Welcome to the Multiverse

At least that was how it was supposed to be. Alastor, the Radio Demon, the strongest sinner in all of hell, free to terrorize sinners, and eat his fill. He was banished! Forsaken to his lonesome by his dearest Rosie, the Queen of Cannibal Town. Sent away to hibernate for a bit, as she needed her pet to stay out of trouble for a bit.

And dutifully, he disappeared.

Leaving being his two beloved souls, with strict instructions to take care of his business in his absence, and to keep low profiles. He didn't need other's sniffing around Niffty and Husker in his absence. When he returned from his exile, he wanted his two darlings to be safe and sound. Not that he could interfere if something were to happen in the mean time. Rosie's instructions had been quite explicit about what he was to do and not to do in his exile.

For two years, he was quiet. Spending his time working. His temporary home was in a secluded area of Pride. Locked away from hellborns and sinners alike. For the deer demon used to indulging in murder, torture, deals, and substances, he faired quite well before figuring out a loop hole.

Thus he sent a letter to Vox, whom he had not been barred from seeing, with a date. No explanation, just the assumption the other would make time for him.

His entrance wasn't grand, just a shift of shadows and he was in the dark office with the blue glow. What he hadn't expected on his arrival was the presence of Valentino. It didn't complicate the situation. He was still within the rules of Rosie's command. No ruckus', no presence, and to keep a low profile.

"By all means, don't let me interrupt the moment," The Radio Demon blinked softly at the two of them. Even being in the presence of another just felt good again. Like a breathe of fiery fresh air.

He stalked over to the desk, looking over the two other Overlords. Maybe it was the two years of solitude, but there was a sliver of fondness he felt looking over them. Valentino had always been a good time, and interesting. He was a powerful Overlord in his own right, and didn't really need to work with others to flex his strength.

And Vox, though he lacked his more charming boxy head, always proved to be amusing. All that history between them, the affection, the anger, the rivalry. It was delightful.

"Pour me a drink, Cher," Alastor grinned, taking a seat on the edge of the desk. His claws reached over to straightened Vox's bow tie gently before turning red eyes on Valentino.

"You look wonderful, as always,"

Valentino frowned at Vox, his pink eyes narrowing sharply behind his heart-shaped shades as he studied the other demon’s face. He could tell exactly what this little song and dance was the moment Vox had come up to him. The man was trying to smooth things over just to get rid of him. If there was one thing he was good at, it was sniffing out fake affection, and he could spot that bullshit from across the entire building.

Angel tried the same tired routine on him constantly whenever he wanted some breathing room, and it always left a sour taste in his mouth. He hated being brushed off, especially when the other person made it obvious they had “more important” things to do than give him their full attention.

He was Valentino. An absolute snack. Any sinner in this city would kill for the chance to be in his presence, and Vox should have been groveling on the floor for more of his time.

But clearly that wasn’t happening today.

He crossed both sets of arms, one pair folding tightly over his chest while the other settled on his wide hips, his long coat shifting with the motion. “Aw, is that right?” he drawled, voice dripping with irritation. “You’re too busy for me now? Plate too full to deal with Val’s antics today?” He began pacing across the office floor with sharp, agitated steps, the heels of his boots clicking loudly against the tile.

“I know Velvette’s busy at one of her dress shows, so you can’t be tied up with her. So who’s got you so occupied, huh?” He whirled back toward Vox, leaning down close and jabbing a finger at him. “Carmilla? Zestiel? You can’t just brush me off like one of your pathetic little reporter flunkies because you forgot the Vees stand for more than just Vox”

His words cut off as the shadows in the corner of the room suddenly writhed and came alive. Valentino’s eyes widened, his multiple arms tensing as the dark mass twisted and stretched upward, gradually taking on a tall, refined humanoid shape. The static in the air shifted, and there he was Alastor, the Radio Demon, standing.

Valentino slowly straightened up, the angry tirade he’d been building for Vox dying instantly on his lips. It clicked into place now. That was why Vox had been acting so strangely on edge. He always had a decent read on people, especially Vox, and this explained everything. The TV demon was meeting with Alastor. No wonder. Everyone with half a brain knew Vox had a borderline obsession with the guy.

A smile spread across Valentino’s face as he tilted his head, one hand coming up to adjust his shades. “Well, Alastor,” he said, his tone shifting into something smoother and more welcoming, “Vox didn’t tell me it was you he had coming over.” He let out a low chuckle, gesturing lightly with one of his upper hands.

