Chapter 1: Late Night
Chapter Text
It was a dark and stormy night, and little princess Charlie screamed from under her covers as titanic bolts of lightning slashed across her window as violent claws. The approaching acid rain storm that had been mere rumbles earlier had intensified into a full-fledged tempest now as the Morningstar Manor found itself in the heart of it.
Clutching her favorite stuffie—a plush red duck with antlers and an embroidered apple with a musical note over its heart—Charlie used the momentary calm between thunder crashes to make a mad dash out of her room into the hall. Another crash drew a yelp from her before she yanked open the door to her parents’ room and dove straight into the bed.
The door left open creaked partially closed before the shadows formed a claw around the handle and shut it fully. A hand, this one more tangible, settled atop Charlie’s head from under the covers and she scooted closer to it, finding comfort from the familiar touch.
Lucifer yawned before he sat up to pull the shivering bundle under the covers to him, easing Charlie into his lap. “Hey, Char-bear, did the mean old storm scare you?”
Charlie nodded adamantly, puffing her cheeks out in a pout so both her dad and Alastor could see how indignant she was from the storm’s audacity to interrupt a goodnight’s rest. The expression was quickly erased when another thunder crash made her jump and she was scrambling forward to bury her head against her father’s stomach with a whimper.
Alastor hummed as he looked out towards the window where the flash of lightning turned the skies momentarily white and cast harsh shadows into the room. A low rumbling following the initial crash was the stirrings of an even louder one building up. “You know, my dear Charlie, you’ve nothing to worry about. Even if the storm rends this house to mere splinters, you wouldn’t be harmed! Why, you’d survive being struck by lightning a hundred times! So, you’ve nothing to worry about~.”
“Lightning is gonna get me?!” Charlie demanded, her voice tight. She hadn’t considered it before but now that that was going to be a concern…!
Lucifer shot his partner a look, holding Charlie tighter to his chest. “Was that supposed to help?!”
Alastor simply shrugged his shoulders and replied airily, “Well, it certainly soothes me to acknowledge the immense amount of pain and torment I could endure and still come out on top~.”
“P-pain?! T-tor-mints?!” Charlie repeated before she started to sniffle.
“Ah ah ah!!” Lucifer began rocking his daughter in a bid to stem the tears. Think think think! He had to distract her immediately! But the more she started to tear up, the more his brain stuttered. “Uh- hey Charlie! Look over there!” he finally decided on, pointing in a random direction.
Too bad when Charlie looked over, it was towards the coatrack which, after another lighting flash, appeared as a grotesque shadow monster against the wall with the wh-POOOM of thunder following translating to the monster’s roar in her imaginings which only made her actually start to cry and for Lucifer to panic more.
Alastor watched both Morningstars for a moment, taking in the chaos of the situation with a relishing breath before he knew it was up to him, like before, to make things better. It was equal parts endearing and baffling that Lucifer wasn’t already used to the ritual to soothe his daughter when she was frightened, but he was ever so cute in his panic and Alastor was hardly one to deter entertainment where he could get it.
The deer demon cleared his throat before he asked Charlie cheerfully, “Would you like to hear a story while we bide our time waiting for the storm to pass?”
Charlie’s sudden pause was predictable as was her glance over with interest. What child could resist a good story, after all?
Alastor shifted before patting the space between himself and Lucifer. “Come along then and settle in. You won’t be a receptive audience for riveting tales, after all, unless you’re properly situated.” This was untrue since she would be able to hear just fine anywhere in the room. But part of the show’s set-up was to fuss a little to ensure the conditions were optimal for storytelling.
The princess was already smiling more as she climbed off from her father’s lap to nestle in the space between them, laying her head on both their pillows while the plush duck was held securely to her chest. Lucifer moved the blanket over her to tuck her in before both he and Alastor playfully scooted in until she burst out with a giggle and exclaimed, “Too tight! Daaaaaad! Alastooooor! You’re squishing me!”
“Oh, sorry, sorry, Char-Char!” Lucifer exclaimed right on cue before the two men would retreat just enough so she was comfortably snug between them. “Better?”
Charlie pretended to consider for a minute before, with a grin, she nodded.
Another rumble in the sky threatened to draw her attention away, but Alastor asked before it could, “What would you like to hear tonight?”
This time the consideration was more serious. A good story had to have the perfect conditions, after all! What was it that would tickle her fancy tonight? Hmm….
After a time she pointed to the both of them. “I want a story with dad annnnd Alastor in it! And me too! Happy stories! But also adventures and knights and hugs and rainbows and- and- and-!”
Alastor and Lucifer looked to each other, sharing an endearing grin. So, the usual line-up. The storm seemed to be one that would last awhile late into the night which meant there could possibly be multiple stories told. Well, between the two of them, it shouldn’t be much trouble keeping the little princess entertained until she fell back asleep.
“That all sounds wonderful, Charlie!” Lucifer gushed after she’d finished listing her requirements, rustling her hair in praise. “Now, the most important decision—who’s going to start first?”
Charlie looked between the two of them. This was part of the ritual too and, in the end, it didn’t really matter since both men got their turns eventually, but it felt like a big decision to her!
“Well, dad got to start last time,” Charlie reasoned aloud, “so this time, Alastor gets to!”
Lucifer feigned disappointment while Alastor chuckled and gave a little bow with a hand pressed to his chest. “I’m honored, Charlie! Thank you for choosing me to start us off~. Now then—are we ready? Have you ensured your listening ears are tuned in to my frequencies?”
Charlie raised her tiny hands up and rolled her index fingers and thumbs over the shells of her ears like they were radio dials. “Yup! All tuned in, Alastor!”
“Good girl~. Let’s see…” Alastor hummed to himself with his eyes closed before inspiration struck. “Ah, yes, I know~. How about this? How do you feel about a kingdom in a magical forest as the setting for our first story?”
The little princess gasped and nodded quickly. “And dad and Alastor live in the kingdom?”
“Indeed~. Or, rather, one was of the kingdom and the other was of the forest. Prince Lucifer and his good friend Alastor the magical deer.” Alastor held his hands up and manipulated them so the shadows cast onto the wall formed two figures—one princely and short and the other a tall, graceful stag that transformed into a man with deer ears and antlers with the barest shift in his hand’s motion.
“Were they really good friends?” Charlie asked, her eyes sparkling as her imagination started to form the images in her mind. A sparkling alabaster kingdom surrounded by beautiful green foliage as thick as sheep’s wool. A dashing prince dressed in gold and white and the mysterious smiling deer with a deep crimson coat.
“They were,” Alastor supplied, glancing towards Lucifer who shot him an encouraging smile. He raised a brow of warning before he added on deviously, “However, the kingdom and the forest were not~.”
“Oh no!” gasped the princess. “Why? How come the prince and Alastor are friends but not their homes?”
“Well, my dear Charlie, that’s a very good question. You see, the kingdom and the forest used to get along quite well. The rulers of the kingdom respected the forest and in return its inhabitants vowed to protect the small kingdom from those who would try to invade and conquer it. The inhabitants possessed something the humans did not—magic and abilities that made them rather useful allies. No army from any other kingdom could penetrate the forest because of them.
“But as the years passed in peace, the population of the kingdom began to outgrow the boundaries of the humans’ domain. When people are squeezed in, they become quite disgruntled; annoyed; restless. They started to demand that the royal family do more to expand the kingdom.
“At first, they bartered with the forest’s inhabitants. They’d trade for land, offering the creatures of the forest things of delight that only the humans could create. Jewelry; offerings of all kinds of delicious foods; tools and crafted furniture; art—whatever the forest’s inhabitants felt was fair. This went on for some time and the kingdom grew steadily because of it. But the people of the kingdom were not happy with how little land they were getting for what they felt were items worth far more in value.
“Among those who were the unhappiest was the leader of the Royal Army.” Alastor’s shadow figures congealed into one form—a large man with a helmet bearing horns and a cape that fluttered out like large wings. “ ‘Why should we be forced to sit idly by and wait for the forest to offer what should be rightfully ours? We should attack the forest and take its land by force!’ But the King refused and so tension began to brew in the castle as the subjects were split between the opinions of both with more being swayed to the side of the Royal Army’s leader as time went on. Soon, it was only by the command of the King that had kept the people at bay, standing down but begrudgingly.”
“So the King still wanted to be nice and make friends… but you said Lucifer was the prince?” Charlie pointed out to get the facts straight.
“Yes, Charlie, he was the son of the good king, and he believed in his vision of peace to keep living in harmony with the inhabitants of the forest instead of wanting to eliminate them to expand the kingdom. But tragedy befell the Kingdom, and that is where our story truly begins when Prince Lucifer was forced to take up the mantle of the crown.” Alastor paused when he saw Charlie’s wide-eyed expression and added on as a gentle caveat, “However, this story might be too much for small princesses~?”
“No-!” Charlie exclaimed, grabbing hold of Alastor’s sleeve as she inhaled brave little breaths. “I- I can handle it, Alastor! But you gotta start the story off right.”
“Oh? And how would I do that?” Alastor asked indulgingly.
“Once upon a time!”
Alastor chuckled softly before he moved a hand to the top of her head and stroked her hair, earning him a smile from the child. The shadows on the wall played out even without his hands to manipulate the projection. “Alright then~. Let us begin. Once upon a time….”
Chapter 2: Enemies/Pining
Chapter Text
….in a land far, far away, a kingdom that shone in white and gold was draped in black as the people mourned the death of their King. But intermingled with the tears and weeping were whispers of foul play. For hadn’t the King ventured to meet with the elders of the Forest in their domain prior to the mysterious ailment that had ultimately claimed his life?
Still, this did not deter the young prince who had found comfort in the Forest for as long as he could remember. Despite the warnings from his advisors, Lucifer had stolen away on the morning after his father’s funeral to venture deep into the forest to a secret place where no one else could find him. It was a risky, foolish venture, but he knew this might be the last time he would ever be able to come here to see his dearest friend.
And so, it was with tears that he had greeted Alastor when the stag had come up to meet him, fully embracing him in his human form.
