thedukeofhell: (Default)
Hastur, Duke of Hell ([personal profile] thedukeofhell) wrote2023-12-13 09:22 am

[open post - if you dare!]

What looks like a speck of black dust on the floor of the mansion starts growing, widening, until there's a large pool of darkness on the ground. It bubbles and roils, as thick and glistening as oil. A low wailing that sounds like a thousand lost souls crying out comes from it -- and a figure slowly climbs its way out of the darkness. The smell of sulphur permeates its way through the room. It's all very stereotypical. A little predictable, some would say.

Hastur, a Duke of Hell, stands in the middle of the room. He is tall, dark, definitely not handsome -- and definitely not a sight for sore eyes. If one had sore eyes and looked at him, one would instead want to use one's own fingers to tear one's own eyes out of the sockets rather than continue looking at him. He's distinctly quite maggoty until he pulls his form together more, at which point he's only mildly maggoty. Mildly maggoty and pissed.

He knows he's here. He can smell him here, the unique scent of gloomy fall evenings, leather jackets, gasoline, and something very... ophidian. After that whole ordeal with the Apocalypse, the stupid demon, the upstart, the fool, the-- flash bastard1 just up and left, saddling Hastur with all of his paperwork! Car parked on the street, abandoned. That was the kicker. The real head-scratcher. Why would Crowley abandon his car? The only explanation is that he's out there getting into some sort of trouble he shouldn't be... Disobeying the Lord and Master's orders, surely.2

"CROWLEY!" He suddenly yells, turning in a small circle. There's no response.

"Crawly," he says, quieter and more sinister. He walks to the door of the room, peering down the hallway. "I know you're here. I know you've abandoned your position. We aren't happy with you. He isn't happy with you. You're in big trouble... and you know what that means. We've done this before and I'm still BLOODY PISSED from last time. I've been sent to fetch you and the sooner you see me, the sooner you come to me... the fewer repercussions you'll have to face." The unhappy smile on his face says otherwise.

Hastur, Duke of Hell, is angry and on the hunt for a particular demon. Apologies to anyone who gets in his way.

1Hastur's insults typically lack swear words, despite being a demon, because (due to being a demon) he is quite uncreative.
2 The concepts of trouble and disobedience are lauded in Hell in thought but not the practice-- and especially not against Hell.
protagonisthalo: (you fool......)

[personal profile] protagonisthalo 2023-12-14 10:59 pm (UTC)(link)
"I have been charged with his protection. A strike against him is a strike against my clan."
az_fell: (hmm)

[personal profile] az_fell 2023-12-14 11:18 pm (UTC)(link)
Has he?! Aziraphale was utterly unaware of this. He's bumbled into some unusual situations before, but he feels he would have remembered joining whatever clan this is. Ah, well. He settles in to watch.
protagonisthalo: (you fool......)

[personal profile] protagonisthalo 2023-12-15 12:20 pm (UTC)(link)
"That of the demons banished from the heavens for their terrible deeds. Now, leave this place—or fight."
az_fell: (a.z. fell)

[personal profile] az_fell 2023-12-15 02:51 pm (UTC)(link)
Truly, Aziraphale learns something every day. One would think that learning would have been exhausted after several thousand years of existence, but here he is, learning(?) that there's apparently a second demon out there with Aziraphale's own best interests at heart. Is this Crowley's doing somehow? Tender-hearted indeed.

"Why, thank you," he tells Luo Binghe's unnecessarily tall back.
protagonisthalo: (hmph.)

[personal profile] protagonisthalo 2023-12-15 03:54 pm (UTC)(link)
Luo Binghe frowns in suspicion. "When you say 'Hell,' are you speaking of the domain of Lord Satan?"
az_fell: (Default)

[personal profile] az_fell 2023-12-15 05:49 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, is this going to be one of those confrontations where everyone talks for a while first? All right. Aziraphale wonders if he ought to conjure up a drink.
protagonisthalo: (you fool......)

[personal profile] protagonisthalo 2023-12-15 06:22 pm (UTC)(link)
Now it's all clear. Crowley told Luo Binghe that Aziraphale was a heavenly being, someone he has known since before he was even banished from the heavens, and therefore important to him. This must be another of the Heavenly Demons that lives isolated within the Endless Abyss, in Lord Satan's lonely kingdom, and he must be an enemy of Crowley's.1 Well, Luo Binghe may be only half-demon, but he won't back down. "Then listen closely. I am the true Emperor of demons, and one day I will defeat Satan and take his lands for my own. But until then, I will defend Crowley and those dear to him." He gestures, in case it's not clear that he means Aziraphale. Then he cups his hands in front of him, and blasts Hastur with pure qi in the form of black flame.

