Like Real People Do - Willow/Alastor (Romantic) Song Fic
Once again, Willow belongs to my friend @willowaudreykeyes and with their permission I'm allowed to upload this. I'll add trigger warnings and tag them, the story will be under the cut. TW: Some angst between Willow and Alastor, Nixie is a little bit of an ass but she means well, some violence/gore at the end
I had a thought dear, however scary, About that night, the bugs and the dirt.
Alastor paced the halls of the hotel, glancing back and forth in disinterest. His microphone staff repeatedly bounced in the palm of his right hand, held in his left. He watched as the staff did their work. How silly, to believe all this effort would end in actual redemption! They each scattered about, doing their jobs in tandem with each other, working as a team. He found it amusing; these demons came together to work as a group for this ridiculous hotel. Each demon and demoness did a job for each other and he could admit, they did their job well. But he knew it was all going to blow up in their faces, and it would be a gas to watch. Speaking of their jobs…
Angel Dust was hanging a banner over the entrance to the hotel, one leg kicked up as per usual. Alastor rolled his eyes and turned his focus away. Husker was pretending to clean his post, visibly drinking as he did so; he just casually ran some wet wipes over his bar table and refilled the alcohol and water taps and sat back to drink, not bothering to do much else. Niffty ran around the hotel like a tiny race car, feather duster in one hand and spray bottle of cleaning spray in the other. Charlie stood in a corner with Vaggie, explaining all the program ideas she had in mind, the silver woman writing on a pad as the blonde Princess spoke. In the opposite corner stood Willow and her Overlord friend, Nixie. Willow was carefully planting a flower seed and Nixie sprinkled a few drops of her magic water onto the soil, allowing the seed to sprout. Alastor felt his smile twitch; he’d been wanting to speak to Willow alone for some time now and this was a good opportunity, if he could only get her away from the water demoness she was always attached to.
“Nixie,” he began carefully as he approached. He knew the water Overlord held little patience with him, less now that he was in a committed relationship with her best friend. “Do you mind if I borrow Willow for a moment, dear? I promise we won’t be long.” Willow turned to Nixie with an excited grin and clasped both pairs of hands in pleading, eyes bright. Nixie sighed and looked away, her ocean purple eye appearing a little disappointed. “Sure, I don’t see an issue with it,” she agreed complacently. Willow hugged her briefly and joined Alastor’s side as he brought her along to a more private area. “I’ll finish planting these daffodils!” Nixie called after them before turning to small pots full of soil, returning to her previous work.
Willow followed him to a secluded alcove of the common room, her head tilted and ears pricked in interest. “What did you want to discuss?” She inquired with bright almond eyes. Alastor smiled, glancing away for a moment. “I’ve been thinking about…The day we met.” He confessed softly. Willow blinked in surprise. “It was a pretty normal day, I’d think,” she responded kindly. Alastor blinked; “it changed my afterlife,” he spoke softly. Willow tilted her head in confusion. “You had no real reason to come here yet you did; why?” He questioned her. Willow appeared taken aback. “It’s...A long story.” She mumbled softly, her two sets of hands twiddling with each other. Alastor puffed. He wasn’t getting an answer by asking nicely.
“Willow, you came because your friend begged.” He motioned his head to Nixie, planting seeds in pots while spinning a little water spout mindlessly. “I’m sorry dear but I know there’s more to this than you’re telling me.” Willow looked away, guilt in her eyes. “I…” She began, searching for words. Alastor stood there, patiently, offering her a friendly smile in encouragement. “I can’t tell you right now, I’m sorry.” She apologized swiftly and excused herself, walking away and returning to Nixie, speaking in a hushed voice. Alastor narrowed his eyes; did the water Overlord know something he didn’t?
Why were you digging? What did you bury,Before those hands pulled me from the earth?
Most of the staff had retired to their personal rooms for the night. Only Charlie and Vaggie remained, discussing the final details of their program plans, alongside Willow, who was tending to the sprouts she and Nixie had planted earlier in the day. As casually as he could Alastor slided up behind Willow who, noticing his presence, tipped her head back to look up at him. “Hello,” she hummed happily as she scooped a little soil closer to the bud. He bid her hello in return, hovering over her until she got the idea he wanted to speak with her.
