It had been a week since Alastor had invited the prostitute to his radio tower, and Alastor could still hear the tender notes of his voice. Angel Dust was wasted as a porn star with a voice like that. He'd sung a lullaby he claimed he knew from his time with the living, but he hadn't gotten any more specific than that. Alastor had been so stunned he hadn't applauded, hadn't said anything. Just let the demon out of the booth when he was done and neither had mentioned it again. Alastor instead spent the ride down the elevator distracting himself and Angel Dust by spouting off random facts about the radio tower and then after returning to the hotel Angel left Alastor to his own devices.

Alastor had gotten busy running the hotel and checking in on developing schemes and hadn't seen the porn star much since. He left a meeting with the other overlords of Hell and was walking the streets after dark, humming what he remembered of that lullaby when he caught sight of Angel Dust sitting on the street just outside an alley.

"Why, hello my effeminate fellow!" Alastor popped up next to Angel from the shadows.

"AH! Oh Hell, what the fuck was that for? You asshole!" Angel sputtered.

Alastor chuckled. "Hello to you, too."

"Why da fuck are you here?" Angel demanded. Angel looked sweaty, and yet he was also shivering.

"Mm, had a little errand to run. What are you doing out here on a dirty curb?" Alastor held out a hand, and Angel let him help him up. They started walking towards the hotel.

"Valentino had me… on a little errand," Angel said, echoing Alastor. Likely the prostitution part of being a prostitute, if Alastor had to guess. "And then afterwards, I had ta get away from it all." Angel shrunk down into his jacket. "Maybe you should head back ta the hotel alone. Wouldn't wanna hurt your reputation after all, hangin' out with a prostitute an' a junkie."

Alastor frowned. It was worse that he was hanging out with a pretty powerless demon more than the prostitution part or the junkie part or anything else. Some of the finest demons Alastor hung out with were in the cannibal crowd, after all. But it wasn't the fact that Angel called attention to it that bothered him. With Angel's excellent acting, and that stunning voice, why should he care what other demons thought of Alastor's reputation?

"My fine effeminate fellow, I am surprised to hear such concern from you. While I'm truly touched by it, you need not worry. My reputation for murder and violence of the highest degree won't be troubled at all by your companionship, and should I be wrong on that account, well– it would take one simple radio broadcast to fix all that." Alastor's eyes glowed green for a sparking moment, his antlers extended out, and his limbs lengthened. Then he blinked back into his normal form. "Besides, you are an actor, are you not? You understand the power in how one presents oneself. Hold your head up high when you walk with me, please. When you demand respect, others will show it."

Alastor used his cane to lift up Angel's chin.

"But– I'm high. Like right now, I'm high," Angel said.

"I do not care if half your body weight is in drugs, or if you've had a hard shift at the studio. You will demand respect. You represent the hotel, and more than that, you represent Charlie's dream. Even when you're doing something she'd disapprove of, you must remember that, my friend," Alastor said. Emotional blackmail.

Angel straightened up, lifted his chin even higher. Alastor's smirk grew wider. That was the reaction he wanted. And it suited the demon more.

—-

Angel met up with Charlie, Vaggie, Sir Pentious, Niffty, and Husk in the lobby for the next goody-two-shoes exercise.

"Angel! Glad you could make it tonight," Charlie said, a big grin spread across those rosy cheeks of hers.

Angel caught sight of the Radio Demon crossing the entryway to exit the hotel behind him. "Hey, Smiles! Do you deign ta sit in with us lowly peasants this evening?"

The Radio Demon paused and turned towards them. "Aha-ha-ha-ha, very funny," he said.

"Not joking," Angel said. "C'mon, what's da worst thing that could happen?"

"Did your drug-addled brain forget that I don't believe in redemption of any sorts at all, and that I get the highest form of entertainment from watching you fools struggle in vain?"

'Drug-addled' was a low blow, and Angel's face darkened.

In response, the Radio Demon's eyebrows drew together and on anybody else, Angel would call it a guilty look. But serial killers don't do guilt, and overlords definitely don't.

"I didn't forget," Angel snapped. He took a breath. "Look, if you're here to entertain yourself with our failures, why not take a front row seat?"

The Radio Demon gave Angel a measured look. It was hard to tell what he was thinking under that ever-present smile.

