Work Text:
Vox scowls at his reflection in the bathroom mirror every morning. He assumes most Sinners do the same. A Sinner’s demonic form is meant to be their very first punishment upon going to Hell. It’s certainly been an effective punishment for Vox. Each day, the anger and frustration he felt when he first manifested and realized he was stuck with a goddamn TV for a head comes surging back. The fact that it looks stupid is bad enough, but it also seems to be broadcasting Vox’s need for attention to the world.
But he only allows himself to lament his appearance for a moment. As the CEO of VoxTek, he is far too busy to waste any more time on self-pity. Well, self-pity about his appearance, in any case.
Vox enters the workspace early. Often the only person who gets there earlier is his personal assistant, who is expected to have coffee ready and waiting to sate Vox’s caffeine addiction by the time he clocks in. The first tasks of the day are also the most crucial. As the Tech Overlord, he needs to triple-check the many systems he’s responsible for. Comfort, entertainment, communication, security- with a monopoly on most modern technology in Hell, VoxTek is responsible for each of these amenities and more throughout the Pride Ring. Truly, it would be more accurate to consider Vox an honorary Deadly Sin rather than a mere Overlord. With the Pride Ring’s official ruler, Lucifer, refusing to attend to his duties, Vox is inarguably the most influential being in the Ring. The fact that the VoxTek logo can even be found branded on many products in the lower Rings is a testament to Vox’s power. No other Sinner has ever been such a prominent figure in the Rings they could never set foot in.
When Vox is sufficiently satisfied with his inspections, his workday begins in earnest. His days are packed full of interviews, business meetings, political meetings, guest appearances, commercial shoots, and endless piles of paperwork.
Only the other Vees can pull him away from his work. Velvette occasionally needles him into taking a break with her, but the more common distraction is Valentino. Is Valentino feeling angry? Horny? Bloodthirsty? If the answer is yes, Val will make it Vox’s problem. Valentino and Vox may be equals on paper, but in reality, Vox usually feels like he’s catering to the whims of a petulant child. He’s only barely worth the trouble it takes to keep him around. Val is an easily manipulated moron who can be thrown under the bus when deals go south. That way, Vox and Velvette come out of controversies looking relatively clean. The existence of Valentino feels almost too convenient for Vox. Vox’s abilities counter Val’s abilities so thoroughly, Vox thinks their partnership may have been fated to happen. Maybe Vox is yet another punishment Hell is inflicting on Valentino. It feels too perfect that the partner of a moth would have the traits of a bug zapper.
Vox makes sure he has free time in the evenings despite his workaholic tendencies. Until recently, he would mostly use this time to bond with his fellow Vees. If he wasn’t with the Vees, he would indulge his curiosity about his own demonic form. There aren’t really any rules regarding Sinner biology, but Vox is particularly unusual. As far as he can tell, he is a being made of pure energy. He knows he can convert his body into electricity at will. It makes more sense, he thinks, for electricity to gain a physical form than for matter to become electricity. His physical form is a bizarre mix of biological and technological components. There is no logic to it, as far as he can tell. He’s probably lucky that’s the case, considering it allows him to upgrade his head without losing whatever his “brain” is.
It's probably pointless trying to figure out how his body works, but Vox can’t stop worrying about the implications of his semi-mechanical form. Emotional outbursts cause his screen to glitch and spasm. It would be great if he could figure out how that works and fix it. He worries about if his functionality could be affected by the state of his head in other ways. Can he suffer forced shutdowns or malware attacks? It hasn’t happened yet, but he won’t feel safe until he knows for sure.
If he figures out how his head works, maybe he can even stop the constant cacophony in his head. In life, Vox often felt he had too much going on in his head at any given time. Now his thoughts seem to each have a “channel” of their own. Hundreds of strands of thought overlap in his mind constantly. It’s relentless and exhausting. Even in his quietest moments, multiple channels continue to play. He has a particular hatred for a single channel that only repeats a single word over and over.
Alastor, Alastor, Alastor, Alastor, Alastor…
That channel has never quieted down since Vox first noticed it. There is no emotion or intention attached to it. It’s just a reminder. Alastor is still out there. Don’t forget Alastor. Keep Alastor in mind. What about Alastor? Alastor, Alastor, Alastor.
How could you blame Vox for thinking about his worst enemy all the time? Why wouldn’t he be constantly focused on eliminating the greatest threat in his life? Alastor is his only equal in Hell. His superior, even, in some ways. But more importantly, Alastor is the only person who makes him lose control.
By the time Vox died, he had decades of experience under his belt. He knew how to entertain. He knew how to read people. He knew how to manipulate even his own thoughts and feelings. It was easy to resist foolish temptations such as trusting others. He could use and discard people without a second thought and truly feel nothing for his victims.
Alastor changed that. If Vox exists as an extra Hellish punishment for Valentino, Alastor exists to punish Vox. How else could you explain the existence of a soul mate whose greatest flaw is being impossible to please? In life, Vox never met someone who made him feel so strongly. That’s what makes Alastor so dangerous.
Vox has spent his evenings in recent months doing surveillance to eliminate that threat. He thought, maybe if he watched Alastor enough, he would get the feelings out of his system. But that didn’t work. That fucking tease keeps posing for his surveillance drones and Vox’s heart pounds so hard it hurts every time. His chest fills with the joy of being acknowledged along with the outrage and heartbreak of being belittled by Alastor. Vox can’t do anything with these useless emotions, so he channels them into more energy, and channels that energy into planning Alastor’s end. He can’t let someone with that kind of power over him live. When Alastor insults him, it feels like his claws are sinking deep into an old wound that never healed properly. Alastor deserves to feel pain like that.
Maybe when he’s gone, that channel will go quiet. Then he can calm down. He will certainly never make such a grave mistake again. Getting rid of Alastor is not an obsession, it is a necessity.
Vox keeps thinking about Alastor as he rests for the night. It’s strategic, you see. If he dreams about Alastor, maybe his subconscious will show him some brilliant plan to defeat his enemy. Honestly, the other Vees should be praising his dedication instead of making fun of him!