“Did you need to talk?” She asked in that sweet voice he adored so much. He almost didn’t want to bring up the topic that appeared to make her so uncomfortable but he needed an answer, he needed the truth. “I wanted to follow up on our conversation from earlier,” he began slowly; Willow’s smile faded a little and her ears drooped a little. He disliked seeing her happy expression wilt like a sad flower because of him. Yet he had no choice.
“I’m sorry, dear,” he apologized swiftly. “But I need an answer, and I need it now while we’re alone.” He expressed his urgency, his crimson eyes gazing deep into her auburn irises. The two held eye contact for a moment longer, as if Willow was hoping he’d give up. Seeming to decide he wasn’t going to walk away or postpone the conversation any further, she sighed in defeat. “Okay, I’ll spill,” she conceded, her shoulders slumped. Though Alastor disliked seeing his lover so upset, he was thankful he would finally receive an answer to the question that had been bugging him for so long.
“Do you recall the day before I arrived, when Gaea came and gave Charlie an antidote for a heavy dose of Crimson Petal?” Willow prompted, no longer meeting Alastor’s gaze. How did she know so much about that evening? “Well…I was there.” She stated vaguely. Alastor felt his closed smile twitch; she was playing around the truth. “Just be honest,” he coaxed sweetly, trying to appeal to her in the way Nixie appeared to do effortlessly. Willow looked at him with a troubled gaze and sighed heavily. “I…” She fought for words and took a deep breath, the pitch of her voice changing. As she began to speak, Alastor recognized a familiar coagulation of voices, all at once, as though many spoke through one mouth. “I am Gaea.” She confessed in the distorted mess of voices. Alastor was taken aback; he knew to expect a surprise but he didn’t expect this. He was silent for a moment.
“I see…” He responded slowly. “So we have three Overlords under the same roof?” He inquired, to which Willow nodded in response. “Does Nixie know about this?” Once again Willow nodded. Alastor hummed in response. “Is this something you’d like to keep a secret?” He inquired softly. “Yes, please,” Willow pleaded. Alastor nodded his head in agreement, “then it stays between you and I…And that puddle you call your friend.”
I will not ask you where you came from, I will not ask and neither should you. Honey just put your sweet lips on my lips, We should just kiss like real people do.
A week passed by, slowly. Charlie and Vaggie spent much of their time preparing empty rooms for programs, requesting Niffty’s help to clean said rooms before bringing in chairs and other items for their ‘rehabilitation groups’ as Charlie called them. Vaggie didn’t appear as excited. Husker spent most of his time drinking, occasionally entertaining Nixie with a card trick when she wasn’t busy; she was visibly easily impressed. Angel Dust was out all night and slept a lot of the day away, only waking up to get some food and go back out. After the conversation he had with Willow, she spent a lot of her time holed up in her clinic, often asking Nixie to come help her. Speaking of which, she was chatting with Husk with a water bubble behind her head - she wasn’t the most inconspicuous - when Willow called for her and, bidding Husk farewell, Nixie raced to the clinic and shut the door behind her. Alastor needed to know why Willow needed her fellow Overlord so often, so he did something he once thought he’d never do: he chose to spy on the two women. He flicked his wrist to shoot away his microphone so as not to alert either of the women of his approach and, as silently as possible with a glare towards Husker to not reveal his stalking, he moved as close to the clinic door as he could without being heard. Summoning a tiny shadow he slipped it under the door, using it to listen to the two demonesses whisper to each other.
Nixie was first to be heard. “Okay, let’s not panic. He’s a boomer, he definitely doesn’t know the definition of genderfluid.” He certainly understood fluid. Willow was next to respond. “Sure, but how would anyone get it into that head of his? I’ve already told you, Charlie and Vaggie, I just don’t know how to tell him!” Damn him for not knowing how to use one of those tiny picture show devices, he could search their dictionaries to learn what fluid gender is. He was a tad offended that Willow hadn’t come to him first about this, but more concerned about the rising fear in her voice. “What if he doesn’t understand me? Or worse, doesn’t love me anymore?” Willow fretted. Alastor felt a stab of pain in his dead heart; she really believed there was any reason in this forsaken landscape he’d stop loving her?
