Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

You wake up to a world of red.

The sky is red. The ground is red. You put your hands to your face, wondering if you’re looking through red-tinted glasses.

Your… face.

It feels… wrong. Like not your face. But that doesn’t make sense because you’re touching your face and of course it’s your face and-

Your hands. Your hands? Who else’s hands would they be? But they’re wrong. The hands in front of you are grey with short fingers and sharp white nails. Your hands are-

What do your hands look like? You… don’t remember. You don’t remember. You don’t remember, youdon’tremember-

Stop.

Breathe.

Focus.

You take a deep breath in and out. One thing at a time. Take stock of your surroundings.

Your hands are grey with short fingers and sharp white nails. They are attached to forearms covered in thick white wool.

Wool?

You pull at the wool, and it stings like you’re pulling your own hair.

Hair.

You reach up to touch your head. Also wool. And two short horns.

Breathe. Focus.

You feel down the front of your face. Eyes feel correct. Nose feels… flat. And there’s a small shallow cleft leading from your nose to your top lip. Lips are otherwise normal. Cheeks, chin, those seem fine. You run your tongue over your teeth and find long canines ending in sharp points. Could be worse. Ears…

Ears.

Your ears feel long and velvety, almost perpendicular to your head. They seem like they curve up slightly at the ends.

“...Am I a fucking sheep?”

You’re suddenly aware of an… unfamiliar appendage. You reach behind you and your hand grabs onto what you were dreading was there: a long and fluffy

Tail.

You put your face in your hands and let out a groan that definitely does not sound like a bleat.

“Okay. I’m a sheep. Instead of…”

What were you before anyway?

Stop. Focus. Figure out where you are.

You look around again. Still red, aside from the black gate towering in front of you.

How did I miss that?

You try to stand, putting one foot under you and putting your weight on it, but then-

You fall flat on your face.

You look down at your feet. Of course. Hooves. You have black hooves, and there’s more wool covering your lower legs from your knees to your ankles. You tug on the wool again for good measure and as suspected, it’s attached to your skin.

You try to stand again, more carefully this time, and you successfully rise to your feet. You feel like you’re walking on tiptoes, but that seems like it’s going to be the new normal for as long as you’re… like this.

You approach the tall black gates slowly, not wanting to fall again. There’s a large podium in front of the gates, about 10 feet high, but you don’t see anyone manning it. There’s a lopsided sign nailed to the front of the podium with seemingly the only instructions you’re going to receive. In thick black handwritten letters, it says

Great. Hell. At least that solves the mystery of where you are.

There’s a pile of papers on the ground next to the podium, held down by a large chunk of yellow brimstone. You bend down to pick up one of the sheets and find it’s a stack of ads for something called the Hazbin Hotel.

There’s a rainbow under the text and then a footnote at the bottom of the flyer in small font.

*Participation in the redemption program does not guarantee redemption to Heaven or escape from angelic extermination. We don’t know if this even works. But it’s probably worth a try!

Sounds… odd. But it’s not like anyone else is offering free food and shelter. Fortunately, there’s a map on the back with a bright red YOU ARE HERE star on the Gates of Hell.

A hot breeze blows past you and the black gates fly open menacingly, beckoning you inward.

Then they blow shut again, clanging together, simply a worn old gate flapping in the wind. Of course they didn’t open for you, that would indicate someone cared. And you’re in Hell, the end of the road for sinners. Like you, presumably. You try to recall what you did in life to end up here, but your mind is blank, a vast expanse of nothing where memories of your life and who you are (were?) should be. You try to shake off the panic rising in your chest and focus on breathing. Maybe it’s just temporary amnesia, and you’ll remember yourself in no time. Or maybe your sins in life were so horrifying, your undead mind has blocked them out completely, too ashamed to carry the knowledge into the afterlife.

You look down at the map in your hands and push open the black gates. This is going to be a long eternity.

Your journey to the hotel is fairly uneventful, the map seemingly designed to guide new sinners along the least dangerous path available. The hotel is large and brightly illuminated, utterly impossible to miss against the sordid backdrop of Hell. You approach slowly, your hooves clatteringly softly on the stone path.

