Cover Art: FacelessChick on Twitter
"Well, fuck me! Is that Marchosias? Out and about with people for once? I didn't think that woman was capable of leaving her big empty mansion, or the fucking wasteland fighting off those filthy imps for the hundredth time."
"Probably got tired of hanging around those disgusting, rabid dogs, and wanted to socialize with her actual peers for once."
"Seriously, what does she see in those nasty little shits? No doubt that freak spends all days in doggy-style orgies with them, given how much she seems to bend the knee to those bitches."
"Well either way, best stay clear of the mental lady. Wouldn't want to catch Brucellosis."
Marchosias did her best to ignore the painfully loud laughter and mockery of the women, led by the screeching, half-drunk swan Stella, enjoying every second of it as she emptied another glass. It seemed the new mother was already getting right back into old habits, now that the egg was out and had hatched. Marie had thought motherhood would've at least tamed some of her inhibitions, but of course, that woman would be incapable of change.
…oh yes. That was why she was here, wasn't it? Prince Stolas' firstborn had hatched; all the important faces of Hell had come together to celebrate the latest addition to the great Ars Goetia. And that, despite her wishes, had included her.
The marchioness didn't want to be there, truly. Even four years after having confirmed her daughter's death, the last thing she had wanted was to spend her time at the glorified birth party of a child she barely knew, surrounded by the worst, snobbiest and overly privileged, selfish bastards she had been forced to live alongside with ever since her fall. Every second spent with them made her want to puke.
Honestly, she had considered ignoring the summons entirely, orders from King Paimon and Lucifer be damned, but Halley and Alphonse had suggested a change of scenery, a little fresh air and perhaps seeing some of her old peers again, might do her some good. The she-wolf snorted; a fat load of good it was doing her now. She could already barely stand a majority of the Ars Goetia, and most of them seemed to only care about her, by making her the subject of mockery. So most of the marchioness' time was spent on autopilot, as she walked aimlessly amongst the gathered crowd, ate small morsels of food and drink, emotionlessly greeted the few demons who approached her, and just tried to get through it as best and fast as she could.
Walking past her royal peers, Marchosias quietly moved to the other side of the gathering hall, away from Stella and her cronies' childish ridicule. If nothing else, it would be nice to greet the Prince again. The new father was in the main lobby, welcoming his guests and introducing them to his little one. She was familiar with the Prince through their occasional pleasantries, along with the few odd encounters at gatherings and the stories told by her…ex. Among the many bigoted and self-important Goetias, he was one of the few good ones. At the least, she could tell he had no love for the life or duties expected of him, that most royals loved to lord over others. Marie was thankful for that; Hell needed more good demons out there.
With a tired sigh, she tried to find someone at least…somewhat tolerable to talk to. Scanning through the crowd, yielded nothing but disappointment, however. Everyone there was already too engrossed by their own gossip, or too pig-brained for Marie's tastes. She continued looking through the room until she spotted a familiar Marquis amongst others. Her eyes widened, as she saw someone she had known for centuries now, long before she fell; and hadn't spoken to in years. Her old friend and fellow fallen, Marquis Phenex. He was still wearing his dumb lab coat despite the formal setting, only putting on a fancy vest over it along with some jewelry. His red, orange, and golden feathers were so vibrant and bright, it was almost as if they were on fire. He had been in the midst of either explaining a recent project or reciting another one of his poems when the Marquis noticed her, his juvenile and warm smile, melting into a surprised then guilty frown.
The two of them locked eyes but didn't say a word to each other. They hadn't seen each other in almost 6 years and had not left on good terms. Marie growled at the memory of when they had last spoken; the words he had said, the disgusted way he had looked at her, and his forceful request which had felt more like an order than a suggestion. For so long, she had thought of him as one of the few friends she had left…and then he had ruined it in one night. He may as well have betrayed her for all Marchosias cared.
She glared at him venomously, as Phenex finally attempted to approach her, reaching out with an unsteady hand and a sympathetic frown: "Marchosias, I-"
Marie didn't stick around to hear the rest, sending in a cold death-like glare and marching off in the opposite direction of the phoenix, ignoring his last call out to her, before he thankfully didn't pursue. Good; Marie didn't want to know what she might've done had he attempted to confront her again. Her day was continuing to get worse.
Fuck, and now it seemed she had entered the rulers' section of the mansion, as she was surrounded by the Kings all chatting it up amongst themselves as if it was just a casual hang out. There was King Paimon who seemed more excited by his new cowl than having a grandchild. Her fellow Marquis Andrealphus was attempting to butt into a chat between Beleth and Purson. There were even a few sins here, such as Asmodeus, Leviathan and-
"M-Marie?"
The familiar voice was the first thing to make her really pause since coming here. Fuck, how long had it been since she had heard from her? Marie didn't think she would be here; this sort of thing wasn't usually her kind of party. Looking behind her shoulder, Marie looked expressionless at another of her old friends; Queen Beelzebub, her usually peppy and upbeat persona noticeably absent, as she approached the marchioness with a sad frown unlike her. "H-hey, I haven't heard from you in a while. It's real good to see you outside again."
She thought of walking past her as she had Phenex, maybe even throwing in a few jabs at her like they used to…but thought better of it. Marchosias just sighed and nodded apologetically, while avoiding her eyes. "I've been busy; so much work to do, the duties, the money, managing the borders. I'm sure you can understand given your responsibilities."
Bee didn't look convinced, her empathic abilities made it nigh impossible to lie to her. "Yeah, that's cool, I get that. Always was a busy little bee." The queen's attempt at a chuckle lacked her usual pep and joy. She seemed like she wanted to bring her into a hug, but just settled for a comforting hand as she softly said: "Look Marie, I know we didn't leave on solid terms but, I'm sorry for what happened to you. It's too late to change things now, but if there's anything I can do, if you just wanna talk or get a drink or something, just tell alright? I wanna make sure my friend's okay."
"I-I…I…" Marie wasn't sure how to respond to the Sin. Part of her desperately wanted to accept the Sin's offer, to finally open up after losing her daughter. She nearly did, before the marchioness shook her head and gently pushed the queen's hand off her. "Not now. I'm-I'm sorry, I need time." Bee attempted to reach out once more, but the marchioness brushed the queen off before she could get a word in. Marie didn't turn around, when she tried to call out again, seemingly disappearing into the crowd as she now rushed past the royalty and servants, wanting only to find Stolas, extend her wishes, and leave, before she broke down.
Entering the lobby, she soon found a line of the other Ars Goetia, all of them gathered for halfhearted pleasantries and well wishes to Prince Stolas. She paid them no mind, as she waited in line, hoping it would go quickly. She was already regretting coming to this miserable place, amidst so many assholes, bastards, and old, distant friends. The last thing she wanted was to run into-
Marie paled as she spotted a familiar figure near the lobby, obscured by the crowd, though easily identified by their leopard-patterned fur. For a moment Marchosias' body froze at the sight of the figure. The last demon she had ever wanted to see, the person who had made her life miserable for years, the bastard Prince who had played her like a fiddle for so damn long.
The figure turned; it had just been Duke Flauros. Like that, the tense marchioness eased herself and relaxed only for a bit, as she walked through the mercifully fast-moving line.
And there he was; Prince Stolas, standing by the crib containing the infant Octavia, shaking hands with Duke Astaroth and his husband Duke Amdusias. Outwardly he seemed happy, joyful, filled with pride as any new father should be…and yet, Marchosias could see it in his eyes. A deep-seated sadness and grief, longing for something else, trapped behind a facade of comfort and contentment. It was a look she had known for a long time now.
