Judgement

by XIntensity_After_DarkX (XIntensity_FallsX)

Summary:

Vox has a new rival he won't acknowledge. That surely won't come back to bite him.

Notes:

• For vol_ctrl.

Hi everyone- I'm sorry for the long periods without fics, and for fics that don't relate to my radiodust series or Endurance Night. I've had the worst writer's block. I am thankful though to have at least got this story out, and you can thank Jojo's Bizarre Adventure for it- it gave me this idea and the desire to try writing something again.

I hope you all enjoy this story, and I ALSO hope that I'm over the block.

Also, many thanks to vol_ctrl for betaing!

Thank you all for reading!

“What are you going to do about it?” 

Vox paused, considering the question Valentino lobbed at him. He came to a stop, Velvet’s skipping halting as well. Valentino loomed over them. Vox’s gaze switched from Velvet’s to Valentino’s faces. Each one of them wore concern in their own way. He arched a neon brow. “...What am I going to do about what?” 

“Vox, seriously?” Velvet frowned at him, gesturing toward the notice taped up on the poles and on the walls of many buildings in Vox’s territory. All of them featured the glowing face of a new overlord, High Def. He had a similarly shaped television head. Unlike Vox, High Def seemed to be sporting newer technology, with a focus on sound in particular. “This fuck face is advertising himself on your territory! What are you going to do about it?” 

“Meh. He’s a worthless loser, he wants my territory but the hell if that’s going to happen. He doesn’t have the stones to take me on face to face. He’ll burn himself out before I even really have to take care of it. You can’t give these types of idiots attention. Then all the idiots want a piece of your attention, and how the fuck do you get anything done at that point?” 

“You don’t, but we can take care of it. We can help you-” Valentino began. 

“It’s fine. Don’t trouble yourself, I don’t need the help with a loser like him.” He waved a hand. “I’ve got eyes on this guy. He’s nothing special. Really.” His phone began to go off in his suit coat pocket. He removed the phone, frowning at the unknown number. Most of the time these were new contractors that he had yet to put into his list of contacts. “Ugh. Hold on.” He answered the call, opening his mouth as if to start his usual greeting. A shriek of unfamiliar static flooded him exploded from the receiving end, twisting his transistors. Valentino and Velvet covered their ears as Vox twisted in ways his body should not have allowed.  

His phone fell to the ground, the screen shattering. The sound continued for an unbearable minute, until it ebbed into nothing but blissful silence. Vox shook off the last of his tremors, kicking out his leg as if to shake them off to the side. He let out a shuddered sigh, looking up to Valentino’s horrified face. “...What? Did my screen crack? Did... did you get taller in the past couple of minutes or-” He looked to Velvet, or rather, looked up to Velvet. “W-why are you suddenly tall?” 

Velvet and Valentino exchanged looks. Velvet pursed her lips. “You ah... regressed a little bit, Vox.” 

“ What ?” He asked and paused right after. He brought a hand up to his throat, noting how his shirt collar and bowtie hung loose. “My voice-” 

Valentino was fiercely chewing his lip. He swallowed hard, drumming his fingers on his long leg. “Ah... fuck it. Sorry Vox.” He let out a bark of laughter, wrapping a set of arms around his lanky torso as the laughter came from his mouth hard and fast. He leaned against the wall of the building, joined shortly by Velvet.  

The pair laughed themselves to the ground, where a child size Vox glowered at them both. “Are you done ? Haha, so funny, Vox is a child. Let’s all fucking laugh-” 

Valentino doubled over again. “Oh fucking shit, say fuck again. It’s like a little kid saying it but better.” 

“I’m not here for your amusement!” Vox balled his fists up and stamped his foot on the ground. The gesture would have shocked those around him, but nothing more than sparks shot up from the oversized shoe. 

Valentino and Velvet fell silent as they looked to Vox with worried expressions. “Okay ah... Yeah. Fun’s over. You’re an adorably pintsized target like that. C’mon. Let’s take my limo back to the studio and see if we can fix you back to size.” Valentino got off of the ground, helping Velvet up. 

“Alright, good plan.” Vox grabbed up the ends of his pants, and stepped out of his shoes to grab them with his other hand. His coat, waist coat, and shirt all dragged along with him. Velvet and Valentino were already ahead of him and going at a clip his little legs could not keep up with. “Hey you assholes! Wait up!” 

