Work Text:
Rosie had her eyes set on Alastor since the moment she saw him roaming Cannibal Town. He was funny, charming, smart. Everything she could’ve asked for in a man. Everything her previous partners hadn’t been.
But that wasn’t all of it. In Alastor’s eyes, she saw a hunger. Not that hollow, unsatiable hunger for the flesh she always saw in the soulless black eyes of the residents of her district. No. His was a hunger for power.
It was something she knew too well herself. Knew how to manipulate that desire in others too. How to use it to her advantage. Pull on the right strings, and watch him bend and bow.
She had her own, other kinds of charms too. She knew all the right things to say, made men putty in her hands. But unlike the others, it didn’t work on Alastor. The only time she succeeded at getting to him was when she fed into his desire for power.
He wanted to topple overlords, wanted to establish himself as the most powerful demon in hell. He surely was ambitious for someone who was considerably new. For someone who didn’t know the way things worked down here.
His lack of information, however, was something she could take advantage of.
“I can give you what you want, honey,” she told him, as they were sitting in her living room, sipping on steaming cups of tea. “I can grant you the power you wish. If you give me what I want as well.”
“And what do you want?
Rosie smiled, her sharp teeth on display. “Well, I have all this town to rule. But it gets lonely at the top.”
Confusion flickered in Alastor’s gaze. “I’m not sure I follow.”
“Darling, it’s so simple, really.” She reached out with her hand and placed it on top of his. And though she could feel his muscles stiffen under her touch, she had to give him credit, he did not pull away. “I’m offering you the chance to rule by my side. You’ll have the power to rise above, and I’ll have someone to keep me warm at night. We’ll be equals, of course. It’s a fair trade, don’t you think?”
With her words, Alastor did pull his hand away, jumping up to his feet. “Absolutely not!” he said, and his reaction took her by surprise. Even if he’d been unresponsive to her flirting before, she had thought this was an offer he possibly couldn’t refuse.
“Why not?” she asked, still keeping her tone mild. Nobody had ever rejected her so bluntly. “Alastor, sweetheart, maybe you should think again. You’re turning down a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
“Sleeping my way to the top is a once in a lifetime opportunity?” he sounded unconvinced. “I think quite a few people must be offering that down here.”
“Perhaps,” she agreed. “But I guarantee you only very few of them would be so nice about it. I’m offering you equality, Alastor. Not slavery. We can rise above the crowd together. As partners. As lovers.”
“My answer is still no.”
“No?” Rosie’s face fell. She did like him. She did like him quite a lot. It would be such a shame to let him go like this. But he had hurt her, wounded her pride. As nice as she outwardly seemed, she wasn’t the type to forgive easily.
“Rosie, you’ve been a good friend to me ever since we met,” he said, his voice calm, placating. “But I can’t give you what you’re asking. I’m not interested.”
She managed to place a cheerful grin on her face, trying not to show her disappointment. “Oh, don’t you worry about it!” she said, keeping her tone cheerful. “I’m not going to force you into anything.”
She wouldn’t force him, but she wouldn’t let him go either. He had to pay. He had to know what it exactly meant to turn her down and make her ashamed.
“Since you’re my friend,” she began again. “I’ll still help you out. You want power? I’ll help you get it. There are just few tiny steps you need to follow.”
Her smile still plastered on her face, she conjured up a parchment out of thin air, the paper gleaming with an ominous green. “Just sign this with your name, and you’ll be set on your way to reach the top.”
She could see from his expression that he was skeptical, concerned even. Good. She wouldn’t expect anything less from someone as smart as he was. She watched his brows furrow as he read the contract. So very few souls read those things nowadays. She was impressed.
It really was such a shame. He would’ve been so perfect for her.
“You want me to give you my soul?”
Rosie laughed, carefree, lighthearted. “Oh, honey. I promise you, that’s just a formality. Something that needs to be done. It won’t change anything. We’ll still be friends.” She handed him the pen in an attempt to encourage him.
Alastor stared down at the pen, then looked up at the paper still floating in the air between them. “And how do I know you won’t use this to… make me your lover, as you put it?”
“I told you I won’t force you,” she reminded him. “I’m just helping out a friend. You deserve power, Alastor. You’re so much better than the rest.” She wasn’t even fully lying. Alastor was one of the few demons in hell who could make something with the power he had. She had just skipped mentioning she would be holding the strings. “Come on. You know you want to.”
After another moment of hesitation, Alastor reached for the parchment, the pitch black ink staining the paper as he signed his name.
The moment he did, the contract disappeared, replaced by a glowing chain around his neck. His eyes widened with the realization of what he had done, but it was too late now. Maybe he should’ve thought better than just giving his soul away. Should’ve thought better than rejecting her and breaking her heart.
He belonged to her now.
Sweet, sweet Alastor. He would regret the day he didn’t take up on her offer. Her presence would always be there to remind him of who held the leash around his neck, reminding him that no matter how big he would get, no matter how much power he would obtain, it would all be hers. He wouldn’t have anything at all.
And that knowledge alone would be enough to torment him for eternity.
“Sit,” she ordered, yanking on his chain with a wave of her hand in the air. He sat, glaring at her. But there was also fear in his eyes. How delicious. “Now take your teacup, darling.” He did, and she smiled in approval.
“You promised,” he gritted out, his jaw tense. “You said it was just a formality!” His fury was barely restrained within the confines of his body. But he wouldn't be able to move an inch.
Rosie just took a sip of her tea, unbothered by his anger. He was not a threat to her. “Really, Alastor. Did you actually think you could hurt a lady’s feelings like this and get away with it?” She shook her head in disapproval. “We could’ve been partners. But you refused. Have all the power you want now, I don’t mind. But at the end of the day, none of it will ever be truly yours.”
So he didn’t love her? No matter. She didn’t need his love to keep him by her side. If he didn’t want to be her lover, then he would be her pet. Just another soul in her vast collection. But he would always be special. More important than the rest.
Her most prized possession.