Charlie glances around Cannibal Town in surprise, twisting her body to see past Hedwig sitting on her shoulder - when she heard the name, she wasn't expecting…a neighborhood. That's what the place reminds her of, though, a nice little neighborhood where everybody seems to go about their day peacefully. One guy's selling balloons, there's a pair walking arm in arm down the sidewalk…surprisingly civilized given the detail that they're in Hell. After a moment, she says "This is…surprisingly nice. Not at all what I was expecting…"
Alastor grins, saying "Isn't it just? All thanks to Rosie. Strongest Overlord living this side of the city!"
When Charlie enters the door Alastor holds open for her, she sees the place is a small shop filled with people browsing and a line at the counter. And a woman in a dress, large hat with a feather held in place by skull decorations, saying "Well, who hasn't thought about eating their first husband? I know I would've if he hadn't tasted so bad! Tell you what? You bring tall, dark, and armless to me, and I'll straighten him out, sweetie. Here's my card-" She cuts off mid-sentence as she spots Alastor, hands clapping to her cheeks in delight, and quickly makes her way through the crowd. "Alastor! Oh my stars, where have you been?! These halls really lost some of their sparkle without your lively presence!"
Charlie watches in utter shock as Rosie hugs Alastor - and has to fight to keep a straight face when she hears a squeak coming from the pair, did Alastor just squeak?! - and Alastor not only returns the hug but lets Rosie keep a hand on his shoulder once they pull apart. Alastor's not one for physical contact, similar to her Aunt before she gets comfortable with someone - Rosie must be a really good friend, then.
"Oh! Who's this you brought with you?" Rosie gets a teasing grin on her face as she says "Come now, Alastor, you know she's much too young for you - oh, you know I'm just teasing! But where are your manners, Mister? Introduce us, why don't you?"
Alastor nods, saying "But of course! Charlie, this is Rosie - the most darling, delightful, and dangerous Overlord this side of the Pentagram! And, Rosie, it's my pleasure to introduce you to Princess Charlie Morningstar - Daughter of Lucifer Morningstar, Niece of Calliope Peverell, and Heir to the Throne of Hell."
Charlie smiles sheepishly, and asks "How do you do?" Rosie says "Well, isn't this a regal surprise? Wait…Calliope Peverell? Not the woman who-"
"Attended the last Overlord's meeting and so thoroughly put Velvette in her place? The very same. Calliope is rather attached to her favorite niece, as it happens. Hence why her Familiar is here as well. Rosie, this is Hedwig, Calliope's Snowy Owl Familiar."
And then, to everyone's surprise, Hedwig dips her head in a nod, as if she's greeting Rosie - she likely is, they're all well aware.
"Well, come in, come in! You want something to eat? I'm sure I've got a leg around here…how 'bout some nice pinkie fingers?"
Charlie shakes her head, saying "No, thank you, I couldn't…" Aside from the detail that she's not into soul-flesh, she's been thoroughly spoiled on her aunt's cooking.
Rosie, thankfully, just smiles and says "Look at you, so polite! You could learn a thing or two, Alastor!" Charlie relaxes slightly when she sees Rosie send him a teasing wink, even as she pats the chair on one side of the table with a tea set already set out, and sits down. "Now, why don't you tell Auntie Rosie what she can do for you? Ya know, Alastor, I've got a primo connect on a guy with about eight blocks of territory and not enough goons to cover it all - prime pickings for a deal, my friend."
Alastor grins, saying "Appreciate the offer, my friend, but we're actually here on business of another sort." He glances at Charlie, who takes it as her cue to start explaining what's going on - unfortunately, Charlie starts panicking, everything just spilling out as soon as she even attempts to put the words together.
Taking pity on her - and Rosie, honestly, with the way Charlie's just word-vomiting everything about Heaven, how they won't even attempt to work with her, her father's Fall, etc. - Alastor stops Charlie in her verbal tracks and says "We need your help, well, your Cannibals' help, to fend off the attack." Because it is absolutely going to come for the Hotel first, one hundred percent going to be aimed straight at the biggest threat to their status quo.
Rosie hums, saying "Well, when you ask a favor, you don't start small, do ya, Your Highness?" Charlie looks away, biting at her lip with one of her fangs as she does, and Rosie says "Don't look like that, I didn't say I wouldn't help. But…I'm going to assume there's more to this plan than a bunch of unarmed Cannibals?"
"Oh," Alastor hums with a savage grin, "your people will be far from helpless when we're done with them. And, by the end, they will be able to eat their fill."
Rosie hums, then says "Well, in that case…sure."
Charlie blinks in surprise, asking "Really?"