Once it was her turn, Marie walked up to the practically lifeless prince, who offered an almost robotic handshake: "Welcome Marchioness Marchosias. Thank you for coming out today."
Marchosias offered him a small nod in return. "And a warm congratulations to you and your wife Prince Stolas. I hope your daughter, brings you no end of joy." She handed him her gift for the child, a newly bought starfish plush doll wrapped in paper, which he in turn handed to a servant to be carried off to the large gathering of dolls and toys in the corner. "Have you decided on a name for her yet?"
"Oh right, a name," Stolas let out a small sad chuckle at that. "Yes, we've decided on Octavia, after her grandmother."
The marchioness smiled melancholy at that. She wondered how long it had been since he last saw his mother…fuck, she couldn't even remember the number of years that had passed, since she saw her own. She knew when she last saw her obviously, but after so much time, the ages didn't feel real anymore. Few things did in Hell. She wondered if any of her family were still alive up there; if they ever thought about her at all. Turning towards the crip, Marie softly asked the prince: "Would you mind, if I?"
"By all means. Just try not to get too close, it is her naptime after." With the permission granted from Stolas, Marie peaked into the crip, to see the child for herself. And there she was; little Octavia, her eyes were still closed shut and the first few feathers were starting to appear on top of her head. God, she was so small, so frail and innocent tucked underneath her blanket, peacefully asleep, so pure and full of potential, even for someone so young. Like her little Di-
Her eyes tightened at the memory, tears threatening to fall as for a brief moment, she saw her own lost child sleeping in the crib. And that was the final straw for her. "I…I'm sorry I have to go. I wish your daughter the best. Truly."
Marie rushed past the Prince, all but running for the entrance, Stolas too busy greeting the next wellwisher to notice her. Marchosias went past the other Goetias still mindlessly chatting about nothing, away from Stella laughing about how pitiful imps were, avoided Phenex and Bee's attempts to locate her, and thanked the Lord for the small mercy of having avoided her ex. She went right to her limo demanding to be brought back home immediately. It was only after her car was far from the mansion, that she finally allowed herself to weep in privacy, broken tears she could no longer hold back falling like rain as she hugged herself. There was, after all, no one to comfort her now.
White.
A low, loud, ringing sound.
The smell of fire, smoke, and burnt furniture.
Ripples of pain throughout her body.
These were the first things Loona felt, as she slowly came back into reality. The disoriented hound struggled to stand up on her shaking feet, nearly tumbling over, as slowly the overwhelming light faded away, replaced by the familiar outside apartment complex, where now about a dozen imps were surrounding her, with looks of worry and confusion. Loona couldn't muster up the spirit to shout at them all, her body slowly numbing the pain, even as her hearing and sights were restored.
And then her memory started coming back. She…she and Blitzo, they were going to talk about…stuff, he opened the apartment…there was a click…noise from inside…she ducked with Blitzo…there was an…an explosion! Oh fuck! Oh fuck!
"BLITZ? BLITZ?!" Loona shoved through the crowd, ignoring the pain in her body, as she desperately tried to find her dad. The imps quickly departed out of her way, as she found him lying on the ground unconscious. His body was bruised and his clothes were slightly singed. For a moment, she couldn't tell if he was still breathing or not.
Loona's breath quicked and she nearly fainted at the state of his body, as her unfocused and blurred mind couldn't register any movement and ignored any signs that he was alive. Silently she started begging and panicking in her mind, as the worst-case scenario played out. No. No. Nonononono! This couldn't be happening! She couldn't lose him now! Not like this! Not this soon! Fuck, fuck NO not this soon! This couldn't be happening to her already! He couldn't be dead! He couldn't-
"Nnnngggguh," a slow, pained groan from the imp signaled that he was still living, Loona's breath slowing down even as her fear never left, as Blitzo slowly and weakly lifted himself into a seating position, barely focused after the blast. "Loooonie, I think I gotta throw up again."
Loona wanted to hug him, punch him, and cry right on the spot, overcome with relief that her adopted father was alive and well. Fighting back a sob, she began looking over his body, just to check to be sure he was alright, looking for any kind of injury she might've missed. Blood, shrapnel, burns, broken bones, not stopping until she was completely sure he was alright. "Da-Blizt, fuck are you okay?"
Blitzo, still drifting in and out of reality, gave Loona an uneasy, but small smile of reassurance, before doubling over, holding his head in pain with an annoyed moan. "Yeah, I'm fine. Uuuugh, what the fuck did I have to drink last night? Feels like there's a cult having an orgy in my brain."
His casual, half-focused response, was too much for the terrified Loona. Furious at how seemingly careless he was about the whole thing, the hound couldn't help but snap out in frustrated anger, grabbing Blitzo by the shoulders and shaking him hard enough to knock sense back into his mind at which point she screamed in his face: "Idiot! You fucking idiot. You just took an explosion to the face you asshole! DO YOU EVEN KNOW HOW FUCKING CLOSE YOU CAME TO DYING?!"
"Wha? L-Loonie what are you-" The confused imp's eyes slowly widened, as he remembered what had just happened. Oh. OH SHIT! Now Blitzo was the one panicking, jumping up to his feet despite having a migraine, now him being the one to look at his daughter in fear: "Oh fuck, LOONA! Shit, are you okay?! The bomb! Our apparment! What-" He briefly turned to see if any damage had come to their home…only to growl in annoyance as all he saw was a crowd of noisy people watching and filming them like creeps.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
He went for his gun and fired a trio of warning shots, and then shouted: "Alright, assholes show's fucking over! Everybody better back the fuck up before you get a bullet in the gut!"
The gathered crowd almost immediately complied, running out of his path, as Blitzo holstered his flintlock and got a clearer view of his home. The first thing that came to view was the splintered pieces of their broken door and front wall, and the thick cloud of black smoke exiting from it. They could hear the sound of crackling wood and small fires from the inside, as the smell of burnt fabric grew stronger as they drew near. The pair inched closer toward the apartment, being careful not to inhale the smoke as they looked inside their previous home of almost 4 years.
While the damage was mostly contained to the entrance and most of the kitchen, the small size of the apartment made it seem far worse. Most of the walls had been ruined, the wallpaper now on fire, slowly consuming the pictures Blitzo had taken over the years and even the adoption certificate. The kitchen was busted, the path leading to Loona's room was ruined, the couch and TV had been pelted by shrapnel, and throughout there were small but noticeable fires threatening to grow and consume everything.
"B-Blitz, our home…" The two could do little more than look at the ruined state of their apartment, so many of their possessions and attachments now destroyed by one bomb. Even as the siren of a firetruck started blaring from outside the complex, Loona was unsure if it could be saved.
For a good moment, Blitzo just stared at their burning home in shock, still unable to take in what was happening, then went into full panic mode as he went back and forth between rushing inside and exiting the building. "My stuff! My pictures! My research! Our stuff is in there, we gotta go get it!" He dived in to save what he could, only for Loona to grab him by the arm and hold him back.
"No, wait, STOP!" cried out Loona, much more panicked than intended. She looked down at her very mortal father, terrified at potentially seeing him hurt again. Blitzo kept trying to break out of her grip, but the hound's tight hold and fearful face made him stop to listen. "Y-you could get hurt! There's fire and smoke all over the place! You'd probably burn up or choke to death if you went in there. And…and there could be more bombs inside! Or people wanting to kill us. Who knows who the hell caused this, or how far they went."
