Everything I write/post can be found here! You can also find it on my Wattpad.
Fandoms: Genshin Impact, Hazbin Hotel, Helluva Boss, Obey Me (soon)
Genres: Romantic pairings, platonic pairings, familial comfort, other
❀ About me! ❀
Requests are currently closed! I haven't had enough writing motivation lately to take them, but I will try to finish any existing requests I have!
Though please know that they may take time to fulfill!
❀ Also please keep in mind I do not write any sexual content and that if I do not feel comfortable writing something for a certain character I will not do so! For example, I only write platonic Alastor and will not do romantic pairings for him! ❀
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Genshin Impact
Romantic Pairings
Xiao ❀
♡ In Your Dreams | Xiao x Reader
♡ In His Dreams | Xiao x Reader Sequel
♡ Prisoner of a Contract | Xiao x Reader
♡ Affinity | Xiao x Reader
♡ Call Me | Xiao x Reader Slasher AU!
♡ Dear Traveler | Xiao x Traveler! Reader
Shenhe ❀
♡ Pure Water | Shenhe x Reader
Thoma ❀
♡ Angelic | Thoma x Reader
♡ Apple Cider | Thoma x Reader
♡ Writer's Block | Thoma x Author! Reader
Tighnari ❀
♡ How I Met Her Mother | Tighnari x Collei's Parent! Reader
♡ How I Met Her Mother Part 2
♡ How I Met Her Mother Part 3
Cyno ❀
Borrowed Time | Cyno x Reader (soon)
Wanderer ❀
Fanning Flames | Wanderer x Reader (soon)
Lyney ❀
♡ Voltaris | Lyney x Inventor! Reader
Various ❀
♡ The Corrupt Vision | Tighnari, Cyno, Nilou x Reader
Other (No Paring)
♡ Viatrix | Genshin Fan Ending
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Hazbin Hotel
Platonic Pairings
Alastor ❀
♡ Leave it All on the Dance Floor! | Alastor x Overlord Reader
♡ Leave it All on the Dance Floor! Part 2
♡ Leave it All on the Dance Floor! Part 3
♡ Leave it All on the Dance Floor! Part 4
♡ Leave it All on the Dance Floor! Part 5
♡ It's Tough to be a Teacher | Alastor x Teacher! Reader
♡ Heartstrings | Alastor x Cupid! Reader QPR
♡ The Radio Demon's #1 Fan | Alastor + Teen! Reader
♡ Susan Repellant | Alastor + GenZ! Reader
♡ Like Father, Like Child | Dad Alastor + Exorcist! Reader
♡ Like Father, Like Child Part 2
♡ Like Father, Like Child Part 3
♡ Like Father, Like Child Part 4
♡ I'm a Grandpa! | Dad Alastor HCs
♡ The Common Enemy | Dad (Grandpa) Alastor + Reader
Rosie ❀
♡ Feeling Faint | Mom Rosie Headcannons
Susan ❀
♡ The Susan Whisperer | Grandma Susan + Reader
♡ Stinkin' Doctors | Grandma Susan + Reader
Alastor & Vox ❀
♡ Hell's Second Greatest Dad | Alastor vs. Vox + Reader
♡ Despite Everything | Alastor vs. Vox + Reader
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Helluva Boss
Romantic Pairings
Stolas ❀
♡ Sink or Swim | Stolas x Reader
♡ Sink or Swim Part 2
thanks @hazyange1s, @gingerlegacy07 and @ravenwind-75 for the tags!! this was fun, sorry i'm fifty million years late 💚 (also i mushed both games together coz the questions were similar)
last song? - undefeatable feat. kellin quin (it's sonic the hedgehog music don't judge me lmao)
favorite color? - guess 😂
currently reading? - the sun and the void by gabriela romero lacruz (south american inspired fantasy), and i'm shortly about to start the crimson crown by heather walter (sapphic snow white retelling) and the forest grimm by kathryn purdie (ya inspired by grimm's fairy tales). also a bunch of fanfic lol.
currently watching? - i'm rewatching emily in paris for s4 (ALFIE WAS DONE SO DIRTY)
last movie? - deadpool & wolverine!
sweet/spicy/savory? - SAVOURY. gib me crisps and salt (literally the opposite of gibbles in that regard LOL).
relationship status? - 404 Not Found
current obsessions? - emily in paris, pokemon, and this silly wizard game that will not leave my head.
tea or coffee? - i die of thirst.
last thing you googled? - "how many seasons emily in paris", ONLY because i wanted to find out if alfie is in season 4 😂
if you've been double-tagged mb, and ofc no pressure @eyebagsanonymous @all-is-bright-in-my-imagination @lyworth @blubugg13 @mianeryh @jellybeanzrock @cesqdarque @cordidy @endless-starlight-legacy 💚
Thank you for the tag @galaxiasgreen! I’ll be happy to answer!
Last Song: Guys Don’t Like Me by It Boys!
Favorite Color: Blue and Yellow
Currently Reading: Disney’s Almost There, A Twisted Tale. The Princess and the Frog has three be one of my favorite movies so i just had to get this book. It’s an alternate version were she made a deal with the Shadow Man/Dr. Facilier.
Currently Watching: Im currently not watching any shows at the moment so if anyone has any recommendations. By all means please list them. But i am currently waiting on the new Beetlejuice :)
Last Movie: Wendell & Wild
Sweet/Spicy/Savory?: Sweet. I have an obsession for milk chocolate and caramel.
Relationship Status?: No
Current Obsession?: Hogwarts Legacy/Harry Potter. The new Quidditch Champions is coming out and im excited!
Tea or Coffee?: I can’t choose between them i like them both.
Last thing you Googled?: Pottermore
I shall tag my mutuals, and my favorite artists and writers! Hello! You obviously don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. Much love!!
Favorite color: Purple! And red as a close second followed by pink, and forest green
Currently reading: Unbirthday: A twisted tale by Liz Braswell, with Disney's Alice in wonderland, I have a chronic Alice In wonderland obsession, guess where I got the name ace from? Anyways this book is FUELING IT
Currently watching: I just finished rewatching gravity falls and over the garden wall and I just started started Frieren: Beyond Journey's end! [The intro is beautiful! And I am terrified of what's to come I'm only two episodes in and I am going to sob.]
Last movie: Civil war
Sweet/spicy/savory?: Depends! I tend to lean towards savory or sweet [Or a combo of both!]
Relationship status:
Current obsession?: The hazbin hotel hyperfixation is still going strong but as for good ol' regular obsessions? CLOWNS, I LOVE CLOWNS SO MUCH AAAAA HSHSSHHS, I feel like Frieren: Beyond Journey's end is gonna be an obsession for a little while too!
Tea or coffee?: Neither! Unless it's like super sweet coffee with a TON of caramel in it, I prefer hot chocolate though.
Last thing you googled: How to draw hip dips, hip dips drawing references
TAGGING TIME, Hope y'all don't mind!
@fuck-this-shit-xin @error-silence @theamberfist [my apologies for double tagging you!]
@radioisntdead It’s totally okay I don’t mind being double tagged!!! Anyway here’s mine:
Last Song: Apple by Charlie XCX
Favorite Color: Pink! Any variation but I especially love pastels. Red is probably my second favorite color though!
Currently Reading: The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes and Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia!
Currently Watching: I’m watching Jane the Virgin with my roommate! We’re also really into Siren it’s our favorite show on Netflix!
Last movie: It Ends With Us which I saw in theaters!
Sweet/Spicy/Savory: Usually sweet!!
Relationship Status: No
Current Obsession: Obey Me and Obey Me Nightbringer! I’m sooooo into those games rn it’s an issue. I’ve also been obsessed with Baraccudas recently and idk why but I’ve read like six books about them and I can’t stop???
Tea or Coffee: Only sweet tea
Last Thing You Googled: “Where to find signing naturally workbook” because I’m taking ASL this semester and needed to get my textbook!
As far as tagging, I don’t really have anyone to tag who hasn’t done this already so participate if you want to!!
Would you be willing to do a Loona × Beelzebub/Queen Bee fic? I really like their dynamic with Enemies to Lovers, and including Bee's giant form would create some really seens! :) (Only if you want to of coarse, you write what you want to write)
Hi!! I think this dynamic is super cute too, I'm just only writing x readers at the moment! I'm newer when it comes to Helluva Boss so I'm still kind of learning character dynamics and pairing characters with the reader is just easier for me right now. Thank you so much for the request though!!
Please, could I make my request... Angel! Reader and Alastor having a secret relationship... The reader always comes on the day of the extermination to get together with Alastor again. Maybe in life Alastor and the reader were married, but the reader didn't know Alastor's secret that took him to hell, of course that's why she fought with him, but as time went by, the reader missed Alastor and after a long time reader forgave him (and maybe Alastor being manipulative and cute with his deer appearance).. But now reader always comes to hell to spend time in hiding with her husband...
Hi!! I actually don't write romantic pairings for Alastor, so sorry! It's just a personal preference of mine, but thank you so much for the request anyway! If you have any platonic (friendship/queer platonic) or familial (Alastor and reader are family/found family) requests I would be more than willing to write those though!!
Description: When an angry mob comes knocking at the hotel's door, Alastor is more than prepared to defend his kid. And, as it turns out, so is said kid.
(Notes: CW Alastor, mentions of murder, fallen angels) (gender neutral reader) (reader is Alastor's adopted child from when they were alive) (Final part of Like Father, Like Child)
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
You blinked, letting what you'd just witnessed on TV sink in. Not only did all of hell know you, an exorcist, was here now, but it seemed an entire angry mob had gathered under the command of that TV-headed demon to come and kill you. Amazing.
"...Maybe they'll lose interest before they get here?" Angel Dust said, reminding you that he was still there sitting beside you. On your other side, Vaggie didn't seem to think that outcome was very likely with the worried expression on her face.
"I'll go warn Charlie." She decided finally, getting up from the couch and leaving the room before you could even say anything else.
"Angel," you spoke, turning to the spider-like demon with a serious tone now, "Tell me honestly; how bad is it?" You weren't familiar with the sinners in hell so you really weren't sure how brutal they could be about things like this yet. Would they really kill you just because they'd found out you were a fallen exorcist?
There was a bang at the door, followed up by a series muffled shouts. You winced at the sound, realizing your time was likely up now and that the mob had arrived. "On a scale of one to ten?" Angel asked and you nodded, turning back to him eagerly as you hoped he'd reassure you, "an eleven." So much for reassurance.
"I'm so dead," You groaned, pulling your knees up and burying your face in them. You didn't have much time to dwell on your fast-approaching demise, though, because another familiar voice spoke behind you.
"Nonsense, darling!" It was Alastor, and the second you heard him you snapped up, looking over at the deer-like overlord. "If that pathetic mob of sinners think they can break into this hotel and harm one of its guests, they clearly need to be taught a lesson." he didn't add the unspoken fact that that resident was also his kid, but he didn't need to; you knew it was the main reason he seemed so upset.
"Since when have you cared about any of us?" Angel asked in confusion, pointing to you, "They just got here, like, ten minutes ago!"
"All the more reason to ensure they're left alone!" Your dad replied as he straightened his bow-tie and then began heading for the front door.
"W-wait, what are you going to do?" You asked, calling after him. He paused for just a brief moment, glancing your way with the sinister smile you'd come to expect from him now.
"Nothing they won't have deserved." And with that, he seemed to blink right out of sight and the sounds of screaming outside became louder. Only, now, they weren't screams demanding you to come out; they were screams of pain as the sinners begged him to stop whatever he was doing.
Your jaw dropped as you stayed frozen on the couch. You weren't sure what to do. Angel seemed to notice your concern because he just waved the situation off.
"Eh, don't worry, toots." He told you, turning back to the TV, which was playing his favorite show again. "I know you're an angel and all, but smiles has killed plenty of people so this is nothing new. Trust me, it ain't your problem." He had expected you to give up and turn back to the TV too, but instead, you stood from the couch and headed for the nearest set of stairs, determined to see just what your dad was doing with the screaming sinners outside.
"Hey, where ya going?" Angel called, "You'll miss the finale!"
"Record it for me!" You called before running up the stairs as fast as you could. Angel sighed but shrugged as he hit the record button and then continued watching his show.
Meanwhile, you finally made it as high-up as the stairs would allow, reaching a balcony somewhere on the second floor. There, you looked out at the carnage your dad was currently causing. He'd grown a lot bigger than he was inside the hotel before and black tentacles extended from his body, grabbing various sinners and tossing them into his mouth to eat. The sight was more than a little terrifying, but at the same time, you wanted to follow after him.
Even if your dad was a know killer, and even if you were supposed to have been an angel, something inside you didn't want to make him do this alone. You wanted to help; especially since you knew he was out there killing people for your sake.
But as a former angel, shouldn't you have known better than to fall to your own murderous urges? You'd been dealing with them all your life and afterlife so you couldn't give in now.
"Fallen angel?" A voice to your right spoke suddenly and you practically jumped out of your skin, turning to see...Lucifer? It was undoubtedly the king of hell; sitting and drinking tea out of what looked like a duck-themed cup as he gazed at Alastor's actions. Remembering the story of what happened to him, you couldn't help but relate a bit as you finally relaxed and then nodded.
"...Yeah." You turned to look back at your dad, who had now grabbed a huge group of sinners and was biting their heads off like it was candy. Your face scrunched in disgust at the sight but Lucifer seemed either unbothered by it or too bothered to be bothered anymore. "And I'm assuming you know him?" He asked, pointing to your dad. You nodded awkwardly.
"Yeah...We're related," You admitted reluctantly. You weren't sure why Alastor had been hesitant to tell everyone about you being his kid, but maybe it was to avoid a situation like the one you were in right now.
"Yeesh," Lucifer replied as he took another sip of his tea, "That's gotta be rough. No wonder you feel from heaven too." You paused at that; surprised by how he wasn't even questioning you.
"What am I...Supposed to do now?" You asked after a second. Lucifer froze, glancing back at you in surprise.
"You're asking me?"
"I guess." You admitted with a shrug, "You fell once too, didn't you?" After a moment he nodded, setting his cup down on the table.
"Whatever you want, I suppose." He told you, "I always wanted human souls to have free will, which is how we ended up in this shithole in the first place." He stood, leaning against the balcony as the sounds of more screams filled the air from the Radio Demon's actions, "You can try to get back into heaven or just...Exist." He seemed pretty deflated as he leaned half his body over the railing now; practically falling off.
Still, you considered his words. Do whatever you wanted, huh?
You'd tried to avoid killing, no matter how much you wanted to, for your entire life. Now, you were dead and you'd already killed countless sinners for the 'greater good,' and permanently, at that. You'd ended up in hell already, so it wasn't like anything mattered anymore.
So what did you want to do?
You paused, contemplating the question for a moment before finally coming to a decision. You turned back to the king of hell with a bright smile once your mind was made up. "Thanks, Lucifer." His expression seemed to soften at that and a smile even made its way onto his face.
"No problem," he told you genuinely, "I'm always happy to help a young sinner and-" He cut himself off when you turned and jumped right off the hotel balcony into the bloodshed. From there, you seemed to instinctively figure out whatever powers you might have had, either from being an angel or being fallen, and began assisting Alastor in killing off the crowd of demons around the building. "-enable their murderous behavior..." Lucifer finished his sentence with a regretful sigh. Why did he even bother with these sinners again?
Meanwhile, you felt more exhilarated than you'd been since before you died. It turned out you had some sort of light-related power. You could shoot small beams of white light from your hands, blasting holes right through sinners like a laser. It probably wouldn't kill them permanently, but the memory and pain would be enough to stop them from ever coming after you again.
Being down there and fighting sinners was one of the most natural moments you'd experienced in a while. You supposed it came from being the child of a literal overlord, but it couldn't have been more fun. Alastor seemed to notice your presence on the impromptu battlefield now too because one of his tentacles gently reached down, picked you up, and then placed you on his giant shoulder.
"It seems the power of a former exorcist is quite useful, isn't it, darling?" He asked before throwing another five sinners into his mouth.
"Sure is!" You replied with a smile that rivaled even your dad's, "I can see why you became an overlord now; this is the best!" Alastor's own grin only widened at that; pride swelling in his chest. Most of the sinners were gone now thanks to both his power and your angelic laser beams, but there was one still nearby that caught his attention.
Vox attempted to scramble away but wasn't fast enough; being plucked from the ground by Alastor's hand. He hadn't even needed a tentacle to grab the TV demon and now he simply held him by the back of his shirt for the both of you to see.
"Now, this is who brought this crowd here today." He informed you, even though you already knew. Alastor glanced at you, still on his shoulder. "Would you care to do the honors?"
You brightened at that, immediately nodding. "I'd love to!" Alastor cackled, turning back to the terrified Vox.
"Let it be known," he said, "That this is what happens when you mess with the Radio Demon or his child!" Alastor was more than aware of the fact that there were likely cameras on you three right now, figuring what better way to announce his relation to you? With that out of the way, you shot a laser beam at Vox, melting through his body and then his head, ensuring it would be a long time before he finally regenerated.
Once you were done, Alastor turned and chucked Vox's temporarily-dead body across the entirety of Pentagram City; you weren't even sure where it ended up landing.
Your dad began to shrink back to his normal size now, gently placing you on the ground nearby to ensure you didn't get hurt. Once he was back to normal, he turned to you with the widest smile.
"Very well done, my dear!" He exclaimed with nothing but pride, "I didn't think you had it in you, but it seems we'll make a hellish overlord out of you yet!" You laughed as his hand gently ruffled your hair, feeling all the anger and grief you'd once held towards him melt away. It seemed embracing your murderous tendencies really had done wonders for your emotional state.
"Thanks, dad." You replied, hugging the deer-like demon for the first time in many years. His smile somehow widened even more as he pulled you closer, ignoring the surprised looks of the hotel guests, who'd come out now to see if the fight was over.
"Dad?!" Angel repeated in shock. Meanwhile, Charlie and Vaggie were too stunned to speak. Cherry seemed to not know what to think of it, Nifty was beyond touched by the scene, and Husk couldn't even be surprised by any of Alastor's actions anymore.
"Would you call this...A reverse redemption?" Lucifer asked, leaning over to his own daughter and feeling slightly responsible for the horror he'd just released upon hell through you. She didn't reply but you and Alastor both turned back to the hotel now, heading over to the group as if this was the most casual situation.
"Now, how about I make some jambalaya?" Alastor suggested as your eyes immediately lit up.
"That was my favorite when I was alive!"
"It sure was!" Alastor agreed, tapping your head with his radio-cane as you smiled. As you walked past the rest of the hotel guests, they all remained frozen in shock.
"Is this ever not gonna be weird?" Angel asked no one in particular. He hadn't expected to receive a response, but then you called from inside.
"Probably not!" After that, all that followed was the sound of yours and your father's combined laughter.
Like father, like child.
……….
Tags for those who requested: @avitute @deadgirldreaming
Description: Alastor avoided you at first, but when he found out your mere presence was enough to keep Susan away, he quickly changed his tune.
Notes: (CW Alastor, Susan) (gender neutral reader) (mentions of cannibalism) (Gen Z Reader)
Words: 1,005
♡ No one knows how or why you ended up hell; just that you're here now. You're pretty new, and you don't talk about your backstory much
♡ They also have no idea how you ended up at the hotel. One day you just appeared and everyone kind of accepted it; especially because Charlie saw a lot of potential for redemption with a younger sinner
♡ It quickly became apparent that you were the most Gen Z to ever Gen Z
♡ Your slang, style of dress, and mannerisms really showed it, and at first Alastor avoided you for this reason
♡ He would never admit it, being the great and powerful Radio Demon, but he was terrified of you because he could never understand what the fuck you were saying and doing
♡ Also you seemed weirdly unafraid of him???
