God's Reign

Open for Business

Charlie was up and early. The day she had been waiting for was finally here. She threw the windows open and unlocked the doors. Her familiar feline Keekee followed her around with a clipboard and pen checking everything off. By the time it was dawn, the hotel was ready. Charlie double-checked her itinerary. Once she was satisfied, she opened the large front doors. The staff stood by her side and cheered, although a bit tired.

One hour later, Charlie and Vaggie were driving around Pentagram City. They tracked down the demon they had selected to, hopefully, be their first patient. His name was Angel Dust, the top porn star in Hell and the lead in adult entertainment. Every demon across the seven rings knew him. Then there were his infamous habits. In short, he was the perfect candidate for the hotel. The owner and manager duo waited outside Porn Studios. After some time, he came out. Charlie called him over. It took a lot of convincing (and the promise of room and food for free) to convince him. But eventfully, Angel made himself comfortable in the limo. He helped himself to a complimentary bottle of booze while pointless chatting. Anything was better than staying another five minutes at Porn Studios.

Charlie had made sure everything was perfect. And as much as she would've loved to start immediately, she knew it would backfire. Citizens of Hell weren't the most open regarding (ugh) feelings. One couldn't afford to look weak even for a moment. So, she waited a day or two while Angel got settled in. It was surprisingly comfortable. For once, he got some real sleep after a long time. The food was good too. Charlie noticed this. When she decided it was time, she sat down with him. Her approach was slow and cautious yet supportive and open. Angel was far from comfortable with talking about all he had been through after falling into Hell. Naturally, Charlie avoided asking anything too personal—the two set lines and rules.

Before long, Angel was dropping hints about things he had never told anyone. Even his family didn't know some of these details. But, for the first time in Hell, he felt safe. And just for a moment, he felt something new. And it scared him. Charlie paused their session upon seeing this. She backed off and got them drinks. While she was gone, Angel realized. He trusted her. A week passed. Angel had gotten used to his new home. To everyone's surprise, he offered to help in the kitchen after noting the lack of variety in the daily menu. Niffty was excited to have a helping hand. She did all the cooking, cleaning, and more. This was the best. And to Angel's own surprise, it was a much nicer place than he had expected. But he was an employee of Porn Studios. And he had a reputation to maintain. Thus, it was hard to express himself and be honest. Charlie knew this. She never pushed him into anything too uncomfortable. And in only one week, she had seen small signs of progress. She came up with a proposal. She offered him a part-time position as a chef in exchange for free therapy. She had seen how much he loved cooking, especially Italian cuisine. It would also give him something to do. Surprised, Angel took time to think it over. And after another week, he agreed.

The progress was remarkable. Charlie was delighted. Angel was holed up in his room less. He was even talking to others more these days. But what really helped was visits from his girlfriend, Cherri Bomb. She was a hyperactive demolitions expert and loved turf wars. She accompanied Angel to sessions when she wasn't busy blowing demons up. While Charlie was a little concerned that she would be a bad influence, she also saw that she cared for him. Angel trusted her more than anyone. So, Charlie had granted his request to let her join. After some time, Angel started venturing back into Pentagram City. With a new outlook (kinda), the little hope he once held was growing.