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"Okay, everybody! I've figured out what our activity will be today. We're going to have... a mental health day!"
The confusion in the air was palpable. She couldn't be serious, right? Five minds were in shock, trying to think of what exactly this new activity entailed.
"Now I know that some of you might be confused, so I'll just lay it out for you. Today is all about how we're feeling. We've been through a lot, recently. It would only make sense that there would be a lot to talk about. So, if anyone wants to share anything, go ahead! No judgement."
Everyone looked at each other.
"Now if you'll excuse me, I have to make a call." Charlie stepped outside the door, leaving everyone in stunned silence.
"This is... unexpected." Vaggie stared after her girlfriend, wondering what might be on her mind.
"Oh, really? I'm frankly surprised that it hadn't happened sooner." Alastor polished his monocle, his ever-present grin stretched widely across his face. Vaggie shot him a glare.
"Yeah, well, you guys have fun with that. I'm going to the bar." Husk stood up and walked away from the group.
"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Vaggie stood up, almost ready to drag the bartender back by his ear.
"Like, I said, to the bar. It ain't my redemption." Husk leaned against the bar counter, taking a swig from a lable-less brown bottle. Vaggie grunted in frustration and turned to the rest of the hotel's residents.
"So uh.... how we gonna do this, exactly?" Angel Dust shrugged one of his many shoulders, eyes half closed.
"Um... well, Charlie said that today is about sharing. So if anybody wants to share something, they speak up. How's that?"
"Hmmm... seems simple enough." Alastor put his monocle back on his face, hands on his hips. "Alright then! Who wants to go first?"
"Um, I will." They all turned to see Niffty, head hung low. She slowly walked in front of the small crowd, arms at her sides. Everyone looked at her, puzzled. What could possibly be bugging her this bad? All eyes were on her as she sniffed.
"Today, I was gonna fight some bugs, but then..." The small imp choked up, eye watering. "One of them was dead!" She burst into tears, falling onto the floor while pounding her fists. This display just made everyone feel more clueless.
"But... Niff, if you were gonna fight em', wouldn't they die anyways?" Angel's statement only earned him a look of disgust from the wailing girl.
"Well, yeah! But it would've been different! I would've done it!" She wiped her face, explaining between hiccups. Angel sat there, motionless.
My brain is gonna implode.
"Oh, Niffty, dear, you mustn't carry on so. Knowing you, you'll find another way to have fun. I'm sure the hotel needs a good dusting." Alastor leaned over her, wiggling a feather duster over her head. She pounced for it like a cat would for a toy. The condescending treatment was enough to make Vaggie feel sick.
"Whew! Glad I got that off of my chest. Anyway, cleaning!" Niffty darted around, dusting while giggling maniacally. All the others shook their heads.
"I'd say that was rather productive. Anyone else?" Alastor gestured towards the crowd. Vaggie rolled her eyes.
"What about you, Mr. Egotistical? What's on your mind?" She looked at him, unamused. He simply cocked his head back and forth, mockingly.
"Ha, ha, ha. Wouldn't you like to know? Honestly, dearie, some things are better left unsaid. There are those who would be quite incapable of handling them." He materialized his signature microphone, twirling it in the air while humming to himself. Nobody reacted. They were used to this behavior from him.
Suddenly, the door opened, and Charlie stepped in. She smiled at her girlfriend, and started talking with the others about nothing in particular. Vaggie smiled back, but it felt like something was off. She couldn't be sure, but it seemed like her happy expression was a cover for something else. The feelings her face portrayed didn't seem to reflect in her eyes.
She wondered if she should pull her aside and say something to her. Lately it had felt like her girlfriend was lacking some of her signature energy. She had talked to Husk about it, but he assured her that Charlie was very in tune with her emotions, and if something were bothering her, she would definitely let her in on it. So she stayed quiet for the time being, though she couldn't help feeling concerned.
About half an hour later, Charlie left again. Vaggie wondered who she might be trying to get in contact with, inwardly scolding herself for being nosy. They trusted each other. If it was something worth knowing about, she would tell her, right? A short time later, Charlie walked back to where the others were, but didn't sit down.
