Inverted Trinity: The Family that Sticks Together

from /hhg/ - Hazbin Hotel General Thread #223
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And now, for the big one:


Hmm...
>The few times vaggie did visit Cherri, things always escalated fast
>Cherri would make remarks on how Vaggie is wasting the money their father worked so hard for
>And on things he looked down upon
"It's almost like you're spitting on his grave!"
>"Shut up! Just shut up you fat bitch!"
>Vaggie stopped visiting when Cherri said that Vics dead was Vaggies fault

Cont.
-
>the family feud was brought up again in Hell
>Gospel was appalled, and wasn't going to have any of it
"ENOUGH!"
>they immediately stopped
>...along with everyone else in the Hotel
>...and some people within earshot in the neighborhood
"Now listen, while I have some... Several hang-ups with your life decisions..."
>Cherri looks smugly towards Vaggie, who just sulks
"...And I mean BOTH of your lives' decisions...!"
>Cherri looks up in shock, and Vaggie's surprised
>"I tried to keep your company... Your legacy, alive!"
"You should've let it fail!"
>Gospel snaps, taking on a more lecturing tone
"The only reason it succeeded as long as it did was because I made a deal with the Devil!"
>his daughters look at him in utter shock
>Alastor gasps in the background
>Angel looks at the man, wide-eyed - along with a genuinely surprised (and vaguely impressed) Niffty
>Charlie just smirks
"Failure was DECADES overdue. You should've just cut your losses, pay of the employees and the shareholders, and start anew!"
>Gospel went on
"Instead, you've gotten yourself killed over a D-list event, and if that wouldn't have killed you, the stress or your diet would've!"
>Cherri just looks at the ground, ashamed
>"Sir" Pent is nearby, thorn between slithering up to her to comfort her, or staying put and waiting for Gospel to finish up
>Vaggie swallows hard - it's her turn
"And Maggie... God, where do I begin?!"
>she flinches - yup, this'll be baaaaad
"I don't think anything needs to be said about how you spent your life on Earth... The fact that you're down here, doing what you're doing, says enough."
>...that's it? Well, that wasn't so...
"But the fact that you've made a business of WHORING yourself out like that...!"
>...oh no, it's not over...
"AND with such a wretched character like Velvet and her associates!"
>"She has a monopoly on the porn industry! What was I supposed to do?!"
"NOT GO INTO THE PORN INDUSTRY, FOR STARTERS!!!"

