Chapter 1: Miss You

The bass pumped tightly with the beat of the music seemingly filling Beezlbub's venue hall from everywhere and nowhere. Hellhounds and IMPs danced, mingled, and did all sorts of things in the conveniently dim corners of the Queen of Gluttony's palace. Loona found herself in the midst of conversation with the sin and her boyfriend, trying her hardest not to feel uncomfortable in front of the queen.

"You're my new favorite person!" The Queen of Gluttony cheered.

"Am I though?"

The queen wrapped her arm around the shy hellhound's side with a playful smirk. "Yeah bitch!" She beamed, tilting Loona's head gently in her direction as she looked down into her red eyes. "I mean it. It reminds me of the time I first saw Satan without a shirt on…" Queen Bee continued droning on with her exaggerated motions as she described the experience of wanting to 'hit it' with her 'brother'.

Loona shyly rubbed her arm, nodding politely through Queen Bee's dialogue about Satan. Every fiber of her being didn't want to be at the venue if it meant having to keep making small talk with the ringleader of Gluttony. As soon as the hound bid her adieu for a night of fun and indulgence, the hellhound placed her solo cup down on a nearby table, turning back, and she continued nodding along to Tex's conversation.

"I'm telling you Loona, these parties are definitely worth coming out to. I'm gonna go check in with some of my friends but if you need me, I'll be by the bar." He smiled, squeezing her shoulder gently as her fur barely covered the burning blush on her face.

The husky ran a hand through her thick curtain of hair. "T-Thanks for having me tonight!" She beamed shyly, waiting for the handsome hound to disappear into the thick crowd of hounds and various other demons before slowly turning around and making her way out the main hall and back outside.

Loona took a deep breath and looked down at the ground briefly as she tried to make sense of the night. Sure, Tex had a girlfriend, but she would never had been foolish enough to think that she had a snowball's chance in hell with him if she had known that he was dating a sin of all demons. She started walking away from the massive venue, tears welling in her eyes as she tried to reassure herself that everything was fine, but the blurry neon lights of Gluttony did little to comfort her as tears threatened to fall at any moment.

She leaned against a traffic light as she waited her turn to cross, taking a deep breath as she dabbed her tears away, determined to push down her feelings on the matter. Even if it only provided temporary relief for someone in her position. The hound crossed the street while her ears twitched at the familiar sound of traffic. She turned around and hailed the first cab she saw, sliding onto the worn in leather back seat before closing the door.

"Just… take me to the quietest hole in the wall you know of." The husky requested, leaning against the door as she quietly watched the labyrinth streets of downtown Gluttony pass by her. She silently gazed out the window, lost in her thoughts as the city lights casted their neon glow and fleeting shadows across her face. Eventually the hyper skyscrapers and extravagant venues bled to more modest tall buildings and easy-going places more or less similar to Imp City.

The cab driver slowly pulled up at a semi decent looking place near the outskirts of downtown. She checked herself over before paying the fair with the faintest of smiles, appreciative for the solitude the quiet driver granted her. As she entered the dimly lit bar, she looked around slowly for a relatively unbothered spot to sit at before sitting down at the farthest end of the bar near the bartender's station. The shapely bottles of various sizes taunted her with the light glittering of light they filled the area with. Her ears flatten slightly as she locked eyes with her favorite brand of bourbon, Clyde's. Loona managed to speak up enough to order a double shot, staring at the brown concoction before downing it one fell swoop.

That first shot led to a couple more shots, each one trying to dull the ache in her chest as each attempt left her throat burning with that cinnamon sensation the drink was known for. Time slowly dragged on, the hellhound occasionally paying attention to the baseball game going on in Pride between The Huskies and The Saints. She silently cheered for The Huskies, not that it mattered much given how many shots she had downed without the needed relief she kept chasing. She nursed another shot in her hands, growling softly to herself as she waited patiently for the bartender to return only to hear him laughing it up with some usual. The hound stared at him through semi-slitted eyes, downing the last of her current shot of Clyde's before getting up and deciding to remind the demon what his job is.

Before she could even take a single step, Loona immediately grunted as she bumped into a solid wall of mass, her shot glass popping free from her hand and rolling underneath a table while a pair of sunglasses crunched against the hardwood floor. She tried to bend down to grab the glasses, but felt her body move far too slowly until she locked eyes with the demon in front of her. Her throat felt heavy as she noticed the familiar pink eyes, the small horns behind his ears and that light red tinge to his white fur.

"S-Saint Jimmy?" She murmured in shock, surprised to run into the hellhound hybrid.

