It was nearly a week until she saw Alastor again, Clover returning to work a few days later and spending her free time catching up on the media of Hell. Another underhanded paycheck and an outing with Angel Dust aided her ambition to gain a cell phone, her friend walking her to one of the many stores in the more modern district of the city and helping her talk down the clerk from forcing the latest model on her. She was happy with her purchase, her phone three models behind and coated in a crimson case, and soon enough she was truly checked into the digital world of demons. Once she'd gotten the login to the hotel's Sinstagram account, Clover posted a snapshot of the Polaroid she'd taken of Charlie to begin their venture in introducing the entirety of the hotel's staff officially; With Vaggie filtering out rude comments from other sinners and Clover reforming the accounts image, she began to feel like her place in their establishment was beginning to be earned.

She'd been sitting at the bar with Husk, trying to convince him to allow her to take a photograph of him at work for the page, when Alastor walked in the door. Clover had slowly worked through her list of residents to showcase, having already collected photos of Charlie, Vaggie, and Niffty earlier in the day, and placing him before tackling Alastor's disdain for modern technology. Even with Clover being in his good will, Alastor was undoubtedly going to be a tough person to convince, so she'd considered this a warm-up; Too bad Husk was proving more difficult than she'd expected.

"I said no,"

"Husk, please- You don't have to smile or even look at me, it's just one picture."

"Not gonna' happen sweetheart, you're going to have to sneak a photo if you want one," Husk sighed as he set down another clean glass, and picked up another. "I'm not a fuckin' model, I ain't posin' for shit."

Clover groaned into the countertop, her forehead making a hollow "thunk" as she collapsed into her arms- She shot upright again as a familiar transatlantic filled the room.

"What is all this ruckus?"

"Hi, Al!"

Alastor raised a brow at her as she flipped her ears from her face, the sour mix Husk had poured over her good mood revitalized; Clover could barely stand still, bouncing on her toes excitedly as she made room for him at the bar and her phone clutched to her chest.

"Hello!" Alastor smiled wider at her excited form, seeming to grow more amused with her. "And what exactly are you two up to?"

"I'm making a post on the hotel's social media, to introduce the staff, but Husk isn't letting me- I don't think he understands that if he doesn't give in to me begging him, he'll get Charlie next.

"Why, that sounds like a swell idea! I'm so glad someone has decided to take some initiative in promoting the place!" The pleasant smile he wore grew sharper as he turned to Husk, the barkeep scowling right back at him. "Now Husker, let the lady do her job."

"You work here too you know, if she's askin' me, you're probably next."

Static warped the radio's frequency as Alastor considered Husk's point- When Clover offered no clarification otherwise, simply shrugging with a sheepish smile when he turned to look at her, Alastor sighed and sat at the bar.

"That's quite impossible! I do not allow my image to be captured on your new-fangled electronic devices."

The wording puzzled Clover, and if she'd learned anything about Alastor thus far, it was that there was always something more to discover.

"Like- In general or literally?"

"Pardon?"

"Do you physically not allow it or does the image corrupt, either by your doing or just automatically."

Alastor's grin widened as they fell into their familiar pattern, but it lacked its normal tease.

"Your ability to turn any conversation into a search for greater understanding is charming dear, but once again I will let you solve this mystery on your own."

"So, I can take a picture then?"

"No."

"That's not fair." Clover sighed, feeling her ears twitch in irritation. "How am I supposed to figure anything out without any information? I'd need to take a digital image of you to see the effects."

"You're a clever girl, you'll figure it out."

Her irritation came to a boil- It was just a stupid photograph, why was he being so stubborn?- and the bubbles popped with the loud "thud" of her boot against the ground, turning the attention of both men at the bar back towards her. Clover blinked at the odd, newly developed tick, looking down at her shoes in shock before she lifted her head when Alastor began to speak.

"Did you just-" He had to pause to laugh, a soft, authentic sound that shook his shoulders as he tilted his head at her. "Did you just thump your foot at me?"

"I, uh-" Clover felt herself begin to flush, the heat creeping up her neck as she was pummeled with the one-two punch of being embarrassed about whatever the fuck just happened and Alastor's adorable laughter. "I don't know."

In a desperate attempt to avoid dwelling on this, Clover tried to find a solution to the cause of her outburst, scowling at the predicament they'd found themselves in before another glance at the concierge desk sparked an idea.

