televocation

[televocation]

don't tell my mutuals on sidestriker but i'm keeping this blog and leaving that one when i eventually get caught up with my new blog reworks. i AM still planning on coming back to vox trust and believe i'm just trying to get my shit in order everywhere on tumblr.

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okayy um... so i have been thinking about this awhile and i'm going to really restructure the blogs that i am using.

boundlss will be HEAVILY purged of inactive muses. likely the only remaining characters on this blog will be shiroe, nyanta, roland, louis, kaito, five pebbles, cahir, dandelion, and leslaw.

my wuwa muses will be moved to their own blog!

i will be consolidating striker's blog, vox's blog, and my stella muse onto ONE hellaverse multi.

my dnd muses will be moved to their own blog, including luminous who technically should have been included in this group to begin with.

the clemens family muses and 44 will be moved to a sideblog of antisatiric.

drfeelgreed is staying exactly where it is.

[televocation]

haha, i actually posted my oracle starter call on all of my blogs and this one was by FAR the most popular despite my not-following-first attitude over here. i'm not complaining, i love any excuse to get to draw cards.

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and that's all my current oracle starters on this blog. i'll probably reblog the call again later but oh my god that was a lot of writing.

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@rradiio ( alastor ) / oracle starter call.

Keep away from Alastor.

Vox has been repeating that to himself for the past week, and it's done absolutely nothing for his mental state. Ever since he'd shown his face again, Vox has been borderline obsessive over his every move---his whereabouts, who he's been talking to, what the fuck he's been doing. Val and Velvette don't really understand his fixation on Alastor, either; it had been Velvette's suggestion that he put the Radio Demon out of his mind and focus on moving forward with his newest projects.

But he can't do it. He's a prisoner to his own whims, sometimes, and those whims are even stronger when Alastor's just finished putting out a broadcast anyway, which Vox very pointedly had not been listening to.

"Were you having fun talking to your zero listeners?" Vox asks, by means of one of the many surveillance drones he keeps stationed around the hotel. They've still been active---it's just that Vox hasn't been the one manning them to taunt Alastor every time he gets the opportunity. "When are you going to realize that absolutely nobody in hell gives a shi-i-i-it about your corny fucking radio show anymore? You're already pretty pathetic, but knowing you're in there putting your stupid shows on to a shrinking demographic really makes me glad I never got the chance to restrict myself by teaming up with you!"

It's a frantic and bordering on deranged spew of insults, but it somehow has made Vox feel better.

[televocation]

@respctlss / oracle starter call.

"Velvette, is it?"

Vox regards the young Overlord before him with some level of keen interest. Obviously, he'd spent some time before this scouring her presence on the still newly-introduced social media that had made its way down to Hell, so this isn't exactly a blind meeting.

Unlike most other Sinners in general, Vox has never had any qualms with teaming up in order to get things done properly. It's why he has his deal with Valentino in the first place for porn production; he understands that changing with the times and the preferences of the masses sometimes requires an outside perspective. Velvette, carrying the most influence of the up and coming social media influencers in Hell, would be an invaluable asset to Vox and Val's business.

"Pleasure to meet you properly. I've seen you all over the internet. You're, ah---what's the phrase? Blowing up right now!" Playing a little more naive than he actually is to the latest trends in online slang, Vox interlocks his fingers together, treating the meeting with as much gravity as any other important deal. "I couldn't help but take an interest in the following you've accrued. A different Overlord would probably even accuse you of encroaching on their territory!"

Laughing an amiable, corporate laugh, Vox carries on.

"Lucky for you, I'm not stupid. See, we here at VoxTek pride ourselves in having an excellent sense for business---which leads me to why I've arranged for this meeting. How would you feel about a sort of... Partnership?"

[televocation]

@fallenmorniingstar / oracle starter call.

The thread of his irritation snaps incredibly suddenly, from an outside perspective.

"No offense, Your Majesty," Vox begins, ringlets of electricity playing around his fingertips against his own will, "but what the fuck are you impressed by?"

Vox doesn't even want to bother counting the amount of products he'd developed and sold specifically to grab Lucifer's attention---both impressive individually and impressive to sell on such a wide scale (37). He doesn't want to think about how much he cares, either, but that's a tangible issue that rises to the surface upon Lucifer's thirty-eighth dismissal of another product mentioned offhand.

It shouldn't have mattered. There was only ever one person whose approval did matter, and that person won't ever hand it over anyway---Lucifer's dismissal should be nothing in comparison to Alastor's. 

