Hi everyone! It's a pleasure to see you all once again! I am so please that you guys enjoy my story. It really warms my heart to read your comments. Now, a couple of announcments!
Announcement 1: My Tumblr blog, run by friend Peach_oolong_tea, will no longer be ran by her. I'm not on Tumblr, and she is unable to keep up with it. If you want to take over, you are more than welcome to contact her on there!
Announcment 2: I am looking for a fellow co-writer per chapter with my fic It Hazbin a Helluva Inside-Out Experience! The fic is a Hazbin Hotel/Helluva Boss story where they live in the Inside-Out universe! If you are interested in writing a chapter, you can let me know in the comments, chat with me on Reddit or message me on Twitter! I look forward to working with all of you!
I want to thank CynicalGenre with some help co-writing! Thank you so much!
I hope you all enjoy this next chapter!
Chapter 18: Engaging in Expectations
After the whole hog incident with Stolas, with said owl being sprayed down with the hose, the entire family and their guests had gathered for dinner. Once they had all eaten, and with the table was cleared, Rosie had requested that Millie and her family to stay, as she wanted to speak to them. Once everyone else had left, even Moxxie, the female Ars Goetia slammed a large binder in front of them.
"I have offically narrowed down what ideas and some suggestions that I thought of for the wedding! I want you to look through and see what you like!"
Everyone gawked at how large the binder was. It was at least a foot think of notes, pictures and whatever else the Overlord had gathered. Millie started looking thorugh it. So many things... and so many choices to decided. Still wanting her acceptance, she forced a smile.
"Oh wow. You have so many ideas! I don't... really know what to choose! What would you suggest?"
Rosie seemed to brighten at the opportunity to assist.
"Oh you have so many choices!" She exclaimed, flipping through the different sections that she has marked. "We can go classy and elegant, or simple but cozy. Maybe a blend of wild and tame-"
Millie nodded along. She didn't really think much about having a wedding when she and Moxxie eloped. Even as a child, she didn't really have the foresight to imagine and picture what it would be like. So after all this time, this was the first time she was actually thinking about it.
"There's Morrocan, Beach, Desert Chic, but or maybe you both want to decide what season you would like the wedding to be in. Then we can go off on that! There are thousands of seasonal themes!"
"Why do we need to be here?" Junior asked.
Rosie paused in her rambling then chuckled.
"Oh my apologies. I wanted you here, because I figured you all would like to help Millie plan her wedding!"
They blinked in surprise. Wedding? There was going to be a wedding? They looked over at Millie, who smiled sheepishly at them.
"When the fuck where you going to tell us about this?" Sallie May asked.
Millie nervously fiddled with her tail.
"Um... well... Moxxie's folks just kinda... offered it and we... agreed to it have one. Sinece we... you know... eloped?"
Rosie continued.
"Oh yes! We just thought that it would be nice that all of us got to meet and experience their union. They don't have a date in mind, just yet. But that doesn't matter at the moment!"
Joe and Lin looked at each other.
"How is this going to be paid for?" The oldest female imp asked.
"Oh, I'm giving them a blank check. It's no trouble really."
They couldn't believe it. Moxxie's parents were giving Millie an unlimited budget for her wedding. While it was a good thing that their daughter did, it also left them with a bit of trepedition. Was this some why of Rosie showing off her wealth? Some sort of power play? For the moment, it would be best to not argue with the Ars Goetia. Junior gasped in excitement.
"Oh! Oh! What if ya have a Krampusnacht wedding? Like how Butch and Clementine had a wedding on Halloween!"
"Hell no!" They looked over to see Moxxie standing in the doorway. "No! Krampusnascht wedding! I refuse to let that codsucker overshadow our wedding day! Dad and I will be up all night setting traps!"
Rosie sighed as everyone else looked at eachother. This was a strange bit of information they were hearing.
"What do you have against Krampusnacht?" Raz asked.
"He kidnaps and eats children. He's not welcome. Nor his holiday allowed to be celebrated. Not unless the entire house is wired with traps."
Rosie went over and ran her fingers through her son's hair.
"Of course not, my son. I promise you. No Krampusnascht wedding. I know how you and your father gets around that time of the year."
Moxxie looked over at his wife.
"Millie, I don't care what day we get married on, I just don't want it be on...that day."
"Of course not, sweetie." Millie reassured, going over and kissing her husband. "It's your wedding day too. I wouldn't dare ask you to have it on a day you're not comfortable with."
He smiled at her. What did he ever do to deserve this beautiful and thoughtful woman?
"Do you need me to help with the planning?"
"Nah. It's okay sweetie. Your mom was just showing me all the ideas that she had."
"Okay then." He then wrapped his arms around her. "But I would like you to join me later tonight. I have something special to show you."
She giggled, tapping his nose.
