It is to no one's surprise that someone as prideful as the Radio Demon himself would seem to be the kind to push away anyone he deems to be a nuisance to him, if one would have to put it in his words. He does not wish to feel, at least not in such an emotional sense where he actually cares.
An overlord like him would not dare to have such a thing that would only be a liability to his status and at his side.
The following days that soon came after that interaction were hard to watch. No one believed that the tension in that same room would last longer than it should, which should be a day. Yet, a day became a week- and within that week was a cycle they were unfortunate to witness.
That rift that cause a change to their dynamic having been obvious and hard to glance away from.
Not that they were drawn to the consistent sight. If anything, it was hard to feign and live in ignorance when static comes to fill the air, its' levels only increasing when the petite demon comes to attend it.
Everyone had their moment of witnessing it as if they had been placed in front row seats.
The day after that interaction, Husk and Angel were the first witnesses.
They were by the bar, the pornstar having got off work early and deciding to rant his day off to the bartender behind the counter, filling his glass with the same drink the arachnid would always request. Their talk would last for an hour or two, ended by the sounds of a door pushed open.
From where they are, they can see two others come out from the open door. One tall, one short.
The duo had gone quiet, eyes watching as the radio demon seems to get frustrated about something, hearing the familiar piercing sound of feedback. The butterfly demon belle instantly seems to lower her head, antennas going down as she seemed to speak to him about something.
Angel and Husk couldn't make out what was being said, but both were displeased by the sight of the radio demon continuing to act like he's got a stick up his ass.
And they frown when the raven head did nothing but let it go.
.
.
On the third day,
The next witnesses would be Vaggie and Charlie, who were merely walking around the hotel as the blonde princess pours her heart out, voicing her worries after they were informed by Angel and Husk of what happened the day before.
Midway their walk, the silver headed manager had forced both of them to take a stop in their tracks. Vaggie was quick to drag Charlie to hide, getting behind a wall.
When they had peeked, poking their heads out, they see the duo of their conversation. The radio demon was silent, keeping his hands behind his back, and his shorter companion- their friend,just ahead of him with her arms full of a stack.
To an outsiders' eyes, this would be normal. But to the crew, or the couple specifically, who had known them for long would find this a change. Instead of assisting the demon belle, the overlord watches her with the same tension still in the air.
They spot the look of discomfort on their friend's face.
Charlie continues to worry, but neither tried to approach the duo to avoid making it worse.
.
.
The last was Lucifer, on the final day of the week. He had seen both kinds of the interactions.
The cycle of the pissy radio demon and the raven haired demon belle tolerating each fit. One would summarize.
Though, the king of hell was more than a witness.
He approached his daughter, and suggested a confrontation. One that they would hope to give a solution to the issue that was brewing.
A relationship between that two that had started well at a risk of becoming the exact opposite, perhaps worse even if they don't take some kind of action.
"Maybe we should approach them nicely, Dad?" Charlie would suggest, pressing her index fingers together nervously. The rest of the crew were by the bar, much to the fallen angels of the group's dismay.
"Nicely? Charlie, that guy's treating Morana badly and she's taking it!" Lucifer would argue, frown taking hold of his features. Cane in hand and he gestures to no one in particular.
"His pride won't let him see his wrongs!"
"But forcing him to admit it is what led to this, right!? We can't force him!" The blonde princess countered his claim with her own reason.
"Then stop confronting the big bad one and go for Butterfly!" Angel would join in the argument, his hands in the air to pull the attention towards him. He plops back down on the couch, kicking his feet and laying it across Husk's lap.
"Angel's right" Vaggie admits, placing a hand on Charlie's shoulder to pull her out from the back and forth reasoning with her father.
"Alastor's someone we don't understand and can't because he's too difficult" The former exorcist explained, giving a firm look at both Morningstars.
"We have no idea how's he's going to take it. So it's best if we just talk to Morana—"
"..Talk to me for what..?"
The sudden intervention of a voice would cause everyone to flinch in place, some backing up as they had all turned to look the culprit of the surprise.
Morana gives an apologetic smile as she stood there dressed in white, seeing the startled look on their faces.
"Morana! How long have you been there?!" Charlie recovered quickly from surprise, asking with a strained smile. She clears her throat soon after, the rest fixing themselves up after the unexpected and uncharacteristic arrival.
Morana keeps her hands folded infront of her, giving a curl of her lips as she answers.
"Uhm.. I've just arrived.. I didn't mean to startle any of you" She'd look curious, and a little concern as she recalls their expressions before her disruption.