♡ Eventually, he came to attribute it to the fact that you had zero sense of self preservation. You once told him "if you killed me I would just respawn like a video game character" and because he doesn't know what that means, he's vowed to never do so and find out
♡ Charlie took notice of the fact that Alastor always avoided you. When you were in the lobby, he suddenly had an extremely important errand to run elsewhere. When you tried to talk to him, he was suddenly melting away into the shadows. When you were out of the hotel for the day, he seemed significantly more relaxed
♡ She, however, attributed this avoidance to him and you not getting along. So, she started creating situations to force Alastor to interact with you
♡ You didn't seem to care but he sure did
♡ Once, he was heading to Cannibal Town to go see Rosie for the day and just as he was halfway out the door, Charlie pulled you over and shoved you at him; suggesting he bring you with since you hadn't left the hotel (or your hotel room, for that matter) in several days. With that, she slammed the door behind you
♡ Alastor begrudgingly brought you with him, but refused to walk on the same side of the street as you. He remained a ways behind you and on the opposite side, claiming he "simply could not be seen with weaker sinners in public." In reality, he was too afraid to get near you and refused to give you the advantage of being behind him where he couldn't see you
♡ Finally, you got to Cannibal Town, where Alastor basically turned you lose and then went to rant to Rosie about how he'd had to bring you along
♡ She found his fear of you very funny and couldn't really relate to his fear because I think she's a lot more with the times than him. They had some tea and cannibal cakes together, but halfway through their conversation, there was a commotion outside that prompted both Alastor and Rosie to stand up and go check it out
♡ There, they saw you in the middle of the town, facing off against Susan with the rest of the cannibals crowded around you both in a circle
♡ You were both essentially tossing insults back and forth. She would comment about your 'distasteful' style of dress and you would simply reply with "okay, boomer" or something along the lines. She, like Alastor, had no idea what any of your slang meant and seemed to feel just as threatened by it
♡ Finally, Susan made an extra nasty comment about you and you started coming towards her, rolling up your sleeves and asking a nearby cannibal to 'hold your earrings'
♡ Susan immediately scrambled back before you could reach her, and that was when Alastor realized he might be able to use this dynamic to his advantage
♡ Rosie ended up breaking you both up, and you and Alastor left Cannibal Town soon after. It seemed like he'd now gotten over his own initial fear of you, because he came right up and walked beside you down the street, asking how you felt about the old woman
♡ When you told him you and Susan now had "serious beef" (which he assumed was a negative thing), he knew something very beautiful could be born from this awful day
♡ After that, Alastor stopped avoiding you. He was still cautious, but he would interact with you enough to maintain at least a neutral relationship
♡ In Alastor's eyes, you were akin to a feral cat. He mostly left you alone unless you approached him first, but would occasionally bring you small trinkets or gifts he thought you'd like as a way to maintain peace
♡ Think you sitting casually on the couch and Alastor approaches with a gift in hand, carefully extending it to you with one hand while keeping the rest of his body as far back as physically possible. When you can't reach what he's trying to give you, he just tosses it at your feet and runs
♡ Now, though, Alastor can walk through Cannibal Town with no fear of possibly running into an ornery old bitch. Why? Because (scary dog privileges) he has his own personal Susan repellant
♡ Whenever you're nearby, Susan stays as far away form you as possible. When she does come near, the two of you start beefing and she ignores Alastor anyway, which is also a win for him
♡ He refuses to visit Cannibal Town without you in tow now, and though he's still a little scared of you, Susan is even more so
♡ Meanwhile, Charlie is super confused and has no idea how you two managed to start getting along so fast, but she's glad you don't seem to hate each other anymore. She's even more happy when Alastor insists on bringing you with him every time he goes to see Rosie; thinking you're finally becoming friends
♡ In reality, he just doesn't want to deal with any mean old ladies, and you seem more than happy to throw hands with Susan in his place
It's Tough to be a Teacher | Alastor x Teacher! Reader
Platonic! Alastor + Best Friend! Teacher! Reader
Description: You and Alastor have been best friends since you were alive; where you two served as a murderous radio-host-and-kindergarten-teacher duo. Now, your refusal to become an overlord and protect yourself in hell causes Alastor to come up with a plan to convince you; for your own safety.
(Notes: CW Alastor, mentions of cults)
❀ We've got a song in this one! (Sometimes I like to write in songs I find if they fit the scene since Hazbin Hotel is a musical after all!) ❀
Words: 4,243
Alastor was someone who absolutely thrived in hell. With almost no consequences for any of his actions, he could kill, torture, or eat anyone he wanted. It was no surprise to you that he'd risen to be one of hell's strongest overlords in such a short time after his death.
You'd also been dead by then. In fact, you'd been killed off long before he had when your crimes in life were discovered. Alastor, upon arriving in hell years later, had informed you that he'd gotten revenge on those responsible for your death in the most brutal, bloody way possible; just as a best friend should, and he'd been making a name for himself here ever since with your support.
You were under the impression that you thrived in hell, too. However, since you had absolutely no interest in becoming an overlord, this sense of safety and contentment you felt was really thanks to your best friend's protection. There were few in hell who would mess with the Radio Demon, and even fewer that would have risked harming you and incurring his wrath when the two of you were always seen together.
But that didn't mean there weren't any at all.
Since his debut as an overlord, Alastor had caused many of hell's strongest to go missing, where he broadcasted their screams of pain and torment for all to hear. As it turned out, many of those missing overlords happened to be connected to not-yet-missing ones, who would then take it upon themselves to exact their revenge upon him. And more recently, that meant going after the closest person to him, you, as an eye-for-an-eye sort of situation.
He hated it. Even more so because you could have easily become just as powerful as him if you wanted to. You'd been a killer in life too and you certainly had the stomach to deal in souls, but every time he brought the topic up, you refused it.
Your murders had always had a strict moral code to them when you were alive. The pattern had been what ultimately alerted the New Orleans police that you were a suspect and got you caught in the end. You only ever killed those that you had deemed deserving of it based on a list of circumstances and traits. In short, you'd been trying to make a positive impact on the world in your own twisted way by killing off people you considered bad.
In fact, you met Alastor precisely because of your little 'good deeds,' as you'd referred to them at the time. You had been in the woods burying a body, only for him to be out hunting at the same time. Surprised by the presence of another person, he'd come over to strike up a conversation and the rest was history. You'd been best friends ever since because, ironically, Alastor had never met your qualifications for a truly 'bad' person.
Together, you two were a radio host and kindergarten teacher duo by day, but a pair of serial killers by night; both very notorious for your crimes.
And yet, when you'd arrived in hell, you'd seen no point in becoming an overlord. Why own the souls of other sinners? It wasn't like you wanted to become some sort of god and the way you saw it, you could protect yourself just fine without that extra power (though, Alastor would have begged to differ on that point, considering it was usually his power protecting you without your knowledge). So every time he tried to suggest you join him in his path, you'd politely but adamantly refused.
Which was why he was now left at a loss for what to do. Sighing, the Radio Demon slumped in his seat as he stared down at the 'coffee' in front of him. He'd come down to Cannibal Town since they had some of the best cafe's in hell and a warm drink had always helped him think better.
He could continue to protect you the way he currently was just fine, of course, but should he ever not be physically present, and an overlord that was on the stronger side showed up, he wasn't as confident in the fact that you'd get out unscathed.
The Radio Demon had never worried for another person to this extent in his life or afterlife, but it seemed his best friend was one of few exceptions to that. After all, without you, who would he share endless hours of gossip with when even Rosie was busy? Who else in hell had he known in life that didn't constantly ask him for favors the way Mimsy did? Who else had quietly listened to his broadcasts every day while their kindergarteners took their afternoon naps in the classroom?
No matter what you said, he refused to allow you to come to any harm if he could prevent it. Whether he liked it or not, you were too much of an important aspect in his life for him to even risk that. For heaven's sake, you had hardly even committed a single crime since arriving in hell of all places because you claimed "everyone here was probably a bad person" and that you "couldn't actually kill them anyway so what was the point?"
So it was Alastor's concern for your safety that finally brought him out of the cafe and on a walk through the cannibal colony in the hopes of coming up with a solution. If he couldn't get you to become an overlord, perhaps there was some other way to ensure your safety down here. Could you make a deal with someone in higher standing? Sneak into heaven? Get a job working for Lucifer, if you had to?
Luckily, he didn't have to ponder long, because as he walked, he passed by a group of what looked like young adult sinners all resembling various animals. They were gathered in an alleyway and huddling like a sports team might before a big game, and since they weren't doing anything that particularly irritated him, he nearly passed them by without a second thought.
...Until he heard them say your name. Well, it was your last name; they'd referred to you the way your kindergarteners might have, back when you were alive.
Alastor froze, his head snapping to look at the group now. Upon noticing his gaze on them, they all quieted down as he repeated your name with an unreadable expression.
"Do the lot of you happen to know them?" He asked. The sinners all exchanged glances before hesitantly nodding.
"Yeah, we all had them as our teacher when we were little." One finally spoke up. Clearly, he recognized who Alastor was because he and the rest of them all seemed a bit timid.
"Interesting..." Alastor said as he took a step into the surprisingly-clean alleyway now. He was extremely curious as to why they'd brought you up at a time like this. If they were your former students, he was sure they'd absolutely loved having you as a teacher; all of them had. But bringing up someone who'd taught them when they were in kindergarten at a time like this seemed excessive.
As he came closer to the huddle, he noticed a few more interesting things on the wall behind them that only amused him further. It seemed he'd been right when he called them excessive.
Dozens of what he could only assume were their assignments from kindergarten had been plastered on the wall; all graded by your hand and with that sparkly pen of your favorite color that you always used. The Radio Demon wasn't even sure how they'd procured those things in hell, but that wasn't all. There was a photo of you with your class of kindergarten students from when you were alive at the center of it all, and lines drawn in bright red blood connected everything; wrapping up this odd display.
It was a shrine. That knowledge only made Alastor's smile widen further in amusement. You likely didn't even know these former students were in hell, so he enjoyed imagining how your face would look when he told you all these details.
The sinners exchanged glances with one another now, seemingly put-off by his silence this whole time.
"Do you have a problem with us?" One of the braver ones spoke up, "If so, we're not alone! I'll have you know there are tons of us down here that will gang up on you if you try anything!" The Radio Demon wanted to roll his eyes at that- as if a group of regular demons, no matter how large, could stand a chance against him- but an idea was forming in his mind now that he couldn't help but want to investigate further. He hummed, taking another step forward as he raised his microphone-cane to point at the wall-shrine.
"And do the rest of you worship this person too?" He questioned casually. It seemed your former students hadn't expected that because they exchanged glances with one another again before answering.
"...Yes. All of us were their former students," one said, "We were inspired by their death and followed their ideals in our own murders. Now, we continue to spread their knowledge throughout hell."
"I see..." Alastor replied. He couldn't have been more amused in this moment; here he'd been worrying about your safety since you didn't want to become an overlord, and now it seemed he'd just accidentally stumbled upon the solution. "If that's true, then I assume you've yet to run into them down here?"
That gave the group pause.
"They're down here?" The sinner who had first spoke up asked and Alastor nodded.
"Indeed!" He replied, "In fact, they happen to be a dear friend of mine." Their eyes seemed to narrow at that; as if they didn't approve of the supposed friendship. Alastor, however, paid them no mind as he stood taller and rested his hands on his cane. "I have a proposition regarding your former teacher," he announced to the group, "One I believe you'll be more than inclined to accept."
He could already see their intrigue as he began explaining.
..........
You quietly hummed to yourself as you made your way to what essentially served as your dwelling here in hell. Thanks to Alastor, you could have chosen just about anywhere to live if you wanted, so at the moment, both you and him resided in an otherwise-empty apartment building that closely reflected the architecture found in New Orleans during your time. Your apartments were next door to one another; even having a door on one of the walls between them for quick access, though Alastor rarely ever used it; instead just popping up out of nowhere in your house.
Unlocking the door to your home, you stepped inside and shut it behind you. Since your best friend had been busy today, you'd taken a peaceful walk by yourself and had now returned to make dinner for the both of you. Alternating who cooked and when was a common practice for you and the Radio Demon since you both shared the same tastes and preferences when it came to food. You had to admit, though, that he was much more skilled in the kitchen than you.
You turned on one of the many radios found in your apartment as you moved through the kitchen; humming along with the song Alastor currently had broadcasting. You were just about to start cooking when there was a knock at your door.
Frowning, you set down the apron you'd been about to tie onto your body and made your way to the entrance of your apartment. You'd never received visitors before; and especially not out of the blue like this. Alastor tended to ward off anyone who might have been looking to come see you.
Curious, you looked through the door's peephole to see a huge group of people crowding the hallway. Slightly nervous but remaining confident, you pulled open the door to greet them.
"Hello, can I help you?" You asked as kindly as you could. Alastor would likely lecture you about not answering the door for strangers like this later, but it wasn't like anything was going to happen, right?
Suddenly, someone from the group called your name, but not just any name; the title you'd gone by as a teacher. Your gaze snapped to them in surprise.
"Y-yes, that's me..." You replied carefully, "And you are?"
"It's me; James!" The person called and suddenly, memories of your life came flooding back to you. James had been one of your very first students and he was always such a sweet kid. He used to offer to sharpen your pencils for you during his own recess time, and though you never took him up on it, you were always appreciative.
"And Joseph!" Another demon called.
"And Ruth!"
"And Mary!" Suddenly, a whole chorus of names were called out, all belonging to your former students. Your breath hitched and a huge smile made its way onto your face at being able to see them again.
"My goodness, what are you all doing here?" You asked happily, ready to invite every single one of them into your home for dinner, even if they could barely fit in the long hallway outside your apartment, as it was.
But then it hit you; this was hell. If this many of your former students were here, that meant they hadn't made it into heaven like you'd always assumed. This was only a handful of those you used to teach, of course, but if this many had ended up in hell, you wondered what could have gone wrong to make them commit anything worthy of being here.
"What are you all doing here?" You asked, now crossing your arms. It had been a while, but those teacher instincts of yours were beginning to come back just from seeing all your old kids.
"We found out about your killings!" Mary eagerly spoke up. You cringed at that. You'd known your students would likely hear of what you'd done, and while you didn't regret any of it, you did feel bad that it had likely ruined the image of their former favorite teacher in their memories.
"We were inspired!" Joseph called now and your eyes widened.
"You're like our idol!" Agreed Ruth, "We want to be just like you so we've been living the way you wanted and continuing your legacy of cleansing the world of evil!"
You felt like you couldn't breathe. They were here because of you? Because of what you'd done? You weren't sure whether to be proud or guilty over that, but before you could decide, James dropped another bombshell.
"And now we want you to own our souls!"
You paused, taking the information in. A part of you expected them to backtrack, laugh, and tell you this had all been some elaborate prank, but that didn't happen. They were dead serious about wanting you to be their overlord.
"What?" You asked in surprise as Mary nodded.
"We want to give our souls to you and work under your command!" She explained excitedly, as if what she was proposing was the most normal thing. You weren't sure what to do.
"Uh...Could you all give me one moment?" You asked politely, feeling as if you might faint. The students nodded and you quickly shut the door before going straight to your living room. That was where the connecting door between your and Alastor's apartments was located and you hurriedly knocked on it, needing the support and guidance of your closest friend right now.
"Al?" You called quietly enough that the students wouldn't hear you but loudly enough that he would, "Are you there? I could use some help!" There was no response, even after you waited a minute, and you sighed, assuming he wasn't home yet.
You went to turn around now, trying to come up with a nice way to reject the crowd of people outside when you jumped at the sight of a bright red deer-like demon standing behind you.
"What is it, darling?" He asked in a cheerful tone.
"You've got to stop sneaking up on me like that!" You exclaimed as you reached a hand to your heart. It wasn't like you could have heart attacks in hell but it sure felt that way.
"Why, but it's so entertaining!" He replied before setting his cane down and letting it rest in the crook of his arm. "Now, what seems to be the issue today?"
Ignoring how he almost sounded like a customer service worker, you sighed and reached a hand to your forehead in an effort to calm your already-growing headache.
"Remember how I used to teach kindergarten?" You asked, though, you knew he did. Regardless, the Radio Demon nodded and you continued. "Well, it looks like a bunch of my former students grew up looking up to me and now they're here in hell. They showed up just now and they want to give me their souls like an overlord!"
Alastor remained smiling, as always, so it was hard for you to notice just how amused he was by this situation. "And why, pray tell, would that be an issue?" He asked.
"Because I can't do that!" You exclaimed, groaning in frustration, "I can't hurt them; they're still my former students! I would have no idea what to do with that kind of power and besides, I don't want to be an overlord!" You plopped down on your nearby couch as Alastor listened intently to your plight. Finally, he hummed.
"I still fail to see the issue, dear," he told you, holding his cane in his hands behind his back as he calmly paced in front of you, "who says you would have to harm them if you owned their souls?" When you didn't respond he went on. "And as for the power, you would hardly need to use it. They could live their lives just as they did before if you so wished, but this way, you would finally be able to protect yourself."
"I can already-" you started to protest, only to see the look in his eyes and think better of it. You'd been in denial about the role your best friend played in your safety for a while now. Finally, you sighed. "But Al, they see me like some sort of god," you told him, "they idolize me to a concerning degree. I can't have that power over people; it's never been my style."
Alastor knew this was true. After all, in life you'd always preferred to manipulate the world from the shadows via your killings. You would never have been comfortable with this much glory, but he wasn't about to give up on the idea yet.
"Perhaps I can put it a different way," he said. The sentence was a reference to your teaching style as well; always willing to try and explain or show things differently if a student didn't get it the first time. You were endlessly patient, and luckily, he knew that would work in favor of his current plan.
With a wave of his cane, a hoard of shadow creatures appeared in the room around you. You glanced at each of them, having seen the group before, wondering how he planned to get this point across. That was when he pointed to the door, where one of the creatures had grabbed the handle and was now swinging it open. In the hall, you could see your crowd of students all kneeling, but they looked up with smiles once the door was open. That was when Alastor, in his theatrical fashion, began to sing.
"There, you see? They're on their knees!" He called, pointing his cane in the direction of the hall, "Being worshipped is a breeze!" As if to further prove his point, the shadow creatures ran over to kneel in front of him. The one that had been at your front door now closed it and joined them. "Which rather suits us in the interim!" Alastor added with his signature wide smile.
"I just...Don't think I'm cut out for it," you admitted with a sigh, completely ignoring his song. On a normal day, you might have sang and danced along, but you weren't in the mood right now. "They want me to be a god!"
You plopped down on the couch with a defeated look on your face but your best friend wasn't done yet.
"It's tough to be a god!" He admitted dramatically as the shadow creatures spun in circles around him, "Tread where mortals have not trod! Be deified when really you're a sham!" You could tell he was mocking you now as he leaned on the couch and raised a hand to his forehead like an exasperated lady. You rolled your eyes but then he moved to stand in front of you, taking both your hands in his.
"Be an object of devotion!" He sang as the shadow creatures performed some surprisingly elaborate choreography around you. "Be the subject of psalms!" He pulled you up off the couch so you both were standing now and then draped an arm over your shoulders, pulling you in and raising his hand to his mouth as if telling you a secret. "It's a rather touching notion; all those prayers and those salaams!" He took your hand now, spinning you in a circle as you chuckled.
Alastor knew his plan was starting to work now; at the very least, he'd cheered you up. It seemed pretending he had no part in the arrival of your former students really had been the right choice; otherwise you would have caught on to what he was doing.
"And who are you to bridle if you're forced to be an idol?" He asked as the shadow creatures brought of both their hands and shrugged dramatically, "If they say that you're a god that's what you are!" You bit your lip at that; seemingly still not enthusiastic about the idea. Knowing he needed to try another tactic, Alastor snapped his fingers, transporting a few of your students into the room.
All of them were kneeling on the floor surrounding parts of what had been their shrine to you. Your widening eyes told him you hadn't realized their devotion ran that deep yet and his smile grew more sly as he went on with the song.
"What's more," he sang, "If you don't comply with the students wishes I can see you being sacrificed or stuffed!" He dragged a finger across his neck for emphasis and you seemed to get a little more nervous. In order to bring back your enthusiasm, though, he pulled you back into a side-hug as you both faced the students. Now as they continued to kneel, silver platters of your favorite foods rested in their hands and they held them out to you.
"So let's be gods, the perks are great!" He lead you over to one of the students and took note of how your eyes lit up slightly at the sight of your favorite food, "All of hell here on our plate!" He spun you again now and snapped his fingers so the platters disappeared and a few more students joined the others in kneeling. "The students' feelings should not be rebuffed!" He sang as he directed your attention to the sinners, who all gave you puppy-dog-eyes in agreement. Alastor had to hand it to them; they had a knack for going with whatever he came up with in order to convince you. "Never rebuff the students' feelings, no my friend!"
The shadow creatures began dancing around again and the other demons joined them, despite not really knowing the choreography. The result was an adorably awkward dance between the two groups. "It's tough to be a god!" Alastor repeated to you as he took a step, gesturing to everyone around you both. "But if you get the students' nod..." He trailed off, giving you the opportunity to speak. You did, with slight hesitation.
"Count your blessings?" You asked more than you sang. Alastor nodded, glad to know he seemed to have gotten you on-board now.
"Keep them sweet; that's my advice!" He replied as he came to stand by your side again in the middle of the circle of shadow creatures and students.
"Be a symbol of perfection..." You sang softly. The Radio Demon knew his plan had worked now so he nodded and went on.
"Be a legend, be a cult!" He advised you, "Take their praise, take the collection as the multitudes exult!" You turned to the students, one of your hands slightly extended as it began to glow your favorite color; a phenomena you'd never experienced before now.
"Don a supernatural habit?" You sang as you glanced back at Alastor, who nodded, before leading you slightly closer to the group.
"You'd be crazy not to grab it!" He sang as the first student eagerly lined up to shake your hand. This time, you didn't reject the offer and the Radio Demon was glad to know his plan had worked out just the way he wanted. He knew you only needed a little more convincing in order to become one of hell's next best overlords. "So sign up this new god for paradise!" He sang as you finally took the hand of your student, shaking it and solidifying your first deal as a new overlord. "Paradise~!"
And with that, it was done. You would finally own souls of your own, and with them, you would finally have the power to protect yourself just like your best friend had always wanted.
Familial! Alastor is reader's dad, Vox is the dad that stepped up
Description: Tension is still high now that Alastor and Vox are fighting over you; can you and your father(s) come to an understanding despite all that has happened?
(Notes: CW Alastor, angst) (gender neutral reader) (Reader Alastor's kid from life) (Could be biological or adopted) (Teen Reader)
❀ This is part 2 of Hell's Second Greatest Dad! ❀
❀ This one will have a song! It's a rewrite of More than Anything, but with Alastor and reader instead of Lucifer and Charlie ❀
Words: 3,180
You weren't sure how long you'd been asleep for, but you woke up completely disoriented and tangled in your blankets. Since you had light-blocking curtains on your windows, you couldn't even tell what time it was as you sat up, rubbed your eyes, and looked around. A now-empty box of tissues rested on your bedside table, and one glance at your full trash can told you that was probably where they'd all gone.
