Inside the waiting room, near Loona's Reception Desk, the said Hellhound, still in her black nightdress, had finished explaining to her adoptive dad the situation revolving around the boy, Lincoln. "Ok...I need to repeat what you said so I know I wasn't drugged or some shit..." Blitzo told his adopted daughter before repeating her words. "While patrolling the portal, you heard something not far from your post and found a random kid out cold in a bush?" He gestured to Loona's room Lincoln was sleeping inside. "And you want him to stay here until we figure out where he came from."
"Yes." Loona nodded before her father pulled out a gun, stating. "We're getting rid of him now." Not happy about this decision, his daughter shouts quietly. "What?!" Checking to see if his gun is loaded, Blitzo explains. "We can't have him chattering about us or anything hell-related in the living world...Besides, it's another mouth for me to feed. Two is already enough."
Loona sighed, knowing Blitzo was going to be like this, but she can't let him kill Lincoln. For a brief time, from the moment the boy woke up, he showed nothing but kindness towards her despite how she behaved towards him. She's pretty sure he'll keep quiet about them when he goes back up to the living world back to wherever he lived.
With quick thinking, Loona came up with a suggestion. "What if I take care of him?" Blitzo stopped putting bullets in his gun and looks at his daughter with a raised brow. "Excuse me?" The Hellhound repeats herself. "What if I take care of the kid? Just until he's better and we find his home." This made her adoptive father scratch his head with the gun. "...I don't know, Looney. I doubt that'll-"
"He won't tell anyone in the living world about us." Said Loona, cutting off the Imp before explaining. "I got to know him a little while you were away to kill the target. I highly doubt he'll tell anyone about this." Seeing his daughter was telling the truth, Blitzo started to wonder whether he should listen and let her take care of the boy or not. "Should I?" He thought before Loona sighed.
"Please...Dad?" Upon hearing that from her, Blitzo looked at Loona in awe as she tells him. "I can handle the responsibility. Please, just, trust me on this." When she finished, the Imps' mouth formed a smile, feeling great pride build up in him as he dropped the gun because of it. "She called me...Dad..." He thought before shaking his head. "Alright, you changed my mind, Looney." Said Blitzo, making Loona smile a little as he tells her. "You can watch over him...But we're not taking a single eye off him while he's with us."
Loona rolls her eyes. "Sure, whatever." Blitzo gives a satisfied smile. "Good." He picks up his gun and puts it away. "Once we find out who he is, we'll take him back to...Well...Wherever he came from, and return him to where he was." With that, the Imp heads to his office to order takeout like he said he would. Once the door was shut, Loona let out a yawn. "Finally. Time to get some sleep." She thought, going to her room, entering it, spotting Lincoln still sleeping in her bed.
"Right...I forgot about him." Loona groaned in her thoughts walking over to her bed, which she gets in and lays down, snuggling the side of her head into her pillow. The Hellhound tries getting some sleep before morning only to feel Lincoln snuggle into her arms again, which made her sigh in annoyance as she simply ignores him and falls asleep.
In the Morning
Still sleeping, Loona turns over on her side and snuggles in her bed smiling. She then felt something scratching her cheek near her chin, making her hum happily and wag her tail in her sleep. "Mmm...That feels so...W-Wait!" With Her smile gone, Loona opens her eyes and sees it was Lincoln with his hand on her cheek. Getting out of bed quickly, she growls angrily at him.
"What are you doing?" Loona demanded, startling Lincoln a bit. "I-I...I was waking you up." He clarifies to her to prove that's he was doing. "Honest. I tried shaking you awake but you didn't budge or even wake...S-So I scratched your cheek to wake you. I thought you'd like it and it'd wake you." When he finished, Loona sighed, calming herself down. "It's fine...Just, don't do that again, or you'll regret it...Got it!?" She said in a serious tone, getting a quick nod from Lincoln.
Taking a deep breath, Loona looks at the time and sees that it's 7 AM. "Well guess I'll get ready." She thought before looking back at Lincoln. "Listen, just...Go use my shower while I get you some fresh clothes..." This made Lincoln look down at his clothes to see that they were tattered and stained, likely from whatever happened to him before he was found before looking back up at the Hellhound.
"Since you're going to stay here until we can figure out where you live, we don't need you looking like a bum." With that, Loona left her room. Now by himself, Lincoln got up from the bed and made his way to the bathroom. Entering and locking the door, he was surprised to see how well it looked.
