Chapter Text
Bright, burning light forced Alastor’s eyes open.
Where was he? What had he been doing? Suddenly his brain felt so foggy he couldn’t retrieve the answers from its depths. He groaned, sitting up and rubbing his forehead.
His… forehead.
Which was… not hurting anymore.
He removed his hand, only to double-take at its appearance. Claw-like, he would describe it as. Red claws and dark brown palms.
He looked blearily around him. It was bright. That was all he could properly gather, really, because it was so overpowering. He felt the ground beneath him. It was fluffy like cotton. He felt at it more. The more he peered at it, it looked like… a cloud. Except, no, that couldn’t be possible, because clouds were made of water and he’d just fall right through one. It must be some sort of trick.
“Hi!” A cheery voice interrupted him, making him jolt. “Welcome to Heaven! Can I get your name, please?”
Alastor lifted his head to see where the voice had come from. A rather slender, pale man with curly blonde hair was addressing him. In front of…
… oh.
He was dead.
And in… Heaven?
But he had sold his soul to a demon, hadn’t he?
“Hello,” Alastor managed to stand up, wobbling as he did so. “Um, are you sure I belong here?”
“Well, why wouldn’t you?” The man replied, still smiling. “Everyone who is sent to Heaven after they die are here for a reason. You must’ve been very good in life. Good job! Love to hear it! Now, your name?”
“Alastor Hartfelt.” He replied tersely, trying not to glance down at himself too much and kept his eyes trained on the man.
“Alastor… Ha… Hart… Hartfelt! Found you! You’re on the list, see? Obviously, you have a place in Heaven.”
“Obviously… “ Alastor repeated back to him, still bewildered.
“Obviously,” The man’s smile widened. “Now, our Seraphim will be here to give you a tour— “
He was interrupted by what Alastor could assume were said Seraphim. They drifted down in front of the gates where he was standing, and the light around him seemed to grow brighter. He shielded his eyes. There were never lights quite so bright in New Orleans. They hurt his head.
“Hello!” The shorter Seraphim cried, rushing forward. She looked younger than the taller one, judging by her face and voice. “Welcome to Heaven!”
She took ahold of his hands and jumped up and down excitedly. Alastor shied away from her instinctively. “Hello… “
“We hope your soul will remain at peace here.” The older Seraph told him, giving him a kind smile.
Hah. As if.
“We don’t get deer winners very often,” The younger one told him. “Can you believe that? I love deer, I wish we got more of them. They’re so sweet and they have the cutest of ears! A shame they’re so docile, though. They never let me pet them… “
The rest of her rambling didn’t register in Alastor’s head. “Deer… ?” He repeated.
This had to be some sort of sick joke.
“Emily,” the older nudged the younger. “It’s rude not to introduce yourself.”
“Oh, sorry!” Emily let go of his hands and shook them out. “I’m Emily, the Seraphim of Joy! You can call me Em, Emmy, or anything really! And this is my older sister, Sera. What’s your name?”
His ears flattened against his head, knocking the halo levitating above them. “Alastor.”
“Alastor! That’s such a cute name! Do you spell it the weird way or the normal way? We’ve had a few Alastors up here, and all of them spell their name differently. Can you believe that?”
“No, I can’t.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, I must be boring you. I was meaning to give you a tour of Heaven! Let’s go— “
“Wait,” She was about to pull him through the gates, but he stopped her, pulling on her arm. “Why am I up here?”
She stopped and tilted her head curiously. “What do you mean?”
“I mean that I don’t belong up here.”
“You’re on the list, right?”
“Yes, I am, but— “ He stopped himself and stared down at his hands.
There had been blood on those hands. He had held knives with these, he had killed many, he had never been found responsible. How was he in Heaven when he had done this? He was not regretful by any means, no, but… how? And why?
And he’d made a deal with a Sinner. He would be powerful once he got to Hell. Only… he wasn’t in Hell. How would her end of the bargain be held up? Would the deal be broken now? He didn’t know. The bind on his soul felt no less weightless.
“... Nevermind,” Alastor huffed a sigh through his nose. “Give me the tour.”
~
In all his time in Heaven, he had not received answers on how he’d gotten there. He was told the same thing every time he asked someone who he assumed had an ounce of authority. ”Well, you’re in Heaven now, right? So you don’t have to worry about it. I’m sure you’re up here for a reason.”
He had come to the conclusion that no one actually knew what got souls up there.
