cornerofmadness (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
cornerofmadness) wrote2025-06-06 08:21 pm
cornerofmadness) wrote2025-06-06 08:21 pm
Entry tags:
fan fic friday
Since nothing interesting happened today have stories. Look I finished my ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
intoabar story. I'm not as happy with it as I was the one that came before it last year but it's still fun
Title: Somebody’s Eyes
Fandom: Hazbin Hotel/The Owl House
Character/Pairing: Edalyn Clawthorn/Raine Whispers, Angel Dust/Husk, Charlie Morningstar/Vaggie
Summary: Edalyn decides to take Raine and Lilith through the portal to revisit the people she met at the Hazbin Hotel on her last visit. They have even more fun than last time.
Rating: teen and up
Author Note - Written for my into a bar challenge for 2025. My challenge was exactly the same as last year so how could I not write a sequel? My challenge was Eda Clawthorne goes into a bar and meets... Niffty (Hazbin Hotel)! And if you want to see last year’s story (they’re stand alones but if you want to, please do) head here to read To Travel is To Live
Also written for the lyrical titles album challenge 2025 using the Footloose album and the song Somebody’s Eyes by Karla Bonoff. (I was thinking of all the eyes on things in both fandoms. I admit it, it’s a lame title).
Also written for spikesgirl58’s six word challenge. The six words were Repeat, Amuse, Official, Sword, Captivate, & Reform and for the allbingo prompt of Nonbinary
Edalyn folded up the door into its briefcase. Raine stood next to her, fanning their nose. Lilith made a face.
“Edalyn, are you sure this is safe?” Lilith’s ginger curls bounced as she snapped her head back and forth trying to take it all in.
“If Luz is right about this being ‘the bad place’, I’m sure it’s not safe but it was fun last time we stumbled in here,” Edalyn reached up and scratched Owlbert’s little head. Her palisman leaned into her touch with a nervous warble. “Come on, the Hazbin Hotel is up this hill. One of these days the portal is going to put us where we need to be without the hike,” she grumbled.
The trio made their way up the long drive to the hotel perched at the edge of a cliff. Raine kept glancing up to study the pentagram in the sky, apparently captivated by it. Eventually they took a picture of it with their pentsagram scroll.
“That is fascinating,” Raine said.
“I concur. However did you find this place, sister?” Lilith asked.
“By accident but the way Luz carried on after I told her about it, you’d think I had died and came back.”
“I did notice that she was much better behaved for weeks after you told us about this place,” Raine said.
“The humans think this is where they go if they’re bad people. I thought it was interesting enough to make a repeat visit.” Eda shrugged. “If nothing else, the people at the hotel bar should amuse you.” They sure did me.”
“Edalyn, have you noticed that buildings down there have eyes on them.” Lilith pointed behind them at the city sprawling below.
“So does the hotel.” Raine nodded toward the tall building in front of them.
“Yeah, reminds me a little of my home,” Eda replied. “Though…here I’ll admit it’s creepier, like someone else’s eyes are on us all the time. Maybe it’s best we hurry inside.”
Eda chivvied them to the front door and knocked. No one answered but like last time it was unlocked. They walked into the lobby. Three people were huddled up around a tv like Luz liked back home. They had no idea someone had come through the door. Was one of them a giant snake? How cute was that? Wait, is this the guy who has multiple penises?
She rolled her eyes at herself. Of all things to remember.
“Hey! New people!”
A tiny cyclopean woman raced up to them, her enormous eye flicking back and forth, taking the trio in.
“Hey, Niffty. Remember me?” Eda grinned.
Niffty brightened instantly. “Oh, the one with a rat in her hair! Hi, you came back.”
“He’s an owl.” Eda parted her hair to let Owlbert peek out. “Can we go talk to the others?” She pointed toward the TV
“Sure but they’re being naughty. It’s good stuff. Angel’s a pirate in this movie but he’s not bad boy enough for that.” Niffty reached up and caught the hem of Eda’s dress, pulling her along.
