divinetree | Charlie & Vox

The lines deepened beneath his eyes as he fell quiet.

"I know that. ...I'm just not the one that needs to learn that."

He adjusted his grip on the rack, and pushed on.

Does he know that...? Charlie frowned, sadly, following along and only taking a few extra strides ahead so she could open the door for him. He's cruel, he's horrible, he's done awful things to Angel and so many people, but...

If he can feel how bad it feels, why can't he apply that thought to others? Maybe he can. Hopefully he can.

"I don't know what history you and Alastor have, but... someday, if you want to talk through your thoughts and feelings on it, I'll listen. Okay?"

He stiffened a little with the name drop before, with his screen darkening, he moved past and into his room. God, what use was there to argue a correction...?

"I'm surprised he hasn't told you anything."

He set aside the rack, hopped along until mercifully, mercifully, he could lower into a chair.

He paused, scoffed, and eased his blanket cloak off of his top half. "Fuck, who am I kidding? ...Of course he hasn't..."

Charlie paused to check the hallway, making sure it was empty before closing the door behind them and passing the plate with a few breakfast items on it over to him once he got comfortable.

"No, he really hasn't... Alastor is... well, he keeps just about everything to himself. Even Husk and Niffty don't know very much about him at all, and I think he prefers it that way."

He accepted the plate with a nod, and was relieved to at least settle whatever stomach this body had. Without a body he would have somehow starved to death over and over, and he supposed Valentino knew that.

Or maybe he didn't. Who the fuck knows.

With a frown in thought, he focused on getting a few things down while he spoke. "Yeah. Pretty much. I'm sure he gave you his whole MO, what gets him off and why he does anything. You've likely heard his radio broadcasts when he did them regularly before his little sabbatical. Guy's got a way of interacting with you, like he's known you his whole life."

He sat back and looked away. "...Right up until-"

He snapped his fingers. "...He shuts it right off and everything has been a lie. A joke. ...Everything."

"...Did it feel like that for you?" Charlie asked, a little wary. When Alastor came... he had a whole song and dance, he did make efforts to be helpful in spite of making it obvious he was a bad person, but...

"He's always been really secretive with us. And pretty mean. We were never totally sure why he actually stuck around or actually fought to protect us..." Charlie admitted, sitting on the end of the bed next to him while they talked.

"Alastor never really felt like he was comfortable doing anything but watching from the edge of the room."

But he still chose you, he thought bitterly.

He slouched, set his empty plate aside, felt the prickle of snow muddling the typical blue glow of his screen.

"Yeah. ...Sounds about right," he opted to voice aloud instead.

"Is there anyone here I can bum a cigarette off of?"

Vaggi thinks he's up to something, she thinks, but decides not to voice...

I don't really disbelieve her, either...

...But getting into Alastor like that would be... difficult. It sounds like Vox knew him better than they did, and it was by Alastor's design that that was the case.

"...Yeah. I'll ask Vaggi to bring some up. We keep some for people who're using it to ween off of their harder drugs," she nodded lightly, getting her phone out to text her girlfriend for that request.

Elbow to knee, he propped the lower half of his face upon the claw and nodded without a word. He remembered his stints of doing coke in the past- fuckin'... who didn't do coke? It was a Hollywood thing, and everyone in the biz had at least a bump of it on them at all times or had a friend in arm's reach- but his vice was alcohol. Nicotine. Inwardly, he was relieved this place wasn't abstinent to a draconian degree.

He quietly sighed. Fuck it.

"...Thank you." There, see? Manners.

"So far so... something, I guess."

Meanwhile, Charlie had a ping on her phone. There's Pop for ya: Heeeeey Sweetie...! The guy had like ten legs right? Or was it eight? I heard he got kinda spider-y for a minute so I made a bunch. Also, whyyyyy are we giving him legs again...? he put me in a BOX!!

So far so something! Charlie looked down at her phone, expecting Vaggi, but.

Nope, it was dad! And despite herself, she snorted a little, holding back a laugh. "Dad... good grief. He made you like... eight or maybe ten legs?? And he's still annoyed about the 'box'."

She laughs, a little - her dad really was unbelievably tough, going through all of that and mostly just needing to sleep it off after she and Vaggi took turns carrying him back to the hotel.

He's a guest now! And legs should be fine, that way he can walk away from a situation if people get aggressive with him. He's going to try to be better!

Vox squinted, confused. Box? What box? Also, why eight or ten legs? There's no way he'd seen his shifted form. Not without hearing rumors or something.

...But it wooould be neat to have that form back...

Look, I know you wanna see the best in everybody, but this guy could use an ass kicking. Or like, TEN ass kickings! If you're talking to him, stick a magnet on his face or something. For me??

