u/Trekkie_Phoca

Alright, time for part 2 of the episode I'm calling 5.5 that exists purely in the continuity of Reina's story. To say I've been excited for this part is an understatement

Anyway, we get a small time jump to the next day. Reina, now back and working again as the cook for the hotel, heads to the culinary district to pick up some much needed inventory for the hotel kitchen. With more guests living there, Reina can no longer confine herself to weekly grocery runs, and now has to transport loads of food back to the hotel at a time (thankfully, Charlie lets her borrow the limo).

The culinary district is an area of the city I came up with, and is owned by Julia Cullin, an overlord OC of mine whom I briefly mentioned in the last post. To give a brief summary of her character for those unfamiliar, Julia was once the host of a cooking show in the 1950s and 60s, and did some slimy things to ruin her rivals careers, since she felt they weren't giving cooking the proper respect it deserved. She isn't a murderer and never resorted to blood the way Vox does. More like finding blackmail material on them, or finding discrete ways to embarass them on live tv. She was ultimately poisoned by her husband who didn't approve of his wife having a famous career (he saw it as a slight on his manhood). While in Hell, she capitalized on her fame on Earth to help her rise the ranks of the Overlords and build a culinary empire of restaurants, grocery stores, and catering companies, all of which she oversees. She also has a cooking show hosted on a non-Vox affiliated network (she hates Vox since he reminds her of the husband who killed her and because she doesn't have a high opinion of most arrogant men). Julia was one of the only overlords who didn't side with Vox during ep 5. She honestly doesn't really get political unless she has to, since she prefers to focus on her own business ventures. She turned Vox down both because she hates him, and because she sees the hotel as a loyal customer base that she would prefer to keep (largely thanks to Reina).

She and Reina met because Reina frequently shops in her territory, and the two have become friends. Appearance wise, she's mostly humanoid and avout six feet tall with green hair, very pale skin (mashed potato color), yellow eyes on black sclera, and wheres a white top with rolled up sleeves, black trousers, heels, and an apron decorated with pictures of vegetables and cooking utensils.

Reina ends up at this place that is part grocery store, part restaurant. Reina usually ends up getting lunch while Julia's employees load the inventory order into the limo outside. While Reina is waiting for her food, Julia, who is working there that day, chats with her about recent events. She tells her how she told Vox to fuck himself when he came to recruit her, which makes Reina feel better, knowing at least one overlord has some standards. Julia had apparently seen the fight with Alastor, Reina, Husk, and Nifty vs. the Vees, and says she was rooting for her, and sorry to see Alastor get captured, since while she doesn't know the Radio Demon personally, any enemy of 'that dickhead' is welcome at any of her businesses. I think by this point, the relationship between Reina and Al is common knowledge, as I wouldn't be surprised if Vox revealed it after ep 4 as a way of further embarassing Alastor. Thus, Julia gives Reina her sympathies and hopes Reina will get to kick Vox's ass soon.

Both of them are surprised when the very demon they are discussing unexpectedly appears in Julia's establishment. Julia is annoyed and is prepared to have him escorted out, but Vox tells her that he's merely here for a coffee and it wouldn't look good if she 'petutantly' evicted him. Julia reluctantly has her employees serve him, though she warns him she reserves the right to refuse him further service, and that he can't do anything about it since this is her turf.

It soon becomes clear that the real reason he is here is because of Reina. Vox tries to act all charming and asks Reina to sit with him at a booth and talk. Reina is tempted to refuse, but is a little curious as to what he might try doing, and so she accepts. Julia wonders if she's out of her mind, but is ready to keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't do anything innapropriate (she's a real girl's girl).

Vox gets his coffee, and he begins his chat (which is honestly one sided at first with him mostly just talking at Reina). He remarks on his latest triumphs, hoping to ilicit anger or pain from Reina, but finds this isn't successful. He then unexpectedly shifts to the past, remarking on how much he admired her in life and saw her as the one who got away, and how he wishes he could have done things differently. He claims if he could go back, he would have treated her better. Reina doesn't believe a word of it, as his prior actions suggest he hasn't changed a bit from the slimy con artist with tendencies towards rape, murder, and stalking.

He then catches her off guard when he proposes something to her. He invites her to join his efforts, making her one of the Vees. Reina is flabbergasted, and immediately says 'heck no', saying she would never work with the man who tried to rape and kill her, and who may have killed her daughters. Vox acts embarrassed and admits he lied about the last part, and claims it was a mistake and he has regretted it (really trying to play up being a changed man even though he should have known this wouldn't work). He continues trying to butter up Reina and bring her away from the hotel and to his side, even saying he'll release Alastor and cut ties with Valentino and Velvette if she'll agree to work with him.

Unsurprisingly, none of this works. Reina doesn't believe a word he says and tells him as such.

At this point Vox gets frustrated. He then resorts to threats, saying he'll hurt Alastor if she doesn't agree, and that she will regret it. He then says he knows that she's been broken by Alastor's capture and expresses the belief that she can't cope without a man to protect and guide her and says that he can be that man. He also says that the hotel is a foolish endeavor that isn't good enough for her talents, and that she's being wasted and there's no way she's truly happy there, and that surely she must want more. She's waiting in the wings, he says, when she ought to be at the front of the show.

Julia, getting tired of Vox antagonizing her friend, steps in and offers to take care of this. Reina however, no longer nearly so afraid and having recently gotten a better grip on her own sense of self, decides that 'if he wants a show, I'll give him one'.

She then summons some of her paper animals and brings them to life.