"I like your moxie, Charlie. And, besides, Alastor has never done me wrong before." Plus…she's absolutely interested in getting the chance to meet this Calliope Peverell personally if the mere mention of the woman can affect Alastor like she just saw - it wouldn't be obvious to most anyone, but she's not most anyone. She's known Alastor for over a century, and they've been close friends for most of it - she saw the way he softened, brightened, at the mention of Calliope Peverell, how he subtly ran his fingers through her bird's feathers…if she didn't know any better, she'd say Alastor has finally found someone that he's interested in.
Charlie, Alastor, and Rosie all watch in amazement as Hedwig suddenly takes off, lands directly on Susan's shoulder, and stares directly into her face - actually bending her head down to get right into Susan's face after fluffing up to at least twice her height.
And then, Charlie gets a text on her phone that says 'We both know you can do it, Chars. You're your mother's daughter just as much as your father's. Lucifer's dreams and ideas, and Lilith's passion and spirit. Just let it out, I know you can.' When she looks up, she sees Susan's gone silent as a grave, staring at Hedwig in something like mortal terror.
"Well," Rosie says in surprise as Hedwig flies back to Charlie's shoulder, "that works. Erm, Alastor...?"
Alastor nods, says "Calliope and Hedwig, how to put this…they have a bond? I'm not one-hundred percent clear on the specifics a bond between Witch and Familiar, but…she always knows what's going on around Hedwig." He definitely knows it's at least somewhat telepathic - how much, Calli's never said in any specific detail, but she definitely knows what goes on around her Familiar. And Hedwig's ability to use magic on her own - either Calli's, or her own magic - has never been in doubt.
Rosie nods as Hedwig starts preening Charlie's hair, having gone from terrifying to regal-looking in under a minute, and Alastor hands Charlie his microphone in a silent show of support. Taking a deep breath, Charlie closes her eyes and starts singing - and, to her undying relief, the crowd starts singing as well.
Rosie and Alastor watch in delight as the crowd picks Charlie up to head to the Hotel, only for a portal to suddenly open up and a giant stack of weapons to get shoved through. And then an Exorcist goes flying through it, only to get hit with a beam of green light that tears right through them like tissue paper. And then Calliope flies through, two more boxes with Angelic weapons poking out of them, quickly followed by six other Exorcists. Before anyone can do much more than gasp, though, two of them spontaneously blow up, splattering Calli with golden blood all over her body.
Rosie claps her hands to her mouth to hide a laugh, Alastor's microphone suddenly discharging quite a lot of static, and Charlie asks "Aunt Calli?!"
Alastor can completely understand the amazement in Charlie's voice - she's never seen the armor she's wearing, or the sword in her hand while her staff seems shrunken down to be used in her off-hand as an overpowered wand. Heck, he's never seen the sword in her hand, or her staff shrunken down to use as an overpowered wand!
Hedwig takes off with a cry, growing to the size she was when she threatened Susan and starts attacking one of the Exorcists with talons the size of small knives.
In about two seconds, three of the four Exorcists are dead, Calli's covered in Angel blood…and two of the Cannibals are edging towards the portal. "I really wouldn't," Calli calls down, "unless you've got Angel in you, you're gonna have a really bad time up there for the last few minutes of your life."
Charlie blinks, asking "What now?"
Calli dodges the spear heading for her torso, and says "Heaven and Hell have opposing energies, something I'm sure Heaven is all-too aware of. Unless you've either got enough Angel or Demon in you to not get rapidly poisoned by said energy…it's gonna get real ugly, real quick, and it'll be real agonizing." Lucifer was lucky that he wasn't alone, that he was put to sleep for a while - couldn't reject Hell's influence as it corrupted him. The process of being corrupted - or purified, if a pure demon ends up in Heaven - isn't easy, fast, or painless, even if her magic can act as a sort of filter for the worst of it all. Hence why Lucifer wasn't in even more agony than he already was due to corrupting on top of everything else as soon as he got into Hell.
And then Calli decapitates the Angel with a flick of her wrist, tossing the body onto the small pile she made. And then she brings out six other boxes filled to the brim with weapons before closing the portal. Glancing around as her wings fold over her torso once more, Calli asks "So…Cannibal Town?"
Alastor and Rosie simultaneously say "Cannibal Town."
"Nice place, very scenic. Sorry about the weapons, I honestly thought I'd take longer to find the armory than I did. Who wants an appetizer before the main course?"
Rosie blinks as about twenty of her Cannibals swarm the dead Exorcists, glancing over to Alastor and Charlie, and asks "Aunt Calli?"
Alastor and Charlie simultaneously say "Aunt Calli."
Calli grins, saying "Aw, they told you about me! Well, I already know who you are - the most darling, delightful, and dangerous Overlord this side of the Pentagram! To use one of Alastor's lines, a pleasure to be meeting you, Miss Rosie."
