Lucifer's comment had the whole group, minus the duo they'll be 'discussing', remain in their places. As if they were investigating a case that was just begging to be opened, their looks were one of deep thinking and contemplation.
The king of Hell being the only one to seem casual about the whole thing, amused by the effect his words had on them.
Vaggie was the first to break the thought-filled silence, her elbows on her knees and hands in her head. She pinches the middle of her brows, meeting everyone's eyes.
"... Okay, so we're all just...going to believe that he, who's name I won't say right now, has a crush?" Her voice was one of disbelief, stuck in the middle of uncertainty.
"An emotion based thing that revolves around genuine attraction and is pretty much labeled to be a childish thing?"
Lucifer shrug, a sign of a 'pretty much' response. This earned a few looks from the others', specifically those who still are skeptical towards the overlord mentioned.
"I mean, it makes sense, don't it? Why are we not believing this?" Angel speaks up, snapping his fingers to divert the attention towards him. All his hands having opened as he lay on the couch.
"Because it's him. If it were any sinner else, it's fine—" Vaggie was quick to answer, having thought of that question before. She gestures over to the bartender accompanying the arachnid, "Husk has been with him the longest, and he's still skeptical about it!"
Husk would uncover his mouth, breathing out a heavy sigh. He crosses his arms, voicing out his comments on the situation;
"The boss is way too much of a bastard to be capable of feeling that kind of shit... Most of the time, he just uses it to his advantage."
"Oh, come on, guys.. we can't cross out the possibility just because of what he's known for!" Charlie would preach in defense of their conversation, her smile widening slightly as her hands ball up into fists.
Her eyes started to glitter, her voice becoming another coo.
"Al's got a crush~! And it's on Morana! His complete opposite!" She would grin like a schoolgirl in love with fiction.
Unfortunately, her enthusiasm didn't impact them as much as she wish it would've. Vaggie seemed to just sigh, Husk pursed his lips and Angel would look back on his own conclusions.
That nearly made her a little upset. She couldn't blame them, of course.
The overlord mentioned wasn't an easy person to deduce from.
He knows how to turn a lot of things into weapons of his use, this situation could easily be manipulated into something else if he were to find out. In fact, Charlie was pretty sure that was one of the reasons he had even stayed with their raven headed companion.
At least, in the past, he could confirm to that.
Her father's hand would bring her back to reality as it placed itself on her shoulder. Lucifer would smile down at her before bringing his attention to the rest.
"Why don't you try thinking about it and make sense of it instead of trying to prove it wrong?" The king of Hell would lay out with a grin. "I've only been here for a few days but if I can see the signs, I'm sure you can too.. with a lot of thinking, of course"
His suggestion had them pause in their seats, contemplating once more about the whole ordeal. They all gave each other glances, a silent conversation between just the three of them. A few more minutes later, they eventually gave in.
Angel had went first, a vivid memory coming to mind instantly. His hand raised, he had uttered out.
"Ey, remember those trust exercises?" Everyone looked his way, Charlie giving an obvious nod since she was the one who approached them with the activity.
"Smiles left his creepy shadow thing behind and it caught her before anyone else did. That obviously means something" Angel recalls in a summarized version, gaining the king of hell's interest.
Vaggie places a finger under her chin, "Yeah.. he did the same thing during that time we were filming that commercial. Except, it's actually him and he did it deliberately"
"Deliberately, hm..?" Lucifer raised a brow.
"After that, he came back and gave me and Whiskers here a look, not the sexy kind either" Angel would continue on with his recollection of the memory, Husk agreeing with a nod despite his ending statement.
The bartender would grumble, before giving a small curl of his lips.
"Better that than what Mimzy got" He'd bring up, the king of Hell shooting him a confused look whilst the pornstar laying with him on the couch cackled.
"Oh, definitely. She had it coming for talking shit about 'er so proudly too" Angel snorted, whilst Vaggie held back her own smile for the sake of looking sane/professional. It was a lesson learn that day.
Charlie would think back on her own doors of memories, seeking for one that she thinks was the final piece of 'evidence' to solve this unexpected case. A grin spreads across her face, and she had clasped her hands together.
"I got one! Rosie mentioned the first time we met that Al talked about Morana to the point she felt like she already knew her!" Charlie exclaims, heads turning her way as she recalls the event with starry eyes.
"You're sure she isn't just telling that from her perspective?" Husk questioned for some certainty, the blonde princess seeming to have waited for that exact question for she instantly smirked after hearing it be voiced out.
Charlie crossed her arms "Positive! In fact... He actually went on about Morana while we were discussing about Cal's situation! Going on about her heart, her kindness.."
She sighs, "I think that's what really sells it for me"
"Who's Cal?" Lucifer had broke his silence, the name not having once rung a single bell unlike it did with Mimzy's. He sees the crew seem to get a tad bit sentimental, instantly getting the hint this sinner was of someone of their liking.
"Cal's the little kid Morana saved and took care of with Alastor for a week before sending him off to an orphanage" Charlie would answer and clarify for her father, seeing his eyes widen slowly as he processed the handed out information.
Lucifer nearly chokes on air, voice laced with obvious shock.
"They...parented a kid together?"
"Pretty much" Angel shrugs with a grin.
Husk does the same, minus the expression. "She persuaded him to keep him for a week"
"Hence, the ramble Charlie mentioned.." Vaggie added as the final statement, her girlfriend nodding in absolute confirmation.
Lucifer feels his lips curl and teeth showing another grin, different from the ones on his daughter's and her friend's face. This was had some underlying motives.
He sees how it is now.
And he is so going to have fun with it.
.
.
.
