Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The radio demon thrived on control. 

He needed control.

Over himself.

Over others. 

Over everything .

He had vowed on that fateful day when he made his first kill. He couldn't be controlled by his father, and he wouldn't be controlled by anyone ever again.

Maybe that vow had started to lose its meaning when he landed in hell and naively sold his soul. 

But he preferred to ignore that itty bitty detail.

He sure hadn't been in control, stuck in a cold void for seven years. 

But it was a matter of the past, he had control now. 

Or he did for a fleeting moment. 

__

The radio demon sat slumped by the wall in his crumbling station. His breaths came in heavy and his eyes were unfocused. The red blood, his blood, mixing with the vibrant reds of his radio station. 

But he could handle this, he still had control over the situation. 

Stumbling up he snapped his fingers, donning some gauze over his wound and a clean new outfit. 

He felt drained. 

He wouldn't admit it under torture, but his broken microphone staff that he used to channel his power. Combined with his gaping angelic wound, led to his shadows being far from fine. 

But he had it under control. 

Forcing his smile tighter he phased through the shadows and into the singing group of demons. 

Charlie latched onto him, and Nifty hung onto his leg. The rest crowded in while Lucifer pouted on the side. The sight bringing Alastor more joy than it should. 

_________

Alastor eyed the new decor in the hotel, courtesy of Lucifer. The short king hopped over to his side. 

“Admiring the new look? I'd say it's quite the improvement from your old designs” he sneered, looking up at the overlord. 

“I quite harshly disagree, your shortness, a grand downgrade if you were to ask me” if not for his weakened powers he would have forced his own look onto the place.

__

Lucifer took slight notice of a patch of out of place red across the radio demons suit. An odd sense of fashion indeed. He would never get what Charlie saw in the arrogant fool.

“you act so high and mighty and yet you flee the battle like a scared fawn.” Lucifer hit back, unable to think of a good response about the new decor. “Seems you fit better in the role of a deadbeat father than me.” 

Perhaps this would get under the damned overlords skin. Though Lucifer doubted he truly cared for Charlie, so perhaps not.

__

The comment caused Alastors ears to momentarily stiffen. Though he forced the rest of himself to stay loose. Self control .  Snapping to attention he retorted.

“Tut Tut, dear king, you were quite the late show into the battle” He ignored the deadbeat father comment as much as he could. If he reacted Lucifer would use comments of the type incessantly, and once hurt enough. 

But no, he reminded himself. 

If there was one thing he'd never be like, it was his father.

A sudden jolt of pain forced him to add in before the king could answer. “My my it seems I must be on my way, do try to fix this horrid decoration though.”

“Well I-“ Lucifer cut off as Alastor stepped into the shadow realm, likely exiting into his new radio tower. Leaving the lobby almost painfully quiet.

__

Charlie glided down the staircase, walking past the rest of the residents in the lobby, excluding Alastor. But that was usual, right about now he’d normally start cooking dinner for the crew.

Peeking into the new kitchen Charlie readied her speech. She was going to ask the radio demon to prep a funeral for Sir Pentious. Or the best funeral they could get without a body. Her father could likely do it just fine, but he had just built practically an entire hotel. She didn’t want him exhausting himself. 

“Hey Al-“ she paused, the kitchen was empty, untouched. The usual jazz and smell of creole cuisine on the stove was absent. She frowned, Alastor hadn’t missed an opportunity to cook since he got to the hotel. He was the entire reason the hotel was no longer only offering popsicles. 

Stepping out of the kitchen she turned back to the new lobby.

“Hey, uh, Vaggie, could you order?” Her girlfriend looked up from what seemed to be a game of uno. A faint confusion crossing her face

 “Order?” 

“Order, uh, order food, yeah, sorry” Charlie stumbled over her words, trying to be more specific. It was Angel Dust’s turn to look up from his deck in surprise.

“Smiles ain’t cookin? That’s new.” Lucifer raised an eyebrow, not taking his eyes off of his cards for a moment. He played a +4 and finally looked up.

“You mean radio creep actually does shit around here?” Husk, who was after Lucifer grumbled in annoyance, before using his own card to pass it on, adding another four to the mix. 

Vaggie didn’t take notice of her turn, already turning to go pick up some food. It was a miracle they had a fast food place in hell that wasn’t bombed yet. Then again, they didn’t last long.