"I'm going to check on my dad. I'll be back in an hour or two."
Angel quirked his eyebrow in confusion. "Is somethin' wrong with Mistah Short King?"
"No, no. Nothing like that. I just figured that since this is a mental health day, I might as well see how he's doing. He's part of this family, after all."
"Do you need me to come with you?" Vaggie quickly stood up, putting a hand on her girlfriend's shoulder in support.
"Nope! It's all good. I'll be back. I promise." Charlie smiled widely. It was honestly a little unsettling to the others how casual she was acting. At least, to the majority of them.
"Alright then, see you soon, Miss Morningstar!" Alastor waved at her, wiggling his fingers. "I'll make sure to hold down the fort til you're back." With a quick thumbs up, she rushed out the door, much to Vaggie's dismay.
"Hey! Since when were you in charge!?"
"Ever since I helped save your skins." The radio demon's eyes gleamed mischievously. It was obvious to everyone, her included, that he was trying to get a rise out of them. The last thing she wanted to do was indulge him, so she tried her best to maintain composure. She couldn't deny though, that she wanted to kill him.
"It was a team effort. One in which you disappeared halfway through, might I add."
"Please. Like you would've gotten anywhere close without me."
"I would kick you out if Charlie didn't see some potential in you!"
"I think somebody's jealous." Alastor spoke in a sing-song voice.
"Oh yeah, real mature, there." Vaggie clenched her teeth.
"I was entrusted to take care of the most volatile threat during Extermination Day. It would only make sense that Miss Morningstar trusts me with the wellbeing of her hotel."
Vaggie was beyond furious. She could feel her hair beginning to fray. This isn't about YOU, idiot! She doesn't trust YOU with anything! The one thing she DID trust you with, you FAILED at! You're just claiming responsibility so you can get all the credit! I hate you so much. I hate you. I HATE YOU!
"So... Extermination Day, huh?"
Her enraged thoughts were interrupted by an outside voice. Angel was talking, to seemingly nobody. "That was somethin' wasn't it?" Everyone's thoughts turned back to the day they had almost died. Even Niffty was present once again, fiddling with the feather duster in contemplation.
"If you'll excuse me, I think I'm needed elsewhere." Alastor quickly stepped away from the group, disappearing into a shadow. Vaggie couldn't believe it. Here he was, talking about how responsible he'd been, and the next moment, he ditches all of them without so much as a goodbye. Where could he have even gone to? Hopefully not anywhere near Charlie. She knew that her girlfriend wanted everyone to get along, but she would murder him if he messed with her. If her father didn't beat her to it, that is. After all, she had the means to do so.
"Yeah. It was somethin', alright. Husk piped up from behind the bar. He sounded strangely melancholy.
"Well, the important thing is, we all came out unscathed. Except..." she trailed off, remembering the lives lost.
"Pentious." Husk looked downcast, wiping the counter with a cloth. "What a guy."
"And all the cannibals. Turns out that they weren't so bad, after all." Niffty seemed saddened, before stamping her foot. "I hate that! Why do all the bad guys turn good!? It's not fair!"
"Niffty, that's the whole point of this hotel. Of Charlie's dream." Vaggie knew it was going to be almost impossible to get her point across, but she was still going to try. It meant something to her partner. To the both of them.
"Well, yeah, I guess. But if all the bad guys turn good then... you end up... missing them... when they go away." Niffty sat down, making circles on the ground with her finger. Vaggie never expected to feel sympathy for the little imp, but now she had a strong urge to comfort her. Before she could act on it, however, Niffty suddenly jumped up, grabbing the feather duster once more.
"Clean!" Her large singular eye twitched as she scampered about, stabbing wildly at any bugs she could find. "I'll get you, bugs! Don't hide from me! I stabbed an angel!"
Vaggie sighed before thinking once more. "Then there was Dazzle. Man, that was rough." She reflected on the statue outside, worshipping the fallen creature, alongside the snake demon they had all come to care for.