“At least someone noticed how wonderful I look today.” The compliment actually warmed him a bit genuine ones always did. He took a few steps closer, his posture relaxing as he eyed the Radio Demon with open interest. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

@countlessrealities

Vox hardly managed to stop himself from reaching out and pinch the spot on his screen where his nose would have been, had he still possessed one. Deep down he knew that his annoyance wasn't fully justified. Val had good reasons to be upset with him, especially when the moth had been acting also on the behalf of the Media Overlord's well-being too, and not just out of his sinful desires and mood for fun.

After all, it was no secret that the TV demon would spend most, if not all of his time working, had it not been for his two partners. He could get so lost in his head and tasks at times that he could have easily spent whole days handling them without realising that it had been that long.

A heavy sigh escaped his lips. He couldn't tell the other the truth. Or, at least, he didn't think he could. His rival had made sure to underline that theirs had to be a private meeting, so it was safe to assume that it should have stayed between them.

"Val, look, it's not like that. Shit, you know that it's not like that," he started to reply, trying his best to keep his tone firm despite how uncomfortable it was for him to be sincere. "I would never pick any of those old ass museums scraps over you. If it was them, I'd reschedule in an instant, rude last minute warning be damned, but this is...something else. I'm sorry, but it's...really important. I promise that I'll make it up to you, later, but I have to get this over, okay?"

He reached out for the moth once again, this time hesitantly, a strong contrast with the staged movements from before. His claws brushed the other's jacket and his eyes softened in genuine appreciation but, before he could add anything else, his unexpected guest stepped out of the shadows without notice.

Vox froze, lips parted with words he instantly forgot the moment his eyes fell on his rival's figure.

Alastor looked...exactly like the last time he had seen him. Hell, he looked almost exactly like the first time he had caught sight of the man, over seventy years before. It wasn't surprising, considering how resistant to change the old-timey prick was, but somehow the lack of any difference only caused the Media Overlord's heart to twist even more painfully.

How could he not when he had before his eyes the proof of how no amount of time and no passing events seemed to faze the Radio Demon, while he himself was constantly rocked harder with each of their clash-encounters?

"...Alastor," he blurted out, his tone a mixture of uncertainty, annoyance and ill-concealed longing.

Fuck, he hated that red motherfucker. But he hated himself more for having so many conflicting feelings about him, even when he had no reason to be still craving him.

With the corner of his eye, he caught the knowing smirk that opened on Valentino's face and he scowled at his best friend's not-so-subtle jab, but he wasn't given the time to react because Alastor stepped into his personal space, hands reaching out to fix his bowtie. That absolute prick. Acting like he had all the rights to touch and patronise him, like this sort of domesticity was normal for them when it was anything but.

His frown deepened as he swatted his rival's hands away, his fingers lingering against the other's a for a little too long for it to be casual, betraying how much he wanted that touch, despite his actions.

"I'm not your butler," he grumbled under his breath, but his cables were already fetching two bottle of liquors and three glasses.

"He's here for me, Val, and it's no pleasure call," he went on then, turning towards the moth sinner. "We have...business to discuss." Inquisitive digital eyes darted towards the stag. "Or, at least, that's what he said in his letter. But I've staking his word for granted a long time ago."

He filled the first glass with rye, handing it to the Radio Demon. Their complicated and often hostile relationship aside, he was still the guest there and Vox knew his manners. The drink went to Valentino, a much sweeter, fruity liquor, more suited for his lover's tastes. Last, he poured himself some rye too.

○○○○○ | ATTRACTION ○○○○○ | AFFECTION ○○○○○ | INTEREST ○○○○○ | LOYALTY ○○○○○ | TRUST

“Alright….I trust ya. And trust me the last thing I want to do is antagonize them especially Val or…you know? You..” She stated softly and noticeably calmed down.

However, when Velvette mentioned any more questions she thought of one in particular. It might have been a silly question, but if it was answered in an answer she liked it would ease her nerves a bit.

Seeing her friend relaxing caused Velvette's own stance to become less wound-up. The argument in itself had annoyed her and Ruby's hesitancy to allow it to be settled easily and swiftly hadn't helped her attitude towards it. However, it seemed like they had finally reached an agreement, so she decided to cut the other woman some slack.

And maybe hearing the imp claiming that she didn't want to antagonise her had been a bit of an ego boost. The fashionista like to think that she was above flattery, but she was a damned soul. At times she couldn't help being swayed by genuine appreciation.

"Don't worry your pretty head, darlin'. Just be yourself and, if Val says something out of place or offensive, don't react. Let me handle it," she claimed, reaching out to wrap an arm around Ruby's shoulders, in a manner that was half way between fondness and condescension. "He has the bad habit of running his mouth and making sex jokes, but if you show him that you're a good sport and don't have a stick up your ass, he'll come to like you!"

