The day had been a roller coaster for Selena. She knew she shouldn't have taunted her king, but the thought of Charlie's never ending self hatred had torn at her. Charlie had recently mentioned wanting to see her parents. She never thought it would have ended in a possible lesson for the princess. Perhaps his backhanded comments and generally cruelty was, in fact, for a lesson. He used to chase her around screaming, "Don't take shit from other demons!" whenever she went off on her own. She wasn't someone people would roll over, but she tended to let people have their way. After all, Alastor had all but done that before Selena stepped in. These days Alastor was more complacent and surprisingly stayed to help the girls redeem souls. A fact which made Selena wonder. Would he leave soon? Become bored with their success? It hadn't been long since the hotel became successful.
Selena felt a sad loss if her friend were to leave. He had done so much to keep this place afloat. Give it help. But he was a seeker of chaos. A harbinger of death. It wouldn't be like him to stay. Nor would it be within her to make him stay. She just hoped they could continue some sort of relationship after he left. She had grown fond of him. Overly so. She found herself looking forward to spending time with him. Though currently, he was mad at her. She hadn't changed her mind about helping Angel. And this past day he had been blunt and annoyed with her. It made her feel guilty. But she couldn't understand why.
The day came to help Angel Dust. Everyone was gathered in the lobby to give Angel advice on what to do if things got tough. "Foxy, babe, you gotta change your appearance or everyone will know who you are. Let's see if we can do something." Angel covered his nerves by wanting to play dress up with Selena.
"No need." In a ripple effect, Selena's gorgeous appearance was altered. She was a redhead with a plain appearance. Her curves were there, but not so much like before. Her skin had a more weathered complexion. She had freckles covering her face. "Better?"
"Damn! Girl, you are cute! Not foxy sexy like before but cute!" Angel said. He looked slightly defeated at not glamming her down, but he knew it was for the best. Say they did put her in a video, the makeup would be noticeable if they got too close to her face. "Where were ya hidin' these skills?" He twirled her around and then looked into her eyes. "Should I give ya a pair of contact lenses? Ya eyes are still they're purplish color. It's a bit off putting with your current appearance. It fits, but I feel like it rips off the magic ya just used."
She giggled. "It's the only part of my appearance I can't change. It makes it noticeable when I impersonate other people."
"Impersonate? You impersonate other people?" Angel seemed enthralled with her new skill.
"Sure. To get into places. To throw off my foe. For comedy." Selena shrugged. "It has a wide variety of uses." She twirled her now auburn hair and gave Charlie a sideways glance. "I could dull the color of my eyes. Maybe that'll help."
"No need to do that, my dear! They are a beautiful color!" Alastor came up from behind her. "If I hadn't witnessed it myself, I wouldn't have realized that it was you, Selena!" He placed both hands on her shoulders. She relaxed into his touch. This was his first upbeat comment towards her in a full day. He had been grumpy and not very talkative lately. "Can I steal you away for a moment?" He whispered in her ear. She nodded.
They walked away from the group and into his office. He shut the door behind him. "As you are well aware, I am not happy about this plan. I know you can take care of yourself, but I'd rather you out of unnecessary danger. Having said that again, I wanted to know. Can I give you a shadow? Let it monitor the situation. Just so that if you or Angel Dust find yourselves backed into a corner I can lend a little aid?" She thought he would attempt to talk her out of it. Again. But it seemed he was wanting to know if he could tail her. For his own comfort. "As you well know, I hate the Porn Studios. I hate everything that goes on in there. Having said that, I do not want the woman I love without a tiny back up plan. I'm willing to provide one, but I didn't want to upset you and go behind your back. " He was pacing at this point. He was completely unsure how this idea would go past Selena. She was strong. Hell! Stronger than he was. She was independent. She didn't need him. She was so very captivating even with her altered appearance. It became all too real that she was doing this when her silver hair had turned to red and her body changed. Even her face wasn't the same. But he knew he loved her. He was scared for her. He didn't want her in there unable to fight back because innocents were nearby! He couldn't let anything like that happen.
"Alastor, is this your way of helping?" She reached out to him and placed a soft touch on his arm. His skin flinched, but truthfully he found the touch welcoming. Satan. He did not want her to leave.
"Yes." It was all he could muster to say. He took a moment to regain his breath which he didn't know he was out of. Her hand moved from his arm to his face. Again his flesh twitched at the touch, but he turned his face into it. He couldn't help it. What if Valentino or Vox forced her into not coming back? By using Angel or something? It was all he could think of. The panic was starting to show on his face.
"I'll be okay, but I will accept your shadow. I could probably use it to scout or something of the like. Besides, it seems this is really bothering you. For reasons beyond a rivalry like I originally thought." She gave him a hopeful smile. He felt himself calm.
"Thank you." It was all he could mutter. He finally gathered his thoughts. "It's not you I doubt. It's them. Vox is capable of causing power outages city wide. And as you know, Valentino possesses the ability to control others. They can be a deadly combination. I know how strong you are. I'm just scared. For once. I'm terrified of what's to come." He placed a kiss into her palm. "A feeling I never thought I'd feel. Again it's happening. When you went missing the first time, but this is different. I can stop this which is why I was trying. But you're one stubborn woman." They both giggled. "Come back to us. Promise me." He placed his hand on her cheek. The only indicator she was who she was stared back at him. He took his face out of her palm and leaned in. She had relaxed into his hand. He placed a kiss on her forehead. His other hand found itself lost in the curls of her now unruly red hair.
"I promise." Her hands went on the insides of his arms. She began to push his caresses away. But before he was out of reach, she kissed his lips. A quick, chaste kiss sealing the promise that spilled from her lips. "I have no intention of abandoning what I love." She walked away.
He stood still for a moment. The kiss still lingering on his lips. Did she just say she loved him? Indirectly, but perhaps his feelings were finally being returned. He held his hand to his mouth. He never would have fathomed cherishing kisses and touches. But now it was what he wanted. Especially since she was leaving him. To help another. He shook himself from his thoughts and followed her into the lobby.
"Ya lovebirds done?" Angel tapped his foot. "I can't be late, or I'll be beaten silly at the end of the day, babe. Let's get going." They left the lobby through its main door and got lost within Pentagram City's crowds.
