Charlie's Home For Wayward Kids part 1

from /hhg/ - Hazbin Hotel General Thread #197 & #198
part 2: https://pastebin.com/AYwFMe3M
----
Alright, here's current progress on Charlie's Home for Wayward Kids
(w/ a couple fixes/tweaks on the original):

>Charlie isn't quite sure when it began:
>when the hotel was still little more than a pipedream in the back of her mind?
>when she first took Angel in?
>the disastrous newscast?
>the Radio Demon's public partnership?
>whatever the reason, the Happy Hotel has attracted all of the wrong attention:
>Valentino and Vox and a Turf War right in their courtyard
>both of them attacking at once
>Valentino, wanting to pull Angel back into his sway
>and Vox, friendly with Valentino, and sick of hearing about the hotel
>even Alastor, with his awesome and reality-bending powers hasn't been able to turn them back
>it seems to be all that he can do to keep them from totally destroying the hotel
>Vaggie is no longer at Charlie's side, knocked away minutes ago with a shock of Vox's lightning
>and Charlie didn't have the time to worry about her, surrounded as she is by Valentino's thugs and thralls
>Angel is holding his own on the other side of the battle:
>laughing, shooting in all directions with all six of his arms, and making smart remarks all the while
>his friend, Cherri Bomb--who holds much of the nearby territory--joins the battle with a joyful shout of:
"Hey Angie, watch this!"
>explosions rock the ground and topple a nearby building
>Charlie lost track of Nifty shortly into the battle
>but the glimpses she catches of the tiny cyclops terrify her: blood and fire and a high cackling laugh
>Husk is holding the rear line; tearing apart any who try to cross into the hotel with grim efficiency
>Charlie isn't sure how long she could keep this up without leaning further into her power than she was entirely comfortable
"This all you got, old man?" Vox taunts from somewhere nearby
>Alastor's laughter answers him, the familiar ice and skittering shadows feel of his power building noticeably in the air
"My good fellow, I would recommend looking behind you," Alastor calls

C
-
>his shadows rip through the hoard of demons surrounding Charlie, but she cannot see what else they're doing from where she is
>there is a pang of sorrow on behalf of the demons he has torn apart on her behalf, but she is grateful that he has spared her from making a hard choice
"Ha, as if. Do I look as though I was born yester--" Vox cuts off with a pained snarl
>Charlie takes the opportunity to seek Vaggie out and finds her:
>she has fallen back aside Husk, beating back demons with the butt and point of her spear
>Vaggie catches her eye, Vaggie's own widening with horror, and she mouths something at Charlie
>taking a guess, Charlie twists back and catches an oncoming demon with an uppercut to the chin
"Alright, you shitheads are really starting to piss me off," Cherri shouts, nearer than before
>she can hear Angel saying something, but can't quite make out what the words
>she's a bit too busy dodging another strike and throwing her opponent into one of his allies
"How about a taste of my new special formula!"
>the bomb that Cherri throws into the center of the battle is easily three times the size of her others and a vicious hot pink
>a high, nasally voice that Charlie doesn't recognize shouts:
"You idiot! That mix is still unstable!"
>Valentino's voice is more recognizable:
"Fall back, this has dragged on long enough!"
>the bomb explodes, throwing a glittering pink cloud in all directions
>Charlie's inborn fire bursts from her skin before she can stop it, or the cloud can quite reach her
>purifying the air around her, and nearly vaporizing the nearby minions that hadn't heeded the call to retreat
>for a long moment she thinks the bomb has accomplished nothing
>the battlefield is silent; Valentino and Vox gone, their minions largely absent, and...
>no gloating from Angel
>no jokes from Alastor
>no worried cries about the mess from Nifty
>no grumbling from Husk
>and Vaggie hasn't returned to her side
>and then the screaming starts
-
>a single, small voice; high and cracking at the edges as if in terrible pain
>it sounds like a child
>Charlie looks, desperately hoping that someone's child hadn't wandered into the middle of the battle
>but all she can see are Al's shadows:
>wilder than she has ever seen them, writhing and twisting and forming nightmarish shapes
>they crash into the cobbled road and into the buildings neighboring the hotel, toppling them
"Al!," Charlie shouts, "Al you need to stop! It's over now!"
