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Finally, after who knows how many hours of crunch time, the first ever LED TV passed every quality check Vox could think to put it through.
He was already going to be late to Charlie’s birthday party, but it’s not like he could give the princess something that might work, so quality inspection it was.
The clock on the wall read 3:49 by the time he was sure it was ready.
Charlie’s birthday party was supposed to start at 4:00.
While he could teleport, that would risk damaging the TV… so no, he couldn’t teleport. He’d just have to be late.
He was about to panic text Lucifer that he wasn’t going to arrive by 4:00, when his head buzzed with a notification.
Lucifer 🦆 - Don’t worry about getting here on time, we’re running late.
Being late to a royal event was something he never would’ve dreamed of three months ago.
Now Lucifer- the king of hell himself- was texting him telling him not to worry.
Funny how life worked like that.
He carefully packed the television into a box, got in the car, and wrapped it while the chauffeur drove- which was a whole ordeal, but he refused to give the princess a blank box for her birthday.
Of course, wrapping a present while in a moving car probably wasn’t the best idea. His claws certainly didn’t help matters, as the delicate paper tore at the slightest pressure from something so sharp. That was kind of the point when it came to wrapping paper, but that didn’t make it any easier.
Vox had gone out of his way to ask Lucifer what animals Charlie liked, so the wrapping paper was a pale blue covered in cartoon koalas.
Cute.
Not as cute as sharks, but cute.
It was probably the worst wrapping job he’d done in his entire life and afterlife, but it didn’t actually look all that bad.
He hoped the princess would like it.
Lucifer had assured him that she would, but he wasn’t as sure.
Surely Lucifer was exaggerating about how cheerful she was. Every parent thought their child was special and could do no wrong.
Besides, Charlie was ninety three- by Lucifer's own admission, she was right in the middle of puberty. Vox had been insufferable at that age, and his adolescence had only lasted a few years.
There was simply no way anyone stayed that cheerful through decades of hormones.
Eventually, the car pulled up at the entrance of the palace and Vox stepped out, carefully carrying the present.
The moment he set foot on the pavement, Lucifer was next to him with a cart.
“What’s that for?” Vox asked.
“Well, it was for the cake, but I saw you arrive and figured you could use some help carrying that. Besides, the cake has wings, so it’s not exactly necessary." Lucifer shrugged. “C’mon, the gift table is just inside.”
The gift table was surprisingly empty for a princess’s birthday party. It had about ten presents on it, some wrapped boxes, others bags stuffed with paper. Vox’s TV was the largest one by far.
Lucifer seemed to notice him looking. “The party is tomorrow, and that’s where she’ll get most of her gifts. These are from people she actually knows, so they matter more.”
“This isn’t the party?”
“Well, it’s a party, but it’s not the party.”
“...Huh?”
“This is a family and friends party. Tomorrow is the big fancy one with all the minor nobles.” Lucifer looked annoyed just thinking about it. “You’re welcome to come, but I would recommend skipping that one.”
“Oh, if this is just people she knows, then I should really go. I wouldn’t want to intrude on her special day.”
“Oh, no, no! I asked if I could invite you, and she said yes.”
Vox wasn’t sure if he believed that, and Lucifer seemed to notice.
“Vox. She wants you here. You’re not leaving, and that’s final.”
“Okay.”
Lucifer guided Vox to the living room.
Vox was instantly overwhelmed by the people in the room.
Not the amount- no, there were only nine people in the room other than himself and Lucifer.
No, it was because he recognized almost everyone.
Satan.
Beelzebub.
Asmodeus.
Mammon.
Leviathan.
Belphegor.
Lilith
The princess, of course, but he’d known she was going to be there.
And finally, a teenage hellborn he didn't know. Judging by the way Charlie kept glancing his way- and because Lucifer had mentioned him earlier- Vox assumed that was her boyfriend.… Sev something? If they talked, he’d have to ask without sounding rude.
Satan, Beelzebub, Asmodeus, and the princess sat on the floor- King Satan of the Wrath Ring, Queen Beelzebub of the Gluttony Ring, and King Asmodeus of the Lust Ring, and Princess Charlotte of the Pride Ring.
Playing Monopoly. While sitting on the floor.
Vox swears he nearly had an aneurysm from the sight.
On the couches surrounding them, Mammon; the sin of greed- Leviathan; the sin of envy- Belphegor; the sin of sloth- and the teenager all sat. Mammon looked pissed off, while none of the other three seemed to care about whatever had gotten him angry at all. Leviathan hardly looked up from watching the others play the game, Belphegor was half asleep, Lilith was smiling while watching them play, and the teenage guy was on his phone texting someone.
Queen Beelzebub groaned and got up while Satan cheered behind her.
“Oof, you lost?” Lucifer asked.
“Third time in a row that I’m first out. Even after we kicked Mammon out, I still can’t win!”
“Hey, it’s better than Satan going out first and setting the palace on fire again.”