What follows is Reina getting a solo song. The song in question is King of Anything, and is in reality a song by Sara Bareilles, but in this universe we are pretending is written for Reina and the show. The paper animals serve as her back up singers (and would be voiced by the same VA that Reina would have). Reina essentially says through the song that Vox can't change her opinions, she isn't falling for his BS, and that she doesn't need him to 'save her'. Effectively, she's signalling she's not letting her fear, her pain, or anything else she associates with Vox control her anymore, and that he has no power over her. She gets quite sassy and even faux-smug, in a way that would make Alastor proud. At the end of the song, she pays her check, bumps fists with Julia, and leaves a frustrated and angry Vox behind as she heads to the limo to return to the hotel.

You might be wondering why Vox would try to recruit her and why he thought she might say yes. Well, there's a few reasons. For one, Vox, despite hating Reina for loving Alastor and rejecting him back then, still retains some of his feelings for her, and remembers her writing talent, thinking she would make a capable consort and business partner if she did join him. He knew it would probably be a long shot, but he hoped it might work. He knew Reina was previously broken by Alastor's capture and thought maybe the prospect of his freedom would tempt Reina, or that she might have given up on the hotel with him starting to look more and more likely to succeed, and therefore be succeptible to his manipulation. He certainly played up the charm in hopes she might fall for it, but Reina would have to be an idiot for that to happen. As for his willingness to cut out Val and Vel in favor of Reina, this largely stems from the fact that the two of them are starting to push back at him because of his ego and obsessions, and so this was him hoping to get rid of future rivals in favor of someone he felt he'd better be able to control.

Beyond all that, Vox also hoped that Reina would agree because he wanted to break Alastor, and what better way to do that than to turn the Radio Demon's wife against him.

Ultimately though, Vox was an idiot to think that he could get Reina on his side. I think if all else failed, he probably hoped he could break her further, taking advantage of the hurt he believed she was still drowning in from his capturing Al, compounded with his past acts from life. Thus, when Reina not only refuses his offers but summarily claps back at him and gives him a taste of his own sharp tongued medecine and defiance, he is left shocked and humiliated.

I imagine Vox recording the whole encounter and forcing Alastor to watch it live back at Vee Tower so that Al could see him turn Reina against him, only for his actions to backfire horribly, and now Alastor gets to see his wife take Vox on in style. I think Velvette would also have been there to see it and secretly gets a kick out of it, as she admires Reina's gumption if not her fashion sense or morality.

I also think someone in the restaurant at the time of the song recorded it and posted it online, with people eating up Vox getting taken down, because for all their love of The People's Voice, he really dug himself into that one, and Reina absolutely demolished him, and I think the people of Hell probably enjoy even seeing their so called heroes get taken down a peg sometimes. I also think that despite the huge crowds in ep 5, there's a decent chunk of the population who seriously think Vox is crazy or delusional to take on heaven, so they would certainly get a kick out of Reina's song. It would also add credence to Alastor's bit in ep 7 about not everyone having fallen in line, and why Vox doens't get the approval ratings he initially wants in 8.

Ultimately, Vox just made himself look like an idiot and give Alastor more ammunition (not to mention love for Reina).

Reina ultimately returns to the hotel, smiling devilishly, knowing that even if Vox makes things a whole lot worse, she got in at least a small victory against him.

And that is episode 5.5. I hope you liked this one. It was a long time coming. When I was planning out what I wanted for Reina in season 2, I ended up listening to King of Anything and thought the song fit Reina to a tee and wrote it in to her story in season 2. I think it contrasts well with the song that would be her solo in the previous season How Would That Feel, in which she's feeling a ton of self doubt and fear. That song is also driven by her relationship, or at least her memories, of Alastor, so this song, which is driven by Reina on her own, and her own sense of self and unwillingness to give in to Vox, also adds some interesting contrast. Also, the song itself is just really good.

If I had the skills, which I sadly don't, I would absolutely make an animatic of Reina singing King of Anything to Vox, but sadly I am a mediocre artist, and am no animator. I also don't know anyone who would go through the trouble of making such a piece for me, and it would probably cost a ton of money for me to pay them anyway (I would never make someone do that without pay. I'm not that entitled). We'll just have to imagine it, I fear.

We'll be getting into episode 6 next, where things will unfortunately get sad again for obvious reasons, but don't worry. Reina won't be crumbling again. If anything, the obstacles that come her away in the episodes ahead will embolden her. But we'll just have to see.

Comment your thoughts and I hope you end up enjoying the next posts that wrap up s2. I hate that I can't keep this series up afterwards since s3 isn't out yet. Once I finish s2, I'm going to pivot over to the stories of Reina's daughters, whose story is arguably even crazier than their mom's, and intersects heavily with Helluva Boss, and also involves Reina's dad, Samael, who I've mentioned in this story, but who is still missing from the Hazbin events currently. With Sylvie and Aurelia's story, you'll find out what he's currently up to and get to know him.

I'm also contemplating a mini AU with Reina involving a sinborn child between her and Al that would not be canon to my main AU involving Reina and other OCs. It would mostly be a fun what if, but I would love to do it.

Why am I doing a 5.5 episode and not getting into ep5?

To answer the latter part of that question, it's because Reina wouldn't appear in that episode. After ep4 and prior to the events Im going to describe, she doesn't leave her and Alastor's room at the hotel except to grab food on occasion and take Dulcie out to do her business. Otherwise, she remains in that room, largely in the bed, lying on Alastor's side cause it still somewhat smells like him. She's convinced Vox is going to kill him, both out of hatred for the Radio Demon, and to hurt her. She's fallen into a deep depression, and refuses to see anyone. Lucifer did briefly manage to get her to let him in, but he's been letting her have her own space since then, but it ready to check on her if need be.

Episode five basically goes the same as in Canon. There would be an added scene of Vox teying to recruit yhe culinary overlord and Reina's friend, Julia Cullin, to his cause, but she tells him to go fuck himself.

Reina learns what happened at Vox's rally thanks to the sinternet, and because Lucifer sends her a message that he's basically been kicked out of the hotel for his reckless stunt. None of this raises her spirits. She doesn't bathe, barely eats, and only allows Dulcie to keep her company. She also doesn't perform her worm as hotel cook, which leads to numerous complaints on the part of guests, with one of them loudly harassing Reina through her room door until Vaggi steps in to tell him cut it out, since Reina is not in a good place.