"I look forward to it."
Sallie May and the younger boys gagged at the affectionate display between the two. They already eloped, just how more obnoxiously affection are they going to get now? This wedding plan was going to be nothing of them being all lovey-dovey. This was going to be a long period of time. At least they didn't live with them.
Being back in Wrath held a lot of confusing feelings. Especially in the home that was once owned by his parents. At least, that was Striker's thoughts on the large ranch that previously owned by his parents. Thankfully, his uncle, once divorced from his awful aunt, was more than happy to run it and watch it for him until he had come of age. When he wasn't busy doing assassination jobs, he was back home working on the ranch. There wasn't that many animals on it. Mostly just his horse, along with a few stray goats and cows that he was talked into by his uncle. He had a side business of selling milk and cheese.
He was currently in the kitchen with his favorite cousin, Clementine. The female imp had come up to visit him after hearing that he was back home in Wrath. She was currently seven months pregnant, but she looked ready to pop. She was dressed in a loose dress. Her long black hair up in a ponytail. The male imp had did his best to ensure that she was comfortable during her visit.
"It's nice fer us ta meet up after all this time, cuz. You've been so busy." Clementine responded, taking a sip of her cup of tea.
"Yea, well, I gotta the money in coming somehow. Don't get me wrong, the dairy business is a good steady income, but the assassination jobs pay a lot more. Plus, I get to travel outside the ring. And the more money I make, the more I can focus on finding-"
"Striker."
He stopped and looked at her. She sighed, leaning forward as best as she could.
"Look. I know that... this is really important to you. But... it's literally been years, Striker. I know yer... passionate about finding him. But... it was Extermination Day. I know you don't want to believe it. But you can't-"
Striker's tail started rattling. No! He wasn't going to allow them to tell him any different! They have had this conversation many times since the death of his parents. He wasn't going to give up! He knew that he was out there!
"I know he's alive!"
She sighed. She knew that this was a sensitive topic for him. But he had to learn that sometimes, you need to move on. He's been stuck in an unhealthy cycle, and she knew that it had to be broken.
"You don't know that."
"I have a gut feeling. My gut feeling is never wrong."
"Yea... considering you work as an assassin, I question your lacking sense of danger sometimes."
He waved her off.
"What's life without a little thrill?"
"You don't exactly have much of a life right now," Clem commented. "Between these hits, being gone for months on end and even having to go into hiding a few years back, your life is nothing but an endless cycle of death and loneliness."
"I ain't alone, got Bombproof right there with me," He gestured to his beloved horse outside. "Plus it ain't like I can't spend the night with one or two nice frisky partners…"
"Gross, Strikes, I don't need to hear that," Clementine groaned. "One night stands don't exactly count as 'good company.'"
"That's 'cause yer married," Striker picked up his own drink and downed it. "And back to the death thing, we're Wrath Imps. In Hell. Death's a staple here. It'd been weird if we went a week without a murder or random killing. And I seem to remember yer were quite the hellion when we were brats."
"That's because Tommy Dole was a jackass who couldn't take a hint," She bite back. "But seriously Striker, I'm worried about you."
"Yer the only one."
"I mean it! Don't you think it's time to move on?" Clementine tried to take his hand but he pulled away. "Your parents wouldn't have wanted you to live your life like this."
"Easy fer ya to say, ya still got yer folks," Striker gritted. "Plus yer got your own kids coming yer way. You still got and will have yer family. Ain't the same for me."
"But obsessively searching and going after endless dead ends? If a bullet to the head doesn't kill ya, then yer obsession will!"
"It ain't an obsession…"
Clementine shot up out of her chair, surprising Striker with her speed, and matched over towards the back of the ranch.
"Hey!" Striker was quick to go after her. "Clem, where are you…?!"
But Clementine didn't listen, making a beeline to the rooms in the back of the home. The bedrooms. Specifically, the room at the very end of the hall. Striker didn't need to ask to know which one was she was going after.
"Hey! You can't go in there!"
Clementine swung open the door of the room. Inside was a ready-made nursery with all the furniture, decor and toys ready for a newly born baby imp. A nursery that was not and will never be used. Despite it's abandonment, the room had been dusted and clean recently, either Striker's or her father's doing, but it didn't take away the depressing atmosphere.
"Clem, get out!" Striker grabbed at her arm but she ripped away, matching towards the crib at the center.
"Ya know, if ya want a more covert hidin' spot," Clem sassed, letting her Wrathian drawl come out. "Maybe don't hide them under the baby's bed?"
Her fingers pulled out a thick binder that had been shoved under the mattress. Several documents containing hospital records, morgue records, Extermination deaths and others were poking out of it, almost spilling out. Striker yanked it out of her hands and glared.
"So ya been snooping in my things?"