Chapter Text

Alastor sat curled in a corner of his radio tower. His hands dug into his head, pulling out chunks of hair. His chest burned and several of his dodgy stitches had come loose. Flashes of his life as a human, as a child , felt like they were played before his eyes. Every small noise setting off a new memory.

Suddenly he was yanked out of his thoughts by a thick red chain appearing and tightening around his neck. His breath hitched and he was slammed into the floor. She was mad, furious. She sure hadn't been happy after the exterminations. It was even worse now, his ears pinned down as she began to yell, it would be a long night.

__________

The dinner table was set with mildly crappy food. A few conversations filled the air. But everyone was avoiding the elephant in the room. 

The absence of the radio buzz in the air. 

Finally, after a few minutes Charlie glanced over to Husk. 

“Husk, could you- check on Al?” Glancing around Charlie added, “I mean, he doesn't have to- just, ask- please?” 

Husk groaned, but Alastor would most likely receive his presence the best. Other than Nifty, but he would brush her off or she would become distracted on the way up there.

“Got it”  he stood up, sending Angel Dust a faint eye roll. He began to drag himself up the staircase. Of course the radio demon’s broadcast station had to be at the very top. 

Alastor had better be in a good mood, he was too sober to deal with him mad. 

Yet as he finally neared the door the sound of rattling chains made Husk’s fur bristle. He knew someone owned Alastor’s soul. He had never been able to grasp an idea on who, most likely a term of the deal being secrecy. But whoever had that much power, to the point of holding the radio demon on a leash, was someone he did not want to cross paths with. 

He paused, and then inched away from the door, creeping back downstairs. He sat back down and Lucifer raised an eyebrow at him. 

“Boss’s busy.” Husk was sure that if he were to spread the truth Alastor would have them all skinned alive. Charlie just nodded, they all knew that Alastor did a lot of the technical work for the hotel. Charlie handled the social aspect, the rest Alastor had always handled. 

The king of hell rolled his eyes but made no comments so as to not upset his daughter. The rest of dinner went as always, other than the absence of cocky jabs and the radio static.

______

It was an unholy hour into the night, yet Husk still sat at the bar. The bartender always left it open until Angel Dust came home. Valentino must've been mad. Angel had been out all night, leaving right after dinner. Suddenly a dark shape slithered out of the shadows by the staircase.

Alastor’s shadow.

The seemingly sentient shadow glanced around the lobby. After seeing the absence of any others it rushed back up. 

A moment later heavy, dragging, footsteps echoed through the sleeping hotel. Alastor came into vision on the stairs. He wore the same suit as earlier, but a darker, wet red soaked through the entire outfit. Hair was pulled loose and his ears pinned against his skull. 

His eerie yellow-toothed smile was still pasted onto the face. Perhaps wider than the usual. Hollow eyes accompanied the grin. He practically fell onto one of the barstools and began to stare ahead into nothing.

Husk didn't dare mention that he was getting the chair dirty. He'd simply have to replace it later. Blood stained. 

Putting down a glass he had been cleaning he fetched a bottle of strong liquor. Pouring the alcohol into a cup and sliding the cup over to Alastor.

He didn't bother with questions or comments. If Alastor wanted to talk he would eventually. Silence hung over the bar as the radio demon reached out a slightly trembling hand. Grabbing onto the glass like a lifeline he took a long sip.

“... My apologies, Husker” Alastor’s clouded gaze fell onto the cat. Husk let out a dry chuckle and poured himself a glass.

“You ain't never done us this bad.” Alastor was by no means a kind owner. But he very rarely took it to the extremes. Husk would choose him over Valentino, or Satan forbid whoever owned Alastor’s soul. But then again, if he had a choice he would choose freedom.

The door creaked in as Angel Dust stumbled in. He didn’t look as bad as some nights, just exhausted. Alastor straightened his posture and snapped his fingers, the bloody attire quickly changed into a clean suit. A faint panic flitted through his eyes, and he quickly perked his ears up from where they had fallen. Though it was a fairly small use of his powers his face visibly paled.

Angel dust took his usual seat, and Husk began mixing a drink for him. The spider demon eyed Alastor suspiciously.

“Whataya you doin here, smiles?” Alastor stood stiffly, and stalked over to the stairs. 

“Hey! Just because you’re a powerful ass oVErLoRD doesn’t mean you can go around ignoring me!” Husk sent a warning glance to Angel Dust, which he brushed off.

