Chapter Text
It was nearing midnight and nearly everyone in the hotel had retired to their rooms by time Alastor decided to leave his office. A problem had been brought to him by Charlie, a frustration with Angel she was unable to find an approach for. For some reason, likely boredom if he was honest with himself, he had offered to try his hand at it.
And thus spent the better part of the day musing on how to address the spider and even longer willing himself to actually do it. With the ladies at least gone to bed there would be fewer witnesses if the conversation became difficult.
Holding his microphone behind him, enjoying the stabilizing feeling in his palms, the overlord patrolled from the office he had acquired towards the bar where he thought was best hope of finding the nocturnal degenerate.
Angel Dust was stationed at his usual spot for this hour of day: at the bar. It was devoid of any other inhabitants, save for Husker, who was trying very hard to ignore the conversation from the fluffy chested arachnid seated across from him.
It had really been a shit day as far as Angel was concerned. He'd had the dubious pleasure of attending 'group therapy' this morning and found himself informed that it wasn't 'appropriate' to discuss his sexual exploits in the group setting. He was busy rambling off his complaints to Husk, who didn't even have the common decency to appear interested.
"So's I called 'em a buncha fuckin puritans and noped my ass right outta there." He'd finished this part of his story and stopped to have another drink of his shirley temple, the strongest thing he could get tonight. That pissed him off even more!
"And this takin away privileges like I'm some kinda fuckin kid. It's like they don't even recognize that countin my life, I'm an old fuckin man!" He set the glass back down on the bar a bit harder than he'd intended, which managed to garner eye contact from the unamused bartender.
"Listen," Husk said with a straight face, "You can bitch and rant all you want, but if you start slamming shit around I'm gonna take a lotta personal pleasure in throwin’ your ass outta my bar. That's your only warning. Got it?" The cat folded his arms over his chest waiting for a response.
"It wasn't on purpose ya old sourpuss, so get off my dick!" Angel huffed back, frustration in his voice.
"Everybody wants ta treat me like a kid and I'm sick of it.:
Alastor quieted his ambient interference as he approached, deadening his footsteps as he listened to the tail end of what sounded like a routine rant. Hopefully that meant his proposition was well timed.
Directly behind Angel he cleared his throat, customary grin in place. "Angel, my fine fellow! How fortuitous to find you still awake at this time." As if that was not planned. "I've been meaning to have a small chat with you, a proposition to switch up your care here in the hotel~ Care to hear?" His tone turned convincingly smooth, eyes low at the end as if sharing a secret instead of offering a deal. A short motion of one hand gestured to Husker to serve him a regular drink.
Alastor had slipped up on him again, as he so often did. At least Angel Dust was getting better at concealing the surprise, although he thought his heart might be permanently lodged in his throat.
"I guess Charlie decided she's had enough of me too, huh? S’pose I shouldn't be surprised by that. Always happens eventually."
Angel turned to the elder demon, looking at the drink in his hand.
"So is this the part where ya tell me I got 30 days ta find a new place ta live? Cause if it is, jus' say it quick and I'll be outta your hair as soon as I find a place to crash" he’d added with a rueful smile.
"All else fails I'm sure Vee would take me back. I make money for him everytime."
Listening to the spider's tone more than his words had his smile going wider. Oh, he was in such a depressive little mood. Perfect.
"Oh nonono," He raised a hand as if Angel has verbally trying to leave, "This is the part where I look into your recovery personally!" Sitting two stools away, he turned to pat his cane on his crossed knee. "You don't enjoy the counseling, or the limitations do you? Being stripped of your vices for the sake of purifying your damned little soul~" It was purely rhetorical, but Alastor's tone was as inviting as he could be, welcoming discussion. "What about doing it for the sake of a prize!" Another gesture, a half motion as if presenting an object that wasn't there.
Angel was sure that there was something going on here that he simply didn't see yet. Even in his own experience, especially in his own experience, Alastor didn't do things that didn't benefit Alastor, yet he'd made no mention of how it benefited himself.
"You'll have ta excuse my lack of enthusiasm. You're more of a puritan than the other two added together and then squared. Matter of fact " he continued, a small grin quirking the corner of his mouth "your square is squarer than Times Square!"
