* I kept getting a handful of this website's error messages throughout this whole editing process. If you find any errors. I apologize.

Weight

The Hotel currently didn't have any set schedule, other than game nights and movie nights. Everything else was often left up in the air. Breakfast could be anywhere between eight and ten, lunch was almost always at noon or one, and dinner could happen anywhere between four and nine. Charlie eventually wanted to get a structure of some sort for mealtimes, but hadn't found common ground yet given how erratic everyone else's schedules could be. Tonight, dinner was to be at around six, which was in less than ten minutes.

Plenty of time, Alastor figured.

He wasn't one for hunting. He also wasn't one to go out of his way to childishly mock anyone. But he also couldn't pass up an opportunity to witness misery unfolding.

Especially the misery of this particular individual.

He would save her for last. He'd find her, deliver a quick sarcastic comment, a bit of sass, and then leave her to stew in her fury and anguish as he turned on his heel to attend dinner. He might even whistle a merry tune as he did so just to further get on her nerves. Yes, all of that could happen in under five minutes if he was efficient enough, allowing him to attend dinner with the Hotel's sinners, and his darling Charlie, on time.

As he casually searched the halls, he was admittedly looking forward to doing this. It'd been many months since he'd basked in someone else's despair. And while he absolutely couldn't wait to finally do something mischievous, something…felt heavy in his chest.

Or was it constrictive? He wasn't quite sure. It wasn't necessarily a sense of dread, but it did hold weight to it for some odd reason.

Alastor rolled his eyes at himself. Whatever the reason might be, he could definitely ignore it if it meant a small dose of entertainment.

Husk appeared around the next corner. "Dinner ready yet," he asked.

"Yes. Pizza tonight."

Husk simply nodded at that as he walked passed. "Nice."

"By the way," Alastor said, making Husk stop. "I don't suppose you've seen Vaggie around?"

He frowned at him. "The hell do you want with her?"

"To let her know dinner is ready, of course!"

Husk flexed his jaw, staring at him suspiciously. "…What the fuck are you planning?"

Alastor laughed. "I just told you, didn't I?"

He shook his head at Alastor, not liking the extra arrogance in that damned smile of his. But he was also unable to disobey. He knew that Alastor wasn't going to do anything harmful, and that he probably truly was just going to let her know dinner was ready, but something still didn't sit right with him.

He sighed. "Saw her heading for the foyer it looked like."

Alastor's smile didn't falter. "Wonderful."

Before getting out of ear shot, he heard Husk hollering, "Don't do anything stupid, you jackass!"

Alastor could've easily retorted to that, but his words caught in his throat. The weight returned, as if to remind him of something. But of what? Alastor scowled at this feeling, and he willed it to go away by the time he got to the entryway of the Hotel. Thankfully, it did, and he was now able to rehearse inside his head any little quip that he deemed appropriate for Vaggie's heartbreaking situation, and then leave her to stew. Quick and professional.

Alastor found Vaggie right next to the front doors, curled up against the wall with her face buried in her arms.

He cleared his throat intrusively. "Dinner is ready," he exclaimed cheerfully, which garnered no reaction from her. "More than enough for everyone. Won't you join us?"

"No," Vaggie muffled against her arms.

His knowing smirk was unwavering. "Oh? And why's that?"

Vaggie finally snapped her gaze to him. Her lips were pulled back in a snarl, and her eye was wet and rimmed red. "Fuck. Off. You heartless asshole."

He clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Now, now. No need for language. I was simply wondering if you desired any pizza. But I can see you're far too busy in your self-pity –"

"Oh, look at that," Vaggie sneered at him. "The composed Radio Demon actually wants to gloat for once. What the fuck do you want from me?"

He tilted his head. "You think I'm gloating? How simple of a conclusion."

Vaggie continued to glare. "What-"

"Let me guess," Alastor continued. "You think I'm here to flaunt my newfound relationship with Charlie, hmm?" He paused to laugh. "Oh, no, no, no. Nothing good would come of doing that, and nor is it warranted." His smirk darkened. "I simply wish to have a front row seat to your misery. Of course, I don't have to tell you that. You know how I am."

Vaggie didn't leave her position on the floor, but she was visibly trembling from sheer rage by this point. "Fuck…you!"

Alastor snickered under his breath and shook his head. He had successfully gotten a rise out of her and had made her feel utterly exasperated. That was enough, he supposed. No need to overdo it.

He grinned down at her. "I don't see a smile on your face."

That little remark was meant to be the icing on the cake, as well as to try and ignore the mysterious weight that had returned. It was growing heavier and heavier with every passing minute.

With a fierce snarl, Vaggie snatched her backpack off the floor, reeled her arm back to throw it at him full force, and…

She let the pack slip from her fingers, until it plopped down beside her. The sigh she emitted wasn't tired or even exasperated. While it was sad, it sounded more resigned than anything else. "Haven't done a whole lot of smiling lately, anyway," she mumbled. "Of course…I don't have to tell you that."

