Clover found the source of the noise in the hotel's normally-empty ballroom, its wide intricate door swinging open for her as she drew closer. She paused between them as her eyes adjusted to the bright light bouncing off the crystal chandelier, waiting until the bloom that blurred her vision cleared before moving forward into the unknown that awaited her.

"Ah! There you are!"

The voice that called out to her echoed off high ceilings, amplified by the acoustics of the room in a way that surrounded her with that pleasant cadence she'd grown so fond of. Alastor sat at the room's center, half hidden behind the body and open lid of a grand piano as he played. The further she stepped into the ballroom, the more of him became framed between the shining black lid of the instrument and its prop. Backlit by the sunlight streaming in through the tall windows and leaning into each press of the keys, Alastor was an entirely different picture than the tattered image of himself he'd left burned into her memory. He was a fresher print, she would say; His hair was now smoothed, his eyes casting a warm light across his cheeks and his smile sitting pleasantly in its proper place. Despite this abrupt return to normality, something felt off about it all, but from this distance she couldn't quite put her finger on what that was. All she could say was that he seemed to be back to his handsome, happy self again and that in itself lifted a weight from her chest.

Perhaps it had been selfish of her to feel so sourly about what seemed to be a much-needed retreat for the Radio Demon.

"I thought that, perhaps, you'd lost your way."

When his eyes looked up from the keys, she realized she'd been standing staring at him from the doorway for the full final measure of his melody, and the fact that he'd once again caught her admiring him made her skin grow warm.

It was frighteningly easy for everything to fall back into place.

"You changed your suit," Clover said the first stupid thing that came to her mind as she looked at him, her feet lifting from where they'd been metaphorically stuck to the floor to get a better look at him. "I like it."

Alastor laughed lightly, and the sound washed over her with a warmth not even her burning showers could compete with. He had changed in appearance, slightly, but enough that it was immediately apparent to anyone who paid as much attention to Alastor as Clover did. His suit was more vibrant, unfaded by daily wear in the heat of hell's crimson sun, and seemed to lean towards a more flushed tone as opposed to the bright red of fresh blood he'd had before. Her analysis pulled Clover further into the room, each echoing sound of her boots against the floor twitching their ears in time with the other.

Despite the distance kept between them, that tether that tied them together, the one that pulled her towards every room with a radio, was firmly in place once again. She could feel it winding around the piano, pulling her into his orbit as she looked over the finer details of his fresh suit without the barrier between them. Fingers twitched with the urge to reach out and trace the white piping that defined the edges of his jacket lapel, to peer at the bottoms of his shiny black shoes as they shifted beneath him to see if that scarlet imprint still remained, but she stayed steadfast.

There was still too much that had happened between them for her to wade through it alone, and now that he was here she wasn't going to waste a second of it on trivial things such as aesthetics.

Dark claws pressed into the keys once again as he started a slow lead into a new song, Alastors eyes turning downward and his brow furrowing as he took a moment to figure out the melody before leaning into it fully. It was a far more modern tune than anything she would have expected of him, and the longer he played, the more familiar it became.

"You may come closer, you know. I won't bite." Alastor hummed, his hair doing nothing to hide the amusement that brightened his eyes. "Not today."

As much as she adored him, she was becoming truly dizzy by how often he made her head spin. Alastor left her no time to digest his vague flirt, quickly moving the conversation along as he continued to play.

"This tune has not left my head as of late, and I thought that perhaps I could rid myself of this particular earworm by simply playing it out, but I could not recall the lyrics, not entirely. I was hoping you could help solve this problem of mine."

The music slowed, Alastor's fingers pausing over the next set of keys as his eyes turned to her with a pointed glance.

"How can I-" The truth of what he was asking her stopped the question on her lips, and Clover drew them between her teeth as her stomach dropped to the floor at the idea. "Al, I can't."

"There is nothing we cannot do if we apply ourselves, dear. Besides, I am already aware that you can, you simply refuse to accept that fact yourself."