“You’re trembling…” Alastor was pointing out the obvious but unlike his typical playful retorts, this time there was only concern in his tone. The death of the King had disturbed the Forest dwellers as well and the tension was felt as a million slithering whispers around them. As if every leaf and blade of grass wanted to vocalize the fear of uncertainty of what was to come next. While normally unperturbed, even Alastor had to concede a little to the looming thoughts of worst-case scenarios.
“Adam-…. Adam wants to raze the forest, Alastor,” Lucifer finally managed to gasp out with his face buried into the comforting warmth of the deer’s chest. “The people are behind him and I- I’m supposed to support the decision as my first act as the new King. But I don’t want to! The Forest has done nothing but help our kingdom! And I…. I don’t know what to do….”
The only thing stopping Alastor from reacting in rightfully indignant anger was the very thing that was a little shivering ball in his arms right now. His concern and love for his friend kept him still as he held him tightly, providing him the reassuring presence that he was not alone. But this time it wasn’t quite enough to break through the anxiety-tinged melancholy.
“They’re going to be watching my every move from here on out. The next time I return, it will be with the Army behind me…” Lucifer admitted with a shaking sigh. “I’d only managed to elude the guards today because everyone is still distracted by my father’s funeral. But…”
Alastor shushed the prince with a gentle palm to his cheek, his thumb sliding just under his eye to momentarily stem the flow of tears.
Lucifer gazed upwards at him and, despite how heavy his heart was, he smiled. Alastor always had that effect on him one way or another. He indulged in the desire to nuzzle his cheek into the hold, feeling the same soft flutterings in his chest that had begun to take center stage the longer they’d known each other. It was that feeling too that had kept him doubtful of the reason for his father’s passing. But then if it hadn’t been the Forest that had taken his life…
“….Alastor—what do you know of the king’s passing?”
A brief flash of guardedness appeared in the stag’s eyes, but the trust he saw in Lucifer’s helped dissipate it.
“Nothing. The last time the King had entered the forest’s domain was seasons ago,” he admitted and knew Lucifer believed him. But that meant foul play of a different sort had to be the reason and the realization that dawned on them both was not as shocking as it was dreadful.
“They killed him then,” Lucifer whispered for the both of them. “Those in the court who differed from my father’s ideals. They murdered him and are incentivizing the people to stand against the Forest by blaming all of you.”
Alastor pulled Lucifer to himself suddenly in a possessive manner, burying his fingers in his hair and the folds of his clothes which caused the prince to gasp. “Alastor..?”
“Don’t go back.”
“But-“
“No.” Alastor’s antlers protruded more from his head with the flare of emotion. “If they are willing to kill your father in cold blood for not acting as they wanted him to, what makes you think you’re immune to their treachery as well?” Alastor shook his head. “No, I won’t allow it. The Forest has always loved you, Lucifer, it will accept your presence here. This can be your home. The rest of the humans can perish in their foolishness.”
The flutterings intensified in Lucifer’s chest. To be able to stay with Alastor for the rest of his life… To dwell in the Forest and seek its wonders together… The image was so sweet in his mind and his heart ached to make it true.
But he couldn’t.
He felt a fresh wave of tears well up but he swallowed them down and pressed a palm to Alastor’s chest, pushing back from the hold. Alastor’s body momentarily tensed as he refused to let Lucifer go, but the insistent hand got him to finally take a step back, albeit with his expression strained. “Lucifer? I don’t understand…. Don’t you want that? Don’t you want to remain with me? If you go back, you’ll never-“
“I know, Alastor.” Lucifer’s hand twitched as he longed to give in to his desires; to flee from the heavy burden that was awaiting him; to be with Alastor forever. “I know…. But… I… I have a responsibility to the people… As misguided as they are, they are my people and as their king I have to do what I can to protect them.”
“The very people who have allowed the death of the King? The very people who have grown arrogant in their comfortable existence and have forgotten how it is they came to survive all this time?” An angry keen was filling in as an undertone to Alastor’s words, the sound completely of the wilderness as his form flickered at the seams from his rising emotions. A misguided pulse of irritation let out a burst of magic that drew earthly tendrils from the ground itself that yanked Lucifer by the torso backwards onto the trunk of a tree, binding him there.
Each step forward by Alastor produced another tendril that curled around Lucifer’s ankles and wrists, driven by the stag’s will for him to stay. “Without the protection of the forest, the kingdom will fall. Do you understand what it is I’m telling you, your highness? The kingdom’s destiny is ruination and blundering fools like Adam will only hasten the inevitable. You’d be returning to certain death, Lucifer. If not by the hands of the people in their dissatisfaction, then by those of the outsiders who only want to take what will be left of your kingdom for themselves.”
Alastor had come right up to the prince and stood before him, his expression set. “If you’re so eager to die, then I’d rather you perish here now by my hands.” One of the tendrils had started to curl around Lucifer’s neck and the prince felt his breathing labor as the airway was slowly being cut off. But even as he felt stars start to close in from the peripherals of his vision, Lucifer would not concede. Even as the stars gave way to darkness, Lucifer knew Alastor would not kill him, and met the deer’s intimidation with a smile.
“…”
The tendrils pulsed with the twitch of Alastor’s fingers before, with effort, they retreated. His outstretched arms caught the prince and they both slumped to the base of the tree where they simply laid for a long quiet moment.
“…I have to try,” Lucifer finally said, reaching up to hold Alastor’s face in his hands. “Maybe the kingdom will fall. Maybe the first step I take as King is the first step towards the gallows, but… I have to try. I owe my lineage and the kings before me that much. And who knows…?” He brought their foreheads together until all he could see was Alastor’s eyes, using the opportunity to memorize their appearance. “Maybe I can make a difference. Adam’s voice is loud, but as long as his isn’t the only one the people hear, there is a chance they too could change their minds.”
“The creatures of the Forest will defend their home,” Alastor insisted, though his voice had lowered to a mere whisper. “When we depart from each other this day, it will be as enemies as far as our people are concerned.”
“Then let’s make the most of the time we do have left, Alastor…”
With their breaths and heartbeats synching, they both finally let their feelings for each other guide their actions, leaving them with a memory that would persist in their hearts no matter what the future would bring…
A particularly loud crash of thunder shook the house, but the princess was too busy staring at Alastor in shock to notice. Tears were dripping down from her eyes and from the eyes of the other blond in the room.
“What the fuck, Alastor?!” Lucifer demanded, forgetting his own rule to try to not curse in front of his young daughter. Realizing what he’d said, he amended quickly, “I mean fuuuudgenuggets! What the fudgenuggets, Alastor!”
But little Charlie demanded in her own indignation, “What the duck, Alastor! That wasn’t a happy story! That was a sad story! Really sad! Lucifer and Alastor will never see each other again?!”
The deer demon shrugged with the same airiness that put a lilt in his reply. “W~ell, the best kinds of stories are tragedies, after all~. And who wouldn’t enjoy tales of wayward souls doomed to failure thanks to oppressive and inevitable circumstances?” He shot up a shadow tendril in time to block the pillow that Lucifer had swung at him. But what he couldn’t block in time was the plush duck that had whapped him right on the stomach. Whomp whomp whomp! He allowed three hits precisely for Charlie to get it out of her system before a tendril curled around the duck and sent it to the ceiling.
“Nope! Nuh-uh. That isn’t how we roll here in Cascada de Morningstar!” Lucifer announced, crossing his arms over his chest firmly.
“Cascada? Don’t you mean ‘Casa’?” Alastor asked. He might not be fluent in Spanish in any way, but even he knew enough commonly used words to utilize phrases like that properly. One would assume the King of Hell would be somewhat fluent in every language spoken by the Sinners who inhabited his Ring, but you know what people say about assumptions…
“Right! That’s what I said!” Lucifer announced to the roll of Alastor’s eyes. “Anyway, Charlie,” he said, laying on his side with a fist under his cheek to support it as his eyes widened excitedly, “the end of Alastor’s story was not the real end of the prince’s and the deer’s story! You know how radio dramas loooooove having those ‘to be continued’ moments so we’ll tune in again the next night to hear how the story ends?”
Charlie’s eyes widened too with the realization. “Oh yea! Alastor loves the to-be-continues when he does his radio stuff!” She turned and playfully stuck out a tongue at the deer demon. “That’s what happened here, huh? You left us on a… what was that word again? Cliff… cliff……”
“Cliffhanger~?” Alastor supplied.
“Yeah! Cliff-hangs-her!”
“Close enough~.”
Lucifer cleared his throat to draw Charlie’s attention back to him. “Anyway, yea! That was just a cliffhanger. Now listen to your ol’ dad—here’s what happens next. Are you ready, Charlie?”
“Wait, wait!” Charlie pointed to the duck plush that was still on the ceiling. “I need my friend first.”
“Oh, alright then. I suppose you have earned your plushie privileges back,” Alastor said before the tendril retreated so the plush fell straight down into her outstretched arms.
Charlie gave the red duck a big snuggle before turning her full attention to her father.
“Ahem!” Lucifer swirled his finger in the air and golden sparkles began to form colored pictures in front of them as if from a dream. “Okay! So, once upon a time—“
“No, no, no,” Charlie insisted, wagging her tiny finger with authority. “We already did that part and this is a to-be-continued! We don’t need once ‘pon a time again, dad. So silly~.”
Lucifer laughed. “Of course, of course! How could I forget? Anyway!” He cleared his throat once more. “So, after the two, uh, shared a very firm handshake,” Lucifer shot Alastor a warning look here to keep the stories somewhat relatively appropriate for young ears and emphasized with a raised brow how lucky he was that he was around to clarify a more innocent tone for Charlie’s imagination, “something wonderful happened that had given the two friends hope again. It was something neither had expected but sometimes the best things in life arrive in the most unexpected ways!”
Chapter 3: Deal
Chapter Text
The humans, after all, weren’t the only ones who had forgotten the blessings that had been bestowed upon them. The forest creatures too grew accustomed to the blessings of their magic without acknowledging its origin. The creatures were powerful with their abilities, yes, but it was the Forest itself that was responsible for granting them their powers in the first place. The most powerful entity there wasn’t any creature or man, but the Forest that watched over all life around and within it as a peaceful protector.
But like a good protector, the Forest knew when it had to act to return equilibrium to existence.
