ingredients: demons, graphic torture
notes: this is technically both stand-alone and a prelude. and heed the ingredients, yo.
Decisions, decisions.
Alfred purses his lips as he walks around his suspended captive, ragged breaths and soft whimpers escaping it, filling up the chamber, as he contemplates. He comes to stand behind the demon he's strung up, surveying its state.
The demon's back is flayed wide open, greenish-brown skin curling back to reveal a yellow rib cage and deep blue flesh. Though he gets the nagging feeling that something's still not quite right there, he moves on and, through the gaping hole in the demon's midsection, Alfred can see his pup's three sets of ice blue eyes watching him obediently.
"Good girl, Naomi; you're such a good girl,aren't you?" Al coos to the puppy impulsively, bending to peek through the jagged wound fully, his own sharpened canines gleaming as he smiles. Her three black heads bark excitedly in response but otherwise Naomi stays still, where she is commanded to be.
Some of the thick blue meat of the demon's thighs hang in strips from Naomi's mouths, shredded first by Alfred's talons. The pieces of thigh that are still attached to the demon ooze black blood, lay bare more yellow bone. Alfred makes his way all the way back to the front of the demon, his thin, leathery, blonde tail twitching leisurely.
"Oh well, whatever," Al says with a shrug, reaching his hand into the demon's open torso. He rips away an oblong organ, only to be met by a quiet, defeated whine rather than the high-pitched squeal he'd been expecting.
"Aw man, come on; don't tell me you're all out of steam already," Al groans, tossing the organ distractedly over his shoulder. Naomi's middle head catches it in a single swallow, disappointing the other two heads. "You had the guts to insult me to my face, I thought you'd be more fun!"
Wordless noises bubble up from the savaged chasm where the other demon's mouth used to be. Ripping away those disgusting, envious lips was the first thing Alfred had decided on.
"Speak up, 'kay? Can't hear you too well from up there," Al teases playfully, curling his arm up inside of the demon's chest, talons slicing flesh as he explores. His tone as he speaks is casual, tinged with the drawl of a Southern American accent. "Gotta admit, though, you're the first Envy that's come at me in a while. Just couldn't help yourself, could you?"
The pointed tips of Al's ears twitch when, instead of another wet gurgle, he hears the soft call of his name from the doorway of his chamber. He whips toward the sound immediately, arm bluntly carving through the other demon as he turns.
"Matty, hey!" he greets, his previously mocking grin softening into something more cordial and charming.
"Having fun without me, eh?" Matthew says as he steps inside of the rank chamber, looking over Alfred and the gore with a mild, pleased smile. Scenes like this never fail to brighten his day.
"Not really. This," Al starts bitterly, not sparing a glance back as he reaches behind himself to take hold of the Envy demon again, "is because he called me ugly."
Alfred tears off a handful of muscle, his glamour rippling with the intensity of his disgust. Momentarily, his true, grotesque, form shines through as kneels, beckoning Naomi over to eat the scrap from his hand.
This makes Matthew smile wider, slitted violet eyes bright with amusement, as he watches Naomi clean the blood from her master's hands and arms. Matt finds that Alfred is especially beautiful when he's full of conceited rage, displaying the trait Matthew loves best.
It's part of the reason Matt keeps him around.
"Al, I'm going topside," he says abruptly, turning on his heel. His tail, as blonde as his hair and pointed at the tip, swishes behind him as he strides away. "Come on and I'll buy you a burger."
"Hey, wait up!" Al exclaims, springing up from the floor. Mid-sprint, Alfred pauses, turning back to the mangled, sniveling demon hanging from his ceiling. "Damn, almost forgot."
He snaps his fingers and points at it.
"Naomi, eat!"
extra notes: Naomi means pleasantness, which I think is an ironic name for a three-headed hellhound.
libera te tutemet (ex inferis) - save yourself (from hell)