>nothing, not even the crackle of radio static
>the scream breaks, just for a moment, and then starts again even bloodier than before
>the sound and the way the shadows congregate on a single point at least give her a direction
"Al!" Charlie tries again, "Al, please! Al! You need to stop!"
>nothing
>there is a large and growing pool of blood underneath the mass of twisting shadows
>and the scream
>the scream is coming from within them
>heart breaking--Al wouldn't do this, would he? (He would, Vaggie's voice assures her)--Charlie summons her fire to her hands and beats back the shadows
>they're like water, for each she sweeps away there is another flowing into its place, and another, and another
>she has never tested her powers against Alastor's before, and never when his were this wild--and possibly?--uncontrolled
"Al, you need to stop!" Charlie tries again, to no avail, "Please, let me help!"
>tears running down her face, Charlie puts a bit more power into it
>the screaming cuts off again as tiny, terrified red eyes lock with her own
"Please," the boy cries in a burst of shrieking radio noise, "make it stop!"
"Al?" Because he is a boy, with bright red eyes and hair with a pair of ears on the top of his head
>with radio powers
>the shadows swallow him again as Charlie's surprise breaks her concentration
>Alastor, who is suddenly--and for some reason--a child cannot control his powers
-
>Charlie suspects that, unless she can come up with a solution, this will continue so long as his powers can sustain themselves...
>likely leveling half of Pentagram city while he's at it
>chewing on her lower lip Charlie mentally flips through her applicable damage
>most of it she is completely unwilling to do
>she doesn't want to bind Al's will to hers for an eternity; she just wants to stop him from hurting himself and others
>finally something occurs to her--a sealing spell that demons in the upper echelons use on children that cannot control their powers--that might, but probably won't work
>if only because requires Alastor to trust her
>Charlie laughs nervously to herself:
"Who are you kidding, Charlie? Of course Al trusts you!"
>swallowing back her trepidation, it's not like there's any better choices, Charlie raises her voice in song
>the incantation is meant to be chanted, but some instinct tells her song will work better
>the words are rough on her tongue and guttural in her throat
>the seal forms properly; the shadows fade and the screaming-that-has-become-sobbing stops
>now just to set it
>please, just this once, trust me!
>Charlie pours her heart into the last of the incantation
>the last of the reality distortion fades, and Al's shrieking radio feedback quiets to white noise
>the boy, himself, wavers on his knees and falls face-first into a pool of his own blood
"He trusts me," Charlie says incredulously, and forcefully shakes herself out of the moment
>she gently picks the child up and out of his blood
-
>Alastor's adult clothing is much too big for him, and tattered to shreds besides, but there is enough of the overcoat left to cover him
>he's unbelievably tiny and lightweight in her hands; she doubts he is even half of her height
>which is bizarre to think about, given that Alastor normally towers over her
"I've got you," she says, and hoists him up against her shoulder
>he isn't smiling, if anything he seems dazed, confused and traumatized
"It's okay now, I've got you," Charlie says, squeezing him against her and rubbing his back, "let's get you back inside and cleaned up, huh?"
>but...
>what about the others?
>Charlie keeps an eye out for any smaller-than-usual demons as she makes her way back to the hotel
>nothing but the left over damage from the battle
>that is until she is directly in front of the hotel and encounters two small children:
>the girl: even smaller than Alastor, grey-skinned and with more white-and-rose hair than any girl her size could reasonably manage, wearing an oversized dress hiked up with one hand
>the boy: fluffy grey-and-white fur and red wings, approximately the same size as Alastor, holding his hat over his front with his wings curled protectively over his shoulders
"Vags, Husk," Charlie breathes in relief, moving to embrace them both
>child-Vaggie eyes her with blatant distrust, inhales sharply, and runs back inside the hotel
>Charlie's heart stings
>but at least she went into the hotel; Charlie can clear the air later
>as long as they're all safe and accounted for
>Child-Husk regards her, unimpressed
"You know where my mom is?" he says
"N-no," Charlie says, lying clumsily, "but she'll be here soon!"
>well, not exactly, she has no idea where Husk's parents are
"Come on, we'll wait inside!"