The Elders of the Forest Dwellers were those who were the most in-tune to the whispers of the Forest. They each held domain over the different types of creatures that resided in the forest and thus were seldom seen mingling among the populace due to how busy they were with their own protective roles. No humans had ever come face-to-face with them except for members of the royal family. And even then, it was only the King who was granted guaranteed audience with them, however seldom those encounters may be.
But desperate times called for desperate measures, and one such Elder felt the callings of the Forest to seek the two friends out. He was a large entity with a flowing plumage of flames and three faces that helped him in giving wise counsel to the creatures of the forest. It was fitting that it would be he to approach Alastor and Lucifer now as they lay together, unwilling to break apart from each other even as Lucifer’s inevitable departure neared. But the sudden presence drew Alastor to rise instinctually to Lucifer’s defense which only earned him a laugh from the Elder.
“Stand down, young stag,” the Elder crowed with a deep chuckle. “I can see you do not recognize me! But surely the young Prince Morningstar there can identify who I am. Your father kept very good records of our meetings, after all, and I know you’ve studied them before.”
Lucifer needed but only a moment before his eyes widened with recognition. “You’re Asmodeus, if I’m not mistaken. Actually, I know I’m not..! I’d recognize those flaming feathers anywhere!”
“Call me Ozzie,” Asmodeus corrected, grinning.
Alastor may have never met Asmodeus in person but he knew the name—it was just enough to get him to return to a somewhat relaxed state. “What does an Elder want with us?” After all, it was very rare to have one approach someone. Usually it was everyone else who approached them.
“I’ll cut to the chase since we ain’t got much time to dally.” Asmodeus gestured to the trees all around them. “The Forest called to me and told me that a great deal of death and destruction was to come if things were to proceed on the present course unchanged. So, here I am to offer a possible solution.” He held up a hand to stem the wave of elation that had come upon the prince’s face. “However, this is not something to be agreed upon thoughtlessly. I’m sorry to say, your highness, that even if what I’m about to tell you does succeed, even if the lives of the Forest Dwellers and your people will remain unmarred by needless death and pain, your Kingdom will still cease to be. I cannot say why for, as you know, even the Elders are only privy to what the Forest is willing to offer us. But if you do agree to go forward with this, it will have to be with unwavering conviction and complete trust and dedication. Are you willing?”
Lucifer stood before the Elder with his fists clenched by his sides and his jaw set with determination. Without any hesitation, he said, “I am. I will do whatever it takes to protect my people and the Forest. Whatever will be asked of me, I will gladly give.”
Asmodeus smiled as he felt the conviction in the prince’s words. He then turned to the stag. “And you, Alastor? If the same was asked of you in order to make this work, would you offer your complete dedication unhesitatingly as well?”
Alastor turned his gaze towards the prince besides him. He was not prone to jumping into such commitments easily especially when he didn’t even know what would be required of him, but he knew deep in his heart that he was willing to do anything that would keep harm from coming to his friend. Yes, even if the motivation came from Lucifer’s foolhardy bleeding heart. It was the same heart, after all, that he cherished.
His hand touched Lucifer’s and at once the prince unclenched his fist to close his palm around Alastor’s. Alastor was looking at Lucifer, not Asmodeus, when he finally said, “If that is what it will take, then yes, I too will offer my commitment.” Lucifer turned to beam at him and they both felt a pleasant warmth pulse within their handhold.
“Splendid!” Asmodeus clapped his hands together and the warmth beat outwards from their palms, radiating to every nerve ending in their bodies. The Elder laughed at their astonished expressions before he said, “You’ve passed the test! Not only are you both willing to do what it will take to save the lives of the humans and the creatures of the Forest, but I could see just now that your hearts are fully dedicated to this as well. This was the vital requirement of the solution and now I am allowed to tell you how to proceed.”
With a gesture, Asmodeus produced a flame in his palm that flickered with faint imagery as he spoke.
“Seek the hidden waterfall deep within the forest where an eternal rainbow lives within its spray. There, the Forest has gifted you your solution. Listen to your hearts, for they will tell you what to do. Deny the faint whisperings and this will fail.”
The flame disappeared with the closing of his fist.
“That is all I have to offer the both of you. Good luck, Lucifer, Alastor. May you both save us all from ruination.”
~*~
What followed next was something neither the prince nor his friend could have ever expected in their wildest imaginings. For when they came upon the waterfall Asmodeus had spoken of, what they found was neither a weapon or treasure or even any tomes of wisdom—items that would logically be utilized to fix a problem such as this. No, what they found was….
“A child?” Alastor vocalized for the both of them.
Yes, nestled in an apple-shaped cradle of long grasses and leaves was a beautiful baby girl with hair that shone as gold in the sunlight.
The prince immediately felt his chest swell with an immense love for the child and he knew as soon as he held her that he would never be able to part from her.
“This is the Forest’s answer, Alastor,” Lucifer declared with the warm pulse in his chest confirming it to be true. “This girl… she is the answer.”
“The Kingdom will have questions,” Alastor pointed out, still feeling prickles of dubiousness. But he remembered what Asmodeus had cautioned and sighed with just a hint of irritation. “But we’ll have answers when the time is right…”
“Exactly!” chirped the prince as he cuddled the baby girl to him. Being more receptive to the Forest’s whisperings, he was already seeing their next steps in his mind and the picture painted made him giggle.
Alastor’s brow raised in response. “Do tell what has got you so tickled?”
“Oh, you’ll see in time, my dear, you’ll see in time~.”
~*~
They named her Charlotte because it felt right and the people were instantly overtaken by affection for her. Lucifer had to hand it to the Forest—if there was anything that could act as a worthy distractor it was Overwhelming Cuteness. The same passionate feelings that had been pouring into a desire for war had turned in a snap into the desire to witness the daily life of the kingdom’s new princess.
The vision Lucifer had in the Forest had come true as well though it was to Alastor’s chagrin in its initiation. The people, being less inclined to accept her true origins, needed something logical to satisfy the ever-present human need to understand things because understandable bits of knowledge meant safety from the unknown. Thus, who should accompany the prince back but the very “doe” who’d mothered the child in secret? The doe who was accepted as the new queen as easily as Charlotte had been accepted as the People’s Princess.
Having the prince father a child with one of the Forest was indeed news ripe for exploitation and could have been cause for an outcry by the public to remove Lucifer from power for the act of betrayal against humankind. But the opinion of the public was a fickle beast and, this time, it was swayed by the darling image of the new royal family together—the means of how they came to be be damned!
This worked in Lucifer’s favor as well. Alone, his advisors and even the head of the Royal Army felt emboldened by his gentle nature to enforce their own visions for the Kingdom. But with Alastor by his side, his queen easily shot them down and countered their ridiculous notions with a sharp tongue and unsaid threats of another sort should they overstep their boundaries. Alastor’s magical abilities were also well-received for the people were quick to discover that Princess Charlotte was unique in another aspect aside from her adorableness—Princess Charlotte, while a human for all intents and purposes, possessed the abilities of the Forest. Who better to tutor her in her abilities than one who also had them?
And as she grew so too did the Kingdom with her inspired ideas. When questioned through the lens of the innocent, it forced the people to actually consider the answers for themselves beyond the surface level. Questions like: “Why do we have walls around the Kingdom if the Forest itself seeks to protect us?” or “What lies beyond the Forest?”
Once the walls of the Kingdom were taken down, the people, who’d feared and loathed the Forest as an entity separate from them, came to embrace it as a neighbor once more just as their ancestors had a long time ago. Relations with the Forest Dwellers improved and some humans even ventured into the Forest to build homes for themselves with the permission of the Forest Elders. But this was just the start since the outward venture meant, eventually, the humans did manage to see what was beyond. For as vast as the Forest was, it too had a boundary—one that the people had needed only to seek to find.
Emboldened and inspired by the young princess’s curiosity, the people found they were no longer satisfied with simply remaining in the Kingdom. The siren call of Out There that had played as mere whispers upon its discovery only grew into a grand crescendo as the Possibilities the Outside offered became more tantalizing the more the people pondered them.
And so, when the Princess had come of age, she approached her parents with a bold plan in mind and determination in her heart.
“Father, ‘mother’,” Princess Charlotte greeted, bowing her head in reverence. “You’ve devoted your lives to raising me and I thank you for that. This land has been my only home and I would love to remain your little girl and stay by your side for the rest of my life. But I feel a calling in my heart and I feel it is my destiny to lead our people onward from this place to find new lives out in the world. Will… will you grant me your blessing to go forth to be the leader I was always meant to be?”
Out of all the decisions that had been guided by the whispers in his heart, Lucifer found this one to be the most painful to make. But it was Alastor’s touch that reminded him of what Asmodeus had said. He had to trust that feeling no matter what.
With tears in his eyes, he nodded and embraced his daughter—the same little girl he had loved who had now grown into a beautiful young woman.
“Of course, sweetie,” he replied with his heart swelling with pride. “I know no matter what happens, you will always do what is best for our people. Just never forget how much we love you, okay?”
“I would never,” Charlotte promised, smiling as Alastor completed the loving hold with his own embrace. “I love you both so, so much…”
On the day of departure, practically everyone in the kingdom had chosen to go with her. Everyone, that is, except the two who wanted to accompany her the most.
From the highest tower in the castle, Lucifer and Alastor watched as Princess Charlotte and the people left the boundaries of the kingdom and ventured through the forest where a path leading out cleared for them with the Forest’s blessing.
“You can still go with her, if you want,” Alastor tempted with a grin.
“What’s stopping you from doing the same?” Lucifer asked back before they both shared a quiet laugh. The desire was one and the same, yet they both had felt it—the feeling that their place was to remain behind to let her forge her own path.
“Seems the premonition Asmodeus had spoken of had come to pass, hm?”
Lucifer smiled softly. He hadn’t forgotten. All these years of wondering how it’d come true and now the day had finally arrived when his Kingdom would cease to be. But seeing its dissolution now, he found he was okay with it. More than okay, in fact. For even if every single soul had left the kingdom, there still remained and would always remain the one who would be by his side.
“Well, then,” Alastor said as the last of the carts pulled too far out of sight for them to watch the caravan any longer, “the first day of the rest of our lives. What should we do now?”