The mocking edge in her voice kindly reminded him that this little exchange between them had gone on long enough, and that it was now time to take his leave.

"Dinner is ready," he reminded as he began turning away. "I'm sure Charlie will save you a plate."

"Don't bother."

Without looking back, he said, "Charlie will miss you. We'll make sure there are leftovers at the very least."

"You really didn't come here to gloat, did you?"

At how deadpanned her voice sounded, Alastor stopped, raised a brow, and turned to face her. Vaggie wasn't sneering, glaring, or even frowning. In fact, her face held very little emotion. She was looking at him with the most neutral expression he'd ever seen from her.

The arrogant smirk didn't leave his face as he genuinely nodded. "I have no reason to gloat. Especially to the likes of you."

Vaggie snorted harshly. "So…Just some lovely, invigorating schadenfreude to pass the time, huh?"

Alastor laughed so heartily he almost tossed his head back. "Ah, you and your defensive wit!" He casually straightened his suit with a proud smirk. "I am here in this hotel to enjoy some entertainment, no?"

Vaggie rolled her eye, curling her knees tighter to her chest. "Yeah, well, now you're getting it, I guess," she muttered.

"You wanted entertainment. Now you're getting it!" Charlie's agonizing words from after their shopping trip rang loudly in his head.

The weight in his chest slammed into him like a derailing freight train. He had to straighten himself up against the force of it, his spine going rigid. His hands began to tremble, and he immediately folded them behind his back in the most casual gesture he could muster. Whatever the hell this was, he forced himself not to let it show. His smile and even his body had become completely still, unwavering as he stared at Vaggie as if nothing was affecting him.

Vaggie's brows scrunched as she observed him, trying to make sense of his tense stature and expression. Then, she shook her head. She was too drained to overanalyze this son of a bitch. And besides, he wasn't going to be her problem anymore.

None of it would be.

As Alastor's breathing finally evened out, he was able to calm himself ever so slightly. It helped that Vaggie hadn't seemed to catch on to his strange predicament. Desperate to compose himself even more, and to not appear weak in front of the infuriating woman, his eyes fell on her backpack. "Going hiking, I see," he asked, hoping to whatever gods there were that his voice didn't sound strained.

Vaggie shook her head at him. "I'm leaving."

Finally, the last of the weight dissipated as her words sunk in to his muddled mind. Had he heard her correctly?

When he didn't say anything, Vaggie exhaled. "I-I'm done. I told Charlie it'd be too painful for me to stick around, too painful for the both of us…" Vaggie squeezed her eyes shut as her voice dropped to a whisper. "Looks like it's only painful for me."

"And you think that Charlie won't miss you," he asked.

Vaggie shook her head. "Of course she'll miss me. I know I'll miss her. I just… gotta figure out where I'm gonna go first, so I can tell Charlie."

"That raises more questions than answers," Alastor said sarcastically. "Tell Charlie what?"

"So I can tell her where I'm going." At Alastor's perplexed expression, she rolled her eye. "She's worried that I won't be safe wherever I go. And, yeah, I suppose I get that. If the roles were reversed, I'd wanna know where she's going."

"Even though you're no longer romantically involved?"

For a split second, Vaggie thought he was mocking her, and she opened her mouth to bite back a reply. Only, after seeing his curious grin, she realized she didn't see any mockery in his eyes. "That doesn't matter," Vaggie replied after a moment. "Charlie and I aren't together anymore, but that doesn't mean we won't ever stop caring about each other. I…" She swallowed harshly. "Am I pissed about how everything went? Oh, fuck yeah. Especially when it comes to you! But if I leave without her knowing it, she'll find a way to blame it on herself."

"Yes," he muttered. "That does sound like her."

"I don't want her following me or trying to convince me to stay. She's tried that already and it won't work. But she at least needs to know that I'll be alright. She…She deserves that much."

At seeing Vaggie curl in on herself, Alastor couldn't help but say what was obvious. "You still love her."

Vaggie sniffled. "So much that it fucking hurts." She glared down at her backpack. "And I don't even know where the fuck to go. I…I told her that I might have some friends that would take me in, but that was a load of shit. Charlie was the first and only person I became friends with when I arrived in Hell…" Vaggie said a few other things, but he tuned her out.

He stood there, staring at her with his signature grin, wracking his brain and trying to figure out why he was no longer entertained by this situation. If this were Charlie in front of him, the reason would be obvious and he would be doing everything in his power to soothe and comfort her.

However, this wasn't her. This was Vaggie, a demon who had gotten on his nerves on and off ever since he arrived at the Hotel. He definitely didn't view her as a threat by any stretch of the definition. And he genuinely wasn't here to gloat either. He thought it would've been fun to goad her for a few minutes, and it had been. But now…Something's changed.

This wasn't a random demon off the street. This wasn't a new resident of the Hotel. This wasn't one of his indebted subjects that he could command and torment.

This was Charlie's ex-lover. More specifically, this was someone that Charlie held value in, even if he himself did not. And even though Charlie and Vaggie were no longer lovers, that didn't mean they didn't care about each other any less. This was someone that Charlie cared about, just like how she cared about this hotel.

