4chan Hazbin Hotel story - BAD GIFTS An X-Mas story

from /hhg/ Hazbin Hotel general #505 and #507.
--------
Gentlemen, I present you:

BAD GIFTS
An X-Mas story

>"Time to open the presents!" said Charlie, clapping
>the others just rolled their eyes, and ambled towards the pile of boxes and wrappers to pick out their stuff
>one among them, however, was a bit slower than the others
>she dragged her feet, a glum frown present on her face, whilst everyone else had at least SOME semblance of a smile
>it could've just been exhaustion - she had bags under her eyes, and her hair was frazzled
>but no
>if one were to look deep into her peeper, they would've found a certain cold, dark simmering within the blackness of the pupil - but, of course, this went amiss by the others

>one by one, they gathered their gifts and set them aside
>she did so, too, but only set one, and, after some hesitation, another one aside
>the rest she immediately tore open, not even bothering with reading the names

>"W-Whoa... A bit eager, are we, Vaggie?" her love asked, surprised to see her tear through them
>"I'd rather get this done and over with." she replied with a low growl
>the others stared
>Husk was inclined to agree, but the tone of the woman caused him to pause
>usually, she'd be more feisty, but now, she just sounded sullen

>with the wrappers gone, she held the bottle into the air
>it was beer
>just a single bottle of beer, nothing special
>looking up and past the cat, she could even see the place it had been taken from at the bar

>lowest shelf visible
>loaded with bottles just like it

>"Merry Christmas." Husk grumbled, to which she just nodded...
>...and then flung the bottle into the fireplace with a single, arching move, causing it to shatter against the bricks, the cheap liquid doing more to extinguish the flames than to set them more alight

>Husk stared
>"What the Hell was that for?!" he snapped, but she held his gaze
>"Just gave it as much thought as you did." she replied, shutting him up
-
>the next box yielded what at first appeared to be a small booklet
>upon closer inspection, however, she could see that it was just a pamphlet, giving her some general pointers about etiquette and proper manners for a lady
>included within was a coupon to someone named Rosie

>someone who, judging by the address, lived in the cannibal district

>she looked up, eye set immediately on the smirking face of the Radio Demon
>seeing her look up at him, his grin grew broader
>her face, however, showed little emotion
>"Pot calling kettle black." she said, crumpling the pamphlet into a ball
>it landed in the fire as well, this time, actually feeding the flames
>finally, she opened the third box - by far, the most shabby looking
>in it, she found a leash

>she could hear the spider snicker


>the others opened their gifts as well.
>Charlie received knitted piglet plush from Angel, a hand-made bracelet from Vaggie, a cookbook with notes included from Alastor, a bag of exotic bathing salts from Niffty, and a bottle of Bull's Blood from Husk
>Angel got a small, knitted hat for Fat Nuggets from Charlie, an elegant, hand-written Restraining Order from Alastor (he just laughed it off), a bottle of Nero d'Avola from Husk (with a note, saying "Now stop asking for it!"), and a bottle of perfume from Niffty
>Alastor's gift were a new, pinstriped shirt from Niffty, a bottle of Muscandine from Husk, a bottle of Lomando from Angel, and an old, DIY tube radio set from Charlie
>Husk got a new top hat from Alastor, a fur brush and polish from Niffty, a rather... Implicity photo from Angel, which he immediately discarded with a blush, and turned away from the spider, who had somehow taken up the exact same pose he had in the photo (but with clothes) while the cat was looking at it, and a warm, knitted scarf from Charlie
>and finally, Niffty received a box of gourmet chocolates from Alastor, a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon from Husk, and a warm winter coat from Charlie
-
>they immediately noticed that something was amiss
>"Uhh... Vaggie?" Charlie began "Where are your gifts?"
>"Yeah, Toots, what gives?!" snapped Angel, half-jokinly "I want my free shit!"
>"Christmas is a time of giving AND receiving~!" added Alastor "It's very rude of you to neglect your part in it, Miss Vagatha!"
>"Oh dear... Did you forget?" Niffty asked, alarmed "It's alright! You can always get something later, if you'd like! It doesn't have to be ON the holiday!"
>Husk said nothing
>he just studied the moth demoness
>something didn't feel right

>"Here."
>they all fell silent, as she pulled out four more gifts from under the hanging drapery of the armchair
>one, wrapped but not tied with a ribbon, she immediately handed to Niffty, while the rest she just dumped on the table, and sat back down

>the cyclops didn't open her gift
>instead, she waited, along with the two other women
>before the silence could grow weary, Alastor moved forward, picking up the silvery gray box which simply had his name written on it with a marker
>it was hard and heavy, which made him curious
>realizing the others were waiting for them, Husk and Angel moved in quickly as well, grabbing their respective gifts

>they all sat back down, hesitating
>Husk didn't feel right
>the moth woman's silence and stoicism was unnerving

>"Oh, I almost forgot!" said Angel, suddenly, and pulled out another gift "This one's for you, Chuck!"
>"Oh? Why, thank you, Angel!" the Princess replied, opening it carefully "But I already received one from you... Oh."
>she stared, puzzled, at the item in her hand
>it was a studded dog collar
>"...Thank you, Angel, but... I don't have a dog..." she muttered, before noting the dangling nametag
>"..."Vaggie"?" she read out loud
>the others' eyes widened, whilst Angel could barely hold back his laughs...

>...but his guffaws soon petered out, as she noticed the moth woman staring at him
>not glaring or scowling, not gnashing her teeth
-
>she just looked... Disappointed?
>no, that wasn't
>the way she looked at him...
>it was like she didn't even see him
>as if she was looking at the chair underneath him

>like he was dead to her

>shaking his head, he now stared down at the box in front of him
>it had the same, somewhat dulled, silvery gray color as Al and Husk's gifts, with his name written on it with a felt tip pen
>it was heavy, though he could clearly feel that most of the weight was concentrated in the box's center
>and that whatever was it could slightly roll around

>somewhat anxious, Husk used a claw to tear the wrapping off the bottle
>it appeared to be some sort of clear liquid, with a large note attached over the original sticker, reading "One Last Drink", in a somewhat elegant font
>as he turned it around in his hands, he noticed something:
>a silvery residue on his claws
>puzzled, he stared at it, wondering where it came from... Before looking down
>the wrapper appeared to only have the silvery coat on the outer side
>the inside revealed that was made of old newspapers
>he was about to protest, before he recalled what the woman said:

>"Just gave it as much thought as you did."