And yet---

"I'm innovating on levels most souls could never fucking dream of! I could literally put dog shit on the shelves as a product and half of Pentagram City would literally be drooling and pissing themselves trying to buy it! So what the fuck about that isn't i-i-impressive enough for you to give a shit, huh?"

[televocation]

@poisonedspider / oracle starter call.

Vox had never particularly cared for Angel Dust before.

From the perspective of moneymaking, there's no denying that Angel is Val's biggest selling point, but Vox has never particularly enjoyed his presence and what that meant for Val's attention being drawn elsewhere. Angel is actually lucky he draws in so much cash, by Vox's estimation; Vox generally doesn't bother withholding the initiative of doing away with people who draw focus away from himself, especially from someone as important to him as Val.

But Angel's place in the hotel, the same place as Alastor, has replaced his indifference with a seething contempt. He wonders, if he'd had Angel killed off anyway, if that would have prevented him from ever learning about Alastor's connection to the Hotel. If that would have kept Val's eyes on him more often.

"Angel Dust! Just the Sinner I was hoping to see. I'll only take a minute of your time!" That he has to interact with Angel at all only serves to make Vox regret his previous inaction more. He doesn't wear his lack of enthusiasm on his expression or in his body language, though. "Haha. Here's the deal; I want your face attached to Val's latest releases, and Val doesn't want to give up a second of valuable time that could be spent on regular shoots. So, how do you feel about a little off-the-clock ad work? With fair compensation from yours truly."

It feels like he's speaking through gritted teeth; Vox is just as opposed to the idea of working directly with Angel as he imagines Angel is to working directly with him.

[televocation]

@radioaf / oracle starter call.

Shit!

Alastor is the last person he wants to see right now. The part of Vox's thoughts that run on programs helpfully make a long, long list of people he'd prefer to have come across him in this state of being, and Alastor remains at the very bottom even speaking purely statistically. He isn't an unknown variable, and that's what makes his presence dangerous; Vox knows exactly how much of a danger Alastor could be to him.

"What the fuck are you-u-u-u doing here?" Vox asks, keeping straight posture and open hostility. His speech output chugs and glitches more than usual, and he can feel the expression on his face temporarily shift for a few pixels. "You've got some fucking nerve being in thi-thi-thi-this part of town when I-I'm the one who's running the show over here!"

(It had been Valentino's fault. A rough night had damaged his internal fans and Vox hadn't noticed. His functionality could overheat and shut down at any time; the only thing he can do is maintain a mask of superiority.)

"I mean, seriously, do you wa-a-a-a-ant to get your ass kicked again or something? Believe me, I'd be happy to deliv-iv-iver."

[televocation]

@hostradio / oracle starter call.

Vox hasn't been able to quell the signals of violent pride shooting through his nerves all day, but they're made more potent by Alastor's presence. 

"Oh, Alastor! I almost didn't see you there!" Poorly playing nonchalant, Vox can't stop the broad grinspreading across his screen. Not that he wants to---being seen coming apart at the seams is one thing, but it's perfectly acceptable for someone in his position to be caught gloating. "I was just too busy thinking about how successful I've been lately. I know that must be a pretty foreign concept for you. Given that I could squash your ratings like a tiny, annoying bug, and all! I'd offer to invite you on for an interview on what it's like to fall off so hard but, well, the consumers don't have any interest in washed up old radio hosts who sti-i-ill think they're successful."

It's farther than he'd normally go in direct conversation, but the approval ratings for VoxTek's newest phone release has been through the roof and more denizens of Hell than ever are starting to make the switch. If things continue to go well, he's looking at total market domination in the area of technology. It's the only thing keeping his generally all-consuming anger afloat against the Radio Demon; the mania that comes with mass appeal is nigh-unmatched.

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STARTER CALL !

like this post and i'll write you a starter based off a random card i pull from my new oracle deck!

[televocation]

Vox almost wishes he was less of a prisoner to the restrictions he placed on his own wildest impulses, because if left unchecked he'd probably take a go at Alastor regardless---nevermind that he hadn't escaped remotely unscathed the last time they'd had a real fight. 

But the stabilizers and restrictions are there for a reason. Vox's public image post-Alastor has been partly predicated on the image of control and self-perfection. Every little slip in that mask is another reason for vulnerable customers to turn their eyes away from him; he'd already fucked things up badly enough when he'd first caught wind of Alastor's sudden and unannounced return to Hell's limelight. Alastor won't get to ruin him more than he already has.