Good deeds, Emily would tell him. If they did good in life, they will in the afterlife, but what good had Alastor done? Sure, he had viable reasons to kill those people, but he sure as hell wasn’t innocent. At least he was self aware.
Speaking of Emily, she’d somehow wound up his only friend up here. A bit sad, yes, but he’d take what he could get. She was the only one he could even muster up the energy to tolerate, anyway. Everyone else was too… bright and friendly. He wasn’t saying that Emily was not those things, no, not even close, but she seemed genuine and passionate in the way that she spoke that he could grow to admire it.
His own appearance, he did not like. He looked far from what he’d looked like when he was alive to the point he hardly recognized himself in the mirror. Longer, light red and almost pink hair with fawn ears of the same colour. The only things that remained from his original appearance was the curliness of his hair and the colour of his skin, the bare minimum.
After a few months, he’d given up on the idea of finding out why on earth he would be allowed up in Heaven. He shifted his focus to more important things. Like souls he once knew in life that had departed much too early.
“Saint Peter,” He addressed the man who had first greeted him at the gates, peeking through the golden bars. “Can I ask you a favor?”
Peter scrambled at his post, almost like he’d been zoning out. “A–ah– yeah! ‘Course! Whaddya need?”
“Can you… check your book for someone?”
Peter had checked for who he asked, and he found her, but when Alastor asked where she could be he shook his head. “Sorry, we don’t really keep track of where winners go or live once they get up here. You’ll have to find them yourself.”
He’d returned to Emily disheartened and about ready to jump off the clouds and mark himself a member of Hell.
Emily, from where she sat beside him, leaned up and stroked his ears comfortingly. He growled at her instinctively, but that didn’t make her pull away.
“It’s okay,” She soothed. “I’m sure you’ll find her eventually.”
Will she even want to see me? He didn’t say.
“Thank you, Emily.” He said instead.
He made himself at home in a tiny little house that Emily had presented to him on his first day. He didn’t like it much, but he didn’t like any of Heaven’s architecture, really. He filled the house with skulls. Emily did not like that he filled the house with skulls.
“It’s unsightly!” She told him. “What will visitors think?”
“Well, I was never planning on having visitors.” He replied, smile ever-growing.
He liked Emily fine. She was young, but surely older than he was in proper years. She just acted very naive. He liked to listen to her rambles, because they meant absolutely nothing. Either a person has something very important to say, or they have nothing to say but will blab just to keep their mouth moving. He found it fascinating. He could hold up a conversation with her well if he entertained her theatrics.
“... and well the koala bears at the petting zoo are very cute but they keep falling from the trees! It’s sad, really. Oh my gosh, they’re so fluffy, though! Almost as fluffy as you! I told that to Sera actually and she said she doesn’t like you much isn’t that weird I think you’re delightful— “
“She doesn’t like me?” Alastor interrupted, raising an eyebrow.
Emily looked up at him with her large eyes. She sort of looked like a puppy. “She thinks you’re a bad influence on me.”
He sighed. “Ah, perhaps she’s right. I’m not fit for a place like this.”
“Oh, don’t say that!” Her wings fluttered with passion as she protested. “You’re very valuable up here, Alastor! You belong up here, no matter what you did when you were alive! I think you’re really good.”
He nearly snorted. “You think so?”
“I know so.”
You don’t know anything.
~
He had no idea what to make of life in Heaven. If anything, it was repetitive. On the days Emily didn’t come to see him, he would stay secluded in his house. Emily would drag him to a few parties or clubs, and he could enjoy getting drunk and avoiding anyone who tried to touch him or dance with him, but that was it.
Up until someone new came along.
He didn’t keep up with Heaven's news. He didn’t even know about the Exorcist Army until Emily told him about it, crying as she often did when murder was discussed, but he couldn’t be very fazed. He knew that Heaven wasn’t perfect long before he died.
Because he wasn’t very aware of most of the things that happened, he didn’t know Pentious arrived until Emily showed him.
“This is Pentious!” She said after waking him up by knocking very loudly at his door. She gestured to a snake winner, who waved awkwardly at him. “He’s a redeemed soul who’s come to Heaven!”
Redeemed. Alastor’s eyes flashed, unsure what to make of the information.
“Tell him your story, Pen.” Emily encouraged.
“Ah… will you listen?” Pentious asked Alastor, seeming anxious. He usually didn’t listen to anxious types, they never had much to say and what they did say was a jabbled, stammery mess, but he nodded.
“I suppose I will spare the time to hear your spiel, yes.”