The hound laughed and ran a hand through his pompadour, tucking away the broken sunglasses. "The one and only, miss. Surprised you recognize me." He signaled to the bartender and slipped them some money before receiving a JD Whiskey bottle. "Come drink with me and you can ask me whatever you want as long as you're not gonna fangasm over being able to talk to me." The hellhound offered, brushing past Loona and towards an even quieter corner to sit down in his favorite booth.

Loona shyly ran her fingers through her long hair as she did everything to steel her nerves and follow the man to his spot. She sat down across from him, grabbing the bottle as soon as he passed it over and taking a good swig. "Woah… The Saints helped me through one of my lowest points in life. Some of the friends I've made here held out hope because of your music in those nasty orphanages. That's how long I've been following your music before I started believing those rumors…"

Jimmy shook his head as he took a good drink from the bottle. "That we died? Nah. We're all still kicking. I'm the only one who hasn't really gone back to making music." He said dismissively, waving his hand as he lit a cigarette for himself before offering Loona one which she accepted with a small nod.

Loona took a quiet puff at the cigarette, trying to organize her thoughts as she looked at Jimmy with a mixture of surprise and curiosity. "No offense, but what's someone like you doing in a no-name bar like this? You could be partying it up or drinking somewhere a bit more… upscale." she remarked, gesturing to the modest surroundings.

The older hellhound chuckled, a tired smile playing on his lips. "Guess I'm just tired of the glitz and glamor. Needed a change of scenery," he replied, his eyes carrying a hint of nostalgia. "Besides, sometimes these quiet places have their own special kind of charm."

Jimmy ran a hand through his combed-over mane, revealing the small horns that adorned his head. His pink eyes gazed over Loona tiredly, a silent acknowledgment of the weariness they both seemed to share. Leaning in slightly, he gently prodded, "Enough about me… What about you, kid? Little young to be drowning yourself at the bottom of a bottle miss..?"

"Loona." She responded gently, ears flattening slightly against her head as she stared down at her drink. "You wouldn't understand. I was just starting to find peace a-and solace in your music after going through so when you fell off the face of Hell.

Jimmy went to lift the bottle of whiskey, only to find it empty as he set it aside and waved over one of the servers. "Could you bring us a bottle of bourbon please?" He asked, slipping the young imp who had pulled to the table several bills. "Keep the change." The imp nodded and immediately went behind the bar to retrieve the usual bottle the rockstar was known for drinking.

As the bottle arrived, Jimmy uncorked it and poured them both a drink. He raised his glass in a silent toast before taking a sip. "You're right, kid. Alcohol won out over wasting my time performing for a world that didn't seem to care anymore," he said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Sometimes drowning in the numbness of bourbon is easier than facing the realities that come with the spotlight."

As they sipped from the shared bottle, a somber camaraderie settled between them. Loona, still guarded but intrigued, took a deep breath before speaking. "So, what happened to The Saints? You guys were everything to us hellhounds. Then, poof, like you vanished."

Jimmy's gaze flickered with a mix of regret and bitterness. "Life happened, kid. The fame, the pressure, the expectations– it all became too much. The Saints became a shadow of what it once was, and I needed a break from the constant spotlight."

Loona frowned, swirling the bourbon in her glass. "But what about us? The hounds who relied on your music when everything else was chaos?"

Jimmy sighed, a heaviness in his tone. "I never meant to let down fans like you. But sometimes, you have to choose between saving yourself and saving others. I thought disappearing was the only way to find some semblance of peace."

Loona's eyes flashed with frustration. "Well, some of us never got that luxury, Jimmy. Queen Bee might own those orphanages, but she doesn't give a damn about the kids. It's a hellhole there. I'm lucky that I was even adopted out to a halfway decent home. You know how many kids don't get that privilege?"

His tired eyes met hers, a shared pain reflected in their depths. "I wish I could change that, Loona. I really do." He murmured sincerely.

She looked down at her hands, head feeling properly buzzed as she felt comfortable enough to open up. "I… I'm sorry, Jimmy. Tonight's been a really shitty night except for meeting you. There's this friend I made some months ago and he finally invited me out to one of his girlfriends parties." She bit her lip as the guilt started washing over again. "I-I stupidly went there thinking I had a chance to impress him. Convince him to be with me instead of whatshername. Except whatshername is none other than Queen Bee…" She murmured softly, ears fully flattening against her head. "It's like… She's this shadow being casted over me. I just… I wish I didn't have to keep running into her."

Jimmy nodded knowingly, his eyes reflecting a shared struggle. "Queen Bee has a way of making everything more complicated. But don't let her dictate your happiness, Loona. You're more than the chaos she creates."