Blitzo seemed like he wanted to argue, he couldn't lose so many of the precious things had there. But looking at his daughter's desperation and thinking over her words, made him reluctantly agree and stand back, even as his memories and livelihood started crumbling in front of him. He was just thankful the firefighters arrived shortly after, else his mind probably wouldn't be able to stomach it much longer.
All he and Loona could do was look at the scene in disbelief, both of them thankful that at the least they had both been unharmed. With little else to do, than watch the fire brigade try and control the flames, the imp started thinking to himself. Wondering who could've done this, and why? Was it perhaps Striker looking for revenge? Maybe one of their old hits? That coffee lady he insulted a while back? Or that asshole Crimson? A sudden thought popped in the imp's head, as Blitzo cried out: "Oh shit, Moxx and Mill! What if they also-I gotta make a call."
Blitzo dialed for Moxxie, his anxiety worsening by each ring, as he began fearing the worst. "Come on, pickuppickuppickuppickuppickuppickuppickuppickuppickuppickup!"
"Hello, Blitz?" Blitzo exhaled a massive breath of relief, at the familiar sound of Moxxie, thankfully confirming he was safe for the time being.
"Moxx, are you and Millie okay? Where are you right now? Is there anyone following you? Any suspicious people lurking around? Have you made it to your apartments yet?!" The imp asked each question in rapid fire, barely giving the pair time to respond.
"Woah, woah, hold your hellhorses B, what's going on?" Millie chimed in confused by her boss' sudden call and panicked questioning. "Look, we're both fine okay? We just went out for some coffee and heading back home now."
Moxxie calmly added: "Yeah, we're right outside the apartment right now-"
"DON'T!" Shouted Blitzo in terror, loud enough for it to almost echo through the hallway, stunning both of the M&Ms, as he continued: "Don't! Some assholes just tried to kill us. Rigged our apartment to blow up in our faces; nearly killed me and Loona."
"Wait what?" Moxxie exclaimed in shock at the sudden news, his wife echoing worriedly beside him. "Holy shit, are you guys okay? Need us to come over?"
"No, we're fine," assured Blitzo, as he dusted off the few bits of debris on his coat. "Loona managed to tackle me right before the big blast. Just wanted to give you guys a heads up, if you open that door there's a good chance it's gonna burn the skin off your dick in an instant." Unbeknownst to him, Loona shivered at his graphic description, the hellhound inching just a bit closer to her father.
"A-are you sure, Blitz?" Millie asked not fully convinced. "Could be just you they're trying to kill or something. Any sign of who did this?"
Blitzo shook his head as he examined the remains of his apartment, the fires now being taken care of by the firemen, frowning angrily at nothing obvious. "They'd have to be pretty stupid to leave a fucking calling card. I'm not seeing a hair, and if there was one it's probably burnt up by now. And knowing the assholes we've had to deal with on the daily, could be anyone from your husband's mafia daddy to one of our hits. Loona, can you smell something?" He turned to his daughter for a possible lead, but after a long series of sniffing, she shook her head with a frustrated growl.
"Nothing but smoke, ash, and ruined furniture. No trace of whoever did this." Blitzo frowned worriedly relayed the information back to his now uneasy coworkers. Moxxie in particular seemed about to panic, terrified at one very specific scenario.
"W-well, what are we supposed to do until we find out?" asked Moxxie, growing unwary by all the news. "If we have no idea who's gunning for us, where do we even start searching? And where the hell are we supposed to stay?! Can we even go back to the office?"
Blitzo couldn't blame his coworker for being paranoid. With no leads to chase and a long list of enemies, it could've very well been anyone. There were few places they'd even be safe. He tried to quickly think of a plan, for what to do next. "Okay, just wait for us at our regular pub; we'll pick you up there and bunker down at Stolas' place until we can figure something out. Doubt these fuckers are stupid enough to try anything in public, and hopefully they don't know about him either." A thought came to the imp as he quietly cursed. "Shit, maybe destroy your phones too, we've got no idea if they're tracking us or not. Better safe than sorry."
After a hesitant pause and a brief chat with each other, the pair reluctantly agreed with their boss' logic with Moxxie answering for the both of them: "Okay, we're heading down there now, should be there in 10. We'll see you there."
"Yeah, you too. Get whichever weapon you can and be on the lookout for anyone suspicious. I mean it, if some dickhead so much as looks at you funny, either gut him up or report to me." With that, Blitzo ended the call, throwing his phone against the nearest wall, sending it through the concrete and onto the street. Sighing, he turned for one last look at his apartment, the firefighters still trying to save it, almost disappointed to leave it behind. He had moved apartments many times before, but he had grown particularly attached to this one, after all these years. It was hard to leave it, but he didn't have much of a choice now. "Well, guess it's too late for packing at this point. Come on, Loona, let's go."
Loona did not follow him; the former hellhound still couldn't take her eyes off her apartment. It was her home; the place she had lived for five years straight, her safe haven after being rescued from being thrown onto the streets, where she had lived with Blitzo through his many annoyances and each of their rare but genuine moments of comfort and love…where she had gotten her first room. And now it was in ruins, and she was leaving it. She had no idea when or if she'd ever see it again. If it would feel like home again. She couldn't even bring any of her things with her; none of the clothes, make-up, books, or things she had bought for herself. Just Blitzo. Her adopted father figure…who had nearly died, maybe even because of-
"Loona?" Blitzo's sudden and loud question snapped her back into reality, and the former hellhound turned to see the imp looking at her with a concerned frown, that turned sympathetic as he noticed her staring at their apartment. "I know, I'm gonna miss it too, but we gotta get moving. We can't leave Moxxie and Millie on their own with these people possibly out there."
Loona sadly couldn't argue with that; she followed Blitzo outside, looking back at the apartment until it disappeared from her sight.
The gang made it to Stolas' mansion at surprising speed. Turns out there was nothing quite like a potential hit on your and your friends' lives to motivate you to get moving. Storming through the gates, barely giving the servants time to properly open them, the I.M.P. Van came to a stop near the front door, all four passengers exiting, a tense atmosphere looming over them.
They had driven the whole way in silence, until now, when Millie decided to break it with a disappointed: "B, are you sure we couldn't at least get our weapons out before comin' here? I doubt they thought to bomb trap the windows."
"Oh poor naive Millie, you have no idea," Blitzo shook his head, thinking back to the many unpleasant times he had tried sneaking in through someone's window. "No, it's too risky. Best to wait til we get the assholes dealt with first before chancing it. At least here we'll be safe."
They all walked through the mansion's large door, Loona making sure to stay close to her father at all times, and did not have to wait long for a welcome as Prince Stolas soon rushed down the stairs towards the hellborn.
"Blitz! Loona! Moxxie, Mildred! I'm so thankful you're all safe!" Stolas cried as he went to check up on all of them, immediately focusing on Blitzo, enveloping him in a tight, protective hug, checking to see if his would-be lover was hurt. "I wouldn't have been able to live myself if anything had happened to you."
"Y-yeah…good to see you too your Highness," Moxxie muttered sarcastically, giving the prince a slightly annoyed glare along with Millie & Loona, who couldn't help but feel left out.
The prince, almost as if he had heard them, gently put the embarrassed Blitzo down as he turned to greet the others. "Is there anything you can tell us about what happened? Were any suspicious people around during the attack? What kind of bomb it was? Any evidence of their identity? Anything at all I can help you with?"
Blitzo shook his head, with a bitter, annoyed frown. "Stolas, I literally told you everything I know along the way. Didn't find shit, don't know a thing about who or how they did it. And our apartment was basically turned into a hunk of flaming shit and ash, so good look finding anything there."