Rosie laughs, saying "Oh, now I see where Charlie gets her moxie from! Such a charmer!"
Calli grins, sitting on the railing of the gazebo and swinging her legs back and forth as her armor melts back into casual clothing, and asks "So, how long have you and Alastor known each other? Go on ahead, Charlie, I'll catch up - Rosie seems like quite the character, after all, and I don't want to pass up the chance to get to know another of Alastor's friends." Plus...she needs a good minute to get at least some of Heaven's 'Holy' energy out of her system before heading back to the Hotel and getting to work.
As soon as Charlie's gone, her and several of the other Cannibals taking all the boxes of weapons with them, Alastor says "You were up in Heaven too long."
Calli nods, leaning against the nearest beam, and says "Way too much the past two days." Curling a lock around one of her fingers and frowning at it, Calli adds "I really need a shower, now that I think about it. Need to get Heaven's reek off me before it sinks into my skin." The scent of the Angelic Blood isn't helping, either - it smells like rotting flowers to her, sharp, overly sweet, but with a sharp tang of something rotten underneath the sweetness. Though she could just be biased, it's far from the realm of possibility.
Alastor, meanwhile, stays very quiet and holds very still - if he thought her being covered in Sinner Blood was hard enough, then her being splattered all over with Angelic Blood is a whole new kind of challenge.
One Rosie seems to pick up on at once, if her delighted grin is anything to go by. Planting both hands on Alastor's shoulders, Rosie says "After Extermination Day is dealt with, Mister, you and I are going to have tea and you're telling me everything."
Calli casually asks "You want my number? We can set up a date. I'll make snacks, Hed would very much like to try those pinkie fingers you offered Charlie, we can make a whole day of it."
Rosie smiles, saying "Aren't you something else altogether?"
Calli shrugs, vanishing the blood off her to hopefully get the smell out of her nose, saying "I'm something, that's for sure. What that is…even I'm not quite sure. You want a smoothie?"
Rosie blinks in surprise when Calli is suddenly holding a bright red glass of red smoothie, and glances at Alastor before asking "Where…where did that come from?"
Calli says "My magic can create or recreate pretty much anything I've experienced or it's interacted with. And I've made a lot of food over the course of my life. This…Cherry-Almond smoothie. No biggie. So, really, you want…wait, right, Cannibal. One sec." She makes two more glasses, cuts her hand open, and bleeds into the drinks a little before re-mixing it all together.
Rosie looks absolutely dumbfounded, and Alastor asks "Are you sure?"
Calli shrugs, saying "Normally, I wouldn't. But, seeing as she seems so wonderful and all…" Were it her old world, she would never consider it - in her old world, Blood Magic was very much a thing and she was never so grateful it had been so stupidly outlawed in Britain as when she learned the potential uses for it…mainly because Umbridge had access to literal gallons of her blood thanks to those detentions of hers, and who the fuck knows what the sadistic woman would've done with it if given the slightest opportunity. This world, though…has no such knowledge, no means of utilizing someone's blood to control them, bind them, or anything else.
Besides, it's Alastor - he may be the big, legitimately terrifying Radio Demon…but he's also the man who's listened to her worries of late, helped her keep her wings up, danced with her… As much as his reputation is well-earned, it's not all there is to him. And, Rosie truly does seem wonderful - better than Mimzy by far, not that she's going to say it out loud.
Plus, it'd be pretty rude of her to offer up something they possibly couldn't eat and then not offer any alternatives.
Rosie and Alastor take the offered smoothies, take sips, and Rosie immediately exclaims "Oh my stars, what else did you put in this, it's amazing!"
Calli shrugs, saying "Frozen Cherries, Almond butter, Almond Extract, Vanilla Extract, French Vanilla Ice Cream…"
"No, really, this is incredible! Is all your cooking this good?"
Calli shrugs, saying "I don't really want to brag-"
"Yes. And she usually cooks all three meals at the Hotel."
Calli says "I've just been cooking a long time. Figured out what works and what doesn't."
Rosie blinks, then says "Well, now I gotta come and visit." And that's when both Calli and Rosie realize Alastor's half-way through his own smoothie.
Calli can't fight the smile that forms on her lips at the sight, and asks "You want another?"
Alastor just nods his head eagerly, still drinking down the single best smoothie of his entire life - the flavors are practically exploding on his tongue, and underneath it all is the sharp tang of blood with something extra that can only be Calli's magic. It makes every single drop light up his entire body and set his magic running like he's just plugged it into a live current, like he's just eaten some of Vox's electricity and didn't get hurt whatsoever - and he doesn't think he'll ever get enough. The glass vanishes as soon as it's empty, and Alastor finds himself handed an even bigger glass filled to the brim.
