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Despite Roo’s name being known far and wide throughout Hell, her home was actually quite different from the other Overlords. She didn’t live in Pentagram City like everyone else, nor was she even in Imp City, nonono. Her home was a decrepit-looking old mansion, way out in the barren wastelands of Hell. Far from any Sinners, far from unwanted eyes.
Few Sinners ever dared to venture from Pentagram City and knock on Roo’s door…and even fewer had the guts to just let themselves in.
“Oi! Root lady! ...Hellooooo?! Anyone home?!” A young Sinner with pink hair, who in life was named Violet,
was pounding on the mansion’s front door. When she got no answer, eventually she just huffed in annoyance and opened the door herself.
You’d think someone called the Root of all Evil would at least answer the fucking door.
When Violet walked through the doors, she was surprised to find that the inside of the mansion was completely different from the outside. It actually looked…kinda nice. Dark as hell, but nice. Like some old castle combined with pictures of those really old temples in textbooks that she never paid attention to in class.
The only thing that Violet could really see was that in the center of the foyer was a beautiful apple tree. The wood had clearly rotted, but the apples…they looked more delicious than anything she’d ever seen! Maybe if Violet took one...just one...
“Hey! Nono, you leave that alone! I just pruned it!” A voice startled Violet as an imp appeared out of seemingly nowhere and tried to shoo her away from the tree.
“But it’s just fucking sitting here!” Violet protested, “Can’t I have a snack while I wait for the Root of Evil?!”
The imp gave her a stern look, “The Madam is not taking visitors today. She’s far too busy to be dealing with-”
“Nonsense, Azazel, let her in.” A woman’s voice purred. Violet looked around for the owner of the voice and flinched when she saw a pair of eyes in the darkness. They burned red like hot embers and they just…stared at her. The eyes never blinked, never wavered. If Violet took a step to the left, they followed her.
“...You the Root of Evil bitch?” Violet asked, trying not to let her nerves show.
“That’s me.” The voice confirmed.
Suddenly the eyes weren’t a few feet away but right in front of her. The shadows faded and suddenly the room looked a lot brighter. And in front of her wasn’t some demonic monster, but a woman. …A pretty hot woman, if Violet was being entirely honest.
“The name’s Roo. Pleasure to be meeting you, Violet, quite a pleasure.” Roo shook Violet’s hand and circled her, carefully inspecting her., “Hmm...a doll. How interesting. We don’t get many Sinners that look like dolls.”
Violet narrowed her eyes, “How the fuck do you know my name?”
“Oh, I know everyone who falls here.” Roo grabbed an apple off the tree and tossed it to Violet, “Go on, eat up. I grow them myself.”
Violet barely had any time to react, but stuck out her hand and caught the apple just in time before they fell on the floor.
Roo and Azazel shared a look as Violet ate the apple. This one was a little more brash than usual, might need a little convincing. But it would still be an easy catch.
“Now, Violet, what brings you to my door? I don’t get many sinners coming to me unannounced. I admire a Sinner who goes after what they want.” Roo gave the young Sinner a smile that was just a little too sweet. She took careful note of the way Violet’s chest puffed out in pride. Good. She thought she was special.
“I met these two guys in Hell the other day-” Violet began as she snacked on the apple, “And they’re both Overlords. I want to work with them.”
“Ahhh, I see. And you need the power of an Overlord to do so.” Roo pretended like she had just realized that.
“Yeah, exactly! I want power! A social media empire, just like I had in life!” Violet insisted, “And Vox and Valentino said you’re the woman to go to.”
“Oh, I certainly am, my dear.” Roo wrapped an arm around Violet, who looked a little uncomfortable but said nothing. Roo started to speak in a more debonair manner, gesturing grandly, “I can do all that for you and more. Your name will be on billboards! TV screens! You’ll be known far and wide! And they’ll have no choice but to love you!”
Then Roo’s smile faded, just a tad, “But of course, all of that does come with a cost, doll.”
“Ah, right, shit…” Violet searched her pockets, “I’m sorry, I didn’t come here with any money.”
Roo fought the urge to smirk. Maybe this would be a little easier than she thought.
“Oh no, nonono, not that kind of cost.” Roo leaned in closer and booped Violet’s nose, “It’s a token, really, a trifle! You won’t even miss it. What I want from you is…your soul.”
Violet’s eyes widened in horror, and with no small amount of effort she freed herself from Roo’s grip, “My soul...? Won’t that, like...kill me, or something? There’s gotta be some other way!”