“That is not a pirate sword,” the snake-man said. “It’s a light calvary saber.”
“Pen, you’re looking at the wrong sword. You’re supposed to be paying attention to the one below my belt.” The tarantula-man said. What was his name? Angel, that’s it, Eda thought.
“That sword is more impressive than this script.” Husk snorted. Him, she remembered. The man could make a mean drink. She needed more of that Applejack stuff.
“Why am I surrounded by porn critics?” Angel cried, four arms shooting up to the ceiling in exasperation.
“We have guests!” Niffty called loudly.
Angel nearly spun off his stool, twisting around so fast. The snake man’s hood flared and Husk turned off the TV perched on the end of the bar but not before Eda got an eyeful of the sword Angel had been talking about. Judging by Raine and Lilith’s blush, they had too.
“Hey, it’s Eda! Couldn’t get enough of our company?” Angel smiled. “Who have you brought with you?”
“This is my partner, Raine and my sister, Lilith.”
Angel, Husk and the Snake-man’s eyes widened.
Angel raised a glass to Lilith. “My queen. I didn’t know you were coming. I’d have dressed up.”
“You never mentioned your sister was the queen of hell, Eda,” Husk said as the snake-man bowed.
“The queen of what now?” Eda snorted. Lilith shot them a baffled look.
Niffty studied Lilith for a moment. “The ultimate bad boy and you? You like bad boys too then.” She sighed. “They’re the best.”
“No, I wouldn’t say that exactly,” Lilith said. “I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else.”
“A different Lilith then.” The snake-man pouted, disappointed.
“Lilith?” a man’s voice echoed down the hall followed by running footsteps. “Did you say Lilith was here?”
A short blond man with bright red markings on his face raced in. Two women followed him, one obviously related to him. Both took one look at the trio, a deeply disappointed expression on their faces.
“Oh, sorry,” the girl said.
“Not the Lilith you were hoping for.” Eda tapped her nails on the bar. “Got any of that applejack stuff, Husk?”
“Coming right up. Charlie, Vaggie, this is the woman we told you about, the one who claimed she’s still alive and not a sinner.” Husk took down a bottle and a glass. “Can I get you something, Raine? Lilith?”
“I’ll have what Eda’s having,” Raine said.
“I’ll have tea if you have it,” Lilith replied.
Husk shook his head. “I don’t but Pen, do you have any left in the kitchen from this morning?”
“I believe so.”
“I’ll get it!” Niffty raced off.
“With some sweetener please,” Lilith called after her.
Lucifer stepped closer to Edalyn. He cocked his head to the side. “She’s right. They aren’t sinners. From another universe then.”
“I thought that was just stories you and Mom told us.” Charlie widened her eyes.
Lucifer shook his head. “We told it as stories because we knew you would never be able to travel there. I didn’t realize people would figure out how. Welcome. I’m Lucifer. Lilith is my wife and Charlie’s mother.” He pointed the blonde girl. “She’s been…away for some time.”
“Sorry I wasn’t who you were expecting.”
He thinned his lips. “Maybe it’s for the best. She is currently…disappointed in me.”
“Dad.” Charlie ran a soothing hand over his back.
“So we won’t be needing your official’ let’s help you reform’ speech, Charlie,” Angel said. “And let me take over the introductions. You’ve met Lucifer, lord of hell.”
The trio flinched a bit at that. All of them had had enough of Lords.
“His daughter, Charlie, and her partner, Vaggie. Eda already knows Niffty, our maid and Husk the bartender and me, the celebrity.”
“Porn star,” Vaggie mumbled.
Angel shot her stink eye. “And this is Sir Pentious. You didn’t get to meet Pen, last time Eda.”
“No I met the scary dude who melted out of the shadows.”
“Alastor.” Angel nodded as Niffty returned with a cup and saucer. “You hightailed it out of here. Not a bad plan.”
“He didn’t seem like someone who meant well,” Eda said and Lucifer snorted. “Nice to meet everyone. We’re just here for a quick visit and a drink, mostly because Lily didn’t believe me when I said I went to human hell.”
