Cover Credits:

Husk by Ashley Nichols

Angel Dust by Kendraw Zoophobia

Alastor by KingZodiac14

City by VideoHive

All I did was photoshop the images together.

Ever since the day they met, the radio demon encountered a recurring annoyance. Like a moth drawn to a candle, Angel continued to pester him with sexual advances. Points for creativity were due though, as everyday, there'd be a new pickup line or method. Alastor would've even called it entertaining had his annoyance not overtaken any semblance of enjoyment. Every advance was swiftly denied. The cycle would continue, until one day...

"Heya, foxy."

The voice had become very familiar, and he did not have to turn to see who it was. The cane blocked the predictable spider demon's movements, him knowing most of his tricks at this point, the hand clearly aiming to slide around his shoulder. "Not today, and not ever! And, I am part deer, not fox."

The retort did little to repel the flirtatious one. "Well, I can't help but target you. You have the most interesting reactions..."

"For the last time. I am not your plaything." The words were firm, but if anything, replying in any sort of manner did not serve to help the situation. It was a lose-lose situation no matter how he spun it.

"Maybe I can be yours then." And there it was. Annoyed, his sharp grin stayed, but his eyes lowered. Anticipating the second touch, he let a tentacle grab the incoming arm. For some reason however, he could feel... something. Angel was quiet. Frozen for a brief moment, Alastor turned to look, seeing the hand on his shoulder. The summoned appendage had completely missed. It wasn't even touching any of Angel, having shot directly left of him. The spider was just as stunned, having only managed to touch him maybe twice in the year they had known each other.

"What... get your hand off of me at once!" The tentacle dispersed, wiggling out of existence.

"Hey, hey, sorry! I thought you'd block it! Honest." His arms were raised in mock defense. Indeed, Alastor was certain he had made an attempt to redirect the offending arm. Yet this time... had he miscalculated? Was his battle sense off from taking so much time away from the game?

"Oh dear." He said out loud, grabbing Angel's attention, now going from in awe to curious.

"What's up? Am I finally rubbing off on you?"

"There will be no rubbing off on me. But..." Anxiety crept up his spine as a certain thought crossed his mind. If it was that, then it would potentially bode very poorly for him. "I require your...assistance, for just a moment!" As much as it pained him, this was essential. He had to know immediately if it was 'that', even if it meant... being touched. Turning around again and not having the spider in view, he relaxed himself, taking a few deep breaths. "Try to touch me again." A stifled laugh was the reply he received, making him even more frustrated. "Angel Dust, I said...!" Another thing hit him. One of the radio demon's trademarks was his unpredictable rage, causing a certain radius around him, in simple terms, to experience less than pleasant visions and noises. Alastor would know if this happened. Yet, right now...

"No, no... I'm just not mad enough. That has to be it."

"Hey, are you alright?" Angel was genuinely concerned. These behaviors were very unlike the confident, witty, calculated radio demon. He seemed annoyed, and now he was asking to be touched. It was like an alternate universe. If he was acting this way, then it had to be something major.

"I am COMPLETELY fine! Now hurry up and TOUCH me!" Again, he sensed Angel and knew exactly how to act. The sounds, the subtle feel of the ground, his instincts; all of it guided him. But once again, he felt the jitters as he felt that uncomfortable touch, Angel's hands all over his torso. He was being hugged from behind. He could smell the sickeningly sweet cologne, and a particularly soft patch of fluff on his back. He was almost certain the spider was smiling at this very moment. Immediately, the deer demon forced himself away, adjusting his coat with a huff. "Now I understand. Do not think what just happened meant... anything. It was nothing at all!"

"Whatever you say, hun." Angel replied casually, suave as he smirked. But in his thoughts, he knew there had to be something else. Realistically, the chances Alastor falling for him where next to none. He simply flirted for, well, the hell of it. It was just fun.

Alastor opened his mouth to say something, but decided against it. This was not a good situation. Walking away with much less elegance than usual, he left the hotel and entered the alley around the back, completely exasperated. "Alright. Just... one more time." Extending his hands and thinking of exactly what he wanted, he concentrated. "...Gale." His powers enveloped him, and he traveled quickly. He gave a sigh of relief, teleportation at the very least being untouched. That was what he thought at least, as he found himself at the nearby local junkyard. The good news was his true destination was only a few blocks away. The bad news was...