He…

…This was a mistake.

He made a mistake.

Oh! But he definitely couldn't let that show! Not in front of Vaggie.

"Well, then," Alastor exclaimed jovially, making Vaggie cringe irately. "How lucky you are to know me! I have plenty of friends! Well. Not friends. That's too strong of a word." Imitating sleight of hand for showmanship purposes, he conjured a business card and handed it to Vaggie. "Acquaintances would be a more appropriate term. And this is one of them."

Vaggie took the card, and scowled as she read it. "I don't get along with anyone on a good day…And you think I'd get along with an overlord?"

Alastor ignored her sarcasm. "Mention my name to her and she'll more than likely give you temporary quarters. Although, she may make you work for it in the meantime. She runs a tight ship and won't tolerate slacking off or sleeping on the job."

"Screw you," Vaggie muttered.

From somewhere in the Hotel, one of the many clocks chimed. "Well, I'm afraid I've been absent for too long. Dinner sounds lovely right about now. Do enjoy your little trip, Vaggie dear." He turned around and walked away.

He didn't see Vaggie jumping to her feet. In a couple quick strides, she very unexpectedly cut off his path.

His smile widened in astonishment, both impressed and now thoroughly irritated by her brazenness.

"I'm gonna say this once," she began slowly. "So you better listen." She knew she didn't look menacing in the slightest as she raised herself onto her tiptoes to be at eye level with him, but she couldn't back down from this. Not for a second.

Through clenched, bared teeth, she spoke. "I will kill you…if you hurt her. So don't fuck up."

Alastor's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I don't take kindly to threats."

As best as she could, Vaggie ignored the harsh radio static that began buzzing warningly in the air around her. "I don't take kindly to my love life being ruined."

"And you attribute that to me?"

There was the slightest of pauses on Vaggie's end. "No," she admitted bitterly. "Not completely. But you can't deny you've had one hell of an influence on her from the very beginning. So…Did you hear what I said?"

Alastor scoffed under his breath and shook his head at her. "I don't need to explain-"

"Oh, was that threat not specific enough for you," Vaggie interrupted. "How about this? I'll get creative. If you hurt her, in any way, I will shove your microphone so far up your ass you'll be choking on your own radio static." Vaggie was inches from his face. "Did you fucking hear me that time?"

Alastor's radio static drastically rose in volume, so much so that Vaggie had no choice but to cringe against the horrible sound. Then, quite suddenly, it stopped, being replaced by something far louder.

Alastor's laughter echoed off the walls of the foyer. He had his hand against his forehead, trying and failing to contain his hysteria. Vaggie tilted her head back with a baffled grimace. She had just threatened the Radio Demon in the most detailed of descriptions…And he was laughing at her.

Well, not laughing at her, per se. It was almost as if he was laughing at the situation as a whole. Either or, it still got on her nerves like nothing else.

After many seconds – or it could've been minutes – Alastor began wiping at the corners of his eyes. "Now that," he exclaimed, shoulders still shaking with mirth. "That…was quite entertaining! Goodness me, no one has ever dared to threaten me in such a manner!"

Vaggie glared at him. "Good. So you did hear me that time."

"Oh, loud in clear," he said, shaking his head as he finally composed himself.

"Good," she repeated as she walked away to pick her backpack up off the floor.

"You have my word," she heard him say. The gentle tone in his voice made her look up from dusting off her pack. He was looking at her with a neutral smile, no longer any hints of mockery or belittling.

"Well, then," he said as he turned around in the direction of the kitchen. "I'm afraid you've made me late. As I said, we'll set some pizza aside for you."

Vaggie opened her mouth to ask why. He knew she was leaving, and on top of it all, he didn't like her. Why the hell would he bother saving any food for her?

Her mind rapidly flipped through the interaction she'd just had with Alastor in this foyer. All of his arrogance, all of his odd, indecipherable mood swings, and constantly bringing up Charlie…

Eventually, her eyes widened.

"You don't just care about her," Vaggie's voice was a whisper, and she didn't even know if he could hear her with how far down the hall he was. "…You love her."

Alastor's footsteps stopped.

He was too far away for Vaggie to decipher any reaction, and his back was to her so she also couldn't see any facial expression.

Vaggie exhaled. "Okay, then," she said…in a strangely neutral tone. She shook her head, not wanting to think any more of it, not having any more emotional energy left. But what was surprising was that…she didn't feel anything. And she didn't know if that was worse. She didn't know why it would be worse.

To distract herself, she changed the subject. "Look, before I leave, I gotta know, and it's something that I've wanted to know since day one, especially now that you and Charlie are dating." She paused. "What were you originally planning for the Hotel? I mean, come on. Sheer, absolute boredom? That's all? You…can't convince me that you didn't have an ulterior motive."

She saw Alastor tilt his head ever so slightly. Then, without looking back, he resumed walking towards the kitchen without a word.

Not even his radio static was audible.

That was enough of an answer for Vaggie.