He chuckled at that mental picture. How could Alastor be less restrictive than the princess? Not fucking likely. Angel decided to hear him out, though. Alastor had gone through the trouble of hunting him down, after all. Besides, what else was there to do? The hotel was boring enough during the day, but at night it was a total snoozefest, literally.
"Just for shits ‘n’ giggles, what do ya have in mind, Antlers?"
"Not a puritan..." At least he didn't think so. Alastor blinked, a hum of confused static and warbled rising as he tried to follow the geometric discussion to little avail. "I don't believe I follow." He admitted with a shrug of one shoulder. Brushing it aside he returned his enthusiasm full force.
"I propose a game! One with points, and by your own will power and merit you can choose to gain or lose those points and deal with the rewards and consequences attached. Very simple, very fun~ and very much in your control." Hands moving animatedly, he continued without giving Angel much room to speak.
"An example. Every day you go completely sober, you earn a point! But only drinking to drunkenness loses a point." He sipped at his own drink, not even noticing what Husk had poured him because all he wanted was the burn in his throat.
Angel huffed an exaggerated sigh and waved away the idea.
"So exactly how is this any different? Right now, for instance, I'm sittin’ at a bar." He gestures around widely to emphasize the point, "A fucking bar! Yet I am drinking a goddamn shirley temple" gestures to his glass dismissively "and all because I didn't stay for the entire therapy session. " Angel crossed his primary arms over his chest and looked away, obviously pouting and even more obviously trying to conceal this fact.
"What I'm sayin is that it seems like even now I get tokens or points for doing what they want me to and I lose them if I don't. It's a lot like bein’ a kid. I follow the rules, I get to go play. If I don't, I get my ass grounded. To top it off, when I do get ta play, if I play tha games I like, I get grounded. It ain't fair and it sucks." Angel took a drink of his soda. He didn't want Alastor to think he was rejecting this idea out of the gate, but he knew from experience that the time to negotiate deals is before they are struck, and Alastor's excited reeling off the terms of this deal had left Angel Dust reminded of a used car salesman: Quick presentation, high pressure to agree, and little chance to kick the tires and ask questions. Angel should know, he'd used that method more than once for his own ends for a reason: it worked most of the time.
"So tell me, how is your deal really any different? What's in it for me, and what's in it for you? We both know you don't take nothin’ on if it ain't gonna benefit you, too."
"The difference is that your therapy is now in my hands. Entirely." Alastor stated simply, watching with a still focus as Angel elaborated.
"Oh yes, the rules have been a bit difficult for you. Half a century of freedom and escape from your miserable reality shut down in order to groom you for an improbable goal." A quick and easy summary that left him chuckling. Pulling a piece of parchment from the air, rolled in a tight curl, he tapped it on the table.
"The answer is we remake the rules! Call it a hobby of mine. You list what you are dearly driven to do, and we list the rules around them so you know how they affect your score. Then you list rewards you want, if you can accrue the points, and I list the consequences if you lose enough. Never a doubt, never an undeserved punishment, and honor bound. For instance...that 30 day eviction~" Unfolding the page he pointed it at Angel who could see a basic agreement written at the top, spaces for 'punishment and rewards' listed beside numbers. In curling writing the word 'evicted' appeared next to -100.
"Shall we talk?"
"Alright....talk." Angel nodded.
It seemed that Angel had been under a misunderstanding in the beginning...it wasn't if Alastor was taking him on directly, it was notification that the move had already been made. Well, that complicated things a bit. Charlie wasn't a fool, she was much more intelligent than she was usually given credit for, but she was kind to a fault. Angel Dust knew how to manipulate her into easing up on him. He hadn't dealt directly with Alastor much, but he was almost entirely certain that whatever he agreed to, he was gonna be stuck with. Suddenly glad that he'd been banned from alcohol tonight, he scooted as close as he figured he could get away with. Clearly his best move right now was to do damage control and try to make the situation as favorable for himself as possible.
"Okay, so I see ya got a lot of this planned out already, and that's fine, I mean, ya know me bout as good as anyone else does by now...but what if there's somethin' that comes up ain't listed? What do we do then? I mean, it'd hardly be fair for ya to just impose whatever ya feel like at the time, right?"