...he was most definitely in danger.

"How often have you been using your powers lately?" His old friend, Gale, was a medical expert. He was local and knew the anatomy and physiology of demons, famous for curing even the most deadly of scourges all over hell. Without him, much of the city would be disease ridden. He was someone he trusted from long ago, and he never had need for his medical expertise; Alastor's healing factor was unusually high. His form came in one of a turtle, a cracked shell making this obvious. Also noticeable were his wrinkled features, having been down in the underworld longer than even Alastor himself. It was rumored that Gale was always sought out by long past legendary gangsters and was never harmed or threatened. He was simply too valuable to lose.

"As much as I always have in my entire life." There was almost never a single occasion where he did not use magic. It was obviously a huge part of him, and he was quite proficient to the point that he'd usually let everything autopilot. All he needed was a single thought, and he'd have what he want. Not only gifted with proficiency, he was also very resilient, being able to perform multiple, complex tasks consecutively without even needing a break.

The wise sage sighed, giving a soft tsk'ing sound as he examined the blood he had drawn. "No good. I told you long ago not to overuse your powers. You are a very special case in that it took you this long to finally become exhausted."

"I do not feel exhausted at all. Quite the opposite. Yet, I can't seem to control..." Alastor scowled as he tried to again simply create even a measly fireball in his hands. Only a spark erupted. His fist balled. "What is the cure?"

"Luckily for you, you did not overextend. All this calls for is..." Gale turned around from the examination table with a smile. "...some rest. Don't work yourself too hard, Alastor. Drink plenty of liquids, you know the general gist."

The news made the radio demon shake his head. "No. You know I cannot do that. Surely, there is some sort of..."

"Drug? Well, there are plenty. But if you wanted to do that, you wouldn't be here, would you?" The turtle was completely right. Alastor did not stoop to drugs, knowing that the pharmaceutical industry practically had no regulations, the standards being extremely low, if any, and that he couldn't risk the extreme side effects. It'd be more likely that he'd get himself killed than restore his magic. "Do you need some bodies around you? I can perhaps call some of my friends..."

"No." The deer stood up with a sigh, then extended his hand. "I appreciate your services, Gale." Gale seemed to understand, and shook his hand. Alastor did not trust any demons whatsoever to protect his life. Even moreso, hired goons. In this situation, any demon, even a brain-dead chicken, could easily take advantage of his predicament.

"Then, my last suggestion is perhaps getting some sort of firearm. Anything that can serve as self-defense without relying on your magic. If you keep using your magic in this state, you may lose it forever." The last thought made Alastor shudder.

"I will take that into consideration..." Leaving the building and once again retreating to a secluded spot, he grimaced. 'Guns? Anything but that...' He could not bear the thought of holding one, even if it meant protecting his life. Obviously, them being common all around the underworld, it did not bother him to see their usage. In fact, their continuing evolution and high utility impressed him. But he never considered using one himself. It seemed so... wrong. Probably because he was part deer.

"Focus. Focus on your destination." Clearing distractions from his head, he once again entered his shadows. Everything zoomed by quickly, and things seemed to be looking good as the images projected the hotel. All until he saw a familiar face, and where he'd land.

"Ooof! Ugh, gosh, what the hell...?!" Angel was toppled to the ground, making him squirm in pain. "I like it rough, but not that rough..." Looking to his side, however, he was delighted to see and feel his favorite demon laying across him. "Sugar... are you sure you're not turning a new leaf?"

"NOT ANOTHER WORD." Alastor boomed as he immediately stood up. "It's bad enough not having magic, but yo-" Immediate regret filled his face, and he took a step back. Angel Dust knew. Angel Dust, a demon most capable of dealing damage if he wished. He had let it slip in that fit of anger. "Not having magic? What the hell are you talking about?"

"Not another step. Stay back!" Like a deer in headlights, he stood still. As soon as he snapped out of it, he took the nearest object and held it as if he'd throw it. A flower vase.

"Holy shit, what the hell's going on? Calm down! I'm not going to hurt you!" The vase was thrown, but not being experienced with using this particular item as a weapon, at least while using his bare hands, Angel caught it easily. It was more of a toss, really. "Seriously! Relax!" The radio demon had lost composure as he breathed heavily, falling onto his rear. Before he knew it, he had fallen onto his side. He passed out.