Pentious told him of his human life, of him being a hermit and witnessing a murder without telling anyone, which eventually led to his damnation. He was rehabilitated at a hotel for redeeming sinners, killed by the leader of the Exorcist Army and first man Adam, and was somehow sent up here after being redeemed.
Alastor’s head turned sharply toward Emily once he finished. “And has this happened before?”
Emily shook her head. “No, this is the first time this has happened, but Charlie’s hotel is really working!”
“And Charlie is… ?”
“Charlotte Morningstar, princess of Hell,” Pentious interrupted. “She had coerced me into joining the hotel. I was rather apprehensive at first, but… I grew to really enjoy the people there… “ He trailed off wistfully.
“I’m planning on going down to Hell to help with the hotel,” Emily explained. “Charlie said she needs me there, and I don’t want to disappoint! It would also be nice to meet her dad, because he’s helping her a lot with running the hotel and marketing it.”
“You’re going down by yourself?” Alastor asked incredulously.
“I mean, it’s not like I need to have bodyguards, right… ?”
Alastor was not very happy in Heaven, he knew that as much. He didn’t think he’d be happy anywhere he went, really, but he wanted to go down to Hell. He had given up on looking for his mother at this point, and Hell was his best option. If not to stay permanently occupied there, at least to see it. This was his chance to go.
“I will go with you,” He said immediately, quick so it almost sounded like a brisk hiss. “You will need someone else there.”
“If I needed someone else, I’m sure Sera would have supplied me with someone. Abel, maybe?” Emily’s will was slowly breaking, he could see it in her eyes.
“I’m going down with you,” He asserted firmly. “You are my only friend.”
Emily broke out into a smile he was sure she couldn’t help. “Aww, Al! That’s so sweet!”
“I would be your friend.” Pentious piped up shakily.
“Shush, snake.” He barked.
“Okay… “
“Alright, Al,” Emily sighed. “I’ll let you come with me. Come, we can let Sera know. Pentious, since you don’t have a place yet, you can stay in Alastor’s house for a bit!”
Alastor growled deep and animalistically in his throat, but he didn’t protest. Emily hooked her arm around his and dragged him away from the door.
“Thank you, Miss Emily!” Pentious called after them. “You are in my debt!”
“No need, Pen!” She called back. “Only doing my job!”
“Yes, yes… I suppose… “ Pentious mumbled to himself, so quiet it was likely out of earshot for Emily.
Alastor sighed, letting her pull him forward through the streets of Heaven. “You know, I am not awfully fond of the way you call me ‘Al’.”
“I think it’s cute,” She said, grinning. “Just like your ears!”
She reached out to pet him again, but he ducked away, an awfully undignified squeak ringing from his throat. She seemed to take the hint and lifted her hand away, but her cheeks puffed up as she suppressed a giggle.
“Ugh,” Alastor rolled his eyes. “I’m not some sort of pet.”
The compression he felt on his soul tightened for just a moment.
“No, no, of course you’re not! I’m sorry, I’ll ask next time.”
He looked to her in surprise. Usually people did not give him the grace of trying, especially when it came to personal space. The smile he seemed to force became genuine, if only for a split second.
“Thank you, Emily.”
~
Sera had not been very happy that Alastor was going with Emily, but after Emily groveled for a bit, she had relented. Alastor found her distaste for him very interesting. It was not misplaced, no, but interesting.
“I was told that only Archangels and Seraphim could travel between realms. Isn’t it stupid that they lied?” Emily complained, leaving the room where Sera had been and shutting the large doors behind them.
“Why would they?” He asked, curious despite himself.
“I don’t know… They like to lie to me a lot, sometimes. They treat me like a child. They didn’t even tell me about the Exterminations… They think I’m too young to understand, or something.”
“You’re older than me.”
“I know!” She threw up her hands. “It’s stupid! I just… I suppose it’s alright. Now I know you can come down with permission from me.”
With a flick of her hand and what Alastor assumed was an involuntary hum from her throat, Emily opened the portal, just wide enough to fit both of their statures. It seemed to strain her a bit, based on the tightening of her jaw, but she didn’t show it much more than that.
“You first.” She told him.
“No,” He shook his head. “Isn’t it polite for the lady to go first?”
She giggled, strolling through the portal as she clenched her fists to keep it open. “Ooh, such a gentleman!”
He followed her through, and she closed the portal behind them.
His soul seemed to tense. He could feel the feeling in his chest, right as he stepped through the portal. His ears flattened, and then the feeling went away.
