Chapter Text
Alastor’s room
It was warm and soft around him, but not quite warm enough for his liking.
Lucifer stretched and yawned as he opened his eyes.
Huh. He didn't remember going to bed. Last he remembered was curling up against Alastor on the couch in the lounge.
Hmm, that this was clearly Alastor's room meant it was likely Alastor that tucked him in. Though…where was his beloved deer? He wasn't in the bed with him, which was a crime!
Lucifer sat up and looked around, quickly spotting Alastor fully nude standing in front of a full length mirror. As he watched, Alastor's wings were sheathed and unsheathed, antlers shirking and growing.
“Getting the hang of your new body, Al?” Lucifer asked.
“Indeed,” Alastor confirmed and his wings disappeared once more and his antlers shrunk down to ‘almost’ their pre-awakening size. “I figured being able to…reduce myself into a less intimidating state may be useful at times…and for comfort reasons.”
Lucifer chuckled at the last bit. “Yeah, I can imagine it can be…uncomfortable trying to sleep on your back with wings and a helmet made of antlers.”
“Quite,” Alastor agreed as he turned around, giving him a full view of…everything.
Oh my. He’d very much would like to-
Wait, waaait. Head out of the gutter!
“I'll repeat what I said yesterday, Al,” he said as he forced himself to look at Alastor's face. Oh, he found a way to shut his new third eye as well. “You look incredible…and I'm jealous everyone got to see your uh…full glory before me.”
“Unfortunately, due to the circumstances, I was unable to prevent that,” Alastor remarked with a chuckle as he approached the bed. “However, I can assure you…”
Lucifer’s breath hitched as Alastor crawled onto the bed and curled around him, his face nuzzling against his. “...that from this point on only you will see me in my…full glory,” Alastor purred into his ear.
Oh Speaker, the pleasant chill that just went through his body as a warmth began to coil in his gut. “Careful, Al,” he warned softly. “Keep that up and I may not be able to behave myself.”
“Tempting,” Alastor said as he pulled away and laid out on the bed on his belly. “But I know I would regret it for reasons beyond my control….”
Lucifer felt that kick of guilt in his gut over having to…put a boundary on that. “Someday, we can, I'm sure of it,” he said as he leaned over and lightly stroked his back. Alastor emitting a happy sigh as his tail coiled up. “It will just take time…and time we have plenty of.”
Alastor was nodding, but his ears were low. Then they perked up. “I have something to show you,” he announced. “Something only you I will allow to see.”
“Oh?” Lucifer said, tilting his head with intrigue.
Alastor's tail flicked, catching his attention. Then it shrank down…
…Into a fluffy deer tail.
Lucifer squealed with glee and then again at a higher octave when that cute fluffy thing started to wag. “Oh Al, c-can I…?” he babbled, his hands balled up against his chest.
“Gently, you may,” Alastor replied.
“OK, Got it,” Lucifer said with a nod as he carefully reached for it with one hand. “I-if you get uncomfortable, let me know.”
Alastor had nodded as his fingers brushed against the top of the tail. Immediately he saw Alastor’s body tense, the thin layer of fur that now covered most of his body starting to stand on end, accompanied by a sharp gasp.
Lucifer immediately froze.
“Al?” he asked, concerned.
“I’m OK..,.” Alastor replied with a sigh. “I…wasn’t expecting that sensation…that’s all.”
“A good sensation, I hope!” Lucifer remarked.
“Mmmm…jury is still out on that.”
“Then let’s help them come to a decision.” Lucifer then continued his careful exploration of the tail. Gliding his fingers softly along the top and sides of it, marveling at the change of texture between slightly wiry to sinfully soft. The latter was especially true for the underside, where Lucifer made sure not to wander too low: Alastor’s ass and hips were a ‘no go’ zone for obvious reasons.
For now.
Someday, like he said, that may change.
Alastor had been visibly tense at first, but then relaxed, emitting a blissful sigh. Guess the jury’s verdict was positive! Lucifer’s heart swelled with joy.
Then quite unexpectedly Alastor turned toward him. Lucifer froze, eyes wide, thinking he may have overstepped somehow.
However instead of seeing panic, he saw passion. A passion that was now flowing into him as his and Alastor’s lips became locked into a searing kiss.
“I love you,” Alastor whispered after he had pulled away oh all too soon.
“I love you too, Al,” Lucifer whispered back, one hand reaching up to rub one of his ears.
They pressed their foreheads together and, for a moment, they were content to just…be….
Then his phone pinged. Lucifer glanced over to see it was from Charlie. From the part of the message he could see on the lock screen, it seemed…urgent?
Frowning, he picked up the device and unlocked it so he could read the message.
#Dad! We have a situation in the lobby! It’s packed with people that want to join. Some people are already starting to show signs of impatience and I’m not sure we can handle a fight if it breaks out with so many people in here! If you and Al can come down here to ensure things stay calm, that would be great! Thanks! OXOXO#
“Unfortunately, she likely means mostly me with that request,” Alastor sighed, the deer having shifted so he was behind him and had rested his chin on his shoulder.
