Rival
π½Ξ±ΥΌΙΟΠΌ π½ΞΉΡΥΌΙ
- Joined
- May 10, 2021
"Alastor!" Charlie called out, holding a flattened hand alongside her mouth to amplify her voice over the rubble of what had been the Hazbin Hotel.
The enjoyment of their victory over the angels had been short-lived: the Princess of Hell all but ignored her father's suggestion of celebratory pancakes in favor for a rabid concern for her hotelier. "ALASTOR!" she yelled with the sort of desperation that suggested she was seconds away from being pulled under by devastating sorrow.
...Lucifer could empathize, in that he'd suffered such emotional trauma himself - on more than one occasion over the course of his eternal damnation - but he wasn't particularly pleased for whom his daughter's heart was bleeding. Alastor. What a jackass, Lucifer thought to himself. Personally, he was none-too-fond of the radio demon, but he'd joined Charlie as she searched the ruins of the hotel -- strictly as support, of course, as he wasn't at all that interested in finding the other father figure.
Still, as Charlie looked back at him, her beautiful eyes welling with tears, he felt compelled to contribute. Being in a much more rational state than his daughter, a quick glance over the wreckage of the hotel was enough to discern a piece that was decidedly familiar: it seethed Alastor energy. Not in a supernatural sort of way... rather, it was as simple as that it was a radio tower, in matching color and aesthetic to the radio demon. Lucifer approached his daughter, taking a moment to comfort her with his embrace. "I'm sure he's fine," he spoke confidently. "Perhaps we should check...the radio tower?"
"The radio tower!" the princess repeated brightly, brimming with a sudden optimism. The hug she shared with her father was quickly ripped apart as Charlie ran towards the aforementioned location. Lucifer frowned in the wake of his daughter's leave, following in her footsteps at a much more leisurely pace, giving him some time to reflect. There was no doubt that he hated Alastor. But there was also no doubt that the radio demon was alive - Lucifer had witnessed his battle with Adam from afar, and knew he had retreated before fatal damage could be dealt - which meant that if he wanted to reconnect with Charlie, he was going to have to suffer the demon's existence for awhile longer.
Lucifer kicked a small chunk of debris as he passed. He hated to admit it, but he couldn't fault Charlie for her attachment. What he hated even more? That there might even be some credit due to that damned radio demon. He'd seen the way Alastor was able to inspire Charlie when she'd returned from Heaven, utterly and absolutely defeated. As if it hadn't been enough that it was him that rallied her spirit and resistance - that he'd fostered her hope and dreams, supported her as he always had - she'd even used his microphone staff while she spread some hopeful inspiration of her own, gaining a small army as a result.
...Not to mention Alastor's contribution to the battle against the angels, what with his shadow shield that saved the hotel from being immediately overrun -- a shadow shield with shadow tendrils that cut angels from the sky with their own weapons...
Oh yeah, Lucifer had seen it all. It had been enough to spiral the depressed dreamer to wallow. He should have been there for Charlie, he knew, sooner than he had been. The same story today as it was years before, an absentee-ism fueled by their estrangement; now with the bonus of a seething resentment for the man whom had seemingly taken his place. Lucifer convinced himself that Charlie didn't need him, the father who had stood within her hotel and told her that her dream was doomed to fail, smugly showcasing the flaws of her hope in sinners as examples abound all around them. Even as he eventually came around -- well. He had been stupid to have come around, hadn't he? He knew Heaven would chew Charlie up and spit her out, just as they same as they had him: but he'd allowed the dazzle of her dreams, and his overwhelming love and hope for her, to blind his better judgement. He'd set her up to fail. Delivered her to the doorstep, no less! Upon her return, how could show his face?
...It hadn't been his intention to swoop in at the last second, to set himself up with the dramatic glory befitting of a savior. When his assumption that Alastor would come out as the hero of Charlie's tale was proven wrong, of course he wouldn't leave his daughter to the fate the Adam and the angels saw fit for his blood. ...And it immediately begged the question of why he'd let his hurt feelings/self pity delay him helping his daughter in the first place.
...Fucking Alastor.
Luficer's frown tugged deeper as he entered the fallen radio tower. Charlie was hugging the radio demon, her well of tears uninhibitedly falling down her cheeks as she sobbed her gratefulness for finding him alive. She withdrew from their embrace only as it seemed that the tightness of her clutching to his chest might be causing him pain. "Oh, sorry! I--ah, I didn't hurt you, did I?" she fussed. "I think... I'm pretty sure I can fix this," she spoke a with a shaky confidence, studying the wound that had soaked her own shirt in blood during their hug.
"Let me take care of this, Charlie." Lucifer spoke as he approached and placed a hand upon his daughter's shoulder, using the hold to gently draw her away. "I can handle an angelic steel wound. Have him fixed up in just a couple of minutes!" His smile was soft and reassuring as he locked eyes with Charlie. "You -- go check on the others. Make sure everyone is okay, and once we've regrouped... we can discuss restoration efforts on the hotel."
Charlie's smile made it all worth it. Heal the person he resented most in Hell? Sure. Anything for her. "I -- yeah. That would be great! Thanks, dad."
Oh, his heart! He drew his daughter close, giving her a tight enough hug that some of Alastor's blood smeared from her shirt and on to his suit vest, before releasing her to tend to her friends. Before she left, however, she felt it necessary to address Alastor further. "I'll see you soon! Thank you, again... You've done so much for me β₯~" One could hear the love in her voice, and it was all so very...
Puke.
The King of Hell's gaze remained upon the threshold for several long moments after Charlie took her leave. He loved her so much, he owed it to her to be a better father. Unfortunately, that meant --
"Alright, then," Lucifer clapped his hands together, creating a rubbing friction that sprouted a faint glow of golden light from his palms. The crimson slits of his eyes shifted to focus upon Alastor. "Open your shirts and let's see what we're working with here."
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