“Eh, not really. You want your power and you want it now, right? That sort of thing can’t happen as quickly as you like without MY help.” With a wave of her hand, Roo summoned what looked like a contract.
Violet eyed the contract warily, not saying anything for a moment as she weighed her options. If she took this deal she wouldn’t be her own Sinner down here. But she’d also have power and security.
“So, Violet...do we have a deal?”
~~~15 years later~~
“Ha, you should’ve seen her fucking face, Vox! She turned so red!” Velvette cackled gleefully, switching her phone to her other ear so she could open her office door.
“No, they didn’t fall for the assault plan but that bitch Carmine is so worked up, she’s bound to-”
Velvette’s voice died in her throat as she saw who’d been waiting for her in her office.
Shit. She was in trouble.
“Something came up, V. I’ll call you back.” Velvette quickly hung up the call.
Roo chuckled as she spun the chair around to face Velvette, “Wise choice, my doll.”
“I don’t see why you had to come here.” Velvette huffed in annoyance and rolled her eyes, “I went to the meeting like you said, I was so close to getting it out of that wrinkly old bitch.”
Roo fought the urge to roll her eyes. She already knew Carmilla killed that Exorcist, she saw the whole thing. But Velvette had been oh so eager to dig up the secret herself.
“Not close enough. But this isn’t about that, doll.” Despite Roo’s smile, she sounded rather pissed off, “You’re lucky you made it out of that room alive.”
Velvette didn’t even try to hide her snort of laughter.
“Oh, yeah, sure. What the fuck would senile old Zestial do to me? I’m way more powerful than he is! He’s a fossil! He hasn’t even claimed a block in decades and I’m-“
“Velvette.”
Roo’s eyes glowed red, the extra eyes in her hair slowly opening. The one light in Velvette’s office suddenly turned off on its own, and darkness seemed to slowly consume the room.
Suddenly Velvette felt like she was 14 again, getting chewed out by her parents for fucking up a test. And she hated it. She didn’t close her eyes but braced herself for what was about to come-
“Any Overlord that has to prove their power is no real Overlord.” Roo warned sternly, “At least, that’s what they say. As far as the other Overlords are concerned, they have no reason to fear you.”
As quick as it came the darkness faded and the lights came back on. But even though Roo didn’t pull on the leash like Velvette feared she would, the words still hurt.
“Wha...no reason to fear me...?” Velvette repeated, as if trying to understand what she’d just heard, “No one has risen to the top as quick as I have! I was smart, I sought you out before my first week in hell was over! And if you think I can’t-!”
“Velvette. Sweetheart. Darling. Dollface.” Roo spoke in that tone that was…well Velvette was pretty sure it was meant to be soothing, but it always sent a chill down her spine.
“I never said such things. But the other Overlords...well your numbers don’t lie, doll. And you have the least amount of souls of any Overlord.” Roo pointed out, her voice tinged with what sounded like sympathy.
It was a low blow, and Roo knew it. She knew damn well how much Velvette hated it when anyone brought up her soul count. She could tell by the way Velvette’s fists were clenched that she was about to blow. Sure, the Vees all collectively owned souls and tended to share them with each other. But technically speaking, Velvette only had maybe 1 or 2 thousand souls. And that was being generous.
“Granted, you’re still new here, so there’s time for that number to rise up someday, I’m sure.” Roo gave Velvette’s cheek a little pat that was meant to be affectionate…probably…but just came off as condescending.
“I don’t need that number to rise up for me to be relevant.” Velvette smacked Roo’s hand away, “Vox and Val would be nothing without me. I put the three of us on the map! They’re lucky to have me!”
“Have they told you that?” Roo asked.
Velvette opened her mouth to argue...and then closed it. Sure, Valentino and Vox hadn’t said so in those exact words, but-! ...Not in any words, actually…But what did that matter?! They both showed it every day, in their own way.
“What the fuck does that matter? They know my worth.” Velvette eventually said, a little too defensively.
Roo looked Velvette up and down, as if deciding whether or not to believe her.
“If you say so.” Roo sighed, “I’ll be back later to tell you your next assignment.”
Roo leaned in and kissed Velvette’s forehead, almost like a doting mother, “I’ll see you soon doll.”
As Roo disappeared, Velvette clung to her phone like it was a lifeline. Val and Vox did value her...they DID! She was just as powerful an Overlord as any other. Roo had no idea what she was talking about...
Maybe a selfie would make her feel better.