Alastor shook his head and gazed around, and he couldn’t say he was surprised with what he saw.
Destruction. Fire and terror with every step. Red, so much red. It was the color of blood and dark, much unlike the bright, cheery colors of Heaven. It was much more his style. There were demons running around, screaming and fighting, avoiding the crumbled buildings around them and the bodies scattering the streets.
“The Extermination just happened a couple days ago,” Emily murmured somberly, watching the chaos with him. “I thought they’d only gotten the hotel, but… “
“The hotel, yes, shall we go to it? I assume it’s the one up on that hill?” He said briskly, attempting to change the mood. He didn’t like Emily to be sad.
Emily sighed and put on another smile. “Yeah, okay, let’s go.”
She fluttered up ahead of him as he walked on foot, preferring to keep his wings idle. Ahead of him, the hotel stood high. ‘Happy Hotel’ read on the sign, and the thing that caught his eye the most was … well.. Everything. There were so many odd design choices and expansions on it that his eye couldn’t rest on one singular spot.
“Oooh, I love the construction!” Emily gasped. “Do you think they built it by hand or used magic?”
“Depends. Is the King of Hell an architect?"
“... I mean, he could be.”
“That was rhetorical, Emily.”
“Oop, sorry.”
Emily stopped in front of the door and waited until Alastor caught up before knocking politely. There was the thumping of shoes on the floor, then a crash, and then the door was opened.
“Hi!” A woman greeted them. Alastor could’ve mistaken her for a human if not for the red color of her eyes. “Welcome to the Happy Hotel! And— AH! Hi, Emily!”
The two embraced each other. “Hi, Charlie!!” Emily squeed.
Ah, so she was Charlie Morningstar. The princess of Hell was much less… less, than he expected. He supposed that if she ran a place called ‘Happy Hotel’, though, he couldn’t be surprised.
They separated, and Charlie’s eyes darted to Alastor. “Oooh, hello! Who are you?”
“I am Alastor!” His voice brightened to attempt a lively lilt. “Previous radiohost from New Orleans, now angel! A pleasure to be meeting you, quite a pleasure.” He extended his hand for her to shake, which she did very enthusiastically.
“Hi, Alastor! You’re Emily’s friend, then?”
“He’s my best friend.” Emily chimed in.
“Debatable.” He huffed.
“Well, it’s a pleasure all the same!” Charlie swung his hand up and down one more time before finally letting go. “I thought you were coming right in, Emily! I was waiting for your portal to appear through the lounge!”
“Sorry, I hadn’t really thought of it. And I… sort of… wanted to see how Hell was doing, I guess.” Emily turned slightly back towards the destruction behind her, but Alastor grabbed onto her shoulders and turned her right back.
“Please, show us inside, Charlie. I have been eager to see what your little hotel has in store.”
“Of course!” Charlie ran back inside. Emily and Alastor followed.
The princess gestured to the open room. “This is the lobby! The lounge is over to that side, you can check in over there, the rooms are up where the stairs are, uhmmm… “ She looked around rapidly for something else to show them, and then picked up a one-eyed cat that had been brushing against her leg.
“This is Keekee! She’s the sweetest.” Charlie held Keekee out to them, who looked rather apprehensive of the new visitors. Alastor reached out to pet her despite himself, and she begrudgingly let him.
“Aww, she likes you!” Charlie gushed, but Alastor could hear the low, humming growl building up in Keekee’s throat.
“Hi, babe,” Another voice came, deep and neutral. Alastor spotted another young lady coming down the stairs, who ran up to Charlie’s side. “Visitors are… here?” She shot a glare at Emily, who didn’t seem to notice. Alastor’s eyes narrowed. He’d keep an eye on her.
“Hi, Vaggie,” Charlie set Keekee on the carpet to lean down and meet Vaggie with a small kiss. “Yep! I was just showing them around. Can you get my dad to come down?”
Alastor’s ears perked up. Before Vaggie could answer, he interjected.
“Yes, please do get your father, Charlie. I would love to meet him. I must say, I have been looking forward to that specifically.”
Vaggie raised a suspicious eyebrow at him. “Who is this creep?”
“This is Alastor! He’s my best friend!” Emily chirped, taking Alastor’s shoulders and lightly shaking him. “He’s not a creep at all! He’s very pleasant, actually.”
Well, at least someone thinks so.
“Hmmmm… “ Vaggie’s eyes narrowed at hiim before she turned her attention back to Charlie. “Yeah, I’ll get your dad.”
