By the time the storm finally ended, the entire Pride Ring looked worse than ever before. As bad as it was after the annual Extermination, at least the Exorcists didn't leave tons of charred buildings and vehicles in their wake. Even if it was all mostly burnt out by this point, flickers of the Angelic fire still clung to life on the smouldering remains of wooden beams and the corpses of the few unlucky Demons who couldn't find shelter in time.
It was during the early hours of that morning that Lars and Harvey finally removed the barricades and opened up the front door of the shop. Upon seeing the devastation outside, every Demon grimaced.
"Oof, looks like everything took a beating with a burning hammer," Lars commented. "Seems like everything's finally died down though."
"Thank Satan for that," Harvey added, letting out a sigh of relief.
When Mick, who held Snowflake in his arms, walked out with Octavia and Linda following close behind, all three teenage Demons were filled with both a sense of dread and awe. To think that they had narrowly avoided getting caught up in such a travesty. If it hadn't been for Lars and Harvey giving them a roof for the night, they might have been an addition to the numerous burning bodies… granted it wasn't actually their roof to give but it was a decent gesture nonetheless.
"You sure we can't convince you kids to accept our offer for a lift?" Harvey asked, turning his attention to Mick and the others.
"We appreciate it, but no," Octavia replied with a polite shake of her head. "My house isn't that far off. Plus I got to get the bike back anyway."
Understanding completely, Harvey nodded his head.
"In that case, we'd best be off," he said, hefting a large sack of stolen goods over his shoulder. "Still got to get all this gear to our buyer."
Though still not entirely comfortable with the fact that they were spending the night with a pair of thieves, both Mick and Octavia thought it best to drop the subject and leave it alone. After all, they were kind enough to shelter them and lift their spirits last night, so letting them get away with the crime was a small price to pay… at least in their eyes. After all, it IS Hell, that sort of thing was pretty much a common occurrence. It was then that Linda decided to step forward and say her piece
"Hey, um… th-thanks again for cheering us up last night," she said nervously. "We really do appreciate it."
At those kind words, everyone had a reason to smile, Lars and Harvey for appreciation, while Mick and Octavia smiled with pride at the Imp's newfound confidence in speaking to other Demons.
When they finally arrived back at the Goetia estate, all three teenage Demons were hit with a wave of shock and awe. Granted, there was some damage to the grounds, but thanks to the preparations made beforehand it was mostly kept to a minimum. Aside from a few scorch marks on the ground and some uprooted trees littering the ground, everything looked mostly intact. Give credit where it's due, the Chef knew what he was doing.
"Well… here we go," Octavia sighed, bracing herself for what was about to burst through the front door.
"OCTAVIA!"
And THERE he comes! No more than two minutes after the three of them had stepped onto the grounds and Prince Stolas was already bursting out of the house, running down the front steps and rushing over to his daughter.
"There you are!" he cried out, scooping up Octavia into a tight embrace. "Thank Lucifer! I was all in a spin!"
"Dad…" Octavia gasped, her face quickly turning blue. "Can't… breathe!"
"Oh! So sorry, my Owlette!" Stolas squeaked, realizing his mistake as he put her down.
When Octavia finally managed to find her breath again, she couldn't help but give her father a reassuring smile. As many issues as she had with her parents, it was still nice to see at least one of them worrying about her… at least it shows that he cares.
"It's fine, dad," she said. "I told you I was okay, didn't I?"
"But what happened!?" Stolas retorted, his face still contorted with worry. "I mean, one minute, you're safe at home and then the next, I get a phone call from you saying you're trapped in some shop in the city!"
Both Mick and Octavia grimaced at that, meanwhile, Linda hung her head in shame at the Prince's words. During the entire night and the trip back, all three of them knew that the Goetias would want an explanation, but finding the right words to say was nothing short of a nightmare.
"Well, you see…" Octavia began. "When Mick and Linda-"
"AHA!"
Recognising that loud, shrill voice anywhere, everyone snapped their heads back over to the front door of the house where Stella furiously glared back at them. What's worse, she seemed to be staring daggers directly at Linda and Mick in particular, so much so that Mick thought that she was going to get the crossbow out again. Even Snowflake was scared enough to jump out of Mick's arms and hide behind his legs as soon as she saw the burning glow in the Goetia's eyes. Feeling Linda shiver in terror upon seeing the towering Avian stomping over, all Mick could do then was put a reassuring hand on her shoulder as they both stood their ground.
"So THEY'RE the ones who led you into that storm, were they!?" the Goetia roared, snarling like a wild animal. "I should have known!"