“You think that ‘cause you own souls n shit you’re better than us! I’d like to see you spend a day in our fuckin shoes!” Alastor turned around to Angel Dust, his smile looking more like a grimace. Angel Dust held his arms over his head, bracing for the static to twist and those cursed black tentacles to appear. And yet when he looked back up after a moment the black wisps of shadow were all that remained in Alastor’s place before fading. 

Angel quirked an eyebrow, turning back to Husk and sitting down.

“The fucks up with him” Husk just sighed and pushed Angel’s drink to him.

“‘Fraid I can't tell you.” Angel Dust dropped the topic, but he couldn’t help but notice the blood soaked stool next to him and the patchiness in the radio demon's hair.

Chapter Text

Ever since the battle had been carried out and the army of exorcists had returned, notably smaller and lacking the presence of Adam, heaven had been in chaos. And to complicate matters, just as the army had come back up the first sinner had been redeemed. 

Lute had stalked away the minute she was able, no one knew where to. Sera said she was simply grieving and to give her time.

Emily’s downcast mood had immediately disappeared at the realization of Charlie’s success. Sir. Pentious, slain in battle, was in heaven . 

__

“Sera it’s a SINNER , in HEAVEN , he was redeemed, we- you, were wrong!” The two archangels had been touring Sir. Pentious, just having dropped him off at a volunteer’s house. 

“Emily, this is a threat to heaven, we can’t have sinners coming up here, you saw what they did to those exorcists, they can’t be trusted!” The younger archangel bristled at the words, propelling herself up with her wings and gesturing below them.

“ We sent the exorcists there! You can’t seriously be blaming them for defending their home!” Sera sighed, putting a palm to her face. Her little sister had spent no time waiting before flaunting the truth across heaven. She demanded they tell the princess about how her hotel had worked. But this was a threat, a big one. To heaven, and everything Sera had built for herself there.

“But who's to say a violent sinner won’t somehow get in, do you really believe that a brutal murderer or a rapist  could get up here just because of your little friend's hotel?” A threatening tone entered her voice. If Emily kept this up the higher ups might demand her fall, a command Sera wouldn't be able to disobey.

“None of that matters right now! Charlie deserves to know, to not be shunned by a court too stuck in their ways to acknowledge a solution!” The eyes across Emily's wings and halo opened, emphasizing her frustration as her feathers flared out. And before her elder sister could form a retort she sped away on her six wings, into the horizon.

Chapter Text

Ever since that odd night at the bar Angel Dust had been puzzling over the radio demon. At first he had been content to follow him around the hotel, subtly of course. 

Though a slight hitch in the plan came when the radio demon had yet to leave his room. Charlie was worried the first day, but she accepted his excuse that after their success a lot was to be done. No one had offered to help, he said he was fine. And he must be, he was the radio demon after all.

It was a day or two later when Nifty began pausing her cleaning to check for him every few minutes. She said she wasn’t worried, just double checking, and refused to elaborate. Yet at the same time she could feel the pull of the powerful demon that held her chain lessening. The last time this had happened Alastor hadn’t come back for seven years. 

Lucifer threatened to bust down the door every day, and every day Charlie pulled him away. And even if Husk seemed nonchalant he eyed the upstairs whenever he was free, staring into the ceiling with a conflicted look. 

It was about a week later, while Charlie was trying to lecture them about the hotel curfew they had been trying to enforce, that he had turned back up. In a mere moment he had appeared in the lobby, his suit clean yet accompanied by new tears into the fabric at the bottom. His hair similarly styled as usual, if not a bit off, skillfully hiding the patches of it he had pulled out. 

He cheerily walked to the door, opening it to a disheveled looking Cherri Bomb. She had run to Angel Dust, curling up on the floor next to him. Charlie’s eyes flicked between Cherri and Alastor, before hesitantly walking over to the disheveled sinner.

“Hey Cherri, you…okay?” The princess reached out a tentative hand, she took it, standing up and donning a determined look. 

“I’m joining the hotel.” Charlie squealed and pulled Cherri into a hug, and Alastor strutted over.

“Shall we start with a tour then?” Charlie blinked, pausing for a moment, and then nodded rapidly. Dragging the new resident along with her and giddily showing her the facilities. Cherri had, of course, seen the old hotel before, but a new tour was in order.

