#(angel be good and agree to this it's gonna be so much funnnn~)

[worldly-diversity]

@questionablemuses ○ 𝕒𝕟𝕘𝕖𝕝 𝕒𝕤𝕜𝕖𝕕 𝕧𝕠𝕩 ○

          ⤷  『  Angel lifts his head & only groans when he sees Vox. "Please, don't tell Val I'm here." He sounded absolutely wasted, his color paler than normal & his eyes not entirely focusing. "This was the closest place I could crash fer awhile. I'm not even staying here that long."

He gazes tiredly up at the other overlord, wincing slightly. "I'll do anythin' you want. Just don't rat me out."  』

Periodic cursory camera inspections had informed him that Angel had left the studio and Val had ascended the tower. Being finished with his own work for the time being he thusly intended to head up himself and enjoy the evening with his fellows, mayhap even plot some more mayhem for them to execute.

Instead, the recent scan informed him of something out of the ordinary— Pink fur collapsed over a table. In the private section of Vox' own tower. What the actual fuck. Surely the little prick knows Vox has no sympathy towards him? Yet he's hiding in Vox' area rather than going back to that tacky project of a hotel the princess is working on.

It's child's play to observe the security footage as he turns around and begins the leisurely walk back to his own section. Guess Angel had been having bad enough of a day he'd barely made it out of the tower and had assumed, correctly, that going outside in this state would make him easy pickings for whoever wanted to have a go at him.

Whether putting himself at Vox' not so tender mercies was a step up from that, however…

His shoes click on the polished floor, hands clasped idly behind his back as he takes in the spider demon's appearance and approaches him. The intent was to scold him, maybe coerce him into a mild concession or two depending on how the conversation went, and then delivering him back to Val because it was a surefire way to fix the moth's mood when he got pissy. Just give him what he wants and poof— No more temper tantrum.

What Angel actually offers him without even being prompted however— Oh the options! The little fool is actually giving Vox a stupid amount of power over him right now and all of it is fuelled by the fear of what Valentino was going to do to him if he found out Angel tried to leave in a state like that.

Where even had he found the booze to look this drunk? Then again, it could be the drugs too, he's well aware that Val likes to supply him in order to keep him malleable and attached even beyond the ties of the contract. A contract that offered the arachnid an unprecedented amount of freedom compared to others who were foolish enough to feed an overlord's power.

Now, how to proceed…

Stepping forward he slips his clawed fingers under Angel's jaw, a slightly sharp simulation of cupping his cheek which he uses to assess the other's state. Well and truly fucked up, probably in more ways than one considering what Val got up to in that studio of his.

"You sure know how to get yourself into trouble, huh Anthony?" He mused, a sardonic smirk on his screen which was only kept minimal by his exerted self-control. Angel was offering himself for the promise of safety for just a little longer. Just a little more— Always more. That's just how these types are, but he can work with that.

Clawed fingers caressed the spider's cheek with far more gentleness than Vox ever cared to express towards the spider. Surely Angel knew that Vox disliked him? More specifically, Angel had taken to causing trouble for Valentino with his defiance, his backtalk, staying at the princess' hotel as though he could ever be redeemed when Valentino had a tight grip on his soul.

You can't let defiance like that go— Really, you can't. All it serves to do is undermine your power and reputation when people see that you let a slut like Angel get away with such disobedience and disrespect and do nothing about it. And it is nothing, for all that he's sure Angel's increased working hours beg to differ. It's not public though, and therein lies the crux of the matter.

Angel needs to fall into line, and he needs to look like he wants to be there. Nothing less will satisfy.

He lets go of Angel's cheek to instead walk around the table and take a chair beside him. Not across— Specifically not across. If he's going to pull this off he needs to let Angel think he can rely on him, that he's safe, that Vox feels for him. He doesn't, which is beside the point.

"I'm sure we can come to an agreement. It's not just anyone who can manage to slip past my security in this kind of a state, you know." He speaks in a measured tone, inflecting mild amusement and keeping the sharpest edges off his face and out of his voice. With any luck, there'll be two pairs of chains adorning him after tonight.

"You're afraid of him." Vox lays out matter-of-factly. It is a fact, after all, but he figures the demon might as well try to deny it. There's a good question, actually. Would Angel be honest with him, or would he try to hide behind his bravado? An easy thing to pop when you know where to press, but this would work more smoothly if Angel didn't put up such pointless resistance.

"I know what that's like." He murmurs gently after a brief lull in their exchange. Go on, believe it— He's not engaging his eye, not yet. It's much too soon, he needs to coax Angel over the edge first. "He's violent, always has been. Such pretty promises, yet once you're in too deep there's no way out, is there? And no one to protect you."

"I'm an overlord myself, there's not much he can do to me now—" He chuckled out a self-deprecating scoff. "Well, that's not to say I haven't had to replace the screen a couple times in the years I've known him though."

Drawing in your target audience with sensationalism is fun, but getting under their skin through something they can relate to is a thrill in and of itself. It's so much more personal, and he can't wait to see Angel's expression once the realisation hits, but by then it'll be far too late.

"You're just one of his toys though, he's not likely to hold back with you. And it's getting worse, isn't it?" He murmured, leaning forward, offering sympathy. None of this would work on Angel if he were sober, but he's not. Vox is going to take advantage as well as he can. "So what if we can help each other, hm?"

Come on little spider, take the bait~

"Val's an important part of this thing we're building. But he's impulsive, reckless, his anger can blind him to the simplest things— Like not going after you in public." He inclines his head in perhaps a slightly too subtle admission that he'd helped, at least possibly too subtle now that Angel had fucked himself up to this degree. "I need him to calm the fuck down, and you need him to stop hurting you, don't you?"

"I can make him stop." Vox reached out to Angel then, brushing a bit of fur out of Angel's eyes to sharpen his focus and at the same time associate him with more gentle treatment. Vox had never yelled at Angel, nor hurt him. He intended to reinforce that image, encouraging Angel to trust him.

"But I need your cooperation in this, Anthony. I can't calm him down if you run off wherever whenever. We have an image to maintain; you can do whatever you want within those constraints, and I'll keep Val off of you. All you need to do is follow my guidance."

His hand, which had pulled back after brushing the other's fur aside, approached once again. This time held level, palm slightly up in an entirely dishonest display of honesty and openness. Go on, shake my hand.

"Do we have a deal?"