Based on the flyer, you hadn’t expected anything so grand. Red and gold patterns of hearts and music notes decorate the black front of the tall building. The red and white awning is topped with a lotus flower and an elaborate glowing apple. At the very top sits a winged eye, the words “Hazbin Hotel” glowing brightly above as it stares down at you. It seems like it’s meant to be welcoming, but you can't help feeling like it’s judging you. At the top left corner of the hotel is another apple motif, seemingly a circular suite with tall windows. At the right corner is…

You look at the black and red shape curiously. You suspect it could be another suite, but it’s completely asymmetrical and at odds with the rest of the beautiful building. It’s all pointy black edges with red windows that look like teeth. Curved antennae split off the roof at random points, resembling the antlers of a deer. Even the upper balcony is torn away from the strange protrusion as though it were a growth infecting the hotel instead of something intentionally built onto it.

A large gold statue of a dragon stands directly in front, and you look down at the flyer in your hands again. This place seems way too ritzy to be free, but the sign at the top says you’re at the right place. You definitely feel underdressed in only a simple black tunic cinched at the waist with a rotting piece of rope you found on your way here, but you have literally nothing at all to lose. You steel yourself and hurriedly push open the heavy front doors before you can change your mind. Entering the hotel, you find it’s just as fancy looking on the inside. Primarily keeping the red and gold color scheme, tall columns line the foyer, and there’s an elegant stairway leading to the upper levels.

It’s also alarmingly quiet.

Jazz plays softly over the speakers in the lobby, but you don’t see anyone around. You’d expected a free hotel to be completely full, but maybe most of Hell’s residents were put off by the friendship building or whatever else the flyer promised. You walk further inside looking for signs of life, the plush carpet muffling your footsteps.

A green glow catches your eye, and you find yourself staring at a bar that’s completely at odds with the rest of the hotel. The wooden walls are dingy and run down, and the front of the bar looks like a slot machine, with multiple skulls adorning the overhang. There’s also a bartender staring at you with wide black eyes.

A yelp escapes your lips as you jump, startled by the… winged cat man.

“Ah, sorry,” he says in a gruff voice. “We don’t get a lot of random people coming by… and actually using the door.” He mumbles the last part under his breath. He puts down the glass he’d been polishing and picks up a phone from behind the bar, dialing quickly.

“Hey, you’re gonna wanna come down here,” he says into the phone. “Yeah, a sinner… yeah, she’s got a flyer… Okay but maybe try to be a little-”

The double doors at the top of the staircase burst open and a blonde woman in a red tuxedo practically flies down, headed straight towards you. “Ohmygosh hiiiii!” she squeals, stopping directly in front of you, bending down so her face is inches from yours.

You hear the bartender sigh deeply. “-calm.”

“I’m Charlie,” the woman sing-songs. “What’s your name? Are you looking for a room at the hotel? Lifelong friends? Redemption?” She’s speaking so quickly, you don’t have a chance to get a word in. All you can do is stare at her impossibly large yellow and red eyes as she prattles on enthusiastically.

“Slow down, babe,” a deeper voice says, and a woman with long white hair and grey skin gently pulls Charlie away from you. “I know you’re excited, but you don’t want to scare her off.” The woman turns her single eye on you and extends a hand. “Hi, I’m Vaggie. Welcome to the Hazbin Hotel.”

You reach out tentatively and shake her hand. She’s about the same height as you, while Charlie towers over you both. Both women seem welcoming, but Vaggie is perfectly calm while Charlie is lightly bouncing up and down, practically vibrating with excitement.

“Yeah, I guess I’m looking for a room.” You hold up the flyer, pointing at it. “I’m new in, uh… Hell. And I saw this at the gate so I just… here I am.”

“And we are so happy to have you!” Charlie squeals. She scoops you up in a tight hug that lifts your feet off the ground, completely unable to stop herself.

“Babe.”

Her vice grip on you loosens as she quickly sets you back down. “Oops. Sorry.” She grimaces sheepishly, but her expression quickly morphs back into pure elation. “I’m just so excited to have a new face around here! Here, let’s get you checked in and then you can meet everyone!”

Charlie puts her hand on your back and leads you to the front desk. You look back at Vaggie, and she offers you a supportive smile as she follows after you two.