"I suppose I could watch, but that's all," he said eventually.

Angel gestured to the area where Charlie and Vaggie had set up a small stage. "Great! After you, yer Highness."

"You're joining us? Really?" Charlie enthused. "Ohmyhells thankyouthankyouthankyou!" She wrapped around the Radio Demon's chest in a hug.

Angel felt a pang of something in his chest. Oh no. Was he jealous that Charlie could hug the Radio Demon and he'd tolerated it? Oh no no no no no. This was not happening. If anybody's chest was desirable, it was Angel Dust's very fluffy, very comfortable chest that should be envied by all. He must just be upset that Charlie was doting on the Radio Demon when it was Angel who'd gotten the motherfucker to hang around for the exercise.

"Sssssso, what are we doing tonight?" Sir Pentious asked.

"Well, I just thought that it's been awhile since we did trust exercises and maybe we could give them another try? Remember, the point is to say something open and vulnerable, and then trust the rest of the group to catch you. Who would like to go first?"

"Ooh, I'll go! Pick me," Sir Pentious said.

"Absolutely! Thank you for volunteering, Sir Pentious," Charlie said.

Sir Pentious got up on the platform and everyone gathered around him. Except the Radio Demon, who hung back and leaned against an armchair. "Um, I–I can't sleep at night all by myself. I need my egg bois around to sleep at night," Sir Pentious admitted.

"Wooh hoo! Good job, Sir Pentious!" Charlie said. "Okay, it's time to take your fall now."

Sir Pentious fell with a whoosh and was caught mostly by the arms of Charlie and Vaggie. "Okay," Charlie said, "who's up next? Husk?"

"Nope, I ain't doing this shit," Husk said.

"Uhhh okay, I guess we'll circle back around to you. Angel?" she asked hopefully.

Last time, Angel had made fun of this whole thing. He'd said something flippant about sucking dicks, and didn't take the redemption thing too serious at all. But with the Radio Demon watching, he felt like he had something to prove. "Yeah, I'll take the stage. I was born for it," he smirked.

Vaggie rolled her eyes like she was ready for round two of dick comments. Angel couldn't fault her for it.

Angel held his head high as he walked up onto the platform. The Radio Demon said he should have some pride, right? He stared down the Radio Demon directly in the eyes as he spoke. "Some of you already know peppermint tea is my favorite. What you don't know is that when I was alive, my family was very poor when I was young. Around the holidays every year my ma would make me peppermint tea and we'd stir it with little candy canes until it was cool enough ta drink. Peppermint tea reminds me of her. So yeah, that's why it's my favorite."

Nobody cheered. Angel closed his eyes and fell back. Reassuringly, hands caught him. When he opened his eyes everybody was staring at him. Angel got back on his feet. "What, is there somethin' on my face?" he demanded.

"No!" Charlie said. "Um, I think I'm just surprised. You did well, Angel. Very well."

"I guess I might've been wrong about you. Maybe you aren't here for the free rent after all," Vaggie teased.

Angel's bravery was gone and it had been replaced by embarrassment. "Of course I'm not here for the free rent," he said, "I could have that anyplace I wanted. I'm here for my beauty sleep– anywhere else and somebody would be keeping me up all night long." He winked at Vaggie and was satisfied with her 'uggggh' in response.

The Radio Demon's smile was placid, and unreadable to Angel. Whatever. He didn't know why he'd suddenly cared that the overlord see what they were doing. The Radio Demon might play hotelier, but everyone here knew Charlie was the one in charge of the hotel.

When the Radio Demon caught Angel's eyes, he gave a little nod of respect. Surprised, Angel gave a short nod back.

They might be fools, but they weren't going to be laughed at tonight.

"Okay," Charlie said after she and Vaggie had taken their turns, "it's time for part two of our exercise tonight, and this one might be a bit tougher." Charlie led them just outside the hotel. "We are going to do a random act of kindness for a stranger. One good deed. Who wants to go first?"

They were going to get laughed at tonight.

Sir Pentious tried. He really did. He tried to give a compliment to random passersby and got flipped the bird by one demon, ignored by another, and the last demon straight up dumped her coffee on him.

"Okay," Charlie sighed, "that wasn't the most successful attempt, but it was very courageous, Sir Pentious, and I can tell you did your best. Angel? You're up."

