Infernal Rivalry - The Clash Of Vox And Alastor

Chapter 35: Advertising

(Vox's POV)

As I enter Valentino's studio, I'm immediately greeted by the sound of his booming voice reverberating off the walls. He's in the midst of a heated exchange with one of his employees, his words dripping with frustration and impatience. "You call this quality work?" Valentino's voice echoes through the room, cutting through the air like a knife. "I expect better from you, do you understand?". The employee, a young demon with a nervous expression, stammers out an apology, but Valentino's patience seems to be wearing thin. With a dismissive wave of his hand, he cuts off the apology mid-sentence, his tone sharp and commanding. "Save it," he snaps, his eyes narrowing with irritation. "Just fix the fucking problem." I watch the exchange unfold with a sense of detachment, a stark contrast to how I might have reacted in the past.

Thanks to Valentino's influence, I've learned to adopt a more pragmatic approach to situations like these, recognizing the hierarchy that exists within our world and the importance of asserting dominance when necessary. With a casual stride, I make my way over to Valentino's desk, offering him a nod of acknowledgement as I take a seat beside him. As he continues to reprimand the employee, I can sense the tension escalating in the room. The demon employee, visibly flustered and on the verge of panic, attempts to offer an explanation, but Valentino cuts him off with a sharp gesture. "I don't want excuses, I want results!" Valentino's voice booms, his frustration palpable. "I... I... sir" the employee stammers.  I intervene, my tone firm and commanding. "Did you not hear him?" I interject, my voice cutting through the tension like a knife. "Fuck off and do your job correctly"x The employee flinches at my words, but quickly scurries away, eager to escape the wrath of our displeasure. With his departure, the atmosphere in the room shifts, the tension dissipating slightly as silence settles over us once more.

Valentino's gaze shifts from the departing employee to me, and he greets me with a casual yet inquisitive tone. "How are you doing today, Vox?" he inquires, his eyes scanning my form. I offer a polite but curt response. "I'm fine, Val" I reply, trying to maintain a neutral expression. He tilts his head slightly, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "You look wound up" he observes, his tone teasing. "Still haven't gotten it on with the radio demon, huh? I can tell from those tense shoulders". I feel a surge of irritation at his comment, but I force a strained smile. "Nothing escapes your notice, does it?" I retort, my tone laced with thinly veiled sarcasm. "But I assure you, my personal life is none of your concern".

His voice dripped with amusement as he remarked, "You're obsessed with that old man". I bristled at his comment, my irritation evident. "I'm not obsessed" I retorted firmly, my patience wearing thin. "Alastor is my business partner, and that's all there is to it. I don't appreciate your insinuations". He chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "Relax, Vox. I'm just messing with you" he said, his eyes slightly softening. "But seriously, why waste your time with someone like him? You could do so much better". I raised an eyebrow, feeling a twinge of annoyance. "You're being ridiculous" I shot back, my tone firm. "Alastor and I work well together. Our partnership is strictly professional". He shrugged casually, his expression unreadable. "Suit yourself, Voxxy" he said nonchalantly.

"We've got an exciting project lined up for today" Valentino exclaimed, his voice brimming with enthusiasm. I arched an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh? What's the plan?" I inquired, leaning in slightly. He grinned mischievously. "We're diving into some photography work. We need fresh images for our studio advertisements, and who better to assist than you?" he declared, gesturing grandly. I nodded, processing his words. "Sounds interesting. What's my role in all of this?" I asked, already envisioning the creative possibilities. He clapped his hands together eagerly. "You, will be my right-hand man during the photography process. Once we've captured the perfect shots, we'll hunker down and work our editing magic together" he explained, his excitement palpable. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at his comment on exiting together. "Translation: I do the editing, and you nitpick every little detail" I quipped, a hint of sarcasm lacing my words. He chuckled, unfazed by my remark. "Hey, you know me too well, Voxxy. But trust me, it'll be worth it. These posters are going to be killer!".