“And hung out at the bar. Surely there’s a museum here.” Lilith accepted her cup from Niffty with thanks. “Or at least a library.”
“There is. Come on, I’ll show you if you want to see the library,” Vaggie offered with a wave of her arm.
Lilith glanced over at Eda who shrugged.
“Go for it. I know you want to.”
Raine picked up their glass after Husk slid it to them.
“Easy on that, Rainstorm. It’s way more bitey than Appleblood,” Eda warned.
Raine sputtered in spite of her warning, pounding their chest with a fist.
“Smooth, right?” Husk smirked.
Charlie and Lucifer joined them at the bar and she said, “What’s it like where you’re from?”
“Well, like here, it’s kinda smelly,” Eda sipped her Applejack. “We live on the remains of a Titan, a giant creature.”
“Okay, some offense meant, that sounds gross.” Angel shuddered.
“It’s not so bad,” Raine replied, their voice whiskey-rough.
“You probably don’t taste with your hands and feet. I do.” Angel wiggled his gloved fingers at them. “But tell us more. This is cool.”
Eda complied, still keeping it relatively vague. Should she even bother? Was Lily spilling the beans in her eagerness to learn about a new place? Raine followed Eda’s lead. Niffty sat on the bar next to Eda, trying to coax Owlbert out to see her, seeming bored with the conversation.
Finally, Niffty pointed at Raine’s violin. “You make music? I like music.”
“Oh, yes, I’m a bard, well I was when we had magical tracks but I have…ah, stage fright.” Raine’s cheeks reddened.
“I had that the first time I performed. Never had sex on camera before…or with people watching and judging.” Angel nodded. “I get it.”
Raine went red to the tip of their ears. “I…no, I struggle to sing and play in front of people. I couldn’t even imagine having….” They shook their head.
“Angel,” Charlie said lowly.
“His pirate movie was fun though,” Niffty said and Charlie shushed her too.
Eda rubbed Raine’s back. “This isn’t a big crowd. You could play a little for Niffty, if you want. I’d play but my curse keeps me from doing magic.”
“Curse? Ooo, there’s a story,” Angel leaned closer.
Eda gave them a down and dirty tale of her curse, letting Raine take a moment to relax and let them decide if they want to try and make music. They took Fiddlesticks off their back, turning their violin-palisman around so they could play. Raine picked through the first song, hesitantly before launching into a more spritely song with more confidence.
Husk rummaged under the bar and came up with an instrument Eda had never played. “Want some counterpoint? I’m good on saxophone.”
Raine beamed. “Yes please.”
Before long, not only was Husk playing along so was Lucifer on a gold violin that Raine obviously coveted. The man who had spooked Eda last time showed up when he heard the music. It took three seconds to see the rivalry Alastor had with Lucifer but it made for good music. Eventually Raine and Lucifer played together, their violins harmonizing. Charlie had indulged Eda’s request for paper so she could write down snatches of musical phrasing for later.
Alastor and Husk played a style of music together neither Eda nor Raine had ever heard before. Alastor called it ragtime. Niffty and Angel danced to it while Pentious swayed sinuously to the quick beat. Angel tugged Eda out onto the dance floor. Titan knew she wasn’t the best dancer but Angel made it easy.
He gave her a gentle push toward Raine who bopped in his seat to the beat. “Go dance with him.”
“Them,” she corrected and Angel shot her a confused look.
“Oh, right, some of the newer sinners mentioned that, about being an enby.” He shrugged. “Didn’t know, sorry.”
“No one mentioned it,” she replied.
“I’ll do my best to remember. We didn’t…back when I was alive, we didn’t have that word for it and most would have hidden it. I was damn good at hiding I was gay, didn’t want beaten to death. Died young enough as it was.” Angel sighed.
Eda didn’t know what to say to that but filed the information away to talk to Luz about later. Was it the same in her world now? Would they hurt her for being with Amity? Shaking her head, trying to suppress the dark thoughts, Eda held out a hand to Raine and they spun around the lobby to the music. Angel grabbed Lucifer with one hand and Charlie with the other, dragging them after him. They were even more reluctant dancers than she had been.
