Heeey I'm back! It's finally time for the full Cakeverse analysis gang!
Ok, so, for a refresher:
There's the Forks, the Cakes and the Plates (normal people), and it goes like this:
Plates are just normal people, the majority of the world population, nothing new here.
Forks: Can't taste and sometimes can't smell either, sometimes they used be able to taste but lost it with age; either way, they can only ever taste cakes.
Cakes: Basically normal people except that they're delicious, everything from them (flesh, tears, saliva, etc) tastes like cake (or other foods if you want). You can't tell who's a cake or not unless you're a Fork that's tasting them in some way.
Now, I have to add some stuff that's really interesting and that the og author said, that we'll be getting into today.
• Forks go absolutely bat shit insane when they taste the Cakes most of the time, that can lead to a lot of things, cannibalism, sex, or (if you're cultured) both.
• Both Cakes and Forks suffer from their own societal plights. Cakes die a lot, and Forks when discovered are instantly pinned as murderers, criminals and perverts, even if they haven't done anything wrong yet.
• Cakes can derail a Fork's entire life, and Forks are like sin and temptation to Cakes.
Now, I want to talk about these because they absolutely fucking vexed me and now I want to make this all of y'all's problem.
「The First Taste」
It's essentially a common rule as said by the author that the Forks go insane after feeling the taste of a Cake, now, let's talk about: Why?
See, Cakeverse is technically an Au based from the likes of Omegaverse, which you can see by the structure being similar to Alpha/Beta/Omega with the three types of people out there. But, in ABO the Alphas going insane is due to a specific event, heats, which are there specifically for reproduction and are said to bring out animal instincts out of people's control, while Forks are based on simply taste, food, and not something as biological.
Of course it's up to the individual writer to an extent, but my interpretation of why Forks lose it when they taste Cakes is more psychological when compared to Alphas in the Omegaverse.
Imagine that you are completely unable to see color, never once have you seen one, you grew up hearing all about how wonderful colors are, you saw others compliment the colors of several works of art, you heard all about the colors of the world around you, but all that you see is beige and grey. Now, imagine that one day you bump into someone, and suddenly you're able to see all the colors, for the first time ever in your life, you can finally experience blue skies and green grass, you can see the same way the rest of the world sees, something that was fundamentally missing from you is finally gifted to you by this stranger on a silver tray.
You're finally complete.
That's the reality of what Forks go through, years of eating tasteless food, seeing people enjoy food wholeheartedly and rant about the tastes, hearing about the differences between expensive food and cheap food, and then suddenly finally tasting cake. Of course they go insane and fixate on it, it's like the final puzzle piece finally sliding into place, something that they've been missing this whole time being manifested with only a taste.
Before, eating was a chore, something simply to survive there was no joy in it, no fun to be found in desserts or snacks, but with only a single kiss the Fork finally feels what it is like to crave food, to want food for the taste.
Cakeverse in nature is oddly psychological, playing with the concept of taking away something extremely core to the human experience, taste. It's inherent and everyone has it, you'd probably feel like a freak of nature if you didn't have something while everyone else has, right?
That's what Cakes bring Forks; normalcy, joy and purpose, it's basically like a shot of endorphins all at once straight into your bloodstream, there's a good chance it'd hit like a truck and fuck you up majorly.
Forks acting rashly probably looks different than when Alphas do the same, because the motive is inherently different, but the desperation is arguably more raw.
A lot can be written on what that reaction would be:
Immediately trying to taste the Cake (kissing, licking, biting), trying to play cool only to strike later (potential kidnapping, manipulation, planning and scheming in general), the Fork can try to resist temptation or maybe the Cake can notice the extreme reaction and run away, maybe the Cake can instigate and bait the Fork to take a bite.
It could lead to fluff, to relationships starting, relationships ending, it could smut, it could be gory cannibalism, hell, it could be both.
Either way, the sheer amount of character study that could be made out of this tidbit alone is insane, and the story concepts don't stop there!
「We Do, In Fact, Live In a Society」
Cakes don't know who they are until it's too late, but I can imagine that in society they'd be treated with a lot of extra care if they are known beforehand, as they are constantly in risk of dying.
Imagine that they'd also be majorly babyfied, the "nooo poor babies that can't do anything wrong, poor helpless and weak Cakes, they clearly can't take care of themselves, they're so vulnerable, don't worry I'll speak for you to protect your honor" would be insane. Any Cake that consensually and willingly gets with a Fork will be doubted if they truly wanted to do it, think nosy people pulling them aside to ask if they're ok and pressing to see if they're abused, think people immediately thinking that Cakes can't consent to anything with a Fork on principle despite them being grown adults.
Online discourse would definitely have people saying "Cakes are minor coded" or some shit, mark my words.
While Forks would be instantly persecuted for everything. Because of something they didn't choose, that was inherited at birth, they now are fully seem as murderers, kidnappers, rapists and just the lowest of the low. People will gossip, people will get defensive, people will cower any time you slightly raise your voice, you're seen as a predator, treated no different than a wild bear. To society at large, you're an unruly dog, and all eyes will be on you forever, watching, waiting for the day that you take a bite.
In a sense, it's almost like any Forks that do commit crimes instantly have a justification to do so, it's expected, really, you're a Fork, of course you'd snap one day. It's both maligned and normalized, everyone expects it and it almost gives Forks a reason to do so. Forever a self fulfilling prophecy.
Now I'm sorry that I'll keep bringing the Omegaverse up, it's just that it's really handy for comparison, but I find it fascinating that in a way, the societal effects of this are a mish mesh of the societal views seen in ABO, but like, in a way that doesn't make me want to vomit.
Can I be so fr with you guys right now? I don't like the societal parts of the Omegaverse, ever since I was a kid in the early hay days of the internet, that always made me uncomfortable, and it's also a bit lazy in a way. The problems in society with the Omegaverse are basically just Sexism, it's misogyny with mpreg, and a lot of fics end up feeling like a Handmaiden's Tale with mpreg. Replace Alphas with men and Omegas with Women and you get the Omegaverse, though it gets a bit interesting since there technically is a built-in "fuck or die" and aphrodisiac system with heats/ruts, but very few writers do something interesting with it.