This continues for more than a few weeks. But then we reach mid July. Since the timeline in s2 is a little vague, but we know ep 1 starts presumably in early July (assuming the finale of s1 was June 1), Im just gonna say that we've reached mid July sometime after ep 5.

If Reina were a Canon character, than I think to incorporate her story in season 2, the season would need an additional episode Im going to refer to as 5.5, since it takes place between ep 5 and 6. The episode takes place on a day in mid july. Why is mid July meaningful for Reina?

Because then birthday of Reina's younger daughter Aurelia, called Ellie sometimes, falls in mid July. And it is this that prompts her to temporarily (at least it was intended as such) rise from the gloom. She takes a much needed shower, and heads down to the kitchen. She has no idea where her daughter is or whether she'll ever see her or her older daughter Sylvie ever again, but she wants to honor their memories. And on what would be Aurelia's 102 birthday, she makes a cake, just as she did on Earth for her girls. She makes it just the way Ellie liked it in life. Chocolate, with jam spread between the layers, and fruit to with it. It's a smallish cake, but Reina pours her heart and soul into it.

It cheers the others to see her our of her room for longer than ten minutes, and cooking again. They hope it's a sign of her finding strength again, though when Charlie tells her something along these lines, Reina angrily snaps at her that this only temporary. After today, she'll be as broken as she was before, she claims. She was already broken so many times over, she thinks. What happened in ep 4 broke the rest of her, in her mind.

Once the cake is made, she feels the need to share it. Not wanting to burden her friends with her grief, and feeling they won't understand her pain, she leaves the hotel and heads to Lucifer's palace. As someone who has also struggled with some of the most crippling depression imaginable, and who has struggled with not being able to be with those he loves, Lucifer understands her pain more than the others do, though it can't really be argued that his experiences and hers are the same.

He's surprised to see her, but gladly welcomes her inside. They split the cake and watch some TV together. Reina eventually opens up, telling Lucifer about her daughter's and sharing some happy memories if them. These stories include Alastor, and Lucifer is surprised to hear that the Radio Demon appeared to be a good father to his girls. He almost wonders if maybe he misjudged him, but decides he's still mostly a prick. R

Reminiscing is pleasant at first for Reina...but it also reminds her of how much she misses them. Lucifer also shares some anecdotes of his own, about Charlie as a child. He then also shares stories of Reina's dad Samael, Lucifer's older brother, including ones of their lives in Heaven before Lucifer fell, allowing Reina to learn even more about her dad.

Lucifer also shares that Samael was never the same after he was banished to Hell shen Reina was little, and that he never stopped pining for Reina and her mother during the time he and Luci were in contact. Lucifer admits he wishes he could have been more supportive of his brother in his grief and done more to help. And that maybe they'd still be in contact if he had. He remarks that he feels like his life is just him making fuck up after ruck up and making lives worse.

Reina sympathizes. She admits she feels her existence is just a buildup to her shattering fully, and that it's finally happened now that Vox has taken Alastor and seems ready to take over Heaven. She elaborates on this, relating all the tragedies that have plagued her. Her dad disappearing. Her mom dying. The mass shooting that she indirectly caused cause the shooter wanted to emulate a character she created. Her being ripped from her modern life and brought to 1924. Alastor's death. Vox trying to rape and kill her, which lead to her unintentionally being returned to modern day and being separated from her daughter's. Alastor nearly dying in the Extermination. And now Alastor being held captive.

Lucifer asks her how she coped each time a tragedy occurred. She says that with the loss of her parents, she kept living because she felt there was a future ahead. With time disacement, it was because she was at first hopeful she could return and later be cause she found happiness with Alastor and her friends and life. With Al's death, it was because she felt she needed to keep hoping for her young daughters. With what happened with Vox, she says that that almost destroyed, and the only reason she didnt unalive herself was because she was too scared to do it. With Alastor nearly dying, she kept.going for Charlie and the hotel, admitting that she sees elements of her daughter's in Charlie and Vaggi, and that was partly why she kept going.

But now Alastor may very well die and she is certain he will and that once he does....she will never recover. She doesn't think she could cope without him.

Lucifer points out that she not only managed to keep going after the Exterminatikn before they found out Alastor survived, but that she made a life for herself in Hell even before Alastor entered her life. And she did that on her own, without him, showing she's capable of finding meaning separate from him or her family. He also points out how every time she suffered a loss or her.life was destroyed, she rose again and kept going, showing a remarkable resilience. He says he thinks that part of her wants to live for herself, and that she is capable of doing it again. And that while Vox may have done horrible harm to her, and now has her husband, he hasnt truly won against her yet. Because she is still alive and managed to live on after what he did to her, die on her own terms, and build a life in Hell, and get back with the man she actually loves. And she still stands with the hotel and hasnt given in to Vox's fearmongering, which, in Lucifer's eyes, is pretty damn great.

Plus, while Al may be a prisoner, he's not dead yet. And Lucifer says that while he's a 'slimy SOB', he's a tough one, and probably has a plan to get out of the situation.

Reina, who hasn't really considered how much she's been able to do on her own, and what victories she does have against Vox, realizes Lucifer might be right.

This whole sequence of Lucifer point8ng out Reina's resilience and fortitude and her realizing that she has an inner strength and that Vox hasnt won yet against her or the hotel would probably play out as a duet in some fashion. Since it's so character specific, I dont have a song that would work well enough for it. If anyone wants to write one, go ahead.

Ultimately, Reina feels empowered. By the time she departs Lucifer's palace, she feels more certain of herself, and ready to continue giving Vox hell. She knows there's a lot ahead, and that Alastor may not survive. But if only to spite her enemy, but also for herself, she is determined to carry on, and keep fighting.