◆
Alastor was satisfied with his day. His wound been taken care of, he has gotten a new wardrobe and he spent his time with peaceful entertainment. All thanks to the raven headed demon belle standing before him, who was exhausted compared to the overlord.
Morana had rubbed an eye, a bit drowsy from the energy she had used up since this morning. He watches her pull away from his arm, carefully witnessing her open her room's door and enter.
She turns her figure to face him, giving a tired yet sincere curl of her lips.
"Thank you, Alastor.." She would speak, her voice barely a whisper. And yet, he still manages to hear her clearly. The radio demon would give her a short bow, hands remaining behind his back.
"You're welcome, my darling." She never seems to get tired of thanking him, even when this had become their routine. Not that he was complaining, it was feeding his 'pride' just well enough.
Others' gratitude was less in comparison to hers.
"Now, you best head to bed before you trip on your own two feet" Spoke the overlord with a slight taunt, one that received nothing but that soft look on her face as she took his advice.
Morana would slowly begin to close the door, using her remaining energy to speak a bit louder.
"Goodnight, Alastor.."
Alastor's gaze goes half lidded.
"Goodnight, Mon Coeur"
And he doesn't feel that nuisance in him anymore, even when the raven headed demon belle had closed the door and was out of his sight to greet her slumber.
Yes, that was what he needed to indulge in. The internal conflict had finally settled, and he couldn't have been more satisfied than he is now.
Alastor was ready to leave, after having his hand rest on the door for a moment until her lights had went out.
"'Mon couer', huh? I wonder what that means"
An irritating voice would ruin his mood in a matter of seconds. It was loud too, nothing like the petite demon that had accompanied him earlier. The radio demon's filter had increased in annoyance, but he tries to maintain himself.
He sends a glance to the 'bird' ( or..flying duckling?? ) at his side, seeing its' sly grin despite its' beak.
Do not engage, Alastor. It's night, and they were just infront of her door still.
Lucifer shape shifts back to his original form with a yellow, glittery poof, that grin still there as if he knew something that the overlord didn't. That irks him. Very much so.
"Hey"
Alastor's eye nearly twitched.
His hand clenched onto his other behind him, another remainder to himself. Feigning composure, he simply asked with a slight snap at the end.
"What?"
Lucifer holds back his laugh. He clears his throat, pretending to be professional as he clasps his hands together.
"You know, you might want to dial the attitude down" He would advise, his tone just as smug as the look on his face. Alastor's grin felt strained. He sees what he's attempting to do, another battle of words to test the other.
He was the best in that field, so the overlord had no trouble answering with some sass.
"Oh, I only do so to those who are actually worth such treatment" He'd say back in response, facing the king of Hell with his head held high.
Yet, that didn't seem to have the effect he wanted. The short blond before him was still grinning. It annoys him to no end that it had only widened after his remark, the same remark that would've made him annoyed.
"That isn't going to make her happy, big guy. You wouldn't want to stress out your heart" Lucifer had retorted with absolute ease and a stance filled with pride.
And it increases at the sight of the deer caught in headlights.
There was a moment lasting silence, consisting of the sly look on the short king's face.
Alastor's grip on his own hand hardens, his eyes having squinted into a glare. He ignores the thumping within, his annoyance being burnt away by something else that made him feel like he had just been invaded.
The damn audacity to bring her into the conversation.
The implications his statement had.
It was not what he wanted to hear.
And before he could even respond to the fallen angel's words, he had beaten him to it. A laugh was what slipped out of his mouth.
Lucifer lifts a hand.
"Ohoho! I knew it! You're not as good at masking your emotions as you think!" The king of hell would voice out, sensing the static increasing in the air. His amusement only increases. It was his entertainment now.
"What.. nonsense are you spurting on about?" The radio demon was close to transforming then and there. The lights flickering for a hot minute at his growing irritation towards the taunting blond.
"Of course you're the kind of guy to say that" Lucifer scoffs, nearly snorting from holding back his laughter.
"Don't back down now, we've seen the signs of your little crush. If we have to put it lightly" His words had triggered a piercing feedback from the overlord infront of him.
An audible crack, possibly coming from Alastor's hands when he snapped a finger or more.
Lucifer was not gonna shut up. His finger had raised, and he has begun to list down the needed information to finally give this prideful overlord a reality check.
"Deliberately catching her, falling into your arms? Not letting a single bad word of her be uttered? Rambling about her to no end? I might have to prepare myself a glass of water because this list is long..."
And there, he sees it.
The look that had him reeling back in his imaginary seat.
Alastor's ears had pinned back, one having twitched from hearing that thumping within him increase in volume. His grin was beginning to hurt his cheeks, and he swears a vein had popped at some point. His shoulders had been raised, his eye twitching as it tries to maintain the glare of sheer annoyance towards Lucifer.
Yet, the blond had narrowed it all down to one word amongst many.
Flustered.
The bastard was flustered.
Lucifer opened his mouth to let out another say, yet the radio demon had increased the volume of the piercing feedback to silence him. The king of Hell forced to cover his ears and shut his mouth.
By the time his Majesty had opened his eyes, he was amused and surprised by how the overlord still remained in his place.
In the exact same position.
And his voice hadn't even raised, nor had the filter to it been changed.
"...Shut it."
Was all he says, before he lets himself melt away into his shadow- teleporting himself out of the halls.
Lucifer watched with a raised brow, taking this moment to hum to himself with a hand under his chin. He glances at the door near him, the name of its' owner carved onto it.
Morana was most likely sleeping soundly.
Another conclusion had came to mind and was added to his list, Lucifer hears a chorus of footsteps begin to approach him from behind.
He faces the crew, his hands within his pockets.
"Looks like he didn't want to wake her"
➵ words ; 2390