So Angel did what Angel does best. "Well hello, gorgeous," he told a fox demon passing by. "Want me ta suck ya dick for free?"

Vaggie facepalmed while Charlie said, "Nonononono! Angel, uh, that's not exactly considered a good deed."

"I think we should let him be the judge if I'm good," Angel said, but the fox demon was already walking away. "Yer loss, buddy!" he yelled after the demon.

The Radio Demon chuckled from behind them. Shit. Angel had failed his attempt at dignity tonight. At getting the Radio Demon to respect their exercises even a little bit.

"Well, at least we made some progress tonight with the trust exercise," Charlie said, all sunflowers and rainbows. "But uh, maybe we'll give it a rest here and try some other time. Goodnight, everyone!" She and Vaggie left to go back inside the hotel and clean Sir Pentious off.

Angel stared at the Radio Demon. The Radio Demon stared back with a gleeful look on his face.

"Well, your failures were most entertaining," the Radio Demon said. "Aren't you glad you invited me to tag along for these exercises?"

"Shut up."

—-

Angel Dust was walking towards the studio at dusk, trotting up a long hallway lined with boring offices. There were always a couple people waiting in chairs outside the offices. Sometimes it was people waiting to get paid for a job, sometimes it was actual businesspeople, and sometimes it was someone applying for a position. Angel never paid any mind to the small folks– he was the infamous Angel Dust after all, and here at the studio he was at both his strongest and weakest at once.

But he paused in the hallway this time because of a girl sitting outside Valentino's office. Angel's breath caught in a way that was anything but sexual.

She looked like Molly.

She was small, around the age of twelve. That was when Angel'd seen his sister last before he died. Her fluffy, platinum blond hair was pulled back into a headband. Upon closer inspection, her face was too angular for Molly's rounded cheeks, and her forehead was too large. It wasn't her.

He let out a sigh of relief. He'd never bothered to look for his sister or any of his brothers while he was in Hell. At first it was because he was trying so hard to just survive Hell, and then later on it was because he wanted to separate his old life from his new one, separate Anthony from Angel Dust. But he'd always privately worried she was down here somewhere in Hell.

It was an unrealistic worry. If anyone deserved heaven, it would be Molly. Angel & his brothers had always done everything they could to protect Molly from the gang life, and she'd had nothing but love for her brothers in her whole body down to her pinky toe.

So no, this girl wasn't Molly. And unlike Molly, she was sporting antelope horns from her head in front of her headband. But she looked like her, and Angel Dust felt a pang.

He dropped into the seat next to her. She was so young to be in Hell. Hellborn demon kids wouldn't be anywhere near Valentino's lair, so she had to be a human-born demon like him, but damn it was rare to see a kid in Hell.

"What's a kid like you doin' in a place like this?" Angel asked her.

She turned to look at him. "You're that star from the billboard outside, aren't you? Angel Dust?"

"Guilty as charged," he winked.

"Well, I'm here to get rich and famous too."

Angel's stomach dropped. "You're here ta be a… porn star?"

"Yeah."

Fuck Valentino to the bottom of Hell and back. "So you're here to sign a contract then?"

"Yeah. Valentino promised I'd be a natural here."

Angel leaned in towards her, voice low. "He's a goddamn liar, ya know. He's got over a hundred whores workin' for 'im, and most of them are talentless losers. You sign a contract, you lose everything. You don't want to sign that contract, I promise you. I wish I'd neva signed it in the first place."

She turned her chin up at him. "I need the money."

"How much? I'll cover it," Angel insisted.

"It's not just for me." She looked down, and then met his eyes. "I have a younger brother. And we've got rent to pay."

Damn. "How old?"

"He was nine when we got here. I was twelve. Now he's eleven, and I'm fourteen." Ah, Angel forgot human-born demons stopped aging at their time of death. So a six hundred year old demon could be trapped in a twelve year old body forever.

Still, fourteen was way too young to be snatched up by the likes of Valentino. "Hey, I know of a hotel that will take ya in for free. Supposed ta help sinners go ta heaven." He could picture Charlie's face lighting up and her latching onto this girl.

"To be clear, I've just met you, and you're inviting me to your hotel?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "That's sketchy as fuck."

"But you can't contract under Valentino," Angel insisted. He stood up and sighed. "You really want a job here, kid?"