Lucifer touched his hand to his love’s and their fingers instantly entwined in a hold with the same warmth pulsing outwards as it had the day of their commitments. The answer was already felt by both before Lucifer said with a chuckle, “Whatever our hearts tell us to~.”
“Tadaaaa!” Lucifer did some jazz hands before he announced, “Theeee end! What did you think?”
Charlie was absolutely beaming as she had been with the entry of Princess Charlotte into the story. Alastor, however, had listened with his brow cocking higher as the tale went on. By the end, his brow had disappeared behind his bangs.
Unable to resist after ignoring it this whole time, Lucifer finally demanded, “What? What’s that face for, huh? I took your depressing set-up and turned it riiiiiight around! Happy ending for all!”
“You know, it is the challenge of the storyteller to utilize the core characters to reach a solution, wouldn’t you agree? Yet the crux of your solution was the inclusion of a wise and powerful character to act as the main catalyst to the solution which, while extremely cute,” Alastor gave Charlie a little pat on the head here, “would only be believable with a major suspension of disbelief on the audience’s part.”
“Suspension of disbelief?! Whaddya mean ‘suspension of disbelief’, Al?!” Lucifer demanded, sitting upright with a pout before gesturing to Charlie’s face. “Are you saying this face couldn’t stop wars, huh? Take a good look at it and say that to my face!”
“My dear, the entirety of the Kingdom was ready to go to war with the Forest. At best, they’d have pursued their foolhardy endeavor and would have perished from it when matched with the might of the Forest Dwellers. The humans were set up to be fodder.”
Charlie, wanting her dads to stop bickering, raised her hand up politely to which both men asked, “Yes?”
“Well, I really like it!” she announced importantly, sitting up as well to cross her arms. “And Uncle Ozzie got to be in the story too! He helped Prince Lucifer get his little girl just like the real Uncle Ozzie did for you—right, dad?”
An immense amount of throat clearing was done by the King of Hell here as a golden flush overtook his face and quite loudly he suddenly shot out, “HEY! HO-HO-HO-BOY well wasn’t that a fantastic story? What do you want to hear next, Charlie?”
“Wait, wait.” Charlie pointed to both men with a frown. “Are you and Alastor still in dis’greement about the Forest story? Are you gonna do that thing where you smile when I’m looking then do the mean faces when you think I’m not looking? Cause that’s not very nice…”
“No, of course not!” answered Lucifer quickly. “Because Alastor knows my contribution was fine and a lot better than the doom and gloom alternative~!”
Alastor laughed to himself before he curled an arm around Charlie’s shoulders and leaned in to stage whisper to her with very clear intent to not hide his words, “Of course we’re fine since your father would eventually come to his senses and realize there’s an art to enjoying an ending where everything ends tragically~.”
Charlie’s expression became a baby deadpan—she was totally not buying it. But then she felt a tickle in her heart from a spark of inspiration.
Barely able to hide her giggle, she looked between the both of them and declared, “I know what I wanna hear next. It’s not gonna be fantasy cause we already did that for the Forest story. I wanna hear about when Alastor started to live with us! It’s a really good story!”
“Well, it does start with him in a pretty pathetic state so I’m all for it!” Lucifer jumped in with a smirk.
Alastor’s laugh was a delighted scoff as he leaned towards the King and replied smugly, “Yet if I recall, it was another who’d acted in rather embarrassing ways more often than one could count~. But for one who’s used to Falling, I suppose it does come naturally~.”
“OOOOKAY.” Charlie clapped her hands loudly in the air. “Alastor, dad, shhhhhh, it’s story time. Annnnd this time dad gets to start cause fair’s fair.”
“Oh-ho-HO, I’d be more than happy to, Char-Char! AHEM!” Lucifer cleared his throat with importance before he checked with Charlie, “Do I do ‘once upon a time’ this time?”
“Nuh-uh cause this really happened,” Charlie answered, pleased that her father had asked. “You can just jump into it—it’s okay.”
“Okie-dokey then! So!” Lucifer gestured with his hands wildly to match the tone of his introduction. “The setting? Morningstar Manor—outside. The characters? Lucifer Morningstar and the most adorable little duckling this side of the Pentagram—Charlie~— coming upon a mysteeeeerious figure laying prone right at the gate outside their home.”
“Are you seriously presenting this as an exposé right now?” Alastor cut in flatly.
“Shhhhh- Alastooooor that’s rude,” Charlie gently reprimanded the deer demon. “Dad gets to start however he likes and you get to do it how you like when it’s your turn, okay?” She reached up to pat the side of his head much like he was prone to do to her when proving a point. To Alastor’s chagrin, he found the gesture extremely endearing and decided to be good (for now) for her sake.
“Anyway, like I was saying,” Lucifer continued, raising a cloud of golden sparkles to show the memory from his point-of-view. The gold turned to faded red and Lucifer’s smile dipped as the view within the cloud went from the black rain of Exorcists falling upon the Pentagram to Charlie pointing forward with a gasp to the sight of Alastor laying in a puddle of his own blood. “….this is the story of how we met Alastor….”
Chapter 4: Drinking/Bonding
Chapter Text
It was the same every year. The countdown as 1 ticked down to 0 on the clock tower. The golden spiral in the sky opening up with deceptive cheery brightness before they arrived—the black rain of death. Those who were smart had holed up to outlast the Exorcists; had found ways to make themselves as less of a target as possible. But that still didn’t ensure survival and soon the streets were filled with chaos and screaming and death. Everywhere.
Magic and games could only do so much to distract his daughter, because eventually the commotion outside and the pain radiating from the very Pentagram was too much to bear. As much as Lucifer tried to keep the windows tightly closed and curtained, it was inevitable that Charlie would try to peer out and ask the same question every year.
“Dad…. why is this happening?”
And every year Lucifer told the same lie.
“I don’t know, sweetie.”
Truth was, he did know but with Charlie still being so young, how could he let her know that it was her own father who’d allowed Heaven to send its Exorcists down to slaughter Sinners every year?
“Come away from the window, Charlie, please…”
Every year she would, but with more pain and confusion on her expression as the years went by; as her desire to understand grew each time she had to witness the awful tradition.
Then one year she saw a half-double-dead Sinner crawling in front of the Morningstar Manor. With great insistence, she implored her father to go out and help them, but before she could convince him, an Exorcist passing by noticed life still in them and had finished the job right before their very eyes.
Perhaps that was why, the following year, Lucifer had attended to his daughter’s cries more diligently.
“Dad! Dad! Someone’s outside the gate! They’re hurt! Oh, please, please, help them!”
Lucifer wouldn’t dare to think twice and had immediately teleported to the gate to scoop the Sinner up before reappearing back inside, just barely escaping the shadows of two Exorcists who’d swooped past to investigate.
The Sinner was in a sorry state. A deep gash had been sliced into their chest, the searing from an angelic weapon keeping the body from properly regenerating. Lucifer teleported again to lay the Sinner onto the guest bed with his daughter’s hurried footsteps tromping from the downstairs to meet him at the doorway where he blocked her off with a gentle cry, “Charlie please stay outside!” From the looks of the Sinner, they were as good as gone, but Lucifer had felt it—the pulse, however faint, of life still in them. But with the lingering effects of the angelic weapon upon them, it wouldn’t be long before they would perish if something wasn’t done.
“Dad, do something, please!” begged the little princess, solidifying Lucifer’s resolve. If it had been up to him alone, he’d consider this the best he could have done and washed his hands of the matter. But with his daughter’s insistence, an unorthodox solution came to mind. Something yet untested but was worth trying for her sake.
Angelic steel held devastatingly destructive powers, that was true, but among those of Heaven’s ranks, there were those who had been blessed with the ultimate gift of healing, those very ones who bore the six wings denoting their status—the seraphim. Lucifer had been one of those very seraphim. And while he’d never had the opportunity to test the theory out before, now was as good a time as any.
“Hang on, you unlucky bastard,” Lucifer mumbled under his breath before he laid his hands upon the gash across their chest.
A golden glow formed with his healing intent. It seemed to work for the Sinner’s fingers had begun to twitch and their head moved to the side with a cringe of discomfort upon their face.
Then, completely black eyes with red radio dial pupils shot out before the son-of-a-bitch grabbed the Fallen angel by the arm and bit him.
“DUCK!” was what Charlie had misheard as her father’s wings flared out to try to back away. But the Sinner wasn’t letting go as the spurts of golden blood spilled from the punctures. The best way to describe the Sinner’s actions was feral instinct as they seemed quite intent on slurping up the precious droplets of gold.
At last, Lucifer had managed to yank his arm from those oppressively sharp fangs, backing him and his daughter up as he watched the Sinner with his heart hammering away in his chest from the rush of adrenaline.
Fortunately, it seemed that burst of energy was the best the Sinner could muster. Almost as suddenly as they had struck out so too did their eyes close and their body still. Their mouth shone with a golden sheen from the blood—the same glow that was now extending down along the Sinner’s throat and spreading across their chest. Before Lucifer’s eyes, he saw the chest wound cauterize itself with a hiss, stemming the flow of blood with a self-generated heat that emanated from the glow.
“Ouchie! Dad are you okay?” Charlie asked, holding her father’s arm gingerly. But the same healing powers the Fallen seraphim was able to extend to others flowed through his own veins and, in a blink, the puncture wounds were already closing back up, leaving only lingering marks.
Still, Lucifer was now very wary of the random Sinner they’d picked up and, in a flash, he had Charlie ushered out of the room with clear instructions to never enter unless he was present with her.
The rest of Extermination Day had been spent at the doorway of the guest room since Charlie kept gravitating back to it to check in on the Sinner. She obeyed her father and had stayed behind the threshold of the doorframe, but with how dangerous Sinners could be, even the space between the bed and the door seemed too short for Lucifer’s liking. And so, the King of Hell himself had to also hover as he watched the Sinner’s condition, ever diligently alert to summon a portal to teleport his daughter to another part of the manor should they awaken and decide to lash out.
It was when evening had fallen that Charlie had to concede to sleep, giving Lucifer the chance to approach the Sinner on his own after she’d been tucked away to bed. This, of course, proceeded only after he’d closed and locked the door behind him before approaching the Sinner’s bedside once more.