"Oh, fuck you! You've seen exactly what I'm ca-a-apable of." The smile that lights up his screen becomes forced as Vox fights off the rising agitation once again. What Alastor wants most is the satisfaction of getting to Vox. "What do you call having my face plastered all over the entire entertainment district? I've got thou-ou-ousands of souls working day in and day out to put out shit with my name slapped on it. I am Hell's entertainment."

Not that it brings him any satisfaction to brag about it to the one person who couldn't give less of a shit. The only thing Vox has ever wanted that's evaded his reach is Alastor.

"That enough bragging for you? I could keep going! I mean, seriously, what have you done since you've been back? Sit around in some dingy little hotel and play concierge for Lucifer's daughter? Get your a-a-a-a-ass kicked trying to prove you're ho-o-ot shit?"

@televocation called in !! ( significant damage ) cont.

     Vox was nothing if not a liar.  Perhaps less talented now than ever,  given the way his own body liked to betray him.  With Alastor so attuned to audio,  paying such close attention to reverberation,  slight little dips in tone,  the distortion was easy to catch.  Like a fly to honey,  Vox proved to be just as reactive as Alastor wanted,  fueling his opinion that his method of return,  that his own clapping back was beneficial enough.

        ❛  Oh,  I am well - aware,  my old friend!  You were always the adaptive sort,  hm?  ❜    His intial interaction hadn't actually been on purpose,  truly,  not that he was going to admit that to Vox.  His appearance had startled him out of a thoughtful daze,  &&  he had lashed out rather quickly,  only to realise who the victim was.  He had calmly retracted himself as though he had been in control the whole time.  He hadn't done much to him,  but he could certainly pretend.

        ❛  Hm  ...  just for that,  you know,  I think I will stick around!  No more attacks,  since that won't do much,  clearly.  But you've been keeping me in sight so much anyway,  I might as well make it easy for you by being in arm's reach!  Or,  well.  Nearly.  ❜

     He took a short step back,  to be exactly more than an arm's length from Vox.  A smug little grin on his face.

        ❛  Since I have clearly missed so much,  shouldn't you be bragging about all that you've achieved?  Go on,  I am listening.  ❜

[televocation]

Lucifer is undoubtedly playing to Vox's interests; he's laying it on thick enough now to catch onto that. All Vox has been aiming to hear from him is his praise, after all, and chucking in his superiority over Alastor is a nice touch. That doesn't mean it isn't working, though; the thought of upstaging Alastor and actually impressing the King of Hell with something he's produced is enticing enough on its own.

"Well, you couldn't possibly be in better hands, Your Majesty!" Vox punctuates his enthusiastic declaration with a wide, swooping motion of the arm and his usual sales-pitch smile. "VoxMedia prides itself on producing the best possible commercial products with the quickest possible turnaround time. I'll just move that to high priority for you."

A stray signal sends feelers out through the phone in Vox's hands; getting in contact with his people is even less than a button-push away. By the end of the hour, he'll have already secured writing and production teams to make this shit happen.

"Why don't we talk fees? I'm willing to be a little generous, given the circumstances, but my advertising doesn't exactly come cheap." It doesn't stop Vox from continuing to make arrangements for meetings and discussions about potential filming dates and involvement of higher-profile actors, but that's only because he's absolutely certain Lucifer will pay. There's evidently not much he wouldn't do for his daughter, after all. "I mean, besides the fees for priority airtime, you've gotta take into consideration the number of people I'd be mobilizing at short notice. Then, of course, you have the post-production costs and hiring half-decent actors... You're looking at a pretty hefty sum, even with my courtesy discount!"

It is, frankly, a situation that puts Vox on top in just about every way except for the compromise of his beliefs. But one little advertisement isn't suddenly going to make redemption possible on a wider scale, and he's all too familiar with compromise for the sake of profit and advantage. If this whole commercial goes through, Vox gets heavy financial backing from Lucifer and (more importantly) another thing to hold over Alastor's head.

Lucifer knew very little about Vox and Alastor's history-- And, in all honesty, he didn't care to know of it. But there was no ignoring the tension that existed between the two of them, especially after being forced to watch Vox's reaction to him on television.

He was not one to watch television, but he had to admit that they were correct: it was quite an entertaining scene to watch. And it provided some form of useful leverage against the Overlord before him.

" The original one that was intended to air quite early on, yes. It was interrupted by the announcement of the Exterminations. And, as I said, it simply doesn't hold up. I only want the best for my daughter's project, after all. "

He hums, easily ignoring the stuttered sounds coming from the man before him. There was no need to point them out. It would certainly ruin their professional relationship.