He could just barely hear the faint noise of water moving; Nixie must be pulling Willing into a liquid embrace. “Calm down; that red bastard is a lot of things but he wouldn’t leave you over this,” she soothed in a kind voice. He picked up the louder sound of her gently scratching the twigs sticking from Willow’s fluffy walnut brown hair. “It’s okay dear,” she hummed softly in an almost sing-song voice. “We can stay in here until you calm down and afterward I’ll make you a sweet for dessert, you’ve earned it.” A sniffle was heard as Willow spoke, “really?” Nixie hummed in response. “Really.”
Alastor pulled his shadow from below the door in a state of semi-shock. Willow was in a panic because she feared he wouldn’t love her anymore, over something she referred to as ‘gender fluid’? He knew Nixie held a reputation among Hell-borns for a motherly demeanor but he didn’t expect to ever see it, as every demon in the hotel excluding Charlie were all sinners, but having heard it he could understand where the rumors came from. She was babying Willow. He’d heard enough. Rather than listen any further he turned to the bar, where Husk stood bored, a half-empty bottle of whiskey sat on the bar. He lifted an eyebrow at Alastor as he took a seat on a stool. “Whaddya want?” He prompted in his gruff voice; he sounded like he couldn’t really care less. Alastor shrugged, placing his chin into the palm of his hand. “Just a soda, Husker.” The feline demon obliged, passing him a can of soda, which Alastor cracked and took a long swig of. He wasn’t in the mood for alcohol tonight.
“Hear anything interesting?” Husker inquired as he took a sip from his whiskey. “Was it just the two girls talking about makeup and shit? Did someone run out of tampons or something?” He joked to himself. Alastor sighed, his smile complacent. “No, my friend…” He hummed in a less cheerful tone. Husker took notice, turning to look at him. “What’s eatin’ at ya?” He asked, a little interested this time. Alastor sighed; “Husker, do you know what the term ‘gender fluid’ means?” Husker thought for a moment and shook his head no. “I’ve heard it used before but I never bothered to ask, not my business.” He responded, taking a long swing of whiskey. Alastor closed his eyes for a moment, having given up. “Alright, thank you my friend.” He rose from his perch at the bar, about ready to lay down in his shared room with Willow when he heard a door open and noticed Nixie leading out a very nervous Willow. She looked terrified; his heart sank. When the two came out far enough for Willow to potentially see him he tried to make a break for a nearby hiding spot but it was too late. Willow spotted him and, with a panicked wail, hid behind Nixie, whimpering. Alastor was a little confused; Nixie was made of water, he could make out her figure through Nixie’s form.
Standing up straight, he cleared his throat. “Willow, please come talk to me,” he spoke evenly. When she didn’t emerge from behind Nixie he sighed patiently. “Willow we can be here all night standing, staring each other down or we can speak. Which will it be?” He was trying to talk her out from behind Nixie, who had a counter-argument. “Alastor, it’s evident she doesn’t want to speak to you right now. Please let us leave.” She spoke in a low, calm voice but her orchid eye burned with a warning to not continue, a roll of hot water building in her right hand.
“Now Nixie let’s not get aggressive; we don’t want to relive our first meeting, do we?” He remembered it a little too well; in his first Overlord meeting she’d attempted to drown him before he could even introduce himself, leading to Rosie and Lilith herself having to force her to let him go. He was left him sopping wet throughout the conference. She humiliated them both, herself more than him. She frowned at the mention of the occurrence. With a sigh she turned around to Willow, speaking gently; “Willow, do you want to speak with him?” She brushed a strand of hair from the green plant demonesses’ face as she spoke. Truly a mother figure. Willow shook for a moment before finally replying, nodding her head. Nixie sighed, stepping to the side. “I’ll be in the kitchen if I’m needed, I could use some water.” With that, the agitating puddle was gone.