While Valentino might have been the problem in the short-term, Velvette was certain that, once the imp had grown on him, he would have been great to her friend. Vox, on the other hand...She suspected that she and the moth were the only people the TV demon actually liked, while everyone else was a potential pawn or tool in his eyes.

She would need to watch Ruby's back in that sense.

“Anyone who finds love in Hell can do anything, baby!~” 🩷🤍🧡

But feeling Vox's wavelength change, the half hearted glare, Alastor had hurt him again. Those years had been painful for the media overlord, when for Alastor he had enjoyed the attention. That even though they were apart that they still had a connection. Ears flatten back anxiously as he stared down at his plate, pushing the food around but not taking another bite. Barely an hour into their date and he has fucked up and hurt Vox's feelings. Was that all he was capable of? Just hurting others?

Maybe this was never going to work. Even when he wanted to be close Vox, Alastor was still hurting him. Smile thinned out to a pout and he set his fork down with a sigh under his breath with hand about to reach for his drink. Not noticing how Vox is opening and closing his mouth trying to say something but unable to form the words he wants to articulate.

For the first couple of seconds, all Vox can focus on are Alastor's lips. He can taste a hint of iron and spices on them, which isn't surprising, considering who this is. What catches him a little off guard is that they are much softer than he was expecting, especially knowing the sharp teeth hidden just underneath them. Deadly blades that have torn apart thousands of souls.

The contrast sends a shiver of want running along his spine, even if he does his best not to acknowledge it. Despite what the Radio Demon has hinted at, he can't get too ahead of himself. If he rushes it, if he pushes too hard, he'll ruin it all.

So, he does his best to focus on the present and that's when he realises that Alastor isn't returning the kiss. He feels frozen under Vox's mouth and hands and that can't be good, even if he hasn't pulled away yet.

Panic surges inside the TV demon, who is completely oblivious to his rival's inner conflicts, and he instantly makes to pull away, a stream of apologies already flooding his tongue, but he stops when he feels the other Overlord's fingers gripping at his shoulders, preventing him from moving away.

The fear in his expression leaves space to confusion and, then, to shock as he hears the whispered apology. Digital eyes grow wide as he takes in Alastor's somber demeanor, unsure of how to react.

He has never heard his rival apologizing, for anything, to anyone. Not sincerely at least.

"Alastor..." He starts, voice filled with uncertainty, but he's cut off before he can decide what to say when those lips find his once again.

Electricity sparks between Vox's antennae, the uneasiness instantly washed away by a wave of elation. Holy shit, Alastor is kissing him. Alastor is kissing him.

It takes all his self-control not to jump the stag there and then and his hands shake as they press harder against the other's body, betraying the effort he's putting in keeping the kiss light and tender.

After a few moments, he dares to move his other arm down, wrapping it around the Radio Demon's waist and pulling him closer.

"Al, you're a horrible person. And so I am," he speaks up once they break away once again, locking their gazes together. "We suck, we're some of the worst bastards in Hell, from crying out loud. We kill people for fun. We eat them. Even when we were alive, we were both serial killers."

Among the other things.

And we've spent decades being enemies and tearing each other apart. So...of course we're going to be shitty to each other. Of course we're going to hurt each other. And maybe we'll never be able to stop doing it, even if we...even if our relationship takes a turn for the best."

As it seems to be doing and as Vox hopes it will keep doing.

"It's who we are, and we can't change it. Fuck what your Princess says. Redemption might be possible, but it's not possible for everyone. And honestly? I don't give a shit. I don't want you to change. I like you 'cause you're a sadistic asshole, it's really fucking hot when I'm not the target of that." He pauses for a moment, with a sheepish grin. "...And maybe it's a little hot also when you're being mean to me."

He has already admitted that he gets turned on by the idea of Alastor goring him, so he's probably stating the obvious.

This felt humiliating. Sat there being told what things meant. Since when did any of this get so complicated? Back in his day, it was either being gay or being straight. And he was the strange one for being neither.

Perhaps he's not so strange anymore.

"I see," Is all he decides to say as he takes the next few moments to ponder and process.

In the meantime, he stares down at the bisexual shark pin in between his fingers. Brows furrowing. As if the thing were offending him personally.

Alastor's somber demeanor gave Vox pause for a moment. His fiancé didn't look upset, per say, but it was clear that the subject was rubbing him off the wrong way.

