This had to have been the worst situation Mick had ever found himself in since coming here! Never mind almost getting killed by Stella via crossbow, now STOLAS was going to do him in! It was written all over his face! Shrinking under the Goetia Demon's hard gaze, he found himself forced to release Seth's shirt and step away from him, fearing the consequences if he didn't. What's worse, he could have sworn he saw the dickhead of a Duck Demon put on a smug, triumphant grin just before he started feigning a surge of fear.
"Oh, thank goodness you're here!" he exclaimed, putting on his best forced innocent act, much to the disgust of both his victims. "This… vile plebeian just attacked me for no good reason!"
As bad as that blatant lie was, the worst part had to be the fact that Stella seemed to completely buy it.
"He did WHAT!?" she growled.
"It's true!" Seth continued, laying on the act as thick as he could possibly make it. "While Octavia and I were enjoying tea and each other's company, he just came out of nowhere! I did my best to stop him, but he kept going straight for me like some kind of… rabid animal!"
Needless to say, Octavia was appalled by such a blatant fabrication of the facts, even more so at the fact that he may actually get away with what he had done if her mother had anything to say about it, given how she seemed to be eating up every ounce of crap the Duck Demon had just blurted out. No! As much as she didn't want to cause a scene in front of her mother, that ship had LONG sailed!
"You lying sonuva-" she tried to yell, only to get drowned out by Stella's screams.
"I KNEW this little shit would be trouble!" she yelled, pointing an accusing claw in Mick's face. "We invite you into our home and THIS is how you repay us!? I'll have your BALLS for this you worthless little-"
However, before the Owl Demon could say another word on the matter, she was suddenly cut off mid-sentence by a hand on her shoulder. Surprisingly enough, it was Duchess Gremory who stopped all the screaming.
"Stella, that's enough!" she stated sternly, earning herself a baffled look from her fellow Noble as she turned her attention towards Stolas. "If I may be so bold, cousin, perhaps we should allow the young man to speak for himself."
Wait… was Gremory… actually giving Mick a chance to defend himself? Not that either he or Octavia were going to complain about it, but still, it was quite shocking. However, neither one of them was more shocked than Seth was. In fact, he almost looked frightened at the very idea of such a suggestion.
"Gremory, you honestly can't mean that!" he snapped, a great amount of tension evident in every syllable that spewed out of his mouth as he pointed to his damaged face. "You all SAW what he did to me! What more could you possibly need?!"
However, much to Seth's continued shock, Stolas ignored his rants and tapped his chin in thought. Fearing the worst, Mick couldn't help but gulp. Finally, after a few brief moments of intense silence, Stolas spoke.
"Michael," he said. "Come here please."
Knowing that he couldn't disobey, Mick fearfully took a few steps forward, shrinking under the Goetia Prince's gaze as he towered over him. His hands shaking with terror, all he could do now was take what Stolas had to dish out.
"Now, I'm going to ask you this ONE time, and I want the truth, do you understand?" he asked, earning himself a small nod from the Cat Demon. "Now… WHY did you attack young Seth here?"
At first, Mick couldn't say a word in response, his nerves too shot to make a rational decision. Was Seth right? Would it even matter if he DID tell the truth? Would Stolas and the other Demon Nobles even believe him even if he did? At present, too many of these horrible questions began to cloud the poor Cat Demon's mind!
But then, at that moment, Mick was snapped back to reality by the sound of whimpering coming from nearby. Tilting his head to his side, he saw Octavia looking back at him with Snowflake in her arms, the pair of them having pained looks on both their faces as if they were silently pleading for help. Seeing the look of sorrow on their faces, Mick suddenly knew exactly what he needed to say. Consequences be damned, he wasn't just going to let Seth get away with what he had done to them!
"Because he struck Princess Octavia, sir," he eventually said, keeping his answer short and to the point.
Needless to say, his answer was met with a loud horde of shocked gasps. After that, the small group of Nobles were met with mixed emotions. Malphas and Gremory, instantly gave Seth a hard glare between them, sensing no lie in the Cat Demon's words. Meanwhile, Stella looked completely flabbergasted, while Stolas looked positively distraught. As for Seth, he reacted to the Cat Demon's answer as one would expect… by trying in vain to cover his own ass.