Your eyes still stung like you'd been crying recently too, but at the moment, you couldn't remember what had caused you to do so. Finally untangling yourself from the blankets entrapping you, you rolled over and grabbed your phone. There were several missed calls and texts from Vox, which startled you. had you done something to upset or worry him? You were too sleepy to recall right now.
Your most recent message, though, was a text from Velvette promising she would keep your dads from killing each other until you were ready to come out of your room.
Wait, dads? Plural?
Now it all came crashing back to you. How you'd been about to go book shopping with Vox, how your father had shown up, how they'd fought over you, and how you'd eventually had enough; storming off to your room to cry until you fell asleep.
You weren't sure you ever wanted to leave this room now that you recalled the full extent of what had happened, but you also knew Vox would never allow you to rot away over this.
With a sigh, you pushed yourself out of bed and went into the bathroom that was connected to your room to clean yourself up. When you'd checked the time, you'd found that there was only an hour before your reader's segment was scheduled, meaning you had to pull yourself together anyway. Another text came from Velvette now, saying Valentino was coming up to check on you since you hadn't answered her all day. Great.
After washing your face and changing your clothes, you exited the bathroom. The second you opened your bedroom door, you were met with the sight of Valentino, holding a fist up as if he'd been about to knock. He retracted his hand now, a smile spreading across his face.
"There you are, little one!" He exclaimed, stepping out of the way as you closed the door to your room behind you. "I brought tissues." He held up a box of tissues, but it did little to comfort you.
"Thanks, Val." You sighed, running a hand through your hair. You'd never been particularly close with the moth sinner, even after living in the V's tower for the last seven years. With his line of work and reputation, you tended to stay clear of him, and Vox had never pushed you to do otherwise. In fact, you suspected he was secretly glad for it after he'd become so protective of you over time.
"Where are Vox and my dad?" You asked, though, calling Alastor your dad felt like a bit of a stretch at this point. He was closer to an estranged relative you hadn't seen in years than anything.
"Velvette has them waiting downstairs." Valentino replied with a shrug, letting out a puff from his cigarette. Nevermind that he wasn't supposed to smoke on this floor.
"And they haven't killed each other yet? That's impressive." You said with a sigh, heading for the elevator now, rather than putting the confrontation off any longer.
"She has a way with these things." Val shrugged, stepping into the space with you. You suspected Velvette's 'way' came from lots of practice she'd gotten handling his and Vox's disagreements, but you didn't bring that up. Instead, you awkwardly and nervously waited for the elevator to reach your desired floor, rocking back and forth on your feet. What would happen when you arrived? Would Vox and Alastor start fighting again? You were sure Velvette would get between them if they did, but it wouldn't make things any easier for you in the long run.
They were going to want you to choose.
The doors opened now and you took a deep breath before stepping out. "Good luck~" Valentino sang before pressing the button to close them behind you. No going back now.
You turned, seeing a familiar lounge area to your right. After all, this was the floor where your studio was located, so you'd been here plenty of times before. You never used this area, though; reserving it for whoever might need to wait outside as you did your segment.
There were two couches set up so that they made a sort of 'L' shape. Alastor sat on the one that faced in your direction; his legs crossed and a teacup in his hand as if he had not a care in the world. Music faintly played from his microphone, which rested against the couch next to him. Meanwhile, Vox sat hunched over on the other couch, as far away from the Radio Demon as possible as he attempted to avoid contact with him.
And finally, Velvette was in a chair facing them both like a teacher supervising detention. She had her phone in hand but looked up when she heard you approaching.
"There you are," she exclaimed, setting her phone down. Vox shot up from his seat and Alastor's teacup disappeared into thin air as he calmly stood too. You could tell they both wanted to come over to you but Velvette shot them a warning look. You weren't sure how she'd managed to get both Vox and Alastor to listen to her like this, but you were grateful for it.
"Hey..." You said awkwardly, unsure of what to do. Vox was the first to reply.
"How are you feeling, kid?" He asked, seeming genuinely concerned. You shrugged.
"I don't know." It was all you could say, "But it's almost time for my segment, isn't it?" At this, the tech demon stiffened.
"You don't have to do it today, you know." He told you, "We could just rerun an old one; no one would mind." You could tell Alastor preferred the idea too, considering he likely didn't approve of you being on TV in the first place, but you shook your head.
"I think it would be good for me." You admitted, "Help me calm down." Vox nodded at that.
"Alright." He sighed, "but if you're not feeling up for it, we can cancel any time. Just signal me." You nodded, feeling a small smile appear on your face.
"Okay."
"In that case, would you mind if I tag along?" Alastor asked, looking to you and no one else for permission, "I'd love to see what my little one has been up lately." You tensed.
Technically, the reader segment wasn't all that different from what you'd done before. When you both were alive, he would sometimes have you on his radio show in the evenings, where you would do exactly that; read your favorite books to the listeners at home. Everyone thought it was adorable, even if your features weren't very consistent at the time.
After you'd both ended up in hell, that had continued. You and Alastor were always close; after all, he'd been the only family you had for most of your life and afterlife. So when he kept up his radio show, you kept appearing on it to read your stories as a way of bonding more with your father. Plus, you could tell he reveled in the confusion your appearances brought; one moment he would be broadcasting the screams of those he tortured for all to hear, and then the next his child would be reading bedtime stories. It kept everyone on their toes, just the way he liked it.
You weren't sure how Alastor would react to finding out you'd continued that same tradition on TV; the very thing he hated. Though, considering who your father was, he likely already knew. He had a way of finding out things like that.
"I guess that's okay..." You decided after a moment, making Alastor's smile widen even more, "We have a lot of lost time to catch up on, anyway." The comment was meant to make him feel guilty but it seemed to bounce right off him instead.
"I couldn't agree more, darling!" He exclaimed, "Then, lead the way! I'd love to see your studio." You couldn't help feeling a little more nervous now but motioned for him to follow you towards the door anyway. Vox, however, wasn't giving up just yet.
"I'll come too." He decided, crossing his arms over his chest. "In case we need to cancel the segment suddenly." He knew you weren't going to back out at the last minute like that but it didn't matter; the excuse gave him a reason to follow both you and Alastor to your recording studio.
There you gave the Radio Demon a brief tour before taking your place on the plush pink couch and letting Vox's makeup team give you a final check-over.
Another couch was brought in for Vox and Alastor to sit on as they watched you record your segment; each of them sitting as far away from the other on the thing as they possibly could. Finally, the cameraman cued you in, and you bit back your nervousness as you began reading; picking up where you'd left off in the book.
The whole time you did your segment, you were extremely aware of the two extra pairs of eyes watching you. Vox, while still being extremely cautious of Alastor and glancing at him every so often, practically beamed with pride as he listened to you read. Alastor's eye kept twitching, likely in annoyance that you'd replaced yet another thing you used to do with him with Vox, but his smile still had genuine elements to it as he watched you.
Finally, you finished off the reader segment and the cameraman signaled to you that you were good to go. Once again feeling tired from the segment, but not as much so as you'd been the night before, you wrapped the lilac blanket around yourself and went over to where Vox and Alastor were sitting.
"Well done as always, kid." Vox grinned, patting your head. The Radio Demon's eyes narrowed at the sight and he cleared his throat.
"Yes, it was a wonderful performance, indeed." He added, "Though, I must admit a show of such format may have been better over radio." He'd considered corrupting the footage so Vox wouldn't be able to use it, but since this seemed to mean so much to you for whatever reason, decided to inconvenience him some other way later.
You couldn't argue with the comment. After all, the idea had initially started in a radio format. You could, however, try again to make him feel guilty for leaving you.
"Yeah, well, I didn't really have access to a radio broadcast for the last seven years," you replied, "So Vox offered to give me a TV show instead." The tech demon beamed as Alastor came close to a scowl, or what would have been a scowl, if not for his permanent smile.
There was nothing but silence after that. If not for the shuffling of your cameraman packing things up, you could have heard a pin drop. Feeling uncomfortable, you tugged the purple blanket more tightly around your shoulders. You knew the three of you needed to talk about things, but you still weren't sure where you even stood in the situation to be able to do so.
"Are you tired?" Vox finally asked, "You can go up to your room and sleep if you want. We can always go shopping another day."
"I wouldn't be so sure." Alastor cut in, standing from the couch now, "They're still my child, so there's no need for them to live here anymore." He wrapped an arm around your shoulders, "I appreciate you looking out for them in my absence, but now that I've returned, there's no need for you to be involved in their life any longer." Something seemed to snap in Vox at that and he shot up.
"Oh, no you don't!" He exclaimed, walking over and pointing a finger at the Radio Demon, "You're not taking them. You may have been their father, but you've been gone seven years. You have no claim to them anymore."
You were afraid to speak up, unsure of what you would say. You didn't even know what you wanted anymore.
"You've no more right to them than I do," Alastor shot back, glaring at Vox through his smile, "Who are you to tell me where I can or cannot take my child? Even if you think you've adopted them, I see no legal documents to prove it."
"Am I even your child anymore?" You asked suddenly, before you could stop yourself. Both overlords froze as you pushed Alastor's hand off your shoulders and took a step back.
"Of course, my dear." Your father replied, taking a step towards you, only for you to back away more, "Nothing so fleeting as time could ever change that." Something in you told you he really believed that, and that was the worst part.
"Can't it?" You asked, feeling tears begin to well up in your eyes. You weren't ready to have this conversation, even after so long. "I thought you'd abandoned me. I thought you didn't want me anymore." Before he could reply, you turned and started walking away, pushing open the door to your studio as you wiped at your eyes. Alastor, however, went after you.
You paused when he called out your name; already halfway to the elevator. "You didn't know that when I left you on your own, I made a deal I wouldn't condone." You were frozen in shock. Alastor make a deal? "And in the end, I had to leave you all alone," this time you didn't flinch as he came forward, placing a hand on your head, "Now you're the only thing worth fighting for."
Your mouth went dry. For years, all you'd wanted was to know your dad really did care, but somehow, it didn't bring you as much comfort as you'd expected.
"Despite everything," he went on, taking one of your hands from under the blanket you still had pulled around you, "Despite everything, I want to be there for you despite everything!"
"But you didn't even tell me where you'd gone," You said softly.
"If I could have, I would," Alastor replied, "It was the only way to keep you out of it." You frowned, pulling your hand out of his.
"Papa," you began, feeling a bit of comfort from the reassuring nod Vox gave you behind him, "When I was young, I always thought you stood so tall." You looked down, recalling the days when he'd let you sit on his lap as a child while he recorded his radio broadcasts, "It made me feel so small," you went on, "But you assured me that I was worth it all." You could recall countless nights in life when your father had made that very promise, but it felt as if it meant nothing now.
"You said you would never leave me," you recalled, "That we were family." A tear slid down your face but you pushed it away, "And yet you left with no warning!" Vox placed a hand on your shoulder, which only seemed to make Alastor more irritated, but he listened as you went on. "So in the end, when I thought I had lost you," you took a deep breath, "They showed me I could have a family once more!"
Vox smiled softly at you, encouraging you to go on. "Despite everything," you sang, echoing Alastor, "Despite everything, I wish I could believe you despite everything!"
You turned to walk away, ready to be escorted by the tech demon, only for Alastor to speak up once again. "I've never forgot you all this time."
"Neither could I," you replied, not liking what he was insinuating, "How ever would I?"
"Seems I'll have to make up for this crime," he decided, finally giving up on trying to explain what he'd done. Nothing would ever excuse his leaving you; he knew that.
"It'll take a while," you admitted, though a tiny grin tugged at your lips that didn't go unnoticed by the Radio Demon.
"I've missed that smile!" He said, taking your hands. You just wanted to feel like a family again; the way you had before his disappearance. And though it would take time, that might be able to come true if he could prove he'd never leave again.
"All that I'm hopin' now that my eyes are open," The two of your chorused, "Is that we can start again; not be pulled apart again!"
Vox wasn't sure who'd given you both the lyrics to this impromptu song and not told him, but even he had to admit the scene in front of him was quite sweet as he watched you and Alastor finally hug.
"Cause in the end, you are part of who I am!" You both sang.
"I'll be there for you even if he must too!" Alastor told you, pointing microphone towards Vox with only a slightly disgusted expression on his face.
"Though, this is overdue," you added before letting your dad join back in.
"Despite everything!" He waved his cane, changing the lighting of the room so that it felt warmer.
"Despite everything!" You repeated, now watching as some of the furniture shifted so that it resembled the living room of your house when you were alive. it seemed Alastor was already adding a personal touch to this place if he was going to be around more because of you.
"Despite everything!"
"Despite everything!" You sang, "You're meant to be my father, despite everything!" You glanced at Vox, who only nodded at you with both pride and pain in his eyes.
"Despite everything..." Both you and Alastor finished as you hugged him again, wishing he'd never disappeared in the first place but so glad he'd returned anyway.
Finally, you pulled away from the embrace and looked up at the Radio Demon. "Alright," you said, "...We can try to fix things, but it's going to take time." You glanced back at the tech demon, who quickly came over to support you. "And for now, I want to keep staying here with the V's. While you were gone, Vox was the only father figure I had."
Alastor's eye twitched at that but he slowly nodded, ignoring the look of victory his old friend was wearing. "I suppose I can agree to that." He decided at last, "Though, I hope eventually there will come a day when you only need the one father." He was referring to himself, making Vox's eyes narrow.
"And I hope one day I won't have to be afraid of you leaving out of nowhere." You replied carefully before sighing, "But it's a start."
Right, Alastor nodded, a start. It would hardly be enough for him in the long run, but for now, he supposed he could tolerate the tech demon's presence around you.
Obviously platonic; Alastor x teen! GN! reader, when reader was alive reader "idolized" Alastor as a killer and killed like him, basically a copycat and died like him. When reader meet's Alastor at the hotel reader is like, "OH! My fking- your, your Alastor, right? The famous radio host serial killer from the 1930's? I such a HUGE fan!"
BTW : Love your work •ᴗ•
❀ AHHHH THANK YOU!!!!! We all know how I love platonic Alastor, especially with a child/teen reader! I hope you enjoy! ❀
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The Radio Demon's #1 Fan | Alastor + Teen! Reader
Platonic! Alastor + Teen! Reader
Description: You had always looked up to Alastor; a great serial killer who had lived and died long before you. Now that you've ended up in hell, you end up getting to finally meet him...And are totally starstruck.
(Notes: CW Alastor, mentions of murder) (gender neutral reader) (Alastor is manipulative)
Words: 1,838
It was no surprise to you that, when you died- shot in the head while out in the woods- you woke up in hell. In fact, it wasn't as if you'd ever tried to get into heaven in the first place.
Your goals had always been...less than innocent. You'd killed plenty of people; that was a fact. And you didn't regret any of your actions, either, because every crime you'd committed had reflected that of someone who'd come before you.
Back in the 1930s, before you were even born, there had been a famous radio host who'd also turned out to be a prominent serial killer after his death. Which, coincidentally, mirrored yours almost perfectly.
Just like the great Alastor, you'd killed people according to the same moral code and reasoning. Since you were just a teenager, though, you managed to keep your activities a secret while also attending school every day and maintaining good grades. Like him, it had just been you and your mom ever since your abusive father had left, and like him, that father had been the first person you killed.
Your dad's murder was actually what had lead you to finding out about the radio host/killer. Having safely-but-quickly disposed of the man's body, you'd then policed the internet for the next few days to make sure there was no news about any teens in New Orleans- where you lived- having killed their fathers.
That was when you'd stumbled upon an old article about Alastor himself, and the the rest had been history. You only found more similarities between the two of you, which drove you to see him as a sort of role model and follow in his footsteps; even if he'd been dead for many, many years.
All your murders looked like echoes of his; from who you killed, to when and how, to where you hid their bodies. Like him, you were becoming quite infamous in the New Orleans area; but as a sort of copycat of the past serial killer.
And like him, you'd also been burying a body in the woods the night you'd died. A hunter had been out, he'd mistaken you for a deer, and he'd shot you. That was it.
Now, you'd been living your afterlife in hell for a few years. To your delight, it seemed that Alastor had ended up there as well; not that that was a surprise. He was known as the Radio Demon and was arguably even more feared now than he had been in life. Not only that, but like you, he possessed deer-like features that echoed the way he'd died in life. It couldn't have been more perfect, and the fact that he was down here with you; that you could potentially run into him at any moment, had brought a constant smile to your face the first few days.
...It was after that that your spirits sank. It appeared the Radio Demon had been missing for several years now; starting before you'd even died. No one seemed to know what had happened, but most other sinners were glad to have him gone.
You were beyond disappointed.
Still, you lived on. You couldn't shake your deep admiration for the Radio Demon, even with him seemingly being gone, and so you took a page out of his book once again by starting your own radio show. It was much smaller in scale than his had been, but it felt like a good way to continue the legacy.
You became an overlord, though you were still so new to hell that you didn't have much of a name for yourself yet.
Those who saw you walking down the street were definitely intimidated, but they weren't terrified enough to literally set themselves son fire and run away yet; which you'd seem them do for other overlords.
It was during one of your walks, though, that things finally changed. You'd been out for a stroll, as you did often when searching for new souls to take; listening to the portable radio at your hip. Alastor didn't do broadcasts anymore since he'd disappeared, but that didn't mean you didn't still enjoy the medium as a whole.
You hummed to yourself as you walked down the street, passing a tall building that loosely resembled a hotel of sorts. Part of the the wall on one side had been destroyed, leaving a gaping hole that looked into what you assumed was the lobby. Knowing destruction like that happened often in hell, you were about to keep walking when you heard someone nearby speak with what sounded like a radio filter over their voice.
"My mother once showed me a wonderful recipe for jambalaya! In fact, it nearly killed her!" The voice was accompanied by the sound of laughter that made you stop in your tracks. "You could say the kick was right out of hell!" You didn't hear the rest of what was said because you were too busy looking around feverishly trying to find who was speaking.
Finally, your eyes landed on a demon with a red color palette and features that resembled a deer. You could have swore your nonexistent heart stopped at the sight.
The Radio Demon.
As if he'd sensed your gaze on him, the sinner's head now turned to look over at you; his yellow smile curving up further now that he'd caught you staring. A second later, he was standing in front of you; hands holding his microphone behind his back as he towered over you. You blinked, unsure what to say now that you were actually faced with your idol.
"And what have we here?" The Radio Demon asked, arching an eyebrow as he leaned over to look down at you. You gulped, still feeling frozen in place.
A blonde demon, whom you recognized as the princess of hell, Charlie Morningstar, came over now that she'd noticed him gone.
"Uh...Alastor?" She asked carefully, leaning around him to look at you, "What's going on here?" She seemed more concerned for your safety than anything else, but faced with the Radio Demon himself, you couldn't even consider that.
Having heard her say his name now, you seemed to finally snap out of your trance as you looked up at the deer-like demon. "Y-you're Alastor?" You squeaked, suddenly feeling as if you were being crushed under a heavy weight as he gazed at you. "As in...The famous serial killing radio host?" You shrunk further as his brow raised higher.
"Indeed." He replied, seeming amused by your nervousness, which he must have mistaken for fear. "And who might you be?" Clearing your throat, you quietly told him your name, feeling as if you might pass out from how starstruck you were.
"I'm a big fan of your work..." You admitted finally, your eyes trailing to the ground. Suddenly, the crimes you'd committed in order to echo his didn't seem nearly grand enough in comparison when you were faced with the man himself.
"Oh, you want to be a radio host too?" Charlie piped up beside the Radio Demon, seeming a little touched by how you looked up to him. Truthfully, she thought it was cute that a teen sinner like you would look up to a radio host so much.
"Uh..." You weren't sure what to say to that, but luckily, Alastor seemed to understand what you meant.
"I believe it's my other line of work they're interested in," he told the princess, stepping forward as if to cut her out of the conversation. You quickly nodded.
"Y-yeah..." You admitted, "Though, I do have a small radio show of my own too..." You said the last part in a softer tone, but it seemed Alastor had heard it anyway.
"Is that so!" He exclaimed, standing up straight now, "You must be the one I've heard on nearly every radio station since my return to hell!" You weren't sure if he was upset or pleased by that, but you nodded anyway. "I do hope you aren't trying to replace me," he went on, his eyes turning into radio dials, "That would not end well for you."
You hurriedly shook your head. Though, you were shaking less from fear and more from awe; who could have guessed that, when you went out today, you'd end up getting to actually meet your idol?!
"Never!" You exclaimed, bringing a hand up to awkwardly rub the back of your neck, "I just...I've been trying to emulate your work for years! Even my murders were similar..." You trailed off, but by now, you'd managed to fully peak the Radio Demon's interest.
A teenager who'd ended up in hell for serial killings? Now that was something one didn't see every day. It was now that his eyes landed on the 'X' mark that rested in the middle of your forehead...Nearly identical to the one that appeared when he utilized his demonic power...
Perhaps you were even more interesting than he'd initially thought, he realized; and if you truly looked up to him as much as it seemed, he realized he could use that to his advantage.
"I see!" Alastor exclaimed, "Why, I've never had such a dedicated fan before; even going so far as to copy my own murders!"
You nodded and Charlie, who was still awkwardly glancing between the two of you, tried to smile through her concern. She looked back at the hotel, where everyone else was filing in through the giant hole that had been created in the wall just a few minutes before, and finally made her decision.
"Would you like to join out hotel?" She asked cheerfully, catching your attention again, "Alastor has just started working with us and-"
"And we could use all the help we can get!" Alastor interrupted her, suddenly appearing behind you and pushing you along towards the building as he walked, "I tell you; it's quite difficult to find good help these days!" From inside the hotel, a cat-like sinner flipped him off but he ignored it.