“Okay, we just need to fill out some quick paperwork and then we can get you all settled in!” Charlie hands you a form on a clipboard and a red pen. “We just need your name, date of birth, date of death, and at least a few of your sins, just so we can know what areas to target on your path to redemption!” She stares down at you with a bright expectant smile.

Unfortunately, you hadn’t been able to remember anything about yourself on your walk from the gate to the hotel. You stare at the form in frustration, willing the information to come back to you. Your name, your favorite color, a food you liked, where you lived. You grasp around in your mind looking for anything about who you were but there was absolutely nothing, nothing in your memory. You set the clipboard down on the desk harder than you intend to, and it clatters loudly.

“I don’t…” You swallow and look at the ground, feeling a warm flush flare across your face. “I don’t remember… Who I was. Who I am.” You look up at Charlie and feel tears forming in your eyes. “I don’t know why I’m here.”

“Oh. That’s…” Charlie raises her pale hand to her mouth, her expression sympathetic. She glances at Vaggie, who looks just as confused and offers a hapless shrug. “Well, that’s okay!” She plasters a beaming smile back on her face. “We can worry about all that later. Let’s get you into a room!

She eyes the mostly full wall of hotel keys behind the desk and carefully selects one from the center of the top row. “137!” she says cheerily, handing you the key.

Vaggie furrows her eyebrow when she hears the number. “Are you sure you want to put her there?”

Charlie moves to whisper something in her ear, and a slight apprehension rises in your chest. “I guess that’s true,” Vaggie concedes. She smiles at you reassuringly, and you decide to trust their judgement.

Charlie turns back to you and gestures enthusiastically for you to follow. “Your room is right this way! You can settle in, and then we’ll introduce you to everyone later. You’ve already met Husk, our bartender.” She gestures over to him, and he lifts a paw to wave at you unenthusiastically as you walk by. “Right now we only have one other resident in our redemption program, but my dad also lives here, and we have a couple other staff members…”

Charlie talks for the entire elevator ride to the 13th floor, opting to explain the story of Hell, the process of angelic exterminations, and her dream of redeeming sinners. While you appreciate the information, your head spins from the infodump. “Unfortunately, since the exterminations have been paused indefinitely, no one has really been interested in trying to figure out if it’s even possible to ascend to Heaven.” You nod along wordlessly, deciding it would be better to ask any follow up questions later.

The elevator dings as it comes to a stop and the door opens. “Ta da!” Charlie waves her hands in front of the door closest to the elevator. “Here’s your room! Very top floor and across from the elevator so you don’t get lost.”

You put your key in the door and unlock it. The room is definitely nice. Red, black, and gold like everything else, with a queen sized bed, seating area around a fireplace, and an open door leading to the bathroom. You feel something rub against your legs, and you look down to see a black and white cat with one giant yellow eye nuzzling you.

“This is Keekee!” Charlie explains. “She can customize the room however you want. If you don’t like the default layout or want to add anything, you’re more than welcome to! We want all of our guests to be perfectly comfortable.” She takes a quick glance around the room and then snaps her fingers, bringing the fireplace to life.

“We’ll leave you to relax,” Vaggie says, gently pulling Charlie by the arm. “There’s a schedule by the fireplace, but obviously you can come down whenever you want, and we’ll introduce you to everyone.”

“Do you need anything before we go?” Charlie asks, definitely a proper (although energetic) hostess.

“Um, I think I’m okay. Thank you.” You smile at them, grateful for their kindness but also wanting some time to collect yourself. They say their goodbyes and shut the door, leaving you with Keekee, who makes herself comfortable in front of the fire.

You follow the cat and look for the schedule Vaggie mentioned. You find it on the coffee table, a simple typed list of mealtimes and daily activities. You glance at the clock on top of the mantle and note it’s about two hours until dinner time. You set the paper back on the table and head to the wooden armoire near the bed. You open it and find a plush red bathrobe hanging inside, plus a red satin pajama set folded neatly next to a pair of red slippers. The bathroom has both a shower and a large tub with a marble sink and a huge mirror framed with gold filigree.