“What did you want to discuss?” Willow asked softly as she approached Alastor. He cleared his throat and fixed his bow tie; his only way around this was to admit to his listening in. “I…May have heard you privately say something about ‘gender fluid’ and I…Wanted to ask what it was about?” He ended on a confused, mildly concerned note. She looked more scared than anything. Generally he’d revel at the sight of a scared demon but viewing his lover and fellow Overlord in such a state of fear, it twisted his heart. Turning her head to the side she cried out in a pleading voice, “Nix! I need your help!”
Alastor counted the seconds. It took seven seconds for Nixie to get from the kitchen to the common room, breathing heavy, eye wide in panic. Before she could even ask what was wrong, Willow ran up to her and grasped her by the shoulders. “Nix, he overheard us talking about me being gender fluid and I don’t know how to explain it to him. Please do it!” Nixie gave Willow a comforting squeeze and a soft smile, then turned a pissed eye on Alastor. “You eavesdropped on us?!” She spat in an angry tone. He couldn’t exactly deny it, and it was entertaining to see how easily angered the water demoness was. “Perhaps,” he responded coolly. She huffed in a growling tone; she didn’t appear interested in playing into his games tonight. What a shame. “So you genuinely don’t know what gender fluid means?” She inquired. Alastor shook his head. “I’m afraid I have no clue, otherwise I wouldn’t be having a conversation with you.” Nixie rolled her eye. She turned to Willow, as if asking if she had to explain the topic to him. When Willow gave her a begging expression Nixie sighed and turned back to him. “Fine, I’ll explain this to you; but if you have one joke or one negative remark to say about this there won’t be anyone around to keep me from drowning you”. He trusted that threat. “Of course,” he agreed. “Anything to better understand my dear Willow.”
Nixie sat down on a table and grabbed a few sheets of paper, pulling a pen from her pocket. Alastor paid close attention to the models she drew. She made four stick figures: one stick figure with a triangle to represent a dress, one stick figure with a male symbol to represent masculinity, one with neither unique option and one stick figure that was just a head and a line. “Okay,” she began. “Here’s a quick rundown of gender fluidity; all these stick figures will represent Willow.” Alastor nodded, observing the models. Nixie pointed to the first model. “This is a girl, this is when Willow feels feminine and uses she and her pronouns.” She explained. Alastor understood so far. Pointing to the next model Nixie continued, “this is a boy; this is when Willow feels like masculine and uses the name William, using he and him pronouns.” A little confusing but he was understanding so far. Moving her finger to the third model she proceeded, “this represents being neither genders, this is when Willow feels like they aren’t any gender and uses either name with they and them pronouns.” Alastor understood that and nodded. Tapping at the final model she explained, “this last one represents Willow as a vey and vem, those are neopronouns, or new pronouns; vey prefer to be called Will when they identify this way, understand everything?” Nixie prompted with an expectant look in her eye. Alastor nodded briskly. “Yes, yes, I understand,” he replied. “Willow is girl, William is boy, no gender is either name with they and them pronouns, and neopronouns is vey and vem with Will.” Alastor ran over the details aloud and Nixie nodded her head. “That’s the short and skinny of it,” she replied in agreement. Wrath certainly had some odd terminology. Glancing over his shoulder Alastor saw Willow, crouching with uncertainty glimmering in her eyes. Standing he strode over to her, pulling her into a tight embrace and petting her fluffy hair.
“You truly believed I would leave you, over this?” He questioned her softly, pressing his lips against her forehead. She still shivered but melted into his warm touch. She whimpered a soft yes in response, wrapping her arms around him. “I thought you wouldn’t accept me for who I am…” She mumbled through his dress suit, tears staining it. Pulling her watery green face from his chest he looked down at her in the eye. “My dear I love you for all of you, not the parts I picked out. You should never be afraid to tell me anything, my love.” With a dramatic sweep he dipped Willow and pressed his lips to hers in a soft, warm kiss. Her lips tasted of Honeysuckle nectar and chamomile tea. He heard a soft grunt of disgust from Nixie across the room but chose to ignore it, holding the kiss for a minute longer until he felt Willow’s legs beginning to give out on her. “Is that convincing enough, darling?” He asked, though he didn’t need an answer given the dark green hue spread across her cheeks. Fumbling with all four of her hands she nodded her head. “Y-yes,” she responded. Stealing a glance across the room he saw a very unimpressed and dare he say, envious Nixie sitting at a table. What a shame Husker wasn’t here to share in her distaste. “I believe we should head to bed now my dear,” Alastor suggested; Willow nodded silently in agreement. Shooting Nixie a winning smile at her pissed expression he led Willow up the stairs to their shared room.