"I… I would never do anything of the sort!" he exclaimed, denying the Cat Demon's claim without hesitation. "This TRASH is obviously lying to save his own skin! I mean, why would I jeopardize a bright future with my future wife by doing such a terrible thing?"
However, the second Seth claimed his daughter to be his "future wife" Stolas's look of distress instantly turned into a murderous glare, feeling disgusted that the Duck Demon would say such a thing. What's more, shifting his gaze between him, Mick and Octavia, the Goetia Prince felt it was necessary to analyse the situation before he decided who was lying. It didn't take long for all four of his eyes to subtly widen upon seeing the redness of Octavia's cheek and the flow of tears threatening to leave her eyes. Even Reginald silently nodded his head as soon as the Goetia Demon shifted his gaze towards him, confirming his suspicions. Finally, after yet another moment of intense silence, Stolas spoke again.
"Michael… kneel, please,"
The moment Stolas said those words, Mick's eyes instantly shrank in horror.
"B-but sir-!"
"DAD!"
However, neither Mick's nor Octavia's protests appeared to make any difference, in fact, they appeared to have fallen on deaf ears when Stolas repeated his command.
"I said… kneel," he said, this tie even more assertively.
This is it! It's all over! Seth WAS right! Stolas didn't believe him! Now all that there was left to do was follow the Goetia's command and await the inevitable. Shaking in terror, the Cat Demon did as he was told and bent the knee, fearing the worst. Seth, on the other hand, smirked with triumph at Mick's misery.
"Oh, thank the stars," he said, once again feigning innocence. "I am so glad you weren't fooled but such pathetic- GACK!"
Suddenly, before the Duck Demon had the chance to comprehend what was going on, he was lifted into the air. Hovering at least three feet off the ground, Seth struggled to breathe as the glowing blue aura that was suddenly wrapped around his throat, squeezing his air pipe while also holding him in place… the same blue aura surrounding a furious looking Stolas's hand.
"Wha… What the hell are you doing!?" he gasped, squirming in mid-air as the air barely made it into his lungs.
"I'd like to know that myself, Stolas!" Stella added, finding herself suddenly in a state of shock as she witnessed her husband magically strangle another Noble's son right in front of her. "You heard the boy, he was-"
"-lying through his teeth!" Stolas snapped, shifting his murderous glare towards his wife for a brief moment. "Can you not see our daughter, Stella? Only an idiot would believe this filth."
All things considered, it was pretty obvious who the true liar was in this situation, however, it was mostly a matter of pride that Stella found herself unable to believe the truth at first. After all, what self-respecting member of Demon Royalty would side with a lowly Sinner over one of their own? Given everything she sees now, however, she had no choice but to accept it… especially since Malphas and Gremory appeared to be of the same opinion.
"Disgraceful!" Malphas growled.
"Yet somehow I'm not even the slightest bit surprised," Gremory added, knowing Seth's reputation all too well.
Meanwhile, both Octavia and Mick couldn't help but feel confused yet somehow relieved by this sudden development, Mick especially. However, nothing could have prepared him for what happened next. With a heavy sigh, Stolas then knelt down and used his free hand to give the Cat Demon a soft pat on the shoulder.
"Michael…" he said. "Thank you."
Needless to say, Mick was left completely flabbergasted. After all, when he and Stolas first met, he threatened him with all kinds of unimaginable horrors and now he was showing him gratitude? Granted, the Owl Demon did offer him special treatment when he first arrived here but Mick always just thought that was his way of paying Mick back for saving his daughter's life, a debt that Mick thought Stolas had considered paid in full when he gave him his job. Now he was showing the same gratitude yet again despite the obvious differential circumstances? Guess he really is just as nice of a guy as Octavia made him out to be.
"Wha... One was glad to be of service, sir," the Cat Demon eventually replied, feeling that no other words could have been more appropriate.
Seeing that Mick appeared as though he was going to be alright, Octavia couldn't help but smile to herself as she watched Seth squirm in her father's grasp. After all the shit he put her and everyone else through during the last 24 hours, this is the LEAST he deserves no matter how many times he pathetically tries to deny it.
"I-I assure you, you're mistaken!" he said, continuously gasping for air. "I told you the honest truth!"
"And now you insult me by sticking to your lies?" Stolas growled, his anger growing by the second as he levitated Seth closer to him. "You aren't worthy of licking my daughter's boots, let alone being her fiance!"