>so, he said nothing, and went back to studying the bottle
>almost immediately, he noticed the warning labels on the back
>"Do not drink?" he muttered, skimming over the small font "If accidentally consumed, call hospital?"

>perturbed, he removed the note on the front
>his eyes widened

>"...What the fuck?!"

>the others looked up, seeing a now aggravated Husk, as he held up a bottle for all to see, revealing the skull and crossbones above the words

>"You got me fucking wood alcohol!" he snapped "Are you out of your god damned mind? I can't drink this!"

>Vaggie said nothing
>her face remained unreadable

>"And why did you call it "One Last--"

>but he cut off, suddenly, as realization struck
>the others, wide-eyed once more as the penny dropped, slowly turned towards the grey woman
-
>though her face remained passionless, her voice was dripping with contempt
>"Drunks drink because they want to forget, right?" she asked "Well, considering how much of the day you spend getting drunk, pissing everywhere and sleeping, you've probably been through enough shit in your life for ten men."
>her eye motioned towards the bottle, before resuming her unbroken gaze at him
>"Figured I'd give something that will relieve the pain, and the memories." she added "That way, you won't have to put up with US anymore..."


>the others just stared, as Husk, still wide-eyed, slowly sat down, the bottle coming to rest in his lap
>the silence was deafening
>but not for long

>"HAH!"
>three of them stirred (Husk and Vaggie didn't) as the deer demon laughed out loud
>"Well, I must admit, I never expect you to have such a thrilling sense of humor, Miss Vagatha!" he chuckled "Makes me anxious to see what you bought for me!"

>Vaggie smiled
>it wasn't happy or jeering
>just a lifeless gesture

>"Well, why don't you find out?" she asked

>his smile becoming somewhat wry - if only for a second - Al set about unwrapping his own gift (also noting how she used painted over newspapers, though, he didn't mind - he'd wrapped a lot of gifts in old broadsheets in his time, and the silvery paint was actually a nice idea to spruce it up)...
>...but as he opened the (rather heavy) lid, his smile didn't fade, but his brows furrowed into a puzzled frown
>most of the weight of the gift seemed to be coming from the box itself, which was wooden
>it's inside was barren, if lacquered, with the bottom padded by some sort of gray, soft material
>it smelled like plastic, though only faintly

>but what caused him to frown was the tiny gadget in the center of the box's bottom
>fit snugly into an indentation on the padding was a small, cylindrical object with three metallic prongs sticking out from the bottom
>it was no bigger than his palm
-
>picking up the small object with his two fingers, he realized that the cylinder's outside was coated with plastic as well, while it's flat top and pronged bottom was
>he turned it around, looking at it this way and that, but couldn't really figure out what it was for

>"Is this...?"


>"A radio transistor."


>in an instant, Al's eyes widened
>the others remained puzzled, but as he looked up, he was met with the gray woman's hollow stare
>with his grin hardening, his brow descended into a deep, icy frown
>"...VERY droll, Miss Vagatha." he said, his voice lacking it's jovial tone
>even the radio crackle seemed to have receded from it
>he put the piece back in the box, and closed it


>now, it was Angel's turn
>looking around, he could still see Husk's dumbounded gaze, Niffty's shocked stare, Charlie's increasingly worried and confused glances, Alastor's frown...
>...and Vaggie's stoic stare

>looking down at his box, he took a deep breath, braced himself...
>...and opened it
>creeping one eye open, he stared down into, before the other popped open after a blink
>confusion crept onto his face, as the lifted up the item for the others to see

>it was a leg of smoked ham with a rope attached to its bone
>holding it up by it, he looked at it, up and down
>it looked like a perfectly normal piece of ham, it's surface cross-crossed by cuts

>he was startled to hear Charlie's and Niffty's gasp, and nearly dropped the damn thing
>looking it up and down again, frantically to find what was wrong with it... Only for his eyes to slip upwards...
>oh

>the rope around the hambone was tied with a hangman's noose

>still puzzled, he lowered the meat back into the box, and stared back at the indifferent Vaggie

>"Uh..." he began, letting out a nervous chuckle "Did you make another for Smiles, and forgot about it? Cause I don't know..." and he motioned towards the ham "...What this is all about."
-
>for the first time in the evening, Vaggie's stoic gaze wavered
>her mouth sharpened into a straight line as her bow furrowed, before she covered her face with her hand, and gave a deep sigh

>"Nevermind..." she murmured


>concerned and just a bit hurt, Charlie stepped up to her
>"Vaggie... These gifts were horrible..."
>the moth woman looked up, her expression softening upon seeing her beloved, though startled by her sentence

>"Why did you do this?"

>"I figured I'll just give them what they deserve after this year." came the dry reply
>it startled Charlie in it's bluntness
>"But... Vaggie, where's your Christmas spirit?" she pleaded "Why ruin it like this?"
>at this, Vaggie frowned, slightly, before giving a sad sigh, and looking the blonde in the eye

>"It was ruined from the get-go, Charlie." she replied "I had to decorate Hotel with them, or rather, on my OWN, MULTIPLE times, because THOSE TWO...!" and she jerked her head in the general direction of the cat and the spider "...Were more of a hindrance, and even when they weren't actively destroying what we've worked on, they were doing such a half-assed job that I had to redo it all over again!"

>Charlie stared
>"Well, all right, but--..." be she stopped at the sound of paper tearing
>they all looked to the side - Niffty had opened her own present, and gasped!