My problem is that it's always either uncomfortable or outright boring, very little fics do it well and most of the time authors simply choose to side step it altogether, which I completely understand and actually prefer at this point.
I bring all this up because Cakeverse actually brings a lot of interesting concepts up in it's consequences on the world at large, the nature of Forks and Cakes mirrors a lot of real life concepts, but leaves enough fantastical elements that there's still intrigue in what could be explored and seem from authors writing certain details of it.
Would there be Cake support groups? Would there be Fork rights activists? Would there be people who are both Forks and Cakes, like a hybrid type? What are different relationship types seen as in the eyes of society as a whole?
It's all so complicated and the problems are different between the both of them, also, they're evenly split, which is a breath of fresh air.
Now, it's time to get even deeper into this, what are exactly Forks and Cakes relationship with each other like?
「Would You Still Love Me If I Was Cake?」
According to the author, Cakes can derail a Fork's life and Forks are temptation to Cakes. Now, why is that?
Imagine you're a Fork, living your life trying to do what you can with what's been handed to you, probably being discriminated against if you haven't been able to hide it well, when suddenly you taste someone (kiss or by accident, like a shared water bottle), and next thing you know you lose your mind. Your entire world falls apart, thoughts of dreams, future, your own sense of morality, it all melts away like sugar in water because you just experienced heaven and now it's all you can think about.
Someone completely normal beforehand, suddenly driven to obsession with just one moment, an entire life detailed into the unknown because they just had a taste of cake, thoughts being all about one person and their taste, the inability to stop even you're desperate to do so. It's madness, and almost like a tragedy, doomed by their own personal narrative of Fork meets Cake, the Forks turns into a starving beast whether they want to or not.
But Cakes? Imagine you have someone you love, and they want you so badly it drives them mad, imagine kissing the same lips that want to be stained with your taste, imagine putting yourself in the way of jaws that any of these days can close down on you and swallow you whole. You're constantly in contact with someone that could just straight up eat you, consume you whole and leave nothing behind, but your heart aches for them, you present yourself in a silver platter again and again.
Maybe you want to be eaten, to be consumed. Maybe you like being wanted, maybe you enjoy providing something to to others, you made them so happy that it doesn't even matter to you that they are taking chunks out of you, you'll gladly let yourself be torn apart if it means someone else is satisfied.
It's all about the usage of "Cannibalism as a Metaphor for Love™", it's all about loving someone but constantly wanting to eat them into non-existence, it's about to struggle between your brain heart and stomach.
It's about having your cake and eating it too.
The themes, the metaphors, the opportunities are endless and frankly I'm driving myself insane just imagining all of it, the angst also would be utterly fucking insane, imagine you live someone and you eat them, wouldn't you be upset? You loved them and you killed them yourself, with your own hands, their taste is on your lips and you licked your plate clean.
I'm screaming and crying and throwing up as we speak, the number of things you can do here are endless, soooo. . . Let's talk about some of my ideas!
「All My Fanfiction Titles Are Just Songs」
Last post I basically tagged a bunch of fandoms that I wish would use this trope (I'll also be doing that with this post), so now I'm going to showing some of the ideas I had for this AU that I might or might not write in the future, all of which you guys are totally free to use as prompts as well (just tag me on them lmao)
So, going ship by ship:
「Loveit」: Dead Plate fanfic, Vincent x Rody, Fork!Vincent and Cake!Rody. I imagine that the moment Vincent finds out is during the Best Served Hot ending, after biting Rody's ear, his reaction would show instantly on his face and Rody would notice right away. After that it can lead to a lot of things, fighting, smut and cannibalism galore, their relationship would only get more complicated after such a discovery. Hell, you can even have Vincent find out earlier, if you truly want more juicy drama, maybe Vincent will attempt to make Rody into the meal instead of Mason this time? For funsies you could even reverse it, Rody as a Fork would be fascinating to see, him bonding with Vincent that he also can't taste anything, only for him to find out later that he can taste Vincent himself, holy shit the intrigue.
「Eat You」: Death Note, Lawlight, Fork!Light and Cake!L. Imagine Light both having to hide the fact that he's Kira, but also having to hide the fact that he's a Fork, imagine the never leaving stain that being a Fork would be on his own self-perception of perfection, imagine the so called god that punishes criminals also being considered a criminal by default in society's eyes if he's ever found out. Kira selling out his own kind because most criminals would likely be Forks (whether they were rightfully convicted or not), and then comes in L, a detective, a nuisance, Light's equal and a Cake. Maybe Light would find that out later on, maybe while they're playing as friends in college or while chained together, and now L had effortlessly thrown another wrench in his life yet again by default, like they're meant to be opposed by fate itself, where Kira is a Fork L is a Cake. L would likely goad Light on, trying to bait Kira out, by any means necessary, even if it means being eaten.
「Eat You Piece by Piece」: Hear me out, Batjokes. Fork!Bruce having to hold himself back from breaking his own morals due to finding out Joker is a Cake, Fork!Joker only getting deeper into his Batman obsession after tasting a Cake!Batman, Both Forks bonded by not having taste, maybe both are Forks that differ on how they react to Cakes (Joker regularly eating them while Bruce retains his morals and chooses to not hurt them), maybe both Cakes that got here because they were almost eaten (different Batman and Joker origin stories?). The opportunities are all intriguing and promptly end in bloodshed, expect angst and discussions of what is moral, also just so much angst holy shit this shit hurts.
「I Eat Boys Up」: Dungeon Meshi, Labru, Fork!Laios and Cake!Labru. I'm thinking post canon by accident, maybe something like sharing utensils, and I'm going to be so fr with you right now, this story coming from me would be a lot of romanticism through food metaphors and unending smut, feral Laios is my equivalent of heroin and I could imagine him describing Kabru's taste in detail to him while eating him out. But if smut isn't your jam, exploring how Laios and his monster obsession, especially in the form of food, as someone who can't taste would be intriguing, in a story so closely tied to food, you have to wonder how it would all change if the main character couldn't even taste. Also, I doubt Kabru would take the knowledge of him being essentially prey well, so there's that bag of worms to go into if you want.