"Well, we didn't even risk entering our apartment, so we have no idea if there's anything there or not. Might have to get a squad to look it over in our stead." Moxxie added in.
Stolas was displeased to hear that, narrowing his eyes as he thought to himself worried. "That is troubling to hear. I could try to get some of my men to do a more thorough scan of both areas if you'd like. Would you believe that could help?"
Blitzo shrugged at the idea. "If you'd think it'd help sure. Right now, we'd just appreciate it if you'd let us squat for a few days, til the gang and I can start narrowing down the list of potential asshats we need to kill." As he often was, Blitzo sounded very determined and confident in his plan; as were his fellow imps seemingly. Loona however had a more conflicted frown, as she looked over at her coworkers. It was funny, almost two weeks ago she would've been all on board with their crazy scheme, though in her usually apathetic and slacker way. But now, being reminded of how much more squishy and short-lived they were…the hound didn't know if she could go through something like that again.
"Of course Blitz. I am deeply sorry to hear what has happened to you and Loona, and you know you're all always welcome in my home, truly." Stolas's uneasy but understanding smile then started morphing into a worried frown as she struggled to pick his next words. "…but, I should warn you, you did come at a rather-"
"Oh for FUCK'S SAKE!" The familiar sound of an old cat being dropped in a pocket of ice water altered everyone, to the sudden arrival of Stella, the swan looking absolutely fuming at the five of them as she marched right towards the groaning Stolas, grabbing one of his potted plants along the way.
"Oh you've got to be kidding, she came back?!" Blitzo whispered harshly to the prince.
Stolas grumbled back bitterly: "She never left. Insisted on staying to 'spend more time with Via.' Really, all she's been doing is whine about her reputation and complain about how I let you have a party at my mansion."
"You dare bring that cloaca-licking toad into our home, again?" Stella exclaimed, right before she hurled the plant right at Stolas' face. For once, he did not dodge the oncoming pot, instead used his magic to cease its motion and gently placed it back on the ground unharmed. "And his whole fucking brood too?! Why don't you just bring the whole disgusting city here at this point?"
"Their homes blew up, Stella; they have nowhere else to go." Stolas glared at his soon-to-be ex-wife, as she approached him. "And you have no right telling me who I can or cannot invite over, as this stopped being our home the minute you agreed to sign on the dotted line. Which you are five days late on I might add."
"Oh fuck off, as if I'm signing that bullshit paperwork until my brother gets done looking at it. Probably some clause letting you keep MY daughter all for yourself!" The bitter swan snapped right at the prince's face, scowling down at the foursome beside him with utter venom, all of whom looked equally pissed off at seeing her. "I don't want your disgusting fuck buddy and his equally filthy parasites in my presence! Do you have any idea, what that'll do to my reputation? To our family name?! All my friends are going to think I too am a toad-fucker! Do you want your daughter to have a laughingstock for a mom, you manipulative bastard?"
Most of her speal went ignored, however, as the prince simply shifted focus back towards the imps. "I can deal with Stella for now; the four of you have been through enough," Stolas whispered to Blitzo, briefly pointing them toward the upper right wing of the mansion. "Feel free to select a room or two, I'll have someone check up on you all later, and hopefully you can explain more about what's happening when I'm done dealing with the C-U-N-"
"Don't you dare ignore me, you bastard!" Stella screeched, yanking Stolas forward to face her as she continued her screaming, the prince soon joining her in equal high volume, allowing the hellborn to sneakily, but awkwardly tip-toe off in the direction pointed.
The imps and hellhound left the two royals to fight amongst each other, the screams and shouts echoing even to the far end of the wing, away from the pair. The four of them did their best to ignore it, Blitzo especially having to reel himself in from running over there and firing his flintlock at the bitch's face, as they eventually picked a large bedroom, almost twice as big as their apartments, with its own private bathroom.
Millie stretched upon entering and flopped down onto the bed in a tired but satisfied moan: "Ah shit, I forgot how soft these royal's beds are. After the stress we've had the last few days, this is just what the doctor ordered. Can we just stay here forever?"
Moxxie turned towards Blitzo with a determined frown, as he already started considering their next move. "Okay sir, so far so good, but whoever's targeting us is still out there, no doubt plotting their second action as we speak. Now, I believe the first thing to do is-"
Blitzo however cut him off, sitting down on the nearby couch with a lazy groan, as he all but fell against it. "Fuck's sake Moxx, my house blew up, let me chill for a few. In fact, fuck it, the meeting's rescheduled til tomorrow. Let's just relax for now and figure things out in the morning. I need a nap." Moxxie tried to protest this, still paranoid at the potential danger, but his boss had already made up his mind as he began snoozing. Begrudgingly, Moxxie dropped the issue.
It was as he was getting comfy that Blitzo noticed Loona hadn't made to move towards either the bed or couch or anywhere for that matter, since entering the room, instead just standing there with an unreadable expression. Matter of fact, he could barely remember if she had said a word since they left. Tentatively, he tried to invite her over. "Oh sorry Loonie, you want the couch? I can get somewhere else. No big."
Loona looked at her father, beckoning her hopefully to sit beside him. The sight of which almost made her flinch, something Blitzo picked up immediately. After a beat, the hound turned to leave. "I…I should go see Octavia. Make sure she's doing alright with her parents screaming downstairs."
Now Blitzo was starting to get worried. She had been acting strange since the explosion, not that he could blame her, and now it seemed like she was trying to avoid him. "L-Loona, wait!" Blitzo called out, standing up from his couch, and managed to stop her for a moment. Loona couldn't bring herself to face him but could tell he was looking pleadingly at her. "Are you okay? Look, maybe you should rest for a bit before heading out. I mean, after everything you've been through, it's okay if you just wanna relax for a bit, and you know, not burden yourself with everything. Nothing's gonna come after us here, we're safe."
She almost considered it, really she did. How she would've loved to have a moment with her father after all that had happened…after he had so nearly died. After he was almost killed by something that likely would've only grazed her. "Y-y-you know how Via can get whenever this shit happens; she needs someone right now."
She left before anyone could stop her, doing her damndest to ignore the sad frown on her father's broken and pained face as she closed the door behind her. She couldn't bear to face him, knowing how short his life now was. Blitzo just watched the door for a moment, unsure whether or not to follow her, while his coworkers looked worriedly at him. Eventually, he sighed, figuring his present would only make things worse, and sat back down on the couch, which no longer felt as comfy as it once did.
It wasn't difficult to find Octavia's room, even with how massive the Prince's mansion could be. Loona had stalked through these halls enough times, whenever Stella was out on trips or visiting her brother, to find her way easily.
Despite all that had happened both the day and the past few weeks, Loona was excited to see Octavia in person again. They hadn't had a day together since the party or even talked since the phone call. Loona had tried to occasionally text her once or twice since then, but her friend's replies had been oddly brief and infrequent. Almost as if she was trying to avoid talking to her. Usually, the two could chat or text for hours, but now their talks often only lasted for 20 minutes at most, with Via sometimes abruptly ending the conversation or changing the subject at certain points.
It was so unlike Octavia, that it had left the already troubled hound even more confused. Loona did her best not to let it get to her, chalking it up to Via being stressed or too busy with her bitch mom and uncle, but it did feel weird that her friend never tried reaching out, even for a check-up to see how she was doing. But Loona shook away her anxious thoughts as she neared Via's room, just happy to see her again.