__

“Okay, that’s the last thing!” Charlie gestured widely, Alastor curtly nodding beside her. “Oh- Alastor, could you lead Cherri to a room?” Alastor’s ear flicked in slight annoyance, but it went unnoticed as always.

“Of course Charlotte, would you follow me dear?” Alastor strutted along the hallways and led her to a room next to Angel Dust’s. Who promptly ran out and greeted his friend. As Angel Dust was leading her into her room she glanced back at the retreating radio demon.

“Yo, dude you’re pretty pale, you good?” Alastor tensed ever so slightly. He was losing control . He spun his cane, a cheap knockoff that did nothing in earnest.

“I assure you that I am better than ever! Simply a multitude of work and all, not much chance to see our hellish sun!” He briefly considered going through the shadow realm to teleport into his room, but decided otherwise. Cherri just shrugged and continued talking to Angel Dust. Who’s narrowed eyes were trained on the cervine demon.

____

Emily Curled in the corner of a little room she had huddled away in. She was panting and a thin line of sweat ran down her face, she had been trying to summon portal down to hell for hours. 

She regretted missing those classes with Sera more than ever. 

Pulling herself up she wiped a hand across her forehead. Mildly surprised that Sera hadn’t barged in looking for her. She began dragging her tired wings up and she flapped, going up into the air. Maybe a visit to Sir. Pentious would help. 

___

Alastor fluidly moved through the kitchen. It was like a safe space to him. Even now, as his limbs ached with every movement, the pain felt dulled into the background. The savory smell of Jambalaya, his favorite, filled the kitchen. 

It had taken a few moments to get used to the new kitchen, though it was relatively easy to maneuver in. He needed this, cooking calmed him, and he couldn’t afford to miss more dinners. 

As much as he knew that after this he would still feel hollow, his wendigo curse prevented anything other than sinner flesh from filling him. The taste of his mothers food calmed him. His… injury would likely worsen from the moving around, but he tried not to think about it.

Instead he let his mind drift to something decently hopeful. A day or two after he had arrived at the hotel.

___

Alastor strutted down the staircase leading to the lobby, spying Charlie, alone, for once. Husker was off wrangling Nifty, this was a good time to ask. The cervine sinner’s body tensed, she wouldn’t like this. And yet he needed to know, he needed something. And now that there was a use for him she couldn’t, not immediately, send him into that damned void. At least not for years. 

He held his microphone with a grip so tight that his knuckles whitened as he stepped into the shadows and out right in front of the princess. She looked up from a stack of papers which seemed to contain rainbow filled doodles of redemption.

“Oh! Alastor! What do you need?” Her face was kind but he could easily read the tension in her face. The dear really needed to improve her mask. 

“Just a small question Charlotte, nothing to worry over.” Charlie hesitated and then motioned for him to continue.

“Do you suppose that if redemption is possible, not to say it is, would the redeemed soul be… freed from ownership?” Charlie quirked an eyebrow, before her eyes widened.

“I-I mean, Husk and Nifty aren’t here for redemption, I’m sure it’s nothing important!” Alastor held back a sigh, it was better if she thought he was worried about them. After a moment of silence Charlie sighed and added.

“I mean, I guess? Heaven wouldn't want any threats through people without full control of themselves. Maybe?” Alastor smile strained and he stayed silent for a moment, before curtly nodding and walking out. “Tata, thank you my dear!” 

This hotel, which he had been ordered to destroy, was his only way out.

He thought he had gotten away with it, though with his soul owners renewed interest in his mission, she had come across the memory in a corner of his mind.

 ___

He was nudged out of his thoughts by a wet nose pressing into his leg. Angels little pet. To be honest, he didn’t quite mind the little fellow. Much better than those brutal canines many seemed to like. Chuckling slightly he took a bit of the food he was preparing and put it into the therapy animal’s food bowl.

Chapter Text

Lilith growled, the trek from her luxury beach to the center of heaven had been a lengthy one. That damned rat of an exorcist had left her there with demands that forced her to leave. And she hadn’t even offered a way out.

Adam had died and as such, her deal was gone. Yet even if forced to return to that blood soaked land with her deadbeat husband and annoyingly excited daughter she refused to just fall. She had once, and even with Lucifer’s protection she had suffered from it.

She would simply force one of those angels to create a way down. She needed to stop her naive daughter’s plans and confront her pet for his failures in person. And yet, there was a slight change in plans when she saw a young Seraphim whizzing across the sky. 