The bottom part of the walls and floor were tiled an indigo blue and the top part of the wall and ceiling were painted white with a ceiling light/fan in the center. In the corner away from the door, there's a toilet along with a sink on the opposite wall with a mirror above it. Nearby is a shelf stock full of bathroom supplies like soap, toothpaste, medicine, and a few other things. And at the end is a walk-in shower with a showerhead on the right behind a glass wall, separating it from the doorless entrance on the other side to prevent water spills outside the shower.
"Whoa..." Lincoln walks to the center of the bathroom, turning as he examines every part of it, amazed at how decent it looks. "For hell... They have good craftsmanship." He thought to himself before stopping to look at the walk-in shower, which confused him a little. "Ok...So it's just a shower lacking a tub." Lincoln then noticed another thing inside it. "With a seat?" Looking at it for a moment, he shrugged it off, knowing it was not a big deal, and removes the clothes he was wearing.
With everything off and in a pile together, Lincoln stepped into the shower and slides his hand against the glass, only to feel nothing move. "Huh?" Looking at it, it took him a second to discover why and shake his head. "Oh...I guess showers like this don't need a door." While saying this he looked over at the showerhead and the knobs and walks over to them. Turning the knobs he was hit with a nice drizzle of water, setting it to lukewarm. With a sigh of satisfaction, he grabs a bar of soap, and a shampoo bottle, and begins washing his hair and body.
Later
Having dropped new fresh clothes in her bedroom for Lincoln to wear, Loona waited at her desk. She didn't know what size Lincoln wore since she didn't bother to ask, so she just grabbed some random clothes for him. Right now she's on her computer, bored as always, seeing some videos, one specifically of some girl named Charlie, bringing up something about a Hotel for rehabilitation or something?
Honestly, Loona wasn't paying much attention to it, she was thinking about the human boy, Lincoln. She was wondering where he'll be taken to when they locate his home? Does he even have a home? Family? Parents? ...Guardians? With all these thoughts, Loona sighed out of vexation. "This is so frustrating..." She thought but then heard her door open. Looking it's revealed to be Lincoln, walking in the clothes she gave him.
"Uh...M-Miss Loona? I don't think these clothes fit me." Lincoln raises his arms, showing that the clothes didn't indeed suit him. They were too big for him, the sleeves were too long, and his pant legs dragged underneath his feet. Further inspection, the clothes actually belong to Moxxie, on the count, it was one of the many identical suits he wears during work.
Loona rolled her eyes, looking at Lincoln. "Listen brat, I don't care if those clothes fit you or not. Those were the only ones I was able to get. So stop whining and sit on the couch." Loona requested in a serious tone, pointing at the couch from across her desk. Lincoln looked at it and then back at Loona. "But...I wasn't whining, I was saying that-" He stopped when the Hellhound growled at him, causing him to chuckle nervously.
"Couch! Got it!" With a smile and quick-walks over to the couch and sits down. Looking at him for a moment, Loona sighed and leans back on her chair, and faces her computer screen, continuing to watch her videos on the computer. But at the same time, she was looking back at Lincoln who was looking around the room, examining it just like he did before. "I...I shouldn't have done that...Sure he's annoying but he's just a kid...Kids can be stupid sometimes..." Loona thought with a sigh as she turns off her computer.
"Hey...Lincoln?" Loona called, getting Lincoln's attention. "Yeah?" He responds to which she tells him. "Look I'm...I'm sorry for what I said." She began. "I'm not a nice Hellhound." She shook her head saying that. "I'm usually mean to...Well...Almost everyone." When she finished, Lincoln nodded and tells her. "I understand. And it's ok really. I honestly don't-"
Suddenly Blitzo office door is kicked open by him. "Loona! Meeting time!" He shouted with a grin, cutting Lincoln off, for some reason though, he was holding the gun he had from last night. "Come on sweetie! Bring the kid in the meeting room so he can meet the gang!" When he finished, he made his way to the meeting room. Loona growled at this and then sighs.
"Whatever..." Loona faces Lincoln who looked back at her. "Come on kid. the sooner we get this over with the better." She gets up and walks over to the doorway leading to the meeting room, waiting for the boy. Not waiting a moment, Lincoln got up from the couch and walked out of the room with the Hellhound, both heading straight to where they needed to go.
The Meeting Room
Sitting down with her phone in hand, Loona scrolled through some posts, opposite of her, sitting down in their seats were Moxxie and Millie. The couple looked at their boss who was at the front board, clearing his throat before turning to face them. "Okay...Some of you may or may not know why I called a meeting this early in the morning."