She nodded, her eyes steely, and this time he saw himself in those eyes. Young. Stupid. Trying to protect her younger sibling. She wasn't Molly. She was made of Anthony.

"Alright. You want a job? You got a job. Follow me." He clopped into the studio and she followed him. It was buzzing with activity. Angel made a beeline towards the lead camera operator.

"Hey, Ant," Angel said, "remember that favor you owe me?"

The aptly named demon had two ant antennae. His full name was Anthony, funny enough, just like Angel's old human name. However, Angel Dust had never been nicknamed Ant in his human life. Unlike this Anthony, who must've hated the nickname a lot in order to be sporting an insect demon form in death. "What do you want, Angel?" he asked.

"Take this girl here as yer apprentice," Angel said, jerking a thumb to the girl.

"Don't need one. Pick a different favor."

So on to strategy #2: blackmail. There's a reason he and the Radio Demon got on together better than they should based on appearances. "Gee, that's too bad. I guess the missus is gonna know we slept together…"

Because yeah, he'd tapped that. Once.

Ant sighed. "Stay by my side and keep your mouth shut. You see this lever here? We can change the angle of the camera by shifting it. What's your name?"

"Maggie, sir." She stepped up next to Ant, eyes fixated on the camera in his hands.

Angel Dust left and headed over to wardrobe and makeup. Better to be behind the camera than in front of it, Angel could attest to that. If she was going to be in the porn industry, that was the safest she could be. Angel wondered if Charlie would consider what he did a good deed or if she'd just be disappointed he couldn't convince her to seek the safety of the hotel.

He wondered if he'd get a nod of approval from the Radio Demon.

Probably not worth mentioning, though. Angel needed to stop thinking about the girl and get into character. He had a busy night ahead of him.

—-

After working a night, Angel Dust had a tendency to sleep in. Alastor had replaced the carpet in one of the rooms on the fourth floor after Niffty flooded it and was exiting the room around 3 o' clock when Angel Dust finally arose.

"Oh hey… what brings you here, handsome?" Angel teased.

"Plumbing issues, my good fellow." Alastor smiled.

"Mm. Sounds fun. Like everything around here," Angel sighed. "Bars are dead until nightfall, Cherri Bomb's off blowin' stuff up, and Husk won't open up his bar until six. What's a beauty like me s'posed to do until then?"

It wouldn't do to have their residents complaining, single digits though they may be. Besides, he and Angel had developed a camaraderie after he'd helped Alastor out with the radio tower and everything else, he could admit that much. "Would you like to join me and an associate for afternoon tea?" he asked.

Angel gave him a once over. "How much caffeine do you drink?" he asked dryly.

Alastor chuckled. "I don't take afternoon tea time every day, but I do enjoy it as an occasional outing. Besides, the tea cakes are quite delicious. If you're busy, though-"

"I'm very obviously not." Angel frowned. "Your friend's not going to, like, murder me right?"

Alastor laughed harder. "Haha! No. I'm afraid you're not quite to her tastes."

"Honey, I'm everybody's taste. They can't get enough of all this," Angel fluffed up his chest.

"Ha! You better hope you're wrong here, my effeminate fellow." Alastor smiled. He gestured to the elevator. "Let's be on our way then." Oh, this was going to be fun.

Alastor and Angel started walking along the streets of Hell side by side. Alastor noted with satisfaction that Angel Dust was holding himself fully upright next to him. Excellent, no more of that self-deprecating squirming. Angel even winked at a demon that was openly staring at the unusual pair.

Well, if they took a few more walks together like this, perhaps they'd no longer be considered unusual. Surprisingly, Alastor didn't mind the thought. There was something steely under all that white fluff.

And, entertainingly, Alastor was about to test just how much steel the porn star had. He hummed happily to himself.

When the streetlamps started changing styles from brick to Victorian with those cute little curls at the tips, Angel raised an eyebrow.

When the architecture started looking more pink and upscale clown circus (Alastor loved Cannibal Town dearly but he did disagree with some of their… aesthetic qualities), Angel Dust raised both eyebrows and turned to look at Al.

"Did you bring me ta Cannibal Town?" he snapped.

"Oh! Whoopsie me, did I forget to mention that my associate we're having tea with is the Overlord of Cannibal Town?" Al asked.