You catch yourself in the mirror and blink slowly, seeing yourself for the first time. Getting close, you examine your face. Your eyes resemble Charlie’s with yellow sclera and red irises. Your nose is distinctly flat and sheepy, and your lips are black. Your skin is grey, although it’s lighter around your eyes, cheeks, and chin, outlining your features in an almost heart shape. The wool on your head is white, the same as on your arms and legs. The horns poking out of your head are small and dark brown, almost black. You touch them gently and wonder if they’ll eventually grow longer. They aren’t very sensitive, but you can definitely feel the pressure of your fingers gripping them.

You move your head around, watching your long velvety ears. They bounce and flap with each of your movements, causing you to wince in embarrassment. That’ll be… something to get used to, you think to yourself. To your surprise, your ears are pierced, with two silver hoops near the tips of both ears and an extra one closer to your head on the right side. You touch the shiny jewelry gently, wondering if that’s something that carried over from your life. Your first and currently only clue as to what type of person you were.

You undo the rope around your waist and pull your tunic over your head, wanting to get a look at the rest of your body. You inhale sharply as you catch yourself in the mirror, looking down at your chest. Two silver barbells adorn your nipples. You blink and raise a hand to touch one, keeping your eyes on your mirrored self as though watching someone else. You gently pinch your nipple and tug, gasping as a shiver of arousal erupts from your core and fans out to the rest of your body.

So that’s the kind of person I was…

Your tail sways lightly in excitement, the soft wool tickling your behind. You turn in the mirror to get a better look at it, still unsure how you feel about having a tail.

“I guess it’s… cute?”

You do have a nice ass at least. You turn back around, looking at yourself. Actually, your body overall seems to your liking. Your stomach and chest are a lighter shade of grey than the rest of you, like your face is. You have full breasts, a plump tummy, and thick thighs. You think about how thin Charlie and Vaggie are and are grateful you have some meat on your bones.

You poke your head out of the bathroom and glance at the sleeping cat. “Hey, Keekee, can you make clothes?”

She opens her eye wide and makes a big show of stretching before she comes and sits in front of you, looking at you expectantly.

“Um… can you make me a dress?” Keekee gives you a merp and a blink, and suddenly you’re wearing an exact copy of the red and black dress Vaggie had on. “Oh!” you exclaim, looking down in surprise. “Can we swap the colors?”

Another blink from Keekee and the colors of the dress swap, now black on top with a red skirt.

“How about…”

You ask Keekee for a few more adjustments until you’re satisfied. You twirl in front of the cat, your flared skirt catching the air, and she chirps in approval. She looks down at your hooves and blinks again, providing you with ankle high red boots. You feel relief as the heels support you, no longer feeling like you’re walking on your tiptoes.

You crouch down to give the cat an affectionate scratch behind the ears. “Thank you very much, Keekee.” Satisfied with her work, she turns and hops up on your bed, circling a few times before curling up in a ball and closing her large eye once more.

You sit on the bed next to her and lay back. The bed is supremely comfortable and you sink into the mattress. Your eyes glaze over as you stare at the ceiling, thinking about the day you’ve had. As far as Hell is concerned, it could definitely be worse. You wonder how much of Hell you’d be able to see from your room on the top floor, but you don’t have any windows. Maybe you can ask Keekee to add one for you later.

Top floor…

Oh.

Your eyes widen as you realize you’re on the same floor as the two suites you saw from the front of the hotel, the apple and the spikey black monstrosity. Right in the middle of them, it seems. While you know the hotel is mostly empty, those two rooms seem way too customized to not be occupied. Is that why Vaggie seemed hesitant to put you here? Charlie said there’s her dad, one resident, and some staff…

Something tugs at the edges of your mind as it tries to slide the pieces into place. You get up to retrieve the hotel flyer you left on the coffee table. You quickly reread the words you’re looking for.

…run by Hell’s princess, Charlie Morningstar!

You blink in astonishment. That Charlie? The Princess of Hell? But she was so… nice.

“My dad lives here,” she’d said. Which would mean… the King of Hell.

Lucifer.

Charlie hadn’t said much about him, but knowledge of Christian creation mythos rushes to the front of your mind. Adam and Eve, the serpent, the apple, the garden. Why can you remember this shit but you don’t have any memories about yourself? The realization makes you want to pull the hair out of your head.

The apple… The apple-shaped suite. You blink again, dumbfounded.

How the fuck had you ended up being neighbors with the King of Hell on your first day?

And if the king was on one end, who could possibly be powerful enough to be on the other?