Chapter Text
Aiso shuffles across the pavement, the hard rubber of his shoes scraping against the concrete. A soft cold breeze brushes against his form causing a wave of goosebumps to creep over his muddy red skin. He tries to distract himself from the stinging pain in his eyes, mumbling self encouraging words, as he steps into the bright glow of Pentagram City.
Aiso emerges from the shadows of the alleyway, clutching a bundle of green bills between his rough fingers. He grabs his unblemished left arm and crunches his dislocated shoulder back into place with a grunt of pain. The viscous spittle over his eye smears as he wipes his brow against his forearm.
A harder fight than expected.
The rumbling of a large van speeds by, drowning out the pained groans from the alley behind him as the blinding headlights illuminate his short fit form. He blows a jet of steam into the cold night air and smirks, brushing his short, tapered, inky hair over his skull. A warm pain creeps into his head as his fingers run across the sizable bruise-like mark on his temple. The bills flutter in his palm and a chortle explodes from his chest.
But the reward is always worth it.
Glancing down, Aiso spots a blotch of blood staining his black and gold button-down shirt. He clicks his tongue, annoyed. This was his favorite shirt since he took it off some demon a week before. Plus, cleaning this would be a hassle, but resolving that will have to come later. Strutting away, he counts his newly acquired stack of cash with stoic pride as another car zips by with bright headlights.
The flash of strobing lights bathed the enormous club in blurry shades of blue and violet. A glass cup of amber liquor slid across the bartop into Aiso’s awaiting fingers. The surface of the liquid rippled as the deafening music of the club vibrated the entirety of the space.
They never change the songs here.
He lifts the drink to his muzzle, the scent of alcohol stinging his nostrils. A fragrance strong enough to make any demon gag, but a small price to pay for the momentary solace this poison provides, along with the monetary exchange. As the cup pecks his lips, a nudge on his elbow disrupts his thoughts.
A demon seductress sat on the stool beside him, her lips puckered into a soft smile. Her smooth dark hair rested on her shoulders and shallow strands blanketed her golden eyes. The small verdant dress she wore hugged her curvaceous form, covering her tight waist and ample bosom. Her skin shined an intoxicating pale blue.
She lifted her glass of deep crimson wine toward him, her glistening ebony lipstick hypnotizing Aiso as she spoke. Her words were garbled and muddied, difficult to understand over the blaring music and raucous social atmosphere of the crowded club.
Aiso smirks before raising his cup as well and clinking the glass against hers.
She slams Aiso against the numbered wooden door and presses her lips against his, entangling their tongues in a passionate dance as she pulls on the nape of his neck. She guides his hand along her figure, tracking every bump and curve of her body. Their moans barely audible to one another over the music.
A sharp pain alerts Aiso as she bites his bottom lip. Her hand slowly paws his chest and she pulls away, licking clean her full luscious lips. Her ravenous golden glare rapidly flashed a variety of colors, changing to shades of reds, blues, and violets.
Aiso chortles as a trickle of blood drips from his smirk and he grabs a handful of condoms from the lone bowl beside the door. The door flies open and the seductress pushes him into the dark room.
He stumbles backwards, knocking into a rigid figure before turning around. Three tall husky demons in sharp suits stand aligned in front of him. Aiso studies their faces, trying to identify their features. He felt as if they were leering at him, yet he couldn’t find their eyes. They were jeering but their mouths were nowhere to be seen.
A bright light bathes the group as a short car blares their horn, demanding they vacate the road. A cold wind bites against Aiso’s right cheek as a fist cracks his left side. He recovers, swinging into the frontmost figure. His arm blasts into their solid torso and they cock their head, unaffected by the strike, before rearing their arm.
Aiso flinches, whipping his head back and squeezing his eyes shut, waiting for the attack to connect. His jaw clenched as he counted the seconds, turning into minutes as a drop of sweat raced down his face.
A whistling breeze tickles his ear. Peeling his eyes open, he erects himself and stares with bewilderment. An endless azure sky greets him, dotted with strands of wisping clouds. A scene he has not seen in decades.