>she held up a book, covered with various pictures of what appeared to be couples in a number of romantic settings
>the book's neat, calligraphic title read "Lovers' Ordeals - the full anthology"

>"Oh. My. GOSH!" the cyclops chirped "I've been looking for this for AGES! I couldn't find it anywhere, and whenever I looked it up online, it cost a fortune!"
>she held it to her tiny chest, and looked up at the grey woman in awe (whilst everyone else looked at her incredulously)
>"But... Why give me this?"
>Vaggie smiled
>"Because you've been a tremendous help." she replied "We would've never finished without you!"
-
>"...OK, that's some bullshit right there!" Husk growled, finally breaking from his stupor
>"Yeah, what the fuck, Toots, how is that fair?!" added Angel
>Charlie was still confused

>"Vaggie, Christmas is about forgiveness! You shouldn't be so spiteful about a few mishaps!"
>now, it was the moth's turn to look at her incredulously
>her brow rose so high that the Princess was actually taken aback before she even said anything
>"Forgive and forget, as the old saying goes!" Alastor chimed in, before adding with a sneer "It's only mature, after all..."

>"Oh, sure..." the gray woman retorted "Because YOUR gifts were full of forgiveness, WEREN'T THEY?!"
>Al frowned, and was about to reply, when Angel stepped forth
>"Oh, shut up!" he snapped "You came here with all of that crap waiting for us! You couldn't have known what our gifts were, but you still wanted to give us all of... This!" he said, motioning vaguely towards the grey boxes
>but the Salvadoran just scoffed
>"It was all rather predictable." she replied dryly "It's rather easy to see through you lot, once someone had the misfortune of spending enough time with you. And do you REALLY think this was just for today?"

>at that, the spider blinked
>one could even hear the gears turn in his mind, as he processed the question
>Vaggie had no patience left
>sighing again, she just looked all over them
>"I think, given everything you've done in the past YEAR, I think what you've got was MORE than well-deserved."
>"Oh, don't get preachy with us..." Husk muttered, only to look up as the moth woman stepped up to him
>"Oh? Preachy, am I?" she asked, before returning next to Charlie
>"I had to put up with your drunken shenanigans, replace several windows because you flew through them, put out fires, clean cat fur off EVERYTHING, and help Niffty clean up CAT PISS from just about every part of the fucking Hotel!"
>she narrowed her eyes
>"Including the ceilings!"
-
>the others just stared, looking between her and Husk, who could also just gawk, as the faint hint of what might have been embarrassment, or even guilt, passed through his face

>"And after all of this, your THOUGHTFUL, WELL-PREPARED, HEARTFELT gift was a bottle of bottom-shelf beer, from the HOTEL's stock." she added, before turning her attention to Alastor
>she only gave him one, long look (and quite an eloquent one, as the Radio Demon began frowning once more), before sighing
>"The LESS said about you, the better!" she spat, and then looked at Angel
>"And honestly, I didn't have high expectations about you to BEGIN WITH..." she growled "But I figured that, after your little "joke" between me and Charlie, you'd be able to understand some simple symbolism..."
>her mouth curled into a sneer, as she spread her arms wide, shrugging
>"But NOPE!"

>Angel rolled his eyes
>"Oh, get off of it!" he muttered "It was only a joke!"
>"You could've shat into that box, and it would've been the same to you AND me!" she retorted quickly, causing Angel to be taken aback

>"Not that I haven't had enough of your "jokes" this entire year..." she added with a growl "Seriously, do I REALLY have to spell it out for you what yours meant?!"

>in response, the spider just shrugged
>she facepalmed, growling, before taking a deep breath
>"Look... You know your pig, right?"
>Angel nodded with a smile, lifting up the sleeping piglet from his seat
>"My lil' Nugsy..." he cooed
>"Well, I just gave you half a ham on a noose." she went on "C'mon, it's not that difficult..."


>Angel pondered for a moment...
>then it became clear; his eyes widened and he gasped, taking up a defensive stance in front of his pet
>"...Don't. You. Fuckin'. DARE!" he hissed, to which the moth could only roll her eyes

>"Obviously I wouldn't go that far, unlike SOMEONE here..." she replied, shooting a dirty look at the Radio Demon, who merely scoffed
-
>"Honestly, Miss Vagatha, was this all really necessary?" he asked "For someone who's stated main goal is "redemption", both that of others and her own, I'd presume, you sure are a petty creature..."
>and he sneered

>"Rather immature, too..."


>"Oh, you're one to talk, Mama's boy..."

>all jest left his person at once, and he stood up straight, glaring at her - his eyes lit red, not by demonic power, but her own ire
>"Ýò̶u̢̡ ̶͝k̵̶é̵e̸̴̕p̶͢ ̶͟Ḩ̛E̶Ŕ o̡͟ưt ̀ǫ̀f͝ th͡i̢͟s͘!̴̸́" he snapped, but she just snickered
>"Oh, have I touched a nerve?" she asked, on a teasing voice, before returning to disdain "Honestly, I am rather curious if it was HER fault or HIS that you ended up the way you are..."
>she paused, as if pondering for a moment
>"Maybe it was both..."

>the others looked between her and Alastor, alert
>it was rare that someone found a grip on the Radio Demon, and it usually didn't end well for the offending party
>however, after the initial surge of anger, Al seemed to calm down
>he exhaled, deeply, and fixed the moth woman with a look of disdain of his own - his smile being the smallest it had been all evening

>"And just when I thought you couldn't sink any lower..." he said, quietly

>Vaggie just stared at him, indifferently
>"I grew up motherless, fatherless." she said, simply "On the streets, fighting to just scraps just to get by. But I still have some semblance of decency - I don't just see others as just something to amuse myself with."

>Al rolled his eyes
>"Oh, really, this?" he mused "Miss Vagatha, please! I'm just a child at heart!"
>and he looked at the others with a menacing grin
>"It's not my fault their misery is so fun!"

>"Yes, it is." she replied flatly, causing him to snap his gaze back at her, dumbfounded
-
>"A kid, no matter how much of a little shit they are, knows how to create. They don't always just break shit and call it their own! They want to play WITH others, not just laugh at their pain!"
>she gave him a quick once-over, and scoffed

>"No, you're just an overgrown, spoiled brat who can't stand being told off."

>she narrowed her eyes

>"Just another privileged old fuck who can't stand being told "No!", if understand it all! And you've been NOTHING but trouble! Both you and him!" she quickly added, shooting a glare at Angel, who jumped at that
>he thought she was already done with her

>Alastor held her glare, his smile, though small, still unwavering
>but then, her look changed

>now, it was the same empty gaze that she fixed Angel with after he completed his "joke" with Charlie's gift
>he had to admit, it was... Effective

>"How did you twist her song again?" she muttered "Oh, yeah. "Inside every demon is a lost cause." That's what you are. A lost cause. Unredeemable."

