divinetree | Mom says it's my turn with the Alastor

"Don't you worry your plucky-ducky head one bit! I have never once respected nor considered your self-ascribed royal title. I don't serve Kings."

Alastor emphasized the words 'plucky-ducky' by leaning forward and ruffling that blond head - just as condescendingly as he'd done for Husk. This conversation was just as nerve-wracking as that one had been, honestly.

"Our contest burns ever onward."

That ruffle catches him off-guard and leaves him... disheveled and a bit pink in the face.

What just happened. What was this feeling in his gut?

"Good. ...Good."

The fallen angel gave a low chuckle, shook his head as he recovered, and smoothed his hair back again. But the sweep passed over his eyes, gold swapped for red. As he picked up his glass, the liquor sprung to life in flame.

"Because you had me concerned. Nobody sets a fire in me quite like you do... why, I just might consider you a friend." That playful tone was back, but it was utmost smoke before he tipped back his drink and drained his glass.

"Friends! My oh my, mister Serpent, that's moving awful fast, don't you think?" Alastor teased, affecting a belle accent and resting his hand against his forehead as though he were fainting. "And after inviting me into your office for private drinks? Why, I'm not that kind of demon, sir~"

He set his empty glass aside. "Oh~? And yet you're here anyway. But let's not point fingers... terribly impolite."

The King rose and circled the desk, hopped to perch a seat upon the opposing edge. One leg crossed the other, and his spiny tail moved in the serpentine fashion of a cat most intrigued by what he was seeing.

"Immortality has its perks, however. Why, any old pace can be set. What's fast? What's slow? ...But maybe I see an opportunity, like you've said, and I saw fit to seize it."

He reached out, a force of habit, but hesitated. He wasn't sure what he intended to do just then. He let his hand fall back to the edge of the desk.

"...Can this Serpent top you off, pal...? Your glass is running a little low, and I won't have anyone left wanting."

See, this is the devil that people think of and fear - this is much closer to what should be hated, and aspired to. A creature of fearful temptation, not a sad little fallen angel.

So amusing - was this the sort of carnal temptation that others succumbed to? It felt like an inside joke he wasn't privy to. But that made it all the funnier to play along.

He leaned on the arm of the chair, picking the glass up and offering it to the outstretched hand, letting his fingers linger. "If you'd be so generous, oh fork-tongued one."

The glass was supported by a palm, but fingers touched as he saw to topping things off in the other. So accustomed to much older vintages, he enjoyed the scents coming from the rye, spicier in its youth compared to the average bourbon.

"There we are. The scandal continues...! Oh, what might the neighbors think, if they knew you were all alone with the devil in his quarters, much less having a drink?"

"Properly scandalous! Why, they'll be tittering about this in the tabloids for weeks!" Alastor chuckled. His mood was a bit lighter, and jokes flowed more easily. Though Mimzy and possibly losing his position in the hotel hadn't been at the forefront of what was bothering him, it was still nice to dig up that strange kindness on those fronts from the king.

What a soft man, just like his daughter.

"They'll be wondering if it's yet another doomed friendship, will the fallout get the Radio Demon killed this time?? Will the King of Hell have to fight the Television Demon as the Radio Demon's true nemesis?? Stay tuned for our next thrilling installment!"

"I surely hope you continue a radio broadcast now that things have settled down. If anything, it would vex that Vox. You seem to have had it quite heated for a while. I couldn't even begin to tell you the number of times he's tried to push a cable package on me, thinking I have any such interest in having my brain rot with all the reality television, porn and memetic commercials I could ever wish to choke on."

His tail whipped behind him with a sharp crack. He moved to refill his own glass.

"You know what? I enjoy this. It has been a good few hundred years since I've had a time quite like the last several weeks. I wouldn't mind stirring scandal more often."

"Finally, someone who understands the absolute dearth of media on that wretched picturetube," Alastor practically purred, taking a sip of his newly refilled whiskey before running his finger in circles over the rim of the glass. "If we must have royalty around, why, I say that this is much more the sort of thing I want to hear from a king. Good sense, good taste, and a taste for the fire of afterlife."

"Hahahaha...! A compliment! Three of them, in fact! Are you sure you're all right...?" He propped his chin in a hand and cocked his head at him.

"Or is the liquor already getting to you? Perhaps I picked too strong of a selection from my collection. Will I wind up carrying you back...?"

"Heavens, no, I have a LOT more drinking to do before I'm anywhere near inebriated! Why, we haven't even gotten the swing music going or the space to start dancing, the night's far too young for me to pass out," Alastor guffawed, poking Lucifer right in the center of that red circle on his cheek.

"I'm far too sober to have a friend pawing at me."

He pushed back against the poke, grin sharpening and eyes aglow.

"Then I suppose we should up the ante. I could use a dance partner!"

Well well! If his prospective dance partner had the energy for it, then it was worth having at it! And if he was half as good at dancing as he was dueling, then this would be a good time.

Alastor threw back the whole glass of whiskey before standing up, sliding away the chair with a smooth kick and shifting the radio to a more energetic sound.