I knew that look, dear; eyes always seekingWas there in someone that dug long ago.
After learning of Willow’s gender identity, she proudly sported hand-made bands Nixie fixed up for her. Surprisingly, they weren’t too poorly made. They slid on and off her wrist fine and the colors were nice. She whipped them up in three days, granted she got little sleep. As a reward Charlie allowed her to sleep in for the day, so Alastor had the day to himself. Without an annoying water rabbit trailing what belonged to him.
Speaking of which. “Name and pronouns?” He prompted as his lover approached. “Willow, she and her,” she responded with a giggle. She pointed to the pink and white band on her wrist. “Look at the wrist band for my pronouns next time,” she advised with a kiss to his forehead. As per usual she wore her pink overalls with the blue shirt underneath, fresh from the wash. They were already developing the scent of sap and grass, which soothed him. Reaching up with one hand he patted her head, scratching one of the twigs sticking from her hair. She giggled at his public affection, blushing visibly.
“Get a room!” That was the gruff voice of Husker, already intoxicated. Taking a glance at him Alastor saw he was clearly not having a good day. His fur was a mess, visibly not brushed. The feathers of his wings weren’t pressed down. His bow tie was crooked. He wasn’t even wearing his hat. His frown was much deeper than usual. Perhaps Nixie wasn’t around to groom him properly today. With a sigh he looked toward Willow, “shall we go back to our room?” With a glance towards Husker, who gave the couple a crude glare, she looked back to him and replied, “I think that’s for the best. I don’t want to feel all cutesy with him getting pissy over it,” she chuckled. Alastor knew Husker heard her, despite her soft voice. Taking one of her four hands in his own he stood; “shall we go, then?” Willow nodded, “Yes, let's.”
In their shared room, Alastor found himself and Willow in a gentle makeout session. Alastor held her face and she had her upper hands on his shoulders, her lower hands on his waist. He gently caressed her cheek, warm with fluster at the contact. Every time he brushed his thumb across her soft cheek bone she shuddered, squeezing his shoulders and smiling into his kiss. With one last deep kiss he pulled away with an audible pop! as their lips separated.
Sitting beside her on their shared bed he gazed upon her body, clad in her usual overalls with her undershirt. She looked lovely. Her brown hair offset her green skin tone nicely, the twigs sticking out making her a unique plant demon. Her curious brown eyes glistened in the light of their room, shining a deep gold under said light. It was enchanting.
Willow settled beside him, never breaking her gaze from him. He felt her amber eyes on him as she settled into position, though he never looked directly at her. She settled a hand on his, grabbing her attention. Her expression was unreadable. “Are you okay?” She inquired with a cloyingly sweet smile. Returning her kind expression he replied, “with you, I’m always happy my dear”.
Willow sat back in the bed with a puff. “You’ll never leave me, right…?” She asked in a small voice. Alastor was taken aback; why would she ask a question like that? “Why of course not my dear. What makes you ask?” He inquired. She turned to face him, her expression was an answer in itself. Her eyes told him everything. Someone hurt her deeply, now she was only searching for someone she could trust to never leave her. He understood. Taking her lower two hands into his own he spoke to her, “as long as I exist, you’ll never be alone. Never.”
So I will not ask you why you were creeping, In some sad way I already know.