She knocked on the door, awaiting a reply. When it didn't come after 10 minutes, Loona gently opened the door and peaking inside, finding Octavia on the floor leaning on a beanbag, bopping her head to the screams of death metal from her earbuds, trying to drown out her mother's screeching.
Carefully the hound went to sit right next to the rocking owlet, Via still not noticing she was there, even as she leaned against her side. With an amused chuckle, Loona plopped one of Via's buds out of her ear, causing the owl demon to blink confused at why her music had suddenly stopped.
"What the fuck-" Looking around herself for it, she finally noticed her friend as she turned towards the left, nearly stumbling onto the floor in surprise. "O-oh, Loona! I-I-I…I d-didn't see you. W-what are you doing here?"
Loona let out a long, tired exhale as she simply shrugged: "It's a long story, I'll tell you about it later. Let's just say me and Dad are probably staying here for a bit." With the brief, cliff notes version out of the way, she shook away her grumpiness and offered a small hopeful smile to her friend. "Right now I just wanted to check up on you. Thought my best friend could use some company, away from the bird fight downstairs."
Via did not return her smile. Instead, her eyes bugged around the room as she awkwardly stuttered trying to think of what to say. "Oh…uh, t-thanks, b-but that's really n-n-not necessary. I-I-I think I can handle it myself, y-you can just relax with your dad, if…if you'd rather that. W-w-wouldn't want to be a b-bother and all that."
That caught Loona by surprise. Usually, Octavia never refused any excuse to spend more time with her. Heck, during tense family fights, like the one unfolding downstairs, she longed for it, seeking any kind of comfort while her dad dealt with Stella. Confused by the sudden change Loona asked:. "Via, what are you talking about? You know I don't mind being with you, no matter what bullshit's going on…Plus, I could use a bit of company myself."
After a long pause, Octavia shifted away nervously, playing with her hair as she avoided eye contact. "O-okay, sure. That's-that's fine. Just two of us friends hanging out…sitting in a room…and just talking, with nothing weird at all…"
"Yeah," Loona saw through the stuttering owl easily. Something was up. She eased in with a casual question to sneak through. "So, magic training is going well? I know you and Dad haven't had as much time to practice, what with everything going on, but have you learned any exciting new spells?"
"No, unfortunately not. I'm still barely managing to get the portals to open up where I want them. I swear I've nearly portalled up to the doors of Heaven at least four times now. One more time and I'll probably kick start the Extermination months early," Via chuckled nervously at that one, her uneasy smile flipping into a nervous grimace at the memory. "But, I think I'm improving at least. Been spending a lot of free time practicing, so that's been keeping me busy."
"Busy, right," Loona said calmly, then frowned accusingly at her friend. "So, is that why you've been avoiding me all this time?"
Octavia blinked in surprise: "Wha-what? Loona, I'd never avoid you-"
"Maybe not directly, but you're not as talkative as usual," Loona pointed out, as she began listing off her pieces of evidence, each one making Via shrink a little with guilt. "Whenever I text you all I get is short responses at best. I can't remember the last time we had a real conversation. I asked you to hang out and go to Stylish Occult last Wednesday and you refused. Had to reread the text just to make sure I was seeing things right. And now I'm finally seeing you in person, and it feels like you don't want me here."
Octavia scrambled to defend herself, without trying to bring up what was really on her mind. "That's not true! I do! It's just…well…"
Via stopped as Loona placed a hand on her shoulder; a sign that she wasn't mad with her just worried, as she frowned but assured her best friend. "Via if something's up, whether it's about us or some other shit, I wanna know. Trust me, it's not gonna compare to half the fucking crap I've been through this month."
The princess still seemed a bit hesitant, but with Loona's approval she lightly nodded and sighed: "…so, I-I didn't want to talk about it cause, I figured it was private and stuff, plus you've probably got a lot of other things to worry about but…" Octavia paused for a second, struggling to find the right words, looking to the floor with a guilty frown, like a child caught accidentally breaking a fancy vase. "A few hours after our talk, I went downstairs to check up on Dad. This was shortly after Mum had arrived with Uncle Andy, so I figured I might as well make sure he was okay. When I finally found him, he was in the middle of a phone call with your dad…and they were talking about…things I probably wasn't supposed to know."
Loona's eyes widened in realization, as everything started to make sense. "How much did you hear?"
"I walked in right after he had stopped laughing so, I think about maybe halfway though?" Octavia shrugged unsure. "I only heard Dad's side but, I think I got enough context clues to figure out what they were talking about."
"Oh…"
"S-so…is it true then?" asked Octavia, nervously looking into her best friend's eyes, struggling to get the next part out. "Are you…Really the daughter of Marchosias?"
Loona didn't even bother denying it anymore: "Yeah."
"…Fuck."
"Pretty much," laughed Loona bitterly, a sneer emerging on her lips.
Octavia meanwhile was in the middle of a shocked breakdown as she started rambling and freaking out over the reveal, struggling to fully accept it. "Shit, Loona I-I don't know what to say; I cannot even imagine what you must be going on in your mind right now. I mean, I admit I was curious about who your parents might be, but never once did I consider THIS as a possibility! I mean it's just so…" She stopped when she noticed how her friend was doing, the hound scowling at the ground almost as lost as she was. Via stopped her rant, fearing she was only making things worse, instead offering her sympathies to her now somber friend. "I'm so sorry, you had to go through all of that. Is there anything I can do to help?"
Loona didn't respond at first, her expression blank as she looked off at nowhere. Internally she debated whether or not to put her friend through more. She turned to her and hesitantly asked: "Mind being the pillow I can scream into for a good while?"
Octavia gave her a comforting smile. "I think I can handle tha-"
"So it's like, everything so fucked now!" Loona exclaimed out in anger, cutting the owlet off right at the last word. "All my life, even since I was a baby, everything in existence kept telling me I was nothing more than a common hellhound! A good-for-nothing waste of space so unwanted even my parents left me! And after I while, I thought I had finally made peace with it. And then SHE suddenly shows ups and starts tearing up everything I know about myself and lighting up the remains on fucking hellfire! Telling me I've been royalty all this time! Something I never asked for or even wanted! And THEN she expects me to ditch everything I know and love so she can play mommy 22 years too late, without giving the slightest shit about what I want or my life here! After SHE was the one who abandoned me in that loveless craphole, to begin with! Oh, and then as if that wasn't shitty enough, turns out I'M FUCKING IMMORTAL! I'm gonna live long enough to see Armaggedon while most of my friends and family are going to start rotting away into fucking ashes! It's bullshit! The whole fucking thing is utter BULLSHIT!"
Loona's rant came to an end, as she lashed out at no one, terrified, angry, grief-stricken, and unsure of what to do, taking long labored breaths as she just glared down at nothing. As tears started welling up in the hound's eyes, Octavia was left with no idea what to say or do. She always thought she'd be okay at comforting her friend like Loona had done for her at the observatory a while back, but this was way out of her league. Something no reasonable person could know how to handle at a glance.
"Wow…that's a lot. Do…do you need a hug?" She cringed at that, silently chastising herself for how stupid and childish she must've seemed, but almost immediately Loona latched onto her, wrapping her arms around the owl and pulling her in. It was an awkward, shaky hug, the princess could hear her friend quietly sobbing, but she soon adapted, wrapping her arms around the hound in comfort, letting her cry her heart out against her chest. "There, there let it out. Dad says it's okay to feel frustrated. And you're right, it is bullshit you have to go through this. But, I'm here for you if you need me, alright?"