- 

Vox sat on Valentino’s desk. His legs did not come toward the edge of it. He stared hard at his feet poking through the material of his far too baggy slacks. His shirt, waist coat, and coat were folded neatly over one of the other chairs. Velvet was behind him, examining the transistor on his back. 

“It looks fine.” Velvet closed up the casing, screwing everything back into place. “Nothing seems to be out of place.” 

“ Clearly that’s not the case.” Vox turned to frown at her. 

Velvet put her hands on her hips. “Do I need to put you in a time out?” 

“As entertaining as that would be, Vel, we gotta figure this out before other overlords find out Vox is tiny and declare open season on him.” Valentino put his hands on the desk. “Time is not on our side. When that frequency went out, what exactly happened?” 

“I...” Vox reached back to touch the box at the base of his neck. “I thought it warped my transistor, but it’s fine according to Velvet. And nothing’s wrong with my frequency either.” 

“So it fucked with you on a different level. Like with magic? Well, that’s no fuckin’ good, Vox. That’s out of our wheelhouse for sure.” 

Vox fell silent for a moment. When he spoke, his voice was somehow smaller. “We need to speak to Alastor.” 

“Alastor?! The relic?! What the fuck is he going to do?!” Valentino threw up his hands. “Even if he could do something, why would he want to help you ?” 

“That’s a two-point answer. Point one- If this is magic, I want the most mysterious fucking nerd in Hell to help me- which is him in spades. He’s always “reading”. Anyone who “reads” that much should know how to do a fuck ton of shit, and he has been down here forever. He’ll know what to do. And point two, his ego. He’ll help me because I asked him to. It’s the ego boost he doesn’t need but ultimately craves. Plus, I know this will get his curiosity going.” 

Velvet rolled her chair back up to the desk, propping her chin up on her hands as she grinned wide at Vox. “Oh Voxxy, why do you know so much about Alastor?” 

“I know a lot about everyone, Velvet. That’s a moot point.” Vox said dryly. 

“Uh-huh. Just how much time do you devote to watching Alastor?” 

Valentino’s face broke out into a wide grin as he stood behind Velvet. 

Vox looked at them both and their jackal grins and froze. “A perfectly healthy amount for a demon who is my rival.” He felt his screen heat up and their grins went wider. “Shut the fuck up the both of you! That’s not the point! We have to find him-” 

“Already ahead of ya.” Valentino held up his phone. “I just texted Angel Cakes. Seems like Alastor’s in the hotel- ah...” He eyed the screen for a moment. “He’s come back from a slaughter, so he’s probably going to be cleaning up. We’d better go while he’s still there.” 

“Right.” Vox climbed down from Valentino’s desk, landing with a soft thud. He adjusted his far too baggy clothes, trying in vain to tighten his far too large bowtie to fit his smaller neck. “How do I look?” 

“Adorable!” Velvet squeaked. 

“Like a kid trying to wear his dad’s clothes.” Valentino snickered. “I think we might have something imp sized that might fit you.” 

- 

“So far no one’s reported on your new compact form.” Velvet peeked up from her phone. “But everyone’s talking about that High Def guy.” 

“I don’t want to hear about the High Def guy.” Vox scowled as he fidgeted with the pair of black pants he got from the imp wardrobe. They were a simple pair of black pants that were still slightly too big for his child sized legs. He rolled up the hem for now. He wore his shirt, which hung down on him to where the ends nearly touched the ground. “Were there seriously no other pairs of shoes?” 

“What, you don’t like light up shoes?” Valentino had to cover laugh with a cough. “That’s the smallest pair we have, and I don’t think anyone ever wore them. I don’t even know why we fucking got them.” 

“Probably because they light up.” Velvet leaned forward and poked one of them, causing the sides of the shoes to flash red and blue. “I want my shoes to light up. You could be on the cusp of a new fashion trend, Voxxy.” 

“I don’t want to be on the cusp of a new fashion trend. Alastor’s going to find this ridiculous. He’s not going to want to help me if I look like a damn clown.” 

“Aw, don’t sell yourself short! You’re a cute clown. He’ll totally take pity on you.” Velvet burst out into a fit of giggles. 

“I don’t want him to take pity on me!” Vox punched the limosine’s seat. “I am his rival, his greatest rival, I can’t show up in flashing shoes! I expect a certain amount of ridicule from him over this, but these are making an easy target out of me!” 

Valentino slapped his knee in a fit of laughter while Vox pouted at them from where he sat. “Okay, okay. We’ll try to make sure you look good before you see your boyfriend .” 