Once Husk and Alastor took a whiskey break, Raine and Lucifer went back at it. Niffty waltzed along the bar top so she could dance with Angel and he wouldn’t have to hold her in order to do it. He traded her off to Pentious as he wrapped his arms around Husk, whisking him along to the slow violin music. She smiled at them. This might be the bad place but those two seemed happy with each other. There was no mistaking the desire in their eyes. Niffty sat on the bar top next to her.
“You need rooms for the night? You’re staying, right?” she asked hopefully.
“’Fraid not. We’ll have to go soon.”
“Awww, I want you to stay. You guys are fun even if none of you are bad boys.” Niffty pouted.
“Oh, I’m a bad girl,” Eda smirked. “We have all the fun.”
Niffty draped a conspiratorial arm around her and grinned. “Yes, we do.”
“Edalyn!” Lilith raced into the room with her arms full of books. Vaggie followed at a more sedate pace. “Look at all these books. Vaggie said I could have them.”
“They were duplicates,” Vaggie said to Charlie. “And I said we’d have to ask Charlie first. We shook them out to make sure nothing was hiding in the pages.”
“Your mother liked to do that,” Lucifer said wistfully.
“I know I found a letter she wrote for you that time you were gone for weeks because all the deadly sins were fighting, back during the time of the Black Death.” Charlie flushed. “I didn’t know Mom could be so….raunchy.”
Lucifer fought a smile. “Best not to think about it.”
Charlie nodded. “I try not to. And let me see the books, Lilith.”
Lilith complied. Charlie checked them over.
“Yeah, none of those have any sentimental value to me. Since I can’t help you with redemption, consider that me helping,” Charlie said.
Lilith spun around, holding the books tight to her chest. “Thank you.”
“And on that note, we should get going,” Eda said. “Thanks for a fun afternoon.”
“Thanks for coming back,” Husk said.
“Yes, we all had fun. You’re always welcome here,” Charlie said.
The trio said several more goodbyes before Niffty escorted them to the door.
“Come back and stay a while next time,” she said, waving them off.
“If we can,” Eda said, wondering if that was wise. If this really was ‘the bad place’ then staying too long probably wasn’t smart.
They hiked back down the driveway until they were harder to spot from the hotel windows. Edalyn opened the portal and they all went through. As it closed up behind them, they all looked at the Owl House, Hooty calling a hello to them.
“Still smells here too,” she said.
“Not as bad as that place.” Raine wrapped an arm around her waist. “But I’m glad we went.”
“I can’t wait to get into these books.” Lilith said, jogging past them to say a proper hello to Hooty.
Eda kissed Raine. “Day trips are fun but coming home is always nice.”
“Agreed. Now I need to rest up my fingers. When was the last time I played that long for that many people?”
“You were great.” She took their hand. “I wrote down some of the musical phrasings. I think we can create something from this.”
“Ooo, I love the sound of that,” Raine replied.
Excited for that, they walked inside. King snoozed on the couch, snoring softly. Eda smiled. Yes indeed, travel was fun but home was comfort.
Here's my fannish 50 recs of the week
our sadness provides us a home Star Trek: Prodigy
A Blessing or a Curse? Hazbin Hotel
Invasion Of Privacy Torchwood
Out Of The Storm FAKE
Meraki The Owl House
Stupidity Torchwood
Kept Unspoken Criminal Minds
crawl into my heart, take me apart
时光代理人 | Link Click
The Outlier The Murderbot Diaries
Body Image The Owl House
New Discoveries The Owl House
Faraway Lands Torchwood
Bitter Victory Buffy the Vampire Slayer
nothing is better Star Trek: Voyager
Planning for the Winter Solstice Celebration
Stargate Atlantis/Stargate SG-1
Natural Hazbin Hotel
Pretty Boy Hazbin Hotel
The Night of the Third Task Harry Potter
Steve Week Shorties The Owl House
Stop and Smell the The Murderbot Diaries
Introducing the Hale Pack Teen Wolf
An Unexpected Form of Belonging Teen Wolf
intoabar story. I'm not as happy with it as I was the one that came before it last year but it's still fun Title: Somebody’s Eyes
Fandom: Hazbin Hotel/The Owl House
Character/Pairing: Edalyn Clawthorn/Raine Whispers, Angel Dust/Husk, Charlie Morningstar/Vaggie
Summary: Edalyn decides to take Raine and Lilith through the portal to revisit the people she met at the Hazbin Hotel on her last visit. They have even more fun than last time.
