October 1, 2013
Antonio and Open Magic shop, sidewalk, and so on... Mid-evening
Antonio had been acting strangely for the past week. Granted, that description really fit all the time. Antonio had been acting strangely since he was three years old. This week, however, he had been acting more so. He had been meticulously touching up those sigils darkening his hide, examining each, even going so far as to test them against their purposes. And yet, he was often meticulous about his magic, so it stood to reason that maybe he was just sinking further into his existing form of insanity.
Until the cologne. It may have come as a surprise that he even owned such a thing, but sure enough the bottle was produced from the very back of a chest tucked under his bed, hidden beneath old sweaters as if it were a stash of dirty magazines rather than something most men had sitting out on their dressers all the time. He was lecturing Agador as he knelt to lace up his shoes. Usually when he went out those tattoos were hidden under long sleeves but tonight he had them rolled back to three-quarters length. And was that gel in his hair? Pomade even?
“…and if you do anything tonight to get me called back I will let Lillith dissect you.” It was no idle threat and the imp curled his hideous body inward in apparent submission, the violent flicker of his barbed tail the truest sign of his irritation. At least Ant still sounded like himself. There wasn’t a lot out there that could inspire lasting fear in the little creature, but he had something against the wretched beast that others lacked, though he’d not tell even Ali what it was that kept the infernal imp in thrall.
She wasn’t ready for that, he claimed. Which was also odd from someone who liked to teach everything sink-or-swim style.
He was heading out the door of the main shop in no time, as usual without a goodbye or a glance to anyone.