>and he stepped closer to him, looking deep in his eye, and at the same time, looking through him
>he almost took a step back
>almost

>"You're just in our way." she said, monotonously "Nothing more than an added risk."
>"Vaggie, how can you say that?" Charlie asked, desperate "No-one's beyond saving! Not even... Him..." she clearly swapped the last word with something else, but no-one seemed to notice "And he HAS been useful! We have Husk and Niffty here, thanks to him!"

>"One's drunken slob who's about as useful as a doorstop the same size as him. And BOTH of them were brought here against their will, because if Al tells them to jump, they have to! Just more proof that he doesn't see others as anything but his playthings. He's more trouble than he's worth."

>she sighed
>the one thing she really didn't like was arguing with Charlie

>"Thankfully, Niffty's been a blessing..."

>"I really liked my gift, thank you!" the cyclops chimed in, but nobody really paid attention to her
-
>"But that's no thanks to HIM!" the moth woman added "And what else has he brought? Oh yeah, the unwanted attention of Vox!"
>Al's eyes flared up at the name, but he said nothing
>"As if we weren't getting enough shit from Killjoy!" she went on, causing Charlie to wince
>that was on her, though the anchorwoman had proven to be unusually petty in her pursuit to sling mud at the Hotel
>petty AND persistent

>"AND he does that in tandem with Angel, who also brought Sir Pentious and fucking VALENTINO upon us!"
>now it was Angel's turn to wince
>"Honestly, all we need now is to find out that Husk had somehow pissed off VELVET, and we would have the full trio!"
>the cat just sighed, and lifted the bottle to his mouth - before quickly checking that it wasn't the methanol

>sitting back down, the grey woman sighed once again
>"Though, credit where credit's due, at least YOU understood what the gift meant."
>Al frowned, but nodded, sitting back down himself

>"Really, Vaggie..." said Charlie "You didn't have to go there... I know they're mean, but... Surely, we can help them!"
>she tried to sound cheery
>oh god, how she tried
>"That's why we're here, remember?"

>the look Vaggie gave her made her heart sink

>"I've had to put up with them for over a year." she said, dryly "I had to work with them, or rather, work INSTEAD of them. I had to clean up Husk's fur, piss and vomit. I had to watch Angel backslide every other minute. I had to watch Niffty to ensure she didn't mess up, and to her credit, and ONLY hers, she did things right once I asked her to do so, unlike the others. And, more than anything, I ALWAYS had to keep one eye open for HIM."
>and she pointed toward Al with an open palm
>"Always keep watch of HIS shenanigans, to make sure he didn't do something HORRIBLE to us when he happened to grow bored! Always sleep with one eye open! And worry myself to second death every time he took YOU away for spill."
-
>was that... Jealousy in her voice?
>Worry?
>Envy?
>Charlie felt a ball of guilt form in the pit of her stomach

>Vaggie gave a deep, ragged sigh
>she had to hold onto her shoulder, and the Princess could distinctly feel her loose her balance, momentarily
>when she looked up, the bags under her visible eye were even more pronounced

>"I'm tired, Charlie." she said "I've had to do this for a year, and I'm exhausted."
>and she closed her eyes, her face twisting into a scowl
>"And it just feels like it was a complete WASTE of time!"

>she felt too warm palms upon her cheeks
>looking up, she could see the guilt-riddled look on her love's face
>that, in turn, made her feel guilty is well

>"I'm sorry I haven't been there..." said Charlie "I know it's hard, but... Redemption won't come easy... To any of us!"
>she paused, and looked the moth woman deep in the eye (not realizing that made her look rather cross-eyed, but Vaggie couldn't even muster a smile at that)
>"You have to keep believing!"

>"...I believe in you..." the Salvadoran replied, after a moment. She also shot a glance at Niffty, who gave her a soft, knowing smile
>but then, she closed her eyes, and scowled once more

>"...I just don't believe in THEM!" she spat, shooting a glance at the three men
>Husk looked back indifferently, knocking back yet another glass
>Al just smiled, and Angel pretended to fuss over his pig, though his face betrayed him a bit

>Charlie frowned, softly
>"We have to give everyone a chance, Vaggie." she said, firmly "After all, who are we to say who's worthy of redemption, and who isn't?"

>at that, the moth couldn't help but to smile, albeit wryly, and Charlie beamed back at her

>"I'll try to help more in the future, OK?" she said, giving her a quick kiss, before her face turned serious "But you have to promise to not hold a grudge like that anymore, OK?"
-
>Vaggie nodded, but then the blonde went on, cheekily:
>"It wouldn't do well for the hotel, if it's chief of staff was so spiteful!"
>at this, the grey woman couldn't help but to smile - earnestly, this time around

>Niffty smiled as well, and began to read the blurb on the back of the book
>Angel and Husk sighed a sigh of relief, while Al just took a deep breath

>"Well, if that's settled, then perhaps I could do something to be of more use, since I am apparently useless here, if not detrimental..." Al drawled "Such as cook us some Christmas dinner!"
>and he turned to the spider
>"Angel, would you be so kind as to hand me the ham?" he said, before adding "You can keep the rope."

>cocking his head to the side with a raised eyebrow, Angel removed the noose, and handed the meat over
>rope in hand, he glanced over the room
>Husk was back to drinking, as usual
>Niffty was busy reading her new book
>Charlie made herself busy, fixing some of the skewed decorations

>and Vaggie just sat in her seat, toying with Charlie's and Niffty's unopened gifts
>Angel smirked, and waltzed over, sashaying his hips

>she didn't notice him at first, but the moment he stopped beside her chair, the tentative smile faded from her mouth

>"Nice little speech ya gave, Toots!" he jeered "Real moodsetter! But since ya finished preachin', how discuss tha "lit-orgy"?"