Late into the night, Willow lay asleep in the bed, snoring softly. She was deep in sleep, mumbling. Alastor chuckled; she must be having an interesting dream. He, however, needed a glass of water. His mouth was dry and sticky, tasting of old saliva. He was sure his hair was a mess as well, he visibly hadn’t been sleeping well. Taking a hand to smooth down any stray strands of hair he crept from his shared room, exiting and slithering down the stairs. On his way to the kitchen he had to pass the common room. It appeared silent, as everyone was in bed at this late hour. It was quiet, however, until he heard the soft clink of glass followed by a sharp breath in from a feminine voice. It most certainly wasn’t Husker. Had a demon invaded the hotel somehow just to raid the alcohol? Summoning his glowing radio staff in his left hand he spoke in a quiet, firm voice, “stand up and show yourself”. There was a moment’s silence, before a figure he least expected rose from behind the bar.
Nixie stood, her one eye bright with anxiety. He’d never seen her this way before. “Before you ask me anything-” she started, her voice cracking as she spoke. Alastor lifted his spare hand, silencing her. “Don’t,” he spoke softly. He could already faintly smell the musk of Husker’s scent on her clothes, though he clearly hadn’t been near her recently. Focusing on her in the gloom of the dark hotel he could see multiple strands of what he assumed to be Husker’s fur on her messy clothing, as if she’d recently rolled in it. “I don’t need to know what you’re doing,” he told her gently. Her shoulders appeared to sag in relief. “I’m just getting some water, don’t mind me.” He turned to the kitchen, facing away from her. As he walked away he heard the pop of a liquor bottle opening, followed by a soft gag as Nixie choked down the alcohol.
I could not ask you where you came from, I could not ask and neither could you. Honey just put your sweet lips on my lips, We could just kiss like real people do.
The next morning Alastor was awoken by soft sunlight beaming in his eyes. Next to him was Willow in her pajamas, stretching luxuriously. Turning to him she asked, “how did you sleep?” Alastor smiled up at her, “I slept very well, thanks to you”. Truth being his night was odd. He was plagued by dreams he no longer remembered, and he recalled his run-in with Nixie in the common room; but Willow didn’t need to know that information. Sitting up and standing out of bed he began to dress himself alongside Willow, preparing for the day.
After the couple were dressed they headed down to the common room. Charlie and Vaggie were standing together as per usual; Charlie was pointing at two perpendicular pillars and discussing a banner as Vaggie sketched a quick example of it. Niffty had already set out breakfast for each staff member, including Angel Dust. Husker appeared to have already eaten his meal, as there was an empty plate on a table that once had food on it, and he’d taken his place at the bar. Willow took her usual seat next to Alastor and prepared to dig in; before she did she asked, “where’s Nixie?” Alastor felt his heart sink.
“She asked to stay in this morning,” Charlie called over her shoulder. “She says she has a headache and she’s feeling sick, and I don’t want her working if she’s not at her best.” The blonde explained before turning back to her business. Husker lifted an empty liquor bottle, the same one he’d seen Nixie with the night before. “Hey, who drank this?” He demanded, looking at it. “I know this was unopened when I went to bed.” He growled. Alastor forced a hearty laugh, hoping it sounded as genuine as possible. “Oh Husker, you probably woke up in the middle of the night and decided to have a drink! Don’t dwell on it,” he advised before he took a bite of Niffty’s pancakes. They were delicious, as usual. Husker rolled his eyes and tossed the bottle, muttering a soft ‘whatever’ and grabbing another one. Yes, Nixie could be rude and confrontational to him, especially when it came to Willow, but he knew it came from a good heart. Just this once, he could cover for Willow’s closest friend. Consider it a secret favor. He’d slip Nixie some Tylenol later.
After breakfast Niffty busied herself cleaning the dishes. Each plate had been eaten and every stomach was full. Alastor sat at the table with Willow in quiet conversation. The two were speaking softly, occasionally giggling. Alastor cupped his hand over Willow’s face, earning a soft coo from her and an audible noise of disgust from Husker. This morning was going perfect. It was.
“Does anyone else hear that…?” Willow asked, ears pricked high. Husker twitched an ear; “I hear something too, like a light rumbling?” Eventually the others were able to hear it too, one after the other. It swiftly reached Alastor’s ears and he recognized the movement of a group of demons and prepared a battle stance a moment too late. The front door was blown off its hinges as a gang of demons appeared, led by a wolf-like demon. Alastor felt an immediate trickle down his spine at the sight of a demon in the form of anything relevant to a dog. Willow took notice and stood in front of him, blocking his view of the lead demon. “What do you want?” She demanded. The demon cackled; it must be a hyena, a male at that.
