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"But you've noticed...he's been weird? Right?" Charlie looked over the mug at Vaggie who was sharpening a spear next to her on the couch.
"He's always weird, hon," Vaggie sighed.
"But weird for...him," Charlie insisted. "He's been...I don't know...less…"
"Annoying?" Vaggie offered with a smirk.
"Yes! Exactly!"
The past few days had been a flurry of activity around the hotel. Alastor and Nifty had seemingly gone into overdrive with renovations. Rooms had been repainted, the lost and found furniture replaced with looks that better "tied together the room" as Alastor would announced. It seemed every place you went was filled with emanating jazz music, rags polishing, and nicks being filled. And it looked amazing, Charlie had to admit, but something about the Radio Demon's demeanor still seemed...off. The usual loud bravado and unpredictable comings and goings had lost their usual snark and bored playfulness and were instead consumed by a manic energy. He was a man on a mission, and whatever it was, he seemed in a hurry.
Vaggie sighed. "Look Char...you should be happy. He's actually pulling his weight and staying out of the way for once instead of...you know...being weird and…" she struggled to find the right word, before finally saying with finality, "Creepy."
Charlie bit her lip. She knew Vaggie was right. This was good. Great actually. No one outside of the hotel knew about the Angel yet, but she hoped with a heavenly blessing it might attract more guests, and Alastor's and Nifty's efforts were definitely making it a more welcoming place. But she couldn't help but worry. "I don't know," she tried to smile but couldn't help nervously playing with her hair. "I just think maybe we should talk to him? I mean, what if this is his attempt at…" Vaggie gave her a hard look. She gulped and finished nervously, "...redemption?"
Vaggie snorted, but seeing the fallen look on her girlfriend's face she put down her spear and changed her tone. "Yeah...look hon I don't want you to get your hopes up. I don't know what he's up to, and I don't want to guess at what goes on in that psychopath's head. I think it's best to just be grateful and not overthink it."
Charlie nodded and turned her gaze to her mug. She knew Vaggie was right. And she was grateful. So many things had been going well since the Angel arrived. Husker was drinking less. Angel was staying home more. Something about the celestial presence seemed to put them all at ease. Not entirely of course, but subtle progress here and there. There was the impending talk with Michael of course but the Angel seemed happy so Charlie felt it safe to think she'd put in a good word.
"Hello."
Both girls jumped. They hadn't heard the angel approach. Vaggie actually had a suspicion that she flew rather than walked sometimes. Now with two guests who had a tendency to sneak up on you, she was a strong advocate for putting a bell on both Alastor and Katherine. Actually, Vaggie couldn't help but notice a few similarities between the two now and then. A corny joke Katherine would make here or a small gesture there, but even she was quick to squash her own unease. How ridiculous to compare Hell's most powerful overlord to a literal angel from Heaven.
Katherine had a blank look on her face. Not a frown, but not exactly a smile. It was strange but there was always something just...serene about the woman. She had been around for a few weeks at this point and was very inquisitive about hell and demons but it hadn't missed anyones attention that they had learned very little about her.
"I have my report tomorrow, with Michael." Her tone was flat as she spoke. Betraying nothing. Charlie fidgeted in her seat.
"Does...does that mean that you're going back?" Charlie tried to sound happy about it, but she couldn't keep the sadness out of her voice. Or the worry. She had come to like having the angel around, and she was admittedly fearful of what her report would mean for the hotel.
Something strange flashed behind Katherine's eyes. "I'm not...I'm not sure. Like I said I really don't know much, but I'd like to maybe spend time with you all tonight? Just in case?"
Charlie's eyes lit up. "Yes! Yes of course! Oh my gosh we'll have a maybe-going-away party!"
Katherine smiled as Charlie lit up and began gushing out manic party plans. "I would like that. I want to speak with you all very much. I have a lot of thoughts about how I want to present your project to Michael." The Angel paused and the strange looked flashed in her eyes again. It was quickly replaced with a brilliant smile. "But a party is a party so we'll keep the shop talk to a minimum," she snapped her fingers and flashed a brilliant smile before laughing at her own joke. Charlie laughed as well but Vaggie couldn't seem to reciprocate. There it was again. Something sharp, drawing, about the playfulness. She could almost picture the Radio Demon doing the same thing with a more menacing set of teeth.
