Hi! Author-Chan here! Here's a thought,
Since Wattpad isn't allowing stories to add text to speech anymore, I was thinking about maybe creating an audiobook on YouTube and having myself or maybe another voice actor be the reader! What do you think? Yay? Nay? Interested, would you listen along while you read? PLZ BE HONEST!
Also I couldn't think of a good chapter name so if you think of a better one please do let me know! Thanks!
~
—WARNING - VERY SLIGHT TIME PERIOD STEREOTYPICAL GENDER ROLES—
Sam grabbed the towel from the side of his bed, putting it in the basket next to the door of his room. He shook his hair, trying his best to style it with his hands.
The annoyed feeling he got when his hair itched his eyes served as a reminder to cut it pretty soon.
For the longest time, he had hair that was longer than most boys his age since he had limited means to cut it. Not only that, but he was hesitant to do so. He wasn't too certain of the reason behind his hesitation though.
Alastor believed it was because he had a hard time letting go of the past, at least that's what he told Sam. Though, telling him that did work in his favor as the teen had finally allowed Alastor to cut his hair after a bit of coaxing.
The past few months have been pretty nice. Even enjoyable at times.
Life felt... dare Sam say... normal?
Finally, there was routine in his life. Instead of being on edge every 2 seconds, the teen was actually relaxed.
A few things have changed as well. Alastor began giving both Sam and Edith a few small daily chores to do around the house. Sam was in charge of washing the dishes after meals, organizing the mail, and cooking lunch for Edith when Alastor isn't home. All the while Edith is in charge of sweeping and mopping and keeping the library organized.
It was clear that the trust in the house has come a long way.
In fact, Alastor even taught Sam how to drive, if you can believe it! It took a while for him to get the hang of it, but he learned! Thankfully Alastor had enough patience with him. Minus a moment here or there of course.
Obviously, he didn't get to drive a lot as Alastor needed the car to get to and from work. That and whenever they all went somewhere together, Alastor preferred to be the driver.
But on the off chance that Alastor had the day off work and chose to stay home, Sam enjoyed driving. It was calming for him. Especially if he took Edith along. Her mere presence was enough to throw any stress he had away, even if she was just looking out the window without speaking.
It was such a comfortable silence, Sam couldn't think of a single thing he didn't like about the drives they took.
It was a nice way for them to spend quality time together.
Each of them had a way to spend quality time with the others.
Driving was his and Edith's.
To spend quality time with the others Sam would go hunting with Alastor, Mimzy would try to coax him into singing or acting, and Rosie would have meaningful heart to heart conversations with him. Though, he greatly enjoyed all of it.
It was almost like he finally had an actual family again.
Sam walked into the dining room. The breeze from the open windows helped his damp hair keep him cool on the hot September day.
Sitting on the table was the newspaper that Alastor had left for him.
Sam began openly asking Alastor to leave his newspaper out for him to read and look at the help wanted ads. Not only that but, him and Edith got a good laugh in from time to time while reading the comic strips.
As the brunette browsed the paper, he was careful not to pay any attention to front page headline or the local crime section...
Alastor was good at keeping his side of their little deal. He made sure to keep all traces of his 'night life' away from Sam and Edith. Though, the man made it very clear to Sam that if he wandered into anything related to it himself, like reading about it on the paper for example, then Alastor would be off the hook since it technically wasn't his fault.
Though, there were times when Sam would wake up and go downstairs for a glass of water and hear sounds coming from the basement. It would always make gag with discomfort and a feeling which he could only describe but not properly name... a fearful kind of disgust.
The sounds were evidently made by Alastor doing whatever it was he was doing with the unfortunate souls who became his victims of the night.
Completely powerless to stop whatever he was doing, all Sam could do was go upstairs and try to fall back asleep and pretend he hadn't heard anything.
Pretend that Alastor was a normal radio host who had...
Offered his home to them... after... seeing them on the street begging for food. Yeah! Yeah, that's what happened. That's how it went down.
Over the years he's said that to himself so much, sometimes he genuinely tricked himself into believing it. Sometimes.
...until he'd hear Alastor reporting the news of his latest victims on his radio show with an unsuspiciously joyful tone; a grim reminder to him of Alastor's truly manipulative nature...
Sam finished reading the paper, putting it back down on the table. There wasn't much new to read about besides updates on the country's economic state, random things happening around the city, and the few help wanted ads that didn't catch exactly Sam's eye like he had hoped they would.
Throughout the time Sam's been looking through those ads, he'd only ever been able to be hired for a underwhelming number. There wasn't much he could do.
But, he didn't lose hope.
Suddenly Sam turned his head towards the window when he heard the giggles of his sister and faint chatter from the porch outside. The voices came from Alastor, Rosie, and Edith no doubt.
The teen decided to go and join them. During the summer they often spent their time outdoors, especially now that Alastor installed an electric light and fan outside. That along with the breeze made the porch a lot cooler than inside during the daylight hours.
As Sam walked outside, he heard Edith giggling once again.
To his right he saw Edith and Rosie sitting on the floor with a sewing kit and fabric while Alastor sat on one of the two dark mahogany rocking chairs with a book in his hand.
"Sam! Come look!" Edith said between her titters. "Rosie's teaching me how to embroider!"
Sam smiled as he walked over towards the two, taking a peak at the fabric that was on the embroidery hoop.
"That looks great Edi! It's a rose, isn't it?"
