Chapter Text
“Well, what do you say?”
“While I appreciate your offer, I only form partnerships with women. I don’t get along well with men.”
“But you associate with me and I’m a man.”
“As acquaintances, yes. But a partnership requires a great deal of trust and… I wonder….”
“What?”
“Hmm. Perhaps there is a way. Although for this deal to work you have to be willing to do something on your part.”
“Al, you know my history on the surface. If you need me to ‘take care of someone’ for you I’ll do it.”
“Oh, nothing like that. I am simply asking that you make a compromise for me…”
That conversation happened a week ago in this exact same Hellish gin joint. Alastor was half expecting Vox to shut him down immediately and possibly turn on him for even suggesting the idea. But he had underestimated how desperate the picture box was for his approval.
A jaunty little tune plays from the radio in the corner of the nearly vacant place. Alastor waves the bartender over for another drink. It’s been a pleasant way to end the evening after his earlier show.
”Would you care for another round?” Alastor asks the TV demon to his right.
Vox shakes his head silently as he sits next to him, his panicked eyes darting around the mostly empty bar.
A blue flush covered the other sinner’s screen in his tension as if he were completely exposed. However, the dress he wore fell to his mid calves, the sweater underneath covered his arms, and his legs were protected by stockings. The matching pillbox hat on top made for a nice touch and it was quite similar in aesthetic to his normal attire if you replaced a masculine style with that of a feminine one. Perhaps the modesty of the outfit made it worse for him.
His chest is still perfectly flat, after all Alastor has no intention to force him to change his body, only his attire. His antenna droop low in unhappiness and nervousness.
On the way here the television had tripped in his heels no less than five times before Alastor offered him an arm to walk with. Although he disliked being touched it was becoming painful for him to watch. He would have to learn in time.
“You’ve been so quiet, pal. Normally I can’t get you to stop chattering.” Alastor tells him with a smile.
The deal was that Vox had to dress like a woman. Oh the look on his face when he realized Alastor was serious about the proposal that day. Formal wear for business, casual wear when he was around the house, and nightgown for sleep wear. All of it Alastor had picked out and put time into finding items that would match the style of the time period the man was used to.
Once he had replaced Vox’s entire wardrobe they spent the evening burning all of the television’s masculine clothing. Alastor was fairly certain the picture box almost cried when he saw his suits go up in flames.
While Vox may see it as Alastor delighting in sadism, what the deer really intended was a lesson in tough love.
The television entertained Alastor but he often found himself getting increasingly irritated with the prideful way the man behaved. It was typical for a man from the fifties who still had not shed some of his more privileged mindset. Maybe Alastor would be able to cure him of those subconscious ideas with this deal. At the very least it would be nice to see the egotist realize what it was like to have the shoe on the other foot.
“I don’t want to draw any more attention to myself than necessary.” Vox tells him quietly.
The bar is practically empty aside from the bartender and two sinners smoking in the corner. In Hell, no one gave a damn about crossdressers or but Vox still carried his ridiculous ideals for the world above.
“You should be using this time to get more adjusted to it. Afterall, you’ll be center stage when we introduce our new partnership at the next Overlord meeting.” Alastor says as he takes a drink.
The anxiety that passes across the television's face causes his screen to go static for a second. His normally outward posture is a sharp contrast the way he’s shrinking into himself grabbing his skirt as he sits.
“Maybe you could go alone- I mean we don’t both need to be there for that. I’m not even an Overlord myself yet-” Vox suggests to him in a rush.
“Vox, sweetheart. If we are showing ourselves to Hell as a united powerful duo it is essential we both are present, you ridiculous picture box.” Alastor mocks him lightly.
“If I show up like this, you don’t think it will make us look like a joke?” Vox mumbles to him.
It takes everything in Alastor’s power not to roll his eyes.
“There are plenty of female overlords, homosexuals and crossdressers alike. This is not the world above that is shackled by those ridiculous ideals that have been so painfully drilled into your head. All that matters here is your power.” Alastor tells him.
“It’s fine for them.” Vox says unconvincingly. “But I’m not-”
Alastor cuts him off before he feels the need to smack him.
“You, my strange pal, have great potential.”
At that Vox finally smiles for the first time that night.
“Thank fuck my Dad is in heaven. Because if he saw me like this he’d try to kill me.” The picture box sighs.
