Deekin Scalesinger, Ixthyria Truelyre in the tongue of the stars (which he knows, because he used spells he shouldn't even really know to follow Veron when he went to Hell and spoke with a pre-Baatorian ur-deity, because if he didn't he would have been left with his THUMB UP HIS CLOACA the whole time, not that he's still irritated about that) is not, himself, a small soul.

He's physically small. He's about the size of a human toddler, with skinny little limbs and a big vaguely horsey head. But that's just the meat, the flesh and bone. His soul, his essence, his personhood, is... well, kind of like Veron's! Kind of like Veron's was, that is, until he ate a bunch of Shadow and Hell and made it him, and his soul was ineffably bound to an archdevil and then violently severed from that bond, and... you know. All that epic shit Veron was up to, while Deekin was following along trying not to get any on his boots. Except that there's only so safe you can be from the epic shit, when you're dedicated to following along just behind and writing it all down.

All this is to say that Deekin, while obviously not a god, is still punching in a weight class that can observe divine actions aimed at himself, and say something along the lines of hang on a fucking second.

He's in his study, when it happens. He's been writing, trying something that isn't the Astonishing Adventures of Veron Chandler for once, and then - divine radiance, and sheepishness, and he snaps his head around in no particular direction and hums a series of notes that let him see clearly, and strums his wings along the lyrestrings that didn't exist before he plucked them and won't exist after except as a lingering, resonant note -

and he does his damnedest to follow the spark inside him to its source. If Veron is hiding from him it won't happen, he knows that much. But if Veron is just hiding from everyone, not from him in particular... well, that's negotiable.

Veron is hiding from everyone except him, actually! It's easy enough to tell. What Deekin finds when he looks inside himself is the equivalent of a polite little divine arrow, pointing at Veron's (now divine) realm on the Plane of Shadow. He's already broken each and every tuning rod tied to where-it-was, just from the shift of purpose and divinity, but this little divine direction will work just as well. For Deekin. And no one else. Whenever he gets around to doing a Plane Shift.

(He could try to Divinely Talk or whatever, but eh, this is easier and less likely to blast his poor friend's brain with god thoughts. Deekin would handle it better than just about anyone else, but it's good manners to not open with brain blasting.)

Deekin arrives in Veron's domain a few minutes later, looking around to see if he can tell what's different. He's not expecting much to have changed, frankly, Veron's Estate was always concerningly eager to please, but it's an interesting question academically.

"Ksxksskrth?" he calls. "Deekin here for social visit and also yell at Veron for realizing godhead and only giving little Deekin one measly cleric level."

"Welcome. He's been expecting you."

This is, of course, the most maximally alarming way to welcome someone to the Plane of Shadow, but listen, someone in this realm has to have a sense of showmanship.

Surface-wise, the place certainly doesn't look much different from when Deekin saw it last. It's still a little bit claustrophobic and maze-like, but in a sort of well-decorated, cozy way. Taking stuff from the opulent Shadovar had its advantages, and 'everything being pretty nice and expensive' is definitely one of them, even if that everything's in greys and blacks and purples and blues.

Still. There is the faintest hint of something different, perfectly detectable to Deekin's bardic enhanced senses. This place feels more purposeful than it did before. Rather like its master, it was just sort of trundling along happily, concerning itself with being homey and a little bit trippy to navigate, without much care to the wider world. Now there's a subtle sense of bustling and preparation for... something. Or maybe it's just more obvious, now. Veron's estate was always a bit more savvy than the more-than-man himself about getting with the times. It almost seems relieved to at last be put to use, actually. Purpose is how things keep from falling apart to forgotten corners, in the Plane of Shadow. It makes some degree of sense that it'd be happy to be given one, especially an important one.

But it also caters to its old purposes, like hosting. For example, with those comfy looking chairs in that conveniently-right-over-there sitting area.

"Now little Deekin get waiting room, oh boy," Deekin mutters, taking a seat in an open-backed armchair and stretching his wings.

“It’s called being a proper host!!” defends Veron, who appears out of nowhere (as is his habit) and sits down in another comfy chair. “And you don’t need any more power from me, mate, you’re fine. … Do you want tea and crumpets or something.”

Deekin sniffs. "Tea. No sugar no milk, Veron know reptilian dietary preferences by now."

Then he stands up, flutters into the air a bit and hugs Veron very firmly. "Deekin only say this once," he warns, "then back to making fun. I - proud of you. You going to do good."

Then he unhugs and shakes himself vigorously. "Took long enough to figure out, though."

Veron beams and hugs his best friend back.

“Thanks. Doing good is the plan.”

Then yes they can go back to giving each other shit, as is their habit. Well, mostly both of them giving him shit, really.

“… and yeah, uh, I needed a rock to hit me upside the head with it. But, c’mon, if I’d sent Meph back to Hell while declaring myself, uh, what’s the impressive title Kssxssrth picked out for me, The Thief of Souls or whatever, it'd be so much harder to steal people from him. This way, he thinks I did incomprehensible good boy nonsense and maybe retired or something! Ambition is the least confusing thing for devils."

"Yes, yes, probably for the best Veron not make big announcement - would maybe have been nice to tell Deekin beforehand but Deekin assuming this mostly just abruptly realizing Veron already mostly god, not big dramatic ascension with important details for biographer to remember."

"........... I mean," he says, awkwardly, too damn honest for his own good, "there was supposed to be this whole... thing... with the rock? But I mean, I could only do it alone, and it was a little bit spur of the moment, my Plane Shift landed me near it, and it turned out to be entirely superfluous to becoming a god for me in particular, and so the whole thing was not impressive at all, and, uh. I'm about to get interrogated, aren't I."