Chapter Text
Cherri was sitting in the quiet lobby, her hands working tirelessly, legs crossed. She was struggling to maintain the internet connection on her phone, permanently getting bluescreened, when Emily descended to the Hotel and poked out her head through the dazzling moonlight-glowing tube, then appeared in her full form.
"Hey everybody!"
Angel and Charlie greeted her openly, entering the room .Chаrlie patted the place on the sofa next to her. Some new demons stared at the portal, still used to any outrage but not the holy light descending right on their heads, nothing like walls let down or bullets from rifles.
"You trying to summon Pentious, I guess? Well...He is not coming these weeks," Emily announced, her glance something between startled and solemn, so different from her usual one. Angel shot a quick glance on Cherri whose jaw seemed to grow a bit tense. "Or phoning. Sorry, guys. He's going to be really busy these days."
"What is it the dork is so busy? Fuckin' stumbled on a golden egg?" Cherri said in her usual pun-spiced tone.
Charlie was staring for a bit too long at something that was shining behind Emily's back. The bright girl was always bright in every way, but this something was as shiny as divine light. And she was hiding it? From friends?
"Oh. Well... He caught just a little bit of cold. But he'll be fine, I promise! The good news is... Well, you won't believe it but I'll have to say. For you not to be mad with me or puzzled later when we...well, invite. The thing is...Apparently...I'm going to marry. I'm engaged to...
"You serious?" Charlie gasped, her legs buckling, and the entrance of Vaggie didnt rectify a thing.
"I thought no one in Heaven used ever since Adam," Angel tried to rattle out a joke but no one heard it. "You sure you haven't.."
Finally, the girl was to show what she concealed. An engagement ring, a bit too giant for a petite seraphyme, a compromising alloy of traditional gold and signature silver of Emily.
"I'm gonna get s'me air", Cherri said, and didn't bother to open the door with a swing of one of her scarlet grenades.
In fact, she left them unattended. Frightened as he was of them, Fat Nuggets jumped between the bombs and his master, making worried noises.
***
Cherri was sitting on the asphalt rubbing her head. A circly funnel was gaping at her, left by a car with screeching tyres which just flung past. The drivers were even yelling at her for her to get out of their way, which they never did in Hell, it's Hell, baby, come on. She yelled back.
Pentious had spoken to her from that big screen, showing his affection to all of Hell. When they'd managed to get the connection, the internet portal between Heaven and Hell, he would insist on her showing him on the screen how she gets to the Hotel at night through the restless Hell streets, practically seeing her off after a walk. His kiss was both explosive and tender, which she still didn't forgive him. When he made his way to Hell to hug them for fifteen minutes for the second time, Cherri strangely didn't stay at the Hotel that night, even though she arrived at the gates as usual and just couldn't bring herself to open the door. The first time he came to the Hotel, she greeted him nonchalantly and went elsewhere minding her own business. She was not obliged to see him anyway. He didn't ask about her then.
Or did he?
Did she ask anyone if he asked about her? Or what they think he thinks?
What exactly seemed to be his darn problem??..
Fuck it, she might need the same squinty sinner, who made her get off real good lately, to let her scream and squeal in the sex room again tonight.
Fuck it, why was she thinking about the same partner for the next one-night stand?
What was wrong with her?
As she'd said kinda to Pentious, kinda to herself when singing after visiting Baxter in his den, she could see herself falling. Didn't know if it was love or some other irritation or bruise. No idea. Zero fucks given.
She rose to her feet and headed to the club rather proactively.