“I guess so.” She rolled her eyes playfully. Then her gaze settled on Vox. “Oh, you must be that sinner that Lu keeps talking about.”
Lucifer talked about him?! To the Sins?!
Vox wasn’t sure what was more shocking- that the sins knew who he was, or that Lucifer apparently ‘keeps’ talking about him in their presence.
“Your highness.” Vox said, beginning to bow.
“Uhhhh, no.” Lucifer said, stopping him by grabbing his arm. “None of that. We don’t bring politics into our home.”
“Please, just call me Bee.” She offered him a hand to shake.
He shook it. “I’m sorry if I don’t know anything, I don’t quite know what’s happening.”
She smiled warmly. “It’s all good. Just don’t use titles here and you’ll be fine. I mean, Lu likes you, so you must be a fun guy.”
“Um, yeah…”
As if saving him from not knowing what to say, cheers broke out from the group sitting on the floor.
“Ha!” Satan shouted. “I won!”
“Only because I wasn’t playing.” Mammon snipped.
“You know damn well why you’re not allowed to play anymore.” Satan snapped back.
“Oh yeah?! Well I could wipe the floor with you any day of the week if you’d let me play!”
“Guys, guys!” Charlie interrupted. “It’s present time!”
The entire room seemed to shift at once.
Not because she had raised her voice; she hadn’t. In fact, Vox was starting to realize that Charlie didn’t need to. Everyone just listened when she spoke.
Satan immediately abandoned whatever argument he had been preparing with Mammon. Bee moved back toward the game table, still laughing. Even Belphegor seemed to wake up slightly.
Charlie stood up, brushing off her skirt before turning toward him.
And there she was.
The Princess of hell.
The daughter of Lucifer Morningstar.
The future ruler of the Pride Ring.
Except she didn’t look like any of those things.
She looked like a teenager who was excited about her birthday. “You must be Vox!”
Vox blinked. “Uh... yes.”
Charlie smiled and walked over, holding out her hand like they were meeting at some business conference instead of her birthday party. “I’m Charlie.”
He stared at her hand for a second too long before shaking it. “I know.”
The second the words left his mouth, he realized how that sounded.
Charlie laughed. “Okay, yeah, that was probably obvious.”
Vox cleared his throat. “I meant... I know who you are.”
“Right. Princess thing.” She waved a hand dismissively. “I mean, I am a princess, but mostly I’m just Charlie.”
There was the thing Lucifer had been describing.
The impossible optimism.
The ridiculous friendliness.
The complete lack of suspicion.
Vox had assumed Lucifer was exaggerating.
Apparently, he had not been.
“I was told you liked animals?” Vox said, gesturing toward the wrapped box.
Charlie’s eyes immediately lit up. “You remembered?”
“Well, I asked.”
“You asked Dad what I liked?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
The question caught him off guard.
Why?
Because it was her birthday?
Because giving someone a gift they actually liked was basic courtesy?
Because he had spent years building technology designed to make people pay attention, and somehow this felt more important than any product launch he'd ever done?
“Because I wanted you to like it.”
Charlie’s expression softened. “That’s really sweet.”
Vox immediately became aware of the fact that every person in the room was watching him.
This was worse than an Overlord meeting.
At least with Overlords, he knew what to do.
He had no idea how to respond to a teenage girl calling him sweet.
“So...” Charlie said, rocking slightly on her heels. “Can I open it?”
Vox glanced at Lucifer.
Lucifer smiled. “Actually, can we do yours last? I want it to be special.”
Charlie nodded, and went through all the other presents first.
Eventually, Charlie grabbed his present, and the pale blue paper covered in cartoon koalas immediately caught her attention. “Oh my gosh. It has koalas.”
“Yes.”
“I love koalas.”
“I was informed.”
Charlie looked up. “By Dad?”
“...Yes.”
A grin spread across her face. “Dad was right. You are cool.”
Vox stared at her.
Cool.
That was not a word he was used to hearing directed at him.
Powerful, yes.
Dangerous, definitely.
Successful, occasionally, depending on who was asked.
But cool?
Especially from Lucifer’s daughter?
That was new.
“Right.” Vox said, clearing his throat. “Well. You should probably open it before the paper becomes a permanent part of the box.”
Charlie laughed and carefully started removing the wrapping.
Vox immediately regretted not having wrapped it better.
The paper tore unevenly in several places, the edges were crooked. Apparently wrapping a birthday present was where his skills ended. Charlie didn't seem to notice. Or if she did, she didn't care.
She peeked into the box, and popped her head back out. “A television! I wanted one of those!”
“Yes, your dad commissioned me to make it.”
“Wait, you made it?”
“Yes.”
“By yourself?”
“Not entirely, I had engineers helping me.”
“Don’t undersell it.” Lucifer piped up. “This is the only one of its kind in existence right now. The first one invented in all of hell, heaven, and earth. I checked.”
“It’s the very first of its kind?” Charlie asked, her expression getting somehow brighter.