"T-thanks, Via." Loona slowly undid the hug, as she wiped away her tears with a sad, shaken smile. "Seriously, I have no idea what I'd do without you. It's all happening so fast, and I don't know who to talk to about it. I only just started opening up with Dad, after he spent two weeks trying to pretend like it never happened! I can't talk to Tex or Bee about it, cause I don't want him to start seeing him differently, I'm barely close enough to Moxxie and Millie to start talking to them and until now, I didn't know whether or not to even mention it to you."
"Well, you got to talk to someone right?" Octavia reasoned, a bit more confident about what to say now that Loona had calmed down a bit. Or at least now that they were focusing on one issue, rather than a whole mess of them. "I mean, you don't have to rush this or anything, but they're bound to find out eventually, so wouldn't it be better to let them know now than wait for a dozen or so years when they start noticing? Plus, I doubt keeping things is not going to be good for you, especially something as serious as this. Trust me, I should know."
Loona tried to consider her friend's idea, only to get overwhelmed and scared at the possible outcomes started dancing around her head. "I want to but…I just don't know if I can or if I even should. I mean, what if it slips and everyone finds out; and then they start treating me differently? I got enough bullshit when I was just a hellhound; I don't wanna know what they'll do when they learn I'm some kind of weird hybrid! I just started making friends damn it, I don't wanna lose them. Or fuck, if the other Goetias start trying to separate me and everyone? And that's the best case scenario if they don't…" Even without finishing her sentence, Via caught her implication like a ball in a game of catch.
The owl princess was horrified by the possibility, thinking if her own clan were truly capable of something like that. "I don't have all the answers but…I doubt they'd try to kill you. I mean, I know it's Hell but come on, that's some Draconian shit right there. Even the most old-school Goetias wouldn't be able to convince the others of something like that. We're not savages…just rich jerks."
Loona didn't seem convinced by her friend's reassurances, her frown only deepened with worry as she thought to herself. "The Marchioness bitch said it herself, there's never been a child born from a Goetia and a hellhound. It's practically taboo; it's why she thought it was a good idea to keep me locked up from the world as a baby. You know better than me, how fucking uptight and elitist those assholes can be. Who the fuck knows how they'll react when they learn one of their own made a disgusting freak with hellhound. Whatever it is, I know it's not going to be good for any of us."
"Maybe you're right. Maybe we don't know what'll happen, and whatever they would do it'll likely be horrible, but…there has to be something we can do about it right? I mean my dad's a son of King Paimon, and your friend is dating the Sin of Gluttony. Surely they can figure something out right?" Octavia was insistent on her point. She had to believe that the Goetia could be reasoned with, that there was some way to get out of this for her friend's sake, even if she was nervous herself. Loona didn't seem to share her gusto, as she looked away. "And whatever happens, you're not a freak, you hear me? Don't you EVER call yourself that. Whoever your parents were, doesn't change who you are. You're still my friend; you're still Loona."
"Am I?!" Loona exclaimed in anger, fear, and pain shocking Via into silence. Fighting back tears, the hellhound let out a long, tired sigh and choked out: "Honestly, I don't know what's worse; that I can't even recognize myself anymore or that I'm going to outlive everyone I know, for eternity." She thought back to Blitzo's many missions up in the mortal realm, and the bloody fights he got into in Hell, finally understanding how close he had come to dying each time. He had always seemed so untouchable, she had taken his mortality for granted. Now it just seemed so much more real.
Loona became so lost in her thoughts, that she barely noticed as a hand came on her shoulder. Turning she saw Via with a small smile at her best friend, still trying to help her through it. "Well…not everyone right?" She pointed out hopefully. "I'm a Goetia too remember; if you're immortal then so am I and I don't plan on leaving my bestie anytime soon."
"Dad isn't. As overprotective and stubborn as he is, one day he'll be dead." A joyless laugh escaped Loona as she voiced her fears: "It's funny, until today I thought the worst-case scenario would be having to watch him grow old and senile, while I still stay young and have to watch the whole fucking mess. But now, I gotta constantly worry about his life getting cut short. I mean, for fuck's sake all these years he's just been lucky. All it takes is one bullet or well-placed stab and he's gone!"
"Yeah, I know. Honestly, I have no idea how Dad would take losing your dad. He seems so happy with him, I'm not sure if he's even considered what to do when he dies." Octavia admitted. Funnily enough, she had never considered the possibility that the imp would one day die before her father, even after their many encounters together; which made her curious if her father had any plans of potentially extending his life. She hadn't even considered outliving Loona until now. She wondered if she would've been able to still be friends with her, knowing she'd likely outlive her. But she didn't back down and tried again to reassure her friend. "But I'm sure that won't happen for years at least. And if not, there'll be others to help you through it. I'll still be here for you for however long you last. And there's my dad, Bee. I'm sure she'll be ecstatic to hear she has a new immortal friend; probably even throw you a year-long fucking party, once she hears about it."
"Ugh, fuck I hope not," Loona whined at the thought of the Queen of Gluttony's possible reaction to the news. "Last thing I need is a fucking parade celebrating that my life is a lie and pretty much announcing to all of Hell that I'm a member of a bunch stock up elite assholes, with like only 3 or 6 exceptions."
Via might've protested if she didn't agree with Loona's beliefs; even as a Goetia herself, the owl princess could barely stand half the members of her order. "Well, for what little it's worth, you're definitely the best Goetia kid I've ever met."
"Via, stop it," The hellhound tried to brush off the compliment, but Via insisted encouragingly.
"No, I'm fucking serious with you. You know what the rest of them are like?" She let out a small irritated scoff at the thought of her peers and their many, annoying, absolutely unbearable interactions together throughout her life. "They're all just a bunch of entitled nepo babies leaching off their parent's wealth, casanova wannabes trying to groom me into their bride, or popular kids more interested in the latest shit gossip to form even the slightest original opinion of their own and all of them are bigoted shits! It's like a house filled with small copies of my worst aunts and uncles!"
The exclamation got a laugh out of Loona, her first genuine one in a long time. The two friends shared a brief moment of levity, a much-needed relief after all they had been through. "Guess, there's one upside to this whole mess. I didn't end up another privileged rich-bitch who throws a tantrum if my nails get moudy or believes that shit caviar is decent food."
They shared another hearty chuckle at the idea of the goth, cynical, and grumpy Loona, wearing a big fancy dress and frilly makeup like some of her aunts, Via giving her best friend a playful punch to the shoulder. "Yeah, because unlike those stuffy bastards, you actually have a personality! You're fun, wild, strong, and badass! You have good taste in clothing and music, you can outdrink any loser in Gluttony, and you kill douchebags upstairs for a living. Seriously, guess how many royal kids can come close to matching any of that!"
Loona shrugged amused. "I mean, you're the only royal kid I know, but I'm guessing zero."
"Exactly! That alone puts you a country worth of leagues above all of them," Octavia gave the former hound a big supportive smile as she declared that, which Loona returned, though her's was smaller. "Besides, it's not like anyone would believe you without proof. I mean fur color aside, you don't have her snake tail and you definitely don't have her wings, so who'd even tell?"
Loona's smile died right on the spot, as she looked away from her friend and back to the ground. Confused, Octavia was about to ask what she had said wrong, nervous she might've said something insensitive when she noticed Loona had slowly traced her back while avoiding eye contact. Via got the implication pretty quickly. "Wait…wait, do you? Did you actually have wings all this time?!"
"I HAD wings apparently," Loona corrected coldly. "Til, the bastards at my old orphanage hacked them off shortly after I arrived. So that explains the constant back pain I feel every month or so…"
"Oh fuck…But weren't you just a…" Octavia's eyes widened in horror at the realization of what had happened to her friend. She felt sick to her stomach, horrified at what had happened. "Did they pay? Are the bastards dead? Please tell, me the assholes paid for it, 'cause if not, I'll gladly help you with that!"