“Yeah…,” Lucifer agreed with a sigh. Thanks to Vox, all of Hell now knew he couldn’t harm sinners. Good thing he had Alastor as his Executioner now! “Still, best we both make ourselves presentable and head down there before things…’go to Hell’.”
“Perhaps the phrase should be ‘go to the Pit’ considering we are in Hell, my dear?” Alastor quipped as he pulled away and got off the bed, his deer tail transforming back into it’s more demonic state. A shame, but Lucifer knew he would see it again. “Regardless, it feels like an opportunity to test the intimidation factor of my new station!”
“Just don’t over do it,” Lucifer warned as he climbed out of bed himself. “We don’t want to scare away the whole lot.”
“If they can’t behave like civilized folk, are they really looking to redeem themselves?” Alastor retorted as he magically dressed himself.
He had a point there.
---
Lobby
Charlie hadn't been exaggerating.
The lobby was swimming with sinners. Lucifer was already feeling his self-inflicted social anxiety start to creep into his body. Especially as he started picking out more and more sounds of discontent.
As he and Alastor watched from the second story, he could see Charlie and the others doing their best to keep things orderly and calm. However, the numbers were against them and things were starting to spin out of control.
He looked at Alastor, who had this grin of anticipation on his face and granted him tier 1 power access. Should be more than enough, since he was already quite the power house at his base Overlord level.
Alastor then chuckled, the sound projecting through the space. Many sinners froze in place and looked around, confused and rightfully worried.
“My, my my,” Alastor began once the lobby had fallen mostly silent, his voice easily carrying to those down below. “What do we have here?”
All eyes were on Alastor now. Some wisely cowered, but others, too many for Lucifer liking, didn't seem impressed.
“A bunch of hopeful redeemers?” Alastor continued. “Poor chances of success from how disorderly and uncivilized you are behaving.”
“Oh quit the posturing!” A sinner called out. “Everyone knows you are a hasbin! Both of you!”
Lucifer felt himself tense and he heard a low growl from Alastor as the crowd moved away from the speaker, revealing him.
“It would appear someone didn't watch the broadcast last night,” Alastor said calmly. “Or perhaps only the ‘selectively edited’ recap made by Katie Killjoy?”
The sinner flinched and widened their eyes, a sign Alastor had hit the mark.
Lucifer heard Alastor chuckle again before his antlers grew out to their ‘default’ hybrid state, third eye opened and wings manifested. He then vaulted over the railing and glided down to the ground floor. Sinners scattered and made room as he landed in front of the up start sinner, who looked to be starting to question his life choices.
“I may have to pay her a visit later to ensure things are reported truthfully in the near future,” Alastor remarked before gesturing around the room. “But direct threats to this fine establishment need to be dealt with first. Hand it over.”
“Uh…what?” Even from his perch, Lucifer could see the man start to sweat. Though he was a bit confused on what Alastor was referring to himself. Related to a new ability, perhaps?
Lucifer’s eyes flicked over to where Charlie stood, just to check on her. She was standing with her hands tightly clasped in front of her, her expression one of concern. Likely hoping Alastor didn't massacre anyone.
Movement behind her caught his eye. A sinner was coming up behind her…the glint of a blade…
He teleported instantly, putting himself between Charlie and the sinner. He grabbed the sinner by the wrist as he had raised his hand to stab Charlie.
“What-?” The sinner started to exclaim, but the rest of it was muffled when Lucifer stuffed the man into a duffel bag with a snap of his fingers. The knife he had been welding dropping to the floor.
“Huh? Dad?” Charlie was saying when she turned around, then gasped when saw the squirming bag…
…And a knife on the floor.
“Wha-what just happened?” she then asked, her eyes wide.
“I think you’ll be safer with me, Char-Char,” he told her as he touched her arm and teleported her up to the balcony he was at prior. “A sinner just tried to stab you.”
~Al, would be assassin restrained by the stairs,~ Lucifer then told Alastor telepathically. ~He just tried to stab Charlie.~
“Wh-what!” Charlie exclaimed. “Wh-why?”
Oh he could think of a few reasons. Disgruntled Vox supporter wanting to avenge him…an Overlord that things redemption would be ‘bad for business’ and so on.
~Understood,~ Alastor had replied, a growl in his voice. Lucifer saw Alastor's shadow shoot over and bring the bag and the knife over to him.
Wait…would Charlie just have awakened if someone killed her with an angelic weapon or would the process be different for her? Uhh…file that away for later!
“Well, now…how clever,” Alastor had said, drawing his attention back to the more immediate situation. “You distract, while another does the deed!”
The loudmouth sinner was really sweating now. “Wha-what are you talking about?” he asked nervously.
“Whaaat you mean you don't know this person?” Alastor cooed as he grabbed the bag and unceremoniously dumped the assassin out. “You look like two peas in a pod! Or perhaps more accurately, ‘two peas soon to be in my stomach’!” The last part said with a deep growl, both sinners recoiling.
“No! We’ve never met before!” The man insisted, the other, previously bagged one shaking his head.