>"That's "liturgy"..." she muttered

>"Whatevah!" he snapped "You had your piece, now it's MY turn! You blathered on about how "tired" you are! Huh, sure didn't seem tired to talk us to tears, now did ya? And if you think YOU'RE tired, well, whadabout me? I had to put up with your whinging and bitching all. Year. Long! And ya don't hear ME complaining... Actually, I just did, but that doesn't count!"


>looking from the side, Husk paused between gulps, hiding his face with the glass, as his eyes scrolled across the scene
-
>Alastor had popped back in from the kitchen, probably to ask something, but appeared to be enthralled by the unfolding argument
>Niffty was still busy looking at the book... Perhaps a bit too busy... And was thus ignoring it
>And Charlie still had their back to them, but she had stopped fiddling with the decors
>she was listening...
>but not doing anything

>Husk frowned
>the spider was running his mouth again
>this wouldn't end well


>"...An' when you're not ragging on ME or Husker, you go after Smiles!" Angel complained
>he has been talking to a good five minutes by now, and Vaggie struggled to ignore him
>she had put the gifts down, for fear of crushing them out of anger, and was now resting her hands on ether side of her waist
>"So, what if you get a few sleepless nights over the Strawberry Pimp?! Newsflash, sweetie, so does the rest of us! He's a fucking lunatic!"

>realizing he was actually agreeing with her, Angel quickly changed the subject
>for the worse

>"You complain ALL THE FUCKIN' TIME about US sinning, and then, you spend the day shitting your pants about your little girlfriend going off with the biiig, scaaawy Radio Demon! I mean, it's not like she's the Princess of Hell or anything! No, you're just jealous that she's spending more time with him than with you, but can you honestly blame her?"

>Vaggie's fingers dug into the mattress
>Husk winced
>"He stepped in it now." he thought

>"I mean, if I had a gee-eff - BLEUGH, as if I'd ever...! But, high-poe-tat-whatchamacallit, if I had a girlfriend who just talked like she had verbal diarrhea, and couldn't stop complaining, I'd dump her ass, even for a stinky deerman!"

>stealing a quick glance, Niffty could tell that the grey woman was gritting her teeth, while her fingers tore holes in the fabric of the seat


>Angel had gone too far, and he was vaguely aware of it
-
>caught between the crossfire of Alastor's disapproving glare behind him, and Charlie's unseen frown (to mention nothing of the sheer rage now simmering off the moth woman beneath him), he had some sense of self-preservation left to cut it short
>but none of the wits to execute it smoothly

>"Aaaahnyways..." he muttered "I'm not sure what you're worried about. It's not like Chuck would dump you. I mean, she'd put up with you for like, what, FIVE years, at least? Heh, now THAT'S fucking dedication! I mean, yeah, Al may be the "Haz-bin" he changed the Hotel's sign into, and yeah, I got watcha meant with the transistor, get off my fuckin' back unless you're paying me! But anyways, he may be a lost cause, but then what are you?! 'Cuz you ain't changing for shit, that's for sure! You'll be stuck here with the rest of us, 'till the end, and don'tcha forget it! You're no better than us, in fact...!"

>and he sneered

>"The way you hound after all for being with Chuck, despite the two of ya being together for five years? Speaks more about how much faith you have in HER, doesn't it?"

>Vaggie's eyes widened

>putting the glass down, Husk just reached for the bottle, and took a swig
>Niffty forced her gaze on the book, but she wasn't reading it
>she was waiting for the bomb to go off
>Al watched with interest - "credit where credit's due", as the gray wench would say it, she did see through him, just enough to know he was aware of every faux pas he committed...
>...and aware of those of the others
>he wondered if Angel will leave the room alive


>"So, anyway, thanks for ruining Christmas, Toots!" the spider chuckled "Now, what did you mean by the rope, again?"
>he glanced down
>and froze

>the previous, "you're dead to me" look returned
>but now, with full beams
>even though her brow was hardly furrowed, the cold, icy rage that emanated from her single eye sent shivers down his spine

>and then, she spoke:


>"Go fucking hang yourself, you worthless whore."
-
>the room fell silent
>literally, as with a record scratch, the music that Al usually played had gone out
>Niffty and Charlie gasped

>Angel could only stare

>Vaggie, on the other hand, turned away from him
>"Not gonna waste any more time and effort on you."

>the spider still stood beside her for some time
>the look on his face was... Indescribable
>he was going through the motions
>however, eventually, he stepped away from the chair
>walked back to his own, grabbed up Fat Nuggets and his gifts, and then left through the door, down the hallway
>the only thing he left behind was the noose


>while she may have felt tired before, Vaggie was now exhausted
>she looked up, faintly, to Charlie
>and wished she hadn't

>the Princess had her hands covering her mouth
>she, too, showed a number of emotions: shock, pain, anger...
>disappointment

>she spoke, after somehow making her disappointed frown the most prominent among the many:
>"That was a horrible thing to say, Vaggie..."

>and with that, she walked out through the door, breaking into a jog down the hallway


>Vaggie slumped in her seat
>the others, who'd done nothing, returned to just that, although with a dulled mood
>all of a sudden, Husk's drink didn't taste all that good, and Niffty lost interest in the book
>back in the kitchen, Al realized just how much of a chore he'd gotten himself into


>moving her seat to a darker corner of the room - away from the others - Vaggie opened her two remaining gifts
>Niffty's was wrapped in a cheaper, dark wrapping paper, and tied neatly with a bow, but didn't have its own box
>rather, the wrapping went around the box-shaped object itself: a box of biscuits
>coffee biscuits, to be precise
>it was a rather large one, too. Economic size
>it should last her through the winter, if she only eats one with her morning coffee, although no doubt Charlie will also sneak some from time to time
>as would the others, if she isn't careful...

