A BUCK AND HIS STAG
summary: an older deer demon arrives at the hotel and alastor starts getting pissy. the stag doesn't seem to understand the extent of how pissy he can be. warnings/tags: one-sided enemies-to-lovers, age gap, mlm, cannibalism, canon-typical violence, problematic language, valentino, internalized homophobia, sadomasochism, manipulation, sexual topics, occasional canon-divergence, talk of mating, sex-favorable alastor, reader is larger than alastor | not proof-read and will be rewritten later pairing/s: alastor x male! stag! reader
⸸ HOOVES CLICKED gently on the sidewalk of Pentagram City, the stag's eyes narrowed on the flier that had gotten stuck on his antlers mere moments prior.
The Hazbin Hotel, a passion project of the princess meant to rehabilitate the citizens of hell. Most found the idea ridiculous especially after that ridiculous interview on 666 News earlier that week, he'd seen the fight between the reporter and the princess on the picture box before the cameras cut and switched to a rather lewd advertisement for a strip club. Degenerates, thought the demon as small groups parted to make room for him to pass.
Usually he wouldn't bother to pay attention to such frivolous nonsense but the recent threat of the sooner extermination was quite the motivator for escape. Folding the flier into a neat square, the stag slid it into his breast pocket and crossed his arms behind his back with a hum of satisfaction and his head held high. He at least had to look dignified on his way to a place lacking such! The foul stench from the city eventually faded the closer he wandered to the hotel just on the outskirts of the metropolis.
All this redemption business seemed like the dream of a child searching for friendship in the worst of places, but how could oneself judge as they stepped right on their doorstep?
Knock...Knock...Knock
His knuckles rapped gently against the fine wood of the door before returning to his back. This is below me. As the seconds passed, the stag's apprehension slowly shifted into annoyance with each moment it took for someone to offer entry, his ear twitching as his face hardened. With a disappointed huff, his hand raised once more to knock only for the doorway to be eagerly swung open by a smiling blonde with rosy cheeks. Charlotte Morningstar's appearance alone certainly lived up to her naive outlook on life. Her excited gasp broke through what would've been an awkward silence as her hands shot out to grasp the older gentleman's.
"Oh, hello! I'm Charlie and welcome to the Happy- I mean- the Hazbin Hotel," chirped the eager young woman with sparkling ruby eyes, "Are you here to be a guest?" The stag blinked his e/c eyes in mild surprise at the princess' sweet tone, before clearing his throat and bowing his head in a gentle show of respect.
"Ah, yes! My name is [Reader], it's lovely to meet you, ma chère." His transatlantic accent warmed his words, the term of endearment seeming all the more charming. "Oh- It's lovely to meet you too! Come in, come in!" Charlie didn't waste a moment dragging him into the lobby of the hotel where four other demons were strewn about and doing their own thing. One of them stood out to him, the spider he recognized from that disgusting advertisement he'd seen earlier that week! Is he also trying to be redeemed? Good on him, I suppose.
The blonde demoness released her hold on the stag's hooved hands as she cleared her throat to gesture grandly at the decrepit building.
"Welcome officially to the Hazbin Hotel, a place where we can rehabilitate sinners! As you know," she motioned to herself with a smile, "I'm Charlie; founder of the hotel!" A moth demon walked up beside her with a suspicious expression but was pulled into an embrace by the princess before a word could even grace her lips. "This is Vaggie -- hotel manager and my girlfriend --, the man behind the bar over there is Husk -- the bartender --, the small girl over there is Nifty -- our cleaner and she's mostly harmless-" He looked at the small cyclops, whom was going at him with a glistening eye and flushed cheeks.
"Bad boy..." she rasped in awe which caused the stag to scoff in amusement, "Un mauvais mâle?" Nifty's eye only seemed to grow larger as she skittered her way up [Reader]'s body to grasp the edges of his suit, causing his head to rear back from the startle. "Never leave me."
Nifty and [Reader] maintained awkward eye contact until Vaggie cleared her throat & approached with her arms folded over her chest just as the little bug woman jumped off of [Reader] and skitters out of the room. "Alright... Anyways, who are you and why are you here?" asked the moth demon, a brow raised in suspicion.
A pleasant smile returned to the stag's snout.
"My name is [Reader], again, and I'm here to try out all this redemption business! I saw your advertisement on the picture box earlier during the week. Though, I must say I only saw enough to know our princess here can throw down as you all say!" A skittish laugh emanated from the princess.
The effeminate spider from the bar strutted his way over to the small group with a pink tropical-themed drink in hand, leaning on [Reader]'s shoulder with what one could only assume to be a seductive grin on his soft face.
"Well hello there, handsome.." he purred just as Charlie gestured to him. "Ahem, as you might know this is An-" "Angel Dust: the top pornsta' in all of hell, baby!" Angel interrupted with a wink, tracing [Reader]'s jawline with a finger to guide their faces closer together. "So, what's a guy gotta do to get a virile buck like you in the sheets?"
Harlot. With a tight smile and his ears pinned back, [Reader] briskly removed himself from the womanish male. "Oh hoho, no, I'd never sleep with you! Ever."
"I'd second that notion!"
A radioesque voice penetrated the uncomfortable conversation with all the pizzazz of someone with the absolute right to interrupt anyone they want. Turning his head, the stag made direct eye contact with a red-haired buck with large yellowed fangs and -- almost humiliatingly -- small antlers. He couldn't help but tilt his head in curiosity when the shorter male's ears swiveled backwards and his crimson eyes narrowed slightly.
"Ooh, yes! Alastor, perfect timing," cheered the princess as she dragged the elder gentleman over to the glaring buck with her usual perpetual excitement. "Alastor, this is [Reader]: our newest patron! [Reader], this is Alastor: our facility manager here at the hotel!--"
"Otherwise known as THE Radio Demon," Vaggie stepped beside Charlie to shift her away from the aforementioned figure. "Do not make a deal with him and do not cause harm to the hotel; follow those rules and we should get along just fine." The growing sound of static replaced the initial conversation only to soon be replaced by the clearing of a throat and [Reader]'s warm voice, "Well I'm certain I shall not need a deal with anyone in this hotel, my deer! I swear by it." Her stern expression shifted into a firm glare towards Alastor, who merely glanced away in faux innocence at the very obvious warning.
This is going to be quite the bother...
OH DEER...
"I'm sure this charming fellow can attest to that." Alastor simply gave a quiet hum of what could've been disinterest in the older man, but no one quite caught the indescribable glint in his crimson eyes the longer he stared.
Watching Charlie lead the tall figure upstairs with a tirade of excitement, the radio demon simply phased into the shadows as always, a loud crackle being left in his wake.
word count: 1228
this story is being written for fun and is not in any way, shape, nor form meant to be anything but silly canon fodder for me! i might write a part 2 later on if i think its deserving of one.