Ever since Alastor had come to the Happy Hotel, the little shadow creatures that were drawn to the deer demon had a tendency to hang around as well. They flitted about from shadow to shadow, watching the inhabitants of the hotel with equal parts curiosity and amusement. Sometimes they liked to play tricks on the demons living there. Mostly harmless things like moving things around.
This also meant that they acted as Alastor's extra eyes and ears even when he didn't specifically ask them to. They weren't bound to the Radio Demon like his personal shadow, but they liked Alastor. He always included them in his mischief, meaning the shadows thought he was great fun the vast majority of the time.
One of the shadows was watching Hell go by from beneath one of the eaves outside the hotel when it spied an unfamiliar limousine pull up in front of where Angel had just exited the building. The door opened, yet nothing but red smoke exited the vehicle, further drawing the shadow's curiosity. It watched as Angel hesitated with obvious discomfort and then ultimately got into the garishly pink machine. If this was some sort of game, it didn't look like one that Angel wanted to play. The last time the shadow had seen that had been a few days ago when Alastor had asked the shadow creatures to keep an eye out for Angel who'd been missing. If Angel went missing again, its deer friend would be upset.
It slipped into the hotel, seeking the Radio Demon.
---
Alastor's ears pricked at the sound of a car door slamming shut followed by the squeal of tires. It was probably nothing. Everything was fine.
...The spiders were starting to tap dance beneath his skin again.
Angel didn't have a car. Charlie didn't let anyone use her limo without asking. Yet it sounded like a car had been waiting for when Angel had stepped out. A client that had set something up ahead of time?
Or worse.
He stared into his half-empty coffee cup, the rich flavor suddenly tasting like muddy bayou water. He subconsciously rubbed at his arm while his ears twitched erratically.
One of the playful little shadow creatures appeared before him, chittering in his head as it transformed into the silhouette of Angel with a distressed look on his face. Alastor went shock still as he listened to the details: a strange pink limousine with red smoke.
Alastor's coffee mug cracked as the hand still gripping it clenched it.
"Thank you, my friend, for bringing this to my attention. Will you and the others let me know if he beats me back here?" He held out a ball of swirling green magic about the size of a golf ball to the shadow which it eagerly took, shifting back into its normal, vaguely-impish shape.
Then Alastor teleported away, leaving the half-finished coffee abandoned. He arrived in front of Valentino's studio, smile tightening with disgust. It would've been nice to teleport directly to Angel's location, but unfortunately Valentino wasn't a fool: His building was one of the ones warded against scrying. Alastor would've teleported in completely blind and could end up merged into a wall.
Well, appearing out front where people started emptying the street en masse meant stealth wasn't an option. Alastor's shadow leaned over his shoulder.
"Find Angel."
The shadow swooped into the building as Alastor followed at a more sedate pace.
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This also meant that they acted as Alastor's extra eyes and ears even when he didn't specifically ask them to. They weren't bound to the Radio Demon like his personal shadow, but they liked Alastor. He always included them in his mischief, meaning the shadows thought he was great fun the vast majority of the time.
One of the shadows was watching Hell go by from beneath one of the eaves outside the hotel when it spied an unfamiliar limousine pull up in front of where Angel had just exited the building. The door opened, yet nothing but red smoke exited the vehicle, further drawing the shadow's curiosity. It watched as Angel hesitated with obvious discomfort and then ultimately got into the garishly pink machine. If this was some sort of game, it didn't look like one that Angel wanted to play. The last time the shadow had seen that had been a few days ago when Alastor had asked the shadow creatures to keep an eye out for Angel who'd been missing. If Angel went missing again, its deer friend would be upset.
It slipped into the hotel, seeking the Radio Demon.
---
Alastor's ears pricked at the sound of a car door slamming shut followed by the squeal of tires. It was probably nothing. Everything was fine.
...The spiders were starting to tap dance beneath his skin again.
Angel didn't have a car. Charlie didn't let anyone use her limo without asking. Yet it sounded like a car had been waiting for when Angel had stepped out. A client that had set something up ahead of time?
Or worse.
He stared into his half-empty coffee cup, the rich flavor suddenly tasting like muddy bayou water. He subconsciously rubbed at his arm while his ears twitched erratically.
One of the playful little shadow creatures appeared before him, chittering in his head as it transformed into the silhouette of Angel with a distressed look on his face. Alastor went shock still as he listened to the details: a strange pink limousine with red smoke.
Alastor's coffee mug cracked as the hand still gripping it clenched it.
"Thank you, my friend, for bringing this to my attention. Will you and the others let me know if he beats me back here?" He held out a ball of swirling green magic about the size of a golf ball to the shadow which it eagerly took, shifting back into its normal, vaguely-impish shape.
Then Alastor teleported away, leaving the half-finished coffee abandoned. He arrived in front of Valentino's studio, smile tightening with disgust. It would've been nice to teleport directly to Angel's location, but unfortunately Valentino wasn't a fool: His building was one of the ones warded against scrying. Alastor would've teleported in completely blind and could end up merged into a wall.
Well, appearing out front where people started emptying the street en masse meant stealth wasn't an option. Alastor's shadow leaned over his shoulder.
"Find Angel."
The shadow swooped into the building as Alastor followed at a more sedate pace.