Helluva Boss X Reader

Overlord Intro Part 2: The Moon, XVIII

That last clause was flexible, and could easily be taken advantage of by the sinner to have the least cost to them. However, you were aware that if you made it too strict, then the sinner might deem the cost of the deal too high to accept it. Such is the way of deal-making. There must be compromise.

Now, for the exact nature of making these deals... You had prevented yourself from sniffing a name, as you still felt you weren't ready. It had occurred to you a major discrepancy between your appearance and your future actions. You looked like a Hellhound, yes, but you had been made aware (and had been reminded by Loona), that Hellhounds, like other Hellborn, did not have the capability of making soul deals. If sinners saw you in your form while you made the deal, and later found out about this fact, suspicion would arise. It wouldn't help that you would explicitly mention I.M.P. in the deal, meaning that they could lead others to you. Even if you silenced them via the deal, you were sure there would be some kind of loophole you had overlooked. Nobody was perfect, and you didn't want to risk the safety of I.M.P. based on a slip-up.

So you thought of something remarkable. A disguise. Now, that was not remarkable in and of itself, but if you talked to sinners, framing yourself to be a charming and up-and-coming Overlord, you could separate your "Hellhound" identity from your "sinner" identity. Not only would this add another layer of protection to I.M.P., erasing suspicion from your Hellhound form, but if an actual Overlord perceived this false Overlord as a threat, they would be unable to find you, at least for a while.

You found yourself looking in the mirror, wondering how you could disguise the wolf in your reflection. Your snout was a large protrusion from the face; it would be almost impossible to hide. You looked at yourself closer, and found that while your eyes had red sclera, like other Hellhounds, your irises were not the distinct white found in the real Hellborn. Your eyes were a commanding pale blue, almost glowing. Perhaps if you wore contact lenses, you could hide your sclera, further differentiating you from real Hellhounds. You could explain to sinners what Hellhounds' eyes looked like, when you explained the clause about helping their kind. Still, hiding your resemblance further would be ideal. The sinner could reason you were wearing contacts, even if you chose not to, and consider you an actual Hellhound.

You went to Loona for advice, though you framed it as a shopping trip, rather than anything to do with becoming an Overlord. Loona jumped at the chance to change your wardrobe. Due to the measly income you received from I.M.P., you had only bought essentials, though had indulged in cooking supplies. Those had been an investment in eating better and cheaper meals, which you used to supplement your physical training with her on the weekends. However, it did mean you often dressed in more formal clothing, meant for more for work rather than outings.

While Loona did enjoy shopping with you, she restrained herself from acting as an overly eager person. She was casual about it, asking what kind of things you liked to wear. She would disappear for lengths of time, as you visited different retailers, returning with a few select items. While she used your input, she still imposed some of her own fashion choices onto you. You wondered if this was all part of an act, she was so nonchalant while doing this for you. You liked it nonetheless, seeing this as an opportunity to bond with your best friend about something else outside of work.

You inquired about makeup, and Loona gave you a strange look. You had refrained from using makeup, due to the unfamiliarity of your body. You explained that you were mostly fine with how you looked: fur, behaviours, and all, with some slight dysmorphia that had been fading, but you wanted to see if you could make yourself look different. Loona said that would be difficult, given the nature of fur, and the best you could do was probably eyeliner, maybe some kind of colored powder or dye if you really wanted to go extreme, but that was expensive, and could end up being a bad decision later down the line. Those kinds of products weren't exactly made for Hellhound safety. You decided to throw the idea of makeup away, and returned to shopping.

As you were walking through yet another store, you noticed a large coat, and it reminded you of your Deathday attire. You had died in the Frozen North during a vacation, and your coat had been required. You wondered if you would need one now, due to your natural coat of fur, if you ever had the chance to go into an environment like that again. Your mind kept wandering, and you thought you could make use of a large hood. It would be perfect for obscuring your snout and eyes, especially in darkness. Loona was away on one of her little trips in the store again, so you sneakily bought a large black cloak, something you thought could disguise you well, and hid it amongst your already purchased pieces. You definitely didn't want Loona finding it.

Loona made her way back to you, finding you at the checkout. She had yet another few pieces of clothing draped over her arm.

"You find everything you wanted?" Loona asked, holding up what she had brought inquisitively. You took the clothes from her, and spoke while you examined them.

"Yeah, I think so. Thanks for helping me out with this; I'm not used to shopping for...this self."

Loona nodded, understanding. "No problem," was all she said. She was more focused on your reactions to what she had picked out for you. You had already used most of your budget you had set aside for this outing, especially on that cloak, so you could only buy one or two of the things she brought. You asked her what she liked the most, and she pointed to a simple black shirt that had a white pentagram motif, similar to what she was currently wearing, though in a different color palette.

You and Loona started to check out your own things, and you noticed that the cashier that was helping you was another Hellhound. They didn't have the appearance of a domestic dog, like a lot of the other Hellhounds you had seen throughout Hell. They were wolfish, like you and Loona. Your mind dwelled on this, as well as the fact that you all existed in Hell, and you were reminded of the three-headed Cerberus: The mythical Hound of Hades. It was funny. You hadn't yet thought of a name for this "False Overlord" identity you would disguise yourself as, but it could be fun, and symbolic, to name them after the creature. They guarded the gates to the underworld, and you would be greeting sinners as they descended into Hell. Though while Cerberus was a fun name, perhaps it elicited "wannabe" vibes, for directly naming yourself after the popular name of the hound was a bit tacky. You had briefly seen a second name, that was used sometimes by those who had actually written articles, or studied the mythology.

You decided you would call this false Overlord by that slightly more serious, academic name.

You would call yourself Kerberos.

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