>Charlie...
-
>her gift had a nice, deep red wrapping paper, but she clearly struggled to tie on the ribbon neatly
>it was a small photo album - a collage on each page
>the inside cover read: "First year!"...
>...and she recognized some of these

>the night when they had the cook-off between Alastor and her (which she failed, in part due to the Radio Demon's shadow shenanigans, which these pictures now served as evidence for)
>that one volleyball match against Angel (where he broke her shin "by accident" - she'd never believe him in a million years)
>the time Niffty accidentally covered her in floor polish - though, it turned out to be "Floor polish" from Angel, so she spent the rest of the day in the clouds
>and the party where Husk spiked her punch
>not THE punch, just her punch - with the follow-up picture showing the punch he'd gotten from her in return

>she frowned
>yup, this has been a horrible year
>but as she turned the pages, the pictures began to change:

>when she beat Angel in ping-pong, despite the spider using all six of his arms
>the moment she won a bit against Al, with the follow-up showing him wearing Angel's clothes (he had to do that for a week, though if she lost, she would've had to wear HUSK'S clothes for the same amount of time)
>the night she managed to drink Husk under the table (well, that wasn't true - he swore he could outdrink them all, combined, and he failed at her, but not before knocking out Niffty, Angel, Alastor and Charlie)
>and a more recent one: her and Niffty standing proudly (and, in her case, tiredly) in the center of the recently decorated main hall

>well... perhaps it wasn't all horrible
>she turned the page, once more, and her face fell
------
>one picture was of her with Niffty, as she showed the cyclops a new sewing technique - one she hadn't even heard of
>it perfectly encapsulated the moment, showing Niffty's mouth agape and with her eye sparkling, and the subtle pride in Vaggie's smile
>another one was about the night Husk taught her how to become a Sommelier - for once, the old cat looked professional, and happy, whilst she looked like a real lady, sipping on some Merlot
>then, there was a truly epic picture of her, staring down at the camera judgmentally, spear in hand, with Angel and Cherri Bomb flanking her from either side
>this was after one of Sir Pent's attacks, where she took it upon herself to deal with him - mainly to show Alastor that they didn't need him to deal with the old coot, but also, to finally get the message across to the snake: Don't fuck with the Hotel!
>Angel actually had to hold her back when she threatened to start popping Sir Pent's many eyeballs, one by one, if he didn't shut up - which he predictably didn't, which left with a few "blind spots" on his tail
>and finally...
>a picture of her and Charlie in pretty dresses, dancing to the samba - with music provided by Alastor in the background
>she had completely forgotten about that night - it happened fairly early in the year, when she was longing for the summers at home, when she was alive, and Charlie wanted her to teach how to dance, and managed to goad Al into helping
>in the end, they spent a lovely night together, with her and Charlie in each others' arms, and with Al at a respectful distance, but not out of sight
>it was... such a perfect night


>she felt herself tearing up
>but a tap of glass on wood stopped her
>she stared at the glass of Rosé - her favorite!
>Husk shuffled awkwardly around her
>"...Sorry about the whole... Year." he murmured "I've... Just so much I don't wanna think about. It's easier when I'm not sober."
>she stared at him
-
>"I'm not as sturdy as I used to be." he admitted, though painfully "I can still drunk, but my body can't take it anymore."
>"It's alright. I understand." she replied "I'm sorry about the methanol..."
>she paused, before sheepishly admitting:
>"I thought you'd be more sensible, given your age. Angel's a handful already... To mention nothing of Alastor..."

>Husk chuckled
>"Heh. Hate to break it to ya, lady, but the years just made me an OLD fool. I ended up in Hell, didn't I?"
>and he shook his head
>"Anyways, don't sweat it. I'm not gonna drink it, of course, but maybe I can sell it as antifreeze or something..."

>the moth woman's eye lit up
>"Actually..." and she dug under her chair again, pulling out an unpackaged bottle
>"Here..."
>having been handed over the bottle, the cat demon observed the label meticulously
>this one seemed like a genuine article

>"Irish coffee?"

>"I tried it." she replied "Different bottle, I mean. It mixes into some kind of coffee liquor in the bottle, so it's kinda shitty, despite being expensive..."
>"That's what tends to happen with bottled cocktails and mixed drinks." the cat agreed "Why did you buy this, then?"

>"It was meant to be a symbolic gift as well..." Vaggie replied, sheepish again "A "wake up call", if you will..."
>she frowned
>"But, then just one week ago, you guys decided to crown your year-long "performance" by a night of bar hopping and binge drinking, and made a fucking mess..."

>the cat blinked, and frowned, puzzled...
>"I don't... Remember that..." he muttered
>Vaggie sighed
>"I'm not surprised... You two crashed in after 2 a.m., you stiff drunk and immediately throwing up all over the carpet, and then soaking it in piss for good measure, whilst Angel was a wired mess, hopped up on crack and breaking shit no damn reason..."
>"Oh..."

>under his fur, Husk blushed
>but Vaggie wasn't done yet
-
>"Come next morning, you were still delirious from hangover... Or alcohol poisoning, whichever. When I asked you for a spare key for one of the rooms, you slapped me."

>Husk stared
>"I did what?" he stammered
>"You took a swipe at me!" the grey woman replied "Slapped up the side of my head! Hell, your claws nearly took out my good eye!"

>and she lifted her hear from the side of her face, revealing a mostly healed, heart-shaped bruise on the back of her cheek - HIS paw-mark - and three healing scars, running between her ear neck and cheekbone, with one ending dangerously close to her good left eye

>dumbfounded, Husk reached out, his claws gently tracing the scars
>"...I don't remember any of this." he muttered "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
>"I did." she replied, simply "But you were too drunk or hungover to care, so I gave up, and bought the wood nafta instead."

>the cat's ears hung lower
>he could even vaguely recall seeing the woman with a bandage on her cheek, but the beginning of the week was mostly a blur
>he really DID need to cut back on drinks

>no more nights out with the spider, either
>well, no more bar-hopping
>the only thing that really ached from that night, besides his head, was his wallet

>"...So, anyway..." Vaggie continued "I figured you could do something with this. It may be shit as Irish coffee, but maaaaybeee it's good for something else? I dunno, I'm not a bartender..."
>"I'll see what I can do..." he replied "And... Sorry about it... About everything..."

>she smiled
>"Hey, it's alright!"
>but then, she furrowed her brows, imitating Al's angry stare in a way
>"Just don't do it again!"

>nodding, Husk ambled back to the bar, coffee liquor in hand, leaving her with her gifts


>with her spirits somewhat lifted, she returned to the lighter side of the room, and chatted a bit with Niffty over the book
-
>soon enough, though, Alastor poked his head through the door once again:
>"Dinner's ready in a couple of minutes, so you better take your seats!"