-
>Charlie leads Husk inside and whistles sharply for Razzle and Dazzle
>she sincerely hopes that they haven't been effected by whatever Cherri's bomb did to everyone else
>Al makes a soft wounded sound against her shoulder and buries his face into the crook of her neck
>Charlie winces internally, she should have warned him!
>and squeezes him gently; she's still here, it's still okay
>Dazzle peeks around the corner, the same as he ever was, and she breathes a sigh of relief
"Is Razzle okay?" She asks, noting his absence
>Dazzle nods vigorously and manages to convey through gesture that her wayward butler is keeping an eye on Vaggie
"Oh good, I think she's scared of me," Charlie says sadly, "in the meantime I need your help."
>she jostles Al gently to make her point and turns to see where Husk has gone off to
>she isn't entirely surprised to see him poking around behind the bar
>at least he isn't drinking
"Husk--"
"Why do you call me that?"
>the stare he fixes on her might have passed for stern if he hadn't been less than half his original size and twice as fluffy.
>she really, really wants to hug him
>and pet him
>and give him behind-the-ear scritches
"Er. That's how you were introduced to me?" Charlie says sheepishly
"I've never met you before in my life," Husk says, crossing his arms over his chest, "and that's not my name it's--"
>he trails off, going from confusion to panic in moments
"I can't--I can't remember my name. What the fuck?"
"I'm afraid it's a common side effect of this place," Charlie says, "Husk, how old are you? And, uh, what's the last thing you remember?"
>he stares at her flatly for several moments and runs a hand over his face
>only to flinch away from it the second sight of it registers
"Is 'this place' why I'm this... cat-bird thing?" Husk asks, turning to scowl at himself in the mirror "I don't even like cats. Or birds."
-
"Partially," Charlie hedges, "Husk, I really need to know how old you are."
>he huffs
"My mom's not coming is she?" Husk says, "and I'm ten."
>Al squirms in her arms, as if he wants an answer to that question too
"I--," Charlie swallows, she doesn't want to lie to them, but they're kids; innocent little kids! They don't need to know they're in Hell!
"It's okay if she isn't," Husk says, "I've been left on my own before."
"I'm not leaving you on your own," Charlie snaps; Al flinches and Charlie softens immediately, murmuring apologies to him.
>Husk holds his hands up in surrender
"Jeez, okay. What do you have to do around here anyway?"
>Charlie swallows and turns back to Dazzle
"Dazzle will set you both up with some games, okay? I need to find the others."
>Al shakes his head and digs his claws into her coat
>honestly! with how touch averse he is as an adult she wasn't expecting him to be this clingy.
>sure, at any other time she would really be enjoying this
>but she still has to find Angel, Nifty and whichever other effected demons were nearby
>she wasn't just going to leave them out there just because Al wanted her to himself!
"Others? Husk asks, "Who else are you keeping in this shithole?"
"You know, ten-year-olds shouldn't swear so much," Charlie says
>Husk rolls his eyes and waves a dismissive hand
"It's not like anyone gives a damn if I swear."
"I do," Charlie says, "come on, let's get you two settled."
>Al's claws dig in more sharply and she hisses quietly as they pierce the skin
>she leads Husk and Dazzle up to her personal rooms
>there are enough games here to keep Husk occupied
>and AL will probably pass right out once he's horizontal; he's just lost too much blood
-
>and there was the chance that the familiar surroundings and children around her own age would draw Vaggie out and all three of them would be safe, together and under the protection of her precious butlers
>Dazzle sweeps right past her to set up the table for play
>and Husk goes to investigate the games on her shelves
"Okay, you two stay in here until I get back, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Husk says, examining what looks like a deck of cards
>Al shakes his head and his claws dig in again
>Charlie sighs and dislodges him one claw at a time and drops him into her bed in the next room
>he struggles to get his legs under him and, when he looks like he's about to launch himself at her, she flashes her fangs and horns at him
"Al, I need you to stay here where it's safe," raising her voice so Husk can hear her, "listen to Dazzle and take care of each other, okay? I'll be back before you know it!"
>Al has wrapped his arms around his knees, and judging by the angle of his ears he is not a happy camper
>she'll make it up to him later, but she really does need to find the others!
