#staff is fuckin sketchy like we know this but. yelling at the problem and doing nothing else doesn't fix it.

[akari-hope]

people's inability to talk about situations with nuance online is causing bizarre problems yet again

[petitprincess1]

Good Evening Ch5 (It’s a Deal Then?)

AO3 Link Summary: Charlie and Vaggie talk about Al’s proposition, more questions about this permanently smiling man arise, and Angelo get texts from an associate of Valentino. Words: 1,787 Sorry for any typos, been sneezing all day and don’t have the energy. ~~~ Charlie walked up the stairs and through where she a door still open to a random floor. She went around the corridors, hearing Vaggie speaking to the guest that stole some alcohol. The blonde girl was expecting to see her lover arguing with the thief, but when she rounded the corner and peeked into the room, she saw Vaggie simply explaining the rules of the hotel. The guest seemed ashamed and desperate for the vodka. 

The goth girl gave a small sigh as she looked around the room, trying to find something to pour it into. Vaggie grabbed a glass nearby, went into the bathroom, and poured a little bit of cold water from the faucet. She came back with the glass and told them, “Give me the bottle.”

The guest hugged the bottle close to their chest for a few seconds, glanced at the alcohol, back at Vaggie, and then sighed as they handed the bottle to her. The sex worker uncorked the bottle and poured a bit of the vodka into the cold water, watching it fill up. She handed the half-water and half-vodka to the guest, making the guest take the glass with a slightly grateful look. Vaggie gave them a small nod before leaving out the room, causing Charlie to quickly move away from the door. The goth girl walked out the room, closed the door, and then jumped at the sound of someone squealing.

Vaggie quickly turned the person in apprehension and raised the bottle to smack them with, just to immediately calm down at seeing Charlie. The mayor’s daughter was rocking on her heels with a large grin on her face and looked as if her eyes were sparkling. The silver-haired girl turned her head and asked, hiding a blush, “Wh-What? I’m not that hard-hearted.”

“I’m just…so happy to see you showing your soft side!!” Charlie exclaimed in such joy, prancing a bit in place. Seeing her apple dumpling so excited made Vaggie blush a bit more and tried to hide behind her hair a bit, while asking, “D-Did you c-come see me fo-or a reas-son?”

Charlie then swiftly went serious as she pressed her fingers together and explained, “Oh! Right, uh, well, Al suggested- well…more like asserted that he wants to help run the Happy Hotel with us, which you know, but he also is cooking for us. I don’t know why and I don’t know what to say. Vaggie, what if he holds what I did against me? What if-”

Vaggie tried to calm her by saying, “Listen to me, Charlie, we don’t know what he’ll do. So…I guess we will go along with whatever it is that he has planned, but just set some parameters. Keep him away from these people as much as possible, okay? We don’t know how dangerous he is.”

Charlie took a deep breath and nodded, “Yeah, yeah, I guess you’re right. What’s the worst that could come from-” before she could finish, there was the sound of what seemed like very muffled yelling coming from downstairs. The two gave each other concerned stares before running off down the hall to get to the stairs.

Angelo looked at what was going on with the three in the room, watching Niffty yell up at Husk for breaking plates, while the old man glared vehemently at Alastor, who was just casually humming as he placed the large pot on the stove. The younger man shifted a bit in place and repeated, “So, do ya two know each other or…?”

Husk yelled at Angelo, “What made you realize that, smartass!? I’m always havin’ to clean up this shitbags mess! No matter what it is that I’m doin’ or where I am, I gotta come to help this fuckin’ clown!”

Angelo looked at Al to see his reaction and the man was just stirring around the pot gumbo, making it seem like he wasn’t paying attention. The porn star hummed, raising an eyebrow at Husk and smirking, “So, ya two are fuckin’ then?”

Alastor suddenly stopped stirring and shouted, “Ha! No.”

Husker agreed, “Fuck no. I’d rather stick my dick down a garbage disposal and turn it on than the inside that dumbass.”

“Oh, I hope that you use protection, Husker,” Al joked, giving a quiet chuckle and grinning widely. This just made Angelo even confused, since neither of the two specified how they met one another or what they did with one another. He was about to ask what it was, but Niffty ended up shoving a broom and dustpan into his arms. She huffed, “Less talking and more cleaning!”

The small girl shoved Angelo towards the broken ceramic and then went to make the rice. The fluffy haired man huffed as he began to sweep up the shattered plate. As he was doing this, Charlie and Vaggie came sprinting into the kitchen. Charlie took a few deep breaths and then asked anyone, “We…heard shouting…what’s…going on?”

Alastor shrugged his shoulders and chuckled, wrapping an arm around Husk and pulling him down to rub his cheek against his, “Nothing more, but a tearful reunion, doll!”