Rating: teen and up
Author Note - Written for my into a bar challenge for 2025. My challenge was exactly the same as last year so how could I not write a sequel? My challenge was Eda Clawthorne goes into a bar and meets... Niffty (Hazbin Hotel)! And if you want to see last year’s story (they’re stand alones but if you want to, please do) head here to read To Travel is To Live
Also written for the lyrical titles album challenge 2025 using the Footloose album and the song Somebody’s Eyes by Karla Bonoff. (I was thinking of all the eyes on things in both fandoms. I admit it, it’s a lame title).
Also written for spikesgirl58’s six word challenge. The six words were Repeat, Amuse, Official, Sword, Captivate, & Reform and for the allbingo prompt of Nonbinary
Edalyn folded up the door into its briefcase. Raine stood next to her, fanning their nose. Lilith made a face.
“Edalyn, are you sure this is safe?” Lilith’s ginger curls bounced as she snapped her head back and forth trying to take it all in.
“If Luz is right about this being ‘the bad place’, I’m sure it’s not safe but it was fun last time we stumbled in here,” Edalyn reached up and scratched Owlbert’s little head. Her palisman leaned into her touch with a nervous warble. “Come on, the Hazbin Hotel is up this hill. One of these days the portal is going to put us where we need to be without the hike,” she grumbled.
The trio made their way up the long drive to the hotel perched at the edge of a cliff. Raine kept glancing up to study the pentagram in the sky, apparently captivated by it. Eventually they took a picture of it with their pentsagram scroll.
“That is fascinating,” Raine said.
“I concur. However did you find this place, sister?” Lilith asked.
“By accident but the way Luz carried on after I told her about it, you’d think I had died and came back.”
“I did notice that she was much better behaved for weeks after you told us about this place,” Raine said.
“The humans think this is where they go if they’re bad people. I thought it was interesting enough to make a repeat visit.” Eda shrugged. “If nothing else, the people at the hotel bar should amuse you.” They sure did me.”
“Edalyn, have you noticed that buildings down there have eyes on them.” Lilith pointed behind them at the city sprawling below.
“So does the hotel.” Raine nodded toward the tall building in front of them.
“Yeah, reminds me a little of my home,” Eda replied. “Though…here I’ll admit it’s creepier, like someone else’s eyes are on us all the time. Maybe it’s best we hurry inside.”
Eda chivvied them to the front door and knocked. No one answered but like last time it was unlocked. They walked into the lobby. Three people were huddled up around a tv like Luz liked back home. They had no idea someone had come through the door. Was one of them a giant snake? How cute was that? Wait, is this the guy who has multiple penises?
She rolled her eyes at herself. Of all things to remember.
“Hey! New people!”
A tiny cyclopean woman raced up to them, her enormous eye flicking back and forth, taking the trio in.
“Hey, Niffty. Remember me?” Eda grinned.
Niffty brightened instantly. “Oh, the one with a rat in her hair! Hi, you came back.”
“He’s an owl.” Eda parted her hair to let Owlbert peek out. “Can we go talk to the others?” She pointed toward the TV
“Sure but they’re being naughty. It’s good stuff. Angel’s a pirate in this movie but he’s not bad boy enough for that.” Niffty reached up and caught the hem of Eda’s dress, pulling her along.
“That is not a pirate sword,” the snake-man said. “It’s a light calvary saber.”
