𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘰 𝘋𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘯.

✧ my silly little gifs won't load... responses tomorrow. 🥲 🥀

a cartoon character with red hair and red eyes is smiling ALT: a cartoon character with red hair and red eyes is smiling

Well, I can dance with you, honey, if you think it's funny.

✧ it won't let me post. i shall take that as a sign. 🤸‍♀️

( windows are easy enough to fix. That one simply needed a replacement! 😀 )

( yippee. he's doing his job.

sort of. )

( if you see a camera-headed demon flying straight out a window, no you don't. 🥀 )

✧ i hope everyone had fun with him today. Putting him back in the jar 🫶

✧ long threads tomorrow. snork mi mi mi time. 🤸‍♀️🛌

For 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘴.

Our bartender can make a mean Mai Tai.

...

( Trust Angel to be the unlikely person who can render him speechless. )

What? Was it not one of your goals to make this place more welcoming?

Requests for 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘴, to be exact.

( Yes, you can make a Mai Tai. 😄 )

( Hangs this sign in front of the bar.

On purpose. )

( There.

He has done his part.

Neither Charlie nor his contract holder can say he didn’t try.

Now all that remains is for the pieces to fall into place. It doesn't matter where--- 𝘴𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘴. )

a cartoon character with red hair and red eyes is smiling ALT: a cartoon character with red hair and red eyes is smiling

Mindful of the possibility that the other is still under hypnosis, he continues: )

More eyes are watching this hotel than ever before.

( Alastor’s grin widens. )

If it will bring you peace of mind, darling, you may take that as a threat.

+

It's just that prodding further hardly seemed necessary for this situation.

Or his patience. )

But do take it as you will. Your choices are, of course, 𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙤𝙬𝙣.

( …He says it deliberately, like he knows full well that Angel has his qualms.

+

If Angel 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺 fears becoming one himself, Alastor could make good on his promise of defenestration every hour, on the daily. Why, it would be his pleasure!

Plus, he had half a mind to bark that logic or thinking was hardly Angel’s forte.

+

𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳, 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘸. 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵, 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩 𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘥!

Valentino is hardly a threat to him, and neither is Vox.

+

( He sits up straight --- well, as straight as 𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 allow --- and crosses one leg over the other elegantly. Alastor takes calculated sips as he listens to the spider demon speak.

+

( The radio demon snaps his fingers, and his own cup fills instantly with… something far too red, too 𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦, to be tea. )

And I wouldn't be myself without a lengthy little monologue of my own, now would I?

( Alastor chuckles with a dismissive wave of a hand. )

It hardly seemed like I'd get another word in from the way you were talking, my dear.

+

"How lovely it is to know how 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘦 and 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘺 things are coming along."

He doesn't ask about the things Husk leaves unsaid, and that in itself is a warning.

Whether the lack of acknowledgement is good or bad... That's for him to know, and for Husk to never find out.

"Well!" He cheerfully utters before his input can be given a spotlight. Alastor tilts his head back just enough for Husk to see his ever-present smile.

+

Ignorance is bliss, after all; if he isn't invited into a secret, then he's not going to make it his problem.

No inquiry into the threats Husk hints at. No word on Emily. No word on redemption. No reaction beyond what's necessary.

+

Part of it is his duty to this hotel. Part of it is tied to responsibilities ₴Ø₥Ɇ₩ⱧɆⱤɆ ɆⱠ₴Ɇ entirely.

But he's not going to go out of his way to make dear Husker happy, oh, no, sir!

Cryptic riddles are as much help as he's willing to give--- if you can even call it that.

+

The bond between Husk and Alastor has never been kind. And as long as the cat demon remains on his chain, it never will be.

For better or for worse... It seems the radio demon carries a loyalty all his own, twisted as it may be.

+

" ♪ 𝘋𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘵 ♪ ... " He drawls quietly, deliberately turning away from Husk to lean his back against the edge of the countertop.

"All he needs is the 𝘀𝘂𝗻 to dry up the 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻. And then, the 𝙞𝙩𝙨𝙮 𝙗𝙞𝙩𝙨𝙮 𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙧 can climb up the spout again."

+

It doesn't come off as a surprise to him in the slightest that the spider demon has been sneaking in and out of the hotel to check in on the miserable bunch he left behind.

And it's even more obvious, 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘰, that it's causing the bartender an embarrassing amount of distress.

+