Despite their differences, the one thing Alastor found was that he and Vox shared was their difficult relationship with their fathers. The deer’s horrible excuse of a dad had been a domestic abuser and he would have killed the man himself if he hadn’t died when he was young. It was learning that Vox’s father had beat him upon thinking his son was a homosexual that changed Alastor’s view of the picture box slightly. Yes, he reeked of subconscious minor racism and sexism but still but even he had suffered from bigotry at one point.
Perhaps that was why Alastor believed Vox could be cured rather than a lost cause like the bigoted murder victims he had chosen in life.
“Do you know how uncomfortable this outfit is? I feel like an over decorated Christmas cake.” Vox groans as he slumps on the table.
”Everything you are wearing right a woman in your time had to put on daily and she didn’t have any cables to assist her in doing so.” Alastor responds unsympathetically.
”Easy for you to say when you’re not the one in a petticoat.” Vox tells him irritatedly as he does end up ordering another drink.
”You think I’ve never crossdressed before? Of course the style was a bit different in my day.” Alastor muses.
Mimzy had convinced him a few times to get dolled up with her and while he found it more time consuming than fun in the end he never saw it as degrading the way Vox does.
The TV sinner seems to perk up in excitement at the mention of the deer crossdressing as his face flushes.
“Shall we? I have a proposal to show you back at my apartment.” Alastor says as he rises.
”The sooner I’m out of public view the better.” Vox agrees.
Alastor inwardly sighs.
The two men leave the bar quietly. As they head back together down the mostly empty streets, Vox is no longer latching onto his arm to walk. It’s still a much slower pace as he takes careful steps but Alastor supposes his learn in time. The lack of sinners out this late seems to put the picture box a bit more at ease.
It isn’t until they around the block from Alastor’s apartment that they encounter anyone else.
They pass by a group of drunken gamblers who are obnoxiously filling the night with their howls and curses of celebration. A dog sinner flocked by two coyotes. Alastor feels himself inadvertently stiffen though he disguises it well. He never enjoyed the mutts even in life and the afterlife has yet to change his mind.
One of them bumps into Alastor as he passes and the deer lets off an annoyed static. How they lucky they are that he’s having a good night and not in the mood to skin them alive.
Alastor sees a dog sinner eyeing up Vox as he’s about to pass by him. The television is completely oblivious as he focuses on his steps while the deer goes on alert because he knows that look in the sinner’s eyes but he isn’t quick enough to stop it-
The sinner reaches for the bottom of Vox’s dress and lifts it into the air as the wind catches it.
The picture box lets out an embarrassing yelp as his hands go to hold his skirt down and his screen erupts in static. The dog lets out a whistle as he laughs while Vox spins around to stare at him in shock.
Vox stands there staring at the sinners before his surprise becomes rage as he heats up more and more. The shame sets in and his screen is flushed blue as it keeps turning to static as he grits his teeth. His hands are clenched in fists as the air around them becomes dry and stormy.
Alastor waits for him to melt their skin with his electric current-
But it never comes. Vox has become completely petrified as he stands there shaking. Static electricity is igniting from his antennas as he hyperventilates in humiliation and shame.
The trio of gamblers are howling in laughter at their friend’s actions.
Vox continues to be the deer in the headlights for once as he stands there glaring at them unmoving. The man is shaking in his rage as the sinner that harassed him looks him over again.
”Ain’t never seen a demon with a tv set for a head. You want to entertain me tonight, faggot?” The sinner leers at him.
Alastor was hoping Vox would be the one to eviscerate the sinner but he has seen enough.
”Why don’t you entertain me instead, vermin?” The radio demon tells him with a dangerous smile.
A black tentacle dissects the dog sinner from the middle splitting his body in two. He howls in pain as he falls to floor in two pieces The other two gamblers start to run but they don’t get far before they’re also torn limb from limb by black tentacles.
In less than a second Alastor is on top of the sinner on the ground and pulling out his remaining organs. The pathetic cries of his prey echo through the alley ways. Once Alastor can no longer get any sound out of him he rises off the body.
Alastor turns to look at Vox again expecting the other to be enthralled as he usually is watching Alastor kill but he’s still shaking and overheating. The deer goes over to him.
“What’s the matter with you? Why didn’t you deal with them yourself? You’re more than capable.” Alastor asks him irritated.
”I- I didn’t-” Vox stammers.
Alastor looks at the other’s screen. There are tears in the corners of his eyes.