She briefly returns to the hotel, and ultimately apologizes to Charlie for snapping at her before. She says that ultimately, Charlie was right and that her getting out of her room and doing something meaningful was a start to her returning to herself again, even if she didnt know it

Charlie is glad to hear it. Reina says she'll get back to work and promises to make something good for the hotel that evening. Charlie tells her she doesn't need to rush back into it, but Reina insists, feeling that she should start while still on the high of empowerment.

And that is part 1 of 5.5. The next part will be shorter than this, I think, but will be very important, and includes a moment I have been waiting to post here since the beginning, and will show just how committed to her new strength of self and the hotel Reina is.

I hope you at least liked this part though. If it got a little repetitive, I apologize. And I hope I handled Reina's development well. Before this moment, she really didnt appreciate her own strength and resilience. Her demon form is meant to be a mix between a phoenix and a fox, with the phoenix symbolizing her constant falls into despair and rising out of it to make a new life each time her previous one is taken from her.

Oh boy. This is gonna be intense.

Before we get into the episode itself, let me wrap up some stuff leftover from ep 3.

After what happened there, Reina and Al eventually reunite in their bedroom. Reina angrily asks him where he went, telling him what happened including her having a ptsd breakdown and about what Vox said, including insinuating he may have killed their daughters. The notion makes Al's blood boil, but he is fairly certain Vox was lying. He points out to Reina that Vox's general targets were people in the TV industry, which neither of their girls were. Sylvie was a radio host, but would not have been considered even close to being a threat to Vox's rise. Aurélia wasnt even in any entertainment industry. Reina argues he might have killed them to get back at her, but Al points out that he effectively got his revenge on her, and wouldnt have felt any need to exact more revenge on a woman he would have seen as dead already. Besides, while he probably escaped suspicion related to Reina's disappearance due to being a white male celebrity, had their daughters also vanished, he might have had a tougher time avoiding suspicions.

Reina still isnt sure, but Alastor conviction in tje belief that Vox was merely trying to hurt Reina with his remarks somewhat assuage her fears, though it reminds her of how she still has no idea what be ane of them or where they are, and can only pray they are safe.

Now, we get to ep 4.

At the start of the episode, when Reina finds out Charlie is going on TV with Katie Killjoy to try and set the record straight, Reina is pissed. She derides Charlie for 'sucking up' to Vox despite not only the fact that he clearly wont be persuaded, but also what he did to Reina, a member of Charlie's own family. Charlie points out that it isnt about persuading Vox, but the people he's tried to influence. Reina points out that going Vox's channels is futile and that she ought to have learned given her prior experience with 666 news. Charlie, however, is desperate and choses to go through with it anyway, and Reina storms off in disgust.

The interview goes basically the same way it does in canon fyi.

Meanwhile, Alastor is in his and Reina's room, his shirt open and drinking whiskey. He doesnt have the cigarette in this version since he hasnt smoked in years (Reina had him quit when they wete on Earth after she told him it causes cancer and lung issues, and Alastor, out of love and self preservation, gave up the habit, and has not taken it up again even during the ninety years in Hell in which he and Reina were apart). He's not thrilled by what Charlie is doing either, but doesnt care enough about the hotel or Charlie to argue about it. If she wants to make a fool of herself, she can go right ahead as far as he's concerned. He's beyond done with this place. He knows Reina feels loyalty for the sake of her friends and family here, but he doesnt share that loyalty.

The same bit with Alastor and Lucifer happens as in the show and Alastor quits. Reina ends up coming into the lounge not too long after, where Angel tells her that Al quit. Reina, shocked, baffled, and frustrated, attempts to chase after Al, wanting to talk this through and get him to open up, since he's been distant compared to what he used to be for a month now and she's done letting that happen. U fortu lately, Alastor ignores her pleas and when she gets close, he teleports away. Reina fumes, but is also very very worried. She uses her papyrokinetic abilities to bring a bunch of paper birds to life and instructs them to fly across the city and find where Alastor has gone. One of them quickly spits him heading towards Cannibal Town, and Reina uses hrr abilities to see through its "eyes" effectively spying on Alastor. She manages to get the bird inside Rosie's emporium without Alastor or Rosie noticing. She wonders why the heck Al came here of all places.

She soon gets her answer as she eavesdrops on the conversation between Rosie and Al. She learns of their deal and that Rosie sent him to the hotel. During Rosie's monologue, she actually briefly eludes to Reina (in tbe context of Alastor hav7ng a wife on Earth during his life) and may even imply she knows that Reina is at the hotel. Alastor grows visibly angry when she mentions Reina and tells her to leave his wife out it, since she has nothing to do with the deal and he prefers to keep it that way, not knowing Reina is listening in. Rosie assures him that she has intention of hurting Reina, but Alastor doesnt believe her.

Reina witnesses Dont You Forget and then summons her bird back.

The revelation leaves Reina shocked and dismayed. She mumbles to herself.

Reina: "Al you idiot, what were you thinking?"

She strongly suspects that Rosie also had something to do with Alastor's death, even if she cant prove it. The timing seems too fortuotous for Rosie in Reina's view.

However, for now, she doesnt hate Rosie necessarily. Not like Vox anyway. She knows that compared to what Alastor's deals (nevermind what the Vees offer), Rosie is rather generous and benevolent by comparison. But she is frustrated that Al gave his soul away without truly thinking it through and what the ramifications for him, her, and their family might be.

She also feels deeply hurt that he kept this from her. She understands why he didnt tell her, but nevertheless, given their previous vows to never have secrets from each other, this one hits hard, and she wonders what else he might be hiding from her.

