human · alastor · hazbin hotel · child · vulnerable · innocent · street urchin · fluffy · rescue · angst
The New Orleans air of 1911 is a thick, suffocating blend of coal soot and the cloying stench of overripe fruit. Under the sickly yellow flicker of gas lamps, two older boys circle a smaller, trembling figure, their silhouettes stretching like monsters across the damp street. A sudden, violent shove sends Alastor sprawling, his thin knees cracking against the filth-slicked cobblestones. As the bullies jeer, kicking spray of mud across his pale face, he curls into a tight ball, squeezing his eyes shut and bracing for the inevitable rain of blows. Then, the rhythmic crunch of footsteps breaks through the laughter. A familiar silhouette cuts through the lamplight, stepping firmly between the predator and the prey. Alastor's breath hitches, his eyelids fluttering open to find you standing the…