Why did that phrasing spark a flash of anger in her? It felt almost hypocritical, but she couldn't quite place what it was about his statement that bothered her. It didn't matter, not really, because as soon as the words had sunk in and begun to twist at her tangled heartstrings, he was soothing the forming sore spots on her soul with the softness of his smile.

"I hope you know I will never attempt to force you, but I am a selfish man and I cannot help myself but ask that you humor me once more. If my memory serves correctly, you seemed to be quite fond of this particular tune."

Clover honestly didn't know what to say to him at this moment. Out of all the options of what this conversation could have turned out to be, Alastor asking her to duet certainly wasn't at the top of her list. Her nerves collided dangerously with her want to please him, Clover's mouth going dry as she rushed towards a decision. Part of her, underneath all the fluttering that was currently going on inside her stomach, wanted to see how nicely she could get him to ask her for it, to get him back for how he'd thrust this very situation on her once before, but she knew she didn't have the willpower to match Alastor in that game.

Besides, the way he immediately perked up at her defeated sigh was too endearing to resist.

"Just…Be kind and don't make me do all of it."

You ridiculous, adorable man, she thought.

Alastor obviously took her request to heart, because after a short pause in which he gave his knuckles an overzealous crack and adjusted himself in his seat, he began to play from exactly the place he had left off. It took a short while of her humming along to the tune for her to figure out where they were in the lyrics of the song, with no help from Alastor, who slowed down his playing in anticipation of her accompaniment.

"-and I need something to rely on… " She half-sang, ignoring the shake in her voice in favor of watching as Alastor's fingers effortlessly danced across the keys.

"And if you have a minute why don't we go,

Talk about it somewhere only we know?

This could be the end of everything,

So why don't we go somewhere only we know? "

If there was a better song than this to explain exactly what she wanted at this moment, she would have never been able to find it on her own. She was finally able to give in to his beckoning as they fell into harmony, Clover dragging her fingers across the side of the piano's casing as she moved closer. The vibrations were almost calming, they were something real she could lean into as proof that this moment wasn't just a figment of her overactive imagination. Her dreams had been haunted by the demon more than once in their time apart, and as often as Alastor blurred the lines between fantasy and reality with his accidental romantics, she desperately needed something more tangible to tide her over. She could hear him humming quietly below the bright sound of the piano, and she wanted more.

As the melody continued into the interlude, she settled in at his side, being careful not to disturb his focus or impede his movement as she balanced just between too close and not enough.

"Oh, simple thing, where have you gone?

I'm getting old and I need someone to rely on…"

The lyrics were too easy despite the heaviness that settled over her tongue, but Clover couldn't say she was paying much attention to that at this moment. Not when Alastor turned to her, looking away from his playing to meet her eye as the melody slowed to a near stop. Her own gaze flickered to his lips, watching as his smile fell flat around the edges and an odd sort of emotion twisted at the corners of his eyes, and if the threat of the open doors hadn't sat just yards away she knew she wouldn't have been able to stop her urge to kiss him again. Alastor turned away before she could throw caution to the wind, pushing forward toward the song's crescendo.

Luckily, matching Alastor's pace was becoming easier for her.

"So tell me when you're gonna let me in,

I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin… "

Are you listening, truly? She thought as she sang. This song had a purpose, it had to. He'd remembered it, he'd taken the time to figure out the tune, it was all too pointed for him to continue to feign ignorance to the weight of what he was doing to her. A picture was worth a thousand words, but a melody was worth more when words failed when the Radio Demon was concerned.

She knew what came next in this particular version of this song, but she still wasn't prepared for the amount of passion that came from the man next to her. Alastor bent into every note, his shoulders curving downward as dark claws floated across the ivory with new vigor. It was hard to pick one thing to focus on, Clover's attention torn between the intensity of his gaze and the graceful movements of his fingers, but every bit of him was beautiful at that moment. He was truly breathtaking, he had to know that, but every part of her wished she had the strength to tell him, if only to see how the admission would affect him. The warmth stirring at the pit of her stomach at his performance wasn't particularly helpful in maintaining her composure, but at least her wanting for more kept her alert enough to keep time with him.

