Angel cockily watched Captain Pentious run off into the forest.
"Yeah that's it! Run! Run you pompous snake!" He taunted.
Alastor just shrugged and headed back toward his home, taking not the slightest notice of the tsuchigumo. But Angel was no fool and he quickly realized that if he was going to remain free he needed a little "protection."
"Can I say something to you?" He asked following after the wendigo. "Listen you were really something back there. Incredible."
Alastor stopped and turned to face him.
"I beg your pardon but were you addressing me?"
"Yes I was and I just wanted to thank you for saving my ass. Believe me, if you hadn't of come in I would have been so screwed."
"Glad I showed up then." Alastor said with sarcastic disinterest.
"Man it's good to be free. I haven't experienced it in so long."
"Oh that's great." His smile remained but the irritation was evident in his eyes. "Now why don't you go celebrate your freedom with your own friends?"
He turned back around and started to walk away again.
"But uh...Well here's the thing I don't have any friends." Angel confessed.
"Now there's a shocker." Alastor replied once again with a tone of sarcasm.
"And there's no way in Hell I'm going back there by myself. I'm a wanted man."
"No. Not at this very moment."
"You know I just got an idea. Maybe I could lay low with you for awhile?"
"Excuse me?"
"You're big and scary, no one would think of messing with me if I hung around with you."
"Hate to disappoint but I am not a bodyguard for hire. I am just a simple fellow who only wants to mind his own business. Now run along and leave me be."
"Alright so you're the loner type. I can work with that. I can live in isolation like you do. I don't need to live within the community. Hey who needs the community anyway?"
Alastor stopped again and heaved a deep sigh.
"I tried to be nice." He mumbled.
Then he turned on Angel and did his infamous howl. The one that made even the bravest of men shrink into sniveling cowards. Alastor was certain that after this Angel would be running from him as if Satan had come to collect his soul. But to his great shock, the arachnid like creature showed no sign of fear. He was different from all the others who had encountered him before.
"Is that very painful to do?" He asked. "Because I'm pretty sure if I ever made that kind of noise my throat would be so sore."
"Forgive me but have you recently suffered from an injury to the head that left you mentally unstable?"
"No. Why?"
"Because anyone with common sense wouldn't be anywhere near me for as long as you have. I mean take a look at me, what am I?"
"Um..." Angel craned his neck to look up at Alastor's face. "Really tall?"
"No! I'm a wendigo. A vicious, blood thirsty monster who will prey on anything that moves. Doesn't that bother you?"
"Nope." Angel replied.
"Really?" Alastor said, a little surprised.
"Really, really." Angel assured him, sounding incredibly sincere. "Trust me when you've work for the likes of Valentino for as long as I have, nothing bothers you anymore."
Alastor was disarmed. He wasn't used to anyone seeing beyond his beastly appearance.
"So smiles, you got a name or what?"
"Alastor." He answered and then continued on his way.
"Interesting name." Angel said still following him. "Never heard it before. I'm Anthony by the way but you can call me Angel."
Going deeper into the forest, toward Alastor's home, Angel couldn't help but feel a little put off by the atmosphere.
"So you live around here?" He ventured nervously.
"Yes. Anything wrong with my choice of abode?"
"No! No! Not at all! It's very unique and original! I myself have gotten really bored with the whole sunny days, blue skies, and fresh green grass surroundings. But I figure that you don't get many visitors living in a place like this."
"I don't want visitors. I much prefer to live a private life."
"You know I do too." Angel plunged on, missing Alastor's implication entirely. "I hate it when you got somebody in your face, you give em a hint but they don't leave, and then there's that big awkward silence. You know?"
There was a big, awkward silence. Alastor glared at Angel. Angel became worried.
"Can I stay with you?"
"What?" Alastor said caught by surprise. This spider couldn't be serious.
"Can I stay with you? Please?"
"Of course." Alastor's smile became bigger.
"Really?" Angel hoped.
"No."
All else having failed, Angel had to resort to pleasing.
"Please! I don't wanna go back there! You don't know what it's like to be considered a freak!"
Alastor pointed toward his horrific face to prove Angel's claim wrong.
"Well maybe you do." Angel said getting the point. "But freaks have to stick together right? Help each other out!"
"I don't help anyone. I care only for myself and my own needs. Now get away from me."
"Oh come on, I'm begging on my knees here!" He literally was on his knees. "You gotta let me stay! Please! Please!"
"Really, now this is just pathetic." Alastor said. "Stop that! Show some dignity for Heaven's sake!"
"I'm desperate, okay? I don't have anybody! I'm all alone! No friends! No family!"
"No self respect obviously."
"Right! So can't you see that I need you? If you help me I'll do anything! I'll be your best friend! I'll treat you right! If you kill a man, I'll hide the body! Just give me a chance! Please!"
"Okay, okay." Alastor said defeated. "But one night only."
"Oh thank you." Angel said. "You won't regret this. We can work on some male bonding tonight and in the morning I'm making cannolis."
"No wait a minute." Alastor protested. "Two things. Number one I don't eat sweet things like cannolis and number two I don't do male bonding. I don't bond with anyone."
"Oh..." Angel said dejected. "I guess that makes sense. I mean I don't know you, you don't know me, and I'm only going to stay one night. So where do I sleep?"
"Outside."
"Outside? In the cold?"
"It's July."
"But what am I supposed to sleep on?"
"You're a spider, build a web and sleep on that. Also you're not going to be making any noise tonight and first thing in the morning you better be scarce or you'll be breakfast."
Angel stared at him disturbed.
"You wouldn't really eat me, would you?"
Before answering, Alastor gave him his most ravenous and twisted smile, his voice turning sadistic to match the facial expression.
"You really want to take that risk? After all, my kind is known to be cannibalistic. If I can eat human beings without so much as a shred of remorse, what do you think I could do to the likes of you?"
Understanding the threat, Angel say himself down outside Alastor's door and remained there when Alastor went inside his house. The wendigo was always so pleased with how well he could trick anyone into believing he would actually eat them. Although Angel was the first to actually suspect he was bluffing. Lucky thing Alastor was such a good actor.
For a moment he felt a little regretful for just shutting the poor fellow out like that but then he shook it off. Alastor liked his privacy. He didn't need anyone hanging around. Angel had to go. Alastor was better off by himself. He had always been better off by himself. That's how it should be.