"You're helping run a hotel now?" You asked carefully, a little surprised that someone like the Radio Demon would be interested in that sort of thing; especially because you'd heard it was meant as a place of redemption.
"Indeed!" Alastor chirped, then leaned down to talk more quietly to you, "I must say, it's quite entertaining work! I'm sure you'll enjoy it." You took that as an invitation, and after a second of hesitation, you finally nodded.
"Okay," you said with a small smile, making Alastor's own grin widen.
"Wonderful!" He exclaimed, "Right this way; there's much entertainment to be found inside!" With that, you were dragged into the building as Charlie awkwardly trailed after the two of you.
Having heard your backstory and realized just how much you seemed to look up to him, Alastor was quite interested to see what you got up to from here on out. And, should you prove to have potential, he could even teach you a thing or two; molding a second, younger version of himself.
Heads up! I am currently away from home for my grandmother’s funeral and am dealing with a lot lately so I may not be very active this next week! I have some docs scheduled to go up though so uploads should progress as normal.
Description: When Stolas is busy, Stella must take Octavia to her swim lessons instead; which no one is very happy about.
(Notes:) (gender neutral reader) (reader is a sinner) (reader is young Octavia's swim teacher) (Part 2 of Sink or Swim)
Words: 2,488
Read part 1 here
"We're going to be late!" Octavia called as she tugged on the taller owl's hand. "Mommy, come on!"
Stella rolled eyes but followed after her daughter, who was practically dragging her to the pool. For the owlet's sake, she kept her frustration about the situation inside for now. After all, swim lessons had never been her idea, so it peeved her that she was now the one having to deal with them because of Stolas.
The prince would have attended in her place like usual if not for some work-related obligation that had come up. And, since the pool had a rule that required a parent to be present for all lessons, Stella had been forced to perform the responsibility in his absence until he got back. He'd promised to be as quick as possible, hoping to show up before the lesson ended, but she highly doubted that would happen.
Finally, they reached the building and headed inside, where the imp at the front desk immediately recognized Octavia and checked them in. Stella helped her into her swim suit, thankful that the little girl was at least old enough now that she wouldn't have to get in the water with her.
Stella couldn't understand the point anyway. It wasn't as if any of them used the pool they had at the house, and she would hardly have been caught dead getting her feathers wet, anyway. She didn't know why Stolas insisted on keeping Via enrolled in her lessons these last couple years, but it seemed it was just another reason for her to hate him.
Finally, she and Octavia made their way onto the pool deck, where the little owlet instantly recognized her swim teacher and grinned from ear to ear. She called your name and then let go of her mother's hand; taking off running for the water.
"By all means, run." Stella mumbled sarcastically. You turned around, smiling but reminding the girl not to run. She slowed her pace but continued going over to you.
"Good to see you again, Octavia." You smiled before pulling yourself out of the water you'd been waiting in. When you noticed Stella, rather than Stolas following behind her, a look of slight surprise appeared on your face. There was a flash of disappointment in your eyes, too, before you quickly put on a smile and took a step forward, extending your hand to her.
"Hi, I'm-" She cut you off.
"I do not care," she informed you with a wave of her hand, "Just get on with it. You're lucky we didn't skip this lesson entirely." You retracted your hand at that; smile faltering.
"Alright..." You could only assume that this must have been Stolas' wife from the way he'd described her to you before. She was even worse than you expected, but you had little time to dwell on it as Octavia gently tapped your leg.
"Can we get in the water?" She asked excitedly, "I wanna show Mama what I can do!" Your smile returned at that and you nodded, leading her back to the side of the pool as her mother collapsed on a nearby pool chair.
Sighing, you hopped in the pool and then turned to help the little owl after you. She was even more eager than usual to be in the water, and you assumed it had to do with the excitement of a different parent having accompanied her; though you could hardly share her sentiment.
Once she was in the pool and holding onto the side, you started her on her usual drills. Since you'd been working with Octavia since she was an infant, you were well aware of her strengths and weaknesses, as well as her favorite activities when it came to your lessons. She chatted on as you two worked, telling you about whatever came to her mind, and you felt glad she'd gotten so comfortable with you over time.
"Daddy's working today so Mommy brought me instead," she went on to explain as you two sat on the wall doing more kick drills now.
"I saw." You smiled down at her, trying to keep the positive energy you knew was so necessary for teaching kids.
"But he said maybe he'll be able to come to the end of the lesson," Octavia explained, "So maybe they can both watch me then!" You grinned and then pushed yourself into the water before turning to her.
"I'm sure he'll try his best to make it." And, if you were being honest, you hoped you were right. Stolas' company at these lessons was something you thoroughly enjoyed. He would always chat with you before and afterwards, and had such insightful thoughts that you constantly looked forward to his and his daughter's weekly classes.
Stella, on the other hand, was thoroughly uninterested in what her daughter was up to; her eyes trained on her phone as she lounged on the pool chair. Considering she'd shown up in a full gown, you assumed she didn't find herself in places like this often, and therefore, did not care what you taught Octavia so long as you left her alone.
The owlet seemed to notice this because a frown appeared on her face. When you took her in your arms and began helping her with her front glides, she called out to her mother on the deck.
"Mommy, look at me!"
Stella's eyes never left her phone. "That's nice, Via." She replied. Unfortunately for her, though, her child was smarter than she seemed to give her credit for and her frown deepened.
"You aren't looking!" She exclaimed sadly as you reminded her to kick her legs. Stella rolled her eyes before glancing up for a second and then returning to her phone.
"You're doing great." She said dismissively. Octavia looked a little sad so you quickly stepped in to cover.
"She's right; you're doing great," you told the girl with a reassuring smile, "Can you look down at the bottom of the pool? See if there are any runaway fish down there I need to catch." Octavia giggled at that but obliged anyway and put her face down in the water to check for said fish.
After a moment, she looked back up with a bright smile. "No fish!" She exclaimed happily and you smiled back at her.
"None? Are you sure?" You asked cheerfully and she looked down again for good measure. Finally, she raised her head again.
"No fish!" You giggled and she did the same as you finally brought her into the wall.
"Well, thank you for checking!" You told her, "I'm glad we don't have any loose fish today." You placed her on the wall again where she checked to see if Stella had bene watching.
As expected, she hadn't. Octavia's smile immediately dropped and she turned back to you with a sad expression. Feeling pressure to keep her happy, you quickly spoke up. "How about we work on your back float again, hmm?" You suggested. She nodded slowly before letting you support her back and leaning into your hold.
"Lay back like you're sleeping in bed," you reminded her, "and look to see if any fish are in the sky!"
"The sky?" She asked through giggles and you nodded.
"Yep! Sometimes they like to swim around up there. Watch out for Craig specifically; he'll try to splash you." Octavia laughed before bringing her head up to look at Stella again. You couldn't help but feel bad for the girl's neglect by her mother; wishing Stolas would come back to encourage her like he always did. It was so important that kids be told how proud their parents were of them; you knew that.
"Mommy, look at me!" She called again and your heart squeezed. Stella glanced up again.
"Great, sweetie." She replied nonchalantly. This seemed to finally be enough to upset the owlet, though, because she didn't take it for an answer.
"You aren't looking!"
"Yes I am!" Stella shouted back, angry herself now.
"No you aren't!" Octavia replied, crossing her arms as she continued to float on her back with your support. "You're not close enough to see!" Stella rolled her eyes again but stood from her pool chair now and put her arms out as if to say 'see?'
"Better?" She asked in a frustrated tone.
"No!" Octavia called back, "You aren't close enough!" Grumbling, Stella took a few steps closer to the pool. Before she could even ask, though, Octavia was already calling to her. "You're not close enough, Mama!" She exclaimed through slightly teary eyes that made your heart clench, "I want you to see!"
Nearly fuming now, Stella came even closer to the pool so that her feet were right by the edge now. "There, am I close enough for you n-" She couldn't even finish her sentence, though, because as she was walking towards the edge, she slipped on some water and fell back. Her back smacked into the concrete of the pool deck and then the rest of her body slid into the water.
It was at this moment when you realized Octavia's mother likely did not know how to swim. She flailed about in the water, which was a little deeper than where you currently stood holding the owlet, and seemed to panic as the weight of her huge dress pulled her down.
To make matters worse, the lifeguard that was currently supposed to be watching the pool while you taught your lesson was hardly paying attention. Even when you called his name, he hardly batted an eye. Sighing, you replaced Octavia so that she comfortably rested in your left arm now; the way a parent might carry their toddler around.
There was no time to put her safely on the deck if you wanted to save her mother, and it wasn't as if you could leave the girl in the water by herself yet when she had only ever ran assisted drills up to this point. So, you were left with no choice by to swim through the water and towards Stella with the little girl in your arm.
"Mommy!" The owlet called in fear as you finally made your way over to her mother. Stella was still flailing about in the water, which was a good thing at least, since it meant she hadn't yet lost consciousness.
Amidst all the commotion, you didn't even notice that another owl now entered the scene, coming onto the pool deck with a bright smile that immediately disappeared when he saw what was going on. Unsure what to do, he rushed over to the deck near where you and his family were, but he worried he might not reach your group in time to help.
Finally, you reached Stella and grabbed her by the waist with your free arm, dragging her up to the surface as she continued to flail. She smacked you in the face multiple times but you didn't waver; keeping Octavia away from the path of her arms and making sure both their heads stayed above the water.
The lifeguard finally seemed to have noticed what was going on now, because he stood from his chair as if to help, but you just glared at him; having already done most of his job in this situation.
You reached the pool deck now, where you let go of Octavia as soon as she was holding onto the wall. Stolas reached you too, immediately taking her into his arms and out of the water as he asked if she was alright.
You turned your attention to the still-panicking Stella now; making sure she was still breathing as you helped her to sit on the poolside. The lifeguard had grabbed a first aid kit and was coming over to you four now as you looked her over. Luckily, she seemed relatively unharmed, aside from the scare.
"Are you alright?" You asked, "You didn't hit your head when you fell, did you?" Now that she was on dry land, the owl's glare returned as she stared you down.
"No," she replied, crossing her arms, "But my dress is completely ruined! This is all your fault; you filthy sinner!" With that, she stood up from the side of the pool and stomped away, ignoring the lifeguard that tried to offer her medical attention as she passed.
"Mama, where are you going?" Octavia called from her father's arms. Stella didn't pause.
"To get a new dress tailored!" Stella called back, glancing at you again, "And I'll be billing you for it!" Finally, she stormed through the locker rooms and out of the building as you shuddered. The lifeguard gave you a look that asked if you were okay but you just nodded and waved him off; pulling yourself out of the water.
"I think that'll be it for our lesson today," you sighed, turning to Stolas, "I'm so sorry about that." Before he could reply, the owlet in his arms shook her head.
"It wasn't your fault; Mama fell!" She exclaimed as your expression softened. She turned back to her father now. "She needs swim lessons too." He smiled.
"I don't think your mother will be going anywhere near the water after that." He admitted and then looked to you. "But I am sure you had nothing to do with it. Stella can be quite...Easily angered." If he were being completely honest, he couldn't help but wish she hadn't been saved, but he knew you would never let that happen. "And, of course, I will not allow her to take any legal action against you; that includes her clothing expenses." You grinned.
"Thank you, Stolas." You said softly, grabbing your towel from one of the nearby pool chairs and wrapping it around yourself. "If you want to reschedule your next lessons with someone else, I understand." You would have expected him to do so, actually, but he quickly shook his head.
"No need!" He exclaimed a little too hurriedly, "Via enjoys working with you so much and I wouldn't want to uproot her over something like this!" Luckily, the little girl in his arms nodded in agreement, effectively covering for him. You smiled back.
"If that's what you want."
"It is." Stolas assured you with a grin, "It really is." There was a brief moment of silence between you both as you gazed into one another's eyes, and then the prince finally remembered where he was and what was going on as he composed himself by clearing his throat.
"A-anyway," he spoke, "Thank you for saving my...wife." Your heart clenched at the word but you nodded.
"Of course." Then, you turned to Octavia, who was still in her father's arms. "I'll see you next week!" You told her, "Then you can show your dad how much progress we made today." She grinned and nodded excitedly.
"Yeah!"
With that, you bid them both farewell and watched as Stolas carried his daughter out of the pool building. Somehow, as he left, it felt as if a part of your heart went with him.
Hell's Second Greatest Dad | Vox + Reader + Alastor
Familial! Alastor is reader's dad, Vox is the dad that stepped up
Description: With your dad, the Radio Demon, having been missing for seven years, you've come to see Vox as father figure instead. But when Alastor shows back up one day, he's furious to find his old friend trying to take his child away from him.
(Notes: CW Alastor, angst) (gender neutral reader) (Reader is Alastor's kid from life) (Could be biological or adopted) (Teen Reader)
❀ This one will have a song! It's a rewrite of Hell's Greatest Dad, but with Alastor in Lucifer's place and Vox in Alastor's place (Alastor gets a taste of his own medicine) ❀
Words: 4,049
"Tomorrow's forecast calling for acid rain with tornadoes picking up around noon in the Doomsday Distract," The familiar voice of hell's iconic tech demon explained, "And now for our Reader's Segment!" He smiled, placing the papers he'd been reading off of on the table in front of him and looking back up at the camera.
Once he announced your name, the TV screen promptly changed to show you curled up on a plush couch with a fuzzy blanket and a book on your lap. "Take it away, kid." Vox's voice said through the earpiece you always wore while on-air in case he needed to communicate with you.
"Thanks, sir." You smiled at the camera before turning your gaze down to the book in your lap, "Tonight we'll be reading something a little slower paced. It's fun, cozy, and perfect for a night like this, so let's begin." With that, you announced the title of your current favorite book and then flipped it open, reading aloud.
The set around you was decorated to resemble a cozy living room; with a crackling fireplace behind your couch, a fake window to your left that was supposed to make it seem as if it overlooked a snowy field, and the softest carpet you'd ever walked on. The log walls were decorated with photos of cute animals since you had no family photos to adorn them, and both the couch, blanket, and carpet were soothing shades of light pink and purple that greatly contrasted the harsh the blues and red of your boss while still remaining within the same domain.
You read in your most soothing tone, which many viewers liked to claim had the ability to lull them to sleep almost instantly, even if you had no such power that you knew of. Though, you supposed anything calming and cozy like this would have been a great relief in a place like hell, which had been your goal from the beginning.
Vox was hesitant about your segment when you first pitched it, considering it was so different from the rest of the shows he ran, but eventually he gave it a chance, and it had only ever paid off since. As far as sinners went, you were adorable, and it wasn't just because you were young compared to most of the adults in hell. That, coupled with the cozy vibe of your set and the books you read, was enough to keep viewers coming back, meaning there were more people to see Vox's commercials and, therefore, become his customers.
Not to mention the fact that it made him look good in the public eye. A teenage sinner who liked to read their little books for the public, and whose soul he didn't even bother to own? He looked more kindhearted than half of hell's overlords combined, no matter his intentions.
The only person that didn't approve of your reading segment currently stood on a sidewalk somewhere in Pentagram City, watching through the window of a shop. Despite his apparent smile, his eyes were narrowed in disapproval at the screen.
To those who didn't know him, he would have simply looked like a regular sinner; interested in listening to you read the story you seemed to excited about. Had they been paying attention, they might have noticed the way his hands tightened around the microphone he held or how his red deer-like ears tugged back slightly.
And as for those that did have the sense to recognize him, they wouldn't have even had the time to notice those details, because they would have already turned and walked the other way upon seeing the Radio Demon back after his seven year absence.
About an hour later, you finished your segment, feeling a little sleepy yourself from the calming sounds of the fire and a good book. Even your cameraman seemed to barely be able to keep his eyes open at this point.
"I think we'll stop there for tonight," you said with a yawn, gently placing your Vox Tech bookmark between the pages and closing your book, "Tune in tomorrow, where we'll continue the story from where we left off." You were talking even more quietly than you had at the beginning, not wanting to disturb any of the viewers at home that may have fallen asleep. Though, it was a futile effort, considering a blaring commercial would likely run the second you were off-air again. "This has been the Reader's Segment; thank you and goodnight!"
With that, your cameraman signaled that you were now off-air and you yawned again, wrapping the fuzzy purple blanket around yourself despite the warmth of the nearby ambient fire.
A moment later, the door to your recording set opened and in stepped Vox himself with a familiar frown on his face. He looked around, though, and the second his eyes landed on you, the expression was replaced by a picturesque smile. "There they are!" He exclaimed happily, walking over to you as you blinked sleepily at him.
"Hi." You smiled through your hazy tiredness, making the tech demon soften just a bit.
"Well done, kid." He said, ruffling your hair, "As always." Vox gently placed a hand on your back, leading you towards the studio door and leaving the rest of his workers to clean the set up behind you. "I have to say, I never expected a 'cute' segment like yours to do so well," he went on, ever the businessman, as you half-listened. "Turns out comfort was exactly what pathetic sinners wanted all along!" He glanced your way, his smile becoming more genuine now, before adding, "I'm proud of you, kid." That got your full attention now.
You'd only heard the words a few times in your whole life, despite the huge positive effect they always had on you. Even the man that had raised you; the one that should have been the most proud in the end, had never actually told you so. Vox may not have been related to you by blood, or even legally, but hearing that phrase from him still made you grin.
"Thanks." You replied, unsure of how to convey how much his pride meant to you. Luckily, it seemed you didn't need to, because he just nodded and then brought you over to the nearby elevator.
"It's the truth, kid," he replied, pressing the button that would take you up to his designated floor. Each of the V's had one, with Vox's being the highest, that was technically supposed to be solely their living space. However, after you began working for him, Vox ended up converting one of the rooms on his floor to make it yours. Now, your bedroom was the first door on the right after entering Vox's floor.
"Though, it looked to me like that bookshelf of yours is starting to get a little empty..." He was referring to the shelf found on your set. It housed each of the books you planned on reading next in no particular order. This way, when you finished one for the show, you could immediately pick a new pre-approved one from the back shelf. The one you were done with would then be moved up to your room for you to keep, which was beginning to look more like a library with how many titles there were inside.
"Did it?" You asked, feeling a little embarrassed, "I can grab a few more to add to it tomorrow." Vox shook his head, though, as the elevator finally reached your shared floor.
"No need," he replied, "How about we buy some more tomorrow; call it a shopping day?" With how many unread books you already had making a mess in your room, there was really no need to buy any more. But after the first year of having you around, he realized making you happy tended to lift some of the stress and burden he felt off his shoulders, so he did so whenever possible.
"Really?!" You asked, stars practically shining in your eyes as you stepped out of the elevator. Vox nodded, a warm smile on his face.
"Of course; can't have my best segment lacking stories, now can I?" You grinned, hugging him without even thinking. At some point during your time working for him, it had become a natural gesture.
Vox rested a hand on your head with a grin, patting your hair. He'd never expected to get so attached to a kid, much less you, of all people, and yet here he was, enjoying the hug as if he were your close family member.
Once the excitement of the news seemed to die down for you, that fuzzy, tired feeling from before came back. "Thanks, dad..." You mumbled into the tech demon's coat. His eyes widened for just a moment before a smile reappeared on his face. You probably hadn't even realized what you'd just said, and yet, it felt so right for him to hear it.
"No problem, kid." He replied. Finally, he pulled away, patting your shoulder. "Now, you'd better get to bed if you're going to have enough energy for book shopping tomorrow." You grinned again, wrapping your soft blanket a little tighter around your body.
"Right." You said, gently rubbing your now-very-tired eyes. "Goodnight!" You called as you turned and opened the door to your bedroom.
"Goodnight." Vox replied softly before you closed the door behind you and disappeared. He could hear a muffled 'flop' sound somewhere inside, realizing you'd likely collapsed onto your bed immediately after entering.
He chuckled softly before turning to head to his own room. Vox tended to stay up much later than you most nights; handling various paperwork and business. Today was no exception, but as he made his way to his office, which was attached to the bedroom, he spared a glance at the framed photo that sat propped on his bedside table. In it, you were depicted, holding up the camera to take a selfie. Vox was there too, an arm around your shoulders as he posed for the camera. Both of you looked so happy; smiling brightly as if you had not a care in the world.
It was his favorite photo; thus why it always remained on his nightstand. He turned away now, heading for his office with a renewed determination to get things done. After falling out with his closest friend seven years ago, the tech demon had assumed nothing else would ever be able to bring him joy again.
And he had been right, until you came along.
..........
You were up bright and early the next day; too early for Vox's standards. He'd barely gotten any sleep, as per usual, but had smelled the breakfast you were making in the kitchen once he came out of his extra office.
As soon as he entered, you'd smiled and sat him down at the table, handing him a plate of your personal favorite breakfast food. Of course that had been what you chose to wake up and make this early in the morning.
Regardless, the tech demon humored you, knowing you were just excited to get to go book shopping later that day.
Once you'd both eaten, you hurriedly shoved him into his room, insisting he get dressed and ready for the day while you did the same. Apparently, you wanted to be at the bookstore the second it opened, but who was Vox to deny you, when it seemed to make you so happy?
Once you both were ready, the two of you took the elevator down to the V Tower lobby, with Vox ignoring several calls from his assistant along the way. He could wait until later, the tech demon decided. Instead, he listened to you go on and on about the books you planned to get and how excited you were. It seemed you had a fully prepared list, and Vox was ready to get every single one on it if it brought you joy. Finally, you reached the ground floor and the elevator dinged as the doors opened.