Watching him move closer with a shrewd look, Alastor was pleased by the obvious space still left between them. "Fair? No, probably not. Best to be thorough then!" He tapped a claw on the page in emphasis. "I'm quite certain my lack of knowledge in your realms of vice will be...exploitable. A gentleman's agreement to discuss these outliers as they arise then."
Tapping his foot to his own personal tune Alastor hummed. "Like in the case of your...intimate pursuits... I see no reason you cannot partake of regulated indulgence. But I'd be inclined to award points if you abstained, and I will certainly deduct them if you bring any of those bizarre copulation quirks into the hotel or behave truly debased." He floundered for the terms, smile tightening at the edges. "Where do you need clarification in that?" It was likely to be the main sticking point besides drug use so he got directly to it. As he spoke words were flashing out on the page. At 0 points Angel lost the right to leave. At -10 he lost his phone, but at 10 he had access to the bar as he saw fit.
This was going to be tricky to say the least. He was going to need to be careful in this or ending up back at the studio with Valentino would become a certainty. He found himself wanting to erase grey areas in the agreement, rather than create them. Knowing that if he left it to chance lady luck would probably not be his friend.
"Well, behaving truly debased. What exactly do ya mean by that? I gotta tell ya, what I consider debased and what you consider debased are probably not gonna be tha same, Smiley. We probably need ta define that one a little more clearly."
He thought about drug use, which was the other thing that got him into trouble most frequently.
"And y'know, tha drugs. That's the other thing that gets me inta trouble. It ain't right or even sane ta take me off everything cold turkey. It makes hell feel more like somethin worse than hell. It makes me sick, like physically sick. Can we not allow for some limited use to wean off slower? I might, just might stand a chance at that." Angel figured that was enough to start with and they could move on from there.
He took a long sip as he organized his thoughts on the somewhat sensitive matter. "Debased in, if I allow you a few suitors you may not turn this hotel into a brothel. Nothing public, nothing filmed or sold or loud or leaving injury to yourself or the public face of anyone here. Your interludes are to be discreet, clean, and...well, preferably only as often as needed." His tone got tighter, obviously unsure how it was even a necessity but trying to be professional about the discussion.
"As for drugs. I will permit two, in the doses I choose. I will acquire them and you will come to me for these allowances. Any deviation from this will have severe consequences. So choose your poison." Alastor was all teeth, deadly serious at this point and raising a brow to entice Angel to pick his drugs carefully if his withdrawals were so important to him.
Angel raised a brow. He knew Alastor would probably hate him for it, but for once he had to press into more sensitive topics and it wasn't just a way to make the other uncomfortable. It was clear that he needed to understand his boundaries and Alastor needed to understand Angel's needs. Poor guy had probably never had sex in his life and likely had only the most rudimentary and vanilla expectations of what it could be.
"Aright, I know ya hate talkin' sex. I get that loud and clear. But this has gotta be more defined and your definition leaves me with more questions than answers. When you say not loud, exactly what is loud? Sex, well good sex is kinda loud. And this leaving injury business? What constituted injury? Are love bites an injury? What about bruises? Does it only count if I can't cover it up?" Angel gave Alastor a moment. Since he looked like he probably needed one.
"As far as tha drugs, that's much easier ta hammer out. If I had ta choose two, of course my namesake, I got it for a reason. It's really my go to anyways and has the nastiest withdrawal symptoms. The other, I guess just some marijuana. It'll take the edge off and help with the nausea. It also has the least side effects''.
The longer Angel talked the narrower Alastor's eyes got, a slow seep of black at the edges. His smile was a frozen rictus of teeth but he heard him out. Paused to take a breath, and explained in an overly happy but clipped tone. "For your ease in finding me I shall relocate my door to the floor above yours. If I hear it, you'll regret it. If anyone reports the sound to me, you'll regret it. And if you are in any way injured or indisposed from proper function and your expected duties in the hotel, if I feel the need to correct one of your suitors for damages, or yes- if I have to see the evidence of...activities..." He felt this wasn't much to ask. Without any idea of what Angel partook of it was a guess at best, but it sounded fair.
