Hazbin Trashcan

Linked (Part One)

It had never been the most comforting sight. The view never changed; the same red sky, the same boring pavement. This sector of Pentagram City hadn’t been touched for as long as she could remember and she was almost certain that it was due to the fact that she resided here.

Charlie let out a sigh and rubbed her cheek. She couldn’t remember a time in her life where she felt this unsettled. She’d been uncomfortable, sure, plenty of times. But now, she felt like something was just barely off and she wasn’t sure what it was.

“Hey, what’s with the moping?” A hand came to rest on her shoulder and she peeked over.

Vaggie looked concerned, which she appreciated. Charlie hadn’t really spoken much throughout the day - usually she was a chatterbox at best. She felt like her tongue was in too many knots and her stomach felt like heaving.

“Just thinking.” Charlie’s voice was quiet, just a touch above a whisper.

“Yeah? About what?” Vaggie nudged Charlie just the slightest and the blonde demon scoot over on the window seat so her best friend could sit next to her.

Charlie hummed, shrugging, “A lot of things, I guess.” She paused a second, watching a car move by outside, “Say, do you feel like anything is kind of, well, I don’t know, off?”

Vaggie rolled her eyes and leaned against the window, “The static is gone for once.”

It made sense in Charlie’s head then, why she felt so unbalanced. Alastor had been chased from the hotel earlier that day and was forbidden from returning until the next day - some human tradition that Vaggie and Angel had been very adamant on fulfilling.

“Oh, you’re right.” The normal sound of static that drifted through the halls of the hotel was gone and she suddenly felt ten times more lonely.

The pair sat in silence for another few minutes, watching the lights outside slowly dim and the people on the streets begin to fade. Nighttime in Pentagram City was either bustling or silent and there was no in-between.

Charlie began to gnaw on her lower lip, eyes darting back and forth. Was this even right? Some weight pressed on her chest and she took a deep breath, doing her best to push past it. She knew she was nervous for no reason; it wasn’t like anything would change.

Well, except for the fact -

“Hey! Why are you guys locked up in here! There’s shit to do!” The door flung open and Angel stood in the frame, a pair of hands on his hips, “At least Vags needs to come help!”

“I’ve been helping all day, I deserve a damn break.” Vaggie closed her eyes and groaned, rubbing her forehead, “Isn’t everything set up?”

“No!”

“It’s nine at night! We should all be getting ready for bed, anyway!”

“Too much to do, party pooper. Let’s go!” Angel took a few steps to cross the room, looming over the pair of demons, “Miss Sunshine, too! We need your opinion on a few things.”

“Oh, alright, Angel.” Charlie let a smile come to her face - spending enough time with Alastor would have anyone smiling naturally.