As much as she wants to go after him, Reina feels she wont be in a good headspace to confront him, and worries he will run away the way he did earlier. So she instead heads down to the bar. Husk senses something is wrong, but doesnt pry, giving her a whiskey (like husband like wife). She stays there until Nifty bursts in and tells them Alastor is in trouble. Nifty grabs Husk and Rei a doesnt hesitate. She puts on her angelic steel gloves and takes to the air, flying after Nifty. When they come upon the Vees fighting Alastor, Reina doesnt hold back. She rains fire on them.

She manages to set Velvette's clothes on fire, and give Val a nasty burn among other things, but her main target is Vox. Reina gives him Hell. For a while, he actually struggles against her, and like Val, gets some pretty nasty burns as well (to the point where he might not feel in enough shape to screw Val afterwards). But ultimately, while Reina's fire powrrs are pretty damn powerful, she lacks combat experience compared to Vox. The TV demon ultimately pins her down with his wires, with one even going around her throat. During the fight, she also sees Alastor's chest injury, and realizes immediately where it came from and feels a mix of heartbreak for his pain, and anger that he hid the extent of his injuries and got into a fight with Vox despite them.

Vox taunts Reina when he pins her down, and is prepared to start strangling her, at around the same time Nifty gets pinned by Val. It is then that Alastor, fearful for his wife and surrogate daughter/surrogate free roam pet, tells Vox to call off his goons and makes his offer. Reina is shocked and horrified, begging him not to do it, even for her, but her pleas land on deaf ears. Vox agrees and ad the handshake takes place, Reina, who by this point has been let go of, tries to run forward and stop it, screaming Al's name in desperation, frustration, and then grief and despair as the deal is sealed. Husk has to restrain her and practically drag het away, as she struggles, trying to reach her now captive husband.

Reina is terrified and devastated, knowing just how much Vox hates both her and Al, and that Alastor may very well not make it out alive. She is almost certain he wont, and this breaks her. She lost him once on earth, and almost lost him to the exorcists. Now...she might lose him again for good.

Husk drags Reina back to the hotel, only letting her go when they reach the entrance. She immediately heads to her and Alastor's room, locks the door, and now, alone save for poor Dulcie who is bewildered and worried for her 'mom', breaks down in broken sobs.

When Charlie returns to the hotel, she is also scared for Alastor and after learning what happenef and learning of Reina's state, blames herself for what happened, even though her doing or not doing the interview wouldnt have changed what happened.

Charlie tries to get Reina to let her in, fearfully saying she's sorry and trying to be there to help her, though Reina doesnt answer. Vaggi similarly gets no response, as does Angel. Cherri and Husk feel that the best thing to do is to give her space.

Hours later, an unexpected (though perhaps not so much given his relation to her) person knocka at her door hoping to offer support. Lucifer may hate Alastor's guts, but he does love his niece despite them not knowing they were related till very recently. He also feels a tad guilty for antagonizing Al, if only for Reina's sake, not because he cares at all for Alastor.

Reina actually lets him inside, and Lucifer gives an apology for what happened, and offers her a hug. He reminds her, in that moment, of her dad, whom she hasnt seen since she was four. In this hopeless and helpless state, Reina accepts the shoulder to cry on from her angelic uncle. He holds her, with Dulcie curled up against her leg in comfort. He doesnt say it'll all be okay, because even he knows that isnt guaranteed, but he does his best, and Reina appreciates it.

Meanwhile, at Vee Tower, Vox, having tormented Alastor for several hours (though we dont get the sex scene with Val and Vox because both are still healing from the burns they got). Instead, Vox actually strips naked and dresses himself in front of Al, which is pretty uncomfortable enough. He also taunts Al in relation to Reina, though Alastor refuses to take the bait. Otherwise, the dialogue is largely the same as it is in canon. Alastor, inwardly, deeply regrets ever considering Al even an acquaintance. Had he known what Vox did to Reina, he would have harvested his screams long ago. For now, he intends to buy his time and get revenge on Vox once he's free. He takes some comfort in the fact that for now, Reina is safe at the hotel.

Dont You Forget Reprise basically is the same BTW.

And that is episode 4. This was a painful one. I told you Reina wasnt done with pain and this was gonna be a rough one for her. I wasnt kidding in the slightest. Hope you enjoyed this one in any case.

I will say, things will get better in the next post. That one is gonna be a little different. What does that mean? You'll find out when it comes out.

I recently watched a video by Artyphex about her Huskerdust Kittens, and the sinborn lore, and I'm almost tempted to make an au of my au where my OC Reina and Alastor end up with a sinborn child themselves, but am not sure I wanna go through with it. I toyed with something similar at one point, but I scrapped it because I was scared of diverging too much from canon lore, but since I've already made Alastor demi and die in 1938 and have a freaking wife and kids on earth in my au, maybe a second au with Reina and some later sinborn children wouldn't be a terrible idea. Thoughts?

I tried to type up this post earlier and then had to leave part way and when I got back, the draft was gone entirely (inwardly fumes).

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But anyway, Im back, and continuing this series. Hopefully people are still interested. If you're new, you'll have to read my prior posts for context. Anyway, here we go.

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At the start if ep 3, Reina is with taking a break from her work with Angel, Cherri, and Husk in the lounge space when Charlie bursts in with the news of Pentious' redemption. Reina is of course shocked by the news, but once doubt passes, overjoyed in a way she hasnt been in a while. The grief of her friend's presumed death has weighed heavily on her, and Alastor's distance and private irritability, combined with her greater workload since the hotel has more guests who are now demanding daily food wheteas she previously only had to cook for them weekly, hasnt helped. But she eventually resumes her work after this break feeling cheered, excited to know the hotel works and that there may be hope for the future.

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She has no idea that Charlie has contacted Voxtek and that her joy will sour and die within hours.

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Later, she hears Charlie about to tell Alastor about Pen's fate, and she peaks her head out of the kitchen to see how he reacts. Unfortunately, a knock interrupts this and Charlie answers the door.

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And in strides Velvette, whom Reina has never met, but recognizes from Angel showing her stuff in the past...and Vox.