Husk grumbled as he pushed Al away and left out of the kitchen, going to possibly drink and pretend to give a shit about his job. Charlie decided to question that later as she looked back at the creole and announced, “By the way, Al, I’ve thought about your proposal.”

Alastor stopped stirring, placed a lid on the pot- making Niffty sigh at the heavenly, savory smell of the gumbo being taken away -and turned to the blonde-haired girl. He grinned and hummed, showing that he was waiting for her to continue. Charlie went on, “Alright, so, you’re sketchy as fuck and you wishing to run this hotel because of boredom is…odd. However, we don’t have a lot of staff members and you being on the radio could offer great promotion for the hotel. So, I am taking your offer, on the condition there’ll be no tricks or twists attached.”

Al held out his hand and smiled, “So, it’s a dea-”

Vaggie quickly added, “However, you cannot stay at this hotel. This is meant for those going through rehab and…despite some problems, you appear to be mentally sound.”

The creole’s smile seemed to lessen just slightly as he hummed, “Well, I already have brought my possessions with me. It seems rather rude to turn me away, don’t you think? After me helping you…”

Niffty chimed as she stirred the gumbo and paid attention to the boiling rice, “It does seem weird, since he’s making this meal for us.”

While that also made sense, Charlie, Vaggie, and Angelo knew exactly what “help” that the man was actually referring to. Angelo then suddenly jumped up from cleaning up the shards of plate and suggested, “Well, uh, I got someplace ya can hang out in, at least for right now.”

Charlie cleared her throat and also said, “I…can also, maybe, ask my parents if you can stay over, but that also may take some time…and convincing.”

Alastor’s smile became more sincere as he walked over to Angelo and Charlie, wrapping his arms around the two and hugging them. He jovially said, “My goodness! Such fantastic people you are! I cannot wait to get to know you both over time! Now,” he then grabbed Angelo and practically ordered, “come along, my friend. You need to show me to this new keen abode of yours.”

Angelo clarified as he got dragged off, “Well, it ain’t really mine and…uh…” he trailed off when he saw Niffty drain the rice and then taste the gumbo. It immediately made his stomach turn when Charlie and Vaggie go over to the pot. The thought of the eye just floating around in the thick stew. He shouted, mostly to the girls “Hey, uh, maybe we should stay! Don’t want your food ta-”

Niffty assured Angelo, which only made him more stressed, “Don’t worry, Angie! We’ll save you some after we serve the guests!”

Angelo wanted to say more, but he was yanked out the door by a way too excited Al, who called out to the three girls, “Make sure to properly season that gumbo, you lovely tomatoes!”

The last thing the two heard was Vaggie questioning as to why they were called tomatoes.

When Angelo were outside, Al looked him up and down and mumbled, “First, we need to change your outfit.”

Angelo, despite feeling nauseous, flirted, “Why? Afraid ya gonna fall for temptation~?” ~~~ Angelo sat in the seat, looking grumpy, since he was forced to change into a white dress shirt, dark dress pants, pink suspenders, and a pink and gold bowtie. He absolutely hated this outfit, mostly because he was sure how Al procured this outfit. Alastor just said that he won it in a fair game…whatever that meant.

However, Angelo was also busy texting someone he labeled as “man with crazy clown bitch”, who was asking where Valentino was and demanding answers from him. Angelo just texted back:

Angelo: Listen, Voxxie, I’m dealing with family business. Ya know how serious my dad is about family and ya don’t wanna fuck with that, right? Just give me like an hour. I’ll be there.

Crazy-bitch-having-man: Make it 20. You hardly have the power to call the shots here, sweetheart.

Angelo huffed as he slid down the car seat and rubbed at his temples, not knowing what to say or do. Alastor glanced at Angelo and asked him as he parked in front of a small house, “Are you alright, ethel?”

The mob-child shrugged his shoulders as he mumbled, “Yeah, it’s alright. I can handle this shit.”

The creole looked at him again and grinned, “I can be quite persuasive, cher. …Are you sure?”

Angelo flinched at Al’s voice slightly dropping a bit in pitch and making him slightly tremble, but it definitely wasn’t only in fear. The two then jumped when the car window got tapped on quite loudly. Al rolled down the window and saw black, long-haired man, who Angelo knew immediately. He grinned, “Hey, Pen.”

Pentious stared at Alastor and then smirked, “Well, well, well, if it isn’t smarmy nutter with the ladylike chap! It’s quite nice to see you again, Alastor. Still yakking in your fancy-shmancy radio tower and having a good ol wank at hearing your repulsive voice?”

Once again, Angelo was feeling uncomfortable at how many people Alastor knew and, apparently and possibly, fucked over. He was expecting the creole to say something sarcastic or be oddly kind like he was to Husk. Instead, Alastor just asked with a giant grin, “Do I know you?”