“We want this dumb hotel!” He barked in response. He took a step inside, growling haughtily. Charlie took a step forward, Vaggie raised her spear and Niffty held up a small dagger. Where did she get a weapon? Husker, clearly already drunk, smashed an empty bottle and held it up in a threatening manner, the shattered glass glimmering under the light of the hotel. Angel Dust extended all six arms, a small artillery of weapons in each hand. In some ways it helped to have a helping hand from the mafia. Even in the face of the danger that surrounded them the hyena cackled audibly, vibrating the room. “Oh, you poor, stupid dumbasses!” He spat in mock sympathy. “You don’t know what you’re up against!” Waving his hand a flood of demons poured through the front door, stumbling over each other to get inside first. Vaggie was first to attack, driving her spear deep into the bodies of her closest enemies. Charlie, not far from her, set demons close to her on fire and, as they ran off screaming, curled her hand into a fist and they dropped, lifeless, to the ground. Her magic was impressive but it wouldn’t last long. They needed help.
At the sound of all the commotion Nixie, partially hungover and half-asleep, appeared from the first flight of stairs dressed in her pajamas, confusion in her eye. “The fuck is happening here?” She called out over the ruckus. Willow looked over her shoulder to her friend and responded, “demons, they’re trying to take the hotel!” The water demonesses’ expression quickly changed from confusion to unbridled rage; she threw herself over the railing of the stairs and stood beside Alastor, still frozen in shock. “Are you going to fight or are you going to pussy out?” She questioned him on the spot, glaring into him. Gulping in he stood to his feet, standing beside her. “For once, I believe we have to work together,” he admitted, much to his chagrin. Nixie nodded with a sour expression. “Unfortunately.”
Alastor’s form shifted and changed, his antlers growing and twisting in unnatural ways. His eyes were pitch black and his arms were crooked, bent at the elbow at a sharp angle. His teeth lengthened and sharpened in his mouth as his ever-present smile widened, growing from ear to ear with sadistic pleasure. He stood at a staggering height, body contorted and inhuman. Nixie gazed up at him from below. “Crooked Man?” She jokingly named him.
With one set of claws he raked through a demon, leaving their form lifeless. With the other he snapped the neck of another demon, their body dropping. Alastor fought demon after demon, killing them in cruel ways. Some were gutted, their entrails left open on the floor. Some had their throats sliced open and were left to panic as they bled out from their esophagus, fighting for air. Others were offered a more merciful death of simply having their heads ripped off. He would have many bodies to feast on for a while.
Nixie stood not far away from him, taking on her fair share of demons herself. She pulled molecules of oxygen and hydrogen from the air, leaving some demons to suffocate. With the extra molecules she created fresh water, of which she pooled together and squeezed, spinning swiftly to gain heat until it simmered at a scalding temperature. Separating her large bubble of heated water into smaller, more compact little floating ponds she flung them at any demon who came in range, the water hot enough to melt their face off. She aimed for the throat to melt their esophagus and stop their breathing, ending their lives. After she’d used all the hot water she could produce from the air around her she had no choice but to use herself as a water source, producing her own water and raising the temperature to be thrown at enemy demons. However the more she did this the more her own body began to boil, if she kept this up for much longer she could end up a dead body herself. It seemed they were being overwhelmed.