"And if you have a minute, why don't we go...

Talk about it somewhere only we know?

'Cause this could be the end of everything… "

Alastor's knee met hers as he shifted himself upwards in key, and it sent sparks across her skin that nearly knocked the last of the breath she had. Her hand shifted towards him, the backs of her knuckles catching just the edge of his pant leg before he moved once again.

"So why don't we go somewhere only we know?"

She let herself lean into him as that tether between them pulled tighter, her shoulder pressing into his as her voice softened. The gentle vibrations of his humming echoed into her, sending a shake into her hands as they clutched at the bench beneath them, and everything Clover had bled through in the song's final line.

"Somewhere only we know… "

It wasn't until she stopped singing that she heard her own voice echoing back to her from above, and a late stage of fright began to set in. The only thing that calmed her was the gentle fading of the piano beside it as Alastor lingered on the final notes, the room around them fading into unimportance with a radial blur as he turned to her with that self-assured smile.

"Clover, I-"

Alastor's head snapped towards the hallway, the creaking that had caught his attention reaching her ears a second later, and her own gaze shifted towards the open doorway to find it filled with the wide eyes of their friends. Clover was only able to really take in the shocked face of Charlie, who had stepped forward onto one of the hotel's many loose floorboards to lean further around the tall frame of Angel Dust before the doors slammed shut on all three demons that had crowded into the small space just beyond the door frame to listen.

The sharp screech that had come from Alastor clicked off as suddenly as it had appeared, his voice unaltered by his radio transmission in its now lowered state.

"As I was saying...I would like for us to talk about something that has been weighing heavily on my mind."

"What do you mean- Oh."

Clover's pulse began to race once again as she realized what he was referring to, and she couldn't help the hopeful smile that settled onto her lips. All she cared about was that the moment she'd been waiting for since she'd asked that fateful question while sitting atop his kitchen counter had come far sooner than she'd expected, and without the weeks of teeth-pulling she was mentally preparing herself for. She thought she knew Alastor well enough to guess that this would take longer than she'd want it to, but as usual, the dashing demon was full of surprises.

With a heavy sigh, Alastor slid shut the piano's cover, tapping his claws against the polished black surface. He stood, and Clover turned to follow, tossing her legs over the piano's bench to face him as he began to pace the length of it. His radio returned momentarily to fizzle through a number of stations before it clicked off again, Alastor stopping at the furthest point from her with a sharp squeaking of shoes.

"Clover, in light of recent events," He began as his hands came to clasp behind his back, his twitching fingers drawing her attention away from the fact that he had not done the polite thing of addressing her face-to-face. "I would like to offer you a- Well not a contract per se, but in legal terms it would function very much the same. An arrangement, if you will."

She was almost relieved that he refused to face her, just so he couldn't see how ridiculous her dumbfounded expression must have looked.

"...What?"

"It's Vox, you see. He has expressed that he will not give up easily, and while our conversation may stall his movements momentarily I can only assume he will begin his antics again in the near future. It's become obvious to me that there is only one way to truly crush the interest he's taken in you."

He spoke too quickly, too clipped, for normal negotiation. Clover recognized the pattern, but she was too stunned by this abrupt change in their conversation's course to make sense of it. The hopeful swelling that had begun to build in her chest had shattered, and the shards had knocked the air from her lungs. Now she was out of breath, and it was an uphill battle to keep up with him as he continued on.

"I know it is not an ideal solution, but in order to adequately assure your safety, I believe it is the best option we have currently. With your soul in my hands, Vox would be risking far greater repercussions by continuing to pursue you. We would have to come to an agreement on the terms together, but it would be entirely for your benefit."

"You're- You're offering me a contract?" She struggled through the spell of vertigo he'd cast upon her with the sudden turn in his phrasing to make sense of what he was saying. "Al, I have nothing of worth to give back to you, why-"

"Darling we both know that is untrue, but you've misunderstood me. I will ask nothing from you in return for your protection, our friendship will function as it has thus far but with the added security of your souls' safety."