Visibly uncomfortable he smacked his leg a bit harder than casual with his cane, over and over in a thud that grounded him. "Supply, why, that is acceptable. Starting tomorrow you may request your needs and I will see to it you have sufficient quantities. Although it will earn you better points to abstain, of course."
The contract was still filling out, mostly terms of actions. "We can discuss minor behaviors in a moment." More for him to recover his jovial mood than anything. "If you can earn rewards or boons from me through good behavior, what would you wish for?" He cast a curious look to Angel, truly unsure what the odd fellow would want. They did not know each other that closely, but he could grant many things both simple and complex.
Angel Dust could feel the tension roiling beneath the surface of the other sitting next to him. Probably best that he had all the defining out of the way. He was pretty sure that asking too many more sex questions would have unpleasant consequences, judging by the strained and pained look glued to the red demon's remarkably still smiling face.
He had been so busy trying to make sure than he understood what exactly could or could not be done, he hadn't thought enough about what rewards he might like.
"Well, ya already have bar access taken care of, so maybe having a pass to stay a little later than tha normal curfew would be nice...hmmm." He tapped his chin, thinking of what things he might be interested in...but found himself coming up blank. Was he really that easily pleased?
"I don't know, Smiles, that's really all I can come up with. There ain't too much I want and can have without gettin’ right back inta stuff I ain't s'posed ta be into."
Sighing, Alastor gave him a withering look. As though he was simple but wouldn't tell him. "That is the point of a reward, to gain something you cannot have otherwise. If nothing strikes your fancy then you'll be behaving without goals and you'll fail." Tapping the page for a moment, he thought of long reach goals on Angel's behalf. "For instance~" Under rewards for 1000 points appeared 'Contract Severed From Valentino.' Under punishment for 50 points was 'Dinner' Date without elaboration.
Angel Dust loathed it when people gave him that look. It was a look he was painfully familiar with. It told him that he was a blooming idiot and they were tiring of watering things down for him. His uneasiness lifted as the contract revealed that he could have a chance to do away with his ties to Val. How would that be possible? "You're sayin that you could actually manage to make my contract go away? How is that possible?"
Angel didn't think Alastor would just lie, and if he was right and this was a contract he couldn't lie. Maybe angel was setting his sights too low here. Sure he had his own dreams, but he never considered that they could be realities. "And why is a date listed as a punishment? Wouldn't a date be a good thing?" This had completely derailed Angel's train of thought.
The Overlord grinned widely at that, chuckling before adopting a faux modesty. "I can do many things. If you can manage to claw your way up to 1000 points, I will fulfill that promise." Even laughing he managed to sound serious.
"And that is dinner with me." It was a simple, but evasive explanation. "I tend to make my contracts personal. I grant the rewards, I grant the punishments. No dragging others into it and with my skills there is rarely need to." He gestured flippantly before smoothing a hand over his jacket in pure habit. "Now, are you going to participate? I'd be perfectly content to leave these blank if not for knowing it would be the same as declaring your failure now." Head on one hand, he leaned forward to raise his brows at Angel Dust. "Just point and declare. What. Do. You. Want?"
Oh, so Alastor wanted to be a smug ass about things? Fine. Angel could go there as well. Alastor could just watch Angel go there. "Alright then," Angel said, his smile both broad and relaxed, "since ya like to keep things so personal, let's just do that, then." He smiled sweetly at the overlord. "How about this: if I can get enough points, I want to be able to touch your antlers. They intrigue me. For a bit more, I wanna be able to pet those cutie-patootie ears. I've always wondered if you have a tail tucked away under that jacket ya always wear. For enough points i wanna know if ya do or don't. Assumin' ya do, I'd love to pet it too. How's that? Very personal if ya ask me." Angel sat back, his cockeyed grin stretching from ear to ear. He was pretty pleased with himself.
Alastor felt a tingle of trepidation at that smile, and for good reason. He couldn't hide his soft groan as the list automatically generated Angel's words, although he caught it in time to move the 'Investigate tail' from 40 to 50 before it settled.