"Is it another commercial you want us to partake in, sir?" Moxxie questioned in an unenthusiastic tone. "No..." Blitzo declines before rubbing his chin. "I'm still coming up with that one." Millie raised her hand. "Are we gettin' a raise?" Blitzo smiled and answers her guess. "Nope!" He points at the two Imps. "M&M, it's to introduce you two to the newest-yet temporary addition of I.M.P.!"
Blitzo motions his arms to the boy sitting next to Loona. "Say hello to Lincoln!" Looking at Lincoln, he gave the two a small smile and waved. While he looked pleased to meet the employees, he was honestly worried, mainly because Moxxie and Millie remained silent and surprised. They were looking at every distinguishing feature of the boy's head from his hair to his face.
"Sir..." Moxxie looks at his boss with suspicion. "Is Lincoln..." Blitzo cuts him off. "Human? Why, yes he is." He answered typically, leaving the couple shocked. A random child...Here in hell?! That's not a good sign. "Why do you have a human...A juvenile no less...Working with us?!" Moxxie asked, horror depicted in his facial expression. "Don't you comprehend the consequences we'll be facing if anyone above our ranks finds out we brought a human to hell!? We could be persecuted...Executed...A-And..."
Moxxie paused after glancing at Lincoln and back at Blitzo, only to now look directly at Lincoln. It wasn't long for the Imp to recognize that the clothes Lincoln was wearing were his clothes. Besides it looking nothing like Blitzo attire, Moxxie can see that they were too big for the boy. The pants legs were dangling off the seat, the waistline was tightened around Lincoln's waist with a belt, the sleeves were draped on the arms of the chair, and the collar of the shirt was around Lincoln's shoulders instead of his neck.
"What is...Why is Lincoln, wearing my clothes?" Moxxie asks visibly confused. "They barely fit him." Hearing him point out an honest flaw, one of Loona's ears flinched a little, making her look away from the screen of her phone. It's something...Irregular the Hellhound would do as she'd commonly show little to no interest in subjects such as this. Besides looking at her phone while uninterested in the matter, she would also take a nap and or drink as well.
With a growl, Loona scowls at Moxxie for questioning the choice of Lincoln wearing his clothes. Holding Lincoln close to her, he was left shocked. "Do you have a problem with that?" She asked Moxxie in a threatening tone, still looking angry at him. The Imp shook his head. "No." After denying he then explains to her, gesturing to Lincoln. "It's just, though he's near the exact stature of Millie and me, what he's wearing is oversized."
"And?" Loona began, anger hinted in her voice. "There's nothing else for him to change into." She isn't wrong about that, she looked, Moxxie's attire was all she found nearest to the boy's size. Moxxie agrees and tells her. "Yes...But if that's all he wears he'd have an increased chance of stumbling and hurting himself on...Well, anything."
Millie nodded in agreement. "Yeah. It happened to one of my brothers when he pretended to be dad for fun." Millie then sighed, resting her chin on her hand, and shaking her head. "He still has those scars from it." regaining memory of the horrific accident. "He still has scars from it..."
"So what?" Loona talked back. "You want him walking around in nothing?" She asked them, specifically Moxxie who tells her. "I'm saying you should be a little more reasonable and go get clothes for him that fit." Loona points a thumb at herself. "I don't have enough time for that!" Moxxie wasn't happy about her response. "You don't have enough time?" He then points at her. "All you do is sit at the front desk, read magazines, watch videos on the monitor, and look at whatever's on your phone whenever you're here! You have all the time in hell to do a simple task!"
Before Blitzo could cut in to defend Loona, she tells Moxxie in anger. "If it's so simple, why don't you do it and lose the calories, fatass?!" Having enough of her husband being mocked for his weight, Millie yells at the Hellhound. "My husband's not fat, bitch!" This made Loona let out a growl. But before the argument could even escalate, Blitzo shouts out. "Ok, can everyone calm the Fuck Down!"
With that three having ceased their argument, leaving the room silent, looking at their boss and back at each other, Lincoln looked at Loona with concern. She was taking in a few deep breaths before standing up from her seat. "Fuck this..." She said, letting go of Lincoln, letting him drop back into his chair with ease.
The Hellhound leaves the meeting room, opening the door and then slamming it shut behind her, caring less if it damaged the frame. This left her adoptive dad, their employees, and Lincoln shocked, looking at the door she exited from. It wasn't long before the boy turns to look at Moxxie with disapproval, furrowing his brows.
