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It all started with Lucifer’s offhand suggestion made as a victory remark.
“So… who’s up for pancakes?”
…
…Now this eclectic group of demons, sinners, and fallen angels sat at a corner booth table of Hell’s very own IHOP— the Infernal House of Pancakes, that is.
“Haha… Charlie! I’m glad you and your friends — and your girlfriend — came,” Lucifer gave his beloved daughter a wide, but somewhat awkward, smile before continuing, “but did you have to bring him?”
The “him” in particular was none other than the radio demon, Alastor, who narrowed his eyes before responding, despite not being explicitly addressed.
“Well now, when I heard from the others that you wished to go out to eat, I was simply charmed! Besides, I haven’t had a good stack of flapjacks in ages; I’m starved!” Alastor ended his declaration with a merry chuckle and then squinted as he read the menu on the table in front of him.
After a grumble from The King of Hell, Husk flagged down a waiter.
“Excuse me, could I get a whiskey?” Husk asked without even glancing at the menu.
After the waiter gave him a confused look, Angel Dust intervened and explained to the bartender, “Uh, this ain’t that kinda joint… I think?”
“Damn… I was itching for a drink too!” Cherri Bomb groans, rolls her eyes, and then reluctantly scans over the menu.
Charlie takes a moment to admire the presence of her friends and loved ones around her before something comes to mind.
“Uh… Vaggie, did you see where Niffty went?” Charlie stands up in the booth and looks around.
“Oh, she went to go clean the bathroom, I think?” Vaggie answered after thinking for a minute.
After a few minutes of chat and what can only be described as banter, Lucifer piped up, finally getting down to business.
“Alright, is everyone ready to order? Feel free to get whatever your heart desires, because I will cover the bill!” Lucifer declares proudly.
“Oh, but I could never! Allow me for it to be put on my credit — as a thanks for helping darling Charlie and I with the hotel.” Alastor contests, prompting Lucifer’s eye to twitch before snapping back.
“No, it’s fine! It’s only my responsibility as her father to assist her with her dream, and it’s only natural for The King of Hell to pay for his subjects.”
The two go on like this (much to the poor, underpaid waiter’s dismay) until they both relent and eventually come to the consensus to split the bill.
…
After everyone put their respective orders in, about fifteen, twenty minutes later, everyone (including Niffty) is sitting at their place at the booth table with their food in front of them.
In front of Niffty was a plate of fresh berry crepes with lots of strawberry syrup that she very quickly and aggressively stabbed with her butter knife.
Angel Dust ogled his powdered sugar-covered french toast as Husk unceremoniously started cutting up his sausage and hashbrowns before eating. The two noticed Cherri’s peculiar order — a burger and a milkshake.
“Did you seriously order a burger—“ Husk annoyedly started.
“—at a breakfast place?” Angle finished the bartender’s sentence for him with the same exasperated spirit.
“Well, fuck you, I eat what I want!” Cherri Bomb flipped them the bird before digging into her burger-for-breakfast.
On the other side of the table, Charlie sat happily in front of her decadent chocolate and strawberry crepes. She sat next to her girlfriend who inspected her plate of the same because the latter just told the waiter “I’ll have whatever Charlie gets”.
Sitting on the other side or Charlier, however, was Lucifer, and next to him, Alastor, who sat across from Niffty, who sat on the other side of the booth.
Despite the whole group going to the Infernal House of Pancakes, only two of them — Lucifer and Alastor — actually got pancakes.
Lucifer sat contently next to his daughter and in front of his tall stack of cupcake sprinkle pancakes topped with whipped cream, of which he seemed very proud. In contrast to Lucifer’s decorative, almost childish, pancake affair, Alastor started meticulously cutting into his stack of simple — yet classic — buttermilk pancakes.
The party, despite their apparent differences in opinion on food and familial bonds, enjoyed their meal, which was, of course, paid for by both Lucifer and Alastor.
They had gotten their pancakes.