"Almost a dozen legs, and all I want is my old body back. ...I worked hard on that one...!"

"At least it means there's backups! And if you apologize to dad and start getting along, maybe you guys can work on a new one. I don't know what happened to the old one, buuuut it's probably gone."

Not that she really thinks it'll be that easy, her dad is. SO. STUBBORN!!! But...

There's gonna be pleeeeenty of time for people to tell him exactly how hurt and upset they are. He's not allowed to hurt or control anyone so long as he's a guest, so he should be safe. Besides, if I can get his pet back from his ex, then he'll need legs to take him for walkies!

"...hold on, seriously?" He lifted his head. He gaped. "What do you mean 'gone'? It was next to the Might of Lilith! It can't be gone!"

A pet? Seriously? God, if it's a pomeranian or something that would be SOOO like him. KeeKee's always going to be the best little fluffernutter~ ❤️

"I... mean... the cannon did kind of explode... and it's been a while... between the street sweepers and the canni... y'know, I think just don't worry about it!"

She has never been more grateful to have someone to text than right now.

Not quite! Remember Winzig? Vox has a big pet demon shark. Sharks are his SUPER favorite animal, kinda like how you love ducks!

"...Fuhuuuuuck I need that smoke..." Caught in a sweeper! Or made into a SNACK! His poor, poor, amazing body...

Oh WINNIE!! Love that guy!! I should check in with Freddy sometime... Hold on, you want to grab a shark? I don't think the fountain is big enough to hold a sea fella, sweetie...

Luckily he's amphibious!! Buuuuut a pool for him out back might be a good idea... Don't tell Vox though, I don't know if I can actually get Shokky yet and I don't want to get his hopes up. But if he gets a nice surprise then maybe he'll feel more comfortable and willing to keep trying the hotel. Also it would be a nice surprise also also it might make a fuuuun group project: everyone learning how to take care of a great big friendly shark! If Shokky is the kind of shark that would be ok with it. I'd have to meet him first

Golly, you uh REALLY wanna help this guy, huh? After Everything...?

ESPECIALLY after everything. Plus when he showed up he was just a detached head and his friends left him at the door in a basket :( don't tell him but I did think about kicking it instead BUT I stand by my belief!!!!

Huh. No kidding? You figure with friends just as shitty as you, they'd stick with you through everything, but I guess those Vees have limits, huh...? Evenifthatlimitisblowingthemup But... alright. If you're sure. Just don't feel bad about kicking him out if he tries to pull a fast one! Because sometimes you can bend over backwards for somebody, and nothing works. The person has to WANT to change, ya know?

Yep! I already gave him a stern talking to and made the terms for a Deal.

"I'm gonna go check on dad's progress - Vaggi'll be up in a few with a pack for you, alright? Just take it easy in the meantime!" Charlie excused herself, giving Vox a small wave before heading out into the hallway.

"Don't take shit from other demons!" I'll make it work and I won't let the guests hurt each other.

Yeah, that's... that's what he told her, hadn't he? She took that to heart. And she made a Deal with the guy, really? Holy... holy smokes...

Vox grumbled and flopped over. It was still so fucking early, so he didn't need to be told twice to take it easy.

Of course. Just remember I'm here if you need any more help with anything, okay?

Mind if I come up and look at the progress? And psyche myself up to go talk to his mean friends |D

Oh yeah, come on up!

FUCK, HE NEEDS TO WEAR ACTUAL CLOTHES, NOT THIS DUCK KIGURUMI--

Better hurry up, here she comes!!

Not like she was in a big rush anyway... she was giving the schedule a look, the Vee Tower schedule a look, trying to figure out when was a good time to go over there...

Hmm. Not... really much information about how they time stuff. Makes sense, it's not like she's an employee... oh! She should ask Baxter--

"Knock knock! Good morning, dad," Charlie called, knocking on the door and entering without much of a thought.

Outfit outfit outfit outfit- he was hopping around and shifting through what he could think of. The ringmaster outfit was fine but too typical, and he was at HOME and wanted to be COMFY--

He only had time for sweatpants a Great Quacksby sweatshirt almost two sizes too big for him when Charlie knocked and subsequently stepped in. The room was... fuller... with ducks than before, the gifts from the other Sins sitting propped atop the bed. Littered upon his work desk were parts of a prosthetic leg in black and blue aesthetic, and others sat propped up on the neighboring wall. One was digitigrade. One had talons.

Look, he didn't know what kinda feet Vox was rockin', but he wasn't about to ASK that's weird--

"Charlieeee! Hi, sweetie! Mi casa en su casa, haha... just- just close that door, wouldja? Private matters, y'know?" He struggled to pull the baggy sleeves inward to expose his hands. Nailed it. Mind the ducks.

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