Before long, Seth found himself staring into all four of Stolas's eyes, each one glaring back at him with the intensity and heat of pure hellfire as the Goetia Prince made his next threat.
"If I ever see your disgusting face near my daughter or my home ever again, I will (BLEEP!) your (BLEEP!), tear open your (BLEEP!) and then feed them to you through a (BLEEP!)ing (BLEEP!) Are. we. CLEAR!?"
Grimacing at the memory of a similar threat, Mick didn't feel the least bit surprised to hear Seth whimpering in terror after receiving it… not that he felt at all sorry for him either. However, even as Seth acknowledged Stolas's threat, the Goetia Demon wasn't done just yet.
"And just to make sure you don't forget…"
All of a sudden, Stolas then clenched his fist, causing the aura around Seth's neck to turn red and quickly spread to his wrists and ankles, before forcing all four of his limbs to be stretched out in a painful manner, making him appear as though he were attached to an invisible rack. Mere seconds later, Stolas's eyes glowed with an eerie red light before both of Seth's hands suddenly turned to stone from the wrist down. No one witnessing this may not have known what Stolas was up to, but sure enough, they could tell it wasn't going to be pleasant.
"Tell me, Via," he said, giving his daughter a small sideways glance. "Which hand did he strike you with first?"
The moment the Prince said that, Seth quickly figured out what he intended to do. As such, he instantly tried to thrash about, struggling in vain to break free from Stolas's magic.
"NO!" he screamed. "No, please! I beg you! Anything but that!"
Alas, the pathetic Duck Demon's pleas fell upon deaf ears.
"Via?" Stolas repeated, his tone practically begging for her to give him an answer.
With no hesitation nor pity for the Duck Demon's situation, Octavia gladly gave her answer.
"The right hand, dad."
Without a single moment's hesitation after his daughter gave her reply… Stolas snapped his fingers.
"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"
With a loud, ear-piercing scream, Seth's petrified right hand exploded into pebbles. Meanwhile, his left completely reverted back to normal.
"STOLAS!" Stella yelled, completely astounded that her husband did such a thing.
However, despite the glare from his wife and the looks of shock coming from everyone else, Stolas remained still with his vengeful glare still aimed at Seth as he finally let him drop to the ground. Watching the Duck Demon writhe in agony on the patio, while clutching to the wrist of his now-shattered hand, the Owl Demon could only look at him with disgust.
"Now…" he eventually said. "Get off my property!"
However, even as he blubbered like a baby, watching in anguish as the rocky stump at the end of his wrist steamed up with the stink of brimstone, Seth wasn't one to let someone else get the final word.
"H-HOW DARE YOU?!" he screamed, trying to put on a brave face as he staggered back to his feet. "I-I SWEAR I'LL MAKE YOU REGRET THIS, STOLAS!"
However, unsurprisingly, Stolas remained unphased by the threat. In fact, he only had one other thing to say as he watched Seth continue to blubber and finally run off towards the side gate of the house, more than likely to rejoin his father at the hotel they were both staying at.
"Pathetic,"
After that incident, the entire household felt the impact of the shitstorm that followed. Soon enough, the entirety of the Goetia Mansion once again heard the endless screams of Prince Stolas and his wife, only this time everything felt a lot worse.
Regardless of that, however, every member of staff who was still on duty that day still needed to carry on with their work. As such it was up to Reginald to give Damian back to Duchess Gremory just before she and Malphas finally left.
"Here's your pet, Madame," he said, handing over the surprisingly calm dog back to the red-haired Demon.
"Thank you, Reginald," Gremory replied, gratefully taking her beloved pet in her arms.
Needless to say, the Duchess was certainly surprised to see that Damian was being so well-behaved when she got him back. Of course, Reginald wasn't about to tell her that it was mainly because he found him inhaling a crap-ton of weed smoke downstairs after Mick finally let him out of his quarters. More than likely, this animal was going to be out of it for a while.
SMASH!
… of course, that was the least of the Butler's worries.
"Are they… going to be okay?" Gremory asked nervously, grimacing at the sound of all the shouting.
"I cannot say, ma'am," Reginald sighed honestly. "They… may be a while yet.
Another thing the Imp wasn't going to say on the matter was how guilty he felt about the current situation. Not only because he ran off during the initial struggle between Seth and the Princess, but also because HE was partially to blame for what happened in the first place.