“Oh really? Explain the nearly identical angel steel knife to this one that is currently sitting in your coat pocket!” Alastor said coyly as he twirled the other knife in his hand, before poking at the spot on the man’s chest. “Riiight here….”
The man stiffened, the question ‘how’ written all over his face. Alastor then smirked and pointed at his third eye.
“Does he have…x-ray vision now?” Charlie was muttering, Lucifer noting she was covering her chest.
“I’m going to guess it’s more along the lines of being able to ‘see’ the magic the object emits,” Lucifer assured her. At least he hoped so. He was certain Alastor wouldn’t be too keen about visually stripping everyone of their clothing without meaning to: he was too much of a gentleman for that!
“Now, would you kindly hand it over?” Alastor was saying with his hand out, palm up. “My dear Princess isn’t keen on having weapons of permanent death within this establishment.”
The man had taken a step back, Alastor leaning forward as his grin grew wider. Around them, the crowd had widened the circle, the tension hanging thick in the air. The sinner was scowling as he slowly reached under his coat.
“Death to the royalty!” he suddenly cried, slashing Alastor’s face, leaving a long cut across it. Alastor had barely flinched when the man then moved to stab him, but shadows rose up and restrained him.
“Oh no…,” Charlie had said softly, a hand to her mouth. Lucifer agreed with her unspoken thought: that sinner just signed his own execution.
“How unfortunate,” Alastor had said with a disappointed sigh as the cut on his face healed, leaving no scar. “I was going to let you live so long as you disarmed yourself….but now….”
Alastor’s antlers rapidly began to grow and expand outward. His body turned completely black as it shifted into a more monstrous form, his face changing into something resembling a deer skull. Wisps of shadow edged by bright green flowed from his back as a long, thick tail lashed out behind him.
“You Shall Have The Same Fate As Your ComPanion!” Alastor growled, his voice reverberating throughout the room. The watching sinners rapidly making even more room for him as he grabbed the two men in his claws.
Lucifer couldn’t help the smirk on his face due to the absolute look of ‘I’m fucked’ on both their faces!
“Alastor! If you must eat them, please don’t do it in the Hotel!” Charlie had yelled down, her tone both pleading and scolding as Alastor had opened his mouth to devour the two fools.
“As You Wish, Your HighNess,” Alastor rumbled with a sigh as he disappeared into shadow, taking the two wanna be assassins with him. Lucifer could just hear their pleads of mercy and denial outside before they both were abruptly silenced.
A moment later, Alastor walked through the front doors, back to his hybrid appearance, dabbing a handkerchief over his lips before stuffing it back into an inner coat pocket.
“That’s breakfast taken care of. Now, what was I doing before things so unfortunately escalated?” he was saying as he spread his arms toward the rest of the crowd, his hips swaying. “Ah yes…if you lot wish to be redeemed, a good place to start is to act like civilized beings and form a neat, orderly line to the check in counter! And if you are already checked in, please kindly do not get in the way of those in line!”
The crowd quickly obeyed, a few griping about ‘losing their previous place’ but a glare from Alastor shut them up. Once things were calm and in order, Alastor had teleported up to join them.
“Are you alright, my dears?” he was asking.
“I-I’m fine, thanks to Dad,” Charlie said, looking a bit shaken.
“If I hadn't looked when I did….” Lucifer didn’t finish that sentence, didn’t want to finish that thought. “Al…you saw the weapon on the first guy, but not the other one?”
“Limited range…,” Alastor sighed. “I only saw the first one when I got within ten feet of him. I wonder if the granted level of power is a factor.”
“We’ll have to test that,” Lucifer concluded. “Maybe have my siblings come down to help test and assess your new capabilities.” Michael and Raphael would probably be the best ones to assist with that.
“A good idea,” Alastor agreed as he toyed with the two knives he had confiscated. “Until then, we should shore up our defenses against future occurrences. Perhaps a ward that detects and prevents entry to those carrying magical items?”
“I’ll have to do some research on that, but that should work,” Lucifer agreed. “We’ll have to ensure there is an ‘exception’ list, however.”
“Yeah, I think Vaggie would get annoyed if it's constantly going off due to her spear,” Charlie remarked, then her face turned sad. “Though…why did they…do this?”
“Could be any number of reasons, darling,” Alastor replied with a sigh. “Though my impression is that this was simply done out of opportunity. The loudmouth one felt like an older soul…possibly from a time when a monarchy was…eliminated.”
“Like the Russian Revolution?” Lucifer queried.
“Possibly! I do recall that being big news when I was alive last.”
“Still…it’s sad that…people wanted to hurt me,” Charlie sighed. “I just…want to help people become better.”
“Not everyone can be helped, Charlie,” Alastor said bluntly.
“I…don’t believe that,” Charlie sighed before heading for the stairs. “I going to help Vaggie at the check-in counter, if we can get the line processed quickly we should prevent any more incidents.”
“’Good idea, Char-Char,” Lucifer told her encouragingly.
“Reality is going to her hard,” Alastor muttered with a sighonce she was out of earshot.
“Yeah…,” Lucifer agreed.
Lucifer knew from his own attempts long ago, that people won’t be helped if they don’t want it in the first place….