In the flickering light of the wall sconces, Lucifer studied the deceptively soft features of the Sinner. With their mouth closed, the sharp teeth that had assaulted him earlier were hidden away, showcasing gentle sweeps of red hair beneath two fluffy deer ears.
Having hid away in the manor all this time, Lucifer hadn’t made himself acquainted with any Sinners in Hell, and so he was left drawing a blank as he studied the Sinner’s sleeping face. So peaceful….
…that was until the Sinner opened their mouth and drawled with condescension, “It’s not polite to stare.”
“Polite? Polite?” Lucifer demanded, feeling a swell of irritation from the Sinner’s audacity to call out his behavior when they’d bitten him in the first place! With a flourish, Lucifer held out his arm and pointed right at the now faded puncture marks. “You don’t get to say that after you broke skin, buddy!”
The Sinner scoffed before turning to look at the King of Hell, this time, thankfully, with eyes a faded red instead of black though the red tinge was enough to up the wariness factor in Lucifer’s mind. He may not know Sinners individually, but he was aware enough of his Ring to know that crimson eyes meant he was in the presence of an Overlord. But Overlords were meant to be Sinners of immense power. How then did this one come to such a state?
“I’m not your buddy, friend,” the Sinner returned with a smirk.
Not to be beat, Lucifer shot back, “Well, I’m not your friend, guy!”
“Not guy,” the Sinner scoffed. “Alastor. I’d say it was a pleasure to be meeting you, but it’d be impolite to lie~.”
The audacity!
“Big talk for a guy who was nearly half-double-dead outside my doorstop!” Lucifer scoffed back. “And for your information, you should be honored to meet me! If it weren’t for my daughter, this,” he motioned back and forth between them, “would never have happened—believe me.”
Silence had settled as Alastor’s smile tightened from the weight of that truth.
Lucifer, unable to take silence for long, broke it with a mutter. “So…how are you feeling? You seem more alive than when we found you.”
The shadow by Alastor’s side started to form a shape but it was like the bubble sculptures Charlie made in the tub—it formed then fell apart far too quickly. Alastor tsked softly before settling back down.
“Ah--. Not at full power then~?” Lucifer teased with a grin before he gestured with a swirl of his finger. “Can you even sit up?”
Alastor’s refusal to answer was answer enough.
“Hmmm. Well, while I’d like to tell you to get the hell out now, my daughter would probably not like me kicking you out before you were back on your feet. So, I guess you’re allowed to stay. However!” Lucifer stuck a wagging finger right into Alastor’s personal space to emphasize how important his point was. “That means you’re going to behave yourself. You treat my daughter with respect and you do not do anything to bring harm to her. In exchange, you’re allowed to remain here as long as you need to heal. Got it? Hey!” The finger was yanked back as Alastor tried to snap his teeth at it. “Rude!”
“I could hardly help myself,” Alastor cooed with a lilting purr. “I can smell the blood that pulses in your veins. It smells… delicious~.”
“Creepy…” Lucifer muttered though he couldn’t help but wonder if there was a reason for Alastor’s statement besides an attempt to disturb him. Alastor had bitten him out of pure instinct earlier. Did the Sinner’s body recognize the source of healing and wanted to tap into it out of necessity? His blood did seem to be effective on the Sinner’s wounds, after all.
Things like dosing requirements had to be winged since this was something Lucifer had never done before. And while the last dose had been taken hours prior, perhaps a top-off would encourage Alastor’s body to activate its own regenerative properties so it wouldn’t need the crutch of a seraphim’s blood.
Still, his blood was leverage, even if it was leverage for harmless pride.
“Alright—I’ll let you have some more of my blood, but,” and this was a big but, “you have to ask me nicely using my name and a pretty-please-with-sugar-on-top!”
Alastor blinked slowly before he asked, “Who are you again?”
Lucifer’s jaw dropped. It was one thing for a Sinner to be unrecognized but another for it to happen the other way around with THE KING OF HELL. “Lucifer Morningstar? King of the Pride Ring? YOUR King, if you needed reminding?! Are you seriously telling me for how long you’ve been alive in Hell, you never once saw my image anywhere?!”
“Ooooooooooooooh~,” drawled Alastor with his smile widening. “That’s right. Silly me—I must be having some memory issues in my current state, haha~. But you are much shorter in real life which has thrown me for a loop! Ah—and where are you going?”
“BED,” Lucifer shot out, already at the door with his hand on the knob. “Since I know you’re not double-dying on us in the middle of the night and are too weak to do much else but lay there, I’m getting some rest! You’ll survive one night without my blood to heal you. That’ll give you all night to rethink being polite in someone else’s home when they’re just trying to help you!” With a hmph the King yanked open the door and slammed it on his way out. But then it reopened and he called back, “And goodnight! Sleep tight!” before shutting it closed again.
~*~
The next morning, Lucifer awoke to his daughter’s shriek. In an instant, he’d rushed from his bed to seek her out, gasping when he saw the door to the guest room wide open.
“Charlie?!”
In he went only to find Charlie lying on her stomach by Alastor’s side, staring up at him with eyes wide with sparkling fascination.
“Oh! Hi, dad!” Charlie greeted, waving her father over before she was yanked up into a protective hold. “Daaaad! What’re you doing??”
“Charlie, what did I tell you?” Lucifer demanded as he held her tightly to him, taking a step back from the bedside, “Sinners are dangerous! You should have waited for me to be here before you came in!”
“Daaaaaad you don’t recognize him?” Charlie asked, squirming in his hold.
“Recognize him? Why would I?”
The squirming was insistent and, against his better judgment, Lucifer let go of his daughter so she could hop back onto the bed to gesture to Alastor’s grinning face. “Alastor! This is Alastor!” When her father simply stared with blank unrecognition, Charlie sighed before she gestured more insistently. “Alastor? The radio show?”
“Charlie here has elucidated for me that you both are rather big fans of my show~,” Alastor announced smoothly. Lucifer hadn’t picked up on it the night prior from the stress of the day (and he wasn’t exactly the most observant being in Hell either) but now that he took the time to listen, his voice did sound familiar… “Especially the—what segments did you mention before, Charlie dear?”
“The radio dramas!” Charlie emphasized with rapid clapping. “Dad and I love hearing your stories! And the music is fun too! Jazz, right?”
“Correct! Such a smart girl!” Alastor rustled her hair which earned him a giggle from the little princess.
Even if Alastor had been an asshole to him the night before, it warmed Lucifer’s heart to see him be so nice to his daughter. Just seeing her laugh after the awfulness of Extermination Day was almost enough to make him forgive Alastor’s rudeness.
“It really is a wonder that you’re his daughter with how unobservant your father can be~,” continued Alastor with a smirk turned Lucifer’s way.
Almost.
“Dad, dad, dad, Alastor can’t really get up so I was thinking we can make breakfast and bring it to him in bed! You know, like how you do for me when I don’t feel so good?” Charlie exclaimed, turning to her father with her hands waving from the inspired idea. “I told him you make the best pancakes! But Alastor is a deer so can they be deer ones instead of ducks? Then he’ll get better from them and maybe be okay enough to play with us!”
“Yes, Lucifer, proper nourishment is vital to one’s healing,” Alastor supplemented slyly, absolutely implying things other than deer pancakes. “I’d love ever so much to be well enough to play with the little princess~.”
“Pretty please, dad?” Charlie clapped her hands together in front of her face and looked up at him with puppy dog eyes.
Alastor simply gestured towards the plea on the girl’s face. Why did he need to say please when she was doing a perfectly good job doing it for him?
Lucifer’s eyes narrowed from the sheer audacity of it all! Was saying please himself that much of a teeth-pulling gesture that he’d work this hard to utilize a loophole? And people said he was the most guilty of the sin of pride???
But in the face of his daughter’s pleading, Lucifer was forced to concede. He carried her up and set her down to send her off with a pat on the head. “Of course, Charlie! We’ll make the best pancakes ever so Alastor can get better. Why don’t you go on ahead to the kitchen and start taking the ingredients out for your dad, okay? I need to speak with Alastor here for just a second.”
“Okay, dad!”
He waited till she was out of earshot before scoffing down at the deer demon. To think this asshole was the same smooth voice he listened to during sleepless nights, finding comfort in his velvety tones to soothe his mind when it was a jumbled mess of anxiety and self-defeating thoughts. To think he’d fantasized meeting that voice in an interview someday so he could finally place a face to the name Alastor. Well, here was Alastor with that smugass face of his right here in his own home. Lucifer never imagined his meeting with the radio host would end up with him wanting to punch him but here he was!
“Nourishment, ay, Lucifer?” Alastor prompted with a chuckle. They both knew what kind of ‘nourishment’ he really needed to heal. The faint clattering sounds down below was the ticking clock reminding Lucifer he had only moments to do this before Charlie would pop back up to check on them.
With a huff, the Fallen angel offered his wrist out. “I hope you know I’m only doing this for my daughter, not you. Never meet your heroes, man, they only disappoint you in the end…”
“Pffft…”
“!” Lucifer’s eyes shot open from Alastor’s snickering. “What?!”
“Hero?” Alastor repeated, lofting his brow. “My good man, I assure you I am many things but a hero is certainly not one of them. Unless of course-” he curled his tongue just under Lucifer’s wrist to guide it towards his mouth at a better angle, “you mean to say your admiration for me really is that great? I guess I should feel honored to learn the King of Hell is a big fan of my radio show. Of course, should is the key operative word here~.”
“Now see here!—ah…” Lucifer hissed as Alastor bit down onto his wrist and broke the skin. “You’re…. What I mean is….” But Alastor’s drinking was far too distracting to allow a fully comprehensible thought to form. Unlike the frenzied feeding previously, Alastor took his time with his drinking this time, choosing to suckle and lick the punctures to draw out the blood like he was savoring each drop. The initial bite had hurt but, in a strange way, what came after was almost tender… How long had it been since Lucifer had felt the touch of another? Someone who wasn’t his daughter? How long since Lilith had-
“You’re blushing. Does this feel good?” asked Alastor, cutting right into his thoughts like a record scratch.