「Blame Gluttony」: This one is purely self indulgent but like, Re:Zero with any ship, Cake! Subaru and Fork!anyone else. Imagine Subaru's world doesn't have this Cakeverse nonsense at all, but the world he's transported to has, imagine how scary it would be that one loop he suddenly finds out that he's essentially universal prey here (maybe in the second loop with Elsa), imagine the weight of all the things that already are trying to kill him along with the fact that he's also got a new thing to worry about? Maybe instead of just the rabbit loop, there's now multiple loops where Subaru is eaten alive, maybe there's loops where his dear friends themselves are eating him. Can you imagine if Emilia was a Fork? If he found out after the kiss of death and she commented on the taste of his lips as he was dying, if it came up again after their kiss, Subaru having to tackle with his love and heart belonging to someone that would one day eat him whole. Imagine the witch not longer just wants to touch his heart or kiss him, but she also bites him when he tries to tell the secret. Imagine maybe Rem is also a Fork, imagine that his death by her hands also involved her tearing into him chunk by chunk. What if Otto was a Fork, what if Reinhard was one? Seriously all the opportunities are equally traumatizing and I'm living for it!
Honorable mentions include: Persona Shuake and Shuada (Fork!Protags and Cake!Detectives) for the optimal mutual murder extravaganza, Okegom DSP Satanivlis (Fork!Ivlis and Cake!Satanick) for a rare case of role swapping, South Park Kyman (any way works tbh) for mutually assured destruction, Slay the Princess (Fork!Princess and Cake!Birb) because themes, Soukouku (Fork!Dazai and Cake!Chuuya) for making canon even worse than it already is, frankly any investigrave game would be peak here, Hannigram for obvious reasons.
But that's all I have for now, so, what have we learned here?
We learned that: I'm mentally ill and you need to write about the Cakeverse NOW.
Oh bet, I'll totally send you cakeverse asks Angie!
You know how ruan mei's got a sweet tooth right? Imagine hooking up with ruan mei and she develops a sort of craving for you, since "forks" can't feel the taste of anything other than "cakes"
...I'm sorry, i just really REALLY want ruan mei to bite me. Like I'm not even joking, I need that woman SO bad
-🐇
The more I read about the Cakeverse, the more I realize it’s just using cannibalism as a metaphor for love (I love it though. Give me more cannibalism yuri)
Anywho, since Ruan Mei can’t taste anything in this AU, I imagine she sometimes forgets to eat because of her lack of appetite. However, after catching your sweet, addicting scent one day which causes Ruan Mei’s mouth to water, she finds herself having a hunger that she forgot she had. This leads to her following you around and eventually managing to sink her teeth into your soft, succulent flesh. It’s not enough to hurt, but the taste of your skin makes Ruan Mei shake with pleasure, unable to resist pulling down your pants because if you’re sweet on the flesh above, then how sweet would you be down there?
While Ruan Mei does indeed have a sweet tooth, the type of “cake scent” that she is most drawn to is fruitier cakes imo. Strawberry shortcakes and lemon cakes are her favorites, while she also enjoys a Cake that smells/tastes like matcha. If you smell like any of those three cakes, Ruan Mei can’t stop herself from licking and eating you (out).
Series Summary: The kitchen truly was the space you should have realized you wouldn't be able to peacefully share with Alastor. Two strong cooks just can't share, no matter how big the kitchen. He wishes to see you choke and you can't say you don't share similar sentiments. This doesn't stop you from taking it too far one day and setting off a chain of events for the two of you that will permanently alter the course of your afterlife's.
And surely why not let it grow more complicated by adding in the additional factor of Lucifer?? Afterall, he might be the only one who has any real answers for what you're both experiencing.
(Cakeverse AU)
Chapter Tags/Warnings: Nothing really, it is only chapter one after all
Word Count: 7k
A/N: The brain rot for Hazbin has slowly been building since the show released in January but it wasn't until recently that I finally had an idea that I was so desperate to write that I was willing to publicly enter the fandom online. But we're now here and what's done is done. I can't prevent the hyperfixation and brain rot from taking over even if I wanted to. I'm taking a break from my main fandom because I have little choice in the matter. This content is sponsored by that so hopefully the content it produces is good.
This AU is super niche and unique so if you need a more expanded look/explanation on it I can either make a post detailing how it fits in this fic (since it won't have plot explanation for it for a minute) or you can check out ColeyDoesThings video that she did on the topic of Cakeverse, it'll give you a good general understanding of it. I would not have found the AU concept anywhere else if it weren't for her, so thanks to her for that!
I'm always curious to hear thoughts and comments about my fics, just please be kind I'm a delicate soul. I hope you enjoy! Buckle up, it's going to be a wild ride.
[Updated: 7/15/25 (Minor edits)]
~
The Hazbin Hotel was most certainly not where you thought you would end up when you first woke in your afterlife. Being down here, and with as long as you've been here—surviving for so many hundreds of years—each passing one stacked atop the others with experiences that would shift and transform you into the demon you saw in the mirror now.
Redemption was never your first thought. The surprise of waking in Hell was momentary at best, a fact of your being you were suddenly forced to accept and have be a part of things. You weren't eager to escape right out of the bag, hell it wasn't until just the prior year that you considered even entertaining the notion of something else.
When the battle with Heaven's exterminators occurred at Princess Morningstar's hotel, your attention was suddenly drawn to alternative options. Whether the potential was fully yet to be proven or not. It was something.
Besides, you were weary, exhausted and quite frankly—bored.
Why not attempt to reach Heaven?
Hell had grown boring and it's not like you had anything better to do with your time. Besides, Charlie seemed really sweet. Her commitment and passion for her hotel was admirable. She fought with Heaven's most elite forces and won. How could you not be impressed and interested?