Oh dear.
This was the first time the picture box had ever been harassed in such a manner.
“I’m another man why-” His screen is fuzzing as he speaks incoherently. “I don’t understand-”
Alastor cuts him off in his spiral.
“Next time you kill them. You understand me, Vincent?” Alastor says as he holds his shoulders.
Vox breathes heavily for a moment before he nods as he tries to hold back his emotions. Immediately the bravado returns as the television shrugs Alastor off and starts to walk away.
“I was going to kill them. Just wanted to follow them back first and see if they were part of any organization so I could burn it to the ground too.” Vox tells him as he crosses his arms. “You didn’t think that upset act I was putting on was real did you, Al? Come on you know me better than that.”
Alastor watches the false grin on his screen. This was going to take longer than he thought.
But he was a patient man and if it took time for him to fix Vox’s condition so be it.
”We aren’t far.” Alastor tells the other as he leads him back to his apartment.
They head up the stairs and after they enter Alastor locks the door behind them. Vox’s body language is still tense and on edge even in the comfort of Alastor’s living room. He doesn’t move to flop into the armchair or take over the space the way he normally does but stands with his arms crossed in the middle of the carpet.
“It’s too late to discuss business why don’t you stay here for the night?” Alastor offers.
The deer doubts he would be able to get Vox to discuss anything useful in his current state of mind anyways.
“No offense but your couch is stiffer than cement.” Vox tells him as he shakes his head.
”Then it is a good thing you’ll be sharing my bed with me.” Alastor says with a yawn.
With that Vox jolts in surprise and his screen goes static before resetting itself.
”But we’re both men.” Vox tells him stupidly.
“An astute observation.” Alastor deadpans.
Alastor snaps his fingers and Vox is suddenly wearing his nightgown. The TV sinner instantly wraps his arms around himself and blushes bright blue. The deer is quickly pushing the other sinner into the bedroom until the television makes contact with the bed and falls onto the mattress in a thump.
Alastor himself changes into his pajamas as Vox lays next to him. As soon as he could, the TV demon had immediately covered himself with the blankets and only the top of his screen peaks out from above them. The other sinner’s face is completely flushed but beneath his embarrassment the deer can see conflict.
”Vox.” Alastor says.
The TV demon looks at him tensely from under the covers.
”I never intended for you to be subjected to that and I apologize for that scum.” Alastor tells him.
It truly was unfortunate. While he did want to humble the man he never would have allowed such to thing to happen if he could prevent it.
”I don’t…” Vox mumbles before his voice filters off.
”Share your thoughts.” Alastor pushes him.
”I don’t understand why it happened. They knew I was a man even if I’m wearing woman’s clothing.” Vox says with a conflicted look on his face.
“By dressing in such attire, I’m afraid there are those who will see you as an object to consume for their desires. Yes they are aware you are male but they see your feminine clothing as an open invitation for harassment.” Alastor says sadly.
It was a shame that Hell contained the same reprehensible cads that the world above did. Alastor had tortured and skinned quite a few rapists back in the day.
At his words, Vox’s eyes widen in distress and a panicked bit of static crosses his antenna.
“What the hell?” Vox curses in a panic. “So I’m expected me to let assholes molest me?!”
“I said they will “try” to. You. will. not. let. them.” Alastor stares down at him.
Vox looks up at him pathetically from under the covers. Alastor carefully reaches a hand forward and the TV set flinches before the deer draws back slightly.
“May I touch your head?” Alastor asks him.
Alastor reaches to touch the other’s antennas as he strokes them lightly. Vox eases into his touch like a dog having its ears scratched. The deer would often tease the television for being so susceptible to petting. Vox did not need to know Alastor also enjoyed having his ears scratched secretly.
“Don’t you dare electrocute me.” Alastor warns him.
“That was an accident and I hadn’t fully gotten used to this form yet.” Vox says as he leans into his touch more.
The TV sinner starts to relax into the bed as his eyes get heavy. Vox's monitor sinks into the pillow behind him.
”Thanks, Al.” Vox mumbles sleepily.
Eventually Vox’s screen blips out as he falls asleep next to him. Alastor stops scratching his antenna and pats the top of his monitor.
The other sinner may think him cruel for this deal but Alastor would help the other in the end. By the end of their deal Vox would understand what it felt like to be ridiculed and dismissed by society. He would also understand how to overcome it in time.