Angel's hair flattened and the pink spots under his eyes paled. "The what now?"

Alastor laughed heartily.

"Smiles, c'mon, I'm gonna get eaten alive there!"

"Still hope you're to her tastes?" he teased, and laughed harder.

Angel blushed. "Cut it out, man! I am too cute ta survive here, and I'd rather like ta keep all eight a my limbs here."

Alastor forced himself to breathe. "Oh, don't worry, my friend. Its reputation is fiercer than its citizens, and as long as they know you're with me you'll be fine. Just be sure to avoid Susan."

Ugh. Susan.

"I… don't know who that is."

"You'll know her when you see her." Alastor enjoyed watching Angel Dust's face wrinkle into a what-the-fuck expression, and chuckled.

Alastor led Angel Dust into the heart of Cannibal Town and found his favorite fellow overlord chatting up some of the other ladies. "Pardon me, ladies," Rosie excused herself from the others and walked into Alastor's arms. "Alastor! Thanks very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule for teatime with a doll like me."

Al smiled warmly at her. "I always enjoy our chats. But pardon me, let me introduce my guest today. Rosie, this is Angel Dust, infamous entertainer of Hell. Angel Dust, this is Rosie, overlord of all Cannibal Town."

Angel's mouth fell open. Alastor held his mirth on the inside, and closed Angel's mouth for him.

"Enchanted to meet you, Angel Dust. Enchanted," Rosie said, smiling at him.

"Beggin' ya pardon, miss," Angel Dust said. Alastor shook a little bit from the effort of not laughing out loud. Angel sounded like an orphan from Newsies (Alastor enjoyed the occasional play, yes he knew what that was).

"Come, come, you simply must join Alastor and I for tea. Oh, Alastor, it's been so long since you've brought a friend with you," Rosie said, taking both of their arms (Angel flinched a little bit before letting her take his arm) and leading them to a table set out for tea underneath a large pink parasol. Alastor's eartips turned red at her casual phrasing, and with a sly side glance he noticed Angel's cheeks were pink, too. It was one thing for Al to casually call Angel Dust his friend as a way of referring to him, and markedly different when Rosie said it.

"What will you have, darling?" Rosie asked.

"Peppermint tea, if that's… alright?" Angel asked.

"Of course, dear," Rosie said. "And Earl Grey for you, Alastor?"

Al inclined his head.

"Perfect. Now that we've got that cleared out of the way, I must know more about how you two met each other. Was it at that darling hotel of yours, Alastor?"

Al and Angel Dust took turns answering questions, and then Rosie was spilling the mundane yet entertaining stories of the guests at her emporium for the week. Tea was served and drank; teacakes were consumed in equal measure. To Angel's credit, he didn't even impolitely ask if there was anything cannibal about the snacks, just thanked Rosie for her generosity.

"Err, sorry, is there a bathroom around her I could borrow?" Angel asked eventually.

"Oh sure dear, just around the corner from my emporium, and next to the gazebo." Rosie answered. Angel excused himself and left, and Rosie leaned forward on the table with her elbows. "Now, Alastor," she said when Angel was out of earshot, "I'm so glad to have met Angel Dust today. But unlike our usual social calls, I wanted you here for a very special reason. I know you've been trying to track down Lucifer's location." It was the verbal baiting of a trap.

Trying to locate the king of Hell's residence was one part of Alastor's many plots to amass power in Hell. After all, knowledge was power, and the knowledge of where Lucifer let his guard down most would be… advantageous for him, to say the least. Dear as she may be, Alastor knew Rosie wouldn't give up the information for free. "Yes, my dear, that's certainly true," Al said.

Rosie interlocked her fingertips and rested her chin on them. Alastor recognized her signature power move. "Let's make a deal," she said.

Alastor's eyes glowed green.

"I'll tell you where to find someone who knows the exact address of Lucifer himself. In exchange, you promise to help me in one fight to defend Cannibal Town in the future, at my request," Rosie said.

"One caveat; my help depends on my capacity to protect myself from lethal harm. I won't sacrifice my life to help you, but so long as my life is not on the line, I will aid you," Al said. "Do we have a deal?"

"We have a deal," Rosie confirmed, and the area under the parasol briefly glowed green as the deal took place.

