Despite the simplicity of her gown, Ellen still felt like a princess. Her red and black colour scheme matched the hellscape outside the hotel. She was already going to have many eyes on her so she didn't need anything really flashy. She held her head up proud as she made her way down the main staircase. Her eyes slowly glazed the lobby, her smile faulted only for a second realizing her outfit matched Alastor's. She quickly pushed the thought aside, she was not going to let that ruin her night. At the bottom of the stairs she found Charlie looking a little concerned. Before she could even ask she was pulled off to the side into the shadows out of view.
She could read Charlie like a book. She didn't even need to speak and Ellen knew what she was going to say. Her shoulders fell, her smile faulted.
"Ellen, you look stunning!"
"I can't go."
She watched the facade fall. "Ellen, I- there's so many demons here. We can't risk you being seen…I-"
Ellen raised her hand to stop Charlie. "I get it." She let out a small huff. "I stick out like a sore thumb. And I don't put just myself at risk, it's everyone here that has to keep me safe. I totally understand Charlie. I just- I guess I forgot about it." She could see the tears in Charlie's eyes. She felt awful. Ellen turned away forcing a smile back onto her face. She didn't want to ruin Charlie's night. "It's just a fancy evening anyway, we can do one like this later, just us." She curtsied. "Enjoy your evening Princess. I hope tonight is a success."
Charlie called out to her. "Ellen, I'm so sorry!"
She turned back to the staircase taking one last look at the lobby and all the patrons that came for the open house, dressed to the nines. She caught Alastor watching her and she gave him a sad excuse of a smile before making her way back up the stairs. She wasn't going to cry, if only for the reason it would ruin her makeup, before getting to her room. It was just a stupid fancy night or at least that's what she was trying to convince herself of.
She had spent weeks working on this event, double checking almost everything, planning and organizing with Charlie. This event, in part, was her night as well. She was turned away and she couldn't help but feel betrayed. Why didn't Charlie say something sooner? Nifty had made her a beautiful dress and gloves and she had her heart set on the evening. But it was just a stupid fancy night.
She made it to the second floor before a shadow passed her on the floor, and Alastor appeared two feet in front of her.
"Where are you running off to, my dear?" He leaned down, not to her face level but enough he wasn't looming over her. Her heels probably helped.
She sputtered a laugh. "I'm going back to my room. I kind of stand out in a room of demons." She gestured to herself.
"You don't wish to attend?"
Ellen tried to push anger, it would be so much easier to just be angry, but she couldn't. And she couldn't face him either. She turned away, her voice much softer than she intended. "Of course I want to go, this event is the fruit of my labour and I don't even get to enjoy it. I can't go - I don't- just let me go." She tried to side step him but he moved to block her. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes and she fought to keep them from slipping. She was NOT going to cry, especially in front of Alastor.
She kept her gaze down, she didn't want to see his stupid smiling face anyway. "Go enjoy the evening, Alastor, I'm sure there'll be lots of entertainment." She took a step to the right to pass him, this time he let her pass.
"It's a shame a keen looking dame such as yourself won't be attending. Your presence will surely not go unnoticed."
Ellen stopped, but didn't turn back to the Radio Demon. That was probably the nicest thing he had said to her since arriving.
"If you change your mind, I would be honored to accompany you."
She turned then and was surprised he looked sincere. Her heart did a weird little flip and he bowed to her before turning away headed back for the lobby.
"And do smile my dear, you're never fully dressed without one."
She stared after him. This was the make or break, did she call after him? She really wanted to go, he practically asked her to be his date. But Charlie had already told her not to, was that why Alastor invited her? To make moves against Charlie? But he seemed so sincere. Was that all part of the act? Surely being on the arm of the Radio Demon would only draw more attention to her. Was it because they looked like they matched on purpose? She was insane. She would probably regret this later but the smile on her face and the little flutter of hope in her heart pushed the thought of consequences aside.