“Pen, you’re looking at the wrong sword. You’re supposed to be paying attention to the one below my belt.” The tarantula-man said. What was his name? Angel, that’s it, Eda thought.
“That sword is more impressive than this script.” Husk snorted. Him, she remembered. The man could make a mean drink. She needed more of that Applejack stuff.
“Why am I surrounded by porn critics?” Angel cried, four arms shooting up to the ceiling in exasperation.
“We have guests!” Niffty called loudly.
Angel nearly spun off his stool, twisting around so fast. The snake man’s hood flared and Husk turned off the TV perched on the end of the bar but not before Eda got an eyeful of the sword Angel had been talking about. Judging by Raine and Lilith’s blush, they had too.
“Hey, it’s Eda! Couldn’t get enough of our company?” Angel smiled. “Who have you brought with you?”
“This is my partner, Raine and my sister, Lilith.”
Angel, Husk and the Snake-man’s eyes widened.
Angel raised a glass to Lilith. “My queen. I didn’t know you were coming. I’d have dressed up.”
“You never mentioned your sister was the queen of hell, Eda,” Husk said as the snake-man bowed.
“The queen of what now?” Eda snorted. Lilith shot them a baffled look.
Niffty studied Lilith for a moment. “The ultimate bad boy and you? You like bad boys too then.” She sighed. “They’re the best.”
“No, I wouldn’t say that exactly,” Lilith said. “I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else.”
“A different Lilith then.” The snake-man pouted, disappointed.
“Lilith?” a man’s voice echoed down the hall followed by running footsteps. “Did you say Lilith was here?”
A short blond man with bright red markings on his face raced in. Two women followed him, one obviously related to him. Both took one look at the trio, a deeply disappointed expression on their faces.
“Oh, sorry,” the girl said.
“Not the Lilith you were hoping for.” Eda tapped her nails on the bar. “Got any of that applejack stuff, Husk?”
“Coming right up. Charlie, Vaggie, this is the woman we told you about, the one who claimed she’s still alive and not a sinner.” Husk took down a bottle and a glass. “Can I get you something, Raine? Lilith?”
“I’ll have what Eda’s having,” Raine said.
“I’ll have tea if you have it,” Lilith replied.
Husk shook his head. “I don’t but Pen, do you have any left in the kitchen from this morning?”
“I believe so.”
“I’ll get it!” Niffty raced off.
“With some sweetener please,” Lilith called after her.
Lucifer stepped closer to Edalyn. He cocked his head to the side. “She’s right. They aren’t sinners. From another universe then.”
“I thought that was just stories you and Mom told us.” Charlie widened her eyes.
Lucifer shook his head. “We told it as stories because we knew you would never be able to travel there. I didn’t realize people would figure out how. Welcome. I’m Lucifer. Lilith is my wife and Charlie’s mother.” He pointed the blonde girl. “She’s been…away for some time.”
“Sorry I wasn’t who you were expecting.”
He thinned his lips. “Maybe it’s for the best. She is currently…disappointed in me.”
“Dad.” Charlie ran a soothing hand over his back.
“So we won’t be needing your official’ let’s help you reform’ speech, Charlie,” Angel said. “And let me take over the introductions. You’ve met Lucifer, lord of hell.”
The trio flinched a bit at that. All of them had had enough of Lords.
“His daughter, Charlie, and her partner, Vaggie. Eda already knows Niffty, our maid and Husk the bartender and me, the celebrity.”
“Porn star,” Vaggie mumbled.
Angel shot her stink eye. “And this is Sir Pentious. You didn’t get to meet Pen, last time Eda.”
“No I met the scary dude who melted out of the shadows.”
“Alastor.” Angel nodded as Niffty returned with a cup and saucer. “You hightailed it out of here. Not a bad plan.”
“He didn’t seem like someone who meant well,” Eda said and Lucifer snorted. “Nice to meet everyone. We’re just here for a quick visit and a drink, mostly because Lily didn’t believe me when I said I went to human hell.”
“And hung out at the bar. Surely there’s a museum here.” Lilith accepted her cup from Niffty with thanks. “Or at least a library.”