You had to admit you were a tad… weary… at the thought of being under the roof that is being benefacted by the infamous Radio Demon himself, as well as Hell's royalty being the rest of management. You'd never had any personal encounters with the demon himself. You had enough sense of self preservation left in you to give him a wide radius of avoidance once he'd come into power and notoriety among the streets of the Pride ring's Pentagram City. You didn't need to fuck with powers or deals that you weren't likely to come out on top of. Even if you did, it's not like you could sell your soul again.
The most connection you had to the demon was your slight vested interest in his radio show. Music wasn't the biggest of things during your time on Earth. There was barely anything that could be considered close to entertainment from your life so it was more than a happy surprise when you realized Hell grew with the passing of time just the same as Earth. You watched as more technology and innovation became a part of life in the Pride ring. You were able to marvel at what humans like you had built and created. Things based on concepts you would never think to even dream possible seemed to pop up on every corner the longer the years dragged on. You were grateful for the media coming from the more modern age, falling in fast love with music the more you were exposed to it. It was no wonder you'd be inevitably drawn to radio and subsequently Alastor's show.
When he wasn't broadcasting the chilling (yet sometimes very entertaining) screams of fellow Sinners on his air waves, they were filled with old classics and soft jazz. However much you enjoyed it, the fact of your fear remained. You were still very much aware of who hosted it. His interjecting monologues between segments made sure of it.
You'd seen the footage of his stand off with Adam. His powers had been a wonder to behold, his snark a level to compete with even your own. The use of his shadows was elegant, hypnotizing. In your several hundred years punished here, you'd never been witness to powers quite like his. It intrigued you greatly, despite your looming apprehension about him still being evident.
In the end the pros outweighed the cons and you were packing up your few belongings and checking into a room at the newly rebuilt Hazbin Hotel. You'd ended up learning you were their first guest post new facilities. You had to admit, it did in fact make you feel special in a certain way.
You'd been here nearing a week and for the majority of it had nothing to really complain about. You hadn't entirely gone out of your way to be social and interact with people, but what few interactions and introductions you'd had were pleasant and enjoyable. Each day that passed showing evidence that you could actually—potentially—call this place your home one day.
You had yet to meet the one demon in the residence that had sway on your decision about coming here, you were more than grateful about that fact. Yes it would be nice to simply meet him and get it over with. Size him up with an interaction to properly understand the threat he might pose and how you should go about handling it. Still a part of you remained a coward and was appreciative that you hadn't had to do it quite yet.
As you'd initially thought, Charlie was just an absolute delight of a person to be around. At times she was a bit awkward but only in a way that could really ever be considered endearing. She reminded you of yourself at times. Eager, passionate, desperate to please and present well. Her girlfriend Vaggie was similarly kind to you. In the few conversations you'd shared you found a strange amount in common between the both of you. The pair of them quickly felt as if you may have two new close friends on the horizon. The thought brought a smile to your face.
You'd been pleasantly surprised to realize you already had quite close bonds with two of the other hotel's residents. It'd been awhile since you'd seen Husk. It'd easily been a decade or so since you last sat and talked. Nothing close to the way you'd spend time with one another in the past. He looked haggard, a bit worse for wear than you'd remembered him last, but it was clear he was still the same old Husk you'd gambled and shot the shit with constantly for that couple year span. A single conversation with the cat and you were reminded how much you loved being in his company. Your heart ached to hear that he'd fallen from his position amongst the other Overlords. You knew he'd disappeared from his usual places, his territory going under before being ripped apart by power hungry vultures. You were happy he still had his powers in hand but hated to hear what it took to keep them.
The other familiar face to you had been times most recent gift to you. Wise cracking, crass mouth having, dress stealing Angel Dust. When he wrapped you into his arms for a hug upon your surprise reunion, it felt like coming home to family after a long absence apart. He smelled faintly of Val's sickly sweet cherry smoke, but over-layed above it was a scent that screamed so uniquely Angel. Tart candy, vanilla, florals, and a hint of leather twisted around him in a personal cloud that was simply Angel Dust. You'd be lying if you denied the tears having sprung to your eyes at the feelings all of it evoked in you. You were quick to rub them away when the two of you parted.
Both of them had ended up being the ones to introduce you to the hotel's maid, Nifty. She was all energy, spark and wild personality. You could not deny the instant love you felt for her. Oh was she something else. You look forward to future interactions with the girl.
Lucifer was met in the most brief of passings. You were both transitioning to other places when you crossed paths in the lobby. Charlie eager to step in and get you two acquainted. It was quick, awkward, and honestly something that might be considered close to unremarkable. You thought surely there would be more to your first meeting with the king of Hell, but alas, it had gone the way it did. You were left to ponder on it no longer, your mind being occupied with the thoughts of other things.
Overall, you truly believed that you would enjoy your time staying at the Hazbin Hotel. It felt like a place you might fit in for once.
It took until you'd been there a full week for the need of your vice to grip you so strong you were no longer capable of denial. Thankfully Angel had the night off and was more than willing to get absolutely shit faced with you throughout the evening's hours into those of the night.
You were happily sniggering together. Some vulgar joke flowing easily from his mouth sending you into a fit of hysterics with how out of pocket it was (even in comparison to his normal content). Husk looks the two of you over with veiled amusement, not wanting to give off more of his amusement than wanted. He mumbles something off handed about the two of you sounding like a bunch of 'dirty, lewd, children', which only served to kick start Angel and yourself into a fresh wave of giggles.
"Oh hi guys!" You hear echo down from the stairs. Each of your three heads turning to face the voice.
Charlie and Vaggie make their way down the stairs, hands clasped within the other's tightly. Vaggie looked as if she were ready to call it a night and wasn't entirely happy to still be awake, whereas Charlie looked her usual bright and eager self.
"What're you guys up to?"
Without hesitance, Angel and you raise your glasses saying, "Drinking," as your response. It was a moment so in sync you'd have expected it to be planned. Your laughter kicks back up in sheer delight, your legs swinging back and forth as you cackle loudly. Angel laughs in a similar amused and delighted response. The alcohol more than clearly having gone to both your heads.