"Yeah. We put him up right next to Pentious. That goober did pretty good, all things considered." Husk walked over to the two remaining residents, arms folded.
"He really did." Vaggie sadly smiled.
"You know, I don't think I've seen that little egg fella around lately. Poor thing hasn't been the same since his boss passed. Who could blame him?" Husk brought a claw up to his chin, trying to think of where he had last seen the pint-sized minion.
"Eh, he might just be playing with Keekee. And maybe Razzle, too. I know he hasn't been the same since his brother's been gone, either.
"Loss will do that to you, if there's anything I've learned-"
"I'm sorry. I have to go." The two were caught off guard when Angel suddenly stood up and began to swiftly walk away.
"Hey, is something wrong?" Vaggie reached toward him, but he quickly flinched back.
"Nah, it's nothin'. I'm fine. I just... forgot somethin' I need to do." He turned away, almost running up the stairs. She looked back at Husk, concerned. He sighed in resignation.
"I'll go after him. You gonna be okay, here?"
"Uh, yeah. Sure thing." Vaggie looked to the side as the cat demon walked slowly to the stairwell. What was that about?
It didn't take long to reach his destination. Husk lightly tapped on the door, hearing muffled noises. He stepped back, startled by the response he got.
"Go away!!! Just leave me alone!"
He put his ear up to the door, listening intently. He thought he heard a faint moan, but not of ecstasy, as was to be expected from that particular room. He moved away and cleared his throat.
"It's just me, Angel. Can I come in?"
"No!"
"Alright. Then I'll talk out here." He sat down, back against the door. A loud slam was audible, as if something had been thrown against it.
"Don't do that!" Angel's voice sounded uncharacteristically desperate.
Husk mumbled to himself and stood up again. "Look, today is about mental health, and right now, you're acting crazy. So either I'm gonna yell through the door, or I'm coming in. You hear me?" Silence. Husk took a deep breath, and turned the doorknob.
He stepped inside a familiar pink room. All the lights were off, and no one could be seen. He looked around, knowing that the spider demon couldn't have just disappeared. A nudge was felt on his leg. Looking down, he saw Angel's pig, Fat Nuggets, nestling against him. As if to answer an unspoken question, he trotted over to the side of the bed. A large lump was visible under big, billowing blankets. Husk sighed again.
"Angel." He walked up to where he had been guided to, staring at the shape on the bed. No response. He tried again.
"Angel!"
"GET AWAY FROM ME!!!" the blankets were thrown suddenly, and an absolute nightmare was revealed. All of Angel's eyes were open, glowing and angry. His teeth were bared, and his fur bristled, almost looking like spikes. A positively hellish snarl rumbled in his throat as he glared daggers at his intruder.
Husk's fur stood on end. He'd only seen this once before. That night, in the hotel, before they had bonded. When he had called him out for being fake. He had never seen anyone so furious until then, but he didn't let it sway him, and he wouldn't let it now, either. This was definitely familiar, and yet, something seemed different. Like this was fake. Nothing more than an attempt at intimidation. An empty display.
He sat down on the floor, Fat Nuggets scampering up to him. The poor pig was shaking. He must've never seen his owner this enraged in his entire life. Husk figured that this was the perfect catalyst, if undoubtedly manipulative. He looked Angel straight in the eyes.
"Angel. Look at what you're doing." He gestured to the frightened animal in his lap. He could see his eyes moving, taking in his surroundings. He saw a flicker of recognition in them, and the atmosphere seemed to settle.
"Nugs..."
Angel's shoulders slumped, and his fists clenched.
"I... I'm sorry."
Husk swore he heard his voice crack. This was extreme dejà vu. He moved closer, setting one paw on the bed next to Angel. He thought about what would be best to say next.
"Anthony?"
Angel said nothing, turning further away. Husk continued.
"I know it's you. Do you wanna talk?"
"Nah."
"You sure?"
"It's stupid, really."
"If it's making you feel this upset, it can't be that stupid, can it?"