"Don't move!"

Alastor's expression was lost on her, Clover turning too fast to dart up the stairs to her bedroom to gauge the demon's reaction to being ordered around so abruptly. She nearly tripped over the discarded pajamas on her floor, kicking them towards her hamper and grabbing her camera from its place beside the barely-wilting rose that sat in a small glass on top of her dresser. Both Husk and Alastor looked up at the sound of steps on the stairs signaling her return, the latter's brow raising at the new device that clutched in her hands and the confident smile on her face.

"So, no digital photography, right?" Clover said. "What about traditional photography?"

"Honey that camera came out after you were born, nice try."

Clover ignored Husk, keeping her attention solely on Alastor- Which wasn't a difficult feat, in all honesty.

"These cameras use the same basic principle as film cameras, using light and chemicals to develop photography, but it's been condensed down into a handheld form that develops faster. There is absolutely nothing digital about it-" She had to take a breath, feeling her words run together before she lost her nerve and found herself fighting against her quick trip up the stairs. "Can I take your photograph, with this? It doesn't have to be the one that anyone else will see, we'll just call it an experiment- You can burn it after for all I care."

The moment was tense, Alastor's normal smile slightly agape at her proposition and his frequency thick with static; He didn't seem to know how to answer her, crimson eyes slowly flickering between hers and the camera that she held between them. Clover was confident that she had him beat, his prior excuse no longer worked- Now there was just the matter of how he would respond.

After dragging on his decision for what felt like far longer than necessary, Alastor's stiff posture sank with a heavy sigh.

"I will allow one photo on your camera."

Clover bit back her excitement, not wanting to push him further but bouncing the tiniest bit on her toes as she flicked the switch to open the flash and lifted the camera. Alastor straightened himself, his trademark grin in full effect for the photograph as he flicked his hair from his eyes and raised a brow in her direction when she paused. She swallowed, almost dropping the viewfinder from her eye so she could look at him from above the flash, but clicked the shutter now that he seemed ready instead. The moment would have felt intimate if not had it been for Husk glancing suspiciously between them, and as soon as the whir of the picture being printed started, she busied herself with closing the shutter to hide her brewing blush and began to shake the photo between her fingers- It was an entirely unneeded movement, but it helped to fan the heat of her skin as she moved to join them at the bar.

What she saw when she looked down at the quickly developing photography stopped her dead.

Instead of the grinning red demon that she'd grown so fond of, the photo showed a man who was familiar regardless of the stark change in appearance; He was still recognizable as Alastor to her, his classic smile present but not nearly as unsettlingly wide the one he wore now. Warm brown eyes peered out from behind rounded vintage glasses, though they seemed somehow emptier than the crimson irises he had now despite their depth, and this photographed likeness had thick, dark hair that curled around his ears. The color of his skin was undeniable proof of what he'd told her days ago, the warmth of Alastor's mid-toned, tanned complexion highlighted by the golden inner lights of the bar. What was most peculiar was that he'd not only changed in physical appearance but also costume, his red suit replaced by a white button-down shirt, dark trousers, red waistcoat, bowtie, and gloves.

It wasn't surprising to her that he was as annoyingly handsome in this mirage of life as he was in death.

Clover had absolutely no idea how to handle this- Even if she hadn't meant to, this was an invasion of Alastor's privacy. She knew she had to tell him immediately if only to clear her conscience of it and hopefully avoid making him angry at her, but the idea made her blood run cold. Never mind how she was going to get through it without stumbling over how he looked, as shallow as that was, this was something that she could never have prepared herself to tackle; They were friends, sure, but as much trust she had attempted to build between them in their limited time knowing each other, there was no telling how Alastor would react- All she knew that the longer she waited, the more room she gave for him to get the wrong idea.

"Hey, uh- Alastor?" Clover said, her ears laying flat as both Alastor and Husk turned to her; She hated to interrupt their conversation, but whatever grace she had for handling this had to be saved for later. " Can I talk to you for a moment?"

It was so hard to look him in the eye now that she'd seen how they'd looked in life, Clover's gaze dropping quickly to the photo in her hands when crimson narrowed in confusion before she directed it to stare somewhere over his shoulder. Alastor looked at her for a long moment, seeming to take stock of her sudden change in demeanor, before he stood with a sharp tug of his suit jacket.

"Of course! Shall we take this conversation somewhere more private, perhaps to my study?"