"Dazzle, you protect them like you protect me, okay?"
>Dazzle gives her his equivalent of a thumbs-up
>Charlie leaves before the memory of Al's sad little face changes her mind
>she is back out in front of the hotel in short order
>hopefully Angel is still in roughly the same area that he had been fighting in
>a suspicion that proves at least somewhat true when she catches the sound of small, angry voices
"You're so dumb," says one, while the other rejoins with:
"Poopy-head!"
>Charlie quickly comes across two tiny demons fighting...
>if hair and fin-pulling can be called fighting
>a strawberry blond cyclops in a grappling match with a much smaller blue-skinned angler-fish with oversized goggles around his neck
"Okay, break it up!"
---
>naturally, the children ignore her and continue screaming and clawing at one another
>sighing, Charlie steps in and grabs both of them by the collar of their shirts (well, in the anglerfish's case, coat)
"That's enough," she says in her best firm-authority-figure voice
>Cherri rolls her eye and gives her an exasperated Look
"Oh, look. The help's found us," she says, crossing her arms and looking away
>Cherri isn't as tiny and waif-like as Vaggie had seemed, but she's definitely smaller than Al and Husk
>Charlie wishes she were better at knowing where they were at developmentally
>the anglerfish--Charlie doesn't recognize him, even if his coat and goggles seem familiar--on the other hand is significantly smaller than any of the other children
>she is a little surprised he isn't crying
"What a shame, I was winning," the boy says, sticking his tongue out at Cherri
"I said that's enough," Charlie says, resorting to fangs-and-and horns again (it HAD worked on Al, after all)
>both children shrink back into their clothes a bit
>she's a bit too smug about their easy compliance to feel bad for scaring them
"I am here to bring both of you to safety, okay?" She says, shifting her grip around each child and tucking them up against her side
"I had wondered," the anglerfish says, looking around more carefully than he probably had before getting into fisticuffs with Cherri, "what kind of person leaves a child in a place like this?"
"Ha," Cherri laughs, and says with the airs of someone imitating someone else: "what cometry have on your parents! Why, I bet mine haven't even noticed I'm missing yet! Too busy entertaining their friends!"
>her voices goes from haughty to tearfully angry in short order
>Charlie doesn't have the heart to correct her on cometry versus commentary
"Do you even know how you got here?"
"Well, no," she says with exaggerated emphasis on 'no.'
>Charlie clears her throat to interrupt before they get too carried away
-
"I would like to know what the last thing you both remember is... and how old you are?"
"Who even are you?" Cherri demands, "you look like a clown."
>how rude!
"My name is Charlie," Charlie says, smiling through her growing irritation, "and who are you?"
"I--" Cherri falls silent and frowns, "I don't--why can't I remember my name? What even IS this place?"
>she glares at the anglerfish boy
"I thought fish-face was bad enough, but it's more than that isn't it?"
"I'm Baxter," the boy says, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms
"What? Why do you get to remember your name and I don't? That's not fair! It isn't!"
"Children," Charlie calls, dropping from a bit of rubble she could have circumvented to underline her point.
>she looks down at Baxter who seems to be the more mature of the two of them despite his miniscule stature
"How old are you, Baxter?"
>she gets another Look for her trouble; children, honestly!
"Twelve," he huffs
>Cherri laughs so hard that Charlie to tighten her grip to keep hold of her
"Twelve! You're twelve? I would have said four!"
>Baxter snarls
"When have you ever heard a four-year-old talk like I do?"
>Cherri laughs more
"Oh this is great, you're, uh," she cuts herself to count on her fingers and then holds up her hand triumphantly when she's done, "five whole years older than I am and you look like that!"
>well at least that saves her from having to ask
>still, that isn't nice and Charlie jostles her
"Cherri, it isn't nice to make fun of people for things they can't help," she says, hoping her imitation of Lilith's scolding voice is half as effective as it had been on her, "Say you're sorry!"
>Cherri digs her nails into Charlie's arm and glares daggers at her
-
"Why should I? He's the dwarf fish-face!"
>Charlie finds herself resorting to her partial demon-form way too much in this scenario, still
"How would you feel if Baxter made fun of you for having only one eye?"