Vox crossed his arms over his chest. “I hate you both.” He settled back against the seat, staring at the loathsome shoes while the limousine pulled up in front of the hotel. He peered out the window, tired of looking at his shoes. Up the stairs and on the landing was none other than High Def speaking to the princess. High Def was a broadly shaped demon, where his sleek television head rested comfortably on his wide set shoulders and thicker neck. Vox gripped the seat. The suit he wore was something he had not seen before, a material that seemed to shift between a sleek electric blue to a vibrant purple. Every thread was impossibly visible, even from inside the limousine. “Are you fucking kidding me?” He threw up his hands. “High Def is here! Fuck. He’s probably here to help the princess out after… ah… I rejected her proposal to make a commercial. Ugh.” He ran his hands down his screen. “He’ll know I’m around due to my frequency, but he can’t see me like this.”

“Shit.” Valentino muttered and looked out the window toward High Def. “We gotta sneak you in there.”

Velvet’s eyes widened. “Oh! I know! Ask me!”

Valentino and Vox exchanged looks briefly. Vox cleared his throat. “Ah… Velvet?”

She clapped her hands eagerly together. “Alright. This is what we are going to do.”

-

Valentino swept past Charlie and High Def, ignoring them both. Velvet followed behind him, grinning broadly at no one in particular.

“Er- can I help you two?” Charlie asked as she raised an eyebrow at them both.

Valentino looked her up and down, letting out an unimpressed sigh. “Unless you’re hiding Angel Cakes in your suit coat, then… no.”

“Sorry, sugar! You’re really cute, though. You should call me some time!” Velvet summoned a sleek pink and black card into her fingers. She handed it to Charlie.

“Can I have a card? You’re pretty cute.” High Def asked and stuck out his glittering hand. “I’m always looking to add people to my entourage.”

Velvet withdrew her hand, crossing her arms over her chest. She eyed him for a moment, raising her hand. “One. You have a cool suit, but ew.” She held up a second finger. “Two, I’m already in an entourage. Keep up, chump.” She flicked him off and turned sharply to follow Valentino into the hotel.

“Who the fuck does that guy think he is?” Valentino muttered out of the corner of his mouth. “Trying to steal members of Vox’s entourage-”

“Like I’m not even fucking here!” Vox’s muffled voice came from underneath Valentino’s robe.

“That’s the point.” Valentino fluffed out the massive bulk of his robe, easily hiding Vox’s silhouette beneath the thick material. “Angel Cakes said he’d meet us down in the lobby. So… let’s not make a scene and stand off to the side until he comes by. He has to figure out where the fuck Alastor is in the hotel to tell us, apparently your ‘mysterious fucking nerd’ doesn’t bother sleeping in the same room twice.”

“Doesn’t surprise me, actually.” 

“Shhh.” Velvet pressed a finger to her lips. “That High Def loser and Princess Hot Pants are coming back in.”

Vox grunted beneath the material. What was taking Angel so long anyway? He stared forward at Valentino’s thin, fishnet covered legs wondering how the hell he put up with those.

“Oh hey, sorry about earlier. I didn’t mean to come on so strong.” High Def’s voice made him pause.

“Oh look, it’s the douche in the nice suit.” Velvet drawled. Vox imagined she was making quite the face. He hid the snicker, but just barely.

“Well, at least you like my suit! Look, we got off on the wrong foot. I’m High Def, up and coming overlord. I think your boss and I have similar tastes-”

“Whoa.” Valentino snapped his fingers. “Vox ain’t our boss.”

“Oh! Hey, I’m sorry. That’s just how it comes off, ya know? Big guy in power, flanked by lesser overlords. Not like… I think you guys are lesser or anything, but that’s just what they say.”

There was a long pause. Vox blinked. What the fuck was this guy up to?

“ Who says that?” Valentino hissed and stepped forward fast enough to pull the robe off of Vox.

Suddenly exposed but still blocked by Valentino and Velvet, Vox froze momentarily. He spotted a hallway and made a mad dash for it.

-

It took forever to run fast enough to make it down the hallway and around the corner. When he did, he slouched against the wall and braced his hands on his knees. The new hallway was filled with an implausible amount of doors. “Fuck.” He frowned. “Stupid massive hotel with absolutely no guests. What a dumb fucking idea. No one down here wants to be redeemed.” He pushed off against the wall, feeling smaller with the more steps he took. Eventually he came across a set of elevators.