She quickly made her way back down the stairs toward the lobby. "Alastor! Wait!" She caught up to him on the grand staircase. He stood at the bottom looking up at her. She made her way down the staircase for a second time this evening, but her eyes remained on the Radio Demon. Once at the bottom he held his arm out, which she gladly accepted. Despite her nerves, she couldn't quite shake the smile off her face.
"Hold on tight my dear."
Before she could ask she felt the world around her slip away, it felt like all of the air was squeezed out of her lungs and everything went black. There was a moment of panic before everything was back to being okay. She inhaled deeply trying to get air back into her lungs. She wasn't in the lobby anymore. She was up on a decent sized balcony that overlooked the ballroom. She could see everything going on at the party without being mixed with the crowd.
"Apologies for any discomfort that may have caused. It's the only way I could sneak you in unseen."
"Did we travel through the shadows?"
Alastor gave a small nod.
"Does it feel that intense when you travel?"
A small chuckle. "I have no way of making a comparison."
Ellen unhooked her arm from Alastor's to move to the railing, looking out at the party below. This was far better than being in the crowd. She didn't have to worry about trying to make small talk, no one to hit on her and no gawking stares, though she could have easily convinced herself it was because she looked quite lovely that evening opposed to looking out of place amongst the demons.
She turned grinning at Alastor. "This is perfect, thank you Alastor."
"Of course. Now, you'll have to excuse me, while I would love to stay, I must make some rounds amongst the rabble. I'll be back to check in when I can. I hope this will work for the evening."
"It's more than enough. And don't worry about me. I don't mind the solitude."
Alastor gently grabbed her gloved hand and placed a kiss on the back of it. "Then for now, I bid you adieu." He melted into the shadows leaving her by herself.
She felt like a giddy teenager at prom. Everything at this moment was right with the world. She looked over the crowd, but her eyes couldn't help following the red suit as he wandered the crowd. She let out a satisfied sigh before turning to take a look at the balcony. There were a few tables and chairs up here and enough space she could dance if she wanted to. Her cheeks started hurting from the smile that seemed ever plastered to her face, but despite the ache she couldn't shake it off. Everything in the back of her mind was screaming not to get to comfy, this was sure to be something Alastor would use against her. Just a play on her emotions. But another part of her tried fighting those thoughts and feelings with ridiculous fantasies.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Hazbin Hotel! Please help me in welcoming the lovely and wonderful host of this evening. The princess of hell herself, Charlie Morningstar."
Ellen was pulled back to the railing to watch as Charlie stepped up to the stage giving Alastor a small smile before approaching the mic on the center of the stage at the far end of the room. The entire time Charlie spoke Ellen found her gaze back on the Radio Demon.
She had expected nothing less when it came to his attire. Again a bit outdated, but formal wear hadn't changed much throughout recent history. Usually men wore a black suit for such events, but Alastor being one for attention had a blood red suit jacket with black slacks. It was a tailcoat, if she remembered correctly, no doubt that there was a vest underneath. Most likely black to match his bow tie. His dress shirt, a red slightly darker than the coat. The more she thought about it, the more she started getting suspicious at how well their two outfits matched. It seemed a little too close for it to be a coincidence.
Though she couldn't see from this distance, she did notice earlier that his hair seemed to be groomed nicer than usual. He put extra effort into looking good this evening, though it was subtle, almost like he didn't want others to know. She did.
A jolt of realization shot up her back. She was checking him out. Her cheeks heated. No, no. She was not going there. This was just an evening truce. Tomorrow morning the two of them would go back to being… whatever they were. She would just enjoy the evening and shove those thoughts down. The room erupted in applause and she blindly mimicked the crowd.
His voice pulled her attention back to the stage. "Now, please enjoy the rest of the evening, we will have music shortly for entertainment. Be merry, eat and dance the night away!"