Cont.
-
>everyone in the hotel - including Charlie - winces
>the imps and Loona subtly move behind Bratislav, who, for the first time in a long while, is dumbfounded
>he had never seen his friend raise his voice like this
>well, not without going "Vicarbrand", anyway
>"But I didn't have anything else! My studies were incomplete and were worth JACK SHIT - you think I haven't tried getting a job?!"
>Vaggie's snap back had shaken Gospel out of his ire, and she was quick to continue
>"Topsides, I had nothing, but money! I didn't know how to invest, or bank, or whatever! All I knew is how to spend it!"
>Cherri looks at her angrily, but Gospel just sighs, a look of sorrow growing on his face
>"When I got down here, I wasn't some bigshot serial killer or dictator, or anything! I was just some dumb bitch without anything to her name! What was I supposed to do?!"
>"You should've come to me!" Cherri snapped "I was already down here!"
>"I DIDN'T KNOW YOU WERE!" Vaggie snapped back "And even if I did, you would've been the last person I would've wanted to ask help from!"
>Cherri looks hurt, and "Sir" Pent finally stops contemplating, and slides up to her, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder
>"I did what I was good at, and didn't do it for free - just like you said I should!" Vaggie continues, with tears in her eye "And I made a name for myself! I became famous!"
"...As "Scandal", Hell's premiere whore and porn actress, and a slave in all but name to a some upstart, glorified Madame like Velvet..."
>Gospel's words took the wind out of her sails
>still, she managed to blurt out:
>"I thought I'd do you proud, building a business of my own..."
>both she and Cherri are looking at the floor now, ashamed and crestfallen
>Gospel just sighs, rubbing his face
"...It's my fault..."
>this causes the girls to look up
"I was the one who let the Devil in the house..."
>Charlie looks mildly annoyed at that, but says nothing
"This is my punishment, I guess... Meeting you down here..."
-
>"But dad, if you haven't agreed to his help, the company would've gone under!" Cherri exclaims "...And you've never had the chance to adopt Maggie!"
"Maybe... But my deal with Lucifer practically assured that you two would end up down here. I did specifically tell him to leave you two, and your mother, out of this..."
>"Hmmm... Never a good idea." Charlie comments, but a glare from everyone else in the room shuts her up
"...Where is she, anyway?"
>Cherri and Vaggie freeze
>As does Charlie, who's smile falters for the first time
>Bratislav pulls down his hat, cursing into it
>Gospel is looking from one daughter to another, as a dark thought begins to emerge
"Do you know where your mother is?"
>Cherri and Vaggie look at each other, subtly signalling the other to talk
>finally, the cyclops seemingly plucks up courage
>"She..." but she halts
>"...Killed herself, on the day of your funeral." Vaggie finishes
>Al and Angel gasp, the imps wince, and Niffty and Loona suck air through their teeth
>Charlie looks away, now sporting a wry smile
>Gospel just nods, slowly, accepting the news
>he then looks at them again
"...How did she?"
>"Overdose." Vaggie replies
>Bratislav ponders
"Hmmm. sounds familiar... Hey, isn't she...?"
"She's not Killjoy."
>"She's not Killjoy." Gospel and her daughters reply in near-perfect unison
>clearly, it wasn't the first time the latter two heard that - the anchor's history with substance abuse was rather well-known
"Well, nevermind that..."
>Gospel continues
"We'll go look for her, later."
>the two girls' eyes lit up at that - but clearly, their father isn't done
"But what infuriates me to no end is how you two had acted to each other, while you were still alive!"
>the two blink, shame returning
"You're sisters! Family! You should've been there for each other, supported one another!"
>they can't even bare to look at him anymore
"Instead, one of you buried herself in a Sisyphusian endeavor, while the other buried herself in vice!"
-
>"We were grieving!" Cherri suddenly snaps at him through her tears, surprising everyone "We've lost both of our parents!"
"But you still had each other."
>Gospel was firm
"And yet, you both threw the last bit of your family left away."
>silence was amongst them - little can be heard, aside from the shuffling of clothes, and Vaggie's sniffing
>Gospel sighed
"Look... We've all screwed up. I practically signed up for Hell, managed to take your mother with me, as it seems, and you two destroyed yourselves out of grief. And now, we're here."
>he looked at his two daughters
"So, what now?"
>they both pondered
>"...We go, and find mom." Cherri began
>"And get ourselves some redemption!" Vaggie finished, smiling at Al, who beamed back at her
>Niffty just rolled her eye, while Bratislav nodded with a small smile of his own
"Right. That's what we'll do."
>said the tall demon, finally smiling - but then, he spoke severely to the two
"Now, listen. No matter what happens, we're family, alright? We stand by one another... And our friends."
>he added that last bit looking towards the others, before continuing
"Nothing will change that. I know there are family spats, but this feud of yours has to end. You're sisters! You shouldn't be fighting like this!"
>the two nodded in agreement, finally smiling themselves... until Cherri realized something
>"Does that mean Maggie will have to stop assisting Pentie in fighting me?"
"No, Cherri, you need the exercise."
>Vaggie snorted, and "Sir" Pent let out some hissing laughter, squeezing her shoulder
>"But daaaaaad!"
"No buts, missy! Until you start going to the gym - regularly -, Pentious and Maggie should absolutely see to it that you do your daily exercises."
>"But you know I hate getting sweaty! And Hell has no swimming pools!"
"I find that hard to believe, and besides, you can take a shower afterwards... With "Sir" Pent, if you like."
>the snake seemed to swallow his own tongue, while Cherri turned beet red
>"DAAAAD!"