“Well, yes and no.” Vox corrected. “It’s an LCD, and those are pretty common already, but the bulbs it uses have never been used for a TV before, but they should make the whole thing work better.”
“How so?” Charlie asked, clearly actually curious.
“Well, the picture is better- darker blacks, brighter whites- it produces less heat, and uses less power.”
“That’s amazing.”
Vox looked away. “It’s just technology.”
“You made something that didn’t exist before. That’s amazing.” She insisted.
Vox had no immediate response.
She wasn’t talking about the television- not really. She was talking about him.
Lucifer watched from behind her with a small smile.
Vox noticed and immediately pretended he didn’t.
Charlie looked back down at the television.
Then back at Vox.
Then back at the television.
“Wow.” She muttered.
“Now, the important question.” Lucifer grinned. “Does it actually work?”
Vox scoffed. “Of course it works.”
“Good, because if it didn't, I was going to have to tell Charlie her birthday present was a very expensive box.”
Charlie gasped. “Dad!”
“I’m joking.”
“You better be.”
Vox watched the exchange.
The teasing.
The easy affection.
The complete lack of fear or formality.
He was glad to see it, even though it was something he’d never really had.
Charlie carefully lifted the television out of the box, still looking between it and Vox as though she couldn't quite believe it was real.
Lucifer clapped his hands together.
“Well!” He announced. “Now that we have something to use it with…” Charlie looked up. “...I have one more present.”
“You do?”
“I do.”
Lucifer disappeared down the hallway before anyone could ask another question.
A few moments later, he returned carrying another wrapped box tucked under one arm.
Charlie laughed. “You planned this.”
“I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.” He smiled.
“You absolutely planned this.”
“Just open it.”
Charlie tore through the wrapping considerably faster than she had with Vox's gift.
Her eyes grew wider with every layer. “No way.”
She lifted the box into the air. “A Nintendo 64?!”
“With four controllers.” Lucifer said proudly. “And…” He produced a second, much smaller package from behind his back. “...Mario Kart.”
Charlie squealed.
Actually squealed.
She threw her arms around Lucifer before he'd even finished speaking. “Thank you!”
Lucifer laughed, hugging her back. “You're welcome, kiddo.”
Bee leaned over toward Vox. “...Give them five minutes."
“Five minutes until what?”
“Until they remember the television has to come out of the box.”
It took closer to fifteen.
Vox insisted on helping set everything up.
The television was placed on a cabinet opposite the couches.
He connected the console himself, partly because he wanted to make sure everything worked correctly, and partly because Mammon had already reached for a cable upside down.
“I knew that.” Mammon muttered.
“You were trying to plug the video cable into the power socket.”
“...I was testing it.”
“They’re not even the same shape.”
The screen flickered to life.
A brilliant, colorful logo appeared.
Charlie gasped. “It works!”
Vox scoffed, mildly offended. “I told you it worked.”
“I know, but now I can see that it works!”
The first race began almost immediately.
Charlie.
Lucifer.
Bee.
Satan.
The room exploded into laughter within seconds.
“WHO THREW THAT?”
“I DID!”
“BEE!”
“It was funny!”
Vox watched from the couch.
He found himself watching the players more than the screen.
Charlie laughed every time something ridiculous happened.
Lucifer dramatically mourned every banana peel.
Satan celebrated every minor victory as though he'd conquered a nation and yelled every time he wiped out.
Bee somehow laughed whether she won or lost.
It was nice. Comfortable, even.
After three races, Charlie looked over her shoulder.
“Vox!” He looked up. “Your turn.”
He blinked. “No.”
“Please?”
“I don't know how.”
“I'll teach you.”
“I'm fine watching.”
Lucifer held out a controller. “Come on.”
Bee grinned. “You built the TV, it’s only fair you get to play.”
Satan folded his arms. “Surely you can handle driving a cartoon plumber.”
Vox eventually accepted Bee’s controller with the resignation of a man walking toward his own execution.
Charlie scooted over to make room beside her. “Okay.” She said, pointing at the buttons. “This one accelerates. This one brakes.”
“Reasonable.”
“And don't drive into the lava.”
“I know. I watched you do that three times in one race.”
“Hey!” She laughed. “I still won!”
Once they started, Vox drove directly into a wall.
Charlie burst into laughter. “No, no, you’re steering too much!”
“I know!”
“Now you’re going backwards!”
“I know that too!”
Somewhere behind them, Bee was laughing so hard she had tears in her eyes.
Lucifer had both hands over his mouth, clearly trying- and failing- not to laugh.
Vox finally managed to point the kart in the correct direction. “...Progress.”
Charlie laughed so hard she nearly dropped her controller.
For the first time all evening, Vox found himself laughing with her.
Not because he'd intended to.
Not because he was trying to impress anyone.
Simply because he was having fun.
And, somewhere between inventing a new model of television and driving a tiny cartoon kart into his fifth wall of the race, he realized he hadn't thought about work once since he'd walked through the palace doors.
For one evening, that was enough.