>no-one replied, so, clutching the biscuits and Rosé in her hands, the moth demoness made her way through the door
>the dining room was already set for six, with delicious smells wafting from the kitchen
>rather than taking a seat, she headed over to see what Al had prepared

>she found her in front of the oven, having just taken out the ham from roasting, and was busy basting it with it's own juices
>however, he could still hear her stepped, and whipped around
>"Must you peek behind the curtain before the show?!" he asked, witch chagrin "I'm nearly ready with it, Miss Vagatha, so please! Be patient!"
>"Alright, I was just checking." she replied "Need any help?"

>Al scoffed
>"Humph. Only if you can find a way to improve this!" and he cut off a small square from the ham, offering it to her on a fork "It's good as it is, but my culinary instincts tell me there's something amiss."
>and then, he sneered
>"Thought someone like yourself would know anything about THAT, but I'm open for bright ideas... Or stupid ones."

>she just nodded, wordlessly, walked up to a nearby cupboard, and pulled out a small bottle - one that Al had never seen before
>"Why not try this?" she asked, handing it over to him
>the Radio Demon looked at her, warily
>"I'm not sure that after today, I'd be able to accept anything from you that comes in glass bottle..." he murmured, before reading the label "...Truffle sauce?"
>"I heard it goes well with everything." she replied "Figured you could use it."

>Al blinked, suspicious
>"...Why do you have this?"
>Vaggie shrugged
>"It was meant to be your Christmas gift." she explained "Didn't know what to get you, but I knew you liked cooking, so I bought this..."
>and then, she looked him in the eye

>"But then, you decided to make Charlie's and my anniversary a nightmare..."
-
>Alastor blinked
>"Was it really about that?" he asked "It was two months ago..."
>"You never apologized." came the reply "And it just compounded with EVERYTHING ELSE, you've done all year, JUST to piss me off!"

>at this accusation, Al just leaned back
>"Honestly, Miss Vagatha..." he began "I think your fixation has gotten out of hand!"
>and then, he leaned in close, with a faux-sweet smile
>"Do you really think I'd spend so much time and effort on you?"

>"Yes."

>again, the deer demon blinked
>"What?"
>"I'm the only one who tells you to stop." she replied "Of COURSE I'd live rent free in your head."
>momentarily puzzled by that sentence, Al let out a chuckle

>"Oh dear, I think you've gotten us mixed up!" he snickered
>"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that." she replied "I try to keep this place running all day. Have to take account of everyone."
>and she looked her dead in the eye again

>"What do you do, again?"


>Alastor was at a loss for words - she was fixing him with THAT look again
>a bit softer, this time, but also, more intense in a way
>searching
>screening
>"You just look for opportunities to have fun. Visit some old friends with the pretense of helping the Hotel. Generally speaking, you don't work. Well, aside from cooking, but that's more your hobby."
>Al raised an eyebrow
>"Oh, really?" he asked "Well then, I suppose I can leave the defense of the Hotel to you in the future?"
>"Instead of your eldritch sugardaddy?" she retorted, causing him to splutter "Sure. God knows what THAT thing's deal is..."

>outside the kitchen, the sound of chairs being pulled can be heard
>"I'll go join the others." she went on "Hope you find the sauce useful..."


>she found Niffty and Husk, sitting at the table
>explaining that the Radio Demon will be joining them soon, she looked up to see Charlie and Angel entering from the hall
>anxiously, she walked up to them
-
>"There she is." Angel murmured
>Charlie spoke severely to both of them:
>"Well, we've talked things over with Angel." she began, addressing Vaggie "Primarily about his behavior."
>"I'll dial back on the teasing..." he said, half-heartedly "And the jokes... And the pranks..."
>"That's... Good." the moth woman replied, apprehensively
>"However!" the Princess went on "I also feel the need to discuss your behavior."
>Vaggie nodded
>braced herself
>"...Let me begin by apologizing--"
>"Wait, what?"
>"I've neglected my duties as the proprietor and owner of the Hotel, especially since I wanted to be more hands-on with its operation. For all of this, I've nothing to show, since the Hotel hasn't been expanded or repaired in any significant way, nor has it seen new guests arrive. That's on me."

>she could only gape, wordless

>"I've also put you under undue stress, thanks to my neglect of reviewing our employees, and doing little to help with our only patient. I should've also paid more attention to Alastor's behavior. Even though he is a patron of our establishment, he is still a known troublemaker, and I should've been more critical of his proposals and invites for "business opportunities", rather than taking them in good faith."

>pausing with the speech, Charlie then added, softly:
>"I also neglected you as my girlfriend, and as someone who's been by my side for the last 6 years. I'm so, so, SO sorry about that!"
>and she clamped herself around the grey woman's lithe frame

>still baffled, Vaggie quickly reciprocated... But then heard her love's voice, whispering in her ear:
>"I hope you didn't really think I'd be wooed away from you so easily..."
>she blushed, slightly - in hindsight, her worries over Al may have came of as paranoid for the WRONG reasons
>however, she remained firm
>"I never believed for a second that you would." she replied, quietly "Only that he would try."
>she could feel her smile
-
>"You shouldn't have worried. I think he has his eyes on someone else..."

>Vaggie opened her eyes
>"Oh?"

>but then, Charlie pulled back, holding her at arms length, and spoke sternly:
>"However, even in light of all of these mistakes on my end, your behavior tonight has been appalling!" she declared "Regardless of what Angel said, you shouldn't have spoken to him like that! It's horrible, especially in light of the fact that we're supposed to he HELPING him overcome not only his own vices, but what have clearly been traumatic events in his own life AND afterlife!"

>she wasn't sure if it was the weight of her actions, that made her feel guilty
>or Charlie, telling her off

>"I will see to it..." the Princess went on "That I can I have the time to help you actually run this Hotel, and not have to shoulder the burden on your own. But in return, YOU'LL have to work on your own attitude!"

>that hurt
>it made her angry - especially since, deep down, she knew it was true

>"Vaggie, you can't just yell at everyone who doesn't do as they're told! You're a manager, not an army commander! Unruly as they are, you can't treat our employees, and ESPECIALLY our patients like this!"
>"So what, I'm just supposed to take their bullshit?!"