"You...would obey the rules, and exercise self control...for a chance to fondle me?" He bit out through static, eyes flickering. Why hasn't he foreseen this? And the word choice used...oh dear. "Fine." He tapped the page, not saying a word as punishments fleshed out: -20 'Arts n Crafts', -30 Sobriety, -40 Chastity. "Your turn~" He egged in a wicked purr, choosing to challenge the spider rather than back down. It was masochistic, but he was betting Angel would fail. Hoping for it.
Angel couldn't help but notice that all of the negatives were coded so that they sounded innocent enough, but he wasn't enough of a fool to believe they were so innocuous. He decided to try something of his own.
"I noticed that yours all seem to be named instead of explained. I think I want some of mine tha same way, so I'll go in order of difficulty: 1st base, 2nd base, 3rd base. That's all I need. Unless ya got more to add on your end, I'm comfortable wit this."
It was a mix of being impressed that Angel took such initiative, and caught the trick, and a struggle to hide his growing discomfort that he had no idea what Angel just signed him up for. He couldn't hide the electric whine in the air, like a lightbulb about to pop, but he forced himself to smile.
"Only fair to balance it out at least~" Alastor managed the bravado to sound as if this was all planned. The words 'Radio, Veve, and Isolation, appeared in equal measure to Angel's bases before there was barely a hesitation. 'Death' appeared at -1000, equal to the contract reward.
"There we go! Now, any further questions?" Alastor felt sharp, a bit cornered but honor and pride bound to go through with his project. The page had filled with his thoughts for Angel to peruse, lists of behaving properly in public, minding his pet, dressing modestly...so many things he could do both better or worse but all rather manageable considering their usual animosity.
Angel looked the list over carefully, noting that everything he could figure out looked balanced, even almost fair. He was impressed by this, given the Radio Demon's reputation for being sneaky and even underhanded. Angel wasn't fooled for a minute, it had caught the older demon off guard when he coded a few of the things he had listed. Good. This fella needed to know who he was dealing with. Angel Dust wasn't renowned as a living brain trust, but what he lacked in formal education he had learned from experience in the streets during his life and the studio after his death. He was sharper than most gave him credit for, he just acted as though he was clueless. Might be flawed, but it worked. He noticed at the worst of the penalties was "death" actually listed. He had no misgivings about it, if he allowed himself to get to that point Alastor wouldn't have any qualms about fulfilling that end of the deal. He'd listened to enough of the 'special broadcast programs' to know exactly what he could expect. He'd make damn sure to not get to that deficit.
Looking once more over all of the things listed, he could honestly say that this was the first contract he'd ever completely read, including the one he'd signed with Valentino. He'd learned a lot since then and he would never make the mistake of signing without reading again. Demons were not to be trusted, including the one seated next to him. Especially the one seated next to him.
"Just a few more questions, iff'n ya don't mind. Who is gonna keep track of these points? I dont think it should be either one of us, as we both have a conflict of interest, and if I reach a reward, or a negative consequence, do the points used come off, or does it stay and continue? For example, say I earn 50 points, with the reward at that level. Do I have to decide whether to take the reward or keep the points, or do I get it automatically and continue from 50, or do I get it automatically and then it drops back down to 0?"
Angel was feeling proud of himself for thinking ahead for once.
They were very good questions. "Why, my clever friend, how good of you to ask! It will depend on the milestone. Those that can be repeated, as many are, will be at each interval of the listed points. The singular ones of course are only viable when earned. And the freedoms are on or off. Such as...you may repeat this," he pointed at 1st base, " every 40 points, but you can only lose or gain access to the bar by being above or under 10." To him it was very simple but he had run hundreds of deals and arrangements. "The contract will list the points." Offhanded he tacked that one, turning to take a large sip of the whiskey Husk had poured him. This was more taxing than he expected.
Angel thought it over once more, just to be sure he understood it all. Both of them realized that Alastor had an advantage in the fact that he'd done this many times over, but this was only the second time for Angel, and hopefully it turned out a damn bit better than the first, which was a disaster.
"Alright then, I guess that's it."