The blazing white sun bathes Aiso in a warm embracing glow, as if welcoming him back from a long venture. A sense of yearning and nostalgia fill his chest.
Glancing down, he finds a sea of green bushes with broad leaves trapping him up to his waist. Bushels of small flowers, each with five short white petals, are scattered amongst the foliage.
He leans down, gently pulling the flora against his lips. They are soft, like kisses of cotton, as they brush against him. Their sweet aroma blows away his anxious energy and eases his mind, his body, his heart.
A deep, low humming echoes from a distance ahead of him. He perks up, shooting his gaze towards the skyline. The blue skies wash over into a blood red and the shining sun corrodes into a dark sphere. The distant greenery fades into a withering rust and a wave of rotting bushes cascades towards him.
A titanic black serpent erupts skyward from the horizon, its scales shimmering and reflecting the new red hue of the sky. As it spirals through the now crimson heavens, it unlatches its gargantuan jaw and barrels toward Aiso.
He tries to step forward, only to realize his foot is buried and immobile. A mass of vines lance up his legs, binding his figure and rooting him in place. He struggles, tugging and jerking his entangled body, before staring up as the gaping maw engulfs him in darkness.
Aiso startles awake, his heart pulsing rapidly, gasping as his body bolts straight up before banging his head against something hard. A sweet yelp resounds in the dark room and he flinches back, pressing his palm against the warming pain on his forehead.
“Ow! Oh my gosh. Ais’, are you okay?” A dulcet voice sings.
A figure steps into the soft glow of the lone light from the window. The red waistcoat worn over her white dress shirt fits her form. Thick blonde hair swings behind her as she toes closer to him. Her hand rests on the reddening spot of her forehead.
Aiso glances up to find Charlie Morningstar, Princess of Hell and owner of the Hazbin Hotel, beside his bedstead.
He meets her scarlet puppy eyes as her visage contorts with worry. With his voice groggy and soft, he utters, “Miss Morningstar? I, uh…”
He scans the room, peering through his strands of dark hair before gazing into the mulberry sky through the single small window. “…What time is it? Are ya alright?”
She clasps her hands together, tucking them under her chin, while flashing an awkward grin. “Um, I’m…sorry for waking you, but, everyone’s gathering up right now in the kitchen and…I’d like you to come too?”
“This early?” Aiso hunches forward, tilting his head as he clutches the thin blanket over his pelvis.
“Well, today’s activity requires all of us to be up and about before dawn!” Her eyes and smile snap to joy as she jazzes her balled palms, singing with excitement.
Aiso flops back onto his firm mattress, sighing a puff of steam. He stares up into the darkness of the wooden rafters with a relaxed expression as the thumping in his chest calms to a steady rhythm.
Charlie’s head pops into his view, the springs of the bed creaking as she props her leg onto the mattress, leaning over him. Her lips, glossed with black lipstick, pull into a tight grin. Her porcelain skin is radiant, glowing from the ambient lumination, as her rosy cheeks widens.
A faint sweet fragrance of flowers tickles Aiso’s nose.
She grasps the top of his hand, gingerly for comfort and to convey her unease. “Ais’?”
He squeezes her hand in return, his weary words fumble from his mouth while pushing himself upright. “Yeah. Just…glad nothin’ dangerous happened to ya. Ya never came to wake me up before so I thought some emergency was goin’ on.”
She giggles, cute and short, and the tension in her visage washes away. She inches closer, eyeing his lips and biting hers as his smirk softens. “Well, thank you for worrying about me.”
Her clothes rub against the of the bed as she slides further onto the mattress. She sits herself beside him and continues with a hushed voice, “And, why am I back to being Miss Morningstar? Did I do something wrong?”
“Sorry, I’m still gettin’ used to just addressin’ you by name.” Aiso lifts his cocked head, rousing from his lethargy, to meet her gaze when Charlie steals a kiss. Her lips tenderly explores his, a familiar softness and sweet aroma, the sensation magnetizing as it pulls him in.
