Watching the others in the hotel had become somewhat of a pastime for Lucifer, watching and bidding his time. There was something wrong with the radio demon Alastor, something seemed off about the sinner…Like he had suddenly decided to hold back, becoming somewhat demure.
Lucifer had very much kept his ability to sense deals between mortal souls and his senses were telling him that Alastor had a deal active on his soul. Now as interesting as his ability to sense such a thing he couldn't know who deals were made between for the most part unless it was one of the seven which for Alastor it wasn't, but something irked Lucifer's mind at the sensation of this deal, it felt… familiar.
He let himself out onto a balcony weary and wanting a break from the happy chatter inside the hotel. Lucifer paused as he found Alastor leaning against the railing, smoke trailing from a decidedly unhappy smile. A hand carefully tucked against the radio demon's chest, as if his chest hurt. The deer demon holding a cigarillo aloft, almost forgotten it seemed like as Alastor stared into the city.
"You know lurking is rather rude." The heavy tint of radio static had Lucifer holding his tongue, something was different right now and he wasn't about to start a fight if he didn't have to, he was smarter than that sometimes…Unless a certain red deer decided to get closer to his daughter.
"Wasn't lurking, just coming out for a breath of fresh air." Alastor's grin was a manufactured farce right now, he'd seen the real deal enough times to see when the man was faking it. Lucifer moved to the railing, slipping a hand into his jacket's inside pocket he pulled out a cigarette case, pulling out one he held it out and Alastor rolled his eyes before leaning down and pressing the tip of his lit cigarillo to Lucifer's unlit one, those bright red eyes on Lucifer the whole time. Curiosity and perhaps a little malice on the taller demon's face before he pulled away, allowing Lucifer to take the first sweet puff in silence.
Lucifer glanced at Alastor who seemed resolute to ignore him now, which was unlike him. Usually, the demon couldn't help but tease him that Lucifer no longer had Charlie's attention and that Alastor was far better suited to her needs. They both knew neither of them was good enough for her, Lucifer had allowed years of silence to go by, and now. Now Heaven was on the defensive after the former overlord Nifty killed Adam.
Charlie was lucky that three overlords roamed this hotel. Strong demons to back her up was a blessing even if he hated it. He should have been there for his little girl more than this. More than punching Adam in the face no matter how fucked up he'd been when Lilith told him she no longer cared for him, wanted him. Seven years he'd struggled to come to terms with her harsh words…Come to terms with the fact that everyone eventually left him. Time would only tell if Charlie would be like everyone else, his heart begged that she wouldn't be.
"She's bidding her time for you, you know," Alastor said, his eyes on the sky and Lucifer frowned. Who was waiting for him, what did Alastor mean?
"Charlie is fine, she's not-" Loud static burst into the air causing Lucifer to flinch and his claws sunk into the railing Alastor was in his space, face inches away, body heat causing him to contain a shiver. When was the last time anyone had willingly gotten this close to him?
"Eve would see your ruin; she would see all our ruin if it so fit her that bitch!" The deal…That's why it had felt familiar, Adam had been allowed to join heaven eventually but Eve. She had become one of his and that was why the deal Alastor had struck felt familiar. Alastor had a deal with Eve, but if that was the case why was he trying to get close to Charlie? What did Eve want with his daughter?
"How long has she?" Alastor scoffed.
"Seven years." That was a long time being trapped by her. As long as Lilith had been gone, whispers reached him that she was above. Whether that meant earth or heaven he was unsure, but too many things were moving right now. Lilith doing who knew what and Eve was back and keeping an eye on Charlie after taming perhaps one of the strongest mortal souls to have descended to hell.
Lucifer would have to ask the others what was going on in their spheres, Bee and Asmo would probably be the most forthcoming if he asked if they had noticed any odd movements in their circles, for the others he would just have to motivate them to tell him.
"What is her plan?" Alastor shook his head, the sinister grin lighting green for a second, stitches covering Alastor's mouth. He was barred from talking of his deal, but he was already playing with fire by telling Lucifer who had his soul.
"Why tell me?" Alastors head tilt feels sarcastic. His eyes narrowed before he finally backed away enough that Lucifer didn't think the demon would bite. Alastor inhaled his cigarillo before finally answering him, Smoke pouring out of his mouth with every word.
"And let our poor sweet Charlie come to danger if that she-bitch moves? I know she wants to hurt you, that has always been her goal apparently since you tricked her into eating the apple that doomed her." Eve had been upset, but he'd been too busy being kicked out of heaven and helping Lilith grow in power along with his powers. Learning what he could do now rather than his angelic powers that he used only when he truly needed to.
Eve had moved against him once before, but not personally. He'd known it was her as Lilith had made mention of it, but how much could he trust what was the truth right now? What if it was made to feel like Eve, because that could be done by a powerful demon say… Lilith? But what would Lilith's goal be to mimic Eve on the move again?
Alastor would be no help until it was too late because whatever his deal was probably didn't have any way out as both Eve and Lilith were deadly good at making foolproof deals, just as he could for the most part. Could he override their deal? He'd done it once or twice but not on someone who was trapped by Eve or Lilith…Bee had gotten annoyed with him the one time he'd done it to her, Asmo had been confused and then a little resentful that Lucifer could do so, but this was a serious matter. He had to free this annoyance to make sure Alastor didn't hurt Charlie.
"Charlie made a deal with me." Lucifer's heart stopped for a second, his head snapping towards the other with a feral snarl and Alastor looked dare he say defeated.
"And what was the goal of that?" Alastor sighed and slumped against the railing.
"I can't properly say as it has to do with my deal." Shit. Oh, shit what the hell was going on right now? Why did Alastor strike a deal with his darling baby girl, what game was in play that he'd had no clue of?
But Alastor was rebelling against whoever held his leash, telling Lucifer as much as he was. Alastor was hedging his bets, telling the king of hell of movement probably against him personally where his daughter was just a pawn to be used against him and everything he had built here.
"Let me look," Lucifer said, and Alastor gave him an annoyed look.
"Later, when everyone else is asleep or otherwise preoccupied. I don't want anyone else to know about this any more than you do," he amended. If Eve or Lilith knew he'd looked at the deal they had made with Alastor, they would attempt to speed up their plans especially if he found a loophole, he could exploit what Alastor might not have been able to.
"And if you find a way to break it what guarantees I won't hurt Charlie? Everyone knows you play games within games when need be." Oh, he wouldn't let Alastor harm Charlie, Lucifer grinned at the radio demon.
"Oh, I'm sure we can figure out a deal that benefits both of us." Alastor's eye twitched and yeah, he knew the more powerful a sinner was the less they liked the idea of being shackled to another. But he wasn't about to let this particular overlord near his daughter without a guarantee that she was safe.
Alastor hummed and took a drag, gathering himself as he blew out a smoke ring.
"If I were to make a deal with you what's to stop you from giving me a similarly impossible task?" What the hell was his deal, what made his current deal impossible? There was so much he wanted to ask, but this was hardly the place to have such a conversation let alone the one they had been having up to this point.
"I hardly think not harming Charlie is that hard of a deal." Alastor snorted,
"Harder than you think." That didn't…Was it part of his current deal to get close to Charlie and when the time was right strike? That didn't make any sense. Well at any rate he'd look at the deal made and go from there.