___

Alastor was following Nifty through the hotel, standing tall and ignoring the pangs from his various injuries. Specifically his angelic one, none of his punishments had involved angelic steel. He supposed that was a positive. With her not physically present the most she could do was tug on the chain and fling him around like a doll tied to a rope. It was painful, and bloody. But it healed normally with time.

Ever since the extermination his TV headed stalker had been a bigger bother. Alastor and the little maid would walk around the hotel, using his radio powers to sense out the waves from the cameras Vox would plant. And once located Nifty would hunt them down. It hurt to find them, but not as grandly as when he tried to use his shadow powers. His radio sense was almost a part of him. And thus, not as hard to access and use as his other options.

He had seen the drones whirring around him in the fight, there was no chance that Vox wasn’t storing the footage for blackmail. The cameras in the hotel were likely an attempt to catch him at another moment of weakness. The radio demon rolled his eyes, it would be quite the bother to delete that footage. He promised to himself that he would take care of it all the moment he was in tip top shape, ignoring the little voice in his head. Muttering about how he was weak and would never recover. He would, he still had control.

Once again his steadily worsening stream of thought was interrupted by the poking of Angel’s therapy pig. He stopped for a moment, giving the pig one or two affectionate pats and continuing with the task. Fat Nuggets now following closely behind.

____

Angel groaned, flopping back onto his bed as he realized Fat Nuggets had disappeared again. As the little therapy animal had begun to care for the hotel's residents he had taken it as his job to help them with their problems, and satan knew they all had a lot. 

Cherri looked up from the game they had been playing, setting the controller to the side and giving him a questioning look.

“Nuggz is gone again.” The spider demon reported with a sigh. “Probably bothering one of the others, he’s taken to that recently.” 

Cherri nodded, pursing her lips. Fat Nugget’s had done the same when she and Angel had become friends. Suddenly she furrowed her brows.

“You think he’s chasin that creepy ass deer guy around again?” Angel sat up, stretching his four arms and thinking.

“Again?” Cherri nodded, gesturing downstairs.

“You didn’t notice? Nuggz follows him around in the kitchen all the time.” Angel shrugged, trying to think back to it.

“I dunno, thought he was just gettin snacks or somethin.” Perking up he picked up his controller. “Now whaddaya say we get back to me wrecking you!” Cherri laughed, it was nice, to take her mind off of Pentious, what could’ve been, what was. 

“Try me bitch!” They got back to their game, pushing whatever plagued their thoughts away in pursuit of a distraction, of fun.

__

Emily hesitated, before tentatively reaching out and knocking. She felt bad returning to pester Sir. Pentious so quickly. Yet his host didn’t seem to mind, opening the door and letting out the scents of delicious foods simmering in the kitchen. She smiled warmly at Emily, beckoning her in.

The winner was a soft looking woman, with warm, darker, skin. Two fluffy pink deer ears poked out of her curly hair, and she had a sort of motherly aura, comforting and warm. Having immediately volunteered to take in the redeemed sinner while they worked out full time arrangements.

Emily stepped in and immediately spotted Sir Pentious in the kitchen, waving with one hand while he stirred a pot of something that smelled amazing with the other.

“Missssss. Emily!” She greeted him and turned to the volunteer, Ms.Hartfelt , she really needed to start calling her by her name.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” The cervine winner turned to her and smiled warmly.

“Oh no no my dear, please, sit, what kind of tea do you prefer?” Emily carefully sat down at a small table in the kitchen.

“Whatever is easiest, thank you!” Ms.Hartfelt nodded, turning back to the counter and setting a kettle up. 

Suddenly a knocking came from the doorway, and Emily frowned, she had hoped Sera wouldn’t check here so briskly. But when she got up to get the door and opened it she saw a soul she never expected to see. At least, not in heaven. But the resemblance was uncanny, and as the woman smiled warmly at her she was certain of one thing.

The queen of hell was on the doorstep.

_____

Alastor sat in his radio tower, tucked away in a small patch of bayou he had been steadily creating since his arrival. Under normal circumstances the replica of the bayous in his life would already be complete, almost acting as a portal into a new dimension. Despite not making a difference to the look of the room the bayou spanned out, he didn’t quite know how far, he had never met an end to it. 

Other than now, with his dwindling strength the bayou was nowhere near the regular. But it was still comforting to sit in his little patch of home. He tended to bloody cuts and bruises. The worst of which was his angelic scrape, as always.