"You're a jerk!" Lincoln shouted, getting up from his seat before running to the door as well. When he opened it Millie glared and told him. "Hey, Moxxie's not-" Ignoring her, Lincoln closed the door behind him and went after Loona, leaving the three Imps by themselves in silent. Not wanting to remain awkwardly silent, or waste time, the couple turned to look at their boss. "So, uh...What's the situation with...Lincoln is it?" Moxxie asked with Millie nodding, both hoping to get info on this rare case from Blitzo.
Meanwhile
Kicking the door to her bedroom open, Loona walks over to her bed and lays on it with her back, sighing in anger, with the door closing by itself. She has no idea why she defended Lincoln...Why does she care? Lincoln isn't going to be here in hell with them forever. When they find out who he is, his family...Or whatever place he came from, they're going to bring him back and might not ever see him again. That however made Loona become concerned.
"Hope he doesn't become a target..." Realizing what she thought, Loona shook her head and clenched her teeth together, groaning. "What's wrong with me!?" She really wants answers. What is it about this kid that makes her think and behave like this? Besides the natural white hair and the bizarre buck teeth, he's just a normal boy...Who's kind...Nice...And surprisingly knows how to cook. Before Loona could go deeper into her thoughts, a couple of knocks were heard at her door.
"Loona?" The said Hellhound looks at her door, seeing it open up, revealing Lincoln. With a sigh, Loona requests. "Go away, will you?" She plants her face into her pillow as Lincoln kept his eyes on her and enters her room, walking over to her and sitting down on the bed next to her. Feeling a shift in weight on her mattress, Loona peeks from her pillow to see the boy sitting on the bed, doing the opposite of what she asked. He was looking worriedly at her after what had occurred in the meeting room, annoying her a little. "Didn't you hear me? I said-"
Lincoln cuts her off. "I did..." he nodded before shaking his head. "But I don't want to." His response made her growl a little. Before she could threaten him into leaving, Lincoln spoke. "What Moxxie said wasn't nice." With those words leaving his mouth, Loona ceased growling and looked almost puzzled. "Wasn't...What?"
"What he said about you wasn't nice." Repeated Lincoln a little louder, looking at Loona who blinked a few times. "He shouldn't have criticized you for enjoying what you have here. Especially since this is hell." When Lincoln finished, Loona removed the pillow from her face and looked suspiciously at him. "Are you joking?" She asked, making Lincoln raise a brow. "No...Why would I?" He smiled warmly and reminds her. "You saved my life, you're letting me stay here, and you're willing to help me find out who I am so I can go back home. There's no reason to joke about you."
This made Loona stare at Lincoln, judging him, wanting to see if he'd hold in a laugh and burst out or show some form of suspicion. But that wasn't happening, he hadn't stuttered, he didn't crack a laugh, his facial expression isn't changing, and a bead of sweat going down his face is nowhere in sight. Lincoln was telling her the truth and it shows.
Suddenly, Loona felt an unexpected warmth in her chest, that warmth coming from her heart. It was beating slightly faster than it usually does, likely because of Lincoln's words, his honesty, they were making her feel...Good? Immediately Loona shakes it off to avoid going deep into those feelings.
"Thanks, kid." Loona talked in her usual tone, to which Lincoln smiled at her. While he smiles at her, Loona began looking at the oversized clothes that she gave him. This started to make her a little more aware and concerned about Moxxie's warning about Lincoln wearing his clothes and Millie's story of her brother getting hurt wearing her father's clothes.
"Huh...It does look like he could hurt himself if he walks around in those clothes..." Thought Loona, her imagination envisioning all of the possible accidents Lincoln can have just in the I.M.P. Department alone. Sighing quietly, Loona starts to acknowledge she was doing it again...Caring for the boy. "When is it going to stop?" Loona asked herself in thought again.
Pushing that aside, Loona focused back on Lincoln. Thanks to Moxxie and Millie, she now worries he'll hurt himself or worse. She knows what to do that's right, but she doesn't like it one bit. She can't take the kid to the mall or any store in hell that sells clothes, there's an elevated chance that demons, sinners, or whatever lurks in hell will be after him. Primarily those that still have a craving for the taste of human flesh or the young for vile intentions. She needs to get him clothes in the only place that's less treacherous than what's around here. Standing up, Loona holds Lincoln's hand.
"Uh...Loona?" Lincoln asked both surprised and also confused. Instead of responding, Loona drags Lincoln away from her room, which puzzled him even more. "Where are we going?" He asked, now wondering the place they'll be heading to. Loona then answers him. "We're getting you new clothes."
