Chapter Text
Valentino is not known for being a generous man, save for in the endowment department, so Charlie knew going into this meeting that his demands would not be easy, or even reasonable. With her unflappable business partner to her left and an antsy Angel Dust to her right, she feels slightly more bolstered and evenly matched to the Vees sitting across the table, but her stomach still flutters as the pimp pushes his printed terms over to her. Apparently, this meeting room is typically reserved for Overlord meetings, but given the fact that four different Overlords and the princess are involved, the appropriate strings had been pulled to reserve it for this occasion.
"Sorry for all the legalese, princessa. If it had been up to me, we'd have discussed this over drinks and made it a night to remember. But someone," he casts a furtive look over to Vox, "insisted I get everything on paper."
"You always forget your own fuckin' terms when you make deals while drunk," Vox grouses, his exhausted tone making it apparent that he's had this conversation with Valentino before. "Makes it harder on everyone involved."
Velvette doesn't look up from her phone as she chimes in, "We still haven't figured out what your last plaything's conditions are. Poor twat can't even speak because you put some kind of bind on him in the deal."
Valentino just shrugs coquettishly and says, "Oopsie." Always a good thing to hear from someone you're bargaining with for your friend's life.
"That's alright, I actually prefer it this way!" Charlie assures, banking on her good manners to carry her through this situation unscathed. "I hope you don't mind if I take some time to make sure I read this thoroughly."
Valentino groans out, "Ugh, she's a reader," but Vox and Velvette both elbow him from either side, so Charlie's left to read in peace. Alastor and Angel, of course, read over her shoulders to make sure she doesn't miss anything that'll damn them all later, but the princess has gotten quite adept at wading through dense paperwork during her time running a hotel, so she finishes reading it long before her companions do and slams it onto the table with shaky hands.
"Are you fucking CRAZY?" she shrieks.
"I don't know. Am I?" Valentino looks to Vox and Vel, who both shrug unhelpfully. "I'd say it's a fair exchange considering you're asking for my top performer. Seriously, do you have any idea how much money Angel Dust makes me? If anything, you should be thanking me for not just demanding your soul wholesale. The only reason I didn't is I knew the creepy virgin next to you would throw an ugly temper tantrum about it."
Charlie's eyes dart in confusion to Angel Dust, who breaks into a wobbly smile despite the circumstances and redirects her gaze to Alastor. Alastor's expression is unwavering as he taps a claw against the table and retorts, "I wouldn't be the only one. Don't act like you have what it takes to square up with her daddy in a fair fight, old pal."
"I can take her daddy any day," Valentino practically moans, to which Alastor just flattens his ears against his head.
Angel Dust finally gleans enough from the document to understand Charlie's strong reaction. He's not surprised at all by it, given how well he knows Valentino's twisted mind, but he still grimaces slightly and leans over to whisper in her ear. "Babe, I'm on your side here, but this is actually a really lenient set a' conditions, comin' from Val. I kinda feel like you should just take it."
"Just take it!? " Charlie says in decidedly-not-a-whisper. "But it's… it's absurd!! I'm supposed to be setting a good example for everyone in that hotel, and they want me to just… defile myself with my own tenants? And for all of Hell to see!?"
"On a one-off, subscribers-only stream!" Vox amends with a broad grin, already fantasizing about how much money the affair will rake in. He'd be salivating if he had a real mouth. "It'll have some decorum to it, your highness."
"Yeah, those fuckers ain't stupid. Bootleg recordings of that stream are gonna get passed around the second it ends," Angel argues. He catches Charlie blanching out the corner of his eye and rests one of his lower arms on her back reassuringly.
"Can't blame me for the ever-hungry maw of supply and demand." Vox stretches out lavishly and rests his hands behind his screen. He clearly thinks the deal is as good as made.
"It's the only way to recoup the financial losses I'll take from giving up Angel Dust," Valentino says, a little less lighthearted than earlier. His attachment to Angel Dust is a far cry from love, but he's still resistant to the idea of losing him, and having the value he's ascribed to the spider demon challenged is making him bristle a little. "It's either that, or you come work for me yourself, sweetheart." The pet name lacks affection.
Charlie reorients herself with a sigh, glancing down at the document again. She certainly doesn't want to push the Vees' buttons and land herself an even less favorable set of conditions. It is with some surprise, though, that words of reassurance next come through the filtered voice of her business partner.
"Charlie, darling, if we aren't counting you, there are only five individuals currently staying at the hotel. One of whom is your ex-lover. If you think of it that way, five encounters is not so many, and I'm sure Niffty and Husk will be amenable to the situation once we explain it to them."