"One eye? Are you crazy? I have two like everyone else!" she says raising her hands to her face to indicate where she thought her eyes were
>only to discover she only had the one
"Oh now you've done it," Baxter says, slapping his hands over his earfins just as Cherri starts to shriek
>the hysterical shrieking continues until they're back in the hotel and she drops them both on the couch in her living area
"So what is this place?" Baxter asks, now that Cherri's finally stopped the infernal racket
"Er, it's called the Happy Hotel," whatever the sign actually said, it WAS the Happy Hotel, "but for now it's safety, okay?"
>Cherri slips off the couch to the mirror across the room and starts agonizing over her appearance
"That's me?" she asks, waving at hand at the mirror, "oh God--" she winces "--look at me!"
"If you're going to make me babysit these brats," Husk says, his earlier incredulity at their entrance shifting to disgust, "it's going to cost you."
>Charlie sighs, running a hand over her face
>how much trouble was it going to be to find Angel and Nifty and get them back to the hotel?
>Vaggie wasn't even in her suite of rooms yet, and Charlie wasn't looking forward to THAT search
>as a grown woman Vaggie had a knack for disappearing and not being found when she wanted to be
>a tendency that had decreased in frequency to the point it was nearly nonexistent as their relationship had bloomed
>she wasn't expecting a tiny version of Vaggie to be much, if any, easier to find
>and she doesn't have time to give Cherri a pep-talk on her appearance; the longer the others are out there the worse their odds!
"Don't worry," Charlie says wearily, "Dazzle is the one doing the babysitting."
>speaking of the little devil, he peeks his head out of the bedroom
-
"Cherri, Baxter this is Dazzle," Charlie says brightly, drawing Cherri away from the mirror, "and the grouch at the table is Husk!"
"I'm not a grouch!"
"Dazzle will be watching over the four of you while I look for the others," Charlie continues brightly
"Four?" Baxter ask, "there's only--"
"She's talking about the crybaby in the bedroom," Husk says and starts shuffling his cards
>she is never telling Alastor about this once things are back to normal
>unless she is really, really mad at one or the both of them
>Baxter slips off the couch to join Husk
>Charlie hopes those two, at least, get along
>and it seems that Dazzle has stepped in to console Cherri
>she'll just check on Al real quick and get back out there
>Al, for his part, is curled up in the center of her bed and hugging one of her pillows tight
>the grey of his skin is more prominent than it usually is and there are deep bags under his eyes
>Charlie gently brushes his hair from his face, glad that he's getting the rest he clearly needs
>by the time she is back in the sitting area the children are already fighting and Dazzle is scrambling to keep order
>she closes the door to the bedroom and whistles sharply; flashing her fangs and horns at the assembled children
"You three will behave for Dazzle, am I clear?" She says
>maybe dad's style will work a little bit better?
>the three exchange looks and nod reluctantly
>good
>she checks in with Dazzle on her way out
"Vaggie and Razzle are still in the hotel, right?"
>he nods, but seems concerned; it seems it's been some time since Razzle has checked in
>she might have to bump up the priority of that search, then
>but, in the meantime, she's not at all guilty about leaving Dazzle alone with the kids
>okay, maybe a little

Up next: we find out where Angel Dust has gotten of to
-
>Charlie scours the battlefield to no avail
>she had picked up near where she had found Cherri and Baxter, but widening circles around the debris field yield no results
>no tiny Angel
>no tiny(er) Nifty
>and no sign of any other demons that had been caught in the blast
>Charlie is certain that there are others that she hasn't found yet and doesn't know to look for
>Valentino and Vox had brought a small army at their back, and as always when there was an all-out battle in Hell, other demons joined in for fun or to fuel their own agendas
>there is no way everyone had cleared the battlefield and gotten away in time
>the pair of overlords and their most loyal henchmen? Sure, but everyone else on the chaotic field of battle when someone like Alastor had been caught in it?
>there were probably tens of child-sized demons running around Hell and vulnerable
>and while Charlie was mostly worried about finding Angel and Nifty, she WAS concerned for all of the demons that had been effected
>but she was only one person, and could only do so much...