"Now, Stella…" Stolas tried to speak up, hoping to diffuse the situation before his wife made it worse.
"I knew we couldn't trust these two, Stolas!" blatantly ignoring her husband's attempts to calm her down. "But did you listen to me? OF COURSE NOT!"
During this whole exchange, neither Mick nor Linda dared to say a word, the pair of them fearing that they would only invoke Stella's wrath even further if they did. Octavia, on the other hand, was a little braver in that moment.
"Mum?" she tried to say, only to be blocked out by Stella's ranting.
"Bad enough that Ipos sends us his garbage, but now she and that street urchin had dragged our daughter into yet another dangerous situation!" she continued, much to everyone else's displeasure. "What's next? The pair of them taking her out on the town to join a brothel!?"
"Mum!" Octavia snapped, feeling both embarrassed and angry at how her mother was casually insulting Mick and Linda without any reservation. Alas, her words once again fell on deaf ears.
"Well, I'm not having it!" Stella screeched, quickly getting right into Mick and Linda's faces. "You little ingrates can both pack your bags and get out of my house! You miserable little-"
"THAT'S ENOUGH, MUM!"
At that moment, both Stella and Stolas received a large shock due to their daughter stepping in between them and the two smaller Demons and screaming in her mother's face. However, neither one of them was more surprised than Linda was upon seeing this.
"It wasn't their fault, alright!?" Octavia continued. "I'M the one who ran out!"
After that, everyone fell into complete silence. As they all stood there, completely astounded by the Owl Demon's declaration, the tension in the air suddenly became too much to even fathom. Eventually, Stella brought everyone back to their senses by uttering a single word.
"Explain,"
That word sounded more terrifying than anything Stella had ever said before now, mainly because of how much venom seemed to ooze out of every syllable. Unable to say anything themselves due to the shock and uncertainty, all Mick and Linda could do was stand there and watch as the Goetia Princess began her explanation.
"Okay, Snowflake got scared and ran out into the storm and I went after her," she stated, much to everyone's further shock. "When Mick and Linda saw me leaving, they came to fetch me back. But they arrived too late and we all had to get undercover before the hail came. If it weren't for Mick and Linda here, I wouldn't be standing here."
Linda couldn't tell which was more surprising, the fact that Octavia was lying to her parents or the fact that she was able to do it so convincingly. Why… Why was Octavia lying to her parents' faces like this!? Was she… really protecting her? Whatever the case may be, the explanation did give Stolas cause to scratch his chin in thought before turning to face Mick in particular.
"Michael," he said. "Is that what happened?"
At first, Mick didn't know what to say in response. Can he really tell such a lie to Stolas so easily? After all, one of the reasons he hired him was because he believed the Cat Demon to be completely honest. What's more, he especially didn't like how Snowflake was basically being thrown under the bus with this lie. What was Octavia thinking!? However, just as he was mulling this over in his head, Mick felt a small nudge up against his leg.
Looking down at the little fox by his right leg, he saw Snowflake giving him a pleading gaze while letting out a small whimper and scratching one of her little paws against his pants. Was she trying to tell him something? She did look scared, but Snowflake was one of the bravest little creatures Mick had ever known. Was she… agreeing to what Octavia was telling her parents? She was putting on an act? Yes, that had to be it! With that in mind, the most obvious answer Mick could give escaped his mouth.
"If Princess Octavia says so, then I have no reason to say otherwise," he said.
Her parents may not have seen it at the time, but the moment she saw that Mick was willing to play along, Octavia couldn't help but let out a small sigh of relief. Whether or not her parents actually believed the story, however, was yet to be seen. After a few moments of unnerving silence, Stolas eventually let out a small sigh of his own.
"Very well," he relented. "In that case, the matter is settled."
"But-" Stella tried to protest, only for Stolas to cut her off.
"I said it's settled!"
As much as Stella wished she could continue arguing, it seemed now that she truly had no further footing to do so. Reluctantly sighing in defeat, she then turned back to her daughter with her signature glare.
"Fine, but we're talking about this later, young lady," she stated firmly.
"I understand, mum," Octavia replied, expecting as much.
Seeing that the matter appeared to be over and done with, Stolas put on a small smile to lighten the mood.
"Well then, shall we head back inside?" he declared, gesturing towards the door. "I hear a nice pot of tea calling my name."
At those words, all Stella did was give an annoyed groan as she shoved her way past her husband and made her way back towards the door while muttering to herself.