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This is the first time since 1950 that Reina has seen the overlord formerly known as Vincent Whitmann, and she recognizes him instantly. Alastor teleports away (he has no desire to interact with his archenemy and the man he now knows to have to have indirectly kept his wife from him, and knows he doesnt have the strength to kill him for what he did, despite every part of him wanting to).

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Unfortunately, his departure makes Reina, who is already feeling scared and vulnerable at the sight of Vox, even worse. She swiftly shuts and locks the kitchen door and sinks onto the floor as PTSD flashbacks of him nearly raping and then shooting her flood through her mind. Vox thankfully is too focused on Charlie and Al to notice Reina or her exit, though he very much intends to seek her out.

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Reina spirals for a long while, reliving that awful day over and over again. It takes some time before she snaps out of it, yet she still struggles to breath and feels almost like she might have a heartattack. As much as she wants to make Vox suffer, she's terrified of approaching him, fearing that being near him will once against trigger such an episode as what just happened and he'll do what he wanted to do to her those years ago. He was only a man then. Now he's an overlord. And while her powers are lethal, she's inexperienced and wonders if paralyzing fear would dampen her abilities just as grief did during the extermination.

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And through it all, she wishes Alastor were with her, and starts to feel angry that he fled. She wouldnt have needed him to fight Vox, but at least she would have hoped he would have come looking for her here and been there to comfort her.

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Her fear leaves her abruptly when she hears cries of commotion from the roof as the train debacle unfolds. Reina swiftly heads up there in time to see what's going on and is the one to fly over and rescue Angel and Husk from getting impaled by the spear.

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She's there for Husk and Angel's argument, but her focus is not them. She spits Vox and her anger and fury are just enough to keep her from collapsing mentally. Vox does his dramatic clap, but instead of focusing on Angel and the failed train incident, he first turns his attention to Reina.

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Vox: "Well well well. That was quite a close one, wasnt it? I was wondering when you'd show up here, Reina."

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Charlie, Angel, and Husk are startled when Vox calls Reina by her real name.

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Reina: "You."

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Husk, great at reading people and remembering better than most the details of Reina's story, has a hunch as to how Vox knew Reina. Charlie asks her what's going on, to which Reina tells them that Vox was the one who shot her back in 1950. Both Angel and Charlie are shocked. Angel is furious, having yet another reason to dislike Vox, since Reina is the closest friend he has aside from Cherri. Charlie is appalled and feels guilty that she allowed Vox within the hotel. Velvette is just enjoying the drama unfold.

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Reina prepares to roast Vox alive, with only Husk's stepping in to try and calm her down preventing her from doing so (he knows that she probably wont stand a chance against him). Vox smugly reminds Reina that he was invited here and mocks Charlie for hiring such "savage staff". He then points out that Angel isnt redeemed and we get Charlie getting the revelation that redemption is different for everyone and Vox outing Angel's past, which makes Reina incensed. She claps back at Vox that at least Angel is trying to change, whereas he hasnt changed one little bit. Vox laughs.

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Vox: "And what do you think it'll takd to get a whore like you to Heaven? Suppose you'll have to pop out some kids with someone more virtuous than old Alastor. Maybe I'll let your next brats live to old age...unlike the other ones."

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Vox is basically implying he killed Reina's daughters after she disappeared. He's lying actually (both girls outlived him and are technically still alive even today, albeit in Hell as immortal humans in Imp City, which is itself a long story), but Reina doesnt know that.

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That's when Charlie steps in and tells him he cant push her friends or family around (family is included here since Reina is her cousin). Vox asks his redemption question, Charlie gives the same answer, and Vox and Vel leave.

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Reina locks herself in her and Alastor's room, and breaks down in tears, wondering if Vox really killed her daughters. Alastor is still MIA, and only Dulcie is there to comfort her.

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After Vox and Vel laugh in their car and post what they wanted to, Vel asks Vox if he actually killed 'that bitch's' kids. He admits he was lying, and they laugh about it.

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If Gravity wasn't Lute's song, I think Reina would be the one to sing it here after her tears have been exhausted. The words would be altered a bit, bit would amount to her vowing to make Vox pay for the trauma he's caused her and for killing her daughters (which she doesnt know he didnt actually do), and planning to kill Val and Velvette as retribution (she hates them both already so she wouldnt have minded killing them both anyway)

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And that is episode three. I really would love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Also, I'm not sure how well I wrote for Vox here, so feedback thdisillusioned. And if anyone wants me to share the lyrics I have in mind for Reina's version of Gravity, Im happy to. Also, Alastor was a huge dick to bail and not even head to Reina when he did. I think he felt ashamed that he wasnt strong enough to fight Vox at that moment and since he's keeping his injury hidden from Reina, he didnt want her to see his shame and have her hate him for not being strong enough to get back at Vox and for lying to her. He was probably in the radio tower at this time. Regardless, still pretty awful, especially given that Reina suffers terrible ptsd, and his presence would have done a lot to help her through what happened earlier. And unfortunately, his causing Reina indirect and direct suffering isnt over yet by a longshot this season, with the next episode being the apex of it. And if Reina thought she was done with major shocks and betrayals, she'll soon be dissillusioned.

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Personally, Id get him a boxed set of the Darwin Awards since I think he'd love to read about how people have stupidly unalived themselves.

My central OC Reina is biromantic demisexual (she's only sexually attracted to those she's formed a strong emotional bond with, which in her case is Alastor, but is romantically attracted to both men and women). How do you think she'd appear in pride merch if she were a canon character?