Later
Inside the meeting room again, Lincoln looked around to see that nobody else is in the room except him and Loona. the Imps Blitzo, Moxxie, and Millie were gone. "Uhh, Loona, where is everyone?" Lincoln asked to which Loona answered. "I don't know? Probably went to the kitchen for a bite or to their rooms for...Privacy." Where Loona's standing, she had drawn a pentagram on the wall in chalk and picked up a backpack along with a large book that she started to read, which caught the boy's attention.
"What are you reading?" Lincoln asked out of curiosity, getting a good view of the book. It's blue with a red ribbon at the bottom, and the pages were gold. What stood out the most to him were the designs on the book's exterior. The front cover had an insignia that was of the crescent moon with the top left and bottom right having two stars in the form of an upside-down cross, all surrounded by a gold frame. Inside the crescent moon, there's a circular symbol, which is also in the back surrounded by a circle divided into six parts by lines, outside of that is a design interpreting a glow. And where the covers meet, there's a red Gem in the center shrouded in golden thorn stalks that form a slit eye on each end.
Soon after Lincoln asked, however, he was able to witness what the book can do. When Loona stopped reading, the book itself and the pentagram started to glow an ominous red. Suddenly the pentagram vanished and a portal opened, revealing the living world based on the seeable green grass and blue sky. "There." Loona rested her hand against her hip, looking in to see the portal leading to where they needed to go, leaving Lincoln in awe.
"Whoa..." That was all Lincoln could say. Yes, he went through the portal yesterday, but he didn't see nor experienced going through the portal due to being unconscious at the time. Looking at him, Loona answered his question. "Just a spell to open a portal to the living world." Lincoln then couldn't help but ask. "And the book?" He pointed to it, which Loona looked at, motioning her free hand to it. "This book is called a Grimoire. Da-" She shook her head. "I mean...Blitzo borrows it from a Goetia so that we can keep business running here."
Closing the book, Loona places it in her backpack and holds Lincoln in her arms without a hassle, leaving him shocked since it was sudden. "Alright. Let's go." With that, Loona runs through the portal all the while Lincoln holds onto her as well, keeping his grip on her, unsure of this portal's functionality.
Upon arriving in the living world, Lincoln blinked a few times, looking around with his eyes adjusting to the environment. They were in the woods, one of the many common parts of the living world. "We...Were here." Lincoln muttered before noticing Loona placing him down and looking around. "Good, nobody's around. I can blend in with my disguise."
"Wait, Loona. I don't think a costume will help you blend in because of your...Wolf traits." Lincoln pointed out, looking at Loona's tail, muzzle, ears, and claws. She looks down at him annoyed. "Ok, kid. To make it clear, I'm a Hellhound, not a wolf. And who said anything about me wearing a costume?" Loona questioned before closing her eyes as she altered into her human disguise.
Immediately Loona was engulfed in a blue azure flame that started from her feet and traveled up to her head. Through this, Lincoln witnessed her figure change from that of a Hellhound to more of a human. When the flame dissipated and faded, Lincoln gasped at the sight of Loona's human disguise.
She has very light skin, a small triangular nose, and round ears each with two earrings. The right side of her head is shaved, she's wearing black lipstick, and her eyes were now white with red irises, instead of them being red with white irises. Her clothes are the same but a bit different, she wears a choker that's missing its spikes, her black shorts are now shorter, black knee-high socks, and high-top sneakers.
"Whoa...Y-You..." Lincoln managed to utter as he couldn't believe what he was seeing in front of him. Loona noticed this and rolled her eyes, knowing she would be expecting this reaction. "Yeah, yeah, this is my human-"
"You're hot!" Lincoln shouted, instantly covering his mouth with his hands, realizing he overpraised Loona's human form, making his face turn red. Speaking of the Hellhound, she was left stunned. "Did...D-Did he...?" Loona thought, she did not expect him to say that. Yes, he saw her nude...On accident of course, but he never said she was hot when it happened. Maybe because he was still cautious at the time?
Looking away she shook it off, preventing any red from forming on her cheeks. "Whatever." She looks back at him. "Look, we're just here to get you new clothes. So just stay close to me and everything will be fine." When Loona finished, Lincoln nodded to her. With that, the two head on over to the clearing of the forest, where Loona peeked out from the shadows and some bushes. Seeing that the coast is clear and the mall is close by, she motions her hand towards herself, signaling Lincoln to follow her. He does, staying close in her sight as they exit out of the forest and walk towards the mall.