"..you...wish to talk to me?"
The blonde would stammer for a short moment, index fingers continuously pressing against each other as she sides eyes her father. Lucifer returns the look with his awkward grin, clearing his own throat as they both seem to debate on how to approach things.
"Well.. uh.."
Both of them were unsure, leaving a certain bartender to finally speak up after his long silence.
"So, it's been a week and it doesn't look like shit's going well for you and the Boss" He spoke up bluntly, throwing the rest off guard for another time this day.
Morana blinks, her brows raising at the statement.
"... Pardon?" She'd whisper out a query.
Husk doesn't say anything else, this time gesturing at the blondes as if handing over the mic to their hands.
To this, velvet eyes look over to the Morningstars.
Lucifer inhales deeply, his exhale exaggerated as he takes a step forward.
"Morana, we've known each other since your first fall, right?" He'd start off, the pornstar and the former exorcist at the back facepalming at his starting statement.
The raven haired demon belle tilts her head, but she nods to his rhetoric question.
"You're a very sweet soul, really patient and all that jazz.. and we absolutely admire you for that—" Lucifer would speak, giving a moment lasting smile before it falls to an awkward curl. "But you know..sometimes, you gotta step your foot down. Especially with these things"
Morana continues to tilt her head in questioning. Her head turns at Charlie's following statement.
"We were just concern that.. with how things are going, you're going to end up getting hurt because of.." Charlie would say with obvious worry, her hands out. "..how you're tolerating Al's behavior"
To that, the raven head would feel her antennas rise. The pieces falling into place at each word that fell from their lips.
She sees their concern, and she can guess that they have thought of the worse.
Of a scenario that they have created.
"..Oh, you misunderstood.." Morana responded, her words quickly heard and they were silenced by the simple correction.
Her smile softens, their stunned looks nearly making her chuckle. Though, she composes herself to explain.
"I'm not..tolerating his behavior."
"Oh yeah? Then why'd he seem like he was talking shit to you?" Angel would ask, not to argue but to seek for an answer.
Vaggie's question follows up, "And what about the fact he doesn't even help you anymore?"
The raven haired demon belle did not seem to be taken aback by their instant questioning. Her smile not fading as she rests a hand at her chest.
"I'm..not sure what you saw.. but I can explain that the reason Alastor's behaving the way he is—" She pauses, rethinking before continuing with a lowering hand. "-Is because.. he's going through an internal conflict, of sorts"
They all managed to look confused at the same time.
"Since he's not..used to that kind of thing, I'm trying to help by..simply letting him process all of it. Without provoking or.. pressuring him" The raven head continues to specify.
"The uhm..'fact' that he doesn't help me anymore was more of my decision.."
"...So you're not being pushed around or anything like that?" Lucifer would ask for the final time, and he receives a shake of her head.
"I appreciate the concern, though" Morana's final statement leads them to breathe out a heavy sigh, some of relief and others out of embarrassment they had felt after the revelation.
Niffty's maniacal giggling diverted away their attention on the raven head over to her little figure running across the room with a knife— a taller figure following after her in more casual wear. The group goes quiet, watching as Morana brings a hand to her mouth.
"Alastor!" She'd call.
Ears would twitch and the overlord would look her way. His smile would widen, and he approaches her quietly with his hands remaining behind his back.
Morana lifts a hand, and he simply lets his arm move a tad bit to let her grasp on it.
"I have to do something..but.." Morana gives him a soft glance, eyes closing as she sends him another smile.
"I'll bring your food to your station as quick as I can.."
The others were silenced further, watching whilst trying to seem 'normal' and minding their own business. But their eyes were darting back and forth between the two.
"That's quite alright, my dear.." Alastor had spoke, his voice tamed even with the lingering filter. He nods his head, "I don't need to eat anything for toni—"
"You're not skipping a meal, Alastor" Morana would intervene, a certain blond on the group would look like he was gagged. Her voice, though soft, seemed a little firm.
The raven head looks at the overlord, seeing him blink at her with his gaze going half lidded in resignation.
"If you wish, dearest.."
The radio demon watches her figure began to bid everyone a farewell before walking away.
Alastor doesn't have to turn to the others to guess their looks, merely giving them a glance from over his shoulder before he vanishes from their view.
.
.
".. I- I have no comment" Angel would utter just to break the growing silence.
Charlie relates with a nod, and her eyes were still left on where her friend once stood. Lucifer crosses his arms, now deep in thought.
"....."
And for that, Husk would speak after taking a sip of his drink
"We should really stop underestimating her"
➵ words ; 1942