Chapter Text
"Lucifer, the fuck do you want?" Noctifer hissed into their phone, side eyeing some of the more annoying suppliers they've been dealing with recently.
"I'm supposed to visit Charlie in an hour and I don't know what to do? Where do I go?"
Noctifer pinched the bridge of their nose and prayed for strength.
"Lucifer, I love you but you're a fucking useless father. I built that fucking hotel, I used to live there, you know where it is. I believe we both told you."
"Mazikeeeeeen, help me."
Noctifer exhaled in annoyance.
"I'll be there in fifteen, let me wrap up this meeting."
"Thank you!"
"You're making this up to me and to your daughter, you bastard," Noctifer growled, hanging up and anger filling them. They leaned out their office door to the person standing outside.
"Cain!"
"Yes, My Lord?"
"Cancel the rest of my meetings for the day and move them to next week! Lucifer called."
"Anything else?"
"Come take over these last trade deals for me. If I don't get out of here soon, the King might worry himself into a rather implausible grave."
"Let me make those cancellations and I'll be right there."
Over the next fifteen minutes, they explained to their suppliers that an important matter had came up and that their manager would be taking over and proceeded to leave. They changed from their work clothes, instead now wearing a black silk button down blouse tucked into dark purple pants with a matching suit jacket, slipping on a mask over their scars and accessorizing with some silver jewelry before stepping through a portal to Lucifer's palace.
"Keep in mind," Noctifer snapped the minute they stepped through, "I am beyond furious with you. You know I don't like shoving extra work on my employees, even if we both know Cain doesn't mind."
"I understand that. Thank you for helping me anyway."
It was with that that Noctifer took him to the Hazbin Hotel. Noctifer had yet to be since Charlie took in her first resident, the Angel Dust fellow, however Charlie regularly texted updates on the matter much to their delight.
Upon arrival, Noctifer knocked as Lucifer totally-didn't-but-did hide behind them. Charlie opened the door, clearly a bit nervous, but absolutely lit up when she saw who was at the door.
"Auntie! You came too!"
"Your father invited me along and it's been a while. Seeing your progress in person is always better rather just reading your updates."
"Hi Dad," Charlie greeted, tension back in her body language. Lucifer seemed to get his shit together and walked into the Hotel ahead of Noctifer, hugging Charlie tight.
Noctifer followed behind, looking around at the changes made with approval. Charlie handled her father as Noctifer took their time, accepting a cookie with a thank you from the sweet snake demon.
"I'm Noctifer, a pleasure to meet one of my niece’s friends," Noctifer greeted the other residents.
"Lord Noctifer! It isss our pleasure," the snake demon hissed with a frantic bow. "My name'sss Sir Pentiousss!"
Noctifer turned around at the sound of Lucifer shrieking. Their eyes alighted up on the bar and amusement settled in as they pulled out their pipe and lit it between their clawed fingers.
"It's a bar, Lucifer, I'm quite sure you have eyes as I've known you since the dawn of time," Noctifer teased. They brought the mouthpiece of the pipe to their lips as Lucifer glared at them, returning the glare with a smirk and an exhale of smoke.
Noctifer recognized the demon that approached their brother, the Radio Demon Alastor. He'd been on their radar since they first met but they were surprised to see the demon in their niece's hotel. Their eye narrowed in suspicion.
They watched in cold amusement and stood back amongst the Hotel residents as Alastor made his particular brand of aggravating known to Lucifer. Noctifer would step in but to be quite honest...
They really didn't want to.
"Why don't you introduce me to your OTHER friends?" Lucifer stated, hustling Charlie over to the other residents and away from Alastor.
"Well Dad, this is Vaggie, my girlfriend," Charlie awkwardly introduced, going to Vaggie's side who waved equally awkwardly.
"Girls? Oh you like girls! Me too! We have so much in common! Nice to meet you, Maggie!"
"It's Vaggie..."
Noctifer felt the desperate need to bury their head into a hole and never come out. Nothing about this seemed to be going all too well as introductions continued. They were almost thankful when the chandelier came crashing down, until the song started.
It wasn't anything Noctifer wasn't used to. Back when Lucifer and Lilith were still together, much of their ruling included music and it had become ingrained into Hell. Did not make this particular fight over Charlie any less grating upon the nerves.
"Your song? I started this!" Lucifer declared, leaning into Alastor who leaned down to meet him. Noctifer took in a deep inhale of their pipe.
"I'm singing it, I'll finish it!"