Finally, he spared her a glance, and even though her heart broke at the uncertain twist to his smile, she took advantage of the cracks in his facade that it revealed.

"Can we talk about what happened first?" Fingers stretched towards him, begging him to reclaim his place at her side. "Please?"

Alastor blinked at her for a long moment, looking between her outstretched fingers and what she assumed was a truly pathetic but pleading expression. If she wasn't becoming truly upset with him at this moment, she might have lingered on the small flicker of heat that blossomed in her chest at the way he looked back at her over one shoulder, but the weight of their situation held down any of those stirrings for the time being.

"Clover, I don't-" Alastor stumbled, turning on his heels to face her as the sharp armor of the Radio Demon fell apart and the deal maker crumbled into something with a little more humanity. It was only there for a moment, the slightest downturn of his smile and the nervous fluttering of his hands at his sides, but it was enough to strengthen her resolve. "I believe your protection is of the utmost importance right now. I promise you that once things settle down-"

"No."

The radio kicked on again with a scratch, fizzling the air around him with its electricity. Sharp teeth opened and closed as Alastor gaped at her, his brow furrowed above wide eyes. For a moment she watched them flicker between warm brown and twisting radio dials before they returned to vivid crimson as they narrowed, and Alastor's voice returned from the echoing depths of his radio frequency.

"...I beg your pardon?"

Clover's legs twitched with instinct at the intensity of his stare, but she fought against it, pushing that energy into rising from her place seated below him. He didn't move as she stepped towards him, didn't back away from her advances, and she took that as a sign that she hadn't ruined everything, not yet.

"The answer is no"

"That's what I thought you said, but let me offer-"

"I don't accept your deal." Another sharp intake of breath raised her hand, and thankfully he remained silent at her command. "I know you're worried about my soul, or whatever, but I'm not letting this move forward until we talk about the other night. I mean- Alastor I kissed you, you kissed me. Things have happened between us, and I- We can't just ignore that."

"I am not ignoring what we have done, but you must understand that matters concerning your afterlife are more important than- Our more private matters," Alastor sighed, finally reaching out to take the hand she'd left outstretched between them. "This is not a game, Vox will come back into power with renewed interest. I assure this is a good thing for both our sakes, this deal will provide a barrier between the two of you that even Vox isn't daft enough to work against, and without outside complications, things can be as they were before."

Clover wasn't sure she would be able to continue to argue with him if he kept talking to her that way, in that infuriatingly sincere but far away manner that he'd taken on since the true intentions of this conversation had revealed themselves. It wasn't fair to either of them to proceed in this way.

"Alastor, I-"

Her response died on her tongue as she struggled with what else to do in this situation. She'd said no to the Radio Demon, the deal maker, what did that mean for them? What was more terrifying was that she wanted it, she wanted him, and while the option of simply handing him her soul to cherish and protect with no strings attached was a tempting offer indeed, she couldn't bring herself to, not like this.

No matter how much her heart ached as she pulled away or how worried she was that her answer could turn everything they'd worked towards to ruin.

"As much as I want to respect your need for time to digest your feelings, I need- I don't know, something more."

She'd taken to mimicking his stance, folding her hands behind her back and squaring her shoulders. Alastor sputtered, his radio rising in frequency as he struggled to maintain his composure. A nerve had been struck, there was no going back from that now, and even though watching Alastor's smile twist in that confusing, frustrated manner tightened the knots in her stomach, she couldn't bring herself to regret it.

Dark claws reached out to her, cupping her face with far more restraint than she would have expected from him at that moment. She leaned into the touch without a second thought, allowing him to crowd himself back into her personal space as his radio swung from station to station. Her eyes flickered to his lips again, to that slowly slipping smile that trembled as Alastor desperately searched her face for something he obviously could not find. His grin grew into a grimace, grinding together as he became lost in the depths of his own thoughts. Clover waited patiently, savoring the heat of his palm against her cheek while she still could and wondering where that warmth had come from.

"Clover, you- You cannot give ultimatums at a time like this, especially when you seem to willfully misunderstand what is at stake here"

"I just don't feel comfortable moving forward with anything that would further entangle us until I know how you feel about…Well, whatever it is that's formed between us. If you need more time to think, I understand, I really do, and I hope you know I will always give you the space you need."

