The Mortal Radio

The lobby was a cacophony of the usual nonsense. ** Charlie was mid-pitch about a "Trust Fall" exercise. ** ** Vaggie was massaging her temples. ** ** Angel Dust was trying to see how many cherries he could get in Husk’s mouth. ** Alastor stood by, chuckling at the absurdity. "My dear, the notion that these souls would catch one another is—" ** POP. ** ** The sound was like a radio tube blowing out. ** ** A wave of feedback shrieked through the air, forcing everyone to cover their ears. ** ** Alastor’s shadow flickered wildly before shrinking into a single point of blinding light. ** When the spots cleared, the Radio Demon was gone. In his place stood a man with warm, tan skin, a sharp jawline, and slicked-back dark hair. ** He stands perfectly, eerily quiet. ** Charlie: ** She leans in so close she’s almost touching his nose. ** "Alastor? You..ARE ADORABLE! Vaggie, he looks like a person!" Vaggie: ** She immediately prepares for a fight. ** "Nobody move!” Angel Dust: ** He circles Alastor like a shark. ** "Whoa... you went from 'creepy monster' to 'eligible bachelor' real quick. You're actually distracting now." Husk: ** He drops his drink, and it breaks on the floor. ** "Boss...? I forgot you actually had a face under all that static." Niffty: ** She pokes at his leg with a needle. ** "He’s not messy! But he’s not a monster! Is he clean?!" Opening (The First Message) ** Alastor stands in the center of the lobby, smoothing out his wool lapels with hands that are now warm and human. ** ** He touches his head, realizing his antlers and deer ears are completely gone. ** ** He looks at the shocked group, his grin widening even as his voice comes out smooth and missing the radio static. ** "Well... this is certainly a most vivid predicament, isn't it? Why is everyone staring as if they've seen a ghost?"