Vaggie ran back up the stairs, moving at a speed that was probably inhuman.
“She used to be an Exorcist, but she’s good now.” Emily whispered to him.
Alastor’s eyebrows raised. “Ah.”
Emily occupied herself with asking Charlie about someone called ‘Angel Dust’ while Alastor stared at and admired the wallpaper. Not long after Vaggie had gone back upstairs, she returned with Lucifer.
“Hi! You guys wanted to see me?” Lucifer called, and Charlie moved out of the way so that Emily and Alastor could see him.
He certainly… was not what he expected.
He was short, he wore too much white for Alastor’s taste, and both his smile and voice were so forcedly happy that it made him sick. Alastor was a lot less excited to talk to him now.
Emily came forward first. “Hi! You’re Lucifer, right? I don’t know much about you, Sera has only read me passages about you in the Bible, but you don’t… really seem like that at all!”
Lucifer laughed. “Never read it myself. Too many words, I say, not enough pictures! But, well, whatever they say about me in there is completely untrue. Forget everything you know about the Bible, leave your mind free for only me!”
Emily clapped excitedly. “Done!”
Lucifer peered behind Emily to see where Alastor stood. His forced smile faded and he raised his eyebrows. “And who’s this tall fella?”
Before Alastor could answer himself, Charlie did for him.
“This is Alastor! He’s come down with Emily to help us with the hotel, and he’s her best friend!”
“Again, debatable.”
“He’ll be able to help us a lot, dad. Look at him! Doesn’t he look absolutely brimming with helpful ideas?” Charlie made puppy-dog eyes at her father.
Lucifer looked Alastor up and down. It made him feel like he was on display. “Hmmm… I guess so… “
“I’m only here to help!” Alastor chirped, putting his radiohost voice back on. “I assure you, I will help dear Charlotte here to the best of my abilities.”
“Aww,” Charlie cooed. “Thank you, Al.”
“It’s just… “ Lucifer looked mildly distraught. “I was supposed to be the one helping, right? Being a… good dad and all that? Helping you achieve your dream?”
“And you still will, dad!” Charlie insisted. “You’ll both be helping.”
Lucifer sighed, nodding. He still looked sad, but then he smiled widely at Charlie. “Yeah, okay,” He stepped forward and held out his hand to Alastor. “Shake on it?”
Alastor stared at his hand for a moment, then turned his head away pompously, ears falling back on his head with distaste. His voice crooned sweetly as he spoke.
“Oh, I’m sorry, your majesty. I don’t do handshakes.”
~
Alastor remained very helpful throughout the day, if he did say so himself. He helped the little maid clean spots she couldn’t get to with his angelic magic, and in return she gave him a dead cockroach that he put in his pocket. She told him that she was an Overlord, but she was happier working here and cleaning. She also told him that another Overlord was helping with the hotel, Husker, his name was. With all that information, though, he did not catch her name.
Besides odd interactions with the tiny people cleaning the halls, he pitched a few ideas to Charlie, as well. New name ideas for the hotel, ways to market it, and perhaps installing a bar. Charlie was extremely open to all the ideas, but her girlfriend, and apparently ex-Exorcist Vaggie, was quick to shut the last one down.
He mostly stayed focused on his work. Each time he passed the king, he didn’t so much as spare him a glance, even when he tried to come up and talk to him, he ignored him. He didn’t quite know why, perhaps it was because he had just been disappointed with the king’s appearance and personality. If Lucifer wanted to talk to him, he had to earn it.
He didn’t speak to any of the other residents, either. And by other residents, he of course meant the one, singular resident that was not Sir Pentious. He assumed that one was the Angel Dust that Emily had been talking about. He looked nice and approachable, but Alastor steered clear of him.
He’d asked Charlie about the resident numbers, expressing concern now that Pentious was gone and they only had one sinner staying, but she was quick to make excuses.
“Oh, well, Angel is the only proper resident, sure, but he’s very valuable! Technically, Husk is a resident too. He expressed interest in redemption, even if he doesn’t have a room here himself… And… um… we have Frank, one of Pen’s Egg Bois! And Niffty, too, though I suppose she’s more staff than anything else… Cherri comes to visit sometimes but she says she still doesn’t want to stay here… “
He really had to get on some marketing strategies. And perhaps do some research on Hell’s history, because he had no idea what an ‘Overlord’ or an ‘Egg Boi’ was.