A heavy sigh escaped his speakers and he reached out, arms lacing around the other's waist. His movements were slow, to give the Radio Demon all the time to move away or stop him, had he wished to. Alastor's relationship with touch was very volatile, especially when he was in such weird moods.

"Look, Al...full disclosure? I didn't know anything about this shit until Vel and Val sat me down and explained it to me," he admitted with a shrug. "And even after that it took me a while to wrap my head around it."

He went quiet for a moment, pondering his next words.

"All these labels, it just seems unnecessary complicating to me," The stag admitted with a sigh. Charlie had been very patient when explaining all the labels and with his refusal to identify or accept any of them. "It's all just doing what feels good with who your interested in at the end of the day. Though Miss Morningstar was sad she wasn't able to give me a specific flag for my room door,"

He did allow her to hang a generic rainbow flag on his door for the month.

When Alastor didn't react badly nor try to pull away, Vox's touch dared to become a bit bolder, his grip around the stag's waist growing firmer. Not enough to trap him, of course, but it was clear that the Media Overlord was relishing in feeling the other's body under his palms.

"Hey, that's a way of going about it too. I don't necessarily care for this stuff, but Val and Vel insisted on educating me on the subject and...it's good for public image." He shrugged. "You don't need a label. It's more of a matter of whether you want it or not, for whatever reason."

His own being pleasing his best friends and the part of the masses who cared about that crap.

Digital eyes followed Alastor's movements as he fixed the pin on his lapel, a wide smirk opened on his screen, dazzling and just shy from seductive.

Oh, Alastor wasn't going to listen to that. He didn't need to know about his fiancé's activities with women. Instead, he yoinked the shark pin out of Vox's claws and began to examine it. Pretending like he was contemplating something.

An eyebrow raised when his hearing tuned in onto a specific word. Alastor-romantic. Confusion threaded in the way he tensed.

Vox's lips curled into an exasperated frown at the question he was addressed. Satan fucking dammit. Had no one at that idiotic Hotel taught Alastor anything? He would have expected them too, considering that the place was a festival of queer rainbows.

Was he really supposed to explain that shit to his stubbornly old-fashioned lover? The mere idea gave him a headache.

"You might assume they do, but no, Al, they don't," he began, biting back the heavy sigh that had come to his lips. "There are...different types of attraction, alright? Let's...skip above the others for now, but well...there's sexual attraction and romantic attraction. To simplify it, you can be horny for someone without having feelings for them. And you can have romantic feelings for someone without being horny for them."

Should he try to draw symbols and stuff to make it clearer? ...Perhaps it was better not, he might have risk confusing the deer even more.

"In my case, I'm sexually attracted to men and women. My feelings for you don't stop me from finding someone else objectively hot. Of course, I would never do or even want to anything with them, since we are in a monogamous relationship."

And, honestly, he couldn't imagine wanting someone else, carnally or in any other way, now that he had staked a claim on the object of his obsession.

The Radio Demon only let his teeth catch on the other's claws a vit. Letting them scrap together.

"You made a face," Alastor batted his lashes cutely, as if he was an innocent cartoon deer. "Pinched and annoyed. I was merely fixing the problem,"

Vox rolled his eyes at Alastor's show of faux innocent, obviously not buying it even for a moment. He knew his rival well enough to be aware that the latter never did something out of the goodness of his heart. Each and every of his actions was dictated by what he could gain from it, either on the short-term or on the long one.

"Oh, yeah? Aren't you a helpful one!" The Media Overlord commented, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

Yet, when the stag settled himself in his lap, he didn't hesitate, arms instinctively coming to wrap themselves around the other's thin waist, itching to pull him closer to his chest, even if he didn't dare to do it.

Staring at the holographic screen, Alastor blinks one eye at a time. Unsure how to process all of this information. He takes in each flag. Not knowing what they were meant to represent.

"Bisexual.... hm...." He ponders it a bit. "I suppose that makes sense. Though, in all of my years knowing you, I have not once seen you be intimate with a woman,"

Not that he wanted to.

A distorted sound leaves Vox's speakers, conveying his annoyance with Alastor's observation. His fiancé isn't wrong, he has been with men far more often than with women since ending up in Hell, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't like women too.

"I've been with plenty of ladies, I'll have you know. Just because you didn't see it, it doesn't mean it hasn't happened!" He points out, crossing his arms over his chest with a little scowl. "And...well...maybe I've had a slightly preference for men in death, but that doesn't mean anything!"

His expression, however, quickly mellows as the Radio Demon goes on, basically stating that Vox his the only person he has ever been attracted to. A cyan blush slowly spreads in the middle of his screen."