Fat Nuggets lay curled up by his feet, muddy yet content looking. The little pig had followed him back after dinner, he had protested greatly at first. But he had to admit the animal's presence was a comfort in private. And the hell pig had quite enjoyed the muddy earth of the bayou, not a common thing in hell, specifically the pride ring. 

And so, in the comfort of the bayou with the company of the therapy animal, for the first time since the battle, he slept. And for the first time in satan knew how long, he slept through the night.

Chapter Text

Lilith sat at the table, a warm smile with sly undertones crept onto her face. Emily had just summarized most of what she had missed during her… break. She had been quite tuned out of the going-ons since she had left after all. “My my, I see.” She sipped from a cup of tea, rancid stuff, yet the ignorant winner had left them here with it. Carefully choosing her next words she gestured around the room.

“You know, I could assist you, but we’d need a deal.” One of her hands swirled the lilac of her powers in it.

The young seraphims face dropped and her wings curled in slightly. 

“You…you want my soul?” Lilith shook her head, partially shaking off the disappointment. She had hoped the little thing wouldn’t know to be cautious. But she could make do, she always did.

“Oh no no my dear, a favor for a favor, that's all!” She smiled warmly, reaching out her hand. “I will teach you how to create a way down to my daughter, and in turn I can call a favor on you in the future.”

The angel hesitated a moment, and then reached out her hand. With the handshake a burst of intertwining magic flashed through the house.

Perfect, Lilith knew how to create portals, but actually doing it was for the most part out of her reach. After the first few times the first woman had discovered the void. An empty space, complete nothingness. It was not an intended destination, not at all. But it had its uses.

Though with this deal, she had just gained a free portal to wherever she may need.

Oh this would be fun.

____

The eldritch shadow slowly stitched together the gaping wound. 

In.

Out.

In.

Out.

In.

Out.

In.

Out.

Alastor had been intent on doing it himself, but as the angelic infection spread and the gash only seemed to widen he had given up. Broken shards of bone and thick blood floated around inside.

His ears were pinned against his head. Teeth gnashed together in an attempt to keep from screaming.

And yet he let out a yelp as the burning metal of his chain appeared around his neck. That would be a hard burn to hide. It yanked him forward and a radio screech sounded out as the nearly finished stitches burst and tore.

Picking himself up from the floor he grabbed a roll of gauze and quickly wiped his wound off, ignoring the concerned chittering of his shadow. And snapping his fingers to adorn a new coat, making sure that the collar covered the red burn, he stumbled towards the door. Making sure to straighten his posture and smile of course, he stepped into the hallway. 

After rushing downstairs (his shadows would only leave him gasping for breath) the cervine demon stood in the lobby, slightly leaning onto the fake cane. He didn’t quite know why his chain had pulled him into the lobby, but he was not in the mood to piss off his owner more than he already had. A few residents looked up, and Charlie opened her mouth to speak.

“Al, you alrightttt?” A tinge of hesitation in her voice. But before he could form a response a bright portal began to tease open a hole in the air.

Alastor’s blood ran cold, and despite himself he’d admit, he had lost control in that moment. Surely She would step through that portal at any moment. Send him into the void or turn him into minced meat, waiting until he regenerated to do it all again. The radio host stumbled backwards, ears pinning against his head as he waited.

___

Sera narrowed her eyes, scanning across heaven for what felt like the hundredth time. Suddenly a burst of light came from a house, no, the house with that damned sinner. She had already checked there, but Emily wasn’t there. Perhaps the foul riser had taken her, forced the winner into silence.

Barreling towards the house took her a decent amount of time, seeing as she may as well have been across the heavenly city. And when she stepped in her mouth went agape.

Sir Pentious, Ms. Hartfelt, and the queen of hell, all sitting and partaking in dinner. 

The Seraphim stalked towards Lilith, her eyes narrowed with a cold precision. The cervine winner sent a kind yet questioning glance to her. 

“Where is Emily.” Her voice was a deep snarl as an uncountable number of eyes bloomed across her form. The queen of hell didn't back down.

“We simply made some arrangements, no need to worry your prissy little self.” Pentious frantically tumbled backwards. Somehow the sight of the furious Seraphim reminded him all too much of the radio demons looming form.

___

The minute Emily stepped through the newly formed portal she felt someone, Charlie, tumble into her. Once Charlie backed away, frantically apologizing, she sheepishly waved to the residents. Shoving away the blooming thoughts of how dangerous they could be.