There was a snap. The lights flickered off with the sound of Noctifer's exhale, the smoke filling the space in a way that was clearly unnatural. Lucifer and Alastor had cut themselves off, heads snapping to Noctifer whose heels clicked against the floor as they approached. Their little audience seemed startled by the abrupt show of power as the smoke swirled around to take the shape of glowing stars, illuminating where the lights had gone out.
"Children, the both of you," Noctifer hissed. "You're a former seraphim, Lucifer, get your shit together. And you," they rounded on Alastor, "are not in a place to be making an enemy out of the king of Hell."
Their meaning clearly did not go over Alastor's head as he grimaced. Noctifer continued on.
"Arguing over who can help the most? Pathetic," they spat, their rage showing on their face. "Who built this fucking hotel? Who's actually been here since day one? Me. Now you can either stop bickering like children and prove your goddamn words rather than throwing them around as if they mean something in the face of inaction, or you can continue making utter fools of yourselves-"
The doors slammed open, dissipating the smoke and returning the lights back to normal.
"It's me! Yes, it's me! I know you were all waiting for me!" A short woman sang loudly from the entrance. "I'm here, what a gas! Took a while but I'm present at last! It's me! It's me! Mimzy!"
"Who?" Lucifer and Noctifer asked in sync.
"Mimzy!" Alastor exclaimed, walking forward to embrace the woman. Immediately, Noctifer was on edge about the woman.
It would perhaps be best to extract themself from the situation at this point and keep an eye from a distance, like they prefer to do anyway. They leaned over to Charlie quickly before she went to greet Mimzy.
"I'm going to go do a little inspection after that chandelier, Charlie. Best to stem any rising problems."
"Okay," Charlie replied, seeming a bit hesitant.
"You'll do great, kiddo, don't worry. Holler if you need me."
With that, Noctifer started their inspection, disappearing from view though they stayed lurking by the lobby for the most part to watch the woman.
When Charlie, Alastor, and Vaggie took Lucifer on a tour, the woman sauntered to the bar. The spider demon seemed to barely be able to hide his distaste for the woman which was rather interesting, considering she didn't seem to know him. Though, given the character Noctifer had observed so far, she probably had a reputation. Not a good one necessarily by the looks of it. Especially when paired with the greed tattoo on her back. Noctifer's lips curled back in their own disgust. Mammon was never a pleasant person to interact with and most of his followers were the same.
That rang true when the attack started.
The building shook as the loan sharks tried to break it down. Noctifer came out of hiding just as Alastor, Charlie, Vaggie, and Lucifer made it into the lobby.
"I may have borrowed 50 grand," Mimzy demurred, before continuing her increasingly bad list of crimes against these loan sharks.
"I think it's time to remind everyone why I'm here," Alastor declared, summoning his shadow tentacles and increasing his size as he left the building and attacked the loan sharks. Noctifer immediately started on repairs to the damage. After all, they had no doubt Alastor could handle it.
Why else would Mimzy come running to him.
If Alastor didn't send her away after this, Noctifer would, and it certainly wouldn't be pretty after she brought destruction to Charlie's doorstep.
They instead focused on fixing the damage and listening to Charlie and Lucifer, ready to step in at a moments notice.
Noctifer paused as the song began, risking a glance behind them. That had been a bad idea as now they couldn't look away. It continued on, Lucifer even taking Charlie somewhere through a portal, Noctifer didn't dare follow even though they could have.
"More than anything~"
Noctifer turned away from the scene, fighting tears. How long had it been since Lucifer said he loved them and looked them in the eye at the same damn time? Noctifer had lost count of the years at this point. Back in Heaven it was the four of them, then it was the two of them in Hell, but really it only ever seemed like Noctifer was by themself.
Back then it was 'more than anything' but now it seemed almost to only apply to Noctifer about Lucifer. They loved him more than anything and would always do so. Lucifer had Charlie now, and before that it was Lilith. As much as they didn't want to hate Lilith, they could admit a lingering resentment that everything had changed when Lucifer fell in love with her.
"I'll get you that meeting with Heaven," Lucifer said, breaking through Noctifer's thoughts.
"I'm sorry, was THAT what this was about?" Noctifer shrieked. "No! No no no no!"
"Auntie! Please, they have to see-"
"Charlie Morningstar, I need you to understand me when I tell you that they. Will. Not." Noctifer held Charlie's pleading gaze. "You've seen what they've done to me, what they've done to your father. Do you think we wouldn't have tried if we didn't know it would just end with tragedy? It doesn't matter if you can get every last one of these sinners into Heaven, the elder angels will not accept them!"