The room spins gently around you. An authentic smile stretching widely across your lips in shared glee.
Husk rolls his eyes with an annoyed yet endeared huff. He wasn't sure if this was something he was prepared to handle the two of you doing regularly.
Charlie lets out a laugh of her own, sliding into one of the spare stools surrounding the bar. "Seems you guys might have been at it awhile, huh?" She cocks her brow.
Vaggie stretches her arms in a wide arc above her head, her back curving to stretch as she lets out a large yawn. "A blind man could see that."
"Oh boo." You throw at her in response, poking your tongue between your lips to stick out at her. "You just don't know how to have fun."
You slam back the rest of your glass in a single swallow. An undignified belch rising from your stomach and fleeing your mouth before given the chance to prevent otherwise.
"Pardon!" You exclaim. "I'm so sorry." You cover your mouth in horror, shocked at having let yourself be so impolite in the company of others.
Chuckles rise around you.
"It's alright." Charlie giggles.
"Damn Luney, I didn't think you were capable of producin' such a horrible sound." He teases shaking his head in mock disapproval.
"Fuck off Angel, I'm still ultimately a lady. It was a mere fuex pas, forgive me." You sarcastically exaggerate and drag out. Rolling your eyes at him before another silly giggle falls out of you.
"Babe." You hear Vaggie quietly try to grab her girlfriend's attention. "If I'm going to be awake any longer, I'm going to need to eat. I'm starving…"
Her request attracts your attention. Your focus darting to her and volunteering before your brain had the chance to catch up and decide otherwise. "I can cook you something!"
Vaggie's cheeks immediately grow flush, her sleepy expression morphing into one of hesitancy and shame. Her hands come up to wave across her front. "Oh please, I couldn't ask that of you. Don't worry about me."
"Nonsense." You wave with a vague gesture of your hand. "I actually very much enjoy being in the kitchen and feeding people. If anything you'd be doing me the favor. I haven't had the chance to cook something proper in quite some time now."
Vaggie darts her eyes careful between you to her partner, then down to her stomach when it releases a loud rumble heard by each demon present.
"Kinda hard to argue with your own body, hey?" Charlie jests at her.
Vaggie smacks her playfully on the arm. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever." Her eyes roll but you see the love filling them. "Alright newbie, I guess I'm not in a position to say no."
"Score!" You exclaim with a pumped fist into the air as emphasis. You giggle when the eyes on you look amused once more. You take a moment to look sheepish before spinning not so gracefully off your stool to head off into the dining room to get to the hotel's kitchen.
Tonight was quite a pleasant one for the books. The atmosphere and company filling your chest with tingling warmth. How long had it been since you indulged in such mundane things such as friendship and casual conversation on a level that fueled you rather than the opposite.
You'd glanced the kitchen briefly on your initial tour of the hotel, when each public space had been shared with you and told of its purpose and reason. You only had the chance to admire the room for a second before being whisked about to the next room and distracted with a new area. You flick on the light switch and are finally granted the opportunity to properly look around and admire what exactly it all had to offer.
To say it was large would be an understatement.
You'd been in industrial kitchens during your tenure in Hell. Worked a few chef positions before you ultimately decided the crowded kitchen and demanding job wasn't worth the stress of indulging in one of your favorite pass times. This kitchen echoed the sentiment of those, but a luxury filter had been slapped over it giving off a slightly more elevated experience.
Parts of it looked the standard kitchen. Back splash, granite counters, stainless steel sinks and bountiful cupboard space. The appliances look to be what you expect are top of the line, the black and white color scheme fitting in well with the rest of the kitchens design. The colors and themes of the rest of the hotel's decor followed into this branched off room. The back splash was mixed shades of red and black, a small spattering of white popping up every so often. The granite counter tops matching in similar colors and patterns.
There are two stoves. One massive gas range with so many burners not even a single meal could require them all. There's a mobile spout you can use to fill pots with water, resting on the wall behind it. The second is a smaller induction stove nestled into the island counter in the middle of the space. Both matching the rest of the appliances throughout.
The metal door to the hotel's walk in fridge is tucked off to the side in the back corner. A chunk of counter stretches between it and a wooden door leading to what you can only guess or assume is the pantry space.
On one wall, from counter to ceiling, windows stretch from end to end. The dark shadowed landscape behind the hotel only just visible. A large trough sink sits in the middle of the stretched counters. Dishwasher tucked in the space off to the side beneath it.
A heavy iron rack hangs suspended from the ceiling, various sized pans dangle and hang from its limbs. Along the wall next to the stove is a magnetic strip keeping a fine alignment of knives in proper satisfying order. A few stray counter top items stagger about the different empty spaces. A coffee maker here, a blender and mixer there.
There's a large cupboard thats door is made of glass rather than the matching wood of the rest. Nestled within it is a dozen or so unique looking mugs that can't help but draw your attention. 'I hate Monday's', 'Oh deer!', 'Rise and Shine!', and 'It's only an addiction if you sucked dick for it', are among the designs that catch your interest the most. The other one that draws your attention is one that says 'Kiss the cook' but instead the kiss is struck out and the word 'kill' is scribbled across it instead. You can't help the puff of amusement from your lips.
Ha ha, that's kinda funny.
The sight of the kitchen in its entirety has you buzzing with excitement. The potential to be cooking in a space this nice and well taken care of igniting your interest more than you'd expect a kitchen to be able to do. It's beautiful; clean, organized, and very big.
You might even enjoy doing the dishes in this kitchen. Now wouldn't that be something.
Footsteps echo behind you in accompaniment to your appreciation of the new space. You're unable to even keep your mouth closed as the princess and her angel follow behind after you.
"Charlie!" You exclaim excitedly. "This kitchen is beautiful! I've never seen one look this nice! Are you sure it's okay I even cook in here?"
You felt like you might be intruding in a place you didn't belong. Potentially for more than one reason.