Alastor noticed a moment too late that a small imp was racing up to him with an angelic dagger in hand, aiming for his side. He had no time to react. This little impling was about to stab him through the liver and end his life and he had no time to move or even call out for help. He was about ready to accept his fate, eyeing the imp with a faltering smile…
A green, needled cactus-like figure tore into the imp, ripping into its body and leaving it lifeless. The angelic dagger fell from its hand, now bloody. Alastor dived and grabbed it; it would be a useful weapon. Turning around he noticed another imp, a devastated expression on his face, racing towards him with a blunt object Alastor didn’t recognize. Another green, thorny holly shrub grew through the demon, a branch piercing his heart and throat. Something, no someone, was causing this. Alastor glanced around in confusion, who had this kind of power? Turning he heard the sound of a loud growl and found himself in a stand-off with the leading demon, the male hyena. His eyes blazed with anger, one blinded from a thin scrape. Niffty must have done that with her dagger, the score was too clean to have been done by anyone else. The hyena approached him slowly, limping ever so slightly, shouting obscenities as he neared. Nixie turned and attempted to build a form of protection but her magic was spent, just attempting to develop another ball of magic water left her crumpling to the ground half conscious, her breathing labored, eye half lidded and glazed over.
Looking at Nixie’s exhausted form and turning back to the hyena demon who displayed more energy than Alastor had, he felt panic begin to rise in his chest once more. This time, he couldn’t expect a last minute appearance to swoop in and save his ass. It was him against this hyena and the odds weren’t on his side, his chances looked bleaked. The hyena launched himself at Alastor and he instinctively shut his eyes…And all he heard was a dull slam.
Shooting his eyes open Alastor was shocked to see a solid wall made of thick vines and thorns. The hyena had unintentionally thrown himself into the thorns, stabbing himself in multiple arteries, blood seeping through thin slits in the defensive cover. Alastor looked around, almost in denial. Who was capable of this?
The remaining demons, seeing their leader dying, made an attempt for the door but it was blocked by two ropes of vine criss-crossing one another. With no way out, they had one option…Fight. Alastor glanced to his right to see Willow, her brown hair a tangled mess and clothes bloody but otherwise standing strong. He felt weak with relief and almost called out to her. Before he could speak she lifted all four of her hands and spread out her fingers.
Dozens of vines shot through the floor, stabbing through the panicked demons trying to escape. Many died on the spot, others swiftly bled out. Others she picked for a most painful death were stabbed through a major artery and held in place to gush out blood in spurts on the tile floor. It was a bloodbath.
It only took a minute, and it was over. Each demon lay on the floor, dead and coated in the blood of themselves and others. The hyena slumped to the ground lifelessly, no longer held up by the thorny bush wall. They were all dead. Alastor glanced around in circles. Vaggie and Charlie were mildly injured but appeared okay, Charlie had defended Vaggie while her girlfriend handled the stabbing. Niffty was coated in too much blood for her little form but she had no visible cuts, only a few bruises. Husker had scratches on his face and a patch of fur had been torn from his shoulder from a spat with another feline demon but otherwise he looked okay, if not distraught and in shock. Angel Dust looked like he had fun, though behind that grin and laughter he knew he’d been terrified; both of losing the hotel, and of his closest friends being hurt. Nixie lay motionless on the ground, her breathing shallow and eye shut, fully unconscious. Alastor turned to Willow who, ears fluttering with embarrassment, only gave him a small smile.
“You’re not the only skilled killer in this hotel,” she teased softly. She approached him and checked him over for wounds. Alastor blinked once, then twice. He knew she’d been a murderer in life, serial killer even, it’s how she was damned. But he never expected such a cruel and sadistic method of murder from such a sweet smile. Especially not from a plant demoness he initially sized up as harmless, shy and innocent. He stood still as she examined her, deep in thought himself. How could such a friendly, sweet plant demon produce such deadly manners of plant manipulation? He didn’t want to think of what she’d been through to require her to be so desensitized to seeing so many dead bodies. Though he didn’t want to consider the idea of what she’d experienced to become this desensitized, he felt an odd sense of…Pride, towards Willow. She took everything she’d learned in her time in Hell and put it to use in one setting; without her this fight would have been lost. He couldn’t be more pleased to have her around, knowing she was his as much as he was hers. Satisfied he hadn’t been severely harmed in any manner she nodded and turned to her friend, Nixie. It seemed each breath was shallower than the last. “Husk!” She called out to the feline demon, who lifted his head at the sound of his name. “I need you to bring me a source of flowing water and I need it immediately.” She stroked her watery friend’s ears for a moment and stood, placing a hand against Alastor’s cheek.
“No one hurts my buck.”