To be more specific, Seth wouldn't have known about what Octavia was up to after she left the banquet if HE hadn't told him. Granted, he may have kept his word and not told her parents but the Count's son was another matter entirely… mostly because the Duck Demon cornered him as soon as he returned to the upper levels of the house. In any case, the damage is done, now all that's left to do is wait until this garbage fire eventually burns itself out.
"What is Ipos going to say when he finds out what you did to his son!?" Stella screamed, getting right into her husband's face.
"It's only because he was Ipos's son that I didn't KILL the little shit!" Stolas retorted, his own anger matching his wife for a change.
After everything was over outside, it didn't take long for Stella to literally drag Stolas into one of the empty rooms of the house and once again start screaming so loud that it shook the entire mansion. Once they were behind closed doors, there was no force in Heaven or Hell that could stop their fighting.
"You are just so unbelievable!" Stella snapped, still appalled by how lightly her husband was taking his recent actions.
"No, what's unbelievable is the fact that you ever thought he would be a suitable husband for Octavia!" Stolas snapped back, briefly catching Stella off guard. "And more to the point, what gives you the right to try and marry her off in the first place!?"
At that accusation, Stella's glare intensified ten-fold.
"I was trying to secure our daughter's future!" She retorted, showing no remorse over her own part in the event.
"Oh yes, because an arranged marriage worked out SO well for us, didn't it?!" Stolas snarled, earning himself a surprised gasp in response.
"Oh, you really want to go there!? Well then, let's go there!"
And so the fight continued on, only growing worse and worse over time. If one were to ask the opinion of any member of staff within earshot, they would say that this was definitely one of the biggest fights the pair of them had in a long time. One such staff member was, of course, Mick.
After Stella dragged Stolas away, his first concern was seeing that Octavia was alright. Unfortunately, having known her parents long enough to recognise certain signs, the Goetia Princess knew instantly that they were going to fight. Before Mick could say a single word, she carried Snowflake away from the scene and fled… it had been almost two hours since then, and she still hasn't reappeared yet.
Needless to say, Mick quickly began to worry when his friend chose to hide herself away, even more so when both her bedroom and the library were empty and she refused to answer his texts. However, the Cat Demon refused to just stand by and do nothing while not knowing if Octavia was going to be okay, so obviously, he continued to search for her. Unfortunately, it was still a big house with a lot of rooms, many of which he still wasn't allowed in, so such a task was proving difficult… until all of a sudden, the Cat Demon heard a familiar yip.
"Snowflake?" he uttered.
Sure enough, the Kitsune pup suddenly rounded a corner and limped her way over to her master. Seeing the way his beloved pet painfully struggled across the floor like that, Mick's eyes once again burst with angry flames for a brief moment. Knowing how Seth not only hurt Octavia, but Snowflake too, made the Cat Demon's blood boil with fury. Never mind Stolas, Seth was lucky MICK didn't kill him when he had the chance… No! Now's not the time for such thoughts. If Snowflake was here then, sure enough, Octavia had to have been nearby.
"You know where she is, girl?" Mick asked, earning himself another yip and a nod of the little fox's head.
Scooping Snowflake up in his arms to save her from walking on her injured leg, Mick followed the Kitsune's direction by letting her point the way with her little paw.
Soon enough the pair of them made it to a pair of double doors stationed at the far corner of the house on the third floor, one of which being slightly ajar. From what he could remember, this was one of the few rooms in the house Reginald had instructed him not to enter, his reason being that since the family didn't use it anymore, there was no need to clean, or even enter it unless told otherwise… in other words, the perfect place to hide if someone wanted to disappear for a while.
Gently pushing open the door, Mick took a peek inside, finding himself taken by surprise when he saw what kind of room he was now in. It was a spacious room, once again star-themed in its decor, with a large moon-shaped carpet on the floor, a large leather sofa stationed next to it and a small shelf filled with books and framed photos just behind it. The most notable feature of all, however, had to have been the large grand piano resting in the opposite corner. Despite the amount of dust caking the surface of it, Mick could tell that this instrument was of very high quality, from the smooth surface of the black varnished wood to the sheen of the ivory keys… and of course, it was behind this piano that the Cat Demon heard the sound of crying.
Peering over the top of the instrument, Mick let out a small sigh when, sure enough, he found Octavia sitting on the floor, resting her back up against the leg of the piano with eyes filled with tears. As glad as Mick was to find her, seeing his friend in such a state practically broke his heart.