With a grin that made it to his eyes, Alastor summoned a pen from the air and scribbled his name on the sheet in a large, looping script. The ink glowed faintly green before it faded to black and he passed both to Angel.
"No insult to either of us but honor is only half as binding as ink." He laughed, the static he exuded still somewhat distorted from his quiet anxiety over one side of the list.
Angel picked up the pen, which felt heavy to him and then slid the paper over to be able to sign as well. His penmanship was nowhere as neat as Alastor's, in fact, because he hadn't been allowed to attend after the 8th grade, his was all manuscript, but held his chin up and signed with all the dignity he could muster. He set the pen back down and slid the contract away.
"Funny thing" he laughed. "Swore I'd never sign another after the first time. Yet, here we are."
"Hm, indeed. And your soul is nowhere on the line this time. Just your sanity!" Alastor laughed, tapping the page again as the final glow faded. It duplicated, an emblem in the corner showing a blot of ink that morphed like water until it settled on a 4.
"Seems it decided to include your good behavior today. How benevolent." He hummed, tucking his copy into his pocket. Finishing his drink, he stood and smoothed his jacket. "Well. I think I've invaded your evening enough. Wouldn't you agree?"
Angel stood up as well stretching his arms and popping his back.
"Yeah, I should probably be getting back to check on nuggets. He's gotta be ready for his evenin walkies. Guess I'll see ya--do I need ta be checkin’ in or anything? I didn't think about that. I used ta have ta check in with Charlie, but I guess that's you now, ain't it?"
"You should continue to try to play nice with her. She takes care of you and it's simply polite." He leaned on his microphone, eyes low and thoughtful. Any agitation he felt didn't show in the confident lines of his posture.
"Clear any guests with me, unless you wish to explain them to the ladies," he laughed. Imagining Angel explaining a 'date' to Vaggie. "And you'll have no chemical enhancements unless you get them from me. You'd rather not test that rule." Turning to go Alastor waved over his shoulder. "My door is easy to find~" He pointed upwards as a memo. One floor up from Angel.
After that conversation he desperately wanted to be alone.
Angel felt a strange mix of emotions as he watched Alastor walking away. On the one hand, that cocky demeanor always rubbed him in just the wrong way, while on the other hand, this was a chance for him to earn his soul back, something he could never hope to do on his own. Of course the chance of him gathering 1000 points was pretty damn slim, but if he was dreaming, dream big.
He realized, although far too late, of course, that this contract didn't have any expiration date that he had seen. He made a mental note to ask about that tomorrow. No way was he gonna go looking for that smug bastard tonight. He made his way to his own room, and finding nuggets asleep, he had to call the little porker over to him a few times before it got up and agreed to go out for its walk. Angel figured that at least one good walk around the back garden would be plenty for this late hour. He wanted to be sure to get up on time in the morning. It was gonna be quite a day, he was afraid.
His red door replaced a more mundane one on the floor he chose, distorting space as majority of his private home rested behind it. Only his radio tower was elsewhere, warded and sealed separately.
As soon as he had privacy Alastor sighed and dropped his smile to a bare sliver of its usual self. He had been torn about even giving in to these requests, but he had the idea Angel would test his patience at every turn. Especially with his requests. When he found out first hand how difficult Alastor found physical interactions, the Overlord would likely have a whole new slew of jokes and harassment to deal with. Fantastic. Sending his shadow off to procure the promised pharmaceuticals - there was a first for everything it seemed! - he sunk into a chair before his fireplace to doze and brood and listen to the most soothing music he could summon until morning.
The Radio Demon. In charge of Angel Dust's 'redemption'.
He really had gone mad.
Having finished the nightly walk, he brought the pig back inside, took care of the feed and water dishes and gave the animal a good rub down and cuddle time. "Whaddya think, nuggs?" he asked the little swine, holding him like a real baby. "Do you have faith in ya daddy to make this happen?" The little piggy answered with a snort and a grunt. "Yeah? Well thanks for tha vote a confidence, mijo."
He set Nuggets in his little bed, then trotted off to do a good Dust down and comb out before bed. That would leave him with one less thing to do in the morning. As he turned out the light and crawled into bed, his mind was exhausted. He had no trouble finding sleep. It found him. Quickly.