"Glad you like it," Calli says with a grin, sliding down to the ground, "but, c'mon. I'm feeling better, so you'll just have to drink it on the way."
Rosie gives Alastor a hug goodbye, and says "Magical, able to fight off Exorcists without breaking a sweat, this good a cook, and she's the 'Calla Lily' from the radio? She's absolutely a keeper, Alastor." Mimzy may have come to the Emporium a while ago ranting and raving about a 'red-haired magic bitch' Alastor's so interested in, and Rosie can finally see why the shorter woman was feeling so threatened - Mimzy and Alastor have known each other since before they died, yet Alastor's never behaved like this around the dancer whatsoever.
"Hey, Rosie, quick question - how many Cannibals do you have? I just had a great idea for how to keep them all in one piece, but I need to know how many just went with Charlie up to the Hotel." Rosie and Alastor glance over to see Calli with a piece of parchment and a pen floating in front of her that wasn't there a moment ago, the pen rapidly writing away.
Clearing her throat, Rosie asks "Uh…what now?"
"Lucifer has a crap-ton of rubber ducks I can cast a spell from my old world to temporarily animate, but I can use a portion of them as Anchors for a Ward scheme that would transfer any damage any of them would take elsewhere. But they'd have to have a duck on them for it to work. So…how many Cannibals did Charlie just take with her?"
Calliope Peverell, Rosie's just learned, does not do anything by halves.
Alastor asks "You were going to turn a pile of rubber ducks…into weapons?"
Calli grins, saying "I happen to have picked apart the different enchantments used on the Angelic weaponry while I was packing up everything. Shouldn't be too hard to tip all their wings, beaks, and any feet Lucifer added on with my own version of Angelic Steel."
Rosie asks "So…you're making…"
"Murder-ducks? Yes, yes I am."
Alastor throws his head back and laughs…and then the city suddenly goes dark. And they all hear something crash into a nearby building - one of the drones Vox was marketing to spy on other people, perhaps?
Calli just makes a ball of light in her hand, and rolls her eyes before saying "Either Vox is spying on us, or he and Valentino are in an argument. C'mon, let's head back…you want to fly, or should we walk?"
Alastor quickly says "Walk, please. I'm quite enjoying this." There's also the detail that he went with Calliope on her flying bike the one time, and hated it - he's meant to be on the ground, not hanging on for dear life and hoping he doesn't lose his balance a hundred feet in the air!
When Alastor and Calli get back to the Hotel, they find Husk, Angel, Niffty, and Pentious have been making renovations to the Hotel for the battle, Vaggie went to Carmilla Carmine's compound to pick up a massive shipment of weapons and parts for Pentious, and everyone's looking through the weapons for something that'll suit them.
Husk blinks in shock at the sight of Alastor drinking a smoothie - his fifth, as it happens - but then just shakes his head and murmurs "Know what? Not the craziest thing I've seen about him lately."
And then Calli pushes her sleeves up, and quite literally dives into the preparations happening. She's got ideas for this, starting with the Alastor-sized mountain of rubber ducks Lucifer has piled up in the kitchen. Looks like she's got a small army of ducks to make extra deadly!
Calli sighs in relief when she manages to get both herself and Alastor sprawled out on her oversized bed - and, for the first time, she's beyond grateful her magic made it so massive.
She's pretty sure Alastor somehow managed to get either drunk, high, or some combination of the two from her blood and magic…maybe 16 of those smoothies in the space of half a day wasn't the greatest idea ever. She can feel his own magic surging inside him…maybe that's what's causing it? He's...magic-drunk? Ingesting mass amounts of her magic is making his own react and doing…this to him?
"Caaalliiii…" Alastor curls up around her body, face buried in her neck, and asks "Who told you to stop? I demand attention!"
Calli very nearly facepalms, and sighs in utter defeat when he adds a hiccupped 'please' onto it before giving her the biggest doe-eyes ever.
"Alright, alright," she murmurs, adjusting her body slightly so she'll actually be able to fall asleep for a bit, "calm down, I was just getting comfy s'all…" One of her hands ends up buried in his hair, rubbing the base of his ears like she used to do for Crookshanks way back when he was still alive.
And, hilariously enough - adorably enough, rather - it makes him start bleating in sheer contentment. Squeaking, to.
Alastor apparently makes deer noises when he's relaxed enough…who knew?
She's gonna have to go check on Rosie tomorrow, though - make sure she's not anything like this. If so, she's going to have to figure out just what being half angel and half demon did to her blood - her blood did not get people magic-drunk or magic-high before this world, and she hasn't let anyone else eat it before now.