"Not quite the usual place you hide yourself in," he said, making his presence known.
The moment Mick spoke up, Octavia instantly gasped in shock, unsurprisingly startled by the Cat Demon's sudden appearance as she snapped her head over to face him.
"H-how did you find me?" she asked.
"Baby hates it when her favourite Demon cries," Mick replied, holding a sad-looking Snowflake up for emphasis.
Quickly figuring out that it was the little fox in Mick's arms that gave away her hiding place, Octavia let out a small sigh. While normally she would have been glad to have Mick's company, sadly this was one of those times where she didn't want to see anyone… especially not in the state she was currently in. Alas, the Cat Demon didn't seem to take the hint.
"May I?" he asked, gesturing towards the cushioned stool in front of the piano.
"No one's stopping you," the Goetia Princess replied, turning her head away in a sad attempt to avoid looking Mick in the eye.
Taking that as a yes, Mick placed Snowflake down on the nearby sofa and took a seat on the stool, resting his elbows on his knees as he leaned in and tried to think of something to say.
"Octi…" he began, only to be cut off by Octavia snapping at him.
"I'm fine, okay!?" she said, not feeling in the mood to hear any empty words of encouragement at the moment.
However, Mick wasn't going to just remain silent if there was any way he could help.
"No, you're not," he retorted firmly. "You're hurting… in more ways than one."
Alas, that statement only seemed to make matters worse.
"Just leave me alone, Mick!" Octavia snapped, burying her face in her knees as more tears began to run down her face.
Sure enough, Octavia was a stubborn one. While she may have been a little more open with the Cat Demon during their rendezvous in the library, this was certainly a subject she didn't want to talk about to ANYONE. However, as easy as it would have been, Mick could not in good conscience leave his friend in such a state. After all, he had seen what bottled up feelings do to people, and it NEVER ends well. But what to do? Talking clearly isn't going to work, so Mick was in desperate need of a different approach.
BING!
It may have been unintentional, but while he was in his train of thought, Cat Demon suddenly leaned his elbow on one of the keys of the piano without even realising. At that moment, an idea suddenly formed in his head. It may have been unconventional and he was somewhat hesitant to do it, but as far as the situation was concerned, desperate times call for desperate measures. With a heavy sigh, Mick then shifted himself in front of the keys, blew off the dust, and proceeded to play the instrument in front of him.
With each key struck by the Cat Demon's nimble fingers, a smooth resonating note echoed throughout the entire room, each of them forming a wondrous symphony as he played his chosen song. Needless to say, Octavia was both shocked and in awe upon hearing such a beautiful melody… and even more so when Mick started to sing along with it.
Mick:
Sometimes in our lives,
We all have pain, we all have sorrow,
But if we are wise,
We know that there's always tomorrow,
Lean on me,
When you're not strong,
And I'll be your friend,
I'll help you carry on...
For it won't be long,
Till I'm gonna need somebody to lean on.
As Mick continued to sing, Octavia felt like she was about to cry again, only this time because she was in awe of such music. Despite all the balls and concerts she's been to, not once did she ever hear someone play the piano so flawlessly. It was… incredible.
Mick:
Please swallow your pride,
If I have things you need to borrow.
For no one can fill,
Those of your needs that you won't let show,
You just call on me brother when you need a hand,
We all need somebody to lean on,
I just might have a problem that you'll understand,
We all need somebody to lean on,
Lean on me
When you're not strong,
And I'll be your friend,
I'll help you carry on...
For it won't be long,
Till I'm gonna need somebody to lean on.
By the time Mick had finished playing, Octavia was so dumbstruck that she didn't even have the words to describe how she felt. She didn't know why the Cat Demon suddenly started playing all of a sudden, but she sure wasn't going to complain about it. If anything she had to give her praise for such talent.
"I didn't know you played the piano," she commented, finally getting back to her feet.
"Well… not for a long time," Mick replied honestly yet bashfully. "But I'm more than happy to take it up any time if it helps."
Mick may have had his doubts about such a method, but nevertheless, the plan seems to have worked. Now hopefully Octavia will open up a bit. Eventually, much to the Cat Demon's relief, Octavia let out a sigh of defeat and started talking.
"I'm sorry for snapping at you, Mick," she said, believing it best to start with a proper apology. "It was completely uncalled for."