"Oh please! Make yourself at home in here," Charlie eagerly urges. "Alastor is mostly really the only person who uses the kitchen to cook consistently. The rest of us either eat what he shares or find simple things we don't have to put much effort into. I'd love to see someone else taking advantage of it though! Alastor did such a lovely job putting it together when we rebuilt everything, it'd be nice for someone else to be able to properly appreciate all of it."
You find your smile reflecting hers with just how bright and big it feels. You almost feel as if you're receiving a gift.
"Thank you! No seriously Charlie," You move to grab her hand, squeezing it with love and sincerity. "Thank you. It means more than you know. I'd love to help out by cooking for everyone. I'd hate for Alastor to feel the pressure of doing it all. I haven't had the chance to meet him yet so I'm sure he's plenty busy with everything he must have on his plate. I could take off any potential burden he may feel to do it. Besides, like I said, I love cooking. Feeding people is one of the ways I show I care and if it'd help out with things around here, I don't see why I shouldn't or couldn't."
You bounce eagerly on the balls of your feet. A slew of recipes flying through your brain in a flurry of excitement to be back to cooking the way you most enjoy. You got to also feed your friends, it was a win for everyone all around.
You turn to Vaggie with a questioning raise of your brow. "You got a favorite dish?"
She looks shocked and nervous to be put on the spot again. Her voice stuttering and stammering to give you her response. "Uh… I-I don't… food isn't really my… thing?" Her voice is so confused and unsure. Authentic panic crosses her features and for a moment you feel as if you've truly done something wrong. You didn't think a simple question could evoke such intense reaction in the fallen angel.
"Hey, hey," You try to placate, putting your hands up in a show of no harm. "It's okay. I didn't mean to pressure you on the spot. That's my bad."
You grimace, watching as she flashes you a clumsy reassuring smile while she takes a moment to breath.
"Sorry, I've been in Hell a few years now and I'm still not completely accustomed to down here." She explains once she's a bit more settled.
You wave her off. "Please, no need to apologize on my account. I've been here a long time now, I've seen all sorts of reactions to things down here. Adjusting to Hell doesn't have a time limit on it. I know I sure took my time to." You shrug.
"How's pasta sound? I do a mean pasta with very little effort."
A small but real smile graces the girl's lips. "I think I can do pasta."
"Perfect." You clap your hands together, turning to the back wall. You eagerly make your way over to check out the pantry. It was just as amazing and impressive as the kitchen. It was a large walk in space lined with shelves, ingredients for anything you could possibly want filling its shelves. There's a small bench area with a small cathedral radio positioned in the corner, a small stack of cookbooks lays off to its side. At the far back wall there's a row of hooks queued up beside each other, there's a variety of aprons hanging on some while the others remain empty.
You can't stop the smile consuming your face. Oh, you were definitely going to like it here.
You gather the ingredients you needed for the dish you had in mind. Nothing flashy or complicated, just simple flavors that would hopefully fill her tummy before bed.
They've settled in on the stools at the island, faintly conversing about something you don't tune into much. A small hum of a song you recently heard on the radio flows from between your lips. The familiar rhythm of prepping and cooking putting you further at ease here within the hotel.
It felt right.
You make brief interruptions in their conversation to inquire an items place if you weren't able to discern it on your own. Your work was fast, the sauce on a low simmer as the pasta was thrown into the pot and on its way to finished.
Charlie calls your name softly, your attention being drawn back to them. The ticking of your mental timer to tell you the pasta has finished, echoes in the back of your mind.
"What's up?"
"How long have you been a resident in Hell?" She tilts her head to the side seeming to gage something about you. You can't help the part of you that wants to shy away from her gaze. You didn't like being so openly perceived. It feels wrong and leaves your skin feeling all weird and prickly.
"Oh," You start as the mental timer in your head goes off. You turn the burner off, before moving to drain the pot. "I don't have an exact number by any means but something close to three maybe four hundred-ish years or so, give or take." You lift your hand into the air, shaking it in show of approximation.
It wasn't something you loved talking about, hell you didn't even like it a little bit, but this was Charlie asking and you knew it wouldn't lead to anything hurtful for either of you.
Charlie's eyes light up with intrigue, even Vaggie's head perks up more in show of her renewed attention. "That's so cool!"
You shrug awkwardly as you chuckle. "Not really. I just got placed on the game board when I did and I just so happen to be really good at staying alive and sticking around down here. I don't make it a habit to piss powerful angry people off, and I've been able to survive the Exterminations until now so, I'm still here." You flash them two thumbs up. "Anyway…"
You turn back to your task not sure how you would continue should there be a need for it. You're eager to busy your hands finishing suddenly feeling foolish for unknown reasons.
The silence in the air makes your skin tingle uncomfortably. Muscle memory from years of cooking this same dish is the only thing that guides you through finishing the last few steps. You're only able to take in another proper breath of air when the food is plated and placed in front of her. A matching bowl set beside it upon Charlie's request for a portion as well.
The one thing you had little doubt in was your skills as a cook. It was the number one thing you spent your time here doing, next to continuing your practice that is. You knew your food was consistently good. It was a true rare occasion when you made a dish that a majority agreed was poorly done.
The pleased hum from the couple before you reaffirms that knowledge. Even stoic Vaggie seemed lost to the delight spreading across her taste buds.
"This is incredible!" Charlie compliments as she eagerly wolves down her portion. "Holy shit!"
"What she said." Vaggie nods her head towards Charlie. "This is some next level grub."
"It's my one near perfect skill." You try to shrug it off casually but inside you were absolutely beaming at the praise. It felt good to hear, especially coming from your new hosts.
Charlie scoops up another bite. "Have you always been this good at cooking?"
"Nah, it wasn't like we had much in the way of ingredients when I was alive. It's something that piqued my interest after several years of my afterlife, and let me tell you, the product has not always been this good." You shudder at the thought of a particularly bad dish experiment. "You're lucky you're trying it at its best. It's been a long road to this point."
"I might have to take back what I said about food not being my thing if it can taste this good." Vaggie hums happily as she finishes off the last few bites in her bowl.
