- "Why, if it isn't my favorite customer. Do let yourself in. It's not like there's a 'closed' sign on the door or anything."
- ―Aadinath to Natalie McAllister
Aadinath, often referred to as the Shopkeep, is a demon that runs a hole-in-the-wall black market that sells mystic and unscrupulous items. As the End of Days draws near, he has become a recluse of sorts, and refuses to associate himself more than need be with the rest of the Fallen.
Appearance
Aadinath appears to be slightly taller than Natalie, putting him at 5'5" or 5'6". He has ruffled, tawny hair that fades into an undercut in the back. He has sharp, amber eyes with low lids and thin, pointed eyebrows. His nose and face shape share the same slim and angular qualities, and both his nose and chin jut slightly upward at the tips. He has thick, elongated cartilage cuffs on both of his ears that he kept as gold, in contrast to the iron or silver piercings rest of the Fallen have.
His style emulates vintage 70s prep. He sports pastel dress shirts with either sweater vests or suspenders, paired with slacks. He sometimes wears bow ties as well. He also dons a permanent scowl or mask of displeasure on his face at all times.
Aadinath has multiple blue tattoos, chest to navel. His uppermost tattoo, a blue flower with four petals and four extending vines span his left pectoral. Below that, six blue wisps curl across his abdomen. His lowermost tattoo is a large, open eye that covers his entire navel, and bears a striking resemblance to the eyes on the masks medic angels wear in Heaven. He also has a fair share of scars on his upper body. Two parallel scars above his collar bone, two small scars on his right pectoral, two long scars on his right forearm, three smaller ones on his left, four horizontal scars on his abdomen, and one large, bolt-shaped scar that extends from his left shoulder to his sternum.[1]
Personality
Aadinath is a no-nonsense type of demon, as one should be if they are managing a shop filled with priceless, supernatural items. He likes to keep both himself and his shop under the radar as much as possible, and handles business transactions discreetly for this reason. He is rigid and direct in trade and in his mannerisms. He is easily agitated with people who do not uphold the same strict standards of formality that he does.
Plot
Aadinath talking to Natalie
Upon seeing Natalie McAllister and Satan enter his establishment, Aadinath tells her that the store does not sell to minors. When Aadinath recognizes Satan, he is visibly displeased, as he knows why Satan is here: to find out where Ipos Kabakoff is. Aadinath has this information, but refuses to give it to Satan, saying that the book is not for sale. Before their altercation can escalate, Natalie interrupts and says she wants to add a golden angel feather she found to their purchase. Aadinath repeats that the book is not for sale, and Satan counters that he does not need the book, only the information inside. Begrudgingly, Aadinath complies and Satan leaves with the information he needs.[2]
Aadinath appears in a cameo when the 'explosion' at Thirsties is covered on the news. Aadinath is shown calmly listening to the story on the television in his shop, suggesting he might have had a hand in informing the angels of Satan seeking out Ipos.[3]
God in Aadinath's body
Natalie comes back to Aadinath's shop as he is closing up, claiming that the feather she bought from him whispers to her when she tries to sleep. She wants it off her hands, but Aadinath says that supernatural items doing supernatural things does not warrant a return. As she tries convincing him otherwise, she touches the feather casually, and it bursts into a flare of light. Aadinath yells at Natalie not to touch it and grabs it from her himself, subsequently leading into his becoming the vessel of God. It turns out Natalie's feather was a blessed feather. Blessed feathers are ultimately vessels for God to channel himself through and possess the being holding it. Aadinath happens to be that unlucky being.[4]
Relationships
- Satan - Aadinath and Satan are not on the best of terms, and probably have not been for a while. He considers Satan to be a nuisance because of his role in the End of Days, and has refused to sell to him in the past because of this. Aadinath has apparently been reprimanded by Satan for declining him.[2]
- Natalie McAllister - Aadinath also considers Natalie a nuisance, but more so because her klutziness could possibly become a liability in his shop of priceless objects. While he is frequently annoyed by her presence, he does not seem to hate her, and often regards her in a playfully sarcastic manner.
Trivia
- Aadinath does not want the End of Days to come because his shop has been having excellent business since it began.[2]
- It can be inferred that Aadinath served in a part of Heaven's medical wing before the Fall. The open-eye tattoo over his stomach is the same as the ones the medic angels have printed on their masks.[1][5]