Hell’s day was slowly coming to an end. Gradually, everyone around the hotel began to slow down. By the time Charlie had fallen asleep next to Vaggie in the lounge, Keekee on her lap, Emily had told him it was time to return to Heaven.
“Really?” Alastor whispered back, careful to be quiet as to not wake up the princess, her girlfriend, and her cat. “We hardly did anything!”
“I know… but the day was mostly just introducing ourselves. We can do more tomorrow, and I can talk to Sera to ask for her advice.”
“I want to stay,” Alastor asserted. “I’m sure I would be of much better use here.” And I don’t want to go back up there.
Emily bit her lip nervously. “Are you sure… ?”
“Very. And Pentious resides in my house currently, yes? What would be the point of returning?”
“That’s true… “
“Talk to Sera about it,” He encouraged, taking her hands. “Ask her if I can stay here for now.” Or forever.
Emily hesitated only briefly before nodding and flashing him a smile. “Okay. I will, I promise. And I’ll let you stay down here tonight. There are plenty of free rooms here that you can take, right?”
He nodded, and she let go of his hands with a sigh. “Alright. Don’t do anything stupid, okay?”
“You have my word.”
He bid her farewell, watching her depart through her portal. Then, he was alone in the dark of the hotel. He glanced to the sleeping Charlie, Vaggie, and Keekee. He figured he shouldn’t wake them up just to tell them he was staying, so he let them be.
He made his way up the stairs, wings tucked close to his back, and tried to find a room he would be alright with occupying. He checked each one, but none seemed suited to his fancy. He didn’t need much sleep, anyway, so he decided to go wandering.
As he walked through the halls, he noticed that there was a balcony at the very end of one. And moreso, the glass door was open just a tad. Slowly, he opened it and stepped out into the crisp, night air of Hell.
Lucifer resided there, leaning over the railing and looking down mournfully at his crumbled kingdom. He didn’t know what he expected. He was just about to turn around and leave, but Lucifer noticed him before he could.
“Hey,” The king greeted him, looking surprised. “Couldn’t sleep?”
“I don’t sleep.” He said briskly, standing beside him.
Lucifer laughed softly. “Heh, me neither. Well, hardly. Sleep is hard to come by these days. At least for me.”
Alastor hummed softly, examining him. He seemed so different from the king in the lobby. He looked tired, almost. Hardly like a king. His voice was soft when it had been so loud and energetic before. He seemed smaller, despite already being short. Perhaps it was because he wasn’t wearing his hat.
“Sleep is unimportant, to me,” Alastor sighed, leaning over the railing like Lucifer was doing. “Merely a waste of my afterlife.”
Lucifer turned his head towards him slightly. “And how long have you been dead?”
“Oh… I’ve lost count. I died in the 30s.”
He huffed in surprise. “Whewh, you’re… that’s a long time ago.”
“And when were you created, short-stuff?”
Lucifer flushed. Interestingly, his blush was a golden color like that of an angel’s’. “Don’t call me that. But it had to be about… a few thousand… years ago? Something like that?”
“You’ve lost count as well.”
He sighed. “I have.”
They stewed in silence for a moment. Hell was quiet, interestingly. Heaven was always blasting club music, lights were always blaring. Alastor had expected Hell to be the same, but no. No district of entertainment. A few clubs, but not many. No televisions and no music that could be heard clearly.
The prospect of clubs being in Hell made him think of Mimzy. She had to be down here, right? Where else would she be?
Where else would I be?
Lucifer spoke again. “I haven’t spoken to an angel for a millennium. You and Emily are the first.”
“How many people have you spoken to since your fall?”
“... not many.”
“That checks out,” Alastor allowed himself to laugh, though it sounded more like a giggle with how mumbly it was. “Your daughter? Your wife? Perhaps an investor or two?”
Lucifer was silent for a moment before he hiccuped. Alastor turned to him in a panic. What had he messed up?
“It’s fine, I’m fine,” Lucifer muttered, rubbing his face. “Just, um, don’t talk about my wife, please.”
“I see.” Alastor’s eyes flashed in recognition. A strange sensation washed over him that he hadn’t felt before. A sort of… regret. No, not that. Guilt, perhaps. Ew.
“My apologies, your highness,” Alastor bowed, already backing away. He didn’t wish to upset the king further. “I will bid my adieu, now. Goodnight.”
Lucifer sniffed. “Goodnight, Alastor.”
“Goodnight.” Alastor murmured again, stepping inside and shutting the glass door behind him.