“There is. Come on, I’ll show you if you want to see the library,” Vaggie offered with a wave of her arm.
Lilith glanced over at Eda who shrugged.
“Go for it. I know you want to.”
Raine picked up their glass after Husk slid it to them.
“Easy on that, Rainstorm. It’s way more bitey than Appleblood,” Eda warned.
Raine sputtered in spite of her warning, pounding their chest with a fist.
“Smooth, right?” Husk smirked.
Charlie and Lucifer joined them at the bar and she said, “What’s it like where you’re from?”
“Well, like here, it’s kinda smelly,” Eda sipped her Applejack. “We live on the remains of a Titan, a giant creature.”
“Okay, some offense meant, that sounds gross.” Angel shuddered.
“It’s not so bad,” Raine replied, their voice whiskey-rough.
“You probably don’t taste with your hands and feet. I do.” Angel wiggled his gloved fingers at them. “But tell us more. This is cool.”
Eda complied, still keeping it relatively vague. Should she even bother? Was Lily spilling the beans in her eagerness to learn about a new place? Raine followed Eda’s lead. Niffty sat on the bar next to Eda, trying to coax Owlbert out to see her, seeming bored with the conversation.
Finally, Niffty pointed at Raine’s violin. “You make music? I like music.”
“Oh, yes, I’m a bard, well I was when we had magical tracks but I have…ah, stage fright.” Raine’s cheeks reddened.
“I had that the first time I performed. Never had sex on camera before…or with people watching and judging.” Angel nodded. “I get it.”
Raine went red to the tip of their ears. “I…no, I struggle to sing and play in front of people. I couldn’t even imagine having….” They shook their head.
“Angel,” Charlie said lowly.
“His pirate movie was fun though,” Niffty said and Charlie shushed her too.
Eda rubbed Raine’s back. “This isn’t a big crowd. You could play a little for Niffty, if you want. I’d play but my curse keeps me from doing magic.”
“Curse? Ooo, there’s a story,” Angel leaned closer.
Eda gave them a down and dirty tale of her curse, letting Raine take a moment to relax and let them decide if they want to try and make music. They took Fiddlesticks off their back, turning their violin-palisman around so they could play. Raine picked through the first song, hesitantly before launching into a more spritely song with more confidence.
Husk rummaged under the bar and came up with an instrument Eda had never played. “Want some counterpoint? I’m good on saxophone.”
Raine beamed. “Yes please.”
Before long, not only was Husk playing along so was Lucifer on a gold violin that Raine obviously coveted. The man who had spooked Eda last time showed up when he heard the music. It took three seconds to see the rivalry Alastor had with Lucifer but it made for good music. Eventually Raine and Lucifer played together, their violins harmonizing. Charlie had indulged Eda’s request for paper so she could write down snatches of musical phrasing for later.
Alastor and Husk played a style of music together neither Eda nor Raine had ever heard before. Alastor called it ragtime. Niffty and Angel danced to it while Pentious swayed sinuously to the quick beat. Angel tugged Eda out onto the dance floor. Titan knew she wasn’t the best dancer but Angel made it easy.
He gave her a gentle push toward Raine who bopped in his seat to the beat. “Go dance with him.”
“Them,” she corrected and Angel shot her a confused look.
“Oh, right, some of the newer sinners mentioned that, about being an enby.” He shrugged. “Didn’t know, sorry.”
“No one mentioned it,” she replied.
“I’ll do my best to remember. We didn’t…back when I was alive, we didn’t have that word for it and most would have hidden it. I was damn good at hiding I was gay, didn’t want beaten to death. Died young enough as it was.” Angel sighed.
Eda didn’t know what to say to that but filed the information away to talk to Luz about later. Was it the same in her world now? Would they hurt her for being with Amity? Shaking her head, trying to suppress the dark thoughts, Eda held out a hand to Raine and they spun around the lobby to the music. Angel grabbed Lucifer with one hand and Charlie with the other, dragging them after him. They were even more reluctant dancers than she had been.
