I own nothing as always. I know the last chapter was a bit of a knife to the heart, hate to leave you guys on that but it's not over yet! This chapter has a bit of insinuation of violence. I'm working out how much to give of the "backstory". I have it thought out, especially how Nifty and Husk became indebted, but it's a matter of working flashbacks in fluidly. This was going to be a bit more on his relationship to Nifty but I left out some of the dramatics to give a bit of a break from the heaviness of the last chapter.
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Alastor was still sitting at the table the next morning, his cup of cocoa untouched. He hadn't moved, a statue staring at the wall. His mother had long since left him there with his thoughts and their conversation felt like a broken record in his head.
She wanted him to leave. She didn't know him...or perhaps she knew him too well. Without her motherly attachment, perhaps she was only seeing him for who he truly was. A murderer. A scoundrel. The blood on his hands weighed heavy. Images of a human husker looking at him with desperation. Images of men and women as the light left their eyes at his hands. Images of his mother lying on the street, blood staining her coat.
"Al?"
He started at a tug to his sleeve and saw a smiling Nifty at his elbow. She was looking up at him with a large eye and larger smile. She was only stationary a moment before she began darting around, the cup snatched from his hand, the pot put into the sink, chirping all the while.
"Al it's breakfast time! Everyone's waking up. Usually you've made a mess for me to clean by now."
There was an audible DING that permeated the room as he was struck by a thought. He immediately sat up straighter, a Cheshire Cat grin stretching and exposing his teeth.
"Nifty my dear, I'm afraid I lost track of time," he announced with his usual bravado, materializing behind her and snatching the coffee cup back. The cup began to steam with a snap of his fingers and he took a sip while waving his hand to summon various kitchen items from the shelves and cabinets. The freezer began to open, two paper wrapped packages of bacon starting to float out, one marked as Alastor's more "special variety. But as the ladels and pots moved through the room, Alastor returned those to their shelves on a second thought. A Scott Joplin tune began to fill the room. "I think some good old fashioned oatmeal should be sustainable enough for us all. Quick and filling, right my darling?"
"And less mess for me," she chirped back. "I've been non-stop keeping this place tidy for our special guest. Only the best for an angel!"
Alastor didn't change his demeanor. But a small spurt of static filled the music for a moment. He gave a hearty laugh, betraying nothing. "Yes, yes it is quite a spectacular occurrence. Have you spoken to-"
"Oh no. No, no, no, I think I'd rather keep my distance. I wouldn't know what to say to...it's just nice having another lady around and I think it's best to divide up the femininity!"
Alastor's lips fell over his teeth in an amused smile. He had to admit, she was possibly more committed to her friendly presence than he ever could be to his own demeanors. He wasn't sure he had met a demon more dedicated to a smile than he. Even in life she had given him a run for his money.
A human Alastor, now closer to 30 than 20 waved at the smiling young girl at the radio station as she zoomed around the room, passing out coffee to the inhabitants. Seeing him, she somehow seemed to grow even brighter, darting to him with a folder of his notes for the day's broadcasts.
"Color-coded and organized! I took the liberty of-"
"My dear what would I do without you?" He commended, as she fell into step with him to the studio.
"At your service," she announced with a mock salute, giggling as he gave her a wink and pat on the head before taking the outstretched papers.
"Loyal as a pup and cute as a kitten as always, my dear," he chuckled and she laughed brightly.
"You're not bothered by her presence?" He poked, his head tilting to the side.
She didn't stop her deft zooming about the room but it did slow just a pace. She gave a nervous giggle and didn't answer.
As she moved past him, he snagged her by the collar and lifted her to eye level, teeth glinting.
She sighed, defeated, her body going limp in its suspension as he carried her to the table and dropped her. She hugged her knees from her new perch. And her lids fell heavy over her eyes. "I heard Miss Charlie saying she knows our files. She knows that I….why I'm here." She looked up at him with her giant eye, tears welling up. "Only you know that."
A young human Alastor bloody, a knife in his hand. A young girl, eyes wild, flickering from the flames around them. Pleading.
"Please...please I- I helped you. I can keep-Please don't do this. I'll do anything."
Alastor frozen, unsure. The sound of the knife clattering to the ground. His open, empty hand reaching out. "Lets...let's make a deal…" he voice barely audible, choking in his throat.
Alastor softened his smile. He tickled her under the chin, "Smile my dear," he commanded and she did so with a giggle, wiping her eye with the hem of her skirt.
"Never fully dressed without one," she sang back, before zooming off to set the table. Alastor heard footsteps approaching loudly and immediately knew it was-
"Hey what's for grub this morning?" Angel couldn't enter a room without "making an entrance" so to speak. Alastor grinned widely and the music increased at the sight of the slinking spider demon making a show out of his stretching, making a show out of letting his oversized shirt fall salaciously off his shoulder.
Alastor, for once, didn't chide him on his promiscuity, instead grabbing the surprised demon's hand and twirling him into a chair.
"Oatmeal. Nifty will have it out shortly if you can manage darling?"
Angel Dust was thrown for a minute but got his bearings and eyed him suspiciously, shocked at the lack of distaste the Radio Demon tended to reserve for him. Nifty didn't seem to notice, only giving a chirp and a nod and moving to fix breakfast.
"You a….seem like you got up on the right side of the bed, huh Smiles?" he leaned back in the chair, plopping his feet onto the table. If Alastor was being this nice he either had a good meal the night before or was up to something. And there hadn't been any broadcasts of carnage….
"Oh, didn't sleep a wink. Quite a bit to do," Alastor announced, summoning his cane and giving Angel's shins a hard rap. Angel hissed and jerked his feet from the table. "Have some class my effeminate friend." Alastor's head tilted with a sickening crack and his eyes faintly glowed as he was suddenly nose to nose with the retreating spider, the chair almost toppling backwards. "You'll never get to heaven without manners." Just as quickly, as it had happened, Alastor was next to Nifty, twirling his cane and laughing. Angel rubbed his stinging shins, confused.
"Nifty my dear, I'm afraid once you've set things for the rest, you'll have to meet me with our bowls. We have quite a bit of work today!"
And with that, Alastor was swallowed in shadow and gone, the bouncing sound of the piano with him. Angel sat stunned. The lame jokes, the shifting energy, it wasn't...not normal...but something about Alastor had seemed...off. Nifty zipped about the stove, humming where the music had left off, seemingly oblivious to the strangeness of the Radio Demon's behaviour. Angel crossed all of his arms and put his feet back on the table, frowning.