The comment strikes your interest causing you to inquire. "Is Alastor not a good cook?"
"Oh god," Vaggie groans rolling her eyes.
"He's great!" Charlies pipes up. "He is!"
"Yeah but I don't think the ego is worth the dining experience."
"Well…" The princess trails off. "I think it should be a good thing that people have a lot of confidence in their skills."
Even you can tell the princess is trying her best to put a positive spin on things.
"You can't take a bite of the man's food without him demanding you sing his praises and kiss his ass." Vaggie throws her hands up in exasperation. "I don't care how good it tastes, it's not worth the price of admission."
With what little you know about the Radio Demon, this seems to track with his personality. You can't tell if you're more afraid of him and his capabilities or afraid of putting up with another man and his gargantuan ego. Vaggie's clear upset over it causes you to release a chuckle.
"I guess it's a good thing I'm here then, huh?" A smirk teases at your lips.
Vaggie stands to clear their dishes, walking over to the sink and rinsing them to set aside. "Oh, you actually have no idea."
Another yawn rips from her mouth. "Oh shit. Guess that made me even sleepier."
You laugh, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder to reassure her. "You should get yourself to bed. I'll get the rest of the kitchen cleaned up. Charlie, you might want to help her, she looks primed to keel right over."
Charlie waltzes over to you two, a loving smile adorning her lips as she takes in her sleepy girlfriend. The look in her eyes is one you've never been on the receiving end of, a look of adoration and affection so intense it couldn't ever possibly be hidden. The kind of look reflecting their belief their partner hung the very stars. It makes your own small grin grow wider.
"Let's get you to bed dear." She says softly while crouching, her arms slipping beneath the shorter girl's legs before scooping her up into her chest. Vaggie immediately relaxes into her hold, her eyes closing as she nuzzles her head against Charlie's shoulder.
"Hmm, okay," she replies dozily.
Observing the two of them feels like a present to you. To see two people have such a strong passionate connection and love for one another, shit like this is such a rare commodity to come across. With what you knew of them both, from your few interactions, you knew if anyone deserved to have that in the pits of Hell, it was the two of them. You give them a quiet parting of good night as they exit from the room.
You sigh softly as you turn back to the task you're left to tackle.
Ah dishes, the one part about cooking you've never gotten used to or ever liked doing. It was a necessary part of the process, but that doesn't make you hate it any less.
You do have to admit though, there's a bit of a routine you've created for it, something almost as familiar as the cooking itself. It's nice to get a subconscious rhythm going, helps you complete the task faster. Thankfully the empty, expansive counters give you the ample space needed to go through and clean the way you deem most efficient.
Soft lyrics flow from your lips, your hushed singing the only sound to accompany you. An older song but one carrying a hauntingly beautiful melody regardless. Thoughts of setting your own world on fire dancing about your mind as you continued to sing each line.
"From the sounds of your conversation earlier, that tune is a bit beyond your time." A crackling static filled voice fills a momentary silence between your tune.
Your heart jumps to your throat, an instant ice injected into directly to your veins. You may not have met him face to face until now, but you knew very well who the voice must belong to. You turn from your spot at the sink, nervous and a bit apprehensive to have your final introduction at the hotel.
He looks exactly as you've seen him. Covered from head to toe in varying shades of red, unique attributes of his sinner body standing out among it all. You always had a curiosity about the combination of deer into his form, it definitely didn't match the whole radio thing he had going on. You knew there was no control to be had over any of it, but it still made you question why exactly that was what he ended up with. Even his posture and body language scream every bit the proud and proper dangerous man you'd heard about. The way his eyes pierce into yours, before subtly tracing over your form, it sends chills through your very soul.
Power recognizes power, and in this instance, your's sure as shit could recognize his. It left your body to react accordingly. Signals of fear and growing dread consistently signal their way into your brain, screaming at you to find the fastest escape route. You loudly ignore it, standing your ground instead.
You knew if you were going to be staying in this hotel, sharing the same roof as Alastor, you couldn't just cower and run away every time the two of you came across one another. The only way that happened is if you started by setting the precedent now.
You ultimately don't love him having overheard that, it makes you question how long he might have been listening—watching from the shadows.
You turn the sink off then move to grab the towel discarded beside it, saying simply, "There's a lot of things that came before my time."
"Four hundred years is no small amount of time." His eyes don't leave your form as he crosses over to the small breakfast nook on the other side of the room. He slides into one of the chairs, setting his microphone atop the table. He crosses one leg on top of the other as he stretches and leans back. "Can't say I've met many sinners who've stuck around this long. Oldest one is Zestial but that certainly wasn't by sheer luck."
He squints as he scrutinizes you. You can almost see the visual of gears turning in his head, his mental machine churning and working together to best figure you out. You don't entirely know what he'd be looking to find. Is this how he greeted all the hotel's new residents?
"It isn't." You agree with his statement. Cautious to hold your cards close to your chest, feeling as if you've already been thrown into playing a game you didn't know the rules or structure of.
A glint of light catches on his sharpened teeth when his grin grows revealing more of them.
Inquiring about the obvious he nods to the dishes behind you. "A fellow cook?"
Despite being fully aware of what you were in the middle of doing, your eyes flick to the remaining dirty dishes on the counter before resuming back to his face. You were growing tired and decide it's best to be vague. "Something like that."
"Our dear Vaggie seems to think you'll be able to take over the cooking duties. Less of a price to pay for admission, or something like that." He waves the words off with his hand lackadaisically.
You release an apprehensive forced chuckle. The gnawing pit of dread in your stomach churns as it grows. You're promptly given a reason to be grateful for avoiding this until now, though now that you're here, you're not sure how to finish and get out of it.
"Just thought I'd offer to help out. Seems like there's a need for some extra around here. It's just a bonus that I enjoy it, I guess."
You have to give yourself credit for remaining so calm and collected on the exterior, because deep down the internal voices are shrieking and clawing in desperation and fear. A subtle voice the panicking back track to it all, repeating 'Get out, get out, get out.'