Once Husk and Alastor took a whiskey break, Raine and Lucifer went back at it. Niffty waltzed along the bar top so she could dance with Angel and he wouldn’t have to hold her in order to do it. He traded her off to Pentious as he wrapped his arms around Husk, whisking him along to the slow violin music. She smiled at them. This might be the bad place but those two seemed happy with each other. There was no mistaking the desire in their eyes. Niffty sat on the bar top next to her.
“You need rooms for the night? You’re staying, right?” she asked hopefully.
“’Fraid not. We’ll have to go soon.”
“Awww, I want you to stay. You guys are fun even if none of you are bad boys.” Niffty pouted.
“Oh, I’m a bad girl,” Eda smirked. “We have all the fun.”
Niffty draped a conspiratorial arm around her and grinned. “Yes, we do.”
“Edalyn!” Lilith raced into the room with her arms full of books. Vaggie followed at a more sedate pace. “Look at all these books. Vaggie said I could have them.”
“They were duplicates,” Vaggie said to Charlie. “And I said we’d have to ask Charlie first. We shook them out to make sure nothing was hiding in the pages.”
“Your mother liked to do that,” Lucifer said wistfully.
“I know I found a letter she wrote for you that time you were gone for weeks because all the deadly sins were fighting, back during the time of the Black Death.” Charlie flushed. “I didn’t know Mom could be so….raunchy.”
Lucifer fought a smile. “Best not to think about it.”
Charlie nodded. “I try not to. And let me see the books, Lilith.”
Lilith complied. Charlie checked them over.
“Yeah, none of those have any sentimental value to me. Since I can’t help you with redemption, consider that me helping,” Charlie said.
Lilith spun around, holding the books tight to her chest. “Thank you.”
“And on that note, we should get going,” Eda said. “Thanks for a fun afternoon.”
“Thanks for coming back,” Husk said.
“Yes, we all had fun. You’re always welcome here,” Charlie said.
The trio said several more goodbyes before Niffty escorted them to the door.
“Come back and stay a while next time,” she said, waving them off.
“If we can,” Eda said, wondering if that was wise. If this really was ‘the bad place’ then staying too long probably wasn’t smart.
They hiked back down the driveway until they were harder to spot from the hotel windows. Edalyn opened the portal and they all went through. As it closed up behind them, they all looked at the Owl House, Hooty calling a hello to them.
“Still smells here too,” she said.
“Not as bad as that place.” Raine wrapped an arm around her waist. “But I’m glad we went.”
“I can’t wait to get into these books.” Lilith said, jogging past them to say a proper hello to Hooty.
Eda kissed Raine. “Day trips are fun but coming home is always nice.”
“Agreed. Now I need to rest up my fingers. When was the last time I played that long for that many people?”
“You were great.” She took their hand. “I wrote down some of the musical phrasings. I think we can create something from this.”
“Ooo, I love the sound of that,” Raine replied.
Excited for that, they walked inside. King snoozed on the couch, snoring softly. Eda smiled. Yes indeed, travel was fun but home was comfort.
Here's my fannish 50 recs of the week
our sadness provides us a home Star Trek: Prodigy
A Blessing or a Curse? Hazbin Hotel
Invasion Of Privacy Torchwood
Out Of The Storm FAKE
Meraki The Owl House
Stupidity Torchwood
Kept Unspoken Criminal Minds
crawl into my heart, take me apart
时光代理人 | Link Click
The Outlier The Murderbot Diaries
Body Image The Owl House
New Discoveries The Owl House
Faraway Lands Torchwood
Bitter Victory Buffy the Vampire Slayer
nothing is better Star Trek: Voyager
Planning for the Winter Solstice Celebration
Stargate Atlantis/Stargate SG-1
Natural Hazbin Hotel
Pretty Boy Hazbin Hotel
The Night of the Third Task Harry Potter
Steve Week Shorties The Owl House
Stop and Smell the The Murderbot Diaries
Introducing the Hale Pack Teen Wolf
An Unexpected Form of Belonging Teen Wolf