fun than you, so do try not to punish him more than necessary." I tilt my head the other direction, my ears twitching, grin widening, my amusement very clear.

"Well that just won't do. Am I truly so dull, that a shadow is better company?" Alastor copies my head tilt.

This time it's the pink spider, that speaks before I can reply. "Wait, wait, wait. You know, smiles? Like you really know each other?" The spider waves his arms around in front of him, causing both of our heads to snap to him. Alastor's neck making a cracking sound that would probably sicken others, as it nearly turned a full 180 degrees.

I look at him with a raised eyebrow. "Yes..." I draw out the word. "What's it to ya, bubblegum fluff?"

He looked taken aback by the name for a moment. "It's Angel. But you know the fuckin' Radio Demon, who just came back to Pentagram city after seven years? Didn't you just fall this month? "

"Yes. And?" I fire back. "Not that it's any of your business, but if you must know. We have a mutual friend, and ran into each other this morning, when I was on my way to Cannibal town." I smile evilly, eyes flashing darkly with my power. "Turns out we share quite a few hobbies as well." I let out a dark chuckle.

The cat demon groans, grabbing a bottle of booze and taking a long swig. "Not another one of you crazy fuckers."

Alastor's eyes flash. "This will be your second warning old friend, mind your manners with the ladies."

I wave him off. "Al, while I appreciate the sentiment, I am anything but a lady, I've simply matched your energy and speech pattern. Once I'm truly riled up I'm far worse than, puss 'n boots, over there."

The cat spits out the swig he was in the middle of, at the nickname. "Don't call me that, the name's Husk." He grumbles.

"Well that's just unsanitary." I ignore him and toss out. "I had 2 generations of brewery workers as grandparents on one side, 2 generations of sailors on the other, and a trucker father. I don't necessarily view cursing as an insult, it's all about the intent behind it."

"And when were you going to tell us about you affiliation with the Radio Demon?" Vaggie asked, tapping her foot lightly as if scolding a child.

I give her a blank look, tilting my head. "I wasn't aware personal relationships, were relevant to being a chef. Nor was I aware I signed an agreement of disclosure, when I verbally accepted the job." I sassed back. "Should I tell you about every demon I associate with? Or are you only interested in the Overlords I've had contact with?"

"Overlords are dangerous, Snow."

"Oh, I'm quite aware, especially as I aim to emerge as one after the extermination." I inform.

Vaggie's eye narrows. "What do you mean by tha-"

"Shhhh." I perk up my body going rigid as I change forms, my colorful tails on full display as my ears twitch listening intently. Alastor copying my movements, ears scanning the area for danger. My eyes glow, I quickly coat the front doors and outer wall in thick layers of ice, just in time to hear a loud crash, the hotel shaking but whole, as something solid slams into the ice and explodes. The ice taking all the damage.

I summon Dex to be safe, and as I try to take a step past Alastor, I stumble a bit, my head swimming for a moment as the pain form the earlier hit returns tenfold.

Alastor reflexively catches with one strong thin arm around my waist, pressing my body to his, before either of us could properly react. His eyes widen for a moment, like he surprised himself.

I flinch instinctively at the contact, despite the lack of feeling my skin crawl. "Thanks Al, I'm fine, really. I simply used much more magic at once than I'm used to." I gently pat the arm holding me. "We need to see who our visitor is."

He slowly released his hold on me, almost like he's reluctant to do so.

I steady myself, and we all trickle outside after I melt one of the doorways. Alastor and I, leading the way.

What greets us, is a cobra snake demon in a steampunk looking blimp, shooting explosives out of a cannon aimed at the ice coated hotel.

The snake pops his head out. "Well, well, well. Look who's harboring the stripped freak!"

Alastor blinks. "Do I know you?"

The snake looked appalled that he was forgotten.

I interrupt before he can reply, my hands on my hips. "Where in hell are your manners? You know it's quite rude to try to blow up someone's home, and then to call them awful names as well." Alastor looked just as shocked as the snake at my defense. "Hey, Angel was it? Isn't this the same poor bastard, I seen you and your little friend, kicking the shit out of in the turf-war this morning?"

The snake was seething.

The pink spider looked a little surprised. "Yeah, Cherri and him were goin' at it, and I tagged along as backup." He tossed a glance at Vaggie. "Got yelled at for it too. How'd you know?"

"Alastor and I, seen the news this morning through a window display on our way to Cannibal town." I wave it off.

The snake started yelling again, but I didn't absorb what he said. My head was starting to throb worse and worse.

"Will you shut the fuck up!" I say with a glare, launching a large sharp fragment of ice his direction, grabbing the sides of my head to ground myself. "Your squeaky ass screaming is making the headache from my concussion ten times worse." The shard lodges itself in the blimp, a few inches off of the intended target.

Angel's eyes widen as realization hit. "Shit!From that hit you took from Val? You've had a concussion since late this morning?"

Charlie gasped, her hands going up to cover her mouth.

Vaggie looked at me with a standoffish concern. "What hit from Val? You took a hit from an Overlord?"

The snake must have finally pissed Alastor off enough for him to act, as Alastor flairs his powers, using his shadow tentacles to rip the airship apart, tossing the snake across Pentagram city.

While he was doing that I answered Vaggie and Angel. "I let him pin me to the wall, it distracted him from seeing Dex, and I was able to gain the upper hand in retaliation. It was all within the acceptable parameters for the plan to work." I brushed off their concerns, melting the ice that covered the hotel like armor, evaporating it quickly.

Angel was the first to respond, stomping on foot to drive him point home. "Ya hit that wall hard enough to bleed pretty good, and ya consider that no big deal?"

I shoot him a look. "My new spider friend, my tolerance for pain is extremely high, if my obtaining a tolerable injury produces the desired outcome, then it is worth it."

"Was goin' against a second V, within yer acceptable parameters?"

"Yes." I fired back. "Using this much ice magic afterwards was an unfortunate miscalculation, I've never had to gather that much water from the atmosphere so quickly. I will simply have to train harder to factor in large scale use."

Alastor walked up to me. "Only after you've had some rest, my dear. Don't think I've forgotten that you haven't slept all week, miss Annabella, would be quite cross with me if she found out." He tapped me on the forehead with his cane in a feather light touch.

I wrinkle my nose, and send him a pout. "You just had to bring Tinkerbell into this."

He claps his hands loudly, making everyone but me jump. "I'm starved! Who wants some jambalaya?" His static laden voice rang out enthusiastically. "It's my mother's recipe, bless her soul. The first time she taught me to make it, it had a kick straight out of Hell!" He chuckles at his own little joke, gathering everyone, and driving them back towards the hotel doors.

I laugh. "You know Al, I do believe I bought everything we would need to make that. Would you like an extra hand in the kitchen? I have a couple extra." I toss out my own joke.

His grin widens. "That sounds marvelous, my dear!" He stops for a moment after the others go inside, looking up at the front of the hotel. "Though we do have to do something about that name." He waves his cane, and the sign changes to Hazbin Hotel. "Much better." He hummed. "Don't you agree?"

I laughed. "Yes, I do believe it will do nicely." I walk in ahead of him, as he holds the door. "You're telling Charlie though."