"I swear I have half the mind to throw that flea-bitten little shit out into the streets for all the trouble it caused."
No one knew whether Stella was talking about Snowflake or Mick, but the pair of them immediately looked insulted as soon as their ears caught the words "flea-bitten". After that, everyone else made their way back towards the house, albeit in different directions. While Octavia and Stolas headed towards the main entrance, Mick and Linda diverted over to the direction of the servant's entrance, undoubtedly to receive a scolding for ditching their posts from the head Imp. Before they could make it a few feet, however, Octavia suddenly called out to them.
"Hey, Linda," she said, much to said Imp's confusion. "Could you join me for a moment?"
This was without a doubt… the most AWKWARD moment of Linda's life! Before she could even comprehend what was happening, she was in Octavia's bathroom, standing next to a shimmering tub filled with warm, sweet-smelling water, staring fearfully at the Goetia Princess herself as she took hold of the back of her shirt.
"NO WAY!" she squealed, trying desperately to pull away from Octavia's grip to no avail. "I can do it myself! I know how to take a bath!"
As it turned out, Octavia had wanted to show Linda some further courtesy by allowing her to use some of her family's facilities before she was forced back into work. Much like Mick had done when he first arrived in this house, Linda was given access to one of the many bathrooms the Goetia family had so that she could have a nice, relaxing soak in the tub… only this time Octavia was determined to make sure there were no crossbow hunts involving her mother.
"But do you know how to use THIS kind of tub?" she stated, retorting to Linda's protest. "Besides, you're filthy. So let me help clean you up."
Of course, the only way she could make sure her parents didn't barge in was to tell them that SHE would be in the tub for a while, thus forcing the pair of them to share the room for a bit. But be that as it may, given how much suffering the poor Imp had to go through, Octavia was determined to put things right, and the best way she thought would be a good start was to pamper her as if she were a fellow Goetia… unfortunately Linda wasn't making it easy for her.
"Now come on, stop squirming like a skittish kitten, will you!?" she snapped, trying desperately to get the small Imp to cooperate as she tried to fight her way out of Octavia's grip.
SPLASH!
Eventually, after an unnecessary struggle, Linda was finally stripped down and placed into the tub, where she now sat, submerged in the scented water while hiding her flushed face behind her hands.
"Feeling better, now?" Octavia asked, crossing her arms with a triumphant smirk.
"You saw everything," Linda muttered, her voice muffled by her own hands.
"Oh come on, we're both girls here," Octavia retorted, rolling her eyes as she turned to face the nearby bathroom mirror. "You haven't got anything I haven't seen before."
"It's still embarrassing!" Linda retorted, sinking herself further into the water until only the top half of her head remained above the surface.
At those words, Octavia couldn't help but let out a small laugh.
"You know, you're actually pretty cute when you squeal like that," she commented. "It's almost as if you WERE a kitten."
However, that comment only made Linda groan in embarrassment even more. Octavia didn't mean anything by the comment, of course, but in her defence, it seemed the best way to lighten the mood a bit. Still, looking back on what had just happened, what she said did seem pretty accurate. Was this what Mick had to go through when he couldn't get her out of the box? If so, then she needed to make sure she treated him to something too.
Seeing her reflection in the mirror, Octavia couldn't help but grimace at how filthy she was herself. It may not have been as bad when she and Mick re-emerged from the river of blood but there was still plenty of grime and dampness to warrant a good cleanup. Before long, she too began to strip down and much to Linda's shock, slide into the bath.
"Sorry," she said, slowly sinking into the water. "Hope you don't mind me joining you."
"I-it's your tub," Linda pointed out nervously, trying to avert her eyes from the exposed Goetia sitting across from her.
Seeing the look on the little Imp's face as she tried facing every other direction except hers, Octavia couldn't help but smirk.
"Hey… are you blushing?" she said playfully.
"N-no!" Linda exclaimed, once again sinking her face into the water.
Octavia couldn't really blame Linda, of course. After all, despite the bathtub being big enough to fit at least five Demons, sharing one with someone regardless of status had to have been pretty awkward. But even so, despite what they did for a living, Lars and Harvey did have a point when they said that status was only blocking their way to a decent companionship. As such, the best way of disregarding any social borders that Octavia could think of was to put both herself and Linda in a neutral setting such as this.
So far, the Imp didn't seem to be interested in taking part in any kind of bathroom conversation. However, when Octavia was finally able to see the expression on Linda's face through her fingers, she could tell that something was on her mind, something that didn't have anything to do with the situation she found herself in now.