 He glanced left and right. No one was around. He bent down and jumped up, slapping his hand on one of the elevator buttons. “This is so humiliating.” He groaned, stepping into the elevator. He ran a hand down his screen uttering a hard sigh, reaching into his pocket to pull out his cell phone. The cracked screen greeted him like a razzing tongue. “Are you kidding me?!” He threw his phone on the floor of the elevator and began to pace.

“Alright, no surveillance feeds. That’s fine. Totally fine.” He narrowed his eyes in thought. Alastor gave off a frequency like all other media demons, and thankfully, was more unique. He relaxed his shoulders, and shut his eyes. “Okay… Concentrate.” How long was it since he last sought out different frequencies? 

He frowned at the thought. Surveillance equipment appeared in Hell, he expanded his reach to engulf it into his empire. That was decades ago. “Well… I’ll be rusty. Great.”

Nothing came to him first. He gritted his teeth, wanting an answer immediately, like his devices would have allowed. He let out another sigh, rolling his shoulders and allowing himself a deeper level of concentration. Threads of frequencies began to spool toward him. Cellphones, microwaves, individual radios- and finally, the antique frequency of the radio demon. It was an eloquent sensation, like plucks on a harp, rather than the simplistic sensation of a phone. “Got you.” He grinned in triumph, hitting the button for the sixth floor. “I don’t know where you are exactly, but I’ll find you.”

-

Vox stepped out of the elevator, following the sweet pull of Alastor’s frequency down the hallway. It was much stronger than before, he had to be on this floor. “Thank fucking god.” He felt another frequency push its way into his mind. One that overwhelmed Alastor’s frequency with such tacky modernity, it made him shudder.

“Hey there, short stack!”

High Def’s gaze raked over him. He did not turn around, knowing how hard the other demon was smirking. Vox felt a spike in the electricity of the air. It was strong enough to throw distortion into his small body, causing his antenna to warp. “Fuck you!” Vox spat and turned around. He waited for the shock to appear on High Def’s screen, given his new appearance. When his grin remained malicious, almost fixed in place, Vox’s eyebrows rose up. “You did this! You did this to me !”

“Yeah, I did. Why do you think I’ve been clawing my way up the ranks so quickly? I’m high definition, everything about me is stronger, faster, and clearer than what you could ever dream of. I have a full mastery of frequencies, enough to twist yours until you physically changed into something more… compact, if you will..”

“Fuck you!” Vox tried to summon his cables, his electrical powers- but nothing came to him. His lip curled. He tightened his hands into fists.

High Def knelt down, smirking widely at him. He patted the edge of Vox’s screen. “Oh no, I think you’re the one that’s extremely fucked. Your friends are nowhere around, if they’re even thinking of helping you after I talked to them.” He propped the bottom of his screen up on his fist. “Poor Voxxy, you’re going to die unsure if anyone still likes you.”

Vox’s hand lashed out, hitting the power button on the side of High Def’s screen.

His screen went black, making him reel backward. “Are you fucking kidding me-” High Def’s hands lashed out, groping uselessly around for where his button was.

WIth all the strength he had, Vox pushed High Def hard enough to knock him over from his kneeling position. “Have fun with that, you piece of garbage! I know how disorienting that feels!” He took off running down the hallway, seeking out Alastor in the sea of doors. He came to a halt in front of a red door, letting out a sigh of relief. The frequency pulsed and flowed plentifully from behind the door, uniquely Alastor. Vox barked out a laugh, placing his hands on the door. “Hey! Alastor! Open up!” He banged his fists on the door. “Come on, I know you’re in there! ...I need your help, get the fuck out here!”

High Def strolled around the corner, smirking down the hallway at Vox having turned on his screen once more. “Aw, what’s the matter? Trying to call for help but no one answers? What do you expect, no one likes a guy that treats people like shit.”

A sizzling bolt took out part of the hallway, far too close for Vox’s liking. Debris from ruined doors and the wall covered the floor.

“Where are your friends, Vox? You would think they’d be looking for you. How sad.” High Def took his time coming down the hallway and through the wreckage he created. Electricity leapt between his fingers lazily, growing larger.

“Alastor!” He banged on the door. “Open the fuck up!” He felt the heat from High Def’s attack crawling down the side. Static increased along with the sensation of wanting to flee. If he did, he would be consumed by High Def’s attack. “Fuck!” He pushed himself up against the door, feeling Alastor’s frequency wash over him. “Come on, Al! Please !”