>it didn't matter how much she wanted to do
>or how inadequate she felt or how grating the feeling that she wasn't capable of more was
>she just had to do her best, that was all there was for it
>and Charlie wasn't going to give up until she found Angel and Nifty
>she would take in everyone else she found in the meantime
>but she would keep looking until the staff and patrons of her hotel were all safe and accounted for!
-
>and so she took to the streets and alleyways surrounding the hotel, hoping with all her heart to find one or both of them
>Charlie wanders for hours
>long enough that she begins to worry about what is going on back at the hotel
>should she have sought Vaggie out first to ensure her butlers were able to work together to protect their charges?
>as magnificent as they were Charlie was an only child and hadn't had many friends growing up
>and those she did were often simply the children of people who her parents knew rather than people whose company she enjoyed and had who she had things in common with
>sure, there were only five of them
>but unless Vaggie had been reunited with the others--she doubted it, just based off how skittish she had been and the way Baxter and Cherri had been shouting at one another--Razzle and Dazzle's efforts were split
>and, sure, she fully expected Alastor to remain conked out until well into tomorrow morning...
>but that left Dazzle, alone, in charge of three young and high spirited children; two of which didn't get along well at all
>just as her guilt is about to break her and send her running back to the hotel there's a voice
>high and childish, in distress, and distant
>she follows it
"Wan' Mowwy," it cries, speaking so quickly and with such high emotion that she can barely understand it
"What a delightful little thing," purrs a sultry voice, "why, I could just eat you up."
"[Fin'] Mowwy. Wan' Mowwy![Where] Mowwy!" the childish voice continues to wail, speaking in a garbled mess of English and Italian
>Angel!
-
>Charlie takes the corner so quickly she nearly runs over the imp that must have been speaking to him
>she is red-skinned with an hour-glass figure, long arching horns and thick curls of silver hair
>and Charlie knows the hunger, the avarice, in the imp's eyes for what it is
>she summons her own power and snarls with barely a thought at all
"Get lost," she says, with barely a glance to confirm that there is a small ball of white-and-pink fluff behind her
"Whatever bitch," the imp says, rolling her eyes and flipping her hair over her shoulder as she walks off
>Charlie breathes a sigh of relief and turns to Angel
>damnation he's tiny
>he barely even reaches her knee
>and she's bizarrely grateful for adult Angel's fashion sense because his tiny child-self is still wrapped up in and dragging around his coat
>it's not the best fitting outfit, but considering the size discrepancy between the adult Angel and the child one?
>it's a miracle that he's even dressed at all
"Angel?" Charlie asks, kneeling in front of him, unsure if the boy will recognize his chosen name
>there are big fat tears in his eyes and he is alternatively hugging himself and wiping away at them
"Wan' Mowwy. ['Elp fin'] Mowwy," Angel says solemnly and sniffs loudly
>Charlie swallows and wishes she were a bit better at modern Italian
>Oh, she can speak Latin just fine, and is passable at older versions of the language, but it seems like wires in her brain get a bit crossed with the modern version
-
"[Who is Molly? Will you let me help you?]" Charlie asks in slow, clumsy Italian
>but Angel clearly understands her because he brightens immediately and throws one set of arms around her
>Charlie stands and lifts him, a bit mystified by such a trusting version of her most troublesome patron
"Mowwy 's [my sister]!" Angel says, and then the excited babble of his voice becomes completely incomprehensible to her
>Angel had mentioned a sister, once
>based on the look on his face at the time she had assumed that they either had a bad relationship or had parted under poor circumstances
"[We'll find her,]" Charlie says brightly, smoothing a hand over the fluff on the top of Angel's head
>the texture is a bit weird, but it's soft and grows on her quickly
>she doesn't even know whether or not Angel's sister is in Hell, but if Charlie can find her then maybe she would be willing to help?
"[Why don't you tell me about her?]" Charlie asks, intending to start her loop up again until she can find Nifty
>Angel takes the prompt and happily babbles--mostly incomprehensibly--at her until his words start to slow and he falls asleep against her shoulder mid-sentence
>heart warm, throat sore and feet aching Charlie decides to take a meandering route back to the Hotel
>if her luck holds she'll find Nifty on the way home
>she still winds up cutting through an alleyway despite being unable to imagine Nifty hiding in such a place
>she has been calling for them--Angel, before she found him, and Nifty now--despite all evidence suggesting that the children wouldn't recognize the names she knew them by
>the combination of these things startles something in the alleyway, causing a loud clang of metal on cobbles and a loud tremendous hiss
-
>the noise wakes Angel who starts to cry the way Charlie thought only babies did
>was this version of Angel really that young?