And almost immediately, you were met with the sounds of shouting and windows breaking. Clearly, there was already a commotion, even though it was even ten in the morning yet. Sighing, Vox stepped out first, followed promptly by you, who would never miss out on a scoop if you could help it; especially if it was happening in your own 'basement.'
What you saw was even more surprising than expected. The employees that usually worked on this floor were running around like chickens with their heads cut off; many of them screaming in fear. The secretary that usually worked the front desk was dangling in the air; held by an eerie black tentacle that you recognized all too well. Following it with your gaze, you could see that it was attached to none other than a red deer-like demon, whose body had morphed so that he was almost too tall to fit in the room.
A green 'X' mark sat on his forehead, further confirming that he was currently in his demonic form as he held the secretary up to his eye level.
"Where are they?!" He demanded, his radio static voice somehow even more haunting than usual.
"I'm not authorized to tell you that!" The secretary screeched, covering his eyes as the tentacle's grip tightened around him and began bringing him towards the demon's open mouth.
Vox's assistant stood off to the side, frantically typing something on his phone amidst the panic. So, that was why he'd been calling so much this morning.
With a sigh, the tech demon activated his mind control powers, taking a step forward into the chaos. "Stop!" He shouted, his voice distorted. Suddenly, everything came to a stop, except the giant demon still holding his secretary, who slowly turned his head in your direction.
Still smiling, his eyes narrowed for a moment before he suddenly noticed you standing there, instantly reverting back to his normal form as if nothing had happened. The black tentacles that had been holding the secretary disappeared, causing them to fall to the floor with a thud. Meanwhile, the Radio Demon adjusted his coat jacket and stepped forward.
"Finally," he called, holding his microphone-cane behind him, "The man in charge, so to speak." Both you and Vox tensed, and you looked to the tech demon, unsure what to do.
When neither of you said anything, Alastor spoke again. "And it seems you've found my little one!" He exclaimed with an even wider smile, "Good, then I'll have no need to search this entire building for them." Vox's eyes narrowed at the idea, and he was about to take a step to the side, so as to block you, when you finally spoke.
"Papa...?" Your voice was quiet; hurt. The tech demon hated it but you took a step forward, nonetheless. This was, as much as he hated to admit it, technically your father; the man you hadn't seen or even heard from once in the last seven years. That would have shocked anyone.
"There you are, my dear!" Alastor said, opening his arms to you as if expecting a hug. "Come along, now. We have quite a bit to catch up on!" You didn't move.
Vox took a step forward, sensing your uncertainty. "You've been missing for seven years," he replied, "They don't have to go with you." Alastor's eyes narrowed.
"They're my child," he said, "So I'd suggest you get out of the way before things get ugly, old pal." You bit your lip. As much as you'd longed to see your father again all this time, now that you were faced with that reality, you weren't so sure. You'd only just come to accept the fact that he would never be returning for you, and now here he was, acting as if nothing had even happened.
You used to be close with him, but now it felt like he wasn't even the same person anymore. Vox, of all people, had had to take you in after your dad left without warning, and since then, he'd become the only father figure you had in your life.
Alastor glanced between the two of you with what would have been a scowl, if not for the permanent smile on his face. Everyone else had all but cleared the room now; leaving only the three of you there in your standoff.
You were frozen; unsure what to do, and you knew Alastor could see it. It was like having to choose between your two parents in a divorce, except in this situation, it was the once-loving-father that had abandoned you and the man that had stepped up ever since.
Unfortunately, Alastor didn't seem to read the situation the same way you did, because with his flare for the dramatics, he went on.
"Darling," he sighed before bringing out his mic and beginning a song. Now you knew there was no going back. "Looks like you could use some help," he began, "from hell's Radio Demon himself!"
Alastor swung his cane, summoning two familiar sinners to the room to back him up now. "Never trust the one who's acting so heartfelt!" He pointed in Vox's direction, and Nifty immediately scurried over, jumping on Vox's shoulder.
"Traitor!" She exclaimed adamantly before the tech demon ripped her off of him. Husk, however, was less enthusiastic.
"Heartless," he said, ignoring how Vox glared and began to stalk towards him, only for Nifty to jump and latch onto his back now.
"A total snake!" She exclaimed and he tried to shake her off again. Meanwhile, the two of them provided enough distraction now for Alastor to gently grab you by the arm and pull you away.
"Oh, with enough motivation, dear," he went on, "He'll betray you, standing right here!" Before he could get you out of the lobby door, though, Vox had pressed a button to activate the security measures, locking it from the outside. "Usually, you'd learn it on your own, I fear," he went on, "But for you I'd do anything!"
Nifty ran over to the two of you wearing one of your hats she'd gotten off a nearby coat rack now, hugging one of Alastor's legs as if she were pretending to be you. Or at least, a happier version of you. "Thanks, dad!"
Alastor turned, pointing to Vox, "Who needs a knock-off now that I have returned?" Nifty nodded eagerly, jumping to rest on your father's head.
"Whoa!" She sang, having way too much fun with this.
"Come back to radio; have all you could want!" Alastor went on, trying his best to win your favor once more. "I've all the fatherly affection you've earned!" He spun you around once before gently gripping your shoulders and pointing up as if he were showing you something in the sky. "Clothing, safety, souls of the hasty, this we would flaunt!"
Finally, Vox seemed to have had enough because he appeared between the two of you like a bolt of lightning, gently pushing you away from Alastor and towards the elevator. "Who's been here since he was gone?" He reminded you, "Even if you weren't my spawn? Who gave you the segment that makes them yawn?" He pointed to the crowd of sinners outside, who'd gathered by the windows to watch what was going on. Then he smiled and straightened his bowtie.
"It's your very own producer!" He sang.
"That's true..." You admitted as he pressed the button for the elevator now, already using his demon powers to call the security staff to the lobby to handle Alastor. Any other day, Vox would have done so himself, but having you right there made the situation much more difficult.
"I support you, day to day!" The tech demon went on, placing a gentle hand on your shoulder, "Your books, show; whatever you can name!" The elevator doors opened, and Vox pushed you inside before you could even think of protesting. Once Alastor was out of sight again, he brought up a photo of the bookstore you'd planned to visit.
"Remember I'm taking you shopping today?" He asked just as a video chat with the bookstore's owner appeared.
"Buy our books?" She asked in the same singing-tone everyone seemed to have adopted now, "Thank you sir!"
The elevator doors dinged now as you reached the third floor, where Vox's security team was stationed. However, the second they opened, all that could be seen was Alastor, along with an empty office and some black tentacles still disappearing from wherever they'd came.
"I'm truly honored that we've built such a bond," Vox went on as he hurriedly pressed the 'close door' button in the elevator. They began to do so, only for another of Alastor's black tentacles to stop them just in time, ripping the doors open. "You're like the child that I wish that I had!" If Vox could sweat, he surely would have been doing so by now as Alastor's eyes narrowed again. This was the closest you'd ever seen him to not smiling.
"Excuse me?" The Radio Demon spoke, his pupils already taking the shape of dials. Finally, Vox stood straighter, turning back to you and patting your head.
"I care for you just like a child spawned!" He sang, knowing it was getting under Alastor's skin. "It's a little funny," he glanced back, a smirk on his features. Your father was seething. "You could almost call me 'dad'!" The second those words left Vox's mouth, Alastor moved to attack him, only for you both to disappear in crackles of electricity.
The tech demon almost never transported others with him this way, which meant he was taking Alastor's presence in the V's tower seriously. You appeared on your shared floor, which also happened to have a panic room. It had been designed for waiting out exterminations but, considering the situation, Vox figured it would work just fine to keep you from your father now.
He began pulling you towards it, only for Alastor to appear out of the shadows in front of him.
"They say when you're looking for assistance," Vox sang, trying to move around him, only to be blocked by a black tentacle, "It's smart to pick the path of least resistance!" He was getting very tired of playing nice with the Radio Demon, especially when the tentacle previously blocking him grabbed onto his arm and pulled him away from you.
"Others say that in your needy hour," Alastor said, beginning to pull you away from the tech demon, "The one that first raised you is simply never sour!" He spun you around to emphasize the proclamation, then stopped and placed both hands on your shoulders. "Who just happens to have known you in life!" He added a little more intensely.
A second later, though, you were pulled out of your father's grip by Vox, who began rushing you towards the panic room. "Sadly, there are times a child's needs are met with strife!" He exclaimed, pushing you through the door as gently but quickly as possible, "They say the family you choose is better."
"Pathetic excuses!" Alastor chimed in, grabbing onto your arm just as gently-but-urgently as he attempted to pull you back.
"Can you butt out of my song?" Vox snapped, pulling harder on your arm. You were halfway through the door now, awkwardly standing there and not knowing what else to do.
"Your song?" Alastor replied with a scoff, "I started it!"
"I'm singing it; I'll finish it!" Vox shouted back, pulling back on your other arm. The pressure was starting to hurt you now but you couldn't seem to get a word in about it as they fought one another. At this rate, you'd be torn in half before they could come to a custody agreement.
"You're always such a piece of-" Before Alastor could finish his sentence, you finally cut in, pulling your arms out of both their grasps.
"That's it!" You screamed, finally catching their attention despite the entire song having been about you. "I can't do this right now!" You backed away form them both, feeling more than a little hurt and confused. Vox went to speak up but you weren't having it; raising a hand to stop him as you turned and stomped off to your room. "I need time!" And with that, you slammed the door behind you.
(Notes: CW Alastor, mentions of murder, fallen angels) (gender neutral reader) (reader is Alastor's adopted child from when they were alive) (Part 3 of Like Father, Like Child)
Part 1, Part 2
❀ We've got a song in this one! (Sometimes I like to write in songs I find if they fit the scene since Hazbin Hotel is a musical after all!) ❀
Words: 3,687
"...Vox?" Velvette's voice finally called out, breaking the silence that had been enveloping the room. In front of her, the TV demon sat staring at the screen and panting heavily; almost like he'd just run a marathon that he'd been severely unprepared for. "You alright...?" When her companion didn't answer, she exchanged a glance with Valentino, who simply shrugged as if this wasn't her problem too.
Velvette rolled her eyes, leaning forward to gently touch Vox's shoulder in an attempt to wake him from whatever trance he'd gone into while watching the battle on TV. The second her hand made contact with him, he seemed to finally snap out of it with a start.
"Vox?" The fashionable overlord asked with a bit of concern in her voice. To her surprise and slight relief, the man demon with the TV head began laughing. It started quietly at first but as time went on, the sound got louder and louder, progressing into full-on cackles as he finally leaned back and cast his gaze upward. His laughter could probably heard from all the way down the hall as he brought a hand up to his head. Had he had any hair, he likely would have been running his fingers through it manically.
Finally, the laughter subsided and he breathed a long, deep gasp. "Fuck, that was a show!" He exclaimed excitedly. The other two overlords watched him with interest, but also a bit of concern.
"Who...Knew?" Vox finally asked as slowly stood from his chair and headed closer to the TV, which was paused on an image of Alastor and you right before you melted away into the shadows. "Who knew the great Radio Demon actually had something he cared about?"
"And an exorcist, too." Val added as he blew another puff from his cigarette. "I wouldn't have expected him to know anyone from heaven."
"If they're an exorcist then they're probably just as sick in the head as he is." Velvette said, returning to her phone now to post on her story, "Interesting how he seemed to defend them though, wasn't it?"
"What the hell was that?!" Vox asked suddenly, putting a hand to the TV screen, "They were supposed to be fighting against the angels and then he just goes and saves one of them? What are they, friends or something?"
"Don't get too jealous..." Velvette mumbled under her breath so that Vox didn't hear it.
"He probably thinks he can use them for something," Valentino shrugged. It would be idiotic for Alastor to even try that, though; everyone knew the angels would never work alongside demons for anything, and especially not the exorcists. Unless, of course, the two of you had some kind of personal relation no one knew about.
Vox laughed again, turning around to face his two companions. When his laughter died out he finally breathed in once more. "We can use this."
"Can we?" Velvette asked, mostly uninterested in the idea. She and Val really didn't have the same beef with Alastor that their co-worker did and she'd always preferred to stay uninvolved with it.
"If Alastor of all people cares enough to save them," Vox paused, an insane look on his face, "An exorcist, what will everyone think when they find out?"
"That he's lost his fucking mind, which we already knew?" Velvette suggested.
"That he's gone soft." Vox replied, placing his hands behind his back and turning away as he headed for the next room over, "They'll finally see him for what he really is; a coward. The Radio Demon will lose his relevance, become a thing of the past, and we'll finally rise above like we were always meant to!" His plans were beginning to go off the rails now but no one wanted to stop him. "Mark my words; this time tomorrow, the V's will be the only overlords worth mentioning." His gaze darkened as he finished the sentence and walked out the door, slamming it shut dramatically behind him.
"Does this mean we're not watching the rest?" Velvette called now that he was gone. She'd been looking forward to see the hotel residents cry after the loss of their home, as well as the broadcast that was supposed to come after it showcasing the full losses of the extermination.
"Record it!" Vox shouted back and the fashionista overlord groaned but grabbed the remote to set it to record nonetheless.
..........
You awoke to the sound of quiet jazz music playing somewhere nearby. At first, you thought your alarm had been changed. Today was the day of the extermination and, given the very detailed dream you'd had last night, you weren't looking forward to going down to hell at all.
You knew Molly would come by your room like she'd done in your dream if you didn't wake up soon, but at the same time, you were just so tired. You didn't want to get out of your bed, which, you had to admit, was significantly less comfortable than you remembered. It was warm enough though, and you tugged the covers further up your body; in denial about your responsibilities for the day.
At least the music coming from your alarm was nice. You'd always liked jazz; it reminded you of the kind of music that had been popular when you were alive; the kind you'd always listened to with your dad.
...Your dad. Right; you didn't often allow yourself to think about the man. But he'd been in your dream last night, hadn't he? You thought back to the events, which were becoming significantly less blurry now. You'd gone to hell, seen him again, refused to kill him, and then been expelled from heaven...
Suddenly, your eyes shot open and you sat up straight; ignoring the dizziness in your head as you did so.
"Ah, you're finally awake!" You froze. Yep, that had definitely not been a dream. You would recognize the voice of your father anywhere, but right now, it felt impossible to call that unfortunate.
Finally, you turned to see the red deer-like demon standing to your left next to the bed you were currently laying in. He wore the same signature smile you knew so well; the one your dad had always wore.
But even as he stood in front of you now; his horrible past-actions clear from the fact that he was a sinner; you still somehow couldn't find it within yourself to denounce him as your father. He'd raised you, and like it or not, he'd also saved you yesterday.
That just didn't mean you had to forgive him immediately.
"Where am I?" You asked, a hint of fear in your voice as you looked around the foreign room. The last thing you remembered before passing out was Adam ripping your wings off and stabbing you in the eye.
Speaking of, you reached up to your eye now, feeling that it had been heavily bandaged and probably cleaned as well. Shifting where you sat, you could also feel more bandages placed on your back where you'd lost your wings and anywhere else you might have been injured. They had no doubt been the work of the sinner before you, and you weren't sure whether to feel touched by that or angered.
"Why, the Hazbin Hotel, of course!" Alastor replied as he set a glass of water you hadn't realized he had on the table next to your bed. "I know the owner quite well, and I managed to get you one of our better rooms!" It seemed like he expected you to be thankful, but instead, you met him with a look of confusion. Still, that didn't break his demeanor. "Of course, I'd do anything for you, my dear!"
Slowly, you nodded, pushing yourself up straighter in the bed. You'd heard about this hotel from Adam's many rants; he'd been particularly angry about its existence after Charlie had come to heaven to attend angelic court, which you weren't present for. However, you'd never expected your dad, of all people, to be a part of some kind of rehabilitation center.
"And...The rest of the angels?" You managed finally, unsure of what else to ask. No matter how many questions you for your dad, it seemed you couldn't manage to get them out right now.
"Oh, they're long gone!" Alastor replied as he took a seat at the end of your bed and adjusted his bow-tie casually. "So it appears you'll be stuck here in hell for quite a while! What a shame." When he said the last part, though, he sounded anything but disappointed about it.
You took a second to process that. Of course, you'd expected the other exorcists to leave you behind if something went wrong, but even though the job had never been your first choice, it was still...shocking to know that you really had fallen from heaven while doing it. Alastor seemed to notice your shock because his smile widened and he continued.
"Not to worry though, my dear! You're welcome to stay here at the hotel for as long as you need!" You weren't sure how to respond to that. Did you want to stay here? You didn't have much other option, but at the same time, that feeling of betrayal that came over you after your dad's death still hadn't gone away.
"I..." You weren't sure what to say, "Does the hotel owner know I'm..." You trailed off.
"An angel?" Alastor questioned, "Why, of course! How else do you think I explained your sudden arrival here? And it seemed our own fallen-angel resident recognized you too." At that, you perked up. Fallen angel? Did he mean Vaggie? Was this where she had ended up after being kicked out of heaven?
That wasn't what you were getting at though. "No, do they know you're..." You couldn't say it; not after all this time.
"The Radio Demon?" Alastor replied, though he knew exactly what you were referring to, "Why, of course! With a reputation like my own, it's hard for anyone down here not to know!"
"No-" You started again, only for Alastor to interrupt you once more by gently taking your arm and pulling you up off the bed.
"Now, I know we have quite a bit of catching up to do but it seems the rest of the hotel residents would love to meet you!" He explained as he pulled you along towards the door. Unsure of what else to do, you followed him out into the hotel, glancing down at your still-tattered exorcist uniform. 'What a way to make a first impression...' You thought.
Luckily, Alastor seemed to notice this concern of yours too because he suddenly stopped. "Right, I suppose we can't have you looking a mess when you meet the other guests!" He decided, snapping his fingers and instantly making your clothes shift into a completely different outfit. It seemed to be modeled after what you'd worn back when you were alive; your favorite outfit, actually. You were surprised he still remembered which one you'd liked best.
"There we are!" he spoke, gesturing for you to follow him down the hall.
"Thanks..." You said quietly.
"Why, of course!" The Radio Demon replied, opening the door to what you assumed was to be the main lobby, "Now, prepare to meet the pathetic, hopeless sinners that are trying to redeem themselves." With that, he stepped through the door and you followed behind him.
The second you entered the room, streamers and balloons were tossed your way, momentarily blocking your view.
"Surprise!" A high-pitched voice shouted; accompanied by a few others. There was a brief moment of silence as you wiped confetti out of your face before you finally looked up to see a group of people gathered in the lobby. There was a tall girl with blonde hair and rosy red cheeks, a similar looking but much-shorter man, a tall spider-like demon with pink dots and heart shapes on his head, some sort of cat with wings, a tiny cyclops girl, and a girl you recognized very well who immediately looked away from your gaze.
Above them was a huge banner that read 'welcome to the Hazbin Hotel!' You wondered how long you'd been out if they'd had this much time to prepare for your arrival.
"Welcome to the hotel!" The tall blonde girl finally said, taking a step forward from the rest of the group, "I'm Charlie, the owner, and you already met Alastor." She gestured to your dad, who simply stood off to the side with a smug smile.
"Well, I would hope so-" You began, only for him to cut you off.
"It would appear so!" He exclaimed, "Now, why don't the rest of you introduce yourselves to our new guest? After all, you wouldn't want to be rude!" Something in his tone made them all shiver but when you looked back at him, he wore the same smile as always. It was creepy, sure, but it was no different than his usual demeanor.
Still, the rest of the group came forward, introducing themselves one by one. The shorter man was Lucifer, the king of hell himself because of course he was here, and then there was Angel Dust, who made you slightly uncomfortable, Husk, whom you guessed worked for your dad based on their dynamic, Nifty, who honestly scared you but seemed to like you enough, and finally, Vaggie.
"Hey." She said when it was finally her turn for introductions.
"So this is where you ended up after you disappeared?" You asked, feeling a little ashamed you hadn't realized it sooner. Adam had just told the rest of you she was gone and that she wasn't coming back.
"Yeah..." She admitted, rubbing the back of her neck, "And now you're here too."
"I guess so." You smiled, feeling a little better now that you knew you weren't alone in this situation. Once introductions were done, Charlie immediately pulled you away for a tour of the hotel, which your dad oversaw.
Though, you beginning to realize no one here knew he was your dad. You weren't sure what he'd told them when he brought you back to the hotel, but it seemed he often did things without reason- or at least, without reasons they could understand- so they weren't questioning it. You considered bringing it up yourself, but based on the side-eyes Alastor kept giving you, decided against it.
If it became important later, you would tell them. But for now, your dad was unfortunately the only person you knew well enough to trust here, despite all he'd done.
Finally, the tour came to an end and you collapsed on your couch, exhausted. Charlie had way too much energy for you but you liked how cheerful she was. Vaggie came over to sit by you; a sympathetic look on her face as Charlie went off to work on her 'lesson plans' for the next day. It seemed she really was the only person in this hotel that took redemption seriously, which didn't seem very promising for its success.
Angel Dust came over now, plopping down on the other side of you on the couch and noticing your tired-out state. "Charlie already got you running around, huh?" He asked and you nodded. "Well, get used to it, toots. That'll pretty much be your whole life from now on." You sighed but if you were being honest, you didn't have much of a problem with that. Charlie was sweet and since you had Vaggie here, you couldn't help feeling a little more hopeful about your situation. Even with your dad here...
"Can ya turn on channel 6?" Angel asked now, glancing at Vaggie, who was closest to the remote. You looked up, not realizing there had been a TV earlier. When you'd died, they'd been growing in popularity, but hadn't quite taken off yet, so you weren't used to using them.