"If there's something you'd like to say, then don't hold it back, Linda," Octavia finally stated gently yet firmly, once again catching Linda off guard for what seemed like the tenth time in the last day. "You can speak freely in here."
Understandably nervous, Linda couldn't make her words come out at first. However, seeing the gentle smile on Octavia's face, and remembering the kind words they shared during the previous night, she eventually found her courage and spoke.
"You… you stood up for me," she pointed out, once again averting her gaze. "Why would you do such a thing? You must have known you'd get in trouble."
Octavia gave an understanding nod at that. Obviously, THAT was the first question the Imp would ask. In all honesty, the Goetia Princess had expected as much.
"Maybe," she admitted. "But after everything, I'd rather get in trouble myself than see you suffer any more than you had to. As Mick said, my mum can ground me but I'd dread to think what she'd do to you or him. And I just couldn't forgive myself if I let that happen."
Once more, Linda was completely floored. Yet again, a Goetia was showing her more kindness than she would ever hope to expect. In truth, the realization that such a Demon exists was enough to make her cry again.
"Th-thank you," she said, giving Octavia the first tearful smile of gratitude she would ever give to a Goetia. "Thank you so much, M'lady!"
Now it was Octavia's turn to feel embarrassed. Since she wasn't fond of titles, it felt a little weird to be addressed in such a way by someone she was trying to be on equal terms with. Still, calling her that seemed to make Linda happy, so Octavia allowed it. If anything, it actually felt nice to be addressed like that without the Demon speaking sounding false or with a hint of fear. Now that everything was a little more relaxed, the two Demons were finally able to open up a little more with each other.
As they both continued to relax in the tub, the pair of them indulged themselves in conversation that they never would have with anyone else. Granted, Octavia felt like she could speak just as openly with Mick, but in this particular circumstance, the subject was mostly casual girl talk, something which she never had much of a chance to take part in due to the snobby bitches her mother forced her to hang around with growing up. Of course, the one who got the most out of the exchange was Linda. Just yesterday, she saw Octavia as something to be feared, and now here she was, helping the Goetia wash her feathery hair while talking to her as if they had always been lifelong friends. If she was being honest with herself, she wished that this moment didn't have to end.
"You know it's still a little hard to believe you're only a year younger than I am," Octavia casually pointed out. "No offence."
"None taken," Linda replied, reassuringly. "To be honest, after everything I've had to deal with, feeling self-conscious about my size never seemed to come across my mind."
Octavia's face immediately fell at that.
"No… I suppose not," she admitted with a sigh.
It was only then that reality began to sink in. As nice as this moment was between the two Demons, it wasn't going to fix anything in the long term. As soon as this bath was done, Linda was going to have to go back into the workforce and act as if nothing had happened, meaning that soon enough, she was going to end up miserable all over again. If Octavia was going to help her, then she needed to do something that will not only make her life easier with the Goetias of this house but will also last long enough for her to eventually cope on her own. The question is, what solution could accomplish such a thing?
"Hey, um… this bath, did you use Epsom salt and lavender?" Linda asked, taking a small whiff of the air around her and snapping Octavia out of her train of thought.
"Oh… uh, yes, exactly," the Goetia Princess answered with a raised eyebrow. "You know about this stuff?"
Linda gave a bashful nod at that.
"I've had to draw baths for Ipos and his family all the time," she explained. "They all liked different kinds of oils and stuff in them so I had to memorize a lot of mixtures."
"Really?" Octavia asked curiously. "Did you… memorize anything else?"
"Well… a few things," Linda replied awkwardly. "I may not be a good cleaner but I always knew how Ipos liked his clothes arranged, what brand of cigarettes he preferred, stuff like that."
As unnerved as the explanation made the poor Imp, Linda's words gave Octavia reason to deviously grin. For it was at that moment, the Owl Demon was struck with an idea… a brilliant idea that will not only help Linda but Mick as well.
After two weeks of cleanup, the Goetia household had finally returned to its former glory. After the events of Hurricane Pruflas, everyone was understandably on edge for a while, but after a few days, everything seemed to return to normal around the house, only this time with the new employee thrown into the mix. It was still a little rough for Linda at first, but since Mick's suspension immediately ended thanks to Octavia's detailing of his heroics during the storm, the Cat Demon was able to help the Imp a lot more directly. Soon enough, thanks to her mentor's help and guidance, Linda began making fewer mistakes and eventually she became a somewhat decent member of the workforce, therefore giving Stella little reason to belittle her… though it was due to lack of trying on Stella's part.