"But—but what about you and Angel Dust?" Charlie hisses in a panicked whisper, once again too loud to preclude anyone in the room from hearing it, but it's her fragile attempt at showing some level of respect for her friends' private lives.
"Our effeminate friend here is a professional, and I, your partner in all things. I think I speak for both of us when I say, you've nothing to worry about where we're concerned." He adds venomously, leveling an unsubtle look of disdain at Vox, "Loathe though I am to think about the whole thing being broadcast."
"Whatever, dickhead," Vox grumbles. "You know you'll just show up as distortion on the camera anyway. Still never figured out how to circumnavigate that…"
Charlie lets out another sigh, steeling herself against her knee-jerk feelings. Being the Princess of Hell means she's a professional at turning a bad situation into a good one, but the conditions of dissolving Angel Dust's contract are a little steeper than she expected. She voices her other largest concern with humility: "What about the hotel? Even if everyone goes along with this willingly, the hotel's reputation is gonna be completely destroyed by the livestream… No one will ever take me seriously again after this."
Thankfully, the usually-cynical Angel Dust supplements her optimism in this time of need. "What if you turn it into one a' your stupid little—uhhh—one a' your lessons for redemption?"
"Turning sex with everyone in the hotel into a lesson?" she deadpans.
"Okay, well, don't put it like that! You can teach everyone about… I dunno, love and consent and all that shit. 'Sides, it's not like you're trying to get redeemed yourself, right? So it's no biggie if you get your hands a little dirty!"
Charlie turns her burning eyes back to the Vees, who've all started tapping boredly at their phones in the interim. "Valentino," she demands, which makes him nearly drop his phone. "I do things my way once I start fulfilling these conditions. I'll take as much time as it takes to make sure everyone else involved is comfortable and okay. If you can agree to that, I'll do it."
"Baby, I can hardly say no to the stream getting dragged out longer," he coos with a predatory smile. "If your foreplay gets boring, I'm sure the viewers will cut it down to just the highlights in their reuploads—" He freezes, remembering he's not supposed to acknowledge the bootleg copies that'll go around once this is said and done. "—oops."
"Whatever. One more question. What does Velvette get out of this?"
"You read the agreement, didn't you?" the short woman deadpans, crossing her legs haughtily.
"Yes, but… I just don't really understand how you benefit from me wearing things you designed for the stream. If anything, doesn't that mean I'm getting a bunch of free designer clothes…?"
"You can thank me later. I benefit because the stream of the century is going to feature Hell's drop-dead gorgeous princess getting her freak on while wearing my lingerie. I'm already whipping my manufacturers into overdrive as preparation." She smirks a little despite her outward indifference and lack of eye contact.
There are a lot of things Charlie could comment on, but the thing that sticks out the most to her is, "'Drop-dead gorgeous'...? Me?"
"Oh, come off it," Velvette huffs with a dismissive flicking gesture. "Everyone in Hell wants to jump your bones. I'm not complimenting you, just stating the obvious."
Charlie digests this information for an interlude, then picks up a pen and signs her name on the dotted line with an anxious flourish before she can lose her nerve. She looks over to Angel, wondering if she'll sense the contractual chains dissolving right away, but Valentino seems to read her mind. "He'll be freed once you fulfill your end of the bargain, honey. So do your part, and do it well."
Vox pulls a small box up from under his seat and shoves it over to Charlie. "VoxTek drone. Just unbox it and turn it on. It'll follow you around for all your little sexual conquests. Don't even think about destroying it, shit's worth a LOT."
"Unless you want to add me to your streaming schedule to recoup the costs," Valentino suggests with a simmering expression that only serves to make Charlie wince.
"Noted. I'll take good care of the camera. Thanks for doing business."
To her credit, Charlie does a good job marching out of the meeting room with prim posture and a stoic expression. Angel chases after her side and Alastor matches her pace easily. It isn't until the three have left the building and are halfway down the block that her poise shatters.
"A-are you guys seriously okay with me having sex with you!? Do you promise??" she bawls, drawing bewildered looks from other demons on the street. "You aren't gonna hate me after this?"
Angel Dust tries not to let guilt creep into his voice. Charlie had insisted on this negotiation, after all, and she'd said with certainty that she'd shoulder any consequence if it meant his freedom. "Dollface, you're doing this for me. How could I ever hate ya for that?"
Charlie just cries harder at his words, clinging to Angel's side as they walk, making walking much more challenging. She's focused enough on Angel's validation that she doesn't read into Alastor's affable silence. He just keeps smiling, chin lifted, motives as opaque as ever. Usually, he hates Vox's idea of entertainment, but he can't help the stirrings of curiosity he feels towards the events that lie ahead.