"Surely you'd learned how to lindy hop?"

His expression brightened as the demon took down that whiskey. That's the ticket.

But the question had him hop off the desk, and with the sweep of a hand, opened up the floor by shooing the fixture to the side.

"Been a few decades since I've done it, but-" With a flourish, he removed and whipped his vest aside. With a few solo steps, light on his feet, he was feeling the tempo and the melody.

"-I think I can unrust!"

So warm up to the full energy, got it - Alastor laughed, whisking the tophat off of Lucifer's head and tossing it across the room, the brim neatly catching a coat hook and swinging onto it without falling. Perfect.

Funny how Charlie was a much easier dance partner given that her height was much closer to his. That just added a funny extra bit of challenge, really, grabbing Lucifer's hand to spin him in wide, energetic swings so they could kick their feet out to the beat.

Tophat off, Lucifer made a show of sweeping his fingers through his hair with a laugh.

Height difference? Yeah. Sorry. Nothing to do about it, though! Lucifer kept up as best as he could, but it seemed Alastor had the right idea. Swing wide, let the taller demon take the lead. That was just fine by him.

Maybe I shouldn't be having such a good time, though...

Eh. He pushed that aside. Spin him again!

Exactly, spin instead, the faster you dance the less time you have to hear that nasty voice in your head!

Now that the pace is picked up, Alastor will go right ahead and start incorporating his favorite - picking up his dance partner and nearly tossing them. This was always a HIT with Mimzy and even Rosie, after all!

Hah. The King is even lighter than either of those ladies, he laughs in amusement as he catches Lucifer and returns him to his feet as they keep up the jig.

This was... different. He'd engaged in a wealth of dances in his millennia of life, but even with his smaller stature, he'd never been tossed.

It was thrilling! He used that toss as a launch point for a roll before he headed back into position, short of breath from his own excitement. He was accustomed to ballroom dancing or a tango- Lily's favorite- but nothing that had him flying...!

Lucifer pulled the dance in closer, linking fingers. He flexed a little spatial magic. Why be in an office when instead they could be at an old club? But all others in attendance were just clones of him, all in 20s-era finest. There were even a few dressed as flapper girls, while a very surly, scowling clone of himself was polishing glasses at the bar in the corner with gusto.

Seeing Lucifer getting into the energy and the vibe of the dancing as naturally as Charlie always did was a treat. Alastor snapped, summoning the piano as a must, and summoning some of the stitched-together shadowy minions to help liven things up with a live band.

This made him feel like he was at home, again. The feeling, the atmosphere, the high energy dancing where they could slide across the floor, they could toss each other, everything - it was a delight.

"Hahahah! Keep at it, pal, you're getting it!"

God, he couldn't stop laughing. The piano and live band was absolutely a must!

Just dancing. He missed dancing so, so much and it was always better with another person.

Strangely enough- though perhaps not so- he neatly was able to balance Alastor's weight with the overhead tosses. Then again, that slug to Adam's face was a good sign and such a long time coming-

Lucifer's hair was becoming a mess and he'd started sweating a bit. But he'd hardly ever felt so... so good before! Not for so damned long!

Despite the discrepancy in their heights, Lucifer will find that Alastor is very easy to toss - no surprise there, the man is practically skin and bone! And he is just as used to a toss - he lands with a flourish, laughing just as lively as Lucifer himself was.

Now THIS was a party! THIS was homey, what he missed more than anything! He hadn't danced like this for decades.

Was it hot in here? Not like it mattered. He was happy to be fireproof. But maybe he should have checked his own habit a little closer... applejack was no joke!

Ahh, there were eras he missed. This slice of americana had its fair share of troubles, but the lights tucked between seemed to sparkle so much brighter than the slower, more peaceful periods of humanity. The 70s and 80s were great with audacious outfits and brightness, but did they move like touching the floor was against the god-damned law like this??

"Another, another! Keep 'em coming for me and my big red chum here! We refuse to be dry after crushing this set!"

"I'm fixin' to cut you off, Boss," his bartending copy groused over the music, but he went ahead to start serving up a little more. You know what, Al? You should try the stuff- apples had a Hell of a lot of uses, nigh endless!

With a hearty laugh, Alastor broke away only to slam back the drink served for him. Applejack was sweeter than his preference, but it served well too get him drunker and wilder for the dance floor. He'd usually be dragging Husk into this, if the kitty was interested and willing, but Lucifer was a natural at feeding into the crazy energy of it.

"What better way to work up a sweat! Hah hah!"

He wasn't one to be shown up! He took his glass and punched it down as well, even if his mind jangled an alarm bell: Alastor had a taller body and hollow legs.

But Lucifer was just a lil fella.

Come on, angelic fortitude!

But his face had definitely taken on a faint golden blush. That didn't stop him from making his march back to rejoin his dance buddy.

"Alright, one more, one more! Then I think we can hand the floor to the peanut gallery, eh?"

"My pal, I can dance the whole night away - we're dancing until you drop!" Alastor playfully challenged. If that meant 'one more' then that was just fine - they could wear themselves out and collapse at the bar in delight afterwards.

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