The door finally opened up, and Alastor stepped out. He was wet from bathing, wearing a red towel around his waist. He glanced down to Vox with a bored tone, and then to High Def.

“Fucking finally . Do you know how long I’ve been out here for?! This guy’s going to lay waste to me. Me ! Your best rival!” He felt some sort of relief, and a strange flutter at the sight of him. The unrelenting smile holding back how annoyed he must have felt, the way he strolled out of the bathroom, and the easy way he flat out ignored Vox. He felt his screen darken slightly.

Alastor was something else .

“Oh, would you look at that? Your favorite relic is here, Vox. I’ve got no beef with you, radio demon. Just with the menace by your legs. Hand him over, I’ll gladly take care of him for you.”

Alastor let out a bored sigh, pushing Vox back behind him. “I don’t know you. I don’t care to. I have a history with this idiot, and I don’t with you. You’re the one who made him interrupt my bath.” He summoned his microphone to him. “ You’re the one who will pay for the indiscretion.”

“Now hold on- let’s not get hasty. I’ve got an attack that will fry your transistors, old man. You won’t survive it!”

Shadows leapt up like dark fire around Alastor’s legs. His upper lip curled as a green glow erupted off his skin. He cocked his head to the side, a smile growing wickedly across his features. 

“Alright, alright.” High Def held up his hands. “You’ve clearly got a death wish, who am I to deny you?”

“Shit, Al! You won’t survive! You’re too analog!” Vox wrapped his little arms around Alastor’s calf. “We gotta go!” When Alastor did not react, he covered his own speakers before he could be damaged further.

A bone melting screech of frequency erupted toward Alastor. The air seemed to morph around the attack, warbling out in waves. He let it hit him, seemingly unphased by the altering shock. He shrugged his shoulders and smirked at High Def.

Vox stared up at Alastor. He slowly let go of his leg, his expression washed in shock. “How the fuck are you not effected by this?! Are you just too old? Too vintage?” He peered around Alastor’s legs, pleased to see High Def looking just as confused.

High Def took a step back, swallowing thickly. “Maybe I missed-”

“Too late, you asshole!” Vox grinned in triumph.

Whatever he had planned to say next was lost forever on his tongue. The shadows beneath him opened up into a gaping black pit. Massive tentacles sprung up from the darkness, wrapping around High Def’s arms and legs. With a snap of his fingers, he was pulled into the darkness with a scream and a crunch. The black circle vanished completely. Vox’s mouth hung open, his eyes wide at the display. Maybe there was something to magic. Or perhaps it was just Alastor. He pushed the thought from his mind. There was no sense in thinking like that while trapped in his current shape.

Alastor reached up, popping out the earplugs nestled safely in his ears. “Are we done here?” He asked with a sneering smile as he looked down at Vox.

“O-oh. Ear plugs. How did… did you know-”

“Simple. I felt your frequency and was determined to ignore you. ...Despite it not feeling quite the same. I see why that is now. Anyway…” He tossed the ear plugs into the air, making them vanish from sight. “They’re something called ‘High Definition’ sound canceling ear plugs. When I felt another frequency that wasn’t yours and the vibrations from the blast, I came out. Now. That’s your question. I get to ask mine now.”

“Does it have to do with why I’m like this?”

“No.”

Vox blinked. “Well. Now I’m curious.”

“I’d say that the world doesn’t revolve around you, Vox. But that would be a lie because my question does have to deal with you. Unfortunately.” He put his hands on his hips. “What do you want?”

“That fucker did this to me to try and take my territory. Can you fix me back to the way I was?”

“You want my help?” Alastor asked in an amused tone.

“...Yeah.” Vox’s shoulders drooped.

“Despite me being a relic? A useless antique?”

“... Yeah. ” 

“An old man, a worthless-”

“Yes! For fuck’s sake!” He threw his hands up in the air. “Fix me, damn it!”

“And why’s that?”

Vox mumbled out his answer and Alastor grinned, holding his microphone up to his small screen.

“Again, because I’m an old man who can’t hear properly.”

“Because you’re the only one who fucking can! You’re the smartest fucker in Hell, if it’s anyone who can do it, it’s you! Ya happy?!” He bellowed into the microphone, making Alastor preen, basking in delight at the admission as it echoed down the silent hallway.

“Oh good.” Alastor beamed. “Then I want a deal.” 

“Couldn’t do it out of the kindness of your heart, eh?”

