Idk if you could tell from how much I've used this dynamic (twice so far!), but symbiotic Valastor that rewards key aspects of who each party is and is rooted in both of them using people in different ways is like top 3 hellaverse ship dynamics for me. Valentino gets to have people work for him, as official staff at Porn Studios or more intimately, and when he's done with them Alastor gets what's left. Usually, a meal. Every so often though, he gains what's left of the sinner's soul.
CupioRoSe Valentino who loves the physical aspects of romantic & sexual relationships in general but is very particular on the emotional aspects + AroAceSpike Alastor who doesn't see kissing or hugging as inherently romantic, only disliking them if he knows the other has either attraction for him unless he's spiking & reciprocates.
When Valentino & Alastor's relationship became... this... whatever it is, openness was a necessity. People have needs, people have wants, these two are no exception. Their amalgamated mix of respect, fondness and fear of one another put any attempt at force firmly off the table, as well as any attempt for either to compromise their discomfort for the other's sake. It's agreed between them almost inherently that Valentino can shack up with anyone else without a need to share details. Discussion would only be needed if anything affected their relationship. Valentino is free to pursue whatever other relationships he wants and and Lord knows he uses that freedom to its fullest extent.
Still, Valentino's on high alert for the second Alastor's aware he's spiked. Alastor touching him in a way that isn't a tease or an insult or fixing up his appearance; Alastor requesting to (read: stating he will) spend time with him privately in V Tower; Alastor approaching him around other Overlords. Yes so they can be physical in whatever ways are wanted together, what do you expect, but also so Val can allow himself some emotional vulnerability.
It should be known that half the time I'm thinking of luvvalastor things I'm thinking of a cherry red hare and run over deer corpse in place of the canon designs.
if it helps in their deal Val gains small antlers & Al gains a fluffy tail
Animal (Neon Trees) mentions cannibal one (1) damn time and I can no longer associate it with any Hellaverse ship that isn't RadioDust or (my heavily fanonised) Valastor.
The Valastor Version.
heads up this one's gonna be a lot more specific than the 📻🕷️ post and written like I'm describing scenes like a music video instead of the song being a representation but it's still vague in parts because idrk what i'm doing
An Alastor pov this time! I like the irony of him calling Valentino “just a cannibal”. But also! Alastor being drawn to another overlord that's so similar to him — secretive, mysterious, a manipulator more suited to the shadows than the limelight unlike so many of their other equals — yet being so hesitant because of the differences between them! From an outside view, all of Valentino's goals with people are sexual, making Alastor doubt if they would have any actual common ground and if they could have any relationship beyond their current 'distant associates with mutual respect'.
First verse!
I imagine some underground speakeasy type setting, small, dingy yet homely. There aren't many people in the place. Valentino's at the corner of bar, eavesdropping onto a conversation between another patron and the bartender. Alastor is in his own corner the other side of the room generally people watching but focussing on Valentino as the song starts properly.
“Take it easy on me / I'm afraid you're never satisfied” referring to Valentino's use of people for their bodies. Would Valentino only interact with him to use his body? Would he ever have Valentino's attention if he denies Val his body?
“We're sick like animals, we play pretend” about them both being horribly manipulative people from a listener perspective. In-scenario there's focus on Valentino across the room joining the conversation he was listening to in what looks to be a flirty way. This rolls over to then next lines “You're just a cannibal / And I'm...” where Val begins to leave with the patron. This is about Valentino using people for all their worth, his specific way being largely mental & emotional often via sex.
“... afraid I won't get out alive” is where Valentino meets Alastor's eyes and smiles to him as he leaves, leaving Alastor to question its meaning in his little corner. The line matches Alastor's fear for getting close to Val; that Val will use him to, and in a way Alastor absolutely doesn't want (continual flirting or sexual assault).
Chorus 1!
Generally Alastor trying to get closer to Val during an Overlord meeting.
Valentino comes in fashionably late and takes a seat near the back. Alastor spends the meeting trying to sneak a peek or catch his eye.
“Take a bite of my heart tonight” is him on level letting Valentino to be that “cannibal” he fears if it means he gets to interact.
Once the meeting is done (~once the second "i want some more" starts), Valentino comes over and leans on the table beside Al.
He talks and invites Al out, offering a hand that he nonchalantly uses to adjust his glasses as Al goes for it — whether it was just a gesture of inclusion or an intentional tease on Val's part is unclear.
“Say goodbye to my heart tonight” is Al metaphorically signing himself away as he enters the lift with Valentino.
Broader strokes for the rest, I'm very undecided on how I'd want it to look and how besides that bar scene.
Next verse'd be the following hang out. Maybe the same speakeasy as before, maybe another more lively club – just some social setting where they're at a good place to people watch but that also gets lots of direct foot traffic. Valentino does a bit of his typical thing, if a bit subtler, to Al yet backs off ~on the second “I wanna run and hide”. This is where Valentino shifts to seemingly more cold with Al, looking around at the sinners before pointing a bovine one out to Al; he's confused, even moreso when Valentino is saying goodbye to him and placing card on the table in front of him, saying to some effect "til next time". The end of the verse is Al looking up from the card to see Valentino leading the sinner to a dance floor (or open space for dancing).
Chorus is a sequence of dancing. First it's what Alastor sees: Valentino and the stranger. Then, Alastor enters the scene. Insert a Tango: Maureen-esque sequence of Alastor fighting for Valentino's dance-partnership and Valentino being dismissive to return to the stranger. The fantasy ends on the “what are you waiting for?”s, where a direct shot of his rejection in the fantasy cuts straight back to the actual Alastor's rejected face. “Say goodbye to my heart tonight” sees Alastor finishing his drink and going to leave the bar, having left the card on the table.
Bridge & instrumental I'm not too sure on. Maybe multiple instances of them being in the same location and Alastor making a subtly speedy exit. The bridge one could be directly after the previous two sections as Al's walking back to wherever and going past the V Tower, catching sight of Valentino & the stranger entering/through a window on the “we both can't fight it”. And the rest I don't know it'd just be a short montage of Alastor coming to terms with 'confirmation' that the differences between him and Valentino's priorities don't mesh enough for him to bother trying to get closer, but he still hasn't made peace with it and avoids Valentino but in a way that still matches his ‘I'm so in control I can be polite’ style. The end of the montage (maybe on the "here we go again"s or a bit before so these just line up with Al leaving) is another overlord meeting where Valentino approaches him once again at the end, wanting Al to join him out again. Al, begrudging himself, accepts.
Final chorus, I want it to be back in the private bar at the start just because narrative full circle linking with the lyrical full circle set up by “here we go again” I'm a dork for this shit ok. This time they're sat back where Alastor normally sits with Alastor facing the room and Valentino opposite him, but both with no drinks. As Al questions him about that, Valentino waves someone over. Al's fearing the worst again (maybe even on a “take a bite of my heart tonight” to highlight his anger). He's being ignored in favor of a random sinner by the person who invited him out yet agai— A plate is set down in front of him. An assortment of cooked meats crowned with a heart, all surrounded by two roasted horns around the edge of the plate. He stares at the plate and then to Valentino, who twirls a fork between his fingers to offer it handle-first to Al, always smiling.