1If Hastur is a Heavenly Demon, he would count as Binghe's family too, but he hasn't acknowledged Binghe as such the way Crowley has.
az_fell: (hearteyes)

[personal profile] az_fell 2023-12-15 06:28 pm (UTC)(link)
Crowley and those dear to him. Aziraphale hides a little smile behind one hand, but then finds it necessary to use that hand to give Luo Binghe a little round of applause as his attack launches at Hastur. "Well done," he says encouragingly.
protagonisthalo: (angry mad)

[personal profile] protagonisthalo 2023-12-16 02:16 am (UTC)(link)
Truly, the powers of a full-blooded Heavenly Demon are formidable. Luo Binghe is not confident he can beat this demon without a sword, but he has never backed down from a fight and he's not about to start.

"For Crowley," Luo Binghe says. He already explained that! "That was a warning shot! Leave now and do not trouble this 'angel' again."
az_fell: (dubious)

[personal profile] az_fell 2023-12-16 04:25 am (UTC)(link)
"That wasn't very pleasant, was it?" says Aziraphale to Luo Binghe. "I'll actually be quite unhappy if he makes it all the way to Crowley." He brushes a bit of imaginary dirt off his waistcoat, perhaps thinking a bit overmuch about maggots just now. "Thank you, by the way."
protagonisthalo: (Default)

[personal profile] protagonisthalo 2023-12-16 07:58 pm (UTC)(link)
Luo Binghe acknowledges his thanks with a nod. "It was a favor repaid. You are unhurt?"
az_fell: (hmm)

[personal profile] az_fell 2023-12-16 10:39 pm (UTC)(link)
"I'm perfectly fine, thanks to you." This is true, but he most likely also would have been perfectly fine without Luo Binghe. No need to spoil the boy's fun. "I didn't know Crowley had something so impressive in his back pocket."
protagonisthalo: (taiwanese)

[personal profile] protagonisthalo 2023-12-17 04:17 am (UTC)(link)
Luo Binghe straightens a little, buoyed by the flattering attention, and flicks his hair behind his shoulder. "He is my ancestor. I am half-demon."
az_fell: (a.z. fell)

[personal profile] az_fell 2023-12-17 04:37 am (UTC)(link)
"Oh, is he?" Aziraphale's expression remains polite. He is one hundred percent sure that Crowley doesn't have any direct descendants, but maybe this young man is speaking more figuratively. "Well, your loyalty is much appreciated. Not many demons -- or half-demons -- would come to the aid of an angel so readily."
protagonisthalo: (burmese)

[personal profile] protagonisthalo 2023-12-17 04:57 am (UTC)(link)
"Crowley charged me with your protection, in repayment for some needed guidance in a time of crisis. I did think it strange that a demon would be friendly with a being from the heavens," Luo Binghe admits. "I thought you must have known each other since before he was banished." And he found it moving that Crowley could remain attached to someone from another realm for so long. It's true what they say—Heavenly Demons fall hard.
az_fell: (hearteyes)

[personal profile] az_fell 2023-12-17 05:11 am (UTC)(link)
The aforementioned politeness makes an abrupt shift into helpless fondness1. "Since fairly shortly after, in fact," says Aziraphale. "We have had... a certain arrangement2 for a very long time now. He charged you with my protection?" It's all so very... chivalrous. Noble, even. "Oh, Crowley."

1Unlike certain other puppets of this typist's, Aziraphale is mediocre to bad at controlling his facial expressions.
2Capital letter currently undergoing administrative review.
protagonisthalo: (Default)

[personal profile] protagonisthalo 2023-12-17 05:46 am (UTC)(link)
If they met after Crowley became a demon, it's even more romantic, and the look on the angel's face shows that he knows it. Luo Binghe's recent experiences with love have made him just a bit soft to the idea. Crowley's advice helped Luo Binghe gain the courage to pursue Shen Yuan, and Luo Binghe is meticulous about repaying his debts. He does not need Crowley to ask him for the second favor he promised. It's clear that the most fitting way to reciprocate Crowley's deeds would be to help him find what Luo Binghe has found. In the future, he'll have to look for opportunities to assist.

For now, his duty here is fulfilled. "You should leave this place, in case he returns."
az_fell: (ineffable)

[personal profile] az_fell 2023-12-17 01:02 pm (UTC)(link)
"Fair enough," says Aziraphale agreeably. He'll need to find Crowley shortly anyway, to be certain Hastur didn't make good on any of those threats after all. "Thank you again, young man." He gives Luo Binghe a smile and turns to go.