His showmanship was unparalleled, even on earth she had never seen anyone take hold of a crowd like he did. "Now as a special treat for you all." He snapped, the sound echoing through the ballroom. Beside him a grand piano appeared. Ellen's eyes widened in shock. He played piano? She bit her lip. Fuuuckkk. She quickly turned her back to the stage. She was not falling for the Radio Demon. She repeated that mantra a few times. She didn't recognize the tune he was playing but it was lovely. He clearly wasn't an amateur.
Then she heard his voice. She let out a frustrated sigh glaring at the ceiling. "Why would you toy with me like this?" She didn't think the heavens would hear her but she couldn't help cursing them under her breath anyway. She finally turned back to the stage watching and listening. Was there anything this guy couldn't do?
Twice he glanced up at her. Not enough to make it obvious but she caught the hint. This was a show for her. A show of his abilities. What she did to get that kind of attention she had no idea. He was playing her like a fool, and she was letting him.
When the performance was done she applauded with the crowd. Her smile snuck back onto her face. Another snap echoed through the room and the piano was gone, replaced by a full orchestra of shadow musicians. He skillfully caught a rose that was thrown onto the stage and took a low bow. He gazed up to her again, giving her a small nod. She hoped he was too far to see her blush. God, what was wrong with her?
She didn't need to turn to know the shadows behind her had manifested the Raidio Demon. She took a second to compose herself before turning to him. "That was quite the performance Alastor. I must say I am impressed."
"I'm glad you enjoyed it. Is there anything I can get for you? A drink perhaps?"
She cut right to the chase. "Why are you doing this?"
"Can a gentleman not take an enchanting lady out for an evening of dancing?"
"There are many lovely demons down there that you can actually show off to the crowd. Hard to be the center of attention hiding away with a little ol' me."
"Perhaps." He took her hand and guided her to one of the chairs nearby. She took a seat. "But those other ladies don't interest me like you do."
"I'm barely interesting. Just mortal, I promise. Besides, we both know this is all just another show, a performance. I'm not going to let you play me like a fool. I'd like to think I'm smarter than that."
"My dear, why would I need to put on a show all the way up here, away from all the other eyes?" He looked amused that she even suggested such a thing.
"There's something in this for you. You're not being the perfect gentleman without some sort of compensation."
He looked a little hurt from the accusation. "My mother raised me to be a proper gentleman. I may be a dealmaker and one of hell's overlords capable of many unspeakable things but I am a demon of my word." He crossed his legs. "I will always be a gentleman first and that is something I take pride in. No compensation required."
Ellen was taken aback from his response. Clearly she had touched on a soft spot. "I have no doubts you are a gentleman Alastor, I just… I'm hesitant to trust you."
"As you should."
"Okay see, that, right there!" She threw her arms out like she was presenting the point. "A gentleman is trustworthy. So how am I supposed to know what you actually mean? Your intentions?"
"You're an intelligent lady, I'm sure you can decipher fact from fiction." He raised a curious eyebrow at her.
She gave him a look.
"Is there something I can do to put your mind at ease? To prove I mean no ill intent?"
Ellen took a second to think. Maybe he was just looking for a nice evening after all…but just to be sure. "Be vulnerable with me."
Alastor visibly pulled back. He couldn't hide the unease that flashed through his eyes. He quickly pulled himself back together. "My dear. I do have a reputation to uphold, I can't have anything getting out."
Ellen didn't hesitate in responding. "And who will I be running to with such information? I can't leave the hotel and even if I did blab, who's really going to take me seriously. I don't really belong here, so why on earth would I know anything vulnerable about you. It's a win-win for you, and maybe a bit of joy for me." She leaned in closing the distance between them, her head in her hands. "You're not afraid of me are you?" She asked with an amused smirk.
He lost some of his confident demeanor and stood turning his back to her.
She sat back looking smug. She caught him. This was all for show. The voices in the back of her head gleefully cheering at being proven right.
"Very well." He turned back to face her, his hands going to remove his jacket. "All I ask is you keep this to yourself."
Her face fell. He was indeed being sincere. Was he serious?
