Work Text:
Charlie clasped her hands together and her smile tightened. “I’m sorry, what was that again?”
Vox lowered his shoulders and put his hands in his pockets. He turned his head, making one of the hanging links on the soul chain around his neck clink. “May I have the hotel’s books? Alastor has tasked me with keeping them from now on.”
“Okay, that’s what I thought you said the first time.” Charlie nodded and twisted her hands. The glowing green chain made her a little nauseous. Why was it visible? She thought they were usually unseen. “I’m sorry, Vox. Alastor may be the hotelier, but I am not comfortable with you managing our finances. Not that you wouldn’t be good at it, but I’d rather you…not.”
There really wasn’t a polite way to say she didn’t want the Media Overlord anywhere near the inner workings of the hotel.
Vox exhaled and put his hand on the side of his head. His face’s screen flickered with static before he spoke again. “Princess, Alastor has ordered me to take over the hotel’s bookkeeping. So if you don’t allow me to do it, I will feel compelled to do it by any means necessary. I’d rather not have to sneak in and steal them if I can just get it over with.”
“I’m sure I can talk with Alastor–”
“He’s not going to change his mind,” Vox said, voice slow. “I can promise you that. He probably gave me the task knowing you’d be against it and wants to see me crawl through vents or whatever trying to get your hotel’s financial documents.”
Charlie bit her lip.
“You can watch me work if you’re that distrusting.” Vox shrugged. “Probably better if you’re around to answer questions.”
“Vaggi would know the answers better than I,” Charlie said. She dropped her hands and crossed her arms. Was he being right about Alastor? Was it all just a set up to amuse himself? Charlie shook her head. “I will get her and we’ll just work this out somehow.”
Vox shrugged. “Sure.”
Charlie gave her girlfriend a call, and she arrived not seconds later to the main office. They invited Vox in and Vaggi watched him like a hawk as he opened up their ledgers and pulled over folders of receipts with a scowl.
He started talking about requisitions and purchase orders, appearing for all intents and purposes like he was doing the bookkeeping seriously.
Charlie excused herself and wandered to the bar to clear her head.
She had the Media Overlord doing the bookkeeping at her hotel because her Hotelier owned his soul–an event that she had no knowledge of how it happened.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Husk asked, setting a glass of juice in front of Charlie. He’d poured it in a fancy cocktail glass and put a light rim of sugar around the edge. “You look down.”
“I’ve got a lot on my mind, I guess.” She held the cup by the stem and glanced toward her main office. “Vox is organizing our finances.”
“Figures Alastor is playing favorites already.” Husk snorted and wiped down a corner of the bar. At Charlie’s confused expression, he continued. “He gave Vox a job that he’s not only good at, but probably likes doing. That man’s been a workaholic his entire life.”
“I see.”
Charlie did not, in fact see. She had very little understanding of what was going on. Alastor and Vox had seemed so confrontational! Why would he play favorites? Why did he have Vox’s soul? Why was he making the overlord work at the hotel?
Alastor had too many of his own motives. She wanted to trust him; she did. But–
“You’re thinking too hard about it.” Husk tapped the bar with his claw. “When Alastor takes an interest in another overlord, they either join his broadcast or become his bound. This thing with Vox was inevitable, and frankly, I’m shocked it took Alastor this long to chain him.”
Husk touched his own throat and something clicked in Charlie’s head: “You and Alastor aren’t just friends, are you?”
“Don’t tell him you figured it out.” Husk sniffed. “Alastor likes to pretend I’m just here for the free booze.”
Charlie had no intention of making things harder for Husk. She nodded and took a gulp of her juice.
“Didn’t realize the princess could knock them back like that,” Vox said, making Charlie jump. She scrambled to catch her glass, only losing a few drops of juice over the side. “Easy.”
Charlie turned to see Vox and Vaggi standing side by side. “Is something wrong?”
“No,” Vaggi said. “He’s done.”
“Done?”
“Princess, the entirety of this hotel’s finances are the equivalent of a sub-department from an off-site branch at VoxTek.” Vox sneered. “And that’s being generous. I used to manage the largest corporation in Pentagon City, so I’m not exaggerating when I say I could do your bookkeeping in my sleep.”
“It all checked out, too,” Vaggi said, the impressed tone saying more than her words. “Vox also hooked himself into the system so he can manage files in real time from anywhere.”
“That’s good?” Charlie did not know if that was good. “Um. Yes. Yes, good job.”
Vox sat at the bar. “Whisky.”
Husk raised a long brow at him and leaned on the counter.
Vox gritted his teeth and tried again, “May I have a whisky, please?”
“Sure.”
Husk served the drink and Vaggi sat next to Charlie. She watched Vox drink from the corner or her eye and held her glass tighter.
The green glow of his collar reflected off her glass and her stomach turned.