Today was, of course, just like any other day in the Goetia household. After a morning filled with heavy-duty cleaning, both Mick and Linda were once again following their weekly schedule and helping Buzz out in the garden, only this time it was without any sort of incident involving the carnivorous plants. Meanwhile, their employer, who watched them through his study's window with intrigue, sat back in his velvet chair with a giddy grin on his face as he spoke to someone on the phone.
"Oh, I know it's a little early, Blitzy, but I assure you, it is of the utmost importance that I have the Grimoire back before this month's full moon," he said, his teasing voice oozing with primal desire. "But… if you'd like a bit more incentive, I could always-"
KNOCK! KNOCK!
All of a sudden, the door of Stolas's study creaked open and Octavia suddenly poked her head out from behind it.
"Hey dad, can I talk to you for a sec?" she asked, causing Stolas to snap his eyes open in panic.
"I'll call you back, darling!" he quickly said, slamming the phone down before turning to face his daughter with a loving smile. "Ah, Via, come in. How are you, my Owlette?"
Octavia couldn't help but roll her eyes at that. Judging from what she just heard, it was pretty clear who her father was just talking to. However, the Goetia Princess had more pressing matters to deal with at the moment so she chose to put her feelings about her father's affairs aside for now.
"As well as I can be, I suppose," she replied, suddenly taking note of the cardboard boxes of random junk that were resting on her father's desk. "What are you doing in here?"
The Goetia Prince could help but chuckle at that as he pulled one of the boxes closer to him and started shifting some of the contained items around.
"Oh, I was just going through some of our old things," he explained, gasping in surprise and delight when he pulled out a framed photo. "Oh, look! It's you at 13!"
As soon as Octavia saw the photo, it took every ounce of willpower she had to not scream in horror. Sure enough, the picture WAS the Goetia Princess at the time she was turning into a teenager… However, it was NOT a pleasant memory! She didn't realize it back then, but Octavia was definitely one of the weirder Demon kids who wore colourful clothes, a disastrous hairstyle she thought looked cool and insisted on doing herself, and broke into acne now and then. Needless to say, it was one of the only times she agreed with her mother's opinion since it was one chapter of her life that she would rather pretend didn't exist.
"I can't believe you hung onto memories of my awkward phase!" she exclaimed, her face flushed with embarrassment.
"Well, why wouldn't I?" Stolas retorted, gushing over his daughter as he began pulling random objects from the box. "I mean, look at this. Your old stuffed animals… your first children's book… ooh, here's that bottle of boy-repelling pheromone spray-"
"Whoa! Whoa!" Octavia spoke up, snatching the crystal spray bottle from her father's hand and taking a close look at the shimmering pink liquid inside. "The expensive perfume you got me for my 15th birthday was literal BOY REPELLENT!?"
Suddenly realizing his mistake in revealing such a secret, Stolas immediately froze up.
"Uh... no," he lied, awkwardly regretting letting something like that slip out. "A-anyway, you said you wanted to talk about something?"
Despite knowing that her dad was obviously trying to avoid the subject of him basically ruining her chances of getting a boyfriend during her earlier teenage years, Octavia chose to bite her tongue on that particular subject and get straight to the point of why she was here.
"Yes," she said, getting back on her initial subject. "It's about… Mick and Linda."
As soon as Stolas heard those two names, his awkward embarrassment was immediately replaced with a look of intrigue.
"What about them?" he asked inquisitively.
"Well…" Octavia started, trying to remember the right words to use. "It's just that they've been working hard for us for a while now, but they haven't been assigned to a proper position yet."
"Yes, I have been meaning to sort that out," Stolas admitted with a self-disappointed sigh. "The problem is that Mick is so good in every department, it's proven difficult. And Linda is still too new to the workforce for any decision to be made."
At that particular sentence, Octavia let out a small sigh and chose her next words carefully.
"This is why I've come to a solution myself," she said, piquing Stolas's interest.
"Which is?" he asked
This was it. No turning back now. Time for Octavia to put her plan into action.
"Dad…" she said. "I want to make Mick and Linda… my personal attendants."
…
"Huh?"
The moment those words left Octavia's beak, Stolas suddenly found himself in a state of shock. Of all the ideas his daughter could have shot his way, he never thought that particular one would ever be one of them.
"That's… that's quite the surprise, Via," the Goetia Prince eventually let out once his mind finally recollected itself, "May I ask why though?"
Obviously, Octavia had expected such a question from her father. Luckily, she prepared herself an answer for it before she even came into the room.