Being a powerful demon came with perks. You had confidence from knowing you could take care of and protect yourself. Hell, you even had your own small collection of souls, but nothing on a level that would bring you anywhere close to an Overlord's power, let alone someone like Alastor. No you had exactly what you needed and nothing more. You've never really had a desire for more.
Alastor hums his response offering you nothing else for a second. You do your absolute best to keep from physically shifting beneath his oppressive stare.
"Is there something you needed?" You query awkwardly as you rub your arm. All you really want to do is finish the dishes and call it a night. Originally you thought you might go back out to the bar to hang with Husk and Angel but the longer you stand in the presence of the formidable demon, the more drained you become. Eager to do nothing more than face plant directly into your sheets and not move till morning.
His brow lifts. "Do I need a reason to be here?"
Well fuck, that's not what you meant.
Asshole.
"No… I just… thought you might have a specific reason…?" You trail off aimlessly.
"Eloquent." He intones with cruel mockery.
"Oh fuck off." You groan reaching up to pinch the bridge of your nose, huffing your frustration. Your other hand flips him you middle finger. You were really starting to feel the exhaustion right now. Was this what you would always have to expect from him? You were starting to see Vaggie's complaints about 'paying' for her meal that way. You're almost tempted to cook meals as much as possible just to spite this man out pure pettiness.
This most certainly isn't how you anticipated your first meeting together, but alas, here you both stood.
"So vulgar. You kiss your mother with that mouth?"
An unwanted image of the woman flashes into your mind. Your hands forming to fists, nails digging into your palms as you brace through the momentary thoughts surrounding her. You try your hardest not to let your entire body react. A physical reaction flowing through you that the man across from you need not find himself privy to in this moment.
"Haven't had to worry about kissing anyone at all for quite some time actually. So not entirely a concern of mine." You turn back away to the sink flipping the water back on. Your hands shakily bracing against the edge to let you gather and collect yourself.
This was the last place you want to deal with this happening. Just a few more dishes, then you could excuse yourself and escape. You've got this.
"I think I can see the reason why."
The previous feelings of trauma all but vanish in an instant. You whirl back around in anger and shock, stunned by the sheer audacity of this man.
"Excuse me?!"
"Women really shouldn't curse, darling. Though I guess it's my fault for even confusing you for one in the first place."
Oh now you were fucking angry. Who the actual fuck did this demon think he was?
You were starting to feel grateful this encounter hadn't happened sooner for a whole new slew of reasons. You try to bite your tongue, you really do.
"Wow, your ass must be pretty jealous of your mouth with all the shit that comes out of it."
That didn't last long.
You can hear the hard shriek of microphone feedback squealing through the room. His smile remains in place but it's tense around his eyes and you can visually see how it has tightened his posture.
The two of you are left to be locked in an intense staring match. Neither of you making a move. You glare through slitted eyes. You'd dealt with more than your fair share of egotistical men who seemed intent on tearing you apart beneath them, belittling you into the ground in the hopes of making you stay there. You don't care just how powerful Alastor was, you would not let him succeed where others have failed. Even if you died a second time trying.
Oh yes, you think it was safe to say you hated him.
Well that's a new personal record.
Part of you is almost stunned he could make you hate him so quickly. That felt an impressive feat even in itself.
Hotel life sure got a lot less peaceful.
After a few more moments pass Alastor is rising back to his feet. He plucks his cane from the table, beginning a slow walk to you. His paces are measured and steady, each footstep making your heart pound a little faster. You hold your ground, trying to keep your panicked breathing from showing visibly.
Oh, you definitely fucked up.
"I'd suggest following the system I've devised for the kitchen, I'd hate for something to go wrong with your cooking." His grin splits a little wider, a single second showing you a glimpse of his distorted eyes. Momentarily the shadows within the room flicker and dim. His horn tipped antlers growing additional points.
You felt like you were playing fire yet you were too stupid to be afraid of getting burned.
"Is that a threat?" You cross your arms in front of you, leaning back against the counter in a minor effort to build more distance between you two.
In a blink, he and the room around you go back to normal. Shadows resuming their posts, his appearance one of detailed precision once more.
"Did it sound like a compliment?" He gives you an additional flash of his deadly razor teeth.
You present him a smile of your own, one that was entirely too obvious as being fake. The polite facade made up entirely of malice and hostility.
"Can't handle another cook stepping on your little—" Your eyes give him a look up and down taking in any potential targets on his appearance you might be able to use. The shape of his shoe is unique, coupled with the rest of him, you take a mystery shot. "Hooves?" Your smile slips into a self satisfied smirk.
His eyes flare with fury letting you know you hadn't missed. "Ah, your wit is as sharp as a butter knife." He takes a threatening step toward you where you fight to not to flinch. He pauses before his smile morphs into one of more self satisfaction, instead of continuing his pursuit forward he reverses his step. "As the hotelier of this establishment I'm required to let you know to come find me should you have any problems or concerns. I urge you to do so. Truly. It is my goal to make our resident's stays as pleasant as possible."
You don't have much time to ruminate on his change in demeanor before he's vanishing into a pool of shadows at his feet. In an instant you're returned to solitude once more.
Any masks you had in place crumble in an instant. Your breathing quickly grows uneven, stuttering out in small little puffs as your mind races to catch up with the events you just went through. Your heartbeat slams painfully rapid in it's rib cage prison, the rhythm similar to a hummingbird in flight. A single drop of cold sweat slides down your neck, your throat moving with a thick swallow.
Burn baby, burn.
When you turn back around your reminded of your current quest by the still running water.
"Fuck!" you exclaim loudly to the empty room.
Ah, even more reason for you to hate this bloody chore.
God, you could not wait to collapse into bed. Something tells you this could have been your last peaceful day as a new resident at the Hazbin.
I feel like Toga would definitely be a fork, but she hates using her quirk because blood tastes bitter to her (except if it’s a cake’s) but she doesn’t really mind the texture all that much. (because you can’t really taste anything if your a fork textures are probably important)
I’m making this AU mainly to make Togachako art, which is now really sad after the last episode 😭😭