Lucifer felt his cheeks flare up all the more as he denied adamantly, “N-no!” For that comment, he pulled his wrist back. But it seemed the healing effect was already giving Alastor back more of his strength since the demon’s hands moved from under the blanket to hold Lucifer’s forearm in place so he could keep drinking. And then that demon had the audacity to move one of his hands to touch Lucifer’s palm-to-palm, entwining their fingers in a hold just to see the golden flush completely overtake his face. Lucifer wanted to yank his arm back, but there was that tiny little traitorous thought that had arisen that had arrested the impulse— the idea that the hold felt really nice. That Alastor’s hand was warm to touch and that Lucifer didn’t mind-
“Daaaaad!”
Gasp!
“Okay, that’s enough. That’s enough!” Lucifer snapped his fingers and teleported two feet away so Alastor was hovering in mid-lick in the air. The King rubbed at the new wound to try to smear the blood into a less noticeable state as it dried on his arm.
Alastor licked his lips clean and had managed to settle back just in time for the little princess to reappear at the threshold of the guest room.
“Dad the stuff is out! I got strawberries and choc’late chips cause they remind me of Alastor! Can we make the pancakes now?” Charlie asked, taking hold of the hand that was still feeling the lingering sensation from Alastor’s hold.
Lucifer swallowed thickly to regain his composure (while pushing down the flustered question of why he even had to regain his composure in the first place) before he chirped back, “Of course, sweetie!” and scrambled out of the room as quickly as he could. Yet even with his back turned to Alastor, he could feel the slice of a smile aimed at him from the demon’s amusement.
~*~
But ooooh revenge was sweet. Quite literally. For when the two had returned to Alastor’s room bearing a breakfast tray packed high with deer-head-shaped pancakes thick as doll’s cushions and filled to the max with pureed and fresh strawberries mixed in with humongous chocolate chips with the whole stack sopping with syrup and melting whipped cream the look on Alastor’s face had been priceless. To his credit, his surprise was contained mostly to his eyes but ohohohoh did Lucifer enjoy seeing his pupils turn to pinpricks as the demon realized he was meant to consume that tower of sugar. Lucifer hadn’t known Alastor was adverse to sweet things before but now he was going to enjoy the fortuitous happenstance.
“Okay, Alastor, eat up!” Charlie chirped cheerily as she held out a fork to the demon.
“Yeah, Al,” Lucifer cooed from behind her with his own grin reaching ear-to-ear. “Eat up~. You need good nutrition to heal, right? And Charlie worked soooooo hard to make this special for you! You wouldn’t want to let down one of your biggest fans, would you? I know you’re a demon, but not even a demon would be so cruel to a widdle girl, right?”
From over Charlie’s head, there was crackling lightning shooting between their gazes. Alastor may have used Charlie’s pleading earlier to his advantage, but now Lucifer was going to enjoy being just a little bit petty and encourage his daughter’s endeavor to disquiet the deer demon back. All in good fun, of course. Plus, this was the true test, in Lucifer’s opinion. Alastor may be able to play nice when there wasn’t anything at stake, but now there was something here that could drag the nice act away from him which would give Lucifer the chance to convince his daughter to send Alastor on his way should he lash out.
But Alastor was either too clever to fall for the ruse or was actually genuine in his behavior towards the girl since he did eventually concede to sitting up and taking the fork. With only a little hesitation, he took his first bite.
“How is it?” Charlie asked with great anticipation, so much so that her eyes sparkled.
Alastor looked like he was about to become ill but he took another bite and said with his smile tight, “Mmm. Delicious, my dear Charlie. You did,” he swallowed the piece quickly, “well… However, I am still feeling rather weak. I think I’d like to rest now. But—ah—I do feel strength returning from what I’ve eaten already. Good job~.”
Charlie cheered before she tugged at her father’s sleeve. “Did you hear that, dad? Our pancakes worked!”
Among the amusement, Lucifer couldn’t help but feel a little endearment. Alastor may be a butt to him but he’d taken care to spare his daughter’s feelings, forcing himself to eat something he didn’t want to and complimenting Charlie through a hidden grimace. Well, shucks, wasn’t that just admirable? Not that Lucifer wanted to admit it aloud but somehow seeing Alastor being so nice to his daughter made him feel less reserved about allowing him to stay. Plus, Alastor acted as his living experiment as well. Even if Lucifer wasn’t going to give his blood freely to just any hurt Sinner, this was information that was begging to be discovered. Why shun the opportunity now?
Eh. Guess he could throw Alastor a little bone.
“You know, Al,” Lucifer grinned when he caught the annoyed glimmer in the Sinner’s eyes, “Charlie and I haven’t decided what to make for lunch yet. Maybe you have some special request for—uhh—better healing for your type of demon?”
“Ooooh teach us, Alastor!” Charlie added on eagerly. “What’re your favorite foods?”
Alastor regarded the duo with a healthy degree of suspicion (at least regarding the one who was actually going to do the cooking) but with nothing to really lose by voicing his request, he shrugged and replied smoothly, “Well, one does enjoy a good bowl of gumbo now and again~.”
“Gummy-bowls?” Charlie asked curiously. “Is it like gummy worms?”
The radio host laughed heartily at the imagery before he shook his head. “No no, my dear! Gumbo is—hmmm how to best put this?— it’s like a hearty, spicy soup filled with sausage, chicken, shrimp, and vegetables served over rice~. It’s quite tricky to make since one must prepare the roux to perfection first— the roux is very important. It’s a dish that comes from where I used to live in the living world.”
The sparkles intensified in Charlie’s eyes at the mention. “The living world! Alastor tell me more! Pleeeeease pretty pretty please?"
While interested as well, Lucifer felt it was his responsibility as—
Oh, who was he kidding?
Lucifer cleared his throat and commented with his gaze averted, “You know, it would help us, uh, understand how to make the dish better if you told us more about its origins and…such. You know. And if you happen to talk more about where you came from too that’s just par-for-the-course, right?”
Alastor’s grin reached from ear-to-ear at the thinly veiled interest Lucifer was showing. He siiiiighed as if it couldn’t be helped before he opened his arms and allowed the little princess to eagerly scramble into his lap. “Well?” he asked, looking over at Lucifer.
“Well what?” the King asked before he noticed that the radio host was patting the space beside him.
“You might as well become comfortable for the story~.”
“Yeah, c’mon, dad!” insisted Charlie which was the sole reason why Lucifer finally conceded to taking a seat. But with a definite one centimeter distance kept between them still!
“Now then… back when I was alive, I used to live in a wonderfully vibrant city called New Orleans…”
A comfortable silence had settled as all three reminisced on that first memory together. Lucifer caught Alastor smiling fondly at him and he couldn’t help but blush, momentarily averting his eyes before he peeked back shyly and smiled back.
Charlie was beaming up at the both of them, choosing to break the silence first with her exclamation. “That’s more like it! I like it when you’re both smiling! Alastor made you smile a lot more after he started living here, huh, dad?”
“Ach-em. Yes, I suppose that’s true,” Lucifer replied but countered back with an elbow nudging Alastor’s arm, “but he also made me feel levels of exasperation I’ve never felt before!”
Alastor rolled his eyes before he pinched Lucifer’s cheek back in playful retaliation, “Those are my lines, darling~."
The storm outside was starting to subside now as the pauses between lightning strikes were lengthening. The thunder was also less cacophonous and more of a muted rumbling.
“Looks like the storm is beginning to abate. Guess it’s nearly time for little princesses to be settling back to bed?” Alastor pointed out to Charlie’s pout.
“Nooooo I want one more story! Please? Just one widdle, tiny, eeensy-weensy story?” Charlie insisted. “I promise I’ll….” Her eyes widened suddenly and she tugged on her father’s sleeve.
Used to the mannerism, Lucifer smiled and climbed out of the bed to carry her up. “Alright, little missy, let’s take you to the potty. Then afterwards we’ll do one more story and then bedtime. Deal?”
“Like Alastor’s ‘let’s make a deal’?” Charlie asked back with a giggle.
Lucifer laughed back, booping her on the nose endearingly. “Yup! That kind of deal. Binding and final~.”
“Okaaaay,” Charlie agreed, hugging her arms around her father’s shoulders as he walked to the door.
“We’ll be back in two shakes of a duck’s tail!” Lucifer promised before they both exited to the hall.
Left alone in the room, Alastor had to chuckle to himself as he glanced to the wall and saw his shadow self grinning with mirth. His brow raised before he called out to it, “Oh, save it, you. I know this wasn’t the future we foresaw but it hasn’t been a bad development either.”
His shadow self parted a gash in its own chest before its eyes flashed briefly with anger, the gash twisting into a familiar V-shaped logo before it was crushed and consumed by the shadows.
Alastor’s smile never left his mouth but it had left his eyes at the memory. The conditions of what had led him to meeting the King of Hell and his daughter in the first place; the circumstances that had worked out in his favor but at a terrible gamble…
It wasn’t a memory he enjoyed revisiting but it would be foolhardy to forget it. It was because of what had happened that Extermination Day that had reduced him to lying low now; to be less active in Hell while he bided his time.
Strange how opening up his heart had acted as both his downfall and his salvation. Or, at least, as close as it could get down here in Hell.
That day…
Chapter Text
That day had started like any other. As the hours and minutes ticked down on the clock tower, Sinners were scrambling to find shelter in fortified locations, be it their own homes or in public spaces that seemed inconspicuous. Not everyone was lucky though and those who were too weak to defend their positions were pushed out onto the streets by Sinners who were stronger or had larger numbers to back their antagonizing.
That was the fate of one scrawny yet intriguing television-headed Sinner years prior.
Alastor had established his yearly routine on Extermination Day. He ended his radio broadcast an hour early and supplemented the airwaves with a pre-selected playlist— ‘Tunes to be Terrorized to’— while he took a stroll to enjoy the chaos bred from everyone’s panic before he slipped off to evade the incoming wave of Exorcists. There was something deliciously ironic to have old timey romance songs and smooth jazz playing while everyone was screaming and crying and fleeing for their lives.
It was during his stroll along the outskirts of the entertainment district that he’d first met him—the only other media demon in known existence whose introduction consisted of him tumbling right in front of Alastor’s feet after he was pitched down a flight of stairs.