A pleasant moan escapes her warm breath as it grazes Aiso’s cheek. Her intoxicating flowery scent bewitches him, like a spell, putting him under an amorous trance where all he could focus on is her touch.
Charlie pulls away, leaving him to yearn for her taste, and presses her forehead into his. “You know, now that I hear it again after so long, I think I might actually like you calling me ‘Miss Morningstar’…b-but only when it’s just us.”
He lets out a quiet chortle. “...Really?”
“Yeah, it sounds kind of…risque.” She steals another kiss, pressing her palm against his chest. “Like I’m your boss and I can tell you to do whatever I want.”
“Ya—are—my boss.”
“I–” her lips purse as she retracts a bit, pouting. “You know what I mean!”
Aiso chuckles, amused by her reaction. He finds so much joy in their rare private interactions. “And? What’s yer first order of business then, Miss Morningstar?”
“Well first…” she whispers, tracing her fingers down along his chest and abdomen, her nails softly pricking his skin. “...is to keep my company for the moment.”
A tickle rises in his nose causing an involuntary twitch in his cheek before he turns his head, exploding a sneeze that rings in the dark room.
A heaviness in his head lifted, the amorous trance in his mind cleared like a fog dispersed by wind.
The sensation of Charlie’s soft fingers gripping his palm races up Aiso’s arm. The remnant taste of her honeyed lips turned bittersweet on his tongue.
A growing weight builds in his chest as a tinge of guilt invades his heart.
“...Looks like I’m 86-in’ that order boss.” Aiso sniffles, rubbing his nose against his wrist. “I should get dressed before I catch a cold or somethin’.”
She slips her hands away and retracts upright beside the bedstead. Her face flush with the realization of his near naked figure as she sneaks glances of his bare torso.
“Oh! Haha…right.” A bashful, awkward smile flashes across her visage as her fingers fidget over one another. She withdraws to the entrance of the chamber, sliding beside the wooden door. “Then, I’ll see you in a bit, Ais’.”
Aiso turns his back towards her as he peels the thin sheet from his body. Sitting on the edge of the mattress, he spreads his arms and stretches his torso, a cracking from his sternum resonating through his form.
As Charlie twists the door knob to exit, she peers over to Aiso a final time, studying his fit shape. The creeping glow of the window outlines his figure as the darkness of the chambers shrouds the rest of him in shadow. She watches as he retrieves an item from the bedside table and raises his brawny arm to fasten his wavy hair into a messy bun. She bites her lip as she traces his silhouette and a silent desire rises within her.
Her eyes catch an instance of movement on his back shoulder. A twitching. A sort of squirming. Barely visible in the shadows. A black mark slithering in and out of the visibility of the light. She tries to focus on it, a nagging curiosity taking hold of her, before Aiso turns his head, causing her to exit the room in a panic.
As the door clicks close, a wave of steam billows from his mouth.
Can things between us change so radically like that?
It’s starting again. The same conversation he has with himself every morning.
It’s no coincidence this…dream-like circumstance began that same day I saw her again. The day she…
Aiso brings a hand against his face, his fingers rubbing along his jaw. The memory of Vara’s suffocating grasp around his throat and the piercing pain on his chin causes his skin to tingle.
…Or was it? Maybe it’s like what Husk said. ‘Shit happens and things change all the time.’? Ah, please…
The creaking of the mattress accompanies his sigh, the tension in his form lightening, as he stands erect.
I know I have to tell them. I want to, but…
The memory of the resident’s faces flash in Aiso’s mind; The joy, care, and affection they share between each other. Their loving and tender eyes would change so quickly, so drastically. Gazes of disdain, disgust, detestation. The fear creeps over his shoulders.
Aiso shuffles to the window pane, staring beyond the glass and into the distant crags of an unnamed mountain range. The visible portion of the city below dazzles in neverending lights and rotating displays. The mulberry sky shifts subtly into a warmer hue, redder, as a new day in Hell dawns.