Loona shrugged. "No idea; haven't seen any of them since they dumped me off at that Gluttony Foundation. If I ever decide to go on an epic John Wick-style revenge quest on'em, I'll let you know."
Via hands balled up into fists as glared determined. "That better be a promise. What they did to you, they deserve to fucking pay!"
Despite her mood, Loona couldn't help but chuckle amusedly. "Woah, getting really badass there huh? Guess our little hangouts have started to rub off on you huh?"
Via giggled, a little embarrassed by that. "What can I say? I have a bad influence on my life. A few more hangouts and maybe I'll start breathing fire too." Her little snark, caused another thought to pop up in her head. "Can you breathe fire? I mean, if you had wings all this time, who knows what other traits you've inherited? Obviously, you don't have the snake tail, but maybe you can do magic stuff too?"
"No idea. Not really in a rush to find out," Loona answered flatly.
"Maybe that's something you could ask your mother about," Via suggested innocently. "You know, next time you see her or whenever you two meet up."
Loona's frown almost immediately soured and turned cold at the mention of her mother. A small growl escaped her throat, as her eyes narrowed. "You know what? I've made up my mind; it's definitely the latter. Knowing I have to put up with that bitch for as long as I live, or however long she lives, is just gonna make everything more unbearable by comparison."
Octavia shifted uncomfortably at the hellhound's bitter remark, feeling a little concerned at seeing the marchioness referred to so coldly. "Oh come on, Loona; I know you guys didn't have a great start but…she's not that bad. Maybe you two just need another chance to talk things out?"
The hellhound snorted in response to the idea. Her and the hag talking again? Yeah, right. "What, you know her or something?"
Octavia nodded casually in response. "Well, yeah, we're both Goetias remember? We meet at least once at every family gathering. I mean, we didn't see each other often, but Marie always made it a point to talk to me and see me more than my other family members. Used to spoil me rotten with birthday gifts. You know she gave me a sword when I turned 16? Hehe, Dad nearly had a heart attack." She giggled out in a series of small hoots at the memory of her father's horrified expression."Honestly, I can't believe Marie's your birth mother."
Loona tsked in disgust at that, resentment clear in her voice: "So she replaced me with you, huh? Guess I wasn't that important to her after all."
"What? N-no, It wasn't like that at all!" Octavia quickly tried to clarify and explain, after the hound's sudden, cold accusation. Again, she was getting worried by how coldly Loona was regarding her own mum. "Marie seldom ever visited me outside of gatherings and birthdays. Sure she'd try to talk to me whenever she could, but it was never that familial you know?"
She frowned guiltily as certain memories of her and the marchioness, ones from far back in her youth, resurfaced in her mind. "I remember as a dumb kid, I used to pester her with questions like if she had a boyfriend or if she wanted children. She'd always get so weird, dodging the question, trying to change the subject, not looking at me, and often finding some excuse to leave early. Never thought that all this time…she was carrying so much pain. Losing her baby, probably never talked to anyone about it, just having to live with the hurt all these years. She must've missed you a lot…"
Hearing that from her friend, made Loona hesitate just for a brief bit, almost like she was considering her friend's side. It made the owl hopeful, that she was starting to come around. But the former hellhound just scoffed in the end. "Not enough to actually try and find me though," Loona muttered bitterly, baring her teeth at the invisible figure, crossing her arms resentfully. "Just gave up on me after a few months. Left me to rot in a bunch of hellholes. Some fucking mum; I'll be glad if I never see her again."
Via looked at her friend's angered state, unsure what to do anymore. She didn't have a problem encouraging her to make up with Blitzo, but this seemed a bit out of her wheelhouse, especially without all the sides to it. Octavia wondered if she should ask her father how to approach this, as she looked out the window for a bit. And could vaguely make something out from the corner of it. Curious, she got up, approached the window, and opened it wide, getting a better look at the mysterious object, which was soon revealed to be a large black limo parked right outside the entrance. "What the fu-Loona, did you guys invite anyone else by chance?"
Loona blinked, surprised by the sudden question. "N-no?" She joined her friend's side to see what was going on, watching as the passenger exited the building and nearly lost it when she saw who it was.
To Stolas' relief, his recent screaming match with Stella had ended mercifully quickly for a change, and things seemed to be quieting down again. With a long-held sigh, the prince began walking to the upper right wing, where Blitzo and his rest were no doubt resting, hoping the worst was finally-
"Um, lord Stolas sir?" His good mood came to an end, as one of his servants nervously called to him. The prince let out a small groan in frustration but motioned for the servant to speak up. "It um…would seem that you have more visitors sir. A black limousine had just parked outside your mansion."
That caught Stolas' curiosity. More visitors? And so suddenly too. He doubted Blitzo had invited more without telling him so either his would-be assassins had managed to track them down or-
"Oh, what the BLOODY FUCK is it this time?" Stella screamed shooting Stolas a murderous glare, as she marched towards the door, shoving the servant aside to tell off the unwelcome guest. "If it's one more fucking imp, I'm gonna-"
She opened the door…and her words died out at the sight of the marchioness standing outside.
"Stella," Marchosias greeted cooly, walking past the flabbergasted princess.
The she-wolf turned to look at Prince Stolas, her yellow eyes burning into his red ones. Stolas wasn't able to respond immediately; not only had her sudden arrival taken him by surprise, but knowing the relationship between her and Loona… had made their close bond all the more tenser. It took the prince a few seconds to regain composure as he addressed Marie as calmly as possible. "M-Marchosias, what an unexpected surprise. What brings you-"
"I'm looking for a hellhound; should've recently entered your home Stolas?" Her blunt question stopped Stolas midsentence; the Prince hadn't expected her to know about Loona's location so soon. Sure, she most certainly would've still kept tabs on Loona, even after the poor first impressions, but the explosion had only been a few hours. And how did she even know they'd be here in all places? He didn't even get a chance to deny it before she cut him off again. "From what Rouge told me you allowed her and her adopted father to hold a birthday at your estate here, almost two weeks ago. I had a feeling they would come to you, after what happened to their apartment. Now, I do not know all the details of your relationship with either of them and for the time being, I don't care. Just please…tell me, is she here?"
Marie sounded so desperate and terrified by the end of it, visibly fighting back her true fear as she looked at Stolas pleadingly. It was so painful, the owl couldn't bring himself to deny her that. "She's-"
"Who in Hell do you think you are?!" He was interrupted, this time by his ex-wife Stella, who had recomposed herself and was now marching over to confront the marchioness. "Storming in here like you own the place. I demand you tell me what the fuck is going on."
Both he and Marchosias gave the angry swan an annoyed frown, neither in the mood to deal with her at the moment. "Perhaps we should talk somewhere more…privately?"
The marchioness was very accepting of the Prince's proposal. "Agreed. I could do without another groaning voice in my ear."
"Get the hell back here you bitch!" Stella exclaimed as the two began leaving the room, continuing to follow them, as she glared murderously at them both. In particular Marie. "I'm talking to you! Don't you fucking ignore me! When my brother hears about this, he'll freeze your taint-"
She tried to grab the she-wolf's shoulder, but Marchosias grabbed her by the wrist, turned around, and glared right into the swan's eyes, stunning Stella long enough to coldly say: "Stella, with as little respect as you deserve…shut your bloody mouth and get out of my way, before I'll be forced to make you."