"Well, the pair of them need official jobs, right?" she asked, earning herself a nod from Stolas. "Plus, this way it'll give mum the impression that I'm actually living up to my status as a royal. Two birds, one stone and all that."
However, while Stolas understood his daughter's reasoning, he still wasn't entirely convinced.
"Okay, but why those two in particular?" he asked.
Seeing that her father was going to be a little more stubborn than she initially realized, Octavia knew she needed to start pushing her idea until he eventually caved. So she tried her best to make Mick and Linda sound as perfect for the job.
"Well, Linda may be a little wet behind the ears, but she's got a good heart and she's actually quite the decent caregiver," she explained, choosing to give praise for the new Imp first. "If she becomes my attendant, I have no doubt she'd be amazing at it."
"I see…" Stolas replied, scratching his chin in thought as he processed the merits his daughter was trying to sell him.
"And Mick can be like my personal bodyguard," Octavia continued, once again piquing her father's interest as she got into her speech. "I mean, you've seen how he reacted when Seth struck me. I know for a fact that he'd never let anyone hurt me ever again."
Seeing the look on his daughter's face as she spoke, Stolas found himself seeing a particular look in her eyes. The more she talked about Mick, the more passionate and assertive her tone was. It was almost as if HE was the reason she seemed so desperate to keep the two Demons close.
"You've grown quite fond of that Cat, huh?" Stolas eventually asked, unable to hold back a small smirk.
"There's no one I can trust more," Octavia answered honestly and bluntly… only to blush when she realized just how quickly such an answer came out. "B-but it's not all about him! I want Linda too, obviously! I mean you don't want Mick helping me with bathroom duties do you!?"
The instant that last part left Octavia's mouth, all she wanted to do was dig herself a very deep hole and crawl into it. Her face immediately turning beet red from embarrassment, she had to resist the urge to start slamming her head into her father's desk right there and then. How could she just blurt out something like that!? And in front of her father no less! If anything, she probably just gave Stolas more reason to MURDER Mick than hire him as an attendant to his daughter. After all, just picturing Mick helping her bathe was… well, it was… huh…
No! Bad Octi! No thoughts like that! No matter how tantalizing it seemed, Octavia can't think about such a fantasy right now! What's more, the Goetia Princess thought it best not give her father's eye any more reason to furiously twitch like a madman. If there was one thing she didn't want right now, it was her father going all overprotective and threatening to cut Mick's balls off… again.
"Well… ahem! Anyway, that's my proposal," she spoke up, hopefully bringing the conversation back to the initial point. "All things considered, I think it would be the best option for everyone… what do you think?"
At those words, Stolas let out a heavy sigh. As much as he didn't like ANYONE being so close to his little girl, especially those of the opposite sex, it was pretty clear that Octavia had her heart set on her request. Still, this wasn't something he can just allow at the drop of a hat. As good of a point his daughter made while providing examples of the Imp and the Sinner's accomplishments since being here, if he just turned around and said yes without thinking, there was sure to be trouble.
"Well… I'll give it some thought but I'm going to be busy with the upcoming Harvest Moon Festival for the next few days," the Goetia Prince eventually answered. "Do you think you can wait for my answer until after I return from the Wrath Ring?"
It wasn't much of an answer, but at the very least, the tall Owl Demon can buy himself a little more time to give his daughter a proper one. Thankfully, Octavia seemed okay with her father's choice of words.
"Yeah," she replied, grateful that he at least let her know he WAS going to think about her request. "Thanks, dad."
After that, Octavia turned around and left Stolas alone in his study, allowing him to let out another heavy sigh as he sat back in his chair. Within a span of 5 minutes, his daughter had given him his biggest moment of stress since his honeymoon… and THAT was a high bar. Here's hoping a certain Imp he knew could help him relieve some of that stress tonight.
Meanwhile, out in the garden, the two employees that sparked the conversation between Stolas and his daughter were in the middle of a conversation of their own with the resident gardener. However, this one was slightly more heated.
"Oh come on!" Buzz exclaimed, practically begging as he got on his knees in front of Linda. "Give me one good reason why you won't go out with me!"
The moment those words left Buzz's mouth, both Mick and Linda let out an irritated groan. All they wanted to do today was get in with their work and go about their business without having to deal with this bullshit… again. Ever since Linda's first day on the job, Buzz had been continuously pining for her like a dog in heat. However, it was pretty clear that his fellow Imp wasn't at all interested… Well, it was clear to everyone else except for Buzz. In any case, his constant pleading and panting had gotten to the point where even Mick was starting to get annoyed with him, and he's the only one in the household who's able to TOLERATE Buzz's antics for the most part.
