I've had an obsession with ingrown halos for a while now, but saw some old art from ains-art and their (#deer and kinship) series. And, of course, thought of Alastor.
Imagine a version of Reluctant Redemption AU, where something reveals that Alastor is Redeemed? And Charlie is so excited. She doesn't understand why Alastor doesn't want to go to Heaven. After all, that's amazing! 🤩
So she goes to the portal and begs for audience with anyone. Maybe it's Sera because she's on edge with Pentious being redeemed. Only for Charlie to reveal that someone else was redeemed, but didn't go to Heaven. Of course, Sera doesn't mention Pentious. But she does ask for Alastor to be brought here. Since, if he's an Angel, he should be able to walk among them.
Alastor 'humours' Charlie, because he doesn't really get a choice.
Sera demands he stays. But he actually refuses. Saying he only came here to prove redemption was possible. That he, himself, had never meant to be redeemed. His life is in Hell!
Charlie asks if they could compromise? Alastor stays for a bit, and gets to see paradise, but can leave with Charlie the next time she comes back. And she'll be back in a week! That way, Alastor can at least get to know if Heaven isn't where he wants to stay.
Alastor is horribly distressed because they won't let him interact with anyone besides Pentious and Emily. He's not allowed the same freedoms as Pentious because of his record as the Radio Demon. He's also recovering from ripping out his own wings and shattering his halo. So, when he still shows destructive behavior towards his own body, Sera decides to take drastic measures.
See, Winners are like Sinners. They will heal from anything other than Angelic Steel. So when she tells the medical staff to make his halo ingrown, it's technically a temporary fix. It's not meant to be permanent. Just until he's fully healed. And until they can make their debates with the council.
The halo pierced over his death mark, by coincidence. From the front, it looks like a star is crawling out of his forehead. Mimicking a unicorn's horn. But if someone looked at the back of Alastor's head, the other end pierced through.
(Vox is causing a mess for Charlie, while insighting an insurrection. He's pissed that Alastor isn't even around to harass or stalk. Then he finds out that Alastor went to Heaven. Supposed to be temporary, but might become permanent, if the princess is to be believed.
He kicks off trying to invade Heaven, gets Lucifer into the weapon, and is doing his best to lead a smear campaign against the Hotel and Heaven.
It all leads to the point of Pentious and Alastor being revealed as Ascended. But there's a caveat.
Alastor is still lobotomized.
He's from the age of many people being lobotomized. He's sending people going through that. He knows Alastor wouldn't act half the way he was if he was in a right state of mind. Wouldn't be soft and docile. Clinging to Pentious as if terrified of the world. Wouldn't have such wide die eyes. There's two parts warring in Vox. The part that sees this and is horrified. And the part that wants.)
Was there inspiration for this from The Last Unicorn, because my first thought for Alastor's halo design and more dazed/placid personality was Lady Amalthea!
I can't imagine Alastor agreeing to staying in Heaven for any amount of time unless Rosie (is she wants the Hotel to succeed) orders him to or, more interestingly, his mother is bought in to stay with him, and she get witness Alastor's horrifying holy lobotomy over time. Perhaps she joins Sir Pentious in trying to get them all back to Hell.
Heck, imagine Charlie's reaction when she sees exactly what Vox is screaming about when she sees Alastor's wide innocent(?) eyes and lost expression, realises what Heaven did to her partner and parental figure and how she was the one to put him in this situation.