But something else interrupted her thoughts. In the shadow of the hallway she saw a figure she recognized all too well. With Charlie and Nichole locked in conversation, Vaggie grabbed her spear and excused herself. She made a beeline for the hallway. The figure moved to leave as she approached but she pointed her spear at Alastor's back. The tall deer demon stopped in his retreat and turned to her with hooded lids and a toothy smile, leaning down until his nose was almost touching the spear point. "Can I help you?" he asked smartly, moving the tip down with this finger.
Vaggie felt a twinge. Alastor had seemed different lately, but this was the demon she recognized. She had also been suspicious of his new behaviour, but now felt empowered knowing it had to be an act. She knew he was up to something.
"Can I help you, Creep?" she retorted pushing it back up at him with a force that made him straighten. He didn't lose his smile but the static around him became tangible.
"I'm just keeping an eye on our guest," he said simply, turning to leave and end the conversation.
"You know her don't you?"
He sighed and turned back, but his eyes didn't go to Vaggie, instead drifting to Katherine and Charlie. His smile seemed to soften into something more genuine, vulnerable. A thing she had never seen from him before. "I believe I do, yes." His voice was surprisingly soft, human, with something strange in it. "In fact I would even indulge my narcissism to say that she was specifically sent here because of me."
Vaggie was thrown for a moment. He wasn't performing, no song or dance or scare tactics. Just, talking. Confiding? But didn't let it shake her resolve but she felt herself not knowing how to respond. "So what...was she...a victim...of yours?"
Alastor gave a small chuckle. "She's someone I think it best to observe from a distance."
He stood quietly with her, and she lowered her weapon. As much as Alastor could give people a hard time, he always seemed particularly inclined to trying to enrage Vaggie. Whether it was small flirting gestures with her girlfriend or undercutting sexist comments, he seemed to find a particular joy from getting under her skin. He had never spoken so openly with her. And her discomfort manifested in doubt. This had to be a new form of manipulation, and it felt worse than any of his more biting methods. And that made her feel even more disgusted.
"Look, I don't know what you're up to," she said in a low voice. His ears twitched but he didn't look at her. "Charlie loves the work you're doing but I don't buy it. You never cared about this hotel and whatever this new game is, you're not fooling me." He turned to look at her, his face blank. A static filled the hall and she tensed, fighting hard not to show her fear, knowing she was going toe to toe with a much more powerful demon than she. "We already have to figure out what all this angle stuff is, I can't say I trust that either, so I don't need you, on top of that, piling all your trickster-." She halted as her vision seemed to go awry for a moment. But it only lasted a second before things snapped back and she was left looking at, to her shock, a frowning Alastor locking eyes with her. He looked...sad...maybe even...hurt?
This somehow was more disturbing to Vaggie, who started to take a step back but felt the back of her foot connect with something, tripping and falling to the ground. She felt a foreign feeling as he loomed over her. Pure, unbridled, fear.
"You know my dear, I always quite liked you," he sighed, leaning down so that their noses were almost touching. "Good sparring partners are hard to find, and I almost consider your wit and audacity of equal footing to mine." Insignias began to glow around him, and his voice dropped into something staticky, otherworldly, "Almost." A wide grin broke out, his yellow teeth bared. "Our princess may be the daughter of the devil himself, but she doesn't have your tenacity. I'm counting on you to make sure her little plan actually comes to fruition."
His eyes glowed, pupils becoming radio dials. "If you don't fear me, I trust you can handle anything." The static began to fill her ears. "I promise you, I'm the most terrifying thing you'll ever encounter." His features stretched. His teeth and horns lengthening. Vaggie couldn't breath, frozen with fear, a scream caught in her throat.
There was a pop and she was suddenly on her feet, static gone, Alastor twirling his cane and chuckling darkly, a respectable distance from her. She felt shaken. As if she was snapping out of a trance. "Smile darling," he said with a smirk, "I think you ladies just might hold the winning hand."
With a flourish of his cane, he disappeared into the shadows, leaving Vaggie alone. She shook her head, confused.