The girl who accompanied Charlie to the trial stared at her with narrowed eyes. And the pornstar, Angel Dust, he had been the one the princess had shown at the meeting, winked at her, lazing against the bar. A cat-like demon with wings poured a drink, sliding it across the counter to the spider-demon. Seemingly ignoring the appearance, yet his ears tilted in her direction.

A small demon scrambled up to her, pupil widening as she lifted a small needle. Charlie picked her up, whispering something about not killing this angel. 

Her scanning of the room was interrupted by an offered hand. Taking it she looked up and was met with a deer-like sinner. His smile spread from ear to ear despite the… shaking(?) of his hand.

“Greetings my dear!” He spoke cheerily, a radio filter obscuring his true voice. Pulling his hand away he added, “A pleasure to meet you.”

“Oh, uh, yes! You too!” Emily nodded rushedly. Turning to Charlie she spoke, sucking in a breath. “So… I’m not really supposed to be hereee.” Charlie nodded, pursing her lips, and then grabbing Emily by the arm, dragging her and the fallen exorcist into her room. The minute the door was shut Charlie blurted out.

“Oh no- Heaven isn’t declaring war or anything rig- I am so so sorry for Adam I really-” Her company, perhaps her girlfriend? Came up and put a grounding hand onto her shoulder. Taking a few deep breaths she sent a worried glance to Emily.

“Well. No. I mean- Sera isnt happy but it’s not justtt Adam.” Pausing she rushedly added. ‘It worked!”

Charlie paused for a moment, brow furrowed in thought, and then a high pitched squeal filled the hotel.

“IT WORKED! WHO? HOW? I-” She shook her girlfriend by the shoulders rapidly. “Vaggie did you hear that!??!” She chuckled, pulling the hyperventilating princess into a hug, and turning her gaze to the seraphim.

“So, who’s the lucky sinner? Well, winner now.” Emily grinned giddily, spinning a bit. 

“It's Pentious! He came up right after the battle!” Charlie was, at this point, sobbing of happiness.

_____

Alastor’s vision swayed, blackness pulling at the corners. The combined pain of his gash, and the thoughts flying through his head of what was happening overwhelmed him.

He really did wish he was up there. He was the hotelier after all. And yet a part of him was grateful, keeping the act up mid conversation would be bothersome. And for all he knew the little angel was spilling his secrets, and was going to bring him back to Her. 

The cervine demon maneuvered to an armchair as smoothly as he could. Now making a conscious effort to keep his static from spiking. 

After a few moments the buzzing in his head cleared and he swung his gaze across the room. The two lovebirds at the bar were whispering to each other, yet not quiet enough to evade his extended sense of hearing. Nifty was carefully dismembering a roach on the floor, humming to herself.

Suddenly his neck distorted as he turned his head at the sound of footsteps dashing down the staircase.

Vaggie and the Seraphim sat on the couch, and Charlie gestured for the rest of the sinners to join them. Once everyone had settled Charlie took a deep breath, looking to Vaggie for reassurance. 

“Hello you guys! We have uh, really important, GREAT, news!” Angel Dust quirked an eyebrow, taking a sip from a margarita he brought over. 

“Well well, do go on dear Charlotte.” Alastor nodded, flashing the most encouraging smile he could.

“Well- I- it works!” Charlie squealed, jumping up and losing her composure rapidly. 

Alastor went rigid, surely he was misunderstanding. Or it hadn't happened. Maybe she just found out it could, that wasn't so horrid. 

Angel Dust spit out his drink, eyeing the princess with a mix of surprise, hope, and skepticality. 

“You sayin what I think you sayin toot’s?” Charlie’s grin only widened.

“Redemption guys! It's REAL!” Alastor’s claws tapped rapidly against the armchair. 

“And how do we know that my dear?” He forced his voice to stay level, he had to stay in control. 

“Sir. Pentious is in heaven Alastor! Oh isn't it wonderful!” The room was silent for a mere moment, until it broke out into cheering and laughing and celebration. No one noticed Alastor sink into his shadow. 

Almost no one. 

The minute he arrived into his tower the smell of burning flesh suffocated him, as red hot chains tightened against him. Falling onto the floor he hissed out a croaky, filter-less word before his throat

inevitably burnt and crumbled, restricting his voice.

“shit.”