If it weren’t for his unique head, Alastor would have stepped over the Sinner’s fallen body and moved on. But this Sinner bore a TV for a head, and from it came a faint frequency that broadcast a sensation of his emotions. It wasn’t every day that Alastor met someone like that, nor could another Sinner make him secondhand feel the discomfort and low-burning hatred in his heart for the unjust treatment like this Sinner could. Those feelings, of course, were replaced with a static-filled shout of surprise as the Sinner rose up and realized Alastor was looming right over him, watching him with intrigue. But what was more intriguing was that panic gave way to recognition which gave way to admiration?
“Why hello there! You seem to have taken a bit of a tumble, haven’t you?” Alastor asked with canned laughter sounding at his will. He offered the end of his cane which the television Sinner took to help him gingerly push back up to stand. He was about Alastor’s height, but his presence had made him seem smaller.
“Thank you… Alastor… Wow, I didn’t expect to come face-to-face with you—especially today. Though, shit, I guess this is less than ideal,” the Sinner said, trying to brush the dirt off from his mustard yellow turtleneck and brown jacket with little success.
“Oh? You are familiar with me?” Alastor asked, feigning humility. Of course everyone in Hell knew of him! Everyone listened to his radio show so, obviously by that logic, everyone would know of him~! It was still nice to meet a fan, regardless, judging by the stars in the other demon’s eyes. “But I’m afraid I have no knowledge of who you are. Tell me, my good man, what do they call you?”
“Depends on which ‘they’ you mean. It can range from ‘oy shithead’ to ‘part-timer-pinkslip’ to ‘fuckwad’ depending on the day,” answered the Sinner sardonically before he wryly laughed. “But my name is Vox...not that anyone uses it that often.”
“Vox,” Alastor repeated, finding it quite bold for him to utilize a name with two uncommon letters. The name outshone the man, but maybe that could be remedied? “Tell me, Vox, how came you to this state? It’s not often one finds themselves being tossed out like you’ve just been.”
Vox looked up the flight of stairs with a grimace. Already every door and window visible on the shitty apartment was closed and/or boarded up as the Sinners inside bore down.
“This isn’t the first time this has happened, believe it or not,” Vox said even though it was very much believable when it came to him. “It’s the same story—you rent a place and it’s fine to stay in it the other 364 days of the year. But come Extermination Day and suddenly the landlord pulls up a special where people can hole up in your unit if they pay him enough and, regardless of PRE-EXISTING RENTAL AGREEMENTS,” this was yelled particularly loudly and directly at the building itself, “the E.D.-renters get to have your home for a full twenty-four hours and you get tossed to the street. I tried putting up a fight this year but this damn head is so heavy that physical combat is still hard to counter with.”
“Hmmmm, I can see where it can be quite unwieldy,” Alastor agreed, stepping around him in a full circle to examine him as a specimen. How could someone bear an electronic item for a head yet still appear organic too elsewhere? How did it all work? “You appear to be quite inept at physical combat anyway, even if you bore a cranium with more typical dimensions.”
Vox’s face had been a greyish blue up until that comment during which red pigments entirely took over and made the faint light emanating from his screen turn red as a result. He was so reactive~. Before he could reply, the ring of the clock tower signaled time was up. Already the portal from Heaven was beginning to manifest, drawing the media demons’ attentions skyward briefly.
“Shit—I’m sorry but I have to go,” Vox said, looking reluctant to do so but needing to out of dire necessity. “At this rate, I’ll have less than two minutes to find someplace to hide. It was an honor to meet the Radio Demon and I wish I had more time to speak with you—I’m such a big fan of your work and I’ve been following your career ever since Lady Vira’s voice was added to your radio broadcasts—but I really must be going.”
Maybe it was because he seemed such a pathetic creature or maybe it was because he was an anomaly amongst other demons, but Alastor, ever the one to act on his whims, decided then and there that he might see how far this ugly duckling could go.
He closed his hand around Vox’s shoulder and spun him around so he did three rotations before he finally landed to be facing Alastor once more. The dizziness he experienced as well as the bewilderment radiated from his signals.
“Oh, must you? We were having such a riveting conversation. Perhaps you’d like to join me and we can discuss further while this tiresome business of Extermination Day proceeds out here. Come~.”
Before Vox could get a word in edgewise, Alastor had engulfed them both in shadow and teleported away a second before the first wave of Exorcists flew down.
~*~
Since then Vox had been spending a considerable amount of time with the Radio Demon. Alastor used their interactions as opportunities to learn more about how Vox’s unique anatomy worked and to influence the other media demon to hone his energy and skills to improving his position in Hell. He’d learned that Vox had been frittering away his talents working part-time gigs that were beneath his skill level in his quest to get a foothold in the entertainment industry. His stories about the torment he’d suffered as an underpaid, often abused intern were a source of delight for the Radio Demon, keeping him amused from a combination of the stories themselves and Vox’s highly expressive and riveting storytelling. It really was a shame he’d been kept to the backrooms when he possessed the stage presence to captivate audiences front and center. Not as well as Alastor could, mind you, but Vox was a perfect second best!
While he didn’t let Vox use their connection as a means to gain an unfair advantage, he did guide him through subtle tutelage that eventually helped Vox find his own foothold in the industry. Alastor’s curiosity about Vox’s physiology also led to the other media demon realizing his potential with electrical powers and, consequently, was better able to defend himself in conflict which acted as a great confidence booster. With training, Vox learned how to stand his ground so no one would ever try to push him around again.
Vox and Alastor had grown closer as a result of Alastor’s continued interest. What started as a relationship between mentor and student soon grew into a friendship where both found the company of the other desirable. And from there, especially after a few bottles of whiskey and a night of laughter and dancing, perhaps there had been something more.
Unfortunately, this led to Vox feeling entitled to monopolizing Alastor’s time which was problematic since Alastor was someone who liked to keep to his own schedule based on his own whims. That included seeing whoever he wanted whenever he wanted.
At first, it was cute that Vox became pouty when Alastor couldn’t have lunch with him or spend time going over potential show scripts due to having tea with Rosie or visiting a jazz club with Mimzy instead. But very quickly poutiness became whines which became thinly-veiled threats until one day both demons found themselves on opposite ends of the recently vacated street just outside Vox’s newly acquired television production tower.
One of the powers Vox had honed to near perfection by now was manipulation of cables that mimicked Alastor’s shadow tendrils. Upon Alastor’s rejection of a dinner date after they’d just spent the afternoon going over potential show ideas, Vox had angrily sprouted his cables and made to spring them on the Radio Demon to keep him from walking away. That, of course, prompted Alastor to dodge and release his own tendrils to counter him. Both media demons stood at a standstill while cables and shadow tendrils alike were entangled and pushing against each other to gain dominance.
“What the fuck, Alastor?!” spat Vox, his mouth twisted down in a growl. “That’s the third night in a row you’ve turned down having dinner together! What is it this time?! What—do you feel you’re too good to dine with me all of a sudden, huh?”
“I don’t need to justify my actions, Vox,” replied Alastor smoothly. “You have your answer and that should be enough for you. I don’t see where you got the idea that I was to spend every waking moment in your presence.”
“Isn’t it obvious why?!” Vox shot out as a huge swell of electricity rushed outwards from his own body’s source through the cables to temporarily force the shadows back. One of the cables sliced past Alastor’s face, leaving an electric burn upon his cheek. The cables twisted back around to try to grab Alastor’s form, but they quickly closed around nothing as Alastor had disappeared only to reappear behind Vox to strike him to the ground with his cane.
Once down, Alastor stepped on the back of Vox’s newly upgraded television head, raising his foot up before he stomped down, cracking the plastic shell that housed the inner components. While Vox’s new head was slightly more compact than the old one, it was still durable enough to withstand the stomp without any real damage to it save for an ugly spider web dent from the impact. Alastor hadn’t meant to seriously injure him, after all. He was simply sending a message.
Bending down afforded him the reach to grab Vox by the antenna to yank his head back up so his words had little chance of being misheard.
“You were entertaining with your fanatic adoration before, but now it’s grown tiresome. As you like to put it, ‘it’s time to pull the plug on this’, I believe, lest you forget who you are dealing with. Consider this a warning~. Overstep your boundaries again, and you’ll find your voice joining the others’ in a broadcast.”
Alastor kissed the top of Vox’s head with mocking sweetness before he slipped away, leaving Vox alone on the street.
~*~
That should have been the end of things and if Alastor had left it as such, it would have been. But things couldn’t have been that simple, not with sentimentality’s influence.
The next Extermination Day would be the first that Alastor planned to leave Vox to his own devices. Vox was no longer a helpless Sinner with barely any control over his powers now. No, he was on his way to becoming an Overlord. Someone like that didn’t need his protection. It was detrimental, in fact, to lead Vox into thinking he did.
Unfortunately, Alastor was the only one who apparently got that memo. For as he settled into the deep recesses of his Radio Tower, sticking to the shadows to keep his presence low, he’d felt it—the panic and terror transmitted in a rushing wave. By this point, Vox had learned to control his frequencies so he wouldn’t be broadcasting his emotions for anyone to pick up easily. To have it come at him this strongly now gave him little doubt that the fear and panic were extreme and could only be caused by one reason—Vox was in a dire situation.
He should have stayed put. But, instead, he’d teleported to where the frequencies were the strongest, finding Vox cowering on the rooftop of his own tower beneath the antenna structure as an Exorcist bore down on him.
Just as Alastor could feel Vox’s frequencies, so could Vox feel his though his extrasensory ability was through intentionally learning to hone in on the Radio Demon’s presence as opposed to a natural sense for it. Vox looked over from sensing his arrival, a streak of blood and technicolor goo seeping from the cracks along the side of his screen. “Alastor-!”
The Exorcist turned to look in the direction Vox had. The arrival of another Sinner prompted a lunge at the Radio Demon. However, just as the Exorcist tried to strike him, Alastor’s shadow minions leapt up in a swarm, giving him the out to dodge and slip to Vox’s side, grabbing him by the arm to help him up.
“What are you doing, you fool?!” demanded Alastor, shaking him to make him gather his wits about him. “Atop your own domain too? What are you doing out on Extermination Day?!”