>she shushes him, gently bouncing and petting him
>the hiss builds as Charlie continues until it culminates in something dark darting out of the shadows
>Charlie reacts mostly on instinct: fangs-and-horns and flames
>it works, stopping the threat in its tracks
>a very tiny Sir Pentious 'stands' there, his hood flared and eyes wide and terrified
>Charlie immediately drops into her more normal shape
"Sir Pentious!" She says and drops to her knees, ignoring the filthy cobbles underneath them
>she reaches her free hand out to him and softens her voice some:
"It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm here to help!"
>he sinks back on his tail and his hood deflates
>but he still looks scared
"You promisssse?" Pentious asks, hugging himself
>his usual coat is gone, but the hat seems to have shrunk with the rest of him
"I promise, I'll even pinky promise if you want," Charlie says extending her finger
>Pentious frowns at her, but he doesn't look scared anymore
"O-okay," he says and inches a bit closer, shooting uncertain glances at Angel
>Angel seems to have decided to chew on his fingers and watch the proceedings
>Charlie opens her hand which seems to make Pentious' decision easier because he takes it and lets her lift him
>he's heavier and stronger than he looks but it's not as though Charlie is straining underneath his weight
"why don't we get you two to bed, hm?" Charlie says cheerfully, mentally replanning her route back to the hotel
>she really, really hopes she comes across Nifty on the way back
>she's been at this for hours
>Valentino had come calling early in the afternoon and the battle hadn't really lasted all of that long
>and it's starting to get late--it's easily after dinner time--and she doesn't think she can keep this up through the night
-
>she doesn't want to leave Nifty exposed to the worst elements of Hell overnight
>but what choice does she have?
>heart in her throat--and a pair of children chattering from her shoulders--Charlie returns to the hotel
>she does not encounter Nifty on the way
>but as she crosses the cobbled street--the Hellscape already mending itself so that it isn't quite the obstacle course it had been earlier in the day--in front of the hotel something darts out of the shadows to meet her
>something with bright yellow-and pink hair, a singular wide eye, and dressed only in a familiar stained white shirt that fits her more like a dress
>Nifty says something in a language that Charlie's mind takes a moment to recognize as Japanese
>her education has always been slightly more Western Centric, but she has a passing familiarity with most of the human languages that have existed throughout her life
"{Slow,}" Charlie says, wincing at her own accent and clunky use of the language
>Nifty beams at her
"{You understand me!}" she says, bouncing between her feet, "{I'm glad! I saw you bring other kids here!}"
>Charlie nods, Nifty speaks so quickly that it's a bit hard to keep up with her... especially in a language she's rusty in
"{I help,}" Charlie says, still internally cringing at her mangling of the language (even if Nifty doesn't seem to mind), "{You let me?}"
>Pentious tugs at her shirt, frowning down at Nifty
"What're you saying?"
"Nifty saw me bring other kids here for shelter, I think she wants to come?"
>Nifty tips her head slightly to one side and claps her hands in front of her
"You more comf't'br wit Engr'sh?" Nifty asks, speaking slowly--for her--and concentrating hard
>it seems like she isn't entirely bilingual the way Angel is; her parents probably spoke exclusively Japanese at home
"Yes! But I'd rather you be comfortable," Charlie says quickly, "{Need practice!}"
-
"{We both practice,}" Nifty says brightly, "You he'p, I he'p!"
"Exactly," Charlie says, "{Go in}"
>Nifty bounces inside ahead of her and Charlie can feel something within her unwind
>to have them all safe and under one roof again is a real weight off of her shoulders
>they can figure out the rest later

And that is our thrilling conclusion to Chapter One of Charlie's Home for Wayward Children! What happens next for our intrepid Princess of Hell and her group of tiny charges? What do YOU, the reader, want to see happen next? Remember, STAY TUNED (next Chapter tomorrow).


>tfw derped on the copying and have an awkward end post