"I'll give you THREE, you dopey prick!" Mick finally snapped, deciding to nip this crap in the bud right here and now. "A: She's too young for you. B: You're too BONKERS for her. And C-"
"I'm not into MEN!" Linda exclaimed, cutting Mick off mid-sentence.
…
"Oh…" Buzz uttered. "Crap."
Finally! The lunatic gets it! It didn't really take long for everyone else to figure out Linda's preference for girls, considering she blushes just as much as Mick does whenever Jewel tries to seduce him. Plus, it wasn't as if she was trying to hide it. Of course, with Buzz being as oblivious as he was, he had to have it spelt out for him.
"Better luck next time, buddy," Mick commented, giving Buzz a sympathetic pat on the back.
It was a bit of a blow, Buzz wasn't too proud or stupid to admit that. But still, that wasn't to say he couldn't bounce right back.
"So, uh… you have a hot twin?" he asked,
BONK!
And thus, Buzz found himself completely knocked out with two steaming swellings on the back of his head and his face submerged into the flowerbed he and the others were tending. While it was no surprise that Mick took part in clobbering the Imp for his insistent stupidity, Linda on the other hand was still quite new to standing up for herself… not to say she didn't get some kind of thrill when she got the chance to throw her own punch.
Thanks to Mick and Octavia's guidance and encouragement, slowly but surely; Linda had been getting quite used to life among the Goetia staff. So much so, that she had almost gotten used to Buzz's sad attempts to flirt with her and can now say she'd act accordingly to them. Choosing to leave Buzz as he is with his foot twitching ever so slightly to indicate that he was still alive, both Mick and Linda immediately went back to work on weeding the flowerbeds, sharing a small chuckle at Buzz's expense.
"Ahem,"
Suddenly, the two were snapped out of their train of thought by the sound of a familiar voice clearing his throat. Sure enough, when they both turned their heads around, Mick and Linda saw Pringles staring back at them with his usual stoic expression.
"Pardon the interruption, Michael," he said, addressing the Cat Demon in particular. "But the Lady of the house wishes to see you immediately."
As soon as the Butler said that, both Mick and Linda immediately felt a terrifying chill go down their spines. When anyone is summoned by Stolas or Octavia, the situation could be either good or bad, but with Stella… you KNOW it was always going to be bad. In fact, the very concept that Stella was summoning Mick was so shocking, that it instantly woke Buzz up from his stupor.
"Oh shit!" he exclaimed, his face still caked with mud as he grabbed the front of Mick's shirt and pulled him close. "What did you do!?"
"Whatever it is, I'm pretty sure it's your fault!" Mick retorted, having known quite a few instances where Buzz was the one to get him into trouble at this point.
The Butler, of course, merely rolled his eyes at the exchange.
"Come with me, please," he said bluntly, turning away as he expected Mick to follow.
Gulping in fear, all Mick could do was comply with the Imp's request, fearing the consequences should he refuse. Taking one last look at Buzz and Linda, who gave him looks of sympathy and unease in return, the Cat Demon took a breath and followed Pringles back to the house.
KNOCK! KNOCK!
"Enter!"
As soon as Mick heard Stella's voice through the other side of the door, he immediately opened the door to the living room with as much care as he could muster. Once inside, he found the Goetia herself sitting in a red velvet armchair next to the fireplace, with her beak in a book and a cup and saucer of tea resting on a small table next to her. Once again, gulping in fear, the Cat Demon made himself known.
"You sent for me, Ma'am?" he asked nervously, practically dreading what the feathered Demon had to say.
"My husband informed me that you once made a delivery for him," Stella stated, barely acknowledging Mick's presence and not even looking away from her book. "Is that correct?"
Mick couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at that.
"It is," he answered, wondering why she would ask such a thing.
It was only then that Stella suddenly snapped her book shut and turned her head in Mick's direction.
"Good. Then you can do the same for me, Cat," she stated bluntly, adding to Mick's further confusion as she pointed to a small, brown briefcase resting on the coffee table in the middle of the room. "Take that briefcase and deliver it to the attached address. I expect you to leave as soon as possible."
This was what Stella wanted him for? Another delivery job? That didn't sound so bad. Then again, given past experiences and the fact that this was Hell, nothing was quite so simple… especially if Lady Stella was involved. Still, it wasn't as if Mick could refuse since she was technically his employer, so all he could do now was bite the bullet and get on with it. With any luck, MAYBE this delivery won't be as big of a disaster as the last one.