He pulled his jacket off, placing it on the back of his chair. His red dress shirt matched the colour of the sequins on her dress perfectly while his black vest and tie matched her gloves. He pulled at his cuffs and straightened his vest. He looked thinner without the jacket.
Ellen was sure her face flushed as red as her dress. Oh she was a sucker for vests. A weak spot one could say. There was just something so attractive about a guy in a vest. Her eyes couldn't absorb enough of him. She was grateful he didn't notice her starring, or at least she hoped he hadn't.
"Care to dance, darling?" He reached his hand out.
"OH no. No, I am not a good dancer."
"Then simply allow me to guide you. I will take the lead."
She couldn't say no. Could she? Was it that simple? She hesitantly took his hand. He helped her to her feet.
"Remember. Not a word." He fixed her with a glare. Then he pulled her closer to him. He placed a hand on her waist and she tried not to flinch under the touch.
"Ready? He asked.
She nodded and all of a sudden she was lightly pulled forward. She stumbled the first few steps. She was having a hard time keeping her nerves under control. He was so close she could feel heat radiating off of him. She felt her cheeks flush. She'd danced with guys before, why was she so nervous?
"Don't think my dear, you have my word, I won't lead you astray." His breath tickled her ear. She hoped he couldn't hear her heart racing. She closed her eyes and focused on evening out her breath. Once she stopped panicking she was gracefully moving around the balcony, Alastor effortlessly leading her across their dance floor. If she misstepped, it didn't show. If anyone had seen the two of them she was sure they would think the two of them had been dance partners before. After a few minutes he stepped back, twirling her. A small smile tugged at her lips. As he continued gliding her across the floor she was starting to wonder why this was such a big deal to him. He took his jacket off, but there was nothing else really exposed. Was he self conscious about looking so thin? She was spun again although this time she was dipped afterwards.
"Ready to pick up the pace?"
"Yes" She hated that she sounded breathless. At that moment the music playing picked up its tempo. At a faster pace she wasn't as close to Alastor. And out of the corner of her eyes she could have sworn she saw a flash of red and black behind him. She shook it off, both of their outfits were red and black.
"I don't get it. You look just fine without your jacket."
He stopped suddenly. Letting her hands go he took a small step backwards. Had she insulted him? It looked like he was mentally fighting with answering. His shoulders drop. His gaze went to hers and his brow furrowed. "If you so much as giggle, I am gone."
She wouldn't say out loud , but that response seemed a bit dramatic. "Okay?"
He squared his shoulders and slowly turned. There on his backside in all its uncovered glory, was a small red and black deer tail.
Ellen pressed her lips together but the smile still overtook her face. He was self conscious of his tail. She could understand that. It definitely made him look a little less menacing. But it was kinda cute, not that she would ever say that to his face. Maybe it was a little cute. Who was she kidding? It was definitely cute.
"So you've got a little deer tail. I mean I guess it just matches the ears and antlers. Part of the set, right? A lot of demons have tails. I don't think it's that big of a deal."
"Go ahead and say it, I know you're thinking it." He turned his head to look at her over his shoulder.
"You have control over it, right?" Her smile grew. She had always wondered what it was like to have a tail and here was the opportunity to find out.
"What?"
"You know, does it swish when you're happy or excited? Flick in frustration? Is it a voluntary thing or subconscious?"
He turned fully and looked at her in disbelief. "You want to know if it flicks when I'm annoyed? You're not going to tell me it looks…cute?" He muttered the last word bitterly.
"Oh, it definitely is, but I didn't think that's what you wanted to hear."
"It's not." He turned back away from her.
"Then it's not cute. It's just a tail." She shrugged. "I AM curious about the flicking, though."
Her hand flew to her face to cover the happy giggle that tried to escape as she saw it flick with annoyance.
"Oh my gosh it does." It slipped out as a whisper before she could stop it.