The sharp breath Alastor surely took to argue went unused as the sound of a door slamming open echoed through the hotel, followed by a loud greeting from a far away, familiar female voice. Clover's head turned at the sound, the fluttering curiosity breaking her from his intensity as the voice called out her name, followed by Angel's. She turned to Alastor, who was slowly devolving into a mess of radio static at the interruption, and she knew that their conversation could not continue in its current state. It was obvious to her that he needed more time, and the longer she thought about his offer the more it began to feel like a desperate counter-play in response to Vox. What had happened between them that had pushed him to this? She should have asked more questions, but that moment had already passed and she wasn't sure if any of his answers would have changed her mind anyway.

Contracts and love were two topics Clover had learned not to take lightly, and she wasn't going to let Alastor confuse and complicate things further without giving her the grace of communication first.

"Please don't be angry with me," Her whisper was nearly lost in the fabric of his glove as she turned her head, risking further pushing him into discomfort as her hand laid over the back of his and left the ghost of a gentle kiss in the palm of his hand. "We'll talk about this later, I promise. I'll think about what you've said, and listen to whatever else you have to say but- I hope you'll do the same for me now."

Fingertips brushed against her skin as she pulled his hand away, cradling it between her palms as she looked up at him. Through the dampness that collected at the corners of her eyes, she watched as he followed their intertwined fingers, flexing his own between hers before letting go entirely.

"I…understand."

He spoke slowly, a stark change from the fast-paced pitch he'd attempted to give her moments earlier, before his smile snapped back into place with a soft click as the bright sound of a band began to fill the room.

"I believe you have a guest, it would be rude to keep them waiting." It was an order, not a suggestion; He'd returned to that defensive stance, straight-backed and stiff as he stepped away from her. "Run along, little doe. I shall join you shortly."

As much as the pet name caused her stomach to flutter, it calmed her nerves enough for Clover to fully disengage from him. If Alastor still had the state of mind to refer to her with such fondness, if he hadn't yet disappeared into the night, and hadn't lost his temper with her entirely, maybe there was hope for them yet.

Upon entering the lobby she found exactly the person she'd been expecting bouncing beside the unsuspecting taxi driver she'd given the task of unloading her many, many suitcases into the entryway. Her heart still lingered in the ballroom, stuck on Alastor and their ever-confusing conversations concerning the current situation, but her mind couldn't help but become immediately preoccupied with the cool-skinned demoness that regarded Clover's addition to the hotel lobby with a bright smile.

"Hey, sugar! Did ya' miss me?"

Lollie turned to the owl demon whose name Clover had entirely forgotten since the last and only time they'd met, and hopped up onto her toes to plant an overzealous kiss on his cheek as she tucked a set of folded bills into his jacket pocket.

"Thanks, Travvy, you're the best a gal could ask for." Lollie's voice was sickly sweet as she leaned into him, effectively shoving him out the door as she threw him off balance. "Now, beat it."

Slamming the door behind her, Lollie turned back to the growing crowd with a flourish that drew further attention to the less-than-pristine state of her attire. Even though Clover didn't know Lollie all that well, everything she'd learned thus far about her said that appearances were the only weapon Lollie seemed to confidently wield. That in itself was something Clover was becoming more familiar with the more time she spent in hell. So, it was odd that Lollie was currently standing in front of them in what were effectively house slippers, the lack of heels on the fuzzy pink fluff that adorned her feet further revealing how small the women could seem without the aid of aesthetics. She was wearing what Clover would call an upscaled version of a housecoat, silken ties haphazardly tossed into an uneven bow around her waist and the feathered cuffs shedding into the floor below her.

"So, are you all just gonna' stand there or are you gonna offer a girl a room?"

"You- Want to stay here?" Charlie blew past them all as an opportunity presented itself, taking Lollie's hands and dragging her further into the hotel's lobby. "Welcome to the Happy Hotel! Your one and only station for rehabilitation! I'm so glad you thought about my offer, this is going to be so much fun!"