She turned back towards Stolas, following him away from Stella, now at a total loss for words and a bit frightened by the blunt threat made to her face. The swan watched them walk off, fumbling over herself for a bit, until she finally let it all out in a fuming screech, kicking over one of the potted plants and storming into another room demanding a servant bring her a phone so she could complain to her brother some more.
The two Goetias paid her no mind, as Stolas led the marchioness into one of his private studies, making sure the door was locked and no one was listening before sighed and pulled out a seat for himself and Marie. "Honestly, Marchosias a warning would've been appreciated, or at the least a phone call."
The marchioness shifted a bit as she took her seat, giving Stolas an apologetic nod and relaxed. "Forgive my suddenness. After I heard about the explosion and found them not there, I allowed myself to panic. Spent an hour pouring over where she might've gone before I remembered Rouge found her here. I raced over here, shortly after that." She looked at the prince, fighting back a pleading, fearful whine. "Now, please tell me. Is she alright?
The prince gave her a warm, comforting smile. "She is, Marchosias. Loona is alive, well, and currently recuperating with either her father or my daughter."
Marie let out a loud sigh of relief at that, her growing worries and anxieties lifted off her shoulders at the news. She gave the owl a thankful smile, tough with a slightly guilty look. "Thank you, Stolas, truly. I apologize for my behavior earlier, but this is an important matter. I cannot tell you the full details but-"
"I know." Stolas' blunt statement caught Marie off guard, as she looked at him stunned by his casual remark. "I know she's your daughter Marchosias; Blitzo told me shortly after you stormed his office two weeks prior."
After a long, shocked pause, Marie fought back a loud heavy groan as she muttered irritation. "Of course, he told you. Why did I think that impulsive manchild could keep a secret…" Still, that he had heard from the imp made her curious. Why WAS the son of King Paimon, one of Lucifer's Top Generals involved with an imp of all things? "How do you know him anyway? He doesn't strike me as one of your servants but he must have some close relationship for you to allow him to host a party at your place."
"I have my secrets, you have yours," Stolas answered plainly, fighting back a brief dread at possibly revealing too much already. "I believe it's in both of our best interests if we leave it at that, yes?"
Marchosias wanted to know more, fighting back the urge to grill him for more answers but agreed to the owl prince's request for now. "Fine then." She narrowed her eyes the hint of a threat glowing brightly towards him. "As long as you make sure to keep said secrets. In particular mine."
Stolas put her fears to rest, looking as if it was painfully obvious. "Oh come on, Marie, you know I'm better than that. I didn't tell anyone and I don't plan to. I'm just thankful you're daughter is alive and alright. I couldn't imagine losing my own Octavia. Or she losing me…" the prince pushed away the thought with a rough shake of his head. He couldn't think those thoughts now. Not so close after his encounter with the cowboy. "Still, I must admit this is all so unexpected. I mean, having a child with a hellhound all this time. Queen Beelzebub's flings are one thing, but this is something else entirely. Not that I don't approve of course it's just-"
"I know," Marie said calmly, knowing what Stolas was trying to say, just thankful it had gone better than the last time she had revealed her child to another Goetia. "I imagine it must be quite a lot. There'll be time to talk about that later. Now, could you lead me to my daughter?"
Stolas smiled and went to open the door, motioning Marie to follow him as he stepped outside. "Of course! I'm sure after such a traumatic event, she'd be relieved to see you again-"
"YOU!"
Everything went to a halt, as the prince and marchioness turned to the source of the sudden outburst. Marie looked both surprised and relieved at who it was. Luna. Her daughter. After their painful last encounter, it was so wonderful to see her again. Even if it looked like she was seconds away from killing her right. "Dia-Luna! My moon, it's so good to-"
"THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Loona demanded furiously, as she stormed right over towards the marchioness, glaring her down despite being quite shorter than the Ars Goetia. "What part of stay the FUCK out of my life did you not understand?!"
Marie flinched at her daughter's angered outburst but didn't back down as she glared right back. "Luna, your apartment blew up! You could've died!" Loona fliched at that, surprised that she had already heard the news. It had only been a few hours and things like that were so common they were hardly ever reported on anymore. "You can't honestly expect me to not check up on you after-"
Loona didn't give her time to finish, angrily lashing out at her again. "How do you know about that? That was less than two hours ago! Have you fucking stalking me this whole time?!" She accused furiously, glaring at the marchioness.
"Loona, sweetie, what's going on? We heard some shouting-" Marie didn't get a chance to speak up as Blitzo raced through the halls with Moxxie and Millie in tow, stopping upon the sight of Marie, at which point he sneered venomously. "Oh HELL NO! The fuck do you think you're doing here, you flea-ritten moneywhore?!"
Marchosias resisted the urge to punch the imp across the face and tried to explain: "I came to talk to my daughter. After I heard about the apartment-"
"Oh great, so now you're a homewrecker, a selfish elitist, a wannabe kidnapper, AND a stalker! Anything else you wanna add?" Blitzo interrupted her with a harsh bark.
"Why do you all assume-never mind. You don't understand! I checked the apartment myself and found something. There's more to it than you think, they were trying to-"
"Holy shit, your mum's here!" Octavia exclaimed in shock, having caught up the the hellhound, causing Marchosias to glare back at Stolas.
"You told me, you didn't tell anyone else!"
"I didn't! Your daughter probably told her."
"Not her fucking daughter!"
"Yeah, you fucking tell her Loona! Kick that bitches' tow."
"Dad, what in Hell's going on? What happened to their apartment?"
"Sir, can I please go back to my room? I need to rest."
"While the bitch trying to steal my daughter?! The hell you are!"
"What me to stab her eyes out! I'll fucking do it B!
"That is not what I'm here for! If you'd just let me explain-"
"WILL ALL OF YOU ASSHOLES AND PHEBIANS STOP FUCKING SCREAMING!"
The whole room turned into a chaotic echo chamber of noises, accusations, curses, and voices all lost in the madness, completely wild to any outside until-
"ENOUGH!" A wave of black and red energy warped out in the room as Stolas, briefly assuming his full demon glory, silenced everyone with a display of his power. With everyone's anger and confusion briefly forgotten, the prince calmed down and returned to his normal form, pinching his fingers between his eyes as he let out a tired groan. "Alright, clearly there's a lot to talk about here. Plenty of bad blood, some misunderstandings, and a potential new clue to this whole affair? So, perhaps we can all act like civilized people, cool down a bit, and have a talk about this in my study, without killing each other? Or me having to throw you all out?"
He glared harshly with glowing eyes at each one of them, making it very clear he was serious with his threat. The party all looked at each other, with varying emotions despite most of their shared animosity, silently agreed, and followed the prince back inside his study for a proper talk.
Well, most all of them; the door slammed shut in the face of one certain member: "Not you, Stella."
The princess did not take that well. "Where's the fucking phone?!" She screamed as she knocked over another plant and went rampaging through the castle in a furious huff, grabbing the phone from the poor imp who had finally brought it to her, and called an all too familiar number. "Oooh brother, you would not believe the FUCKING day I've had!"
Marie's back! You guys didn't think I'd keep her away from the cast for long, did you? ;).
I should note that I don't really have an exact point in which this takes place in canon. Originally I had it set before Exes and Oohs, to explain why Stella's still living with Stolas, but I decided to extend it out to sometime after Western Energy, in order for certain elements to make sense. Though even that is with a fat asterisk as in this timeline, Stolas doesn't know yet that his ex-wife hired Striker to kill him. Maybe he'll find out later on. Who knows?