"One is glad to be of service, Ma'am," he stated with a sigh and a bow of his head, acknowledging his acceptance of the task.
With that said, Stella watched as Mick walked across the room and picked up the briefcase, raising a confused eyebrow when he read the name and address written on the attached tag.
"Is there something wrong?" Stella asked impatiently, quickly noticing Mick's hesitation.
Mick's eyes immediately shrunk at this. This address couldn't be right, could it? It had to be a mistake. And yet, he wasn't entirely certain that he should even bring it up, considering who he was talking to. No! Something needed to be said. It just had to.
"Oh… um, forgive me, but I think there's been an error here," Mick eventually pointed out, his voice riddled with hesitation as he held up the tag. "This says I'm supposed to deliver this to someone in the WRATH Ring."
However, Stella merely scoffed at that.
"I assure you, the information on that tag is correct," she stated firmly, disregarding the Cat Demon's concerns.
What was going on here? Was Stella trying to set him up for failure? Given what he knew, Mick certainly wouldn't put it past her. But if that were the case, she could have been a little more subtle about it. Just what could the Goetia be playing at?
"But I'm a Sinner," Mick pointed out. "And Sinners are confined to the Pride Ring. How can I deliver this if I can't leave the-"
"Special exceptions can be made if said Sinner works for royalty," Stella snapped, her voice not quite so loud but still shrill enough to make her sound threatening as she rose out of her chair and offered the Cat Demon a small slip of paper. "Read this aloud."
Though he wasn't sure of the sincerity behind Stella's abrupt, seemingly rehearsed explanation, Mick nonetheless accepted the slip of paper and proceeded to comply with the Goetia's instruction.
"In nomine Luciferi, permitte mihi transitum," he read aloud.
He may not have known what he said nor why he was asked to do so, but having seen a similar language before, Mick recognised that the sentence he had just read was in Latin. Was it some kind of passcode? A spell? What?
FWOOSH!
Suddenly Mick's attention was caught by a soft noise and an orange glow emanating from the floor at his feet. Looking down, he gasped in horror upon seeing a swirling vortex of fire swirling down into an unknown void at its base… and Mick was directly above it with no more floor to stand on!
"Uh oh,"
That was the last thing he would manage to squeak out before suddenly plummeting straight down.
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"
Seeing the Cat Demon drop into the vortex like a sack of potatoes, Stella had to cover her beak to hold back an amused giggle.
"Toodeloo!" she mockingly called down into the swirling abyss, adding insult to what was sure to be some serious injury when Mick finally gets out of it.
Satisfied with how things turned out, Stella dusted her hands off and smiled as she turned away from the vortex, not even bothering to turn around as it slowly began to close… But then all of a sudden, a loud yipping caught her attention.
"Hmm?" she uttered, almost jumping in shock as Snowflake suddenly came bolting into the room.
As it turned out, the Kitsune pup had been napping in the next room and was stirred awake by her master's voice. Having witnessed everything from the adjoining doorway to the next room, she was understandably pissed at Stella for putting Mick into such a position, and as such, was snarling at her while hopping off the floor like a rabbit.
"Ah yes… can't forget about you, can I?" the Goetia commented, not at all amused as she stepped back every time Snowflake tried jumping up at her.
Quickly having enough of the little fox's temper tantrum, it didn't take much effort for Stella to snatch Snowflake by the scruff of her neck and pick her up off the ground. Struggling in vain to break free from the Avian Demon's grip, all the Kitsune pup could do was cease her yipping as she was carried over to the closing vortex. Soon enough, Stella was hanging Snowflake over the void, who at this point had given up her struggle entirely and tried pleading for mercy by giving the Goetia the biggest cutesy face she could muster and letting out a small whimper.
"Cute… but not cute enough," Stella stated, unmoved by the Kitsune's adorableness and instantly releasing her grip on her.
AWOOOOOOOO!
With Snowflake dropped down the vortex too, Stella once again smiled in contentment and watched as it finally closed up.
"Now then," she sighed, strolling back to her armchair. "Which chapter was I on?"
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Thank you all for continuing to follow this story and for all of your comments and likes. However, due to a heavy work schedule, the need to re-evaluate the direction of where this story will go, and the desire for some much-needed R&R for the Summer, the next chapter of Owlette and the Cat will be postponed until September 2nd. Fear not, this is in no way a cancellation. When the appointed date comes around, my cowriters and I shall resume our normal posting schedule. Until then, we thank you for your patience and wish you all a great Summer.