"Just give me a chance! I know I can do it!"
"Charlie, for the love of everything, please listen to me. This is not me doubting you, this is me doubting Heaven. I was up there in those ranks, I know how they are. The lowest tier are the only ones who even cared about humanity, your father was the exception. I didn't even care about humanity!"
"You have Cain, don't you?" Charlie argued.
"After I fell! It took me falling to finally understand your father! Charlie please I don't want you getting hurt-"
"You have to let me try! It's been so long since you've been up there. I'm sure things have changed!"
"I can assure you, it has not," Noctifer bit out.
"I can't just stand around and let my people be slaughtered!"
"That isn't a choice made, Charlie. You saw how Adam was, he was the first human there. What makes you think it just gets better higher up? I don't want to see you hurt."
"Then go! I will not stand around and let things happen just because! Someone has to listen to me. If you can't watch me and support me, go!"
Noctifer froze, stepping back from where they had been reaching for their niece. Immediately, it seemed like Charlie regretted what she said and attempted to backtrack.
"Auntie I'm-"
"Fine. Go to Heaven. I'll...Lucifer and I can see what we can do. I'll see you later."
In seconds they'd stepped backwards into a portal as Charlie and Lucifer called out to them. As the portal closed behind them, they felt their knees buckle and they collapsed backwards into their office chair.
Cain made a surprised squeak from where he'd been organizing papers in another part of the room for them to go through later.
"Auntie, welcome back."
"Do you mind coming here, Cain?"
Without so much as a questioning glance, Cain came over and around the desk. Noctifer reached out, grabbing both his hands and holding them together, sandwiched with their hands.
"What's wrong?"
"I- I think I fucked it up, Cain," Noctifer whispered. "Charlie, she doesn't want me around. I told her not to try this useless endeavor of going to the elders of Heaven but she won't listen. She's going to get hurt."
"She'll get over it," Cain spoke, gentle but stern. "She's always been headstrong but she'd never truly want you gone. You're her aunt, you repurposed your old home to build her her hotel, you have supported her dream so far. That counts for something, doesn't it?"
Noctifer looked up to search Cain's expression. They didn't know what they were looking for. Assurance? Truth? They were met with warmth. His slicked back dark curls made room for his horns and his near black eyes made him appear rather demonic for someone who wasn't actually dead but his expression was filled with warmth towards Noctifer.
"It will be okay, Auntie," Cain assured. "You can give Azrael a ring, see if she can do anything for assuring Charlie's safety if she's meeting in Heaven. You've mentioned her brother is on the Elders council and is trustworthy, you can loop him in. Worse comes to worse, we gather our people and we give Heaven the uprising they've been fearing this whole time."
Noctifer gave a wane smile.
"You're right," Noctifer admitted. "Unlike my brother I still have friends up there. But still..."
"I know. Charlie won't get anywhere with that crowd."
"Azrael's tried," Noctifer said. "Sera told her it was the only way. How can I send Charlie into that knowing the outcome?"
"By knowing that you're also prepared. If you know it ends terribly, use that brain that has kept this whole damn realm in order since the day you woke up in Hell," Cain said, wiggling one of his hands free to poke their forehead. "We have the company, we have Bee and Ozzie, even that IMP business that you've been making deals with would probably have no problem taking those angels down a peg or two. Do what you do best and plan."
Noctifer exhales sharply, leaning their head forward onto their hands, closing their eyes.
"You've gotten more confident if you're telling me what to do," Noctifer joked.
"10,000 years under your care will do that," Cain said. "Never doubt that we care for you. Charlie too. She's just being headstrong and will apologize later most likely."
Noctifer huffed and leaned back, releasing Cain from their grasp. The sinner however leaned forward, hugging Noctifer.
"You saved me, Auntie. Please don't doubt yourself."
The hug didn't last too long but it left a lasting warmth. Noctifer reached out and playfully ruffled Cain's hair.
"I'll start those preparations. Move all my meetings for the week, would you? This is gonna be a tough one. I'll contact Azrael."
"Right away."
Cain left to do as Noctifer asked and the fallen angel leaned back in their chair, eyeing the contact on their phone. Finally, they hit dial.
"What's the emergency?" Azrael stated immediately upon picking up.
"Charlie's coming to Heaven."
"Fuck," Azrael breathed out. "I'll get down there as soon as I can. I'll call you when I know."