"I don't think they should have to see whatever it is you're watching." Vaggie replied as she crossed her arms, making no move to grab the remote.
"What? The season finale of 'Yeah I Fucked Your Sister. So What?' is on! It's nothing like that!" You, being new to hell, weren't sure what he was referring to but decided to help him out nonetheless.
"I'll do it!" You chirped, grabbing the TV remote and flipping to Angel's requested channel. A smile grew on his face and Vaggie glared back at him.
"Thanks, kid." The spider demon nudged you as he got comfortable on the couch. You leaned back too, deciding to watch the show with him and see what it was all about.
As it turned out, Angel's favorite show was actually pretty interesting. There was just so much drama ensuing at every turn! Once you got into it, you didn't want to stop watching. It seemed fate had had other ideas, though, because just a few minutes into the episode, it was interrupted by a surprise broadcast from a news channel you'd never heard of. Vaggie seemed to recognize it though because her eyes narrowed.
"Vox..." She said, crossing her arms over her chest. You turned back to the TV with a frown, only for your eyes to widen when a picture of you showed up on the screen as he spoke. Not only that, but the things he was saying about you were...Less than flattering.
"Hey, first day in hell and you already made the news!" Angel spoke, nudging you. You couldn't take your eyes off the TV, though.
"Why would I be on the news...?" You asked. No one had answer; simply watching as the TV overlord continued to slander your name.
..........
"Put this broadcast on every channel we have!" Vox barked to his assistant, who immediately scrambled to do as he said.
"Sir, we have a few other programs set to run already-" He began, only to be cut off by the terrifying (in his opinion) overlord.
"I don't care! You'd better make sure everyone in hell sees this news or I swear I will rip your intestines out of your body!" That was enough to make the other sinner get moving and Vox immediately went to plug himself into the broadcast system like he always did. He had a plan to not only ruin Alastor, but also lure him out of his little hiding place within the hotel for good.
If things went well, the Radio Demon would no longer be a problem after today.
Vox set his broadcast so that it took place in a regular news setting, waiting for his assistant to cue him in. He knew one of the best ways to get through to the citizens of hell was through song- ironically- and so that was what he planned to do. His assistant signaled so he drew in a breath before beginning.
"My good people of hell!" He spoke in that typical newscaster tone, "Are you aware that the last extermination left us with more than just confusion and a lack of dead bodies? Have you felt that there's been something amiss? Did you know an exorcist still walks among us right now?" He put extra emphasis on the last part and let a photo of you from during the extermination appear on the screen. It had no doubt gained the attention of anyone who was watching from the streets.
"Now is not the time to be complacent!" He told the cameras, "We should do something!" Then he changed the setting in an effort to keep everyone's attention. Now, he was among the crowd that always populated the bottom floor of the V's tower.
"Something is lurking, something is near!" He sang, darting between people in the crowd, "Something is feeling stranger, stranger! Stirring up discord, whipping up fear! Whispering softly 'danger, danger!'" He pushed two people out of his way to step forward.
"Outsiders creep up slow and steady, wings glistening, halos at the ready; think what they could do to the status quo!" He knew a photo of you was no doubt appearing on the screen as well and relished it.
"Oh no!" His assistant chimed in for extra dramatics. The scene changed again so that they were now standing somewhere in Cannibal Town.
"They're gonna steal, plunder, and pillage!" Vox announced to an old woman who looked very angry at the idea, "They're gonna take over the village!" The cannibals seemed to be foaming at the mouth with rage so he decided to use that. "Don't just sit on your butts and do nothing and wait; let's enter a blind, irrational state!"
People began gathering around him; some of them from the cannibal colony and others from various other places in hell. He knew it his plan was working now; all he had to do was lead them to Alastor and you.
"Better get nervous, better get tense!" He ordered the group following behind him down the street, "Better not let them catch you blinking!" He slid over to a group of people that had yet to join him. "You don't need a reason; ladies and gents! This is no time for sober thinking!" Seeing the look on their faces, he knew he'd convinced them too.
"Mob!" He announced.
"Mob?" One of the people following behind him questioned.
"M-m-m-mob!" Vox confirmed.
"Mob? Mob?" The people repeated.
"Angry angry mob!" Vox demanded, beginning to march down the street. Luckily, it seemed his powers as an overlord hadn't run out because the rest of the sinners followed with furious looks on their faces.
"Mob, mob, m-m-m-mob!" They chanted, "Mob, mob! Angry angry!"
"Sharpen your senses!" Vox ordered as they got within sight of the hotel now, "sharpen your tongues! Sharpen your moral indignation!" The more he sang, the more people seemed to join the mob behind him. "Gather in groups and ready your lungs! Holler with pent-up aggravation!"
"Mob, mob! M-m-m-mob!" The sinners behind him chanted, "Mob, mob! Angry angry! Mob, mob! M-m-m-mob! Mob, mob! Angry angry!"
Vox cackled as they reached the hotel now, ready to bang down the doors. This was going even better than he'd hoped; why hadn't he tried something like it sooner?
After all, sinners were so easy to control when they scared and confused.
Description: When an angel shows up to the hotel that seems particularly close with Alastor, everyone is suspicious. Lucifer takes it upon himself to investigate the strange situation.
(Notes: CW Alastor) (gender neutral reader) (Reader is implied to be AroAce spec) (Alastor is implied to be AroAce spec) (Reader is an angel) (Reader is Cupid) (Part 1/3)
❀ My contribution to the Alastor QPR tag!! I've had the idea for an Aro/Ace/AroAce Cupid for a while now ❀
Words: 2,746
"Thank you, Alastor, for having your...friend leave." Charlie said, clearing her throat as she approached the Radio Demon, who stood not far from the hotel doors. Now that she and Lucifer had finished singing and making amends, everyone had dispersed to go back to what they'd been doing before. She knew it would still take time for her relationship with her father to change completely, but she was more hopeful now than ever that that could happen one day.
Now that Lucifer had agreed to help get her a meeting with heaven, he was back to looking around the hotel and talking with the guests with his new view of the place. He was trying to believe in her dreams, and she appreciated the effort as he took a newly-baked cookie from Sir Pentious' tray.
"Hmm?" The Radio Demon finally replied, turning from where he'd been looking at the doors to face her now, "Oh, it was no trouble. Mimzy has a tendency to overstay her welcome, you'll find."
Charlie nodded. "Even so, we really appreciate it. And don't worry about the wall; I'll have it taken care of." Alastor quickly waved her off.
"Nonsense!" He exclaimed, snapping his fingers and instantly fixing the broken piece of building, "If I'm to be associated with this little project of yours, I'd like to keep it professional-looking!" Charlie paused, then nodded at that.
"Right." She said awkwardly, recalling how he'd never seemed to care about the look of the wall when it had been destroyed before. She was about to ask if there was a particular reason he wanted the place to look nice now when her father suddenly called out to her from the other side of the room.
Turning, she debated whether or not to join him for a moment. It felt like there was something happening that Alastor hadn't informed her of; something she should know, but she also wanted her dad to like the hotel as much as she did. Luckily, the Radio Demon made the choice for her.
"Go on and finish your tour of the hotel without me." He said, gesturing for her to go to Lucifer. It was a big switch from when he'd insisted they do so together earlier, but she decided not to question that.
"Alright," she said with a weak smile, turning to head over to where her dad and Vaggie were chatting by the couch now. She stopped for a second, though, glancing back at the deer-like demon, "You know, Alastor, you could join us." She suggested with a reassuring smile, "I'm sure my dad won't mind, and if he does...he'll get over it!" Her tone told him she was trying to be inviting but he simply shook his head.
"That's quite alright, dear." He replied, turning his gaze back to the door, "I'm expecting an important visitor later." That gave the princess of hell pause, along with everyone else that had just tuned into their conversation.
"Oh?" Charlie asked carefully, her stomach churning, "Another friend of yours?" Alastor's grin only widened.
"You could call them that," he replied slyly, not offering any more information. After meeting Mimzy, Charlie was nervous to see who else the Radio Demon might be close with, but with Lucifer still visiting the hotel, as well as the display Alastor had shown earlier to protect it, she assured herself it would be fine, no matter whom he'd invited.
So, she joined her father and her girlfriend by the couch to chat about her plans for the future of the hotel; including a few lesson plans she had in mind for the residents.
Both her father and the rest of the hotel guests were very interested to hear what Alastor had said about the guest he was expecting, but even she had little information to offer them.
It wasn't until a while later, when there was a knock at the hotel doors, that everyone perked up. Alastor, having been staying nearby the entire time, was the first to answer as everyone else in the lobby waited with baited breath to see who it was. His smile only widened when he opened the door; still hiding the visitor from view with his own form.
"Right on time, darling!" He exclaimed cheerfully, and it was now that Charlie could make out what looked like a faint pink glow form behind his body. Alastor stepped forward, seemingly pulling the other person into a hug, though the sight of their arms around his back gave her little clue as to who they were. She hadn't heard their response to his greeting, either. It was odd enough for Alastor to be so eager for someone to visit, though, much less hug them so comfortably.
Finally, the Radio Demon stepped out of the way of the door, allowing his personal guest to step inside the hotel, which they did. That was when everyone in the room got their second shock of the day.
You were an angel; literally. With your golden halo, beautiful wings, and the pink glow around your body, it wasn't hard for them to put the pieces together. What didn't make sense was why the hell someone like you would be Alastor's guest.
Charlie gasped at the sight of you; sheer awe in her eyes, but she wasn't the only one. As you entered the hotel and Alastor closed the door behind you, Lucifer shot up from where he'd been sitting next to his daughter on the couch with wide eyes. He practically shouted your name, making you turn from the Radio Demon and in his direction now.
"Haven't heard that in a while," you admitted with a delicate smile, "Most people just call me Cupid these days." That made the king of hell's eyes widen even further.
"You got the job?!" He asked in awe. You shrugged.
"I guess so?" From the look on his face, you probably should have been more enthusiastic about the accomplishment, but since it was what had been taking up nearly all your time for so many years now, all you could feel was indifference. "It's good to see you again, Luci." The king's eyes sparkled for a second before he seemed to regain his composure and cleared his throat.
"Good to see you again, too." He replied as calmly as possible as the hotel residents glanced between him an you in shock.
You were about to say something else when Alastor finally spoke up, catching your attention instead. "Dear, we should be going now," he told you, looping your arm with his, "You're only in hell for so long, after all!" Your smile returned now and you nodded.
"Right." You looked back at Lucifer and the hotel residents as Alastor began leading you back to the door. "Nice catching up!" You called. Charlie opened her mouth to speak but Alastor cut her off, barely turning his head enough to look back at her.
"No need to wait up!" He called, and with that, the two of you were gone; closing the doors gently behind you.
The room was silent.
Finally, Charlie turned to her father with a dumbfounded expression. "That was Cupid?!" She exclaimed, nearly hyperventilating now, "What are they doing down her? With Alastor? I mean, I'm sure he's capable of making all kinds of friends, but an angel? And why would he not tell me when he knows what we're trying to do here-" Before she could spiral, Vaggie placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"Who the hell was that?" Angel finally asked. Lucifer, who had yet to speak, narrowed his eyes at the door.
"An old friend of mine," he admitted simply.
"What were they doing with Alastor?" Vaggie asked carefully, "And in hell? I thought Cupid only ever worked in the human world."
"They do," Lucifer replied bitterly, "But I intend to find that out for myself."
"Dad..." Charlie started now that she'd calmed down. The king of hell ignored her, though, as he headed for the door to follow you and Alastor.
There was no way you'd spend time with the Radio Demon willingly like that; surely, he was playing some kind of game. Whether it was an attempt to make you fall from heaven like Lucifer himself had once done or just a way to use you and your angelic powers, the king of hell would not stand for it.
You two had been friends before he ended up down here, and he would be damned (a second time) if he let you suffer the same fate he did.
..........
Lucifer darted between buildings and across streets as he followed after you and Alastor, who happily chatted and walked arm in arm. Ever time the former angel's gaze landed on you two, his eyes narrowed again and his fists clenched.
The fact that you seemed so relaxed despite being in hell only made him more suspicious. Of course, no one would approach you, angel or not, so long as you were on the arm of the Radio Demon. That just meant Alastor really had managed to gain your trust if you'd been willing to come all the way down to hell just to visit him, and the trust of an angel wasn't something the Radio Demon should have had.
Lucifer mentally grumbled to himself as he followed the two of you all the way to Cannibal Town. Not only were you an angel, but you were also apparently Cupid now; meaning you had even less reason to spend time with the deer-like demon. Your entire job was to help humans fall in love, and Alastor had made it very clear on multiple occasions that he was repulsed by romance.
Finally, the two of you made it to what looked like a small clothing store in Cannibal Town. Alastor held the door for you and you entered with a smile as Lucifer glared at the place. It looked exactly like the kind of store he would have expected the Radio Demon to shop at; all the fashion looking like it came from the 1920s and 30s. The clothes you wore, though, didn't seem to have a particular timeframe attached to them. They could work for any year, which he guessed probably came in handy, considering your job brought you to the human world often.
After waiting a few minutes, Lucifer came inside and quickly darted into a nearby rack of clothes before either of you could spot him. From there, he watched you walk around the store; picking out a few outfits you must have thought the Radio Demon would like.
Lucifer held back a growl at the sight; Alastor had even managed to manipulate you into doing his shopping for him.
In the end, you decided on a red suit similar to the one he had on already, though slightly more modern. When the deer-like demon approved it, you smiled and headed straight for the shop counter.
You bought the clothes and then left the shop together, with Lucifer quickly following behind. As he pushed through the doors, though, he stopped upon seeing you both standing there expectantly. You crossed your arms as your gaze landed on the king of hell; your angel wings flopping slightly to show your irritation. Alastor still smiled, though his eyes were narrowed similarly to your own.
Lucifer let out and awkward chuckle before straitening his posture and adjusting his suit jacket.
"So you have been following us." You sighed, shaking your head as if his concern over the situation was completely unwarranted. "Did you need something, Luci?"
"I..." Lucifer trailed off before finally clearing his throat, "I'm just keeping an eye on my heavenly guest; is that such a crime?" Neither you, nor Alastor seemed convinced. The Radio Demon stepped forward, placing a hand on your shoulder for emphasis.
"I assure you, your highness, we're quite fine on our own," he practically spat, "Had I had any ill intent towards our dear Cupid, I would have shown it already." That didn't exactly comfort the king but you spoke up now.
"Luci, I'm fine." You assured him with a gentle smile, "I've known Al for years, now." This made the former angel's eyes widen; how could that even be possible?
"Seven years, to be exact." Alastor added smugly, making the king of hell grit his teeth.
"You're friends with a demon?" Lucifer asked in surprise. No one in heaven would have even considered being around a sinner like this, and yet you seemed so comfortable.
"I'm friends with you," you nodded before turning to glance at the Radio Demon, "Al and I are partners." He nodded, making Lucifer's mouth drop open even further.
He wouldn't believe it; he couldn't believe it. You, Cupid, were supposedly dating the Radio Demon himself? There was simply no way; Alastor had to have put some kind of evil spell on you.
"It's fine, Luci, really." You went on, but he wasn't having it.
"You're telling me you two are dating?!" He finally managed, ignoring how Alastor's glare deepened, "For how long? Have you been coming down here to see him all this time and I didn't know?!"
"How like you it is to make such an assumption, your highness." Alastor commented, leaning on his cane disapprovingly.
Seeing that Lucifer was about to spiral, you stepped forward and gently grabbed him by the shoulders.
"It's okay." You said softly, "We're not dating; we're just partners. And this is actually the first time I've been able to come down to visit." That seemed to calm the king of hell, but only slightly. At the very least, now he knew the Radio Demon hadn't trapped you in a relationship, though he still didn't understand what you meant by partners.
"I'm fine." You repeated, sensing the animosity between the two of them and knowing how big of a shock this probably was. It would have surprised everyone in heaven if they'd found out you were this close with another angel; much less a demon. You weren't exactly known for your relationships with others.
Finally, Lucifer calmed down and you glanced down at your wristwatch. "It's almost time for my next shift," you sighed before turning back to Alastor, "Want to come with me?" His smile instantly brightened and he nodded.
"But of course, darling!" With that, he snapped his fingers and the clothes you'd bought earlier appeared on him; making him look a bit more modern than before. You'd insisted on the choice, considering it would make the humans more suspicious if someone that looked like they were from the 30s appeared randomly.
Behind you, Lucifer seemed shocked all over again. Sensing his concern, you turned back to him with a smile on your face.
"Don't worry," you said, "I'll have him back soon enough; I know all the sinners are kind of your responsibility." Clearly, your understanding of his feelings was a little off, though he appreciated you trying to comfort him.
Alastor extended his arm to you again and you took it with a smile before conjuring a pink portal in front of the two of you that Lucifer could only assume would take you to the human world. He wasn't about to let you disappear so suddenly, though.
"Uh, is that allowed?" He asked, popping up beside you in concern and gesturing at the portal, and then to the Radio Demon. There were, of course, types of hellborn demons and heaven born angels that were allowed to venture to the mortal plane like you were, but he'd never heard of that courtesy applying to sinners.
You turned your gaze back to the king of hell with a shrug. "We've done it before," you admitted. This only made his concern grow. How and when had you done this before?
"Wh-what? How?!"
"Way too much power and not nearly enough supervision." You admitted with a shrug before finally turning back to the portal. "Anyway, it was good to see you again, Luci! We'll have to do tea and catch up some time!" And with that, you and the Radio Demon disappeared into the mortal plane, leaving a very confused king of hell behind.
The more he thought about it, though, and knowing what he knew about you, he realized this surprising partnership made a lot of sense. You'd always been a wile card when it came to the angels; even when he'd still lived in heaven. He guessed you thrived on one another's chaos.
Still, the Radio Demon and Cupid themselves; who would have guessed?
Leave it All on the Dance Floor! Part 5 | Alastor x Overlord! Reader
Platonic! Alastor + Best Friend! Reader who's also an overlord + Rosie
Description: The day of the long-awaited Overlord Gala has arrived, but when you feel too sick to attend, Alastor and Rosie make it their mission to pull you out of bed and onto the red carpet; for your own sake.
(Notes: CW Alastor, mentions of torture) (final part of Leave it All on the Dance Floor!)
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4
Words: 3,745
"Where could they be?" Rosie questioned with concern in her voice as she glanced over at the clock in the middle of Pentagram City. "They're hardly ever this late for anything." Beside her, Alastor nodded in agreement.
"And I do doubt they would miss this event for anything." He added as his eyes narrowed, "Not when they seemed so eager to prove themselves better than that Velvet."
"Could something have happened to them?" Rosie asked now; her tone worried, "I'd hate to think about anybody else making moves on their territory today of all days!" Overlords didn't often threaten any of the three of you, given your strength and general intimidation, but that didn't mean the idea was impossible either.
"Had that been the case, I would have known." Alastor replied seriously. He always made sure to have a few eyes on the Swing Sector for your sake; after all, you were his best friend, along with Rosie! He had to make sure the rest of hell knew better than to threaten either of you in any way. Still, he couldn't help feeling slight concern over your current lateness.
The two overlords waited a few more minutes for you to arrive, hoping you'd show up and ease their worries eventually. But when you didn't, Rosie turned back to the Radio Demon with a frown.
"Something's gotta be up." She decided at last, "They wouldn't risk missing the gala after spending so much time making our looks for it; perhaps we should-"
"Sorry to interrupt!" A voice cut in suddenly and both overlord turned around to see a familiar-looking feline demon running in their direction. She seemed to be panting heavily and held a slip of paper in her hand. Upon recognizing her, Alastor immediately took on a more demonic form and grabbed her right off the ground.
"Where is your superior?" He demanded, though his voice was relatively calm as he stared the sinner down. She shook slightly with fear but held up the slip of paper in her hand anyway.
"T-they sent me to give you this!" Joan exclaimed, "Boss says they won't be attending the gala today but wanted to give their regards anyway."
"What do you mean they won't be attending?" Rosie questioned as Alastor dropped the cat and reverted back to his normal form. "They've been preparing for this event for months!" Joan panted from her place on the floor but pointed to the note Alastor now held.
"That should explain it," she said breathlessly. Rosie took a step closer to the Radio Demon so she could read over his shoulder. A few seconds passed as they looked over your note, which was sloppily written and to-the-point.
'Got sick. Not going to the gala. Have fun without me though; flip Velvet off.'
That definitely sounded like you but it didn't seem to be enough for Alastor, who looked up from the slip of paper with his eyes narrowed in your assistant's direction.
"They've fallen sick, have they?" He asked as she nodded quickly, "And tell me, did you and their other underlings make any attempt to prevent this from happening?" He was beginning to get scary again but luckily Rosie stepped in before Joan could be harmed. She knew he was just concerned about you but that these circumstances likely hadn't been brought about by the catlike demon.
"Now, Alastor, I'm sure she did all she could." Rosie told him as she looked towards Joan herself now, "Thank you for delivering the news to us, but I think we'd better go see your boss ourselves." At this, Joan immediately shook her head.
"N-no!" She exclaimed, "They specifically asked that no one be in their presence right now!"
"Well, I think it's safe to say that rule may not apply to us," Alastor replied as he immediately picked up his microphone-cane and began walking in the direction of your sector, "Especially on a day we were all meant to spend together!" Rosie nodded, following after him with a smile on her face.