“I was up here and didn’t realize the automatic timer had run out to set the whole tower on lockdown and- I just-,” Vox stammered.
“You can teleport! You’ve shown me that you can access your own grid with full control now! Why haven’t you?!”
“Because…. Because….” Vox inhaled shakily, closing his eyes. Within the span of a breath, his entire demeanor changed from that of a weeping petrified victim to one far more sinister. It was here his slowly extended cables made themselves known, curling around him as snakes.
A snap had the entire rooftop alight with bolts of electricity transmitted from his extended cables. The roof was made entirely of metal which made it an excellent electrical conductor. The antenna tower, instead of acting to dissipate the electric currents to the ground, collected the electricity and returned it even stronger.
The shadow minions dissipated with shrieks while Alastor was seized with the sudden jolt, keeping his body stiffly upright until Vox had stopped the current. He fell to his knees as he tried to draw in breath and restart his heart’s interrupted beating.
The Exorcist, though, was left unaffected and was approaching the Radio Demon now far more calmly than the typical. The mask was slid off, revealing a glinting gold tooth amidst the grin beneath cruel crimson eyes.
“Good work, Voxxy,” the imposter Exorcist cooed, bending down at the waist to observe the Radio Demon, causing the rubber of their outfit to squeak. That would explain how they were left unaffected from the electricity despite the high voltage.
Vox stepped over, kicking Alastor over so he was laid onto his back, only able to stare up at them for the time being as the shocks still coursed through his body in diminishing waves.
“Guess this is as good a time as any for you to meet my new business partner,” crowed Vox with a laugh. “I couldn’t have pulled this off without Val’s brilliant scheming mind.”
The screeches of Sinners being slaughtered nearby at the street level alerted them and Vox flipped his finger in midair, causing a hatch to open up.
“I’d love to stay and catch up, but it looks like you’ve an audience approaching. But don’t worry! I’ll be sure to broadcast some lovely tunes to double-die to. It’s a special new program we’ve decided to implement on Extermination Day! So, your little radio tradition won’t end even if you will,” said Vox before he leaned down to kiss the top of Alastor’s head. “Don’t be sad, Alastor. It’s just simply time to pull the plug on this~.”
Vox’s laughter still rang in his ears even after he and his partner had slipped away just in time to avoid being seen by the approaching Exorcist—a real one this time bearing an angelic hatchet.
It was by sheer will that Alastor had teleported away, but not before the hatchet swung down and pierced through skin and fractured the ribs beneath. He had no idea where he’d end up; all that mattered was not being there to receive the full brunt of a killing blow. It may have been futile; Alastor may very well escape only to land somewhere to be swiftly killed another way, but at least he would have used every last bit of his strength to defy double-death to the end…
~*~
And that was how he ended up being cared for by the King of Hell himself, welcomed into his home as a guest and patient.
At first it had been in an effort to humor the little princess that had led to Alastor being so nice to her. She was, after all, the sole reason why he was able to have a second lease on the afterlife and the sole reason why Lucifer was willing to house him in the first place. Without Lucifer’s healing blood, he was as good as double-dead from the angelic steel’s poison. Even with his blood, they found out, that healing was slow and repeat doses of blood were required on a near daily basis. Lucifer had admitted he’d had the fleeting thought of being able to help other Sinners with his blood too, but after his experience with Alastor, that plan was scrapped.
As the days turned to weeks and the weeks to months, Alastor’s strength slowly returned. But, perhaps, more importantly, what started as an act began making a turn for the genuine. Alastor found he had come to enjoy the daily routine they’d established in the house—taking meals together, settling close to tell stories....simply spending time together in whatever manner they chose!
But, more importantly, what had begun as a tumultuous agreement between himself and Lucifer ended up becoming a friendship of convenience (for the little princess who wanted to see them get along) which led to a genuine friendship to something ultimately a lot more. In his time, Alastor had managed to piece together thus: that Lucifer and Lilith had officially separated, that Lucifer had insisted on keeping Charlie with him, and that Lucifer was way in over his head trying to be a single father.
To his credit, he was doing a decent job. Charlie managed to be fed and washed and cared for every day, but what Charlie couldn’t see with her childish perspective was the unseen stress Lucifer went through juggling the responsibilities of parenthood along with struggling with his own, pardon the term, inner demons.
Alastor, however, saw it all.
And while his original initiatives to swoop in to offer assistance had been playful jabs at Lucifer’s incompetence, all too soon did he view tending to the princess as his own responsibility too. After all, it wouldn’t do to have a father who was willing to replace three dinners in a row with ice cream sundaes all because his daughter used the puppy eyes or attempt to teach basic mathematics only for the ducks used as counting tools to end up being sentries in a duck fort. With Alastor’s instruction and input, Charlie found her days much more structured with set menus filled with high-quality ingredients to create more balanced meals for growing princesses and lessons every day ranging from the history and science of the human world to foreign languages to math and the general language skills of reading and writing. Not only was Lucifer getting more of a break, but he found himself enjoying the companionship and input Alastor offered no matter how bossy and particular he could be about some things.
Then there were the other benefits too, the ones Charlie didn’t see in action but did see the effects in reaction. Her father was smiling more, laughing more, singing more—things he hadn’t done for years ever since her mother left. And Alastor was right there too, smiling and laughing and singing right along beside him. It was a pity that Alastor’s radio show stopped playing but having him there with them was even better since they got to control the ‘programming’ that happened in their house every day! Especially when it came to story requests.
The flush of the toilet brought Alastor back from his reflecting. The sound of an avid conversation was growing louder and by the time Lucifer had returned with Charlie in his arms, Alastor caught the tail end of the princess’s question, “-human world so Alastor must have seen it, right?”
“No, ducky! Just because Alastor used to be a human doesn’t mean he’s seen everything from all time. He went over this during the history lesson just today!” Lucifer said with a laugh, taking a seat back on the bed besides the deer demon. Charlie wriggled from her father’s hold to crawl onto Alastor’s lap, looking him firmly in the eyes.
Amused from how serious she looked, Alastor intoned “Hm?” inquisitively. “Is there something you’d like to ask of me, Charlie-dear?”
Charlie nodded firmly and made her duck plushie do the same. “O. K.,” she said, each syllable its own sentence from the emphasis. “I have an official request for the next story.”
“Oh my! Lucifer, do you hear that? It’s an official request from the princess of Hell! I’d be honored to grant you it, my princess,” Alastor replied with a hand splayed over his heart as he bowed his head reverently. Lucifer couldn’t help laughing softly.
Luckily Charlie took no offense to it as she continued. “Alastor! I want the last story of the night to be about that big boat you told me about. The ‘Ship of Dreams’! Because when I sleep I’ll be dreaming so it matches!”
The adults in the room weren’t sure exactly how that correlation made sense, but she was far too cute not to indulge.
“Actually, my dear, you both were right to an extent,” Alastor revealed, earning a pleased gasp from Charlie and a raised brow from Lucifer. “The ‘Ship of Dreams’ was constructed in 1912 and while I may not have seen it in person, the story of what had happened to the ship was very well known and with the stories came photographs. So, in a way, I did see her just as you said~.”
“Yay! I knew it!” Charlie cheered before she snuggled back between them, even tugging up the blanket to properly tuck herself in.
“Who did you want to start this story? Alastor? Since I started the last one?” Lucifer asked, giving her hair a little ruffle before smoothing out the strands so none would be in her face.
“Uhhhhhhhhhhm.” Charlie thought long and hard about it. It would make sense since Alastor started the last one with her dad finishing it and her dad began the one after. However, she came up with an option C that encouraged a good deal of mischievous giggling from her.
“Uh-oh. I know what those giggles mean,” Lucifer said, feigning fear.
“Hee hee hee! I have the best idea! I want you and Alastor to tell it together!” Charlie raised her arms and waved jazz hands. “Like Alastor’s radio dramas from before! You both get to be the stars!”
“Oh my, oh my, how inventive,” Alastor praised, giving her nose a little boop. “Well, however could we turn down her request?”
“We aim to please!” agreed Lucifer. “I’m guessing we’re playing as ‘Lucifer’ and ‘Alastor’ still?”
“Yes, but let us consider this possibility,” Alastor said with his own mischievous giggle. “Let us swap our roles. Wouldn’t that make for an interesting turn?”
“Oh? Like you portray ‘Lucifer’ and I portray ‘Alastor’? Did I get that right?” Lucifer asked back with a grin.
“Quite so, my dear, quite so.”
“Well, in that case, why don’t you start? I can’t wait to see what role you’ll place ‘Lucifer’ in.” Lucifer gestured to Alastor with a bow of his own before he settled back against the backrest to watch the Radio Demon.
Alastor opened his mouth and radio static crackled in the air before he announced into his materialized microphone cane, “Ladies and gentlemen of Hell, welcome back to another segment of Hell’s Greatest Audio Theater brought to you by our generous sponsors—Charlie’s duck,” he gestured to the red duck plush, “annnnd that unwieldy, squeaky third step on the main floor that won’t stop squeaking no matter how many times we try to fix it.”
“It adds character to the house!” protested Lucifer, rolling his eyes at the nitpicking he’d heard a thousand times over by now. Fix the stair, fix the stair, Lucifer why do you insist on having a squeaky stair, there is no purpose for a squeaky stair, fix the stair, fix the stair! But, as expected, Alastor clicked his tongue as the indicator that he would never drop the subject until the stair was finally unsqueakified.
“Anyway.” Alastor’s microphone started to play the sounds of the sea interspersed with the brush of a breeze and the squeaky cawing from seagulls. “We start our story at the docks of Southampton—a port city of England. The year is 1912 and the great ship Titanic was about to take her maiden voyage…”
Notes:
It's been a while, hasn't it? Life got super busy for me but this story has been floating around in my cranium since last year and I am determined to finish my wips before this year is up!
Snorp_Lord on Chapter 1 Mon 03 Jun 2024 04:18PM UTC
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Snorp_Lord on Chapter 4 Thu 13 Jun 2024 11:47AM UTC
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Snorp_Lord on Chapter 4 Fri 14 Jun 2024 04:22PM UTC
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Snorp_Lord on Chapter 5 Tue 19 Aug 2025 07:36AM UTC
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