"I just... all that stuff down there. Talkin' about Pentious. I know we weren't friends, but..." Angel paused to compose himself. "He didn't deserve it. He was a good guy! Way better for the hotel than I ever was. You know, I was talkin' to Cherri Bomb? She said that she missed him. That she wished she could've done something, said something, anything before it happened. But he's gone. He's gone, and all that's left is the one egg that I saved. He's all alone now. He should've died with him, at least they'd be together! This is all too much. I don't know what I'm gonna do. I thought things would be better at the hotel, and now... there's always some jerk who's... "
He stopped talking, choking back a sob. Husk moved closer to him, as Fat Nuggets jumped up beside him.
"You're not actually mad, are you?"
Angel shook his head profusely, his upper hands on his face. "I'm... mad at... myself." He could barely get the words out. Husk could tell that he desperately needed comfort, and that he was going to fall apart at any moment, no matter how hard he tried not to. He wanted to make a good decision, and still be respectful.
Emotions were a tricky business for him. Always were, and as far as he could tell, always would be. The most he could think to do was what worked the last time, though he wasn't entirely sure if lightning would strike twice.
Angel was caught off guard by a sudden embrace. Husk was hugging him, rubbing his back. Holding his head close. He tried to feel grateful, but he felt as if his heart was being torn out of his chest. He couldn't catch his breath, and his body ached from all the emotions inside it.
"You don't need to act for me, remember? It's okay. Let it out."
Angel broke. He clung to the cat demon and bawled all of his eyes out. He felt angry at how he had failed his friends, thinking of everything he could've done differently. If only he could've saved Pentious. He regretted not being nicer to him in the time he had known him. He was heartbroken that he had died. Out of all the people he knew, he was the most likely to be redeemed. And now, he was gone. It was so unfair.
Husk continued to hold him as he shook. Fat Nuggets leaned against his owner, grunting comfortingly. He had no idea why he was so upset, but it didn't matter. He would always be there for him, and he had the feeling that this now repeated visitor would as well.
"You're not alone in this. I've got you, Anthony."
"I.. I-"
"You need to be honest with yourself. I know it sucks, but sometimes, you just gotta think. Am I feeling like Angel, or Anthony right now? If it's the latter, there's nothing wrong with that. You just need to let me know when that happens, and I'll be there. You hear me?"
Angel nodded, still crying. Husk pat his back as Fat Nuggets rubbed against his waist. He was still sad, but in a strange way, he felt loved. It added to his emotions as he sobbed harder. An unusual warmth spread through his body. He'd broken down more times than he'd like to admit, but this time was different. It was almost like a rush to his system. It felt... good. He wanted to keep going, but at the same time, he felt guilty. He didn't mean to cause such unpleasantness.
"I'm sorry. I made myself sad." Angel clung on tighter, shoulders still shaking.
"It happens to the best of us. You're alright." Husk spoke softly, still hugging him close. "It'll be okay. I promise."
"You... you don't know that."
"I'm gonna do everything I can to make it happen."
There was a pause.
"Do you trust me, Anthony?"
Angel pulled away from Husk, eyes rimmed red. He made eye contact with him for a moment before he felt his emotions whirling inside of him again. He hugged him close once more, weeping openly. Husk sighed and leaned his head against his. That was the only answer he needed.
Time passed as Vaggie waited downstairs, periodically checking for signs of anyone else. Niffty had run off again to who-knows-where, and Husk and Angel still hadn't returned. She wondered if she should check on them when the hotel door suddenly opened. She was relieved to see who it was.
"Charlie." She ran over, hugging her girlfriend tightly. When she drew back, however, she noticed that she looked dishevelled. Tired, even. "Is everything okay?"
"Yep! Never better! Where's..." They both looked around at the empty room. "I'm guessing the mental health day was a bust?"
"Yeah... sorry." Vaggie blushed, running a hand through her hair. She hated letting her down. But she didn't seem disappointed.
"Oh, that's alright. They'll all come back eventually. In the meantime, you'll be happy to know that I've made a breakthrough! I'll tell you more once everyone's here."
Vaggie smiled happily. Charlie was always seeing the bright side of things. "Can't wait, Honey."