" I would show it to you, but there's no need to. It's stilted and terribly awkward. " Lucifer leans forward on his cane, grinning up at Vox. " But your expertise are bound to produce something much more suitable and appealing. I trust your judgement on what should be suitable for television. "

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tbh ... i might just like toss stuff into the queue without icons when i write it from work. i don't care THAT much about having iconned replies and i'd rather be able to actually feel like i can get stuff out from this blog. thoughts?

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i have been slacking so much on this blog ;;

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city of last chances, pt. 2.

dialogue prompts from city of last chances by adrian tchaikovsky.

there was pain, but not for long.

it'll pass. it always does.

you've never broken a rule in your life.

people love their executions.

you know how it is. how it's always been.

i've always been here for you.

i'd tell anyone anything, if it got them out of my face.

it's time to stand up.

revolutions cost.

you know how to win a fist fight?

am i dead? is this where we go when we die?

do you have a name?

do you speak ____?

what? you never saw a man have a crisis of faith before?

let me have a look at you.

i never meant to put you in danger.

some of us work for a living.

your god's a bastard.

you're supposed to be dead.

you don't save the past by burning down the present.

i don't know who you think you're having this argument with, but it isn't me.

it's getting stronger. it won't let me go.

you're your own judge and executioner.

who would listen to me?

it's not like in the stories.

the sword's only shiny until you shove it into someone.

i really loved hurting people.

it's too dangerous. i could lose you, too.

where would you be, if there was nobody left?

you wouldn't be the first to find it difficult.

you son of a bitch.

is ____ just going to keep coming back?

you don't have to act. you just have to talk.

i've heard a dozen stories, and none of them add up.

you might want to decide where your loyalties lie.

i never knew you had it in you.

i didn't realize you hated me so much.

surely you understand nobody's coming.

i love you deeply, but you are so stupid.

what happened to you?

you mistake what you have seen for the city.

it will all be worth it. but not today.

i've built something here. i won't call it a life, but it's something.

i don't like owing people.

____ wouldn't lie to me.

i like being where things happen.

there's not a scratch on you.

say something pithy and inspiring.

i cut a deal with god.

i thought it would help. it didn't, much.

do you have a plan? somewhere to go?

just tell me a comforting lie.

sometimes all you can do is keep breathing.

it doesn't hurt anymore.

it's always good to enjoy someone else's problems.

are you still moping?

[televocation]

Vox is about five seconds away from outright rejecting the proposal on some grounds of not having enough ad space when Alastor is brought into the picture.

He's not sure whether Lucifer brought him up knowing the reaction it would elicit or if Alastor's involvement is incidental, but the change in Vox's demeanor is immediate, signalled by a glitching of the pixels on his screen. He doesn't do anything as drastic as losing his composure, but his sudden, violent enthusiasm couldn't be more apparent.

"Alastor helped make the hotel a co-o-ommercial?" Vox doesn't watch anything that isn't his own, these days; maybe he should have paid more attention. He clears his throat as if to compose himself, but the manic grin he's begun sporting doesn't move an inch. "Well, you're in luck! As it happens, I've been looking to phase out a few of the older ads for some of my household line. It definitely couldn't hurt to have some new things filling airtime!"

Sure, it goes against everything Vox stands for to promote the idea of redemption---but the thought of one-upping Alastor sounds like it'd taste so sweet.

"I've gotta say, I re-e-e-eally pity her for being stuck with such a stuck-up, old-fashioned pr-i-i-ick for her advertising! Alastor doesn't know the first fucking thing about effective advertising! I'm glad you came to me. Seriously! I could promote the shit out of that hotel."

Body temperature cooling. Not flying completely off the handle is a general improvement from the last few times Alastor has been mentioned in his vicinity.

@televocation

Lucifer was not usually the type to throw around his title. There were very few circumstances that he found himself in that would require it, after all-- And it was common knowledge that the Sinners had little respect for his position to begin with.

Not that he could blame them. It wasn't as if he really did anything deserving of the title of King. He was merely the largest fish in pond. A large fish who did not use his power to his advantage-- One that others were cautious of, knowing what he was capable of... But ultimately neither fully feared nor respected.

" Riiiiight... That's your thing. " He knew that, of course. Who else would he have come to, if not the Overlord who had taken control over such things.

" Funnily enough, that's why I'm here. We've discussed my daughter and her project before. She thinks it's super important and all that-- " Get to the point, Lucifer.

" Her establishment needs a new commercial. Something even more professional than the one that... Radio Demon helped her with early on... Of course I would handle all the fees to ensure that it airs without interruption. But you are the professional, after all. "