The fabric had a mediocrely shaped red rose shape sewn on it. Even though it was clear to him that the shape was far from perfect, it still looked very good considering her age and skill level.
"Uh-huh!" Edith nodded. "Do you really like it?"
Sam bent down next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "Of course I do! I always love everything you make! You know that!"
You did a great job! With practice, I bet you can make it look even better! Rosie must be a good teacher, huh?"
"Oh yeah! She's great!" Edith exclaimed.
Rosie chuckled lightly. "Aww, thank you sweetie!" She said before putting her fabric down and grabbing more thread. "How about I teach you how to sew a butterfly next?!"
Sam left the ladies to do their thing while he took a seat on the other rocking chair, watching the two as Rosie began giving instructions.
Rosie was around a lot now, but Sam was starting to think was less for Alastor and more for Edith.
She started teaching her lessons on how to act like a lady should. Teaching her how to clean properly, how to sew, wash clothes, even teaching her to cook basic meals with supervision of course.
All the while, Alastor began teaching Sam the basics of being a true gentleman. From changing his wardrobe to teaching him breadwinning skills like assertiveness and money management among others.
They were both being taught the skills they needed to be successful by two of the best people to learn such skills from!
Not only that, but there really wasn't much to stress about nowadays.
It truly couldn't get any better than this.
"Anything of interest, Samuel?" Alastor asked, not looking up from his book.
Sam sighed as he sat back in the chair. "No... Nothing I could do really. They were all asking for anyone over the age of 18 or that had experience doing something."
"Ah, well, that is how the world works, I'm afraid." The man said, flipping the page of his book. "If it's what you want, the best thing you can do is simply keep looking when you can."
The teen rubbed his eyes, the exhaustion from the day beginning to hit. "Yeah... you're right."
Alastor chuckled, closing his book and meeting the eyes of the other.
"Of course I'm right! I am me after all." He stated, joked sass lacing his words.
Sam smiled and rolled his eyes at the response. "Yeah right. That was a little narcissistic of you wasn't it?" He said shaking his head slightly.
"Narcissistic? No, no, no, no!" Alastor's grin widened.
Oh here comes the joke filled sarcasm. Sam knew it.
"I'm simply stating the facts. Now I ask you, good sir, how is such a statement narcissistic if it is truthful, hmmm?" He questioned playfully, turning his head when he hummed.
Before Sam could respond, Rosie had already begun speaking.
"He has you there, darling." She said, also sporting a playful smile of her own.
"Oh, ha, ha." Sam laughed with a mocking tone. "Very funny. The truth behind that is up for debate." He scowled lightheartedly.
"How so?" Rosie laughed, continuing to sew, showing the smiling Edith each step she took. "I don't think something truthful is entirely narcissistic!"
"He's not right about everything, no one is! That's not truthful!" Sam said in between his laughter.
"That's not what he said, sweetheart! He said he was right because he's him. No where in that sentence does he state that he's always right." The woman said, tapping her head as if to tell him to think about it.
Sam's jaw dropped as he began stuttering. "W-What?! That's- what?!... no! It's implied that...Ugh!" The teen threw his hands up. "I surrender..." He said defeatedly.
Rosie's smile grew smug. "I win! Isn't that right Al?" She exclaimed, looking towards the older man, but he didn't respond.
Alastor had long since tuned out the conversation. The whole time he had been staring the road behind the black gate that surrounded his property.
While they were talking he had noticed a black police vehicle drive past. Normally this wouldn't have caught his full attention like this. After all,
What was different? Well... Throughout the few hours they had all been outside, he had seen this very same vehicle drive by several times. It slowed by as it came closer and then sped back up as it passed.
A police car driving by once is just an officer doing their regular patrol of the New Orleans streets... but a police car driving by six, maybe even seven times? The same one too? Now that is an officer who had a purpose.
They're watching him.
It upset the killer. They had done their investigation on him! They asked their questions and accepted his answers. Now what?? What do they have against him now? Who does he have to silence this time? Don't they know he's a busy man?!
"Alastor?!" She spoke slightly louder.
The man shook his head unnoticeably.
Rosie could very clearly see the frustration behind his smile through his eyes. His smile can't fool her and he knew it.
"Hm? Oh yes! Of course you win my dear!" Alastor exclaimed, calming himself down. "Why, no one can get anything ppast you dearest, haha!"
"Wise words!" She responded sprightly, not looking at Alastor, but Sam instead.
Sam scoffed with a smile on his face. "Yeah, yeah, yeah..." He mumbled, careful to make sure he didn't sound rude.
While everyone went back to what they were doing before, Alastor merely stared at his book. His mind was too distracted to read it.
He's always been an over thinker. Though it mostly worked out in his favor, it was a menace when he tried to do something relaxing.
Normally he was over thinking what he was going to report on his radio show the next day but now his thoughts were racing with excuses and responses for whatever the police would question him about next.
They were not going to win.
—DISCUSS HAZBIN HOTEL WITH ME!—
—SPOILERS BELOW ⤵️—
I just thought of something.
What is Alastor's end goal here? It's obvious he's starting to enjoy being at the hotel with Charlie and the others
But what was his main goal before that? Why did he make the deal with whoever he made the deal with (I'm thinking Roos or Eve, maybe Lilith.)
And even bigger question if he does end up getting out of the deal and is the one 'pulling all the strings'? Do yall think he'll stay at the hotel or continue to go after whatever he was seeking in the first place?
Ugh I can't take this!! I NEED season 2!! Being patient is sooo harrrddd!