Masked (A Hat In Time)

Returning to Somewhat Normal

Ack sorry I didn't get this out on Wednesday-

Anyway, here's a reference of the new character (and Bow, since I realized I never did a full body drawing of her before).

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Everyone stared at the figure now in the room, and Hattie made sure to take a good look at them.

They had two horns that curved higher than the Outlander's, resting on the top of their head. Their eyes were bright yellow, with three other yellow dots framing both their eyes. Were those eyes as well? Did this thing have eight eyes? That would be scary.

They were taller than the Outlander by several inches, and their skin was a darker shade. Their tail, long and thin, ended at a heart-shaped point.

But the biggest difference was that this creature had wings. Massive wings on their back were pulled up tightly and made them seem a lot bigger than they actually were. Hat Kid couldn't help but wonder what the full wingspan was.

"Why are you all just staring at me?" the spirit finally said, breaking the silence. The yellow mouth that appeared on its face when it spoke was twisted into an amused grin. "What, never seen a devil before?"

Hattie and Bow shared a confused look. "I'm sorry, devil?" Bow Kid repeated. "Not a demon?"

The devil snorted. "Of course, I'm not a demon. Devils and demons are completely different, and getting them mixed up is considered a serious offense where I come from." They strode with purpose over to the mask on the floor and picked it up. "Demons are no-good weak little lurkers that only exist to be the scum of the earth. Devils are powerful, awesome, and frankly-" they glanced down at themself for the first time and gasped, their eyes growing wide with delight. "-adorable! Wow, everything is so tiny in the physical world! Including me!"

"We're not tiny," Snatcher scoffed crossly.

"Yes, you are," the devil replied with complete certainty.

Snatcher scowled. Moon held up his hands. "Let's not argue, please," he interrupted. "Please, little devil, can you return the mask to Jaide? She needs it to speak."

Hat Kid glanced over at Jaide. With all the excitement of the devil appearing, she'd admittedly forgotten a little about her. She looked anxious, even without a mask to give her expression. She was picking at her bandages, her shoulders tense.

The Dweller with the bear mask floated over and nudged her with its head. Jaide flinched and looked down at it. They stared for a moment, then the Dweller settled itself into a neat ball in the crook of Jaide's neck. She nuzzled it gently.

"Oh, this?" the devil asked, brandishing Jaide's mask at Moonjumper. "You're going to need to give me a moment. I need to modify it."

A shadow passed over Moon's face. "What?" he asked. "We don't have time for pointless modifications!"

The devil fluffed its wings out, looking impatient. "Fine," they retorted. "Give Jaide the mask now if you're that impatient to get your girlfriend back."

Moon flushed a deeper shade of blue and snatched the mask from them. "Sh-she's not my girlfriend."

"Don't lie to yourself," the devil said, shaking their head sadly.

Moonjumper quickly turned away and gave the mask back to Jaide. She held it for an uncertain moment, then put it on.

Even with the mask back on, there was something off. The mask didn't look the same. It looked hollow and lifeless...it was only a mask. It didn't give Jaide the life and expression she used to have.