"Well… given the circumstances, I can't say I was surprised by it," Mick replied honestly, much to Octavia's subtle embarrassment. "Do… you want to talk about it?"
Given the hesitation in the Cat Demon's voice, it didn't take a genius to know what Mick was referring to. After all, the entire house was still echoing with the shouting of the two individuals in question. Still, that didn't mean that Octavia was happy to speak of it.
"What's there to say?" she retorted. "That my parents hate each other? I think that much is obvious!"
Given the way Octavia snapped at him again, Mick feared that she was about to close herself off once more, only this time a song wasn't going to get her to open up again. Fortunately, the Goetia Princess merely let out another sigh and continued to speak.
"It wasn't always like this," she said, her face filled with a mix of sorrow and nostalgia. "When I was a kid, my parents were at least somewhat decent to each other… then again that could have been just me seeing things with my child-like naivete. After a while, I started noticing it all the time. The glaring, the snarky snapping at each other… Eventually, they both just gave up on subtlety and chose to devolve into having full-blown arguments on a daily basis."
"Oh jeez…" Mick uttered, completely at a loss for words.
"At first I tried to get between the fights to make them stop," Octavia continued, her fists clenching the shoulders of her shawl in frustration. "But no matter how many times I've tried, they always seem to find new reasons to start up again. At some point, I just learned to give up and get used to it."
The more he listened to Octavia's story, the more upset Mick grew. Not only did he feel great sympathy for the poor girl, but he also felt a surge of great anger towards Stolas and Stella for putting her through such an ordeal in the first place. Granted, having parents that argued wasn't anything unique, but seeing the hurt on Octavia's face… it just broke the Cat Demon's bloody heart.
"Octi, NO ONE should have to get used to something like that," he stated firmly, making sure his opinion was known.
"Well it's too late to change anything now," Octavia retorted, appreciating the gesture but seeing no sense in denying the truth. "I mean it was bad before, but now the arguments have gotten worse since dad started fucking an Imp."
Mick couldn't help but grimace at that.
"Yeah, I have noticed one sneaking out of the house now and then," he said, remembering the unfamiliar Imp slithering out of Stolas and Stella's bedroom on a more recent occasion than last time.
In all honesty, as much as he hated Octavia's parents at that moment for hurting her like this, Mick wasn't all that surprised either. Hell, if anyone else were married to a bitch like Stella, they'd probably start having affairs too… not that Mick would ever say that out loud in front of her daughter, of course.
Still, he WAS surprised that he'd be having an affair with an Imp of all Demons. Granted, he had noticed the Owl Prince acting a bit more open-minded towards the staff than his wife ever did, but still, the fact that he would actually sleep with one speaks volumes. Then again, now that he thought on the matter a little more, he did remember the pet name Stolas wrote on the package he had Mick take to Imp City… huh, how about that.
"I know I shouldn't be surprised, given the circumstances but it's just… just…" Octavia uttered, eventually finding her own words getting trapped in her throat.
Letting out a small sigh, Mick patted the space next to him on the stool, ushering the Princess to sit down next to him.
"It's okay, Octi," he said gently. "Take your time."
Before long, Octavia began telling the Cat Demon all about what happened on the day he was sent to Imp City, AKA the same day she and her father went to Loo Loo land. As she continued to speak, Mick couldn't help but wonder why she hadn't mentioned any of this sooner. Granted, she probably didn't get the chance considering that she was literally put to studying the very next day, but he would have thought she'd have least told him about this over the video chats they shared in the meantime. Soon enough the Goetia Princess reached the part of the story where she stormed off and had her father chasing her through the theme park, after which they had their private talk."
"…I know he said that he'd never leave me behind, but every time those two fight I'm terrified that one day, things will go too far and… and…"
Unable to even finish her sentence, Octavia once again began to break down in tears. However, Mick didn't need to hear the last part to know what she meant. After all, any kid whose parents put them in such a situation would react the same way.
"I'm so sorry, Octi," he said, letting out a heavy sigh as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Thanks, Mick," Octavia replied, placing her own hand on his. "It's nice to know SOMEONE in this house cares. Sometimes I think that those two don't even notice how all this affects how I feel."
"Surely, they must do a little?" Mick replied, trying to find SOME kind of silver lining.
"Do they?" Octavia retorted. "I mean… I get hurt by some bill-faced dickhead and the first thing they do is fight? How fucked up is that!?"