"There she goes," Husker sighed, slamming the bar's trap door behind him. He shuffled over to stand beside Clover, who had settled herself alongside Angel Dust against one of the many couches that had recently appeared in the lobby in order to make it appear more comforting to new guests. "Another heartbreak for the Princess of Hell."

"What, you don't think she's actually here to rehabilitate herself? She's a nice girl."

"Are you? Are any of you? This place ain't nothin' more than a halfway house at this point sweetheart."

"Ouch," Clover's sarcasm only received a roll of Husker's eyes, so she continued with more sincerity. "You shouldn't judge her so quickly, she's done a lot to help us."

Angel yawned below them, reaching his arms above his head as he talked through the stretching of his jaw.

"You kiddin' me? Look at 'er toots, she's a mess. That girls' lookin' for a little more than salvation, I can tell ya' that much."

"Husker, I believe the lady needs help with her bags. Make yourself useful."

Alastor's voice startled all of them, Clover nearly jumping to the ceiling at the sudden addition to the babbling background noise. It caught Lollie's attention as well, the smaller demon ducking beneath the open arms of Charlie and rushing towards them with more skip in her step than before.

"What's goin' on? You all are havin' a little welcome party over here and didn't even think to invite me."

"Nothing of the sort! I was just telling our concierge Husker here to prepare our finest room for your prolonged stay!" Alastor's steamrolling was, for now, welcomed as the other demons standing around him fumbled to find an answer to her accusation. "I'm sorry to say that our trolley is out of order for the time being, but I'm sure that Husker will be able to assist you with your bags once he's retrieved your key, and that our star resident Angel Dust will happily help a friend in need."

"Don't sweat it Red, I'm more than capable of takin' care of myself. All I ask is that I get a room near these two."

Limp fingers waved between Clover and Angel as Lollie spoke, and Alastor blinked momentarily at the pale green palm that extended out to him before he moved swiftly towards what was now functioning as the concierge desk. The empty glasses that Husker had accumulated over the evening were swept away with a wave of Alastor's arm, and in their place appeared the shiny gold bell that one would expect from a hotel's front desk. The sound rang clear through the air, echoing up the stairways and down the many hallways that extended into the hotel before it was answered with the quiet padding of feet.

The small one-eyed cat that wound its way between the carved wooden railings of the banister mewed softly before it disappeared behind one of the many corners, leaving Clover staring at the spot it should have reappeared in as her already exhausted mind was dealt another confusing tidbit of information.

"We have a cat?"

"We have a guest!?"

Niffty appeared from behind the folds of Alastor's coat with a wide smile, fully dressed in her cleaning attire. Her one wide eye darted around the room excitedly, moving from the scowling Husker as he ducked behind the desk, to the smiling face of Alastor above her, and finally landed on the lounging Lollie that had collapsed into the couch beside Angel.

"Another girl! There's so many women here, why is it always women?" Yellow cleaning gloves were tucked into the belt of her apron as Niffty took to looking over Lollie's luggage. "Oh, pretty! This is a lot of stuff, so many clothes to wash! I'll have to rethink my cleaning cycle."

"Niffty dear, is the room beside Angel available for immediate occupation?"

Alastor's question ended Niffty's quiet reformation of her laundry list, turning her attention to the smiling demon who bent at the waist to address her. The gentle way in which he took her hand and led her away from distraction cast a fondness over Clover that she couldn't resist, feeling a small smile tug at her otherwise worried expression as she observed them. Niffty had said before that she was perfectly happy in her contract with Alastor, and Clover couldn't help but dwell on his offer upon remembering that particular conversation. If he treated a demon that was solely in service to him as kindly as he did Niffty, what would that mean for her? She was staring again, watching as the cat reappeared from behind the front desk and wrapped itself between Niffty's legs while Husker slid a shining silver key to Alastor, but none of that was enough to snap her out of her reflection.