His ears were pinned back now. This was something she was going to commit to memory. There was no way she would ever get to experience this again. She asked him to be vulnerable and here he was despite her better judgment.
The music slowed to an end and Alastor turned and grabbed his jacket replacing it quickly, tail covered. She kept her eyes on him, trying to get a read on him. He seemed like his usual self, ears perked up and confidence back. If there were any emotions, he had them well hidden. She was going to miss that cute little tail of his. What a shame.
"Sooooo… that's all you wanted this evening? A dance?"
"Are you finished for the evening?"
"Not even close."
"Then I suppose I will stay and keep you company. It would be rather impolite of me to leave you stranded seeing as I invited you out this evening."
Ellen smiled. "Then I suppose I may take you up on your offer of refreshments if you'll join me?"
He bowed his head lightly. "Of course my dear. It may be a bit of a wait. I'll need to make a few rounds with the crowd first. Will that be alright?"
A smirk played on her lips as she playfully eyed him. "You've been such lovely company this evening, I think you're definitely worth the wait."
His eyes snapped to hers and she could hear a bit of static come from him. Although his face didn't show it, she had managed to surprise him.
"I-yes, well-um." He cleared his throat and started again. "I won't be long." And he was gone into the shadows.
Ellen couldn't help but laugh. Had a simple little flirt really fluster Alastor that bad? Maybe he was out of practice. While she waited for his return, she decided to watch the party goers from above, leaning on the railing, this time keeping the Radio Demon out of her sights.
She found Charlie chatting expressively with a few demons, though without any context, she would never know what about. Vaggie stayed at her side. She looked like she was listening mostly, maybe added a few words in here and there.
Nifty was a little more difficult to find, only the quick flashes of movement really allowed Ellen to follow her around the room. She was keeping the room and tables clean. Zipping glassware somewhere under the balcony, out of view. That was where the bar was and in turn Husker.
She tried to find Angel but it proved to be too difficult a task. Did he have work this evening? Perhaps he was with Husker at the bar? Those two did seem to find themselves together a lot.
As time passed the crowd very slowly lessened in numbers. It allowed more couples to be on the floor to dance as the music continued playing softly in the background. Ellen enjoyed people watching, couples sharing intimate moments on the dance floor, while others laughed rather loudly in small groups scattered around the room. And despite not being down there, she still felt like she was a part of the scene.
She did pick out Rosie as the crowd thinned. She felt a little upset she wouldn't be able to go down and talk with her. Despite only sharing a few hours together, she felt like her and Rosie would be great friends. She smiled as she watched Alastor take her to the dance floor. They were well practiced as dance partners. It was obvious they had been partners before many times. Ellen leaned on the railing more watching the two interact. Slowly her gaze moved to the other couples on the floor. They all looked so graceful.
It almost felt like a movie movement, the dresses swirling seemingly in sync. Everyone in time with the music made it seem like it was all rehearsed. It was almost mesmerizing, the colours twirling and blending together and she let herself get lost in the sight.
A light snap pulled her from her thoughts. She turned to find one of the tables had been set for two. A single black rose was in a clear glass vase in the center of the table. Alastor stood behind the chair closest to her that he had pulled out for her. In his hand, a single red rose.
The ache in her cheeks was back, her smile was sure to be a contender with the Radio Demons. She let him push her in, taking the rose and adding it to the black one on the table.
It was very late into the evening when Alastor excused himself again, to help Charlie wind down the event. They were not pushing people out yet, more so reminding the guests that the evening was winding down and the lateness of the hour.
With a quick snap, all the tables were clear, chairs pushed in and decor gone. All the work and prep that she, Charlie, Vaggie and the rest of the gang spent days creating, was gone with a simple snap from Alastor. She had to wonder why he didn't just snap it all into position an hour before the event, eliminating the three days of prep work from everyone. That was just Alastor she guessed. She didn't need to turn to know the private table the two had been sharing was also cleaned and set back to its normal state. With all he could do, she was starting to wonder why he did anything the normal way.