I recently watched a video that got into why a certain character is not a mary sue/badly written strong woman, and it got me reflecting on how insecure I feel when it comes to my own female characters, especially when it comes to OCs for fandoms. My central OC for the Hellaverse is Reina, who is a woman and who is a member of the hotel crew. I've made numerous posts about her and her story, and she means a lot to me. But I'm often insecure and questioning myself. I like to think I've done a good job making her a well-rounded character and not just a plot device (i.e someone's love interest who doesn't serve the plot in any other meaningful way), or a negator of events (i.e, a character who anticipates or somehow figures out what bad things will happen and prevents them or brings them to a close quicker, or who redeems characters merely by being there and thus averts future vilains).

I try to avoid her being a mary sue. She's liked by most of the main cast at the hotel, and isn't unnattractive (but that honestly doesn't make her much different from most canon characters tbh), and while she certainly is less evil and more level headed and responsible than many characters around her, she's not flawless and is in Hell for a reason (though I worry sometimes that it's not reason enough because you can find reasons for why she did what she did, and because she's not entirely to blame for everything that got her in Hell). She does have powers despite not being an overlord, though it's because she's half human half angel, and her being taht kind of an anomaly is addressed within her story. She has the potential to match Alastor or even Charlie in terms of powers, though she's not there yet and is incredibly inexperienced since she's only been in Hell for less than a year by the end of season 2. I know it's a cliche to make characters as OP as possible, and I'm aware that I'm kind of in that bucket, but I'm not going the Rey route where she's got little experience and yet wins just because. All of the skills she does have that aren't magical related, and the knowledge she has on various topics, also have backstory reasons that I think explain them pretty well.

Though I do wonder if by trying to have her not be so overpowered that she ends the story too early, that I'm reducing her to little more than a love interest for Alastor or an oc whose just there because I want her to be.

Maybe I'm overcomplicating this. But I guess with all the criticism that gets hurled deservedly or not at female characters, I really want even my HH OCs not to fall into those traps and issues. Anyone else worry too much over this with their characters?

Some of mine are that Angel would like Whose Line is it Anyway, that Pentious has a low spice tolerance, and that Alastor likes bottlenose dolphins because they kill sharks and look like they're smiling. Would love to hear what you guys have come up with.

Before I get to ep 3 and Reina's fateful reunion with her former attempted rapist and killer, I felt I needed to include a segment about a character who is incredibly important to Reina, but is not in Hell, but whose actions end up playing a small but important role within s2. That character is Reina's mom, Grace Halliday.

For a little context, Reina's mom was a normal human woman, working as an accountant in her mid twenties in the 1980s in New jersey, when she met Samael Morningstar. Samael was posing as Sam, a human aspiring musician specializing in folk, folk pop and singer song writer type music. The pair fell in love and dated before Samael revealed his true identity to her. Despite the shocking truth, the pair stayed together, got married in 1995, and had Reina two years later. Unfortunately, in 2001, Samael, who had gotten to the 1980s originally through time travel, and had been illegally visiting earth and engaging in risky adventures involving time travek, was later found by Heaven and dragged back to the year he came from, and to Heaven and later cast to Hell for eternity, robbing Grace of her husband and the father of her young daughter. She carried on as best she could, raising Reina into adulthood, befire dying of terminal cancer in 2019. Despite the fact she had been in a relationship with an angel and had concealed the truth of what happened to Samael from Reina, she had managed to just barely miss being a sinner, and thus when she died, she ended up in Heaven. While there was some controversy over this, and some higher angels said she shpuld be sent to hell, it was ruled that since fate had brought her to heaven as a Winner, that was that.

Grace settled in as best she could to a low key life in Heaven, not drawing attention to herself. She had hoped to find a way to reunite with het husband, but sadly that was not possible. She did manage to reunite with her parents, and got a pet fox from Emily as a welcome present (I like to think Emily likes to offer pets ro newcomers to help them settle in and because ahe just loves animals), whom she names Scotty, for the Star Trek character. She sided her time, hoping that her daughter would end up in heaven when she passed on. Grace had no knowledge of what Reina ended up going through, or of her daughter's death on 2028. Let alone that she ended up in Hell.

Prior to the events of season 1, she actually met Adam briefly. He learned who she was and wanted to sleep with her. Samael and Adam knew each other before rhe latter began his time tracellong, and Samael did not like him and didnt pretend to, so Adam thought it would be great to sleep with his wife as a big fuck you. Grace, who didnt like Adam any more than Samael did, declined and they never saw one another again (mind you, she didnt know about the exterminations, she just thought he was an asshole).

Anyway, we get to season 2 events. Pentious is in heaven, and is something of a local celebrity (it's never stated in canon, but based on the public nature of Like You, they didnt keep Pentious' story secret from the rest of Heaven). Some time after ep 2, Pentious, who is still new at navigating Heaven and forging a routine, enters a cafe, where Grace happens to be having lunch. Patrons recognize him and try to get photos, autographs, and all sorts of stuff. They essentially mob him, leaving poor Pentious overwhelmed, with his angelic egg bois not being much help. Grace, being the good person that she is, steps in and tells the people to leave the poor snake alone. After much trouble, the people give in and move off. Pentious, grateful, thanks her.

He immediately notices that she looks a lot like his old friend from Hell, Ren. Ren is actually Reina, Grace's daughter, but they wont find that out for a long long while. The pair introduced themselves, she helps him order food, and they end up eating lunch. He tells her about Hell, his time at the hotel, his friends (including Reina, though Grace doesnt have the info needed to learn the truth), and how he ended up in Heaven. Grace is intrigued and impressed, and sympathizes with his loneliness. She admits she has people she cares about in Hell too, though she doesnt elaborate just yet. At the end of the meal, the exchange numbers (Im just gonna have Pentious have a cellphone in Heaven, as I dont think it's implausible that he would).

After this, the two meet up frequently over the course of season 2s events. Shortly before ep 3, when Pentious is feeling really low and missing Cherri, he confides in Grace about it. It's then that Grace opens up and tells him about her relationship with Samael. Pentious is shocked, since he had no clue Lucifer had a brother, let alone one in Hell. While Reina being Samael's daughtet is known to the hotel now, Pentious ended up in Heaven before rhat reveal took place, so he doesn't know about it. Ultimately, the pair bond over their helltrapped loves and it deepens their friendship.