Loona took another sip of bourbon, a hint of vulnerability in her eyes. "It's just hard, you know? Feeling like you're constantly fighting against forces you can't control. And tonight, it hit me that I might never win his heart."

The hybrid quietly stood up, placing a comforting hand on Loona's shoulder. "Life's a constant battle, kid. But don't let one disappointment define your worth. Sometimes, the unexpected paths lead to the most profound moments." He took one last look at the half empty bottle and slid it over to the other hellhound before fishing around his pockets for a card.

He pulled a pen from his jacket pocket and wrote his info down before placing a couple of bills beneath his card. "I need to go for a walk before I try to drink any further. If you ever want someone to talk to or whatever… hit me up. It was a pleasure meeting you, Loona." The hound earnestly said, smiling down as he turned to leave only to feel her hand hold onto his suddenly.

"I'm… I'm sorry for how I came at you earlier. You're not responsible for my happiness. I'm glad I got to enjoy your music when I did though." She murmured.

Jimmy smiled down at the apologetic woman, giving her hand a comforting squeeze. "Don't even worry about it. It's water under the bridge my friend." He gently rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb as he gently let go of her surprisingly firm grip. "Don't be a stranger and hit me up. Maybe I'll play you something." He teased with a soft laugh as he waded through the crowd until he completely blended right on into the night.

Loona felt her face flush lightly at the surprisingly kind words of the musician, looking down at the table as she grabbed the card and flipped it over. The front of the card had his name and advertising his services as a session musician and engineer. Her eyes continued down only to widen when she realized the hellhound had casually left her with half of a very expensive bottle of Bourbon and five hundred dollars to get home with for the night. "I… I don't think he knows the real value of money around here…" She mumbled to herself, corking the bottle and making her way out the bar as she decided to make the trek back to her familiar apartment.

~Break~

Several days had passed since the hellhound first met the former rockstar. She still had the card with his info on it, but hadn't made a single attempt to add his contact info. The hellhound sighed and pulled her phone out as she mulled it over once again before sighing and tapping the front of her phone against her snout. "Fuck it." She grunted to herself, pulling the car out of her pocket and adding the front man to her contacts list.

She put the phone face down on the table and slowly whipped out her small flask and took a good sip. The hound closed her eyes and breathed deeply as she felt her shaking fingers begin to relax. She leaned back in silence for several minutes before taking another swig only to be interrupted by a loud cough.

"Again?" A tired voice spoke up.

Loona eyed the imp from her periphery. "What?"

Blitz shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. "We've been over this multiple times, Loona. Leave the fucking alcohol out of here. It's bad enough that you drink every night like it's a Friday night Pub meetup in our very small apartment, but I know for a fact I told you I was done with you drinking at the office after the baby kicking incident. Was I not clear?" He asked rather exasperated.

"Yup."

"Why?"

"Cuz."

The imp walked up to her desk and looked the hellhound dead in the eye. "Because you said so doesn't count for shit when I'm the one in charge. Even for hell, the way you drink is just not it. Cut it the fuck out. This is how we put food on the table and I'm not allowing anyone… not even my daughter to try to ruin the only thing I've been able to build.

Loona stood up wordlessly, pulling the flask out and emptying it before stashing the flask in her bag as she checked herself over. With a nod, she grabbed the door and opened it.

Blitz cocked an eyebrow at her. "And just where do you think you're going missy?"

She turned her head and gave him a smile. "Somewhere the fuck else since I'm not professional enough for you, boss." The hound waved behind her, closing the door before hitting the street and banging the first right away from IMP's office and heading straight for downtown.

The hours slowly dragged on as she walked about, stopping at various liquor stores to buy as many bottles as it took to suppress her thoughts. She'd pop one open, drink it all down like water before letting the bottle join the usual littering Imp City was known for. Her march through the seemingly endless city continued even when the sun kissed the skyline and the neon lights began to fill the streets with their welcoming glow.

Loona, feeling the weight of her emotions, stumbled upon a dimly lit bar. She gave it a look over, peering lazily through the tinted windows and noticing its relatively quiet demeanor. The hound stepped inside and slid into a booth, the worn leather cool against her back. The flickering neon lights outside cast a bright, purple and blue glow on her face as she looked over the menu with a quiet sigh as she waited for someone to take her order. A succubus pulled up at the booth with a surprisingly warm smile for a lowly creature like her.

"Hey… Let me get two shots of your favorite whiskey. Please." She spoke up tiredly.

The dark brunette hummed and nodded at her request, writing down her favorite brand.