“Haha, no.” He patted the top of Vox’s screen. “I’ll help you, but I want a favor. Something I can cash in at any time, no matter what it is.”

Vox held back his hand. “What the hell, do you really think I’d let you get any favor your sick mind could want out of me?”

“I suppose so, unless you’d like to continue wearing those darling little light up shoes.”

“Fuck you.” His hissed and held out his hand. “Deal.”

-

When a fully repaired, pantsless Vox and Alastor stepped into the lobby, they were surrounded by Velvet, Valentino and Angel.

“You’re okay!” Velvet grabbed on to Vox’s arms.

“Yeah. Here’s the damn light up shoes you like.” He said and shoved them into her hands.

“ Please take this pantsless fool out of the hotel. I’ve had all I can take from him.” Alastor said and gestured toward the door.

Valentino’s eyes narrowed as he looked down at Alastor. “What did you do to fix him?”

“His frequency was all thrown off. I’ve fixed it.” Alastor said simply. “He won’t be pintsized anymore. I even took care of the more obnoxious version of him. No extra charge.”

“We couldn’t figure out where the hell ya went in the hotel.” Angel said sheepishly. “And then when the explosion hit, Charlie wouldn’t let us go lookin’ anymore.”

“It’s fine. Everything’s fine now.” Vox waved his hand. “For real. We can go. I’ll ah… meet you outside in just a minute.”

Valentino and Velvet nodded. Vox pulled away from Alastor’s side. He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling an odd sort of sensation flutter in his core just like before. Alastor was always a far away thought, a novelty he entertained himself with but never really considered. When was the last time they were side by side like this? And in a way where Alastor did not try to strike him down? He played out the events in his mind, Alastor’s magic, how he handled himself. It was all so effortless. So smooth. He adjusted his bowtie. “Can I ah… I know I said you could have a favor for me, but uh- do you… uh… Do you want to go out for dinner with me sometime? Just as an extra thank you for getting me back to normal.”

Yes. That’s all. A thank you. Clearly not an excuse to spend more time with Alastor.

“Depends. Will you be there?”

Vox snorted. “Well, yeah. Is that a dealbreaker?”

“I’ll get back to you on that.” 

His grin split his screen. “That is not a no.”

“Correct.” Alastor chuckled. “But I’m serious. Please leave. I have a bath to finish.”

“Lucky water.”

“Out!”

Vox quickly turned on his heels heading out the door toward where the limousine was.

-

“Ah, when your feet touch the ground when you sit. Now there’s a feeling I didn’t know was possible to miss.” He snorted. He crossed his legs. “Sorry about the pants, Val. I’ll pay you back.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m sure Alastor’s face was priceless when they tore off you.”

“I suppose he thought they stretched.”

“Fuck.” Velvet sighed. “We should have given you leggings. That would have been smart! I have just the pair with little retro televisions on them-”

“Don’t worry about it.” Vox shook his head. “So uh… High Def said he was going to try to get you guys to hate me.” He swallowed thickly. “What happened with that? After I was exposed, I had to run off before I was seen.”

“Meh, that idiot droned on and on about shit that was fake as he was. Vel can verify anything, after all. He was full of shit. Then Angel Cakes came down and we tried lookin’ for ya- we couldn’t get a hold of you for anything.”

“It’s alright. I found Alastor by searching for frequencies. He’s got a real nice one. I guess I never bothered to listen. I ah… I’m sorry about earlier when I blew off your concerns about High Def. I suppose I should take threats to me more seriously. Thanks for looking out for me.”

“Meh, it’s fine. It was a really entertaining afternoon for us.” Velvet grinned. “I’ve even got a new romantic conquest to conquer.”

“I got to double check Angel Cakes wasn’t moonlighting on me.” Valentino shrugged. “And you wearing light up shoes is a thing I didn’t know I needed to see.” He snickered and sat back against the seat. “But seriously Vox, you can’t get so cocky. Even around Alastor. He’s one dangerous fucker.”

“I know.” Vox glanced out the window at the hotel as it slowly took up less space on the city’s horizon. He felt the urge to promise them that he would be, but that would be a lie. Alastor was every bit of danger he could want. “A nerd’s a nerd though.”

The comment seemed to appease them both, as their topics switched to other items. Vox’s thoughts drifted back to the hotel hallway and the impressive bit of magic he had witnessed first hand. His grin faded to an expression of wonderment as he placed his hand on the limousine’s window where the outline of the hotel was.

An answer for his dinner invitation couldn’t come soon enough.

END