"Thank you for delivering that message, sweetheart, but we can take it from here!" She informed Joan, who shrunk back in fear, knowing she couldn't stop the Radio Demon and cannibal overlord, but that you wouldn't exactly be happy to be plagued with visitors today, either. As a highly powerful overlord of hell, you rarely ever got sick, but when you did, it wasn't a pretty sight to behold.
..........
You sniffled, pulling the fluffy blankets covering your bed a little closer around yourself. A bucket lay on the floor beside your bed in case you needed to puke your guts up again and a box of tissues sat by your head. You honestly had never felt worse in your entire afterlife.
You couldn't help but wish for a second death as you lay there in your own little pile of sickness and sorrow. You'd been looking forward to today's gala so much, and you knew both Rosie and Alastor had been excited for it too; even if just because it meant you three could spend more time together. They didn't have as much personal stake in the event as you, but they were supportive nonetheless.
It briefly occurred to you that you should have sent more than just a note with Joan when she left. Though Alastor would have been understanding if the information had come straight from you, you knew firsthand how protective he could be over his friends. Hopefully, he hadn't given the poor cat-demon any trouble.
A knock at the door startled you out of your thoughts now and you groaned, raising the covers higher above your head. You'd told everyone you wanted to be left unbothered today. If someone had ignored your orders, you decided they'd be the next ones dancing until they collapsed as an example to the rest of your owned souls.
"Leave me alone to die!" You exclaimed when another knock sounded from the door. It clicked open a second later, though, as you groaned.
"Now now, as your dear friend, I could never allow you to die!" Alastor's voice exclaimed as he came into your room. You could hear another set of footsteps behind him, too. "At least, not again, that is."
"Why are you here?" You asked; your voice muffled by a pillow you'd placed over your face to block out the world. Your tone was exhausted but there was no hint of animosity in it as you addressed the Radio Demon.
"Why, to take you to the gala, of course!" He replied cheerfully and you heard him go over to the window by your bed, pushing the curtains open.
"I'm not going." You said from underneath the mountain of fluffy covers, "I'm sick and dying, Alastor."
"That's why we're here!" Rosie's familiar voice chirped from beside you and you groaned, rolling over so that you were laying face-down now.
"I can't even get peace on my deathbed." You grumbled, though neither of them could really understand what you were saying.
"Now now, you aren't dying!" Rosie assured you as she reached down and gently patted your back.
"And even if you are; all the more reason to make an impression at the gala first!" Alastor added as he went over and opened your other window now. You sighed, finally pushing yourself up and into a sitting position. The pillow that had been covering your face tumbled off the bed and Rosie bent down to pick it up as you turned to her.
"Look, I appreciate you guys coming by, but I'm really not up for this today," you told her finally, "You should just go without me."
"Nonsense!" Alastor exclaimed, coming over to where you two were sitting on your bed, "Darling, you have been preparing for this event for months; if you think there's a chance we would let you miss it now, you're quite mistaken!"
Rosie leaned in a little closer to you, brushing a few strands of hair out of your face. "I have a recipe that'll have you feeling better soon enough!" She assured you, "And I brought you a whole new makeup bag with all your favorite products from the emporium!" You softened at that and Alastor lay across the bed on your other side now, kicking his legs like a girl at a sleepover as he eyed you.
"That cat of yours has already gotten to work in the kitchen," he explained, "Now, all that's left is for us to get you looking perfect for the gala!"
"I really appreciate it, you two," you said with a sigh as you pulled your knees up to your chest, "But I can't even stand without getting dizzy right now and I look like absolute shit. Plus, won't the reporters notice that I sound sick? You can hear it in my voice!" You buried your head in your knees but it seemed the two overlords at your sides weren't ready to give up yet.
"Don't worry about your appearance; I'll work my magic!" Rosie assured you as she pointed to the makeup bag she'd left on your vanity nearby.
"I can do something about your voice," Alastor said, "And not to worry; should you feel like falling, I'll be sure to catch you in the nick of time!" You were a little touched to hear that but still felt hesitant as Rosie took both of your hands and helped you off the bed now.
"But what if I get you guys sick?" You asked, "And if you catch me, Al, people are going to start theorizing that we're dating again like last time."
Rosie dragged you across the room towards your bathroom as the Radio Demon stood now and adjusted his suit. "Then let them theorize!" He decided, "I certainly have no time to worry about the thoughts of the masses, and if I recall correctly, you saw sales to the boutique spike the last time we were rumored to be in a relationship, did you not?"
You paused. He had you there. The same had happened before when Rosie and you were seen having dinner together in the Swing Sector one night, too. And while you’d never been that interested in relationships, you supposed rumors about you and your close friends were better than ones about total strangers, considering a bit of gossip was unavoidable.
"And don't worry about us getting sick!" Rosie assured you, "Should that happen, you can pay me back with a good basket of livers; sound good?"
"...Fine." You sighed at last, making both overlords perk up. With that, Rosie pushed you into the bathroom to take a quick shower before going over to your closet to find your outfit for the evening. Being the overlord of the Swing Sector with your own popular boutique, your closet was gigantic. Every design you'd ever come up with could be found there; save for a few that you'd decided were now so out of style that they were dead to you.
Alastor followed her inside as they both began searching for your outfit. After ten minutes of walking through the rows and rows of clothes, the Radio Demon managed to locate it in a fancy display case near the back of your closet. Taking it out, he and Rosie returned to your room, where you were now waiting on your bed once again in an extremely soft, fancy-looking robe.
"Good, you're ready!" Rosie exclaimed as she went over to you, pulling you off the bed and over to the chair in front of your vanity.
"I still don't feel all that-" You began, only to pause immediately with a concerned look on your face. You glanced at Alastor, who seemed to realize what was happening because he immediately made his way over to your bed, grabbing the bucket that rested near it and handing it to you just in time for you to throw up.
"There, there," he said as he gently patted the crown of your head, "We'll have you feeling better in no time!" You didn't believe him but a moment later, one of your owned souls came in to take the no-longer-empty bucket away.
You turned around, letting Rosie get to work on your makeup so you'd at least look a little less close to a second death. You still weren't sure about doing this, but it seemed as if they'd left you no other choice.
While the cannibal overlord worked, the other, also cannibal overlord stayed nearby, creating something else using his own power. You couldn't see what it was, but after a moment, he seemed to finish it and came over to you.
"Here you are, darling." He spoke, placing the small item in your hands. It looked like a button, but upon further inspection, you realized it highly resembled the staff-microphone he always carried with its shape and the little eye in the middle.
"What's this?" You asked, glancing up at him but being sure not to move your head too much since Rosie was still working on your makeup.
"To mask your voice, my dear!" He explained, "I made it a button so you can wear it alongside your clothes tonight. This way, no one will realize how sick you actually sound!" You turned the object around, inspecting its design and color scheme with scrutinizing eyes. If you were going to be wearing it, you decided it had better match the rest of your look. And luckily, it seemed Alastor had accounted for exactly that, because the colors fit perfectly.
"Thank you." You smiled, "It's perfect." His grin only widened.
"Don't mention it! Anything for a friend, of course." Though having you speak with a radio filter all night would only further convince everyone you were in a relationship, he elected not to mention it for the sake of getting you to the gala.
A few minutes later, Joan entered the room just as Rosie was finishing your makeup. She held a tray in her hands with a steaming bowl that had a smell that was already making your mouth water; and you hadn't even seen what was in it yet. She set it by your vanity and then Rosie finished up the last bit of your makeup.
"There; you look perfect, honey!" She exclaimed as she took a step to the side so you could see your reflection in the mirror. And, just as she'd said, you did look perfect. She'd somehow managed to cover your sickly complexion while also accentuating your face in a way that made it almost seem like you were glowing.
"Wow..." You whispered before bringing a hand up to your mouth to cover the fit of coughs that left your lips.
"This soup should help with that," the overlord told you now as she began packing up the makeup she'd been using in order to clear the space. "I promise it's vegetarian!" Though, with her, that mostly just meant that no other sinners had been used to make the dish.
"Thank you, Rosie." You smiled as you reached for the soup and tried a sip. It turned out to be exactly what you needed right now after not eating at all these last twenty-four hours since you'd felt so horrible, and you easily began gobbling the food down. Meanwhile, Alastor moved to stand behind you as Rosie stepped away.
"Now, to do something about your hair." He spoke as he took products from your vanity and got to work. You let him do his thing; after all, Alastor was surprisingly good at doing hair; no matter the texture or length, and he'd styled yours many times before. He was always careful about it, too; never pulling too hard or harming your scalp in any way. Between him and Rosie, as well as your own design skills, you practically had a whole glam squad on your hands.
You finished your soup as Alastor worked on your hair, and then once he'd finally finished with it, he took a step back so you could inspect it. The style was beautiful, as expected, and you knew it would go perfectly with the outfit you'd made for the event. He really did have an eye for this sort of thing, didn't he?
"You know, if radio ever gets old for you, you could have a very fruitful career doing hair," You told him with a smile.
"I appreciate the sentiment, but I believe working on anyone else's hair would become too tiresome too quickly." Alastor replied as he very carefully patted the top of your head; not misplacing a single strand of your hair. "So, I suppose you'll have to remain my only client."
"Works for me!" You replied more cheerfully now that you were feeling a little better. You were still sick, of course, but at least for now, you weren't about to immediately throw up or faint on them.
"Now, let's get you into these beautiful clothes!" Rosie said with a clap as she pulled you from your seat at the vanity. You let her drag you over to where the outfit had been laid out on your bed, taking a second to once again admire the glory of your work as the other two overlords headed for the door. "We'll be right out here waiting to see the finished look!" Rosie told you but then paused, "And if you feel as if you're going to collapse, please don't hesitate to call." You nodded, chuckling quietly as she closed the door to your room behind them.
Then you turned back to your clothes with a grin; excited to finally get to wear them for the event you'd been planning to for months.
Once you had the outfit on, you grabbed the button Alastor had given you and fastened it onto the front. It turned out to be a good accent piece, to your surprise, and even added to the look, rather than taking away from it. You went over to your vanity to check out your reflection before showing it to your friends.
Compared with how you'd been prior to their arrival, you looked like a new person. In fact, you might not have even been able to tell that you were feeling unwell, if not for the pounding in your head.
Finally, you went over to the door, pulling it open and stepping into the next room, where Rosie and Alastor were trying not to look like they'd been eagerly awaiting the sight of you this whole time.
As soon as her gaze landed on you, Rosie gasped. "You look gorgeous!" She exclaimed, immediately coming over to take your hands in hers, "I can't wait to read all about how you had the best look of the night in the paper tomorrow!" You giggled but thanked her, nonetheless. After all, if not for her help, you wouldn't even be attending the gala right now.
"Indeed, you look much more alive than before!" Alastor agreed, "I, for one, cannot wait to see the look on the V's' faces when we all enter the event together!" You grinned.
"Well then, I suppose we should get going!" Rosie spoke, "We're already quite late to the event, but what loser shows up on time to these things, anyway?" She took your hand again, pulling you along and right out of the boutique as you shouted for Joan to be the one left in charge. There, a car was already waiting to take you three to the gala. It was old-fashioned, looking as if it were from yours or Alastor's time, and you all filed in to attend the event.
The second your car pulled up, you could hear the shouts of reporters outside, along with the clicks of cameras attempting to snag photos of you.
"Ready?" Rosie asked and you nodded, still feeling a little nervous.
"Remember; we're right behind you!" Alastor said as you opened the car door and stepped out, immediately being bombarded with reporters, cameras, and a thousand eager questions. Your clothes seemed to gleam in the light; soaking it all in as you walked across the red carpet. One of the reporters, who seemed to work for Vox, called you over and you decided to humor him.
"Tell us, who made the outfit you're wearing tonight?" He asked curiously as you just smirked.
"Why, I did, of course!" You replied, not sounding the least bit sick thanks to Alastor's mini-microphone button. Instead, your voice was masked by the static of the radio. “And I made theirs, too." You pointed back at Alastor and Rosie, who were taking their own respective poses on the red carpet. The reporter said something else, appearing to be in awe, but by now you were done answering his questions and headed back towards the entrance of the venue.
There were a few photos snapped of you, Rosie, and Alastor all standing together in your respective outfits before they finally let you head inside. As you did so, Alastor subtly went to your side.
"How are you feeling, my dear?" He asked.
"A little dizzy, but otherwise, alright!" You whispered back as his smile widened.
"Wonderful!" He replied, "And it seems our present company has noticed your arrival." You followed his gaze to see the V's all sitting around a table inside; Velvet looking furious as she stared you down. You understood why too, seeing the outfit she had on. Compared to yours, it was extremely plain and even a bit unoriginal. You held your head a little higher at that revelation, knowing she wouldn't dare approach you tonight and risk having a camera snap a picture of you both for direct comparison.
Once again, you seemed to have won the fashion game. You followed Alastor and Rosie to a table of your own, where you finally plopped into a seat and accepted some appetizers from a waiter.
"I'm glad you managed to convince me to attend tonight," you admitted finally once things had wound down, "Though, I won't lie, I think I'm about to pass out." The room was spinning, and not because you'd drank any alcohol this time.
Luckily, Alastor managed to catch you in his arms before you fell out of your chair, just as he'd promised. An amused chuckle left his lips despite you being temporarily unconscious from the dizzy spell. "That's what friends are for, dear!" He said as Rosie nodded.
"And don't worry," she added with a kind smile, "We'll be sure to keep looking out for you."
..........
Bonus:
You stared down at the magazine in your hands; where a photo of Alastor holding your passed-out self in his arms was printed on the cover along with the words 'Radio Demo Back With Ex-Lover?!'
"I told you they were going to theorize!" You called to Alastor, who was preparing tea in the next room. “Since when did they start assuming we were ex’s, though?” All you heard was the sound of light chuckling before he came out and handed you a cup, sitting down next to you on the lush couch that rested on your balcony.
"If nothing else, it will be great for your business, dear!"
(Notes: mentions of violence, injury) (gender neutral reader)
Description:
Since the day you and Xiao met, you both have felt a deep connection. But already having a quest to find your sibling, it seemed nothing could come from it. After bidding him goodbye for what you expected to be the last time and setting off on the final leg of your journey through Teyvat, you're woken up in the middle of the night by your sibling, who has frantically emerged from the abyss to warn you that you must leave this world without them before it's too late. When you refuse, you find that things in Teyvat begin to shift and suddenly, you seem to have become its enemy.
Familial! Alastor is Reader's Adopted Dad from life
Description: When you bring home your new partner (platonic or romantic), neither your dad, nor your son are enthusiastic about it. So for the evening, they decide to put their hatred for each other aside and unite against their common enemy.
(Notes: CW Alastor, mentions of murder, death, violence) (manipulation) (gender neutral reader) (Reader is Alastor's adopted child) (Reader is an adult) (Reader has an adopted son)
❀ This oneshot is based on the I'm a Grandpa! Headcannons I wrote a bit ago. I recommend reading them before this but you don't have to! ❀
❀ Reader has a partner in this; they are written as gender neutral and can be platonic or romantic! ❀
Words: 6,497
Alastor never thought he and Amon would ever agree on anything; aside from the fact that they hated each other, of course.
The young boy had been a complete nuisance to him since the day they'd met, but because you seemed to love him so much, he'd had to constantly play nice with the child and act like the doting 'grandfather' you expected him to be.
How he hated being called that.
The Radio Demon himself had adopted you when you were very young. He'd had his own reasons at the time (mainly entertainment value and the avoidance of suspicion being a single dad would bring him), but he'd always been an attentive and loving father to you, despite being a cannibal serial killer underneath it all.
Since you'd grown after his death, it seemed you'd chosen to follow in his footsteps and take in a child of your own; a choice he wished he could have prevented you from making. Not only that, but you seemed to expect Alastor to love the boy!
Amon was a disaster of a child. Where you had been well-behaved, kind, and polite, he growled at people like a feral cat and only ever answered to you. But on top of that, he hid his more violent tendencies so you'd think he was a better-behaved kid than he actually was; masking it all behind a sweet smile and a deep love for his parent.
It almost reminded Alastor of himself when he was younger, which was what he hated about it.
There was no room in the Radio Demon's heart (if he had one) for anything but his love for his child, entertainment, and the radio itself; and it seemed Amon felt much the same way about his parent as well.
Which meant the two of them were constantly competing for your attention, whether you knew it or not. Sometimes you would be tending to Amon; making him food or supervising him as he played or tucking him into bed, and your father would suddenly barge into the room claiming he had 'urgent news' or that whatever he needed your help with simply could not wait another second as he pulled you away from your son; not forgetting to smirk triumphantly at the child from behind your back as the two of you left.
Conversely, there had been plenty of times where you'd been enjoying tea with Alastor, listening to his radio broadcast, or exchanging gossip, and Amon had come running into the room claiming to be gravely injured and in need of your help, or that he'd had a nightmare or something else had occurred that needed your attention. Seeing that evil smirk reflected back at him by the child as the two of you would leave hand-in-hand always made Alastor grit his teeth.
More recently, though, a third party had surfaced that was now beginning to demand your attention more often than not; putting both grandfather and grandson on edge.
You had gotten a partner. Alastor wasn't sure when it had happened, considering he made it his job to oversee most of what you did in hell, even if he wasn't technically present (the power to manipulate shadows while remaining mostly undetected only seemed to become more useful now that his child was in hell with him). He wasn't able to get any answers out of Amon either, as expected, but it seemed that the boy was just as confused as him about how this could have occurred.
Nevertheless, you had a partner now. You'd broken the news to them both at dinner one night, not even realizing how the news sent them both silently spiraling in their seats.
Your father had pretended to be mostly unbothered, asking when that had happened. You'd explained that it was new; that you and your partner had only decided to call one another that recently after having hung out a few times. Amon seemed to choke on his food at that and you gently patted his back as Alastor nodded, calmly congratulating you while being sincere about none of it.
And now, a day later, you would be bringing your partner to dinner to meet the 'two most important people in your life.' Alastor also despised being called that. As your father; the very man that had raised you, shouldn't he have been the most important person in your life? It shouldn't have mattered that you'd now taken in this...parasite!
At present, both he and Amon stood in the living room of the home you all shared, waiting for you to come through the doors with your new partner. Based on the boy's tense muscles, Alastor gathered he hadn't been put in this situation before, meaning this was, indeed, the first serious partner you'd had.
And, with any luck, they would also be the last.
Neither of them seemed willing to take a seat as they waited, remaining with their eyes fixed on the door. Alastor knew you were about a block away from the house right now thanks to his shadows, but as for the kind of person you'd be bringing home, he would have to wait until you arrived to find out.
He glanced at Amon again, who had gotten himself dressed up and presentable for dinner on his own. When asked, though, Alastor would of course claim he'd helped the boy like he was supposed to have done. Thankfully, your son looked much more presentable than he had the day Alastor met him.
The Radio Demon silently sighed as he recalled how you and him had reunited in hell. After so long apart, it would have been a completely lovely moment, had the child not been there to ruin it.
..........
You and Amon had been walking down one of hell's many streets. Apparently, he wasn't very enthusiastic to meet whoever you'd been looking for because he dragged behind you slightly as he walked. Still, he remained silent and didn't complain so you let him get away with it; glancing back every few seconds to make sure he was still alright and following behind you, not that the kid would ever have dreamed of allowing himself to get separated from his parent.
At the time, Alastor had already managed to locate you through one of his shadows, and with the knowledge that you really were in hell now, had begun casually making his way in your direction as if he, too, was on a simple stroll.
That was when he'd finally gotten within your earshot and, knowing you would recognize his voice, turned to the nearest demon to ask them for directions he didn't actually need.
The second you heard him speak, you'd recognized him as your papa from when you were alive and had nearly teared up as you gazed at him. In turn, the Radio Demon's eyes had landed on you as his smile softened into something more genuine.
"Papa...?" You called, stopping in your tracks. Amon stopped too but kept his eyes trained on the ground, not wanting to interact with whoever you were talking to. He was content just to trail after his parent like a lost puppy and prevent any harm from coming to them with his own hellish powers, it seemed.
Immediately, Alastor had appeared beside you and pulled you into a hug as you finally let the tears spill out of your eyes. "Finally, my little one, I've found you." He said softly as you leaned into the hug. Just like when you were alive, it seemed you were the only person the Radio Demon was so comfortable touching, and he held you close to him as he took in the fact that he really did have his child back after all this time. "How I've missed you..."
The moment was promptly interrupted, though, when he noticed the little boy standing directly behind you. Upon noticing his sudden silence, Amon had looked up to meet Alastor's eyes. Not only that, but he'd glared as if the Radio Demon had done something wrong by hugging his own child (Of course, Alastor didn't deny that he had done plenty of wrong things but this was certainly not one of them).
Seeing Amon like that immediately made rage bubble within the overlord and without a second thought, he'd created a tentacle that appeared from the ground and grabbed the little boy, pulling him away from you.
A random child following his own kid around had to have bad intentions, after all, so in his mind, he'd been protecting you.
You, of course, realized what was happening almost immediately and called out to Alastor. "Dad!" You shouted as you pulled away from the Radio Demon and turned back to your child, who was currently dangling upside down in the clutches of a black tentacle-thing. Amon, however, seemed less than concerned as he swung over the ground, simply snapping his fingers to create a black hole behind the two of you. It started sucking in everything nearby, aside from you, and Alastor's smile seemed to only get angrier as he was slowly pulled further and further from you now.