She was right, of course. In any other case, such a thing WOULD be fucked up. Still, Mick had to find some kind of comfort he could give the poor girl, otherwise, he would never forgive himself for his lack of trying.
"Well… if it's any consolation, I don't think your dad would have reacted so aggressively if he didn't care about you," he said, earning himself another sigh from the Goetia Princess.
"Don't talk about things you don't understand, Mick," she said, brushing Mick's hand off her shoulder.
Mick, however, wasn't giving up that easily
"You're right," he retorted, his voice soft yet firm. I wouldn't understand. My dad ran off with the slut he was having an affair with when I was two. Never saw the prick again."
Needless to say, that particular piece of info caught Octavia completely off guard.
"R-really?" she uttered, her mind totally baffled by the Cat Demon revealing something so personal.
"Mhm," Mick replied with a nod of his head, brushing the revelation off like it was nothing. "Look, I'm not going to pretend to know exactly what you're going through, hell, I think it would be insulting if I did, but I know a caring parent when I see one. And YOUR dad is definitely a caring parent… Hell, he's a better dad than mine ever was."
Octavia didn't know what Mick was trying to do by sharing his own sad parentage with her, but it was working. Little by little, she could feel her walls breaking down as she listened to what the Cat Demon had to say, which was surprising, to say the least. In most cases, Demons she knew are either spoiled by their parents, hate their parents, or even willing to KILL their parents, but Mick… he seems to be the only one she could actually relate to on this matter. However, she still remained unsure of his claim.
"But what if he DOES leave me, Mick?" she asked, the dread evident with every syllable to leave her beak.
"Honestly?" Mick replied, trying desperately to find the right words to say. "Well, personally I don't see that happening, but if it does, then… then I'LL help you through it."
Once again, Octavia was caught completely off guard.
"Wha… what?" she choked, wondering if she had heard the Cat Demon correctly.
It was a bold claim, sure enough, but nonetheless, Mick felt that it was the right thing to say. As he looked into Octavia's eyes, the Owl Demon looking right back at him with a small sense of awe, the Cat Demon quickly grew more confident with each and every word that followed.
"Anything you need. You want to talk, go somewhere, or even just have a shoulder to cry on, I'll be there for you," he continued, his gaze and boldness captivating the young Goetia like a moth to a flame. "I'm not going anywhere, Octi. As long as I can help it… you're stuck with me."
She didn't know why, but as soon as Mick said those wonderful words, Octavia felt her heart stop, her breath hold still and her mind overwhelmed with joy… so much so that she felt no hesitation whatsoever as she suddenly wrapped her arms around the Cat Demon, tackling him into a tight embrace, one in which she allowed any tears she had been holding back to flow freely.
As he felt the Owl Demon's arms squeeze around him, Mick couldn't help but smile underneath his mask as he returned the hug in kind. However, despite this being such a pleasant moment, Mick felt… odd. Though he couldn't understand why, he could have sworn he felt his heart skip a beat. After a good few minutes of hugging, Octavia eventually let go of the Cat Demon, her face flushed with a small bit of embarrassment.
"S-sorry about that, Mick," she said, wiping her eyes with her sleeve and cringing at how much she unintentionally soaked the Cat Demon's shoulder with her tears. "But… thanks for trying to cheer me up."
"One is glad to be of service, Octi," Mick replied, giving a playful bow and earning herself a small laugh from the Goetia Princess.
After that, the room fell into an almost uncomfortable moment of silence, neither Demon having an idea of what they should say next. Should one of them leave? Do they both stay? This was kinda new waters for them. Eventually, Mick cleared his throat and rose to his feet.
"So… a music room huh?" he asked awkwardly, having absolutely NO idea whether or not this was a good way to change the subject.
"Uh… yeah, we… don't really use it all that much these days," Octavia replied, feeling just as awkward as Mick was. "Perfect place to go if you wanna hide away, you know?"
Sensing that this conversation was about to make a U-turn back to a sad subject, Mick tried desperately to find a way to bring back something more cheerful. Suddenly, something quite interesting caught his eye.
"Hello, what do we have here?" he said, walking over towards the nearby shelf.
Watching the Cat Demon with every step he took, Octavia couldn't help but feel curious about what piqued his interest. To her surprise, it was one of the framed photos the family kept on the shelf along with the books.