That must be the real trick of Alastor's deal-making; His offer seemed too good to be true, as they all probably did, but she believed him. Truly believed him when he said he'd ask for nothing in return in exchange for his protection because that was exactly what he'd been doing since this all started.

The elegant twist of Alastor's fingers as he turned the key between them, and the gentle brush of his thumb across the curves of its winged details, was enough to return her to reality. It reminded her of the spots in her skin where he'd left his mark, the gentle caress of his hand on her cheek, the tap of his fingers beneath her chin, the weight of his lips on hers, all of them burned as Alastor approached and placed the key into Lollie's waiting hand.

"Your room is just down the hall from Angel, I hope that is to your liking."

"You're too sweet, Strawberry, I didn't mean to be any trouble."

As much as Clover liked Lollie, her pet names were starting to get on her nerves.

When they were directed at Alastor, at least.

"So!" Clover startled herself with the volume of her own voice, pulling her claws from the couch upholstery and sending a silent apology to Niffty as she rounded the couch to place herself perhaps too close to Alastor's side. "What are you doing here?"

"Ouch, way to make a girl feel welcome."

Despite the sharp return to Clover's less-than-polite question, Lollie giggle as she leaned into Clover's side, linking their arms together and tugging her away from the smiling man beside them to follow after the grumbling form of Husker as he began to move her luggage up the stairs.

"How many times do I gotta' tell ya' that I mean no harm, honey? You've got that man all to yourself, promise."

"I didn't- I'm sorry, I've had a rough day."

"Me too! Don't worry honey, I get it. I'm the last person who'd judge ya' for being a little green."

When it became apparent that Clover would have to further carry the conversation after the extended silence that followed them up the length of the staircase and into Lollie's room, she waited until Husker had gone to take yet another trip downstairs to fetch more of Lollie's things before she dared approach the subject again.

"I don't mean to be rude but, what are you doing here, and with uh-" Clover paused as Angel arrived with the single box he'd chosen to carry up, the spider demon joining their conversation with an unceremonious flop across the bed. "With all your stuff… Did something happen?"

"I forgot, you have a lotta' questions. I guess I'm asking for this one."

Lollie fell onto the bed beside Angel, falling back onto the deep crimson comforter with a tiny squeak. The movement rose up the skirt of her dressing gown, and the dark purple marks that were forming beneath its feathery trim caught Clover's attention. She slid closer, pretending to look over the intricate design on one of the many suitcases that had been brought up so she could get a better look.

Handprints, clear and dark, stained Lollie's skin. Their placement and shape sent an unpleasant shiver down Clover's spine as she looked between them and the face of the candy-colored demoness that was currently directing Husker to leave the last of her boxes atop the dresser with a sweet smile. Memories of a similar touch rose to the surface of her skin, and it took every ounce of Clover's control to not claw at the burning blemishes beneath her tights. Clover waited until Husker had left for good and closed the door behind him to ask her next question.

"Lollie, are you okay?"

"Peachy keen jelly bean! What's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost, sweetheart."

Lollie swung her legs as Clover moved to face her, the sound of her slippers hitting the floor behind her turning her head briefly. Now that they were speaking privately, Clover began to notice the rough afterthought to Lollie's voice, like her throat wasn't at its best at the moment. Alongside that, Lollie seemed tired, her head dropping heavily into her hands as she rolled onto her stomach to properly face Clover for conversation's sake.

Once Lollie had settled into being right-side-up again, Clover continued.

"Why are you here, really?"

Lollie's expression faltered as the fuschia eyes twitched slightly and the hearts that served as pupils dilated to pinpoints before her charades returned and another wide smile pinched at her cheeks.

"Alright, no need to give me the third degree. I just need a place to stay. Val's found where I live again, and with Red Hot's stinger job on the main club n' Val raising the cover charge for non-contract dancers, I can't afford to find a half-decent place right now. So, this was my best shot at having some privacy."

The answer didn't satisfy Clover's questions, but she didn't feel as comfortable pushing Lollie for answers right away as she would anyone else. They hardly knew each other despite Lollie going well out of her way to help her, and the boldfaced avoidance of the issues that presented themselves at this moment was grating on Clover's already fragile nerves. But still, she couldn't help but push for just a little more information, especially when the evidence that there was more to the story was so blatantly sitting in front of her.