Later, Pentious meets Grace's fox Scotty, and at that point, he's finding the similarities to 'Ren' a little creepy, since Reina also has a pet fox, Dulcie, whom Pentious met while in Hell (I think Dulcie also had a thing with Pentious and would cuddle in his lap when he and Reina did origami together). Scotty takes a liking to Pen, and Pentious mentions that his friend 'Ren' had a pet fox too. He mentions some other things about her to Grace, but it's not enough for Grace to put two and two together. I think the thought doesnt even occur to her because she doesnt want to think her baby girl died young and that she'll never see her again. Nevertheless, Pentious can't help but wonder whether there's something else he hasnt figured out yet. But mostly, he misses his friends. And Grace misses her loved ones.

Hope you liked this one. For the rrecord, no, Oen and Grace dont became a couple. Pen is still in love with Cherri and Grace wont move on from Samael despite the fact she believes they're destined to never meet again. They are just friends, in the same way Reina and Pentious were/are. I think there's also elements if mother-child that are in their bond over time.

Grace won't play a huge role in s2, but I liked the idea of her and Pentious meeting and being friends, so I incorporated it into the canon of Reina's story. I dont know what Pentious will get up to in s3, but if he has a lot to do, I could see Grace ending up having a larger role then. And yes, she will find out about Reina by the end of season 2, though they wont have an in person reunion, due to that not really being possible.

Also, Grace and Reina may be similar, but they are rather different in some ways. I think Grace is less outspoken a out things than Reina is, and is less inclined to gold grudges or seek vengeance on people. You wont see her entering battles (she'd be the type to assist ib field hospitals if ahe were in a warzone). Grace is also less artistically talented rhan her daughter. She loves music and art, but isnt creatively talented like Reina. She is also much more OCD, and more of a planner (she loves spreadsheets). Grace also believed in a higher power and in God even before she met Samael, whereas Reina grew up to be an atheist prior to her death. Also, I think if Grace were to take Reina's place and ended up meeting Alastor and all that, she wouldn't have fallen for him, or looked past his darker side the way Reina did.

Two of my OCs, Sylvie and Aurélia Durand (daughters of Alastor and my other oc Reina) are humans who accidentally get sucked forward in time to the modern day and into Hell, and end up crashing through IMP's window, and thus begin their new lives in Hell. I had always planned to give each of the girls love interests but hadnt settled on a good enough set of concepts. Now I have a better idea and so here they are.

Lady Floriana Goetia: the daughter of a duke and duchess of the Ars Goetia, Flori is 26, with light green and white feathers for much of her body and dark green for her hair feathers. She tends to wear very colorful, floral outfits (she would love Lily Pulitzer). She is outgoing, intense, friendly, adventurous, and very caring, but can be quite fierce and a little much for some. The kind of cool person that is actually cool and not a dickhead. She's pansexual and unabashed, even as her very uptight parents disapprove of her lifestyle and willingness to associate with 'lowbloods'. She loves painting and dance and adores flowers and floral designs. She has a large group of friends that include other rebellious goetias, imps, other hellborn, though her best friend is Evan, a goetia-succubus hybrid. She eventually ends up as Sylvie's girlfriend, with Sylvie having a major arc involving her realizing she's lesbian, coming to terms with it (she grew up in the 1920s and 30s, and while she had loving and supportive parents, she isnt used to lgbtq identities being so accepted and normalized), and eventually confessing her feelings for Flori. The pair are both each very much a blend of Charlie and Vaggi in various ways and have a similarly wholesome relationship.

Evan: Evan is the illegitimate son of a goetic prince and his succubi mistress. His mother abandoned him at an orphanage so she could continue hav7ng affairs and living a party lifestyle without the burden of a child. Evan has been passed around various places, often neglected, and bullied for his hybrid heritage, height, and behavior. He can be a little OCD and is probably on the autism spectrum or barely misses the mark. He likes toys, both playing with and making them, and sometimes enjoys dressing in skirts (he's straight, but thinks they're fun), and his favorite color is pink. These interests have gotten him bullied a lot. He also loves animals (something he has in common with Aurélia who has a zoology degree), and collecting things like rocks, pretty leaves, fossils, teeth, and shells. He doesnt like touching food with his hands and carries a knife and fork on him when going out so he eat finger foods at clubs (he also has a special pair of tongs he uses to eat things like potato chips). Certain smells he finds very overpowering and painful. Due to his neglectful childhood, and bullying, abuse, and loneliness, he suffers from a great deal of mental ilness including depression, and had frequent nightmares and is unable to sleep without a light on nearby. He was prepared to live a lonely life with his hobbies and depression until he met Flori and her friends, who happily took him under their wings and helped him see that real friendship was possible for him. Personality wise, he can be a little shy, but loves to talk about his interests and hobbies once comfortable enough with someone (he can talk to the point where he needs to be gently reminded to take a breath). He likes to have his alone time to recharge, but treasures his time with his friends. He's still learning how to open up and rely on people though and can be hesitant to ask for help. He's very sweet and a total gentleman and cinnamonroll, though he hasnt really tried to get with girls. This changes when he meets Aurélia. The two bond as animal nerds and as people who've struggled to fit in to a society that doesnt really want them due to their heritage and interests. Neither of them have been in relationships before, so they learn a lot together. In terms of appearance wise, he's 25, about seven feet tall, with bird feet like Stolas, black feathers for hair, but has dark red skin skin, a human like mouth and nose (I know that succubi dont have noses, but he has one, and it's a little beak like as a relic from his deadbeat dad), and white eyes on pinkish red sclera. He lacks horns.

Hope you like my new OCs. Would to hear your thoughts.