Loona looked down at the table tiredly, rubbing the bridge of her nose as she tried to relax and wait for the server to return only to be surprised as a pair of shot glasses were placed in front of her.

"If you need anything, just let me know, hun." She smiled, continuing onwards to make her rounds.

She shot back each glass with ease, her throat burning as she slowly sunk back into the leather booth. Eventually the shots were replaced with a new pair and this slowly became her pattern over the next few hours. As she continued to drink, a bitter monologue began to form, spoken in hushed tones to herself. "Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic" she muttered, her words barely audible over the low hum of the bar. "Can't even handle a bit of criticism. Blitzo's right. I'm just a screw-up."

She dug into her backpack and pulled out what was left of the bottle Jimmy left her with. Her gaze fixated on the liquid in the bottle, the amber depths reflecting a distorted image of her own frustration. "Thought I could escape this crap, find something better. But here I am, drowning in the same old mistakes." She sarcastically laughed to herself quietly, uncorking the bottle and finishing it off before setting it down under the table. The hellhound laid her head down on her arms, shaking lightly as the doubts in her mind seemed to find new ways to pick at her insecurities.

"Disappointed myself again. Can't even hold it together for a simple job. What a joke. What the hell am I even doing?"

The bar was indifferent to her inner turmoil, continuing its subdued rhythm as the distant murmur of conversations and the occasional clink of glasses became a dissonant backdrop to her self-reflection. She took another swig, the bitterness of the alcohol mirroring the bitterness in her thoughts. The weight of her own disappointment pressed down on her shoulders, the booth becoming both a refuge and a prison.

Eventually, closing time came about, the server politely helping Loona cash out before bidding her a goodnight as the bartender and owner slowly shuffled everyone out for the night. The hellhound slipped her last bottle of liquor out of her backpack, stumbled out into the night, her steps uneven on the uneven pavement. The city's vibrant chaos had mellowed into an eerie quiet. As she stumbled through the deserted streets, the weight of the night settled on her shoulders. Loona found herself in front of an abandoned car, its skeletal frame a silent witness to the city's neglected corners. She caught sight of her reflection on the dangling passenger mirror. Her hair looked ruffled and rather matted, eyes dark with a deep seated exhaustion. The hellhound grabbed the mirror and growled out as the frustration and self-pity finally boiled over within her.

With an anguished cry, Loona swung her fist at the rusted metal, the impact reverberating through the empty street. Her knuckles barely stung, not that it would have stopped her from wailing on the car. The once vibrant cityscape seemed to shrink around her, the neon lights mocking her from above as she huffed and puffed between her hits..

"Why! can't! I get it! Together!?" she screamed, each hit on the car punctuating the overwhelming feelings threatening to consume her as she hurled her absolute anger at every square inch of the junker.

After nearly an hour of relentlessly beating on the rusted car, Loona finally slumped against the dented in door of the car. Every breath was ragged and forced, hands trembling uncontrollably as she couldn't summon the strength to continue to showcase her rage on the rusted junker. A part of her deep down couldn't help but feel sorry for the sad piece of work she had become. She gazed up at the night sky, eyes lazily staring at the full moon that glowed brightly despite the tsunami of neon signs. Her lips quivered before a loud howl echoed through the quiet, empty streets of Imp City. The hellhound howled for all the ache and sadness dragging her heart till her cry became little more than a quiet whimper. The sadness in her eyes deepened, and memories of her mother crept into the forefront of her thoughts. She gazed up at the moon, the celestial body that had witnessed her happiest and darkest moments.

"I miss you, Mom…" The words hung in the air like a fragile prayer, the pain of longing etched on her face as tears slowly ran down her snout.

She sat quietly, head down as she thought about the only family she had before Blitzo. The hound eventually began nodding off, the alcohol really starting to get to her as she groaned tiredly. Loona turned to face the car, pulling the door open with ease despite the damage it took from her hands. Rusty hinges groaned and creaked in defiance as the door opened to reveal worn leather and a light layer of dust on everything. She crawled inside the car, closing the door behind her as she curled up on the worn out upholstery.

The dim glow of the moon seeped through the cracked windows, casting shadows that danced around Loona as she clutched her fluffy tail quietly. Loona trembled as she held back sobs, the echoes of her mother's absence reverberating within the confined space. The scent of aged leather and dust mingled with the lingering traces of her own vulnerability. With each shaky breath, she fought against the overwhelming grief that threatened to consume her. She cried quietly, mumbling an old lullaby to herself as she slowly felt the world spin into pure darkness before her mind succumbed to rest.