Now it rested on his shoulders to make this happen, to save them from this unsettling fate, and Alastor stepped up to challenge Angel and Husk who were both smirking at him for different reasons. Husk was enjoying the idea of him feeling trapped by this dare and Angel was fantasizing over the idea of Alastor and the short king himself going at it, or Alastor just turning as stiff as a board being unsure of what to do. Maybe he wasn't as naive about that stuff as he appeared? Certainly didn't seem interested in anyone, to Angel anyway, until now. That tension they had was probably more than just tension, he ws guessing, remembering what a rocky start him and Husk had early on and what it led to. Hell, even Sir Pentious and Cherri Bomb fought each other in countless turf wars before he found out Sir Pentious's dying confession of love.
Angel grabbed his cue stick when presented with the blank slate grinning as Alastor grinned with his impish shadows frowning around him, Lucifer was starting to blush again watching them as he leaned on his cue stick, he felt as if he were fighting for his life as well when Charlie came over. "Hey dad...can we talk about this?"
She looked very unsettled, Lucifer slipping down from the tall barstool before following her to a more private corner of the room as he heard Angel taking the first shot, balls scattering across the table.
"You're not going to actually...have relations with Alastor right, if Angel wins? I mean mom...I mean I know you two aren't exactly together anymore...I know it's complicated. But I also know that you still love her...whereever she is."
Lucifer sighed, running his fingers through his hair and yanking it slightly, his face still red over his red spotted cheeks.
"Uhhh...well a dare's a dare. There's not a lot of room to back out of it. If we have to do this I'm sure we can make it as quick as possible. I still—hate him...for trying to take you from me...but I see you love me still even after all that time. That gives me some peace. Whatever happens I'll be alright. Besides, I'm far fucking stronger than that red headed buffoon, it's not like he's gonna hurt me unless he straight up takes an angelic blade to my throat or something."
Lucifer was putting on a brave face, and Charlie soon wrapped her arms around him and buried him into her chest, stroking his blonde hair as he stood shocked before slowly returning her hug, eyes watering at what him potentially doing this was doing to her. It was breaking her already fragile sanity and he could feel it. When she eased up a little he pinched her cheek.
"You're always gonna be my little girl, no matter what hell I go through, so chin up. I can take care of myself, I won't leave you alone with him."
He walked back to the pool table, watching intently as Alastor looked to him, finding the serious scowl on his face while his own smile nearly popped out of his jaw in determination.
"A smile keeps your enemies guessing.~ Give us one for the sake of this game!"
Lucifer huffed, maybe the false presentation of confidence would save them?
He smiled with pearly whites when Husk went up to aim, his equally yellowed tooth grin on Alastor who stood with his hands behind his back, still prideful as always and now seeming more collected than he was moments ago with his good score which pocketed a one and a seven.
"Gonna wipe that smug look off your face, you're gonna be needing a few drinks when we're finished," The alcoholic who usually was so serious spoke with eagerness.
"Try it.~" Alastor challenged, fist tightening with the green chained collar appearing on Husk's neck, shivering as the rattling rung in his ears before vanishing.
He was trying to test his nerves, intimidate him into missing, but Angel put a hand on his back, chest up with eyes planted on Alastor. "Don't let him get to you. Breathe and aim with your heart."
Husk looked to him, feeling the spider's hand rest on his chest as he smiled at the cat, a soft and trusting expression in his eyes.
"I believe in you. Take him down."
"Right."
Alastor's eye twitched as Husk knelt forward and breathed, silence engulfed the room as his bridge form became nearly flawless. It was clear to him now that they were using this game as means to show power over Husk's contract, not far off from what the lanky white sex maniac had done by defending himself against one of the Vees.
Husk aimed and pocketed a four and a two, leaving Alastor pleased with himself before Lucifer came up.