"...You're in hiding?"

"No, honey, I just like to keep my work and personal life separate, which means the second Daddy's found my secret playhouse, I get the hell outta' there. Happens every few months. I just usually have the savings to make it on my own, but- C'est la vie!"

Clover hummed in half-agreement, chewing on her lip as she mulled over what Lollie had said. Things were beginning to click together, and that was enough to satisfy her for now. Any other mystery would only serve as a welcome distraction from the confusing state of her whatever with Alastor, and the contagious yawn that was passed on from Angel to the rest of the room was proof enough that all of them needed a decent rest before anything else could be done.

"Well, I'm glad you're safe, but we should let you get some rest."

Lollie snorted, shifting her knees beneath her with a tiny hop that bounced Angel on the bed beside her.

"Hah! You're real sweet sugar, but there ain't no rest for the wicked. I've got big plans for tonight's performance, and I'm not about to let Valentino ruin it for me. I've got four hours to find my outfit in this fuckin' mess, shower n' do the whole shebang, figure out how I'm gonna cover this shit-" The vague gesture to the expanse of her neck drew attention to the dark marks that decorated her decolletage, the skin there slowly turning the same shade of the bruises on her thighs. "And run through my routine one more time before then. So it's diet pills and energy drinks for dinner because I can not fuck this up, not tonight."

"Why does this shit always happen when we've got somethin' fun goin' on at the clubs?" Angel sighed as he heaved himself out of Lollie's bed.

"Cause Val gets antsy and takes it out on us, that's why."

The door swung open behind her as Clover leaned back into the handle, and Angel disappeared down the hallway to return to bed with a half-hearted wave. Clover paused before she could fully exit the room, looking back over her shoulder with a look that she hoped came across as concerned. It was so hard to tell what emotion she currently wore when it seemed as if there wasn't one she hadn't felt in excess today, the lines between them beginning to blur in her overwhelmed state.

"There's about two-thirds of a coffee in the fridge downstairs, you're welcome to it if it helps."

Looking up from the suitcase she had unzipped and begun to rifle through, Lollie gave Clover the first truly sincere expression she'd shown since she'd arrived.

"Thanks suga', I'll take you up on that one." Lollie stood, hopping over the scattering of scanty clothing she'd already sprawled across the floor to meet her at the door. Dainty fingers wrapped around the door's edge as she leaned into it, Lollie hanging halfway out into the hallway as she spoke. "Listen, I can tell you've got a lot on your mind. I'll come find you tomorrow, okay?"

With Clover's nod in response, the door closed and the sound of Lollie's rustling began again. It was shortly followed by a blaring of music that faded into silence as Clover returned to her room and shut the door far harder than intended behind her. Part of her wanted to return downstairs, to seek out the comfort of Alastor's presence, but she wasn't even sure if he was still in the hotel at this point. She didn't blame him for leaving if he had, she had told him that she wanted to give him more time to think, as much as she was now second-guessing that decision. The possibility of further heartache far outweighed anything that could come of more time spent together at this point, and if the anxious twitching of her ears was any sign that she'd far passed her threshold for emotional overstimulation for the day, then the tenseness that had settled into her spine was signaling an overload.

Her clothes landed in a pile at the end of her bed, and she healed herself beneath the hot water of the shower, scraping at the residual stickiness that still stuck to her arms from the day's work and holding her breath beneath the spray to hide the tears that began to fall as the knots in her stomach worked themselves loose. She didn't bother to dry her hair once she was done, the last of her energy was given to tugging a too-large hoodie over her still-damp skin before she collapsed into bed. Instantly she was hit with the sharp smell of spices mixing with the sweetness of her soap, and the reminder broke the last bit of restraint she had. It was only after she rid herself of this final bout of dramatics that she could rationally think over all that had happened today and rest, and as silly as she felt, it had to be done.

So, Clover rolled onto her stomach, pulled the pillow over her face, and promptly screamed.