"Holy crap!" the Cat Demon exclaimed, snatching up the photo and pulling it close to his mask. "This is you as a kid?!"
Not liking the way Mick said that, Octavia feared what picture of her could possibly get such a reaction out of him. After all, given the number of photos and paintings there were in the house, it's not like it's like any he hasn't seen before… right?
"What of it?" she asked nervously, earning herself a stifled snicker in response.
"You're freaking adorable, that's what!" Mick exclaimed, turning the photo around and showing the Goetia Princess.
To Octavia's horror, the photo Mick was holding displayed one of the few pictures in the house that she was glad to have been hidden away as it was one of the only photos that actually showed her during a time when she was younger than five… back when she was still covered in fluff.
"I am not!" Octavia denied, her face instantly turning red with embarrassment.
"You most certainly are!" Mick retorted, practically waving the photo in the Goetia Princess's face. "Seriously, you look like a little cuddly marshmallow!"
Despite how much she hated that description, Octavia couldn't deny that it was pretty accurate. In the photo, while her eyes and beak were the same as they are now, the toddler in the photo was covered from head to toe with white fluff, wearing only a diaper and a silly smile on her face. Of course, no matter how cute anyone else thought she looked back then, having anyone else see such a photo would be any goth girl's worst nightmare.
"I was only 2! I hadn't grown normal feathers yet!" Octavia exclaimed, her face now as red as a beetroot. "All I had was down feathers!"
"So, since you lacked regular feathers, you cleverly disguised yourself as a Muppet?" Mick playfully joked, somewhat enjoying this flustered side of the young Goetia.
"Shut up!" she snapped, her face now contorted into a small pout.
However, Mick was having a little too much fun to stop now.
"Oh, come on, how can you deny such a fluffy-wuffy face?" he teased, turning Octavia's pout into a scowl.
"Mick, I swear I'm gonna kill you!" Octavia threatened, her face practically glowing at this point.
And then, Mick hit the final nail in his coffin.
"Do you think I can keep a copy of this?"
"Oh, that's it!" Octavia exclaimed, instantly going in for a tackle. "Give me that picture!
What followed after that was a playful game of keep-away between the two Demons, with Octavia struggling in vain to try and grab the photo, and Mick holding it just out of her reach. As flushed as Octavia was, however, she still couldn't stop herself from laughing alongside the Cat Demon even as he playfully kept her at bay. Even Snowflake looked like she was laughing in delight as she watched the pair of them from the sofa.
Soon enough the struggle began to escalate and the game of keep away began to grow more intense as Octavia almost managed to snatch the photo back. Since Mick was slightly shorter than she was, the best thing he could do was wrap the end of his tail around the photo and hang it up in the air… however even that wasn't enough to stop the flustered Goetia.
"Come here!" she cried out, making a small jump.
Before he knew it, the Owl Demon was climbing up onto Mick's back trying to reach for the photo. Causing the pair of them to sway a bit due to the increased lack of balance.
"Oof!"
Eventually, the pair of them collapsed onto the sofa, narrowly missing Snowflake on the way down. With the photo dropped to the floor as the pair of them tried to recollect themselves, after a few brief moments of silence, the two Demons just couldn't help themselves.
"Bffffffhahahahahahahaha!"
It was silly, true, even a bit childish, but by sweet merciful Lucifer, Octavia needed that! It was hard to believe that just a few minutes ago, she was crying her eyes out, and yet… here she was, laughing with her friend… her best friend.
After taking another moment to calm herself down, Octavia looked back at the Cat Demon with a nervous expression on her face. This Demon… this Sinner, has done everything he could for her benefit ever since they've met. He saved her life, helped her whenever she was struggling, and even talked to her like a real person, in all honesty, she couldn't have asked for a better friend. And yet… there was still something nagging in the back of Octavia's mind about him.
If she was being honest with herself, there was something Octavia had been wanting to ask him for the longest time. Something that she had wanted to let out but didn't have the certainty to do so. But now… now she couldn't hold it off any longer.
"Hey Mick?" she said, quickly regaining the Cat Demon's attention. "Do you mind if I ask you something… personal?"
"Shoot," Mick replied, seeing no problem with it.
This is it. No turning back now.
"Why are you in Hell?"
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
The Featured Song: Lean on Me - Sung by Bill Withers
A Special shoutout to Rexander134 for his contribution during the last two chapters. Thank you.