Lucifer kept the smile on his face. He was great with aim given his construction background and the amount of plans he measured and graphed. He strolled around the cue ball strategically before bending forward and smoothly pocketing a six, three and five. Alastor proceeded to clap at the skillful shot, regaining faith in a positive outcome of this dilemma.
"Bravo! Bravo! A masterful hit good man, and one to really keep them reeling!"
Angel stepped forward, yawning before pocketing only the highest number on the board, leaving Alastor's lips twitching, tightening his hand around his staff as Husk high-fived Angel with a smirk, gripping his hand and squeezing it after.
"What was that you said about teamwork princess? Cause I think we got this in the bag."
"O-Oh yeah? Heh, that's great Husk."
She was happy to see them honoring the goal of this exercise, and was even happy seeing Lucifer and Al getting along with Alastor actually praising him. At least there was progress being made even under the circumstances. Vaggie put her hand on Charlie's shoulder, sighing. "Even if your dad has to have sex with that pendejo it doesn't necessarily mean anything is gonna change. Or who knows maybe Angel is onto something?"
Charlie covered her face, pulling it with a worried groan. This was too much to think about, it was completely wrong, completely forced.
The game felt like it was lasting forever, Lucifer and Alastor keeping up this smiling strategy as Angel and Husk were far more casual and collected, drinking shots here and there and still pocketing balls.
Vaggie tallied the score on her phone nonchalantly, Charlie looking to her with with a face etched in worry as she sighed. "We got a tie for team Angel and team Alastor. Not a surprise. Last hit determines the victor."
With the pressure on and Lucifer up to bat, he realized he could make the shot. It wasn't difficult, but for some reason he hesitated? Maybe...maybe it was better to just not make it? Why did he want this to happen? To be close to this man who managed to make his blood boil? This vibrant, teasing, old and yet young sinner with charm and insanity was winning him over...with anger, with lust, he had this selfish desire to feel alive again, to forget his sorrows with an intense act that would clear him, far better than the alcohol had done.
Alastor on the other hand wasn't too thrilled about all this, looking to him with hands gripping his microphone before his dial eyes reimerged and his body turned sinewy with static and narrow claws turning to him.
"Go on. Make the shot." He ordered, and Lucifer found himself staring, being utterly distracted and suddenly loosing his balance, thrusting the stick forward as he had fallen forward on the table, the cue ball being pocketed. Alastor shifted back to his normal state when it was Angel's turn, realizing he had cost them the game with his intensity when Angel sauntered over, whispering in his ear.
"Hope you have some fun tonight Al.~"
"Your death awaits." He crackled, claws scratching the green fabric of the table.
"Yeah, yeah. As long as Charlie is here you ain't getting rid of me."
The deer growled, it was true. He needed to get this situation under control, especially with his deal breathing down his neck. Killing Angel for something like this would probably get him kicked to the curb at best, Charlie would never forgive him.
It sure was a grand thought though, adding him to the screams with a gut tearing slash.
Hopefully some jazz would sooth him after all this, he couldn't see himself continuing to engage with the princess's exercises after this. He needed to officially start his broadcast, get his mind off the matter.
He watched with a closed grin as Angel bent forward right in front of him, wiggling his slender ass in a mocking sort of way while eying Alastor with pleasure, soon turning to the ball and pocketing it.
That was it.
His fate was sealed.
Angel stood back up and freshened the cue stick with chalk despite their game being over, Lucifer looking away from the infuriated sinner who was trying his darndest to keep composure, taking a deep breath and sighing.
"Well...Charlie, is it fine if I go back to my room? I need time to myself before I have to enact on this dare."
Charlie snapped from her trance, not fully realising what happened until hearing the radio demon and his quiet static.
"Oh...sure. Yeah take the time you need."
Alastor left quietly, Lucifer rubbing the back of his neck. He should have just made the shot. This wasn't the right way to go about this, he spaced out after realizing his clumsy error before Charlie once again looked to him.
"Dad? Dad?"
"Huh? What? Oh...I'm still here. Are we doing other things today?"