His gold tooth gleamed as his lips pulled back in a snarl.
"Don't give me that look, I'm worried about ya! This isn't healthy!" Clementine shot back.
"What I do with my things is my own problem, not yers."
He turned and walked out of the room, Clementine right at his heels.
"Please Striker, I know you miss your family, no one is doubting that. And I know you want to have hope that a least a part of them is still alive in your brother, but's it's been years!"
"And? Ya ma and pa would sooner die then let anything happen to their kids," He fought back. "Plus with how scummy Pride is with their Sinners and how they treat us imps despite the fact that they're the assholes invading our Hell, wouldn't surprise me if they just stuck an orphan imp into any orphanage just to lessen their problem…"
"But you've searched all the orphanages, all the hospital records, all the black market trades for imps under the age of ten and found nothing!" Clementine grabbed at his shoulder. "Please Striker! Is this how you want to live the rest of our life?"
He came to a stop, almost causing her to run into him. There was a tense bout of silence. He was clutching the book close to his chest. His tail almost wrapping around himself. What else could he do? He needed to find him. He knew that he was out there. He could feel it. He just had to know. He needed to know. Surely he had to be thinking about them too... right? Sure. He would be an adult by now. But he had to reunite with him! It was all he had left. He jerked his shoulder away from her.
"I think you should go."
She blinked in surprised, then frown. She started to reach out again.
"Striker-"
He jerked away.
"You heard me. I want to be alone."
She sighed. Obviously she hit a deadend this time. Hopefully it would be better next time.
"Alright. I'll go. I'll be sure to check with Pa to make sure that you ate tonight. And if ya don't I will come back tomorrow mornin' and shove a giant ass breakfast down yer throat." She went to hugged him but decided against it. "... Think about what I said. I am really worried about you. And if you ever need me, you know I'll be right there for you."
Unsure what else to do, she walked off. Leaving him alone. No longer feeling her presence, he looked down at the item still tightly clutched in his arms. He contemplated about placing it back in it's original spot. But he couldn't. He felt like it was now tainted. That the sacred meaning he had for it was no longer there. He always wasn't ready to part with it. After some debating, he made his way towards the Master's bedroom.
It took a year or two for him to get comfortable sleeping in there. As it was his parent's room. His old childhood bedroom was two doors down on the opposite side of the hall. At first, it felt weird and disrespectful to sleep in the same room that once belonged his folks. But after a particurally bad night, he relented going in. Since that night, he's been sleeping in the room. The almost faded yet familiar scents of his parents still clinging onto the furniture. The closest he could get to actually feel that he was close to them. It took a good few months for him to be comfortable with washing and changing the bedding. The last bedding set they used before they were Exterminated.
Even though years had past, he could swear that it was the only one that held the strongest scent from them. He's added a few personal items of his own, but mostly, the room looked exactly the same has they had it. The serpent-like imp flopped on the bed, taking a deep breath to inhale the aroma of the comforter and sheets. The comfort. His parents. The only thing that really made him feel at ease. Here, he knew that even with all his worries and doubts, everything would be okay. Even if they didn't at the time.
He curled up, hugging the book tighter.
He wasn't the type to cry. Years of his aunt's abuse had made him harden and hide his emotions. But the emotions of the family he had lost always weighed on him. And this brought up the emotions that he had long repressed. Clementine and his uncle always said that they knew what he was going through. But the didn't. They can't know what it's like to loose your entire family when they're still alive. While his isn't. He could feel the tears starting to flow down his cheeks.
"I know you're out there. No one believes me. But I know you are. I'm gonna find the truth. 'Nd I won't stop until I do. You're all I have. Maybe I got some false expectations on what our meeting will be like. Who you have come to be. But I can't give up on this. On you. I maybe alone in my mission. But I swear, I'll find you. Nothing's gonna stop me, brother. Not even death itself."
There's the chapter everyone! Sorry it's kinda short.
I love our favorite M&M couple. They are adorable! But do understand, that I have no idea works, so their love maybe a little hard for me to write. Especially this wedding planning! I have no idea what all goes into it. But hopefully, I can make it all work out in the end!
I was talking to Cybra and CynicalGenre and we got into a whole conversation about Krampusnatch/Christmas. We ended up with how Moxxie and Alastor HATING Krampus. What a fun convo that was!
I was going to add more funny Stolas imp lessons, but I couldn't think of anything. I know. You Stoliz shippers are craving for some interactions. I was too, but Stolas and Blitz wouldn't talk to me.
And we got some more Striker background! And... Le gasp! Striker may or may not have a brother out there! Can he find this missing imp? Will he be alive? Or is dead like all of Striker's family believes him to be? Can our Rattle-snake Imp find closure after years of grief and trauma?
Find out as the story continues! Thanks for reading!