"Amon, what did I tell you about using your power in public?" You said as you placed both hands on your hips and turned back to the boy. The black tentacle holding him only seemed to tighten its grip now though; as if trying to squeeze the life out of him. Behind you, Alastor was having to grip a crack in the sidewalk to keep form being sucked into your son's pit of death, which only made his own power that much more violent as Amon was raised higher in the air; probably to then be dropped back to the ground again.
"Dad!" You called, but it fell on deaf ears, "Amon!" Neither one of them made another move or even looked at you and finally, your patience began to wear thin. Taking a step between the two of them so your body now blocked their views of one another, you put out both your hands. "Both of you; cut it out!" Your voice boomed and this time it was finally enough to make them both stop; freezing as their powers ceased. Amon fell to the floor now that there was no tentacle holding him up but was relatively unharmed. You sighed in exasperation.
Gesturing for your son to come over and stand by your side- which he promptly did- you turned back to the Radio Demon. "Dad," you spoke in a calmer tone now, "This is Amon; I adopted him when I was still alive." Alastor's eyes widened at that but you just turned back to the little boy.
"Amon, this is your grandpa."
"This is the guy you told me about?" The kid asked with a tone of slight disgust. At the moment, Alastor's own disdain wasn't being hidden very well either and you sighed.
"Yes; we're all family now." You made a point to look at your dad as you said that; who rolled his eyes but didn't protest. He was aware a good few years had passed since his death, and that you'd been left all alone since then, but a part of him had always hoped he'd never have to deal with you bringing in...extra family members like this. What was next; a pet dog? A spouse?
"We've been looking for you since we got down here," you went on to explain to the red deer-like demon, "I wanted you to get to meet your grandson." Internally, you'd hoped this meeting would have gone better than it did. After all, you'd always hoped for your dad to be proud of you; especially when it came to things as big as this. Alastor, noticing this, did his best to hide how much he hated the situation.
"I see," he said with a sigh before finally turning to Amon, who still stood by your side. Bending down, the Radio Demon held a hand out to the child. "Then I suppose it is a pleasure to meet you...child." He trailed off as Amon took his hand and shook it; his grip more firm than that of most adults. Neither of them enjoyed the physical contact with one another but so long as you were watching, they had to play along.
Alastor stood up straight now, turning his back to you so you wouldn't see how he immediately wiped his hand on his jacket. It was at times like this when he missed the days where he used to carry a pack of wet wipes for sanitation, like when you were little.
"Now, I suppose since you both are new, you haven't seen much of what hell has to offer!" He exclaimed, immediately putting on a cheerful attitude that made Amon's glare worsen, "Allow me to give you a personal tour!" You smiled at that, placing a hand on your son's shoulder. Of course, there were many things you and your father would have to discuss now that you'd been reunited, but for now, you just wanted to enjoy being able to be around him again after having lost that in life.
"We would love that, dad." Amon had to disagree, but he kept quiet about it, nonetheless. Alastor's grin widened and he immediately took you by the arm, ignoring how the young boy immediately moved around to walk on your other side.
And thus began a feud between grandfather and grandson.
..........
The door to your home opened now and both Alastor and Amon stiffened as you entered, followed by a sinner neither of them recognized. They looked nervous but your smile only widened as you shut the front door behind the two of you.
"And here they are!" You exclaimed with pride as you gestured to Alastor, then Amon.
"This is my dad and this is my son, Amon." You smiled brightly. The other sin waved awkwardly as the Radio Demon's head tilted in both intrigue and disgust. Amon crossed his arms but gave them a curt nod.
"N-nice to meet you both!" Your partner squeaked as you attempted to ignore the obvious fear in their voice. Of course, you briefed them about your family. Amon, as a sinner child with some extraordinary powers, could be quite intimidating, and Alastor was the feared Radio Demon himself. You'd made sure your partner knew what they were getting into beforehand, but nothing could have prepared them for quite how scary this moment would be.
"Pleasure to be meeting you, quite the pleasure!" Alastor spoke, though his supposed enthusiasm didn't match his tone at all as he did so. The sinner beside you nodded and then Amon spoke up.
"Pleased to make your acquaintance!" He said, displaying all the manners you'd instilled in him over the years. Your smile widened, feeling slightly reassured by their welcomes. Though, you could still sense the growing tension in the air. Deciding not to let it fester, you turned to your partner.
"I still need to finish up making dinner; want to help me?" You asked. They nodded almost too eagerly, wanting nothing more than to be away from the rest of your family. Your dad's eyes narrowed at that.
"Need I remind you, dear, that I am hardly unequipped when it comes to the kitchen?" Alastor called as you began making your way to the door, followed by your partner. "I am more than happy to offer my assistance!"
"Or I can help!" Amon said, eager to prove himself as the more helpful one of the two.
"That's okay!" You told them with a kind smile, "I think we've got it handled. Why don't you two set the table and we'll meet you in the dining room in a few minutes?" Your partner looked beyond relieved at that, wanting a few minutes alone with you to discuss whether this night really was a good idea. Neither Amon, nor Alastor seemed enthusiastic about their assigned task but they didn't protest either; letting you head off into the kitchen and closing the door behind you.
Once you were gone, Alastor snapped his fingers, summoning a few of his shadow creatures that then ran off to set the dining room table like you'd requested. Amon ignored his antics, heading for the room himself, but with no intention of actually doing the chore you'd assigned. It wasn't lost on him how the shadow creature set every place at the table beside his own so he got to work preparing his own spot. That way, it wouldn't look like he'd been slacking.
Alastor came into the dining room too, but rather than helping out at all, he simply pressed his ear to the wall connected to the kitchen in the hopes of hearing your conversation with your partner. Sure, he could have sent a shadow in to listen to you, but then there would be too much risk of you noticing it and getting mad at him; something he would have preferred to prevent right now.
Once Amon's place at the table had been set, he went over to the opposite corner of the same wall and pressed his ear to it as well.
Not much could be heard from the kitchen, aside form your occasional laughter and light chatter with the sinner you now seemed so fond of. It made the Radio Demon's blood boil just hearing it, and judging by the clear glare on your son's face, Amon was no fan either.
"Why do they even need him?" He asked as he crossed his arms and stepped away from the wall now. "We don't need any more surprise family members." It wasn't lost on Alastor how the child glanced his way while stating the last part.
However, having confirmation of the child's dislike toward your partner did give him an idea.
"I couldn't agree more," he replied, sending a look at Amon, whose glare only deepened, "I suppose all we can do, however, is wait and hope they eventually break things off with one another." He gave a shrug before inspecting his nails in disappointment. Just as he'd hoped, that sentence was enough to plant the seed of an idea in your son's head.
"Or speed up the process." Amon said with a mischievous grin now. The Radio Demon made a show of raising his eyebrow at that.
"Why, are you suggesting we break them up ourselves? A scheme, perhaps?" He asked with fake surprise in his tone. Amon just nodded. Alastor pretended to pause for a moment, letting the boy continue.
"I don't like you," he admitted, "And I don't like having a grandpa now, but I like them even less." He tilted his head toward the kitchen, referring to your partner. "So I think we should call a truce; just long enough to get rid of them." Alastor's smile only widened. It seemed this boy really was like a younger version of himself, and right now, he was thankful for that.
"I suppose that would solve both of our problems," he admitted with a hum, "And for the record, I do not enjoy having a grandson now, either." There was another pause before he finally brought to light the question he'd been wanting to ask this whole time. "Alright, then how about we make a deal?" Green smoke appeared on his hand and Amon shielded his eyes form its bright light.
"I'm not supposed to make deals with anyone," he said carefully, glancing at the wall of the kitchen, where you were. Alastor supposed that, after having that rule drilled into you by him upon reaching hell, you'd passed it down to your son, too.
"This wouldn't be a deal for your soul," he clarified, "More like an...Agreement. You and I work together to break up their relationship tonight, and the obligation ends there. The catch is that you must be willing to work with me until then, dear grandson." The term of endearment felt more insulting to Amon than anything, but after a moment, he nodded, taking the hand of his grandfather reluctantly.
"Alright." He replied, and with that, the deal was (quietly) made.
..........
After what felt like an eternity, you and your partner came out of the kitchen, bringing the food you'd prepared into the dining room, where you set it on the table.
"We saved you a seat!" Amon exclaimed happily, pointing to the chair beside him. There were plenty of spaces at the table, so it wasn't as if he needed to do so, but you did as he said in order to please him anyway. The way they'd set it up, you sat between your son and your father with your partner directly across from you as if they were being interrogated. They chuckled awkwardly upon realizing this but didn't bring it up.
You started passing around the food, allowing your family members to take whatever they wanted and helping Amon serve himself as needed. Meanwhile, the glances exchanged between Alastor and the little boy went unnoticed by you.
"So, what is it you do, my esteemed fellow?" Alastor asked your partner, though his tone held anything but genuine curiosity. They gulped.
"W-well..." They began as you nodded encouragingly, "...I work in technology." That gave the Radio Demon pause and there was a slight static noise before he replied.
"I see." He said, "And what sort of technology do you work with, then?"
"M-mostly television," your partner admitted carefully, "I work for Channel 666, specifically." You could sense the growing tension at that; your dad had never exactly been fond of television. You'd grown accustomed to it, though, especially because Amon had always loved it. Turning to him, you expected a more positive reaction, but instead were met with an unamused ten-year-old.
"Sounds boring." He said and you nearly choked on your food. The Amon you knew would never have thought that; had something happened to your kid?
The rest of the meal passed mostly in silence, aside from your occasional contributions. Alastor was more than happy to divulge memories between you and him as he'd raised you, and Amon was always glad to talk about how much he loved his parent, but the second you tried to bring your partner into the conversation, they both promptly shut down.
It was very awkward.
Finally, everyone finished their food and Amon turned to you with an eager expression; as if he'd just remembered something very important.
"(Preferred Parent Name), remember that drawing I was working on earlier?" He asked as politely as possible as Alastor stared from behind your back.
"Yes, is it done already?" You asked, excited to see the final result of the project he'd been nurturing for several days already. The boy shook his head but pushed his chair back.
"No," he admitted, "But could you please come pose for it? I need the reference if I'm going to draw you, too!" He was already standing and taking your plate off the table, as well as his own. He deliberately ignored both Alastor and your partner's dishes as he awaited your response.
"Of course, sweetheart," you grinned, ruffling his hair as you pushed your own chair back and went to stand up, "Maybe we can all come see-" Before you finish your sentence, Amon interrupted.
"No!" He nearly shouted. Behind you, Alastor's smile tightened in a way that told the child to watch his tone when speaking to you. "I...Don't want anyone to see the unfished drawing but you." Amon said, gently taking your hand now. "Please? I promise it won't take long!"
You still seemed unsure, turning back to your partner, who was shaking their head urgently in the hopes it would prevent you from leaving them all alone with the Radio Demon. Unfortunately for them, though, your dad piped up before they could.
"Why not humor the boy, dear?" He asked with the soft, genuine smile he only ever extended towards you, "After all, I assure you I'm perfectly capable of entertaining our guest in the meantime!" He practically spat the word out but you didn't seem to notice as Amon continued tugging on your hand.
"Alright, alright," you told your son with a chuckle before glancing back at the terrified sinner, "I'll be right back!" You assured them, and then with that you finally disappeared into Amon's room.
Now left alone with your dad, your partner turned to face Alastor again, only to see the Radio Demon already staring them down with a sinister smile. His eyes had turned into radio dials that seemed to be glowing in the now dimly-lit room.
"Now that we're alone," Alastor spoke as radio static began seeping into his tone, "I believe there is something we must discuss."
The sinner jumped out of their chair and scrambled back as Alastor seemed to grow, climbing over the table towards them. Black tentacles started growing out of his back and there was a green glow wherever his overlord powers persisted.
"P-please, I've done nothing wrong!" They tried to shout, only to be silenced as one of the tentacles grabbed them and squeezed around their body. Alastor was towering over them now as he stared into their eyes with his own.
"What you've done is get involved with a family in which you do not belong." He snarled. His antlers, which had previously been small, had grown off his head now and tapped against the ceiling with how tall he was. "So, if you value your life, here's what you're going to do..."
Before the Radio Demon could finish, though, the sound of a door opening nearby caught his attention and in an instant he'd reverted back to normal, standing over your partner as their shaking body collapsed on the ground. They gasped for breath; unable to take their eyes off him for fear he would kill them if they did.
"My dear!" Alastor called as he noticed you now coming back from Amon's room, followed by the young boy, "Finished his drawing already, has he?"
"Only the sketch," the child replied calmly. A whole conversation was exchanged between the two of them through their eyes, with the Radio Demon questioning why they hadn't been gone longer and Amon seeming having been unable to keep you distracted much more. "But it will be enough for me to work with when I feel more inspired."
You glanced at your partner, who was still laying on the floor, and raised an eyebrow. Seeing the realization begin to appear in your eyes, Alastor promptly spoke. "I was just helping this fine fellow off the floor!" He explained as he extended his cane towards the sinner now, "It seems they are quite clumsy." He stared into your partner's eyes, daring them to say anything other than an agreement. Luckily, they seemed to get the message.
"Thank you..." They managed as they grabbed ahold of the end of your father's cane and allowed him to pull them off the ground. He nodded in response.
"Well, I'm glad you two are getting along..." You replied, though you were clearly suspicious. You weren't an idiot; you knew how your father was. And though you hoped he would have gotten over some of his overprotective tendencies since you were an adult (and a parent) yourself now, you wouldn't have put it past him to be plotting something.
Before you could think much more about it, though, Alastor spoke up again.
"While we're on the topic," he began, bringing up a topic you certainly had not been on, "I wanted to show you where I decided to hang that painting; the one you so generously gifted me last week!" He didn't even need to fake an enthusiastic tone at the memory; after all, his own child had gone out of their way to buy him such a nice piece of artwork simply because they'd thought he would like it! He was touched.
"Oh," you said, remembering that he'd mentioned wanting to find a place to hang it up, "I'm sure wherever you picked is great, dad." You glanced at your partner again and Alastor could tell you didn't want to leave them alone a second time, but he wasn't about to back down either.
"Why, thank you, dear, but this is your home too! I want to make sure you appreciate my interior decoration skills as much as I do!" He exclaimed, "It had slipped my mind before, but now that I recall, it simply cannot wait!" He started heading for the hallway again, gently taking you by the arm. You sighed but didn't protest.
"Alright." You said before looking back to your partner and son, "Amon, be nice, okay? I'll be right back!" And with that, you disappeared once again.
Your partner sighed in slight relief. Though they could tell your son didn't like them any more than your dad did, he at least seemed less dangerous than the Radio Demon, they thought.
The boy's immediate glare told them they'd likely thought wrong, though, and he snapped his fingers, immediately creating a black hole behind them that began sucking nothing in except the sinner themselves. A targeted black hole, one could call it.
"I don't like you." The child told your partner, "I'll make your death look like an accident." He was, of course, very good at doing so. He'd hidden almost all his violent tendencies from you for years, after all, and he wasn't about to let his dear parent find out he would be behind this, either.
You would definitely ground him for life if you did.
"Please, Amon!" The sinner cried as they held onto the carpet for dear life, "Just tell me what you want! I could be the best second parent you could ask for!" The boy's expression darkened at that and the black hole seemed to only get stronger.
"I don't want another parent!" He shouted, glad Alastor was using his powers to prevent you from hearing any of this from the other room, "The one I have is perfect! I don't need grandpa, and I don't need you!" His power's increased strength was enough to finally break your partner's grip on the carpet now and they went flying back towards the black hole.
Just before they were engulfed, though, the hallway door opened once again and Amon was forced to make his powers disperse in order to prevent you from seeing the scene.
"(Preferred Parent Name)," He said with a smile as he turned to you, "How was Grandfather's painting placement?" Alastor's eyes narrowed at the title but he said nothing as he followed you into the room. Unfortunately, he could only make the viewing of a painting take so long, and you two had been back before he'd wished it.
"Perfect, as expected." You grinned back, then noticed your partner on the floor, "Did you fall again?"
They were still shaking slightly but they gulped at the sight of Amon's dark glare. "They seem to lack spatial awareness tonight," the boy said with a shrug before stepping forward and offering his hand to the sinner. "Here, please let me help you up." Since his back was turned to you, your son smiled evilly down at your partner and they couldn't bring themselves to accept his offer, even if it would upset you.
Pushing themselves off the floor on their own, they drew in a breath and then turned to you. "Can we talk in private?" Your eyebrows raised at that but you nodded, gesturing for them to follow you into the hallway. They did so, scurrying after you as they eyed Alastor cautiously.
Once the two of you had disappeared, the Radio Demon turned to Amon with a satisfied smile, both of them knowing exactly what this would be about.
"What is it?" You asked your partner with concern. They took a deep breath, remembering that you'd warned them your family could be eccentric. They'd been prepared for some weirdness but hadn't expected anything like this.
"I don't think I can do this," they admitted, your face immediately falling at the words. "I can't get along with your family."
"You promised you'd try," you said, feeling very dejected, "I told you who my dad was and you said it didn't matter!"
"That was at the beginning of our relationship!"
"So?" You asked.
"So, I didn't plan for us to be this serious!" Your partner finally replied, "I didn't think I'd end up having to meet your family!" You froze at that. Meanwhile, Alastor and Amon, who had their ears pressed to the hallway door, both exchanged angry glances at the idea of anyone daring speak to you like that.
"You told me you wanted us to be permanent," you said in as calm a tone as you could manage.
"I do," your partner replied, gently taking both your hands in their own.
"Then...Can you please try to get along with them?" You asked, "They both mean the world to me." Your partner sighed. They'd known this about you since before you two got into a relationship. Your family was too important for you to ever brush them aside, and if they couldn't make that relationship work, they knew there was little chance their relationship with you would either.
"Fine." They said finally, "I'll try." After all, you would be with them for the rest of the evening, wouldn't you? It wasn't like your dad or son would have another chance to try and kill them with you present.
Outside, Alastor and Amon's smiles both widened creepily. Had your partner simply told you what they'd done, they knew you would have believed it. After all, they had less than perfect reputations when it came to violence. But since they'd chosen to keep quiet about all that, it seemed the game was still on.
"Thank you." You smiled, pulling the sinner into a warm hug. They took it in for a moment and then you pulled away. "I'm going to go to the restroom, so please try to at least talk to them while I'm gone?"
The second you said that, your partner's face fell. They were so dead. You didn't seem to notice the fear that appeared on their face as you turned and headed for the restroom. They gulped, debating whether to heed your request and face the family members again or stay right here where it was assumably safe until you returned.
Their choice seemed to be made for them, though, when the door to the hallway slid open and an inky black tentacle moved toward them. They wanted to scream, but before they could, it grabbed them and squeezed once again, dragging them back into the living room where it closed the hallway door behind it.
There, both Alastor and Amon stood with sinister smiles as they watched the tentacle hold your partner up. Amon snapped his fingers again and another black hole appeared; this time directly below where the sinner was dangling. They let out a cry of fear, only for it to be cut off by the pressure of the black tentacle.
"We tried to warn you to get lost." Amon said as he crossed his arms in supposed disapproval, "Now you have to pay for it."
"I couldn't have said it better myself," Alastor added as his eyes became radio dials once again. With that, the tentacle let go of your partner and they were dropped into the black hole. They screamed as the bottom half of their body was enveloped by it and they were about to fall all the way through when the door to the hallway opened once again and everything returned to normal with your partner panting on the floor.
"(Preferred Parent name)!" Amon called as he ran over and hugged you for no apparent reason. You smiled and wrapped your arms around him before looking up at Alastor and your partner.
"Everything alright?" You asked. The Radio Demon was about to reply but the sinner spoke before he could get the chance.
"No!" They shouted, "Everything is most certainly not alright!" They stood from where they'd been laying on the ground; still panting heavily. "I can't take it anymore! I've been nothing but cordial to these...Monsters! And they still hate me! I'm done!" They stomped towards the front door as your eyes widened.
Again, Alastor felt they'd missed the big point of him and your son having tried to kill them but it only worked in favor of his plan so he supposed he could let that slide.
"What do you mean?" You asked, following after your partner as you let go of Amon.
"We're done!" They finally shouted, turning back to you, "Don't contact me again; all of you are insane!" They gestured to the three of you before turning and slamming the front door behind them. You froze for a few seconds as they left.
After a moment, though, the tears you'd felt coming on finally fell and you sunk to your knees. Immediately seeing their opportunity, Alastor and Amon moved in to hug you; one of them on either of your sides.
"It's okay, (Preferred Parent Name)," the little boy comforted as he leaned into your right shoulder, "They seemed like a meanie anyway!" You chuckled through your sobs at that. Leave it to your kid to always notice those red flags before you did.
"The boy is right, darling," Alastor added, "And you still have your family here to support you! When you feel a bit better, I'll make your favorite recipe, hm?" You sniffled at that before nodding.
"Thanks, dad." You said softly as you leaned into your father's embrace. Amon leaned into yours too and you held him in a similar way to how you would a giant stuffed animal. "You two are the best...I guess that's why you're my two favorites, huh?"
For once, neither of them felt anger at having to share that title. You closed your eyes as you wiped some of the tears form your cheeks and Amon exchanged a glance with the Radio Demon, who seemed surprisingly content. Like before, no words were needed between them to convey what they wanted to say, and after a minute, Alastor nodded down at the boy approvingly.
It would likely be the last time he ever did so, and soon they would go back to their usual dynamic, but at least for tonight, you'd managed to bring the two of them together. It seemed having a grandson wasn't the worst thing; Alastor realized.
If nothing else, the little boy had proved himself quite useful in the face of a challenge like today, and he could appreciate that.