"So," Alastor said, power from the deal roaring in his veins, "where is this person and how did you come to know of it?"

"I was shopping around for flour suppliers and one warehouse owner thought he could impress me by telling me about his highly regarded clients for flour. I guess the king of Hell must enjoy baking. You'll find the location to the warehouse and factory for Hellflour here on this card," Rosie said and pulled a card out of her purse. She handed it over to him and he tucked it into his suit jacket. "Happy hunting," Rosie said.

"Thank you, my dear."

Alastor's ears pricked to the left at the sound of some shouting. One of the voices had a distinct male Brooklyn accent. "That sounds like my problem," Al said. His monkeys, his circus and all that.

—-

"Fuck you, Susan, I'll use whatever bathroom I want!" Angel slapped her.

She swiped at him with her handbag again. "You disrespectful little Nancy-boy," she shrieked.

Damn, but she had good aim. What was even in that purse, steel weights? Angel flipped her off with all four arms.

All he'd been trying to do is use a fuckin' bathroom and this bitch had started in on him as soon as he'd come out. He was a guest in Cannibal Town and he really wasn't trying to start anything, so he kept his guns tucked away.

But fuck, she was pushing it.

Fortunately, the Radio Demon and Rosie turned the corner and Angel caught sight of them. "A little help, please?" Angel asked, barely dodging another swing.

The Radio Demon loomed over the shorter woman. "Susan," he said coolly.

"Oh, Alastor," she sneered. "I should've known you were the one who brought this twink in here."

"Susan," Rosie said, "these are our guests, and whether you agree or disagree with their lifestyles, I expect you to mind your manners. And your handbag."

Susan grumbled.

"There we go, be on your way dear," Rosie ushered her away. "Don't let our guests disrupt your morning. You wouldn't want to miss out on your six o' clock program with Vox, now, would you?"

Susan sniffed. "Now he's a gentleman."

The Radio Demon's eyebrow twitched. Susan knew exactly how to get under everyone's skin, apparently.

After she was gone, it was time to say their goodbyes to Rosie. As they walked back to the hotel, Angel rubbed at a spot that was definitely going to bruise. "Susan's a bitch," he said.

"Susan's a bitch," the Radio Demon agreed.

—-

Angel'd fucking had it. His feet were on fire from dancing in heels for three nights straight and his insides were on fire from some two-bit goat demon Valentino had thrashing him so rough. It was time to brag about his sexual feats while getting spectacularly drunk. He was sexy, he was famous, and he was getting free drinks left and right. Free coke too. He was attracting like, six different guys to his table when his vision started going horizontal and blurry.

Ohhhhh okay, fuck, he'd gotten roofied too.

He blacked out for a minute. Maybe two, because when he opened his eyes, he was laying in his own bed at the hotel and the Radio Demon was looming over him.

"Jesus-Fucking-Goddamn-Christ," Angel snapped. "Damn it, Red Velvet, you gotta loom over people like that?"

"I think what you meant to say," the Radio Demon said, "is thank you. It's typically what one does when their drink was spiked by a bunch of strangers with ill intentions and someone you know rescues you."

"Ill intentions? I wanted ta have them down bad fer me. I was made fer fucking."

"Well then, I guess I'll leave you to ruminate on your ruined evening," the Radio Demon turned away but Angel snagged his sleeve with two hands and pulled the deer demon towards himself.

"Least you could do is make it up ta me," Angel said, and started undoing the Radio Demon's jacket. God but the looming and the suit and the tallness was hot.

The Radio Demon unleashed a wave of static so loud Angel's ears started ringing. He clapped his hands over his ears and the Radio Demon stepped away, well out of arm's reach.

"How fucking dare you touch me? How dare you think you can have your way with me? Fuck you." The Radio Demon turned away and slammed the door shut behind him.

So now he had no drinks, no drugs, and no fucking. His hangover was kicking in, and Angel felt fucking terrible. Worse than all of that though– he'd tried to take the Radio Demon for himself and the guilt was kicking in. It sat at the bottom of his stomach and made him wish he could drop all the way through the floor to the bottom-most rung of Hell. Where he definitely deserved to be.

Angel sobbed, all alone.

—-

Author's Note: Lots of stuff happening this chapter. Comment if you think Susan's a bitch!