>she couldn't help but to lash out - it's been a long year
>Charlie paused, frowning thoughtfully

>"...Of course not." she continued, softly "But tell me... Was all that yelling worth it? Has it actually worked?"

>words failed her
>that's what she complained about - all of it, feeling like wasted effort
>it all felt Sisyphusian

>"...No." she muttered
>Charlie nodded, smiling a little
>"So you see..." she went on "You need to change your ways as well... Maybe show the others an example of how they can improve as a person!"

>"So that they could walk all over me!" was what Vaggie wanted to say, but she bit it back

>this had already worked, in a way
-
>the gifts did get through to Husk and Alastor, and once she explained herself, they did change - Al more immediately, and Husk more effectively
>only Angel - the patient - showed no signs of change
>and he was the one who didn't get the message, either

>now, she faced the spider once more
>still holding Fat Nuggets in his lower pair of hands, Angel looked down at her with his top pair crossed, his face unimpressed

>"I have to lead by example." she thought "Have to be the bigger man..."
>"I'm sorry..." she began "For what I said."

>he raised an eyebrow
>"That's alright." he replied "Glad to have heard you speak your mind."
>"I--" but she cut off, wide-eyed
>Charlie was staring, too, shocked at what Angel said

>"But I wasn't..." the moth woman muttered, but the spider cut him off
>"No, no. You've meant it, Toots, I could tell." he replied "I've seen you get pissy, but that was no scolding. You spoke how you felt. Which, I guess, was a culmination of everything you felt for fuck knows how long about me. Can't blame you for being honest..."

>"But... I... I didn't..." she stammered, well and truly ashamed for the first time
>she couldn't take it back, could she?
>he won't let him

>"I think you'll understand that I won't accept your apology." he went on, before taking an aside glance at Charlie "Not yet. I mean... Fuck, not even VAL had spoken to me like that..."

>at this point, the ground might as well could've opened up and swallowed her whole
>her shoulders slumped
>beside her, Charlie couldn't help but cringe

>"But... I should be thankful..."
>"...What?"
>she looked up
>"Well..." he went on "Val never spoke to me like that, because he was a lying bastard, and because he wanted to keep me around, despite how much trouble I was... Greedy prick... But you, ya just told me where to go! This wasn't about being high or breaking a window. Youse just had enough, and told me so!"

>"...But..." Charlie mumbled "...How does that...?"
-
>"Well, the way I see it..." Angel continued "If even those who are there get you back on yer feet just give up and want to ensure you're staying on the ground, you've fucked up. If even someone who wants to help you think you're hopeless, you're doing SOMETHIN' wrong! "

>the others just stared

>"It was a wake-up call!" said the spider, spreading his closed arms "I gotta shape up now!"
>and he looked straight at Vaggie
>"If nothing else, just ta prove ya wrong." he said, quietly "Show ya I'm no basket-case."

>still speechless, the two women watched as he waltzed over to the table, just as Al leaned out from the kitchen with a tiny belly, shaking it
>"Dinner's ready~!" he said, and then opened his eyes "Oh..."
>the others were waiting for him, their expressions indescribable

>"I'm missing out on all the fun!" he thought


>the dinner was fine, with everyone complimenting it, especially the ham
>afterwards, an eager Al and Angel set about assembling the radio on the cleared out table (soon joined by Husk, who couldn't stand them fucking about with the soldering-iron, especially after they popped some of the old radio tubes - luckily, the transistor Vaggie gave Al came in handy)
>Niffty was back to reading her book, munching on her chocolate

>Charlie and Vaggie sat together in the couch, relaxing with cups of hot cocoa and marshmallows
>warmed from the inside and out, the Princess had settled down, cozy and calm, but Vaggie was still pensive
>the tension she felt could only be described as "...Have I gotten away with it?"

>in hindsight, everything - the "gifts", her fiasco with Alastor and Angel - was awfully petty on her part, and egregious
>Charlie was right, in more than one way: her changing her ways did help to finally get the message across (in a way), but she needed to change her attitude as well
-
>with these thoughts lapping against her mind, she struggled to relax, choosing instead to tune them out, and watch as the three men assembled the radio
>eventually, there came a cry of cheers, as the wooden box crackled to life, playing a familiar song:

I don't want a lot for Christmas
There is just one thing I need
I don't care about the presents
Underneath the Christmas tree...

>Charlie grinned, while Vaggie just rolled her eyes...
>...and that was when she spotted the mistletoe above them

>behind the couch stood Angel, in his festive "sexy Santa" outfit, pretending to clean his nails, with one arm holding the item
>his face remained dispassionate, but once he noticed Vaggie staring, he quickly cracked a smile, and winked, before resuming the same, dull look
>perplexed, the grey woman felt a hand on her shoulder

>Charlie was looking deeply into her eyes
>lovingly

>"You know what they say about them!" she said, eyes motioning towards the mistletoe
>her eyes shimmered

>despite the day's events, despite her week, despite the entire God damned, Satan blessed trainwreck of a year, Vaggie couldn't help but smile
>the music reached a quiet part


And I'm just gonna keep on waiting
Underneath the mistletoe


>leaning into the kiss, she could feel the tension melt away
>she had to wrap her arms around Charlie, for fear of buckling from her lax muscles
>thus, pulling herself even deeper into the kiss

I don't need to hang my stocking
There upon the fireplace
Santa Claus won't make me happy
With a toy on Christmas Day

>with Alastor dancing with Niffty, and Husk and Angel knocking back a few eggnogs (Husk's with less alcohol), the gang hunkered down for the night, as the season soot began to fall outside, with Hell's ruddy hue turning bluish with the flames, causing Heaven to shine down upon it like a full moon
>the year had come to a close
>it was time to celebrate!
-
'Cause I just want you here tonight
Holding on to me so tight

>"Merry Christmas, Vaggie!"

What more can I do?
Baby, all I want for Christmas is you

>"Merry Christmas, Charlie..."


All I want for Christmas... is you~


THE END


And that's a wrap!
Hope you enjoyed the story, everyone.
Happy holidays, one and all!