"I think...given what you have to do dad, you should probably have some time alone like Alastor. This is kinda a big deal. And I need to talk to Angel about this too."
She glared at Angel, seeing him smiling, ignorantly pleased with himself. It would be fun to listen in to this later.
"Right. I'll be in my room then. I'll see you later honey."
He walked out, returning to his room and locking the door, as he left he heard Vaggie actually getting pissed at Angel.
"What the hell were you thinking?! You can't be forcing people to do that stuff with each other! You know how fucked that is? Clearly we need to get your lust under control because you can't keep doing sexual shit when it makes people uncomfortable! Respect their damn boundaries!"
Angel shrugged and looked away, not too offended by anything they were saying frankly.
"Yeah, sure. They'll live okay? It's just a dare."
—
But it was more than than a dare, and Lucifer was feeling all that anticipatory anxiety that came with what would happen that night.
He spent time making his ducks, some with hats and some with horns, some with bow ties and some with little shoes. At last he made one with Alastor's little antlers, blushing and puffing his cheeks, he took the one he had made some time ago of himself and knelt in front of the table. Time to do a little role playing.
"Greetings.~" He mimicked Alastor,
"So I guess I'm doing this. Guess I'll have to kill you so we don't."
"You can't kill me, not if I kill you first!"
He proceeded to make the ducks fight, making overly dramatic noises as he eventually pinned the Alastor duck on his duck, its beak in a yellow rubber neck.
That bite. That bite he was starting to remember more. It was on his wrist, and it left him utterly shaking with the tingling sensation of being drained...Lilith liked to drink from him too, it was a common practice in their frolicking. She had that free, independent spirit that Alastor had, she was passionate and forward and always led him. He recalled being ordered and submissive, even when he topped she directed him. Maybe Alastor would do the same? Had the man ever been with someone? Surely someone as...attractive as him had a huge list of women he'd played with in life. He worked the charm on Charlie and that woman Mimzy with no problems. How would he be? Had he ever been with a guy? Lucifer couldn't say he had, never thought about it until now. Lucifer's head was rolling and and buried his face on the table, feeling tightness.
"Oh boy...I should have probably just hit that stupid ball."
—
Alastor sat in his radio station, fitting with his microphone while resting his feet up on the vintage control panel. He was still interested in having Lucifer on a broadcast, but not today, today he just needed to let off steam, get the ball rolling again.
Leaning forward, he shifted his on air sign and spoke:
"Good Evening Hell! Second broadcast since my return, not involved with that picture box idiot today. This is just an official announcement of my return and as you know the hotel has been rebuilt! Come one and all to this slightly improved, yet more tacky establishment while Miss Morningstar attempts to get to the root of your perverse issues. I am honored to be servicing you all again! Now settle in and enjoy a smooth session of music to complete your evening~."
He proceeded to play his decades old music which only emitted to the various radios that were still in action across Hell, mostly in Cannibal Town where he kept his quiet career afloat, Lucifer managed to hear some of his broadcast from his room, taking a moment to listen to the music that played from the station by opening his bedroom window and listening from a distance. It was quiet and soothing, music he last heard at balls he attended with Lilith that all seemed like a distant bit of nostalgia now. The sparkle in her eyes that slowly faded into darker crimson, the way her body shifted from him gradually. It was a slow and painful experience, and he couldn't understand why she lost interest in him. He tried to love her with all of his being, perhaps he was too boring? Not exciting enough to keep her entertained? He tried to be...he just couldn't understand it. Or maybe...she had developed contempt that he got them both stuck in Hell. Maybe she wanted a better life up above...it was starting to seem like a possibility. But he shook his head, seemed more likely she was in a different ring than upstairs, that had to be the case. Heaven was so strict he couldn't imagine any reason they'd let her up there.
Alastor closed his eyes and absorbed the music, humming to himself and kicking back. Had to enjoy some normalcy before the torture, and it would be torture for him.