As they watched Stella dump her suitcases back into the limo and have Jessie drive away through the library window, both Mick and Octavia couldn't help but let out a solemn sigh. However, in the former's case, it was mostly out of concern for the Goetia Princess. There they were, sitting in Octavia's private corner of the library, a place neither of them had visited in quite some time. In a way, it almost felt… nostalgic.

"Calmed down now?" the Cat Demon asked, handing Octavia a soothing cup of coffee.

"I think so," Octavia replied, gratefully taking a few short sips before letting out another sigh.

It had barely been an hour since Octavia had walked in on her parents' final breakup, and so far she appeared to be handling things… surprisingly well. Better than Mick would have expected anyway. Still, he knew that the Goetia Princess still needed a calm, quiet place to gather her thoughts. And thankfully this private corner of the library was the first place he could think of… a place that Octavia knew to be safe and familiar.

Since neither Stella nor Stolas seemed to notice that their daughter had overheard everything regarding their sudden divorce, it was no surprise that the latter hadn't come to comfort her just yet. Undoubtedly, he was still up in his room, coming to terms with what had transpired and trying to come up with the best way to break the news to Octavia, whom he most likely believed was still in the dark. In the meantime, Mick was there to lend an ear if she needed to vent.

"How're you holding up?" he asked, earning himself a confused glance from the Owl Demon.

"Honestly?" she asked. "I don't really know."

Hearing that, Mick couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

"I mean, obviously I was upset at first," Octavia continued, pulling down her beanie over her eyes in frustration. "But now? I feel… nothing."

"Well, I suppose…" Mick tried to say, hoping to provide some words of comfort before Octavia cut him off.

"I mean, I should be furious with this, shouldn't I?" she asked, her tear-filled eyes almost begging for an explanation of how she was feeling. "But… I'm not. My parents are getting divorced and it doesn't seem to phase me as much as it should… What the fuck's wrong with me!?"

At those words, Octavia immediately set her coffee down on the nearby table and buried her hands in her palms. Needless to say, seeing Octavia upset like this broke Mick's heart, so much so that he wanted nothing more than to hold her in his arms. However, given the current circumstances, he wasn't sure whether or not that would have been overstepping. Thankfully, those worries became a moot point when a certain someone suddenly walked in. Seeing her adorable face looking back at him, an idea immediately popped into the Cat Demon's head.

"Snowflake… snuggle time."

Before Octavia even had a second to register the words that left Mick's mouth, she suddenly found a familiar little fox had hopped up onto her lap before she began rubbing her face into her torso. Looking deep into Snowflake's big blue eyes, Octavia couldn't help but smile, even if it was only for the briefest of moments.

"Aww," she uttered, wilfully melting into the embrace. "Thanks, girl,"

The Snowflake Snuggle… works every time. Seeing that Octavia's mood had been somewhat lightened, Mick let out a small sigh and gave Octavia a stern yet caring gaze.

"Octi… what you're feeling… I personally don't think there's anything wrong with you," he said, trying his best to find the right words. "If anything it's probably only natural."

"You think that feeling nothing about my parents splitting up is NATURAL?" Octavia countered, clearly still in disbelief of her own feelings.

"Well, considering that MY parents split up when I was barely out of diapers, I can't pretend to know what you're going through," Mick admitted, scratching the back of his head. "But given the circumstances, I think that deep down you KNOW that this is for the best… I mean, no offence, but your mother isn't the most… likeable person."

Judging from the scowl Octavia immediately gave him, Mick instantly thought that he had stepped out of line when he told her that last part. However, mere moments later, the Goetia Princess's face slowly softened into a frown.

"Yeah, I know," she admitted with a heavy, solemn sigh, holding Snowflake close as if she were a comforting blanket. "I guess… I guess I DID see this coming eventually. I just didn't want to admit it."

"No child of divorce ever does," Mick said in agreement.

"With all the arguments, the hateful comments… the occasional slap across the face… this outcome had to be inevitable, huh?"

"Well…"

Unsure of what he could say to answer such a question, Mick could only let Octavia carry on speaking, hoping that at least having an ear to listen would help.

"I mean, when you're a kid, you'd never even consider your parents growing apart," the Goetia Princess continued. "But then… as you get older, you start to notice things about your parents… what people say about them… how they see each other, and… how YOU see them. Then all of a sudden, your viewpoint completely changes and those things people say begin to make so much sense. Hell, I suppose the rest of the staff will be ecstatic once they hear the news that their biggest headache has finally gone."

"Um…"

Flashback - 20 Minutes ago:

Little did Octavia realize, the staff had ALREADY been made aware of what happened, courtesy of Mick when he went down to the kitchen to brew the coffee.

"Alright guys," he addressed the other staff members as he waited for the kettle to boil. "I'm sure you've all heard by now but I might as well say it anyway just so we're all on the same page… Lady Stella will no longer be with us in this house."

Hearing that, Buzz immediately spat out his orange juice in the Chef's face, much to the latter's anger.

"She's dead!?" he said hopefully.

"No, she's not dead!" Mick snapped, unsurprised that Buzz would come to such a conclusion.

"Awwwwwwwwwww!" the Imp dejectedly uttered, voicing almost everyone else's opinion on the matter.

"She IS, however, in the process of moving out indefinitely," Mick clarified, much to everyone's intrigue. "To clarify, the Goetias are now in the process of getting a divorce and Lady Stella will be moving to her brother's palace as soon as she's gathered some belongings. Now, I know this is going to bring about some changes but-"

POP!

"WOOHOO!"

"Seriously guys!?"

In all honesty, Mick should not have been surprised when he saw Buzz hefting a large green bottle twice his size, while Jewel, Jessie, AND the Chef were eagerly awaiting with empty crystal glasses.

"Oh… is this NOT a champagne moment?" Jewel asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm sure they'll be… somewhat sympathetic," Mick uttered.

Obviously, Octavia didn't believe that for a second, but she appreciated the effort. Seeing the raised eyebrow she was giving him, Mick, of course, recognised her disbelief almost instantly. Even so, how was he supposed to tell her that his fellow staff members wanted to celebrate Stella's departure before she had even made it to the door… not that he could blame them, of course.

"Well, I suppose on the bright side it'll be a bit more peaceful around here without all the fighting," Octavia sighed, her own attempt at a joke not even remotely lifting her spirits. "Small miracles, I guess."

"Oh, just wait till the lawyers get involved," Mick commented with a roll of his eyes. "God knows how many of THEM are swarming this pit… and not just the Sinners either."

Octavia, of course, gave the Cat Demon a small frown at that.

"NOT helping, Mick," she said, giving her bodyguard cause to flinch.

"Sorry," he uttered, immediately regretting opening his mouth.

After that, the two of them remained in silence for a short while, neither of them having any idea of what else they could say that had already been said. Soon enough, however, that silence began to feel like standing in the middle of a cold room without a window, a small chill running down Mick's spine the longer it continued.

Eventually, the Cat Demon could no longer stand it, so he rose from his chair, knelt in front of Octavia and held her hand, much to the Goetia Princess's surprise. Feeling Mick's soft touch wrapping around her palm, his padded thumb brushing the back of her hand, Octavia felt a gentle warmth that surprisingly didn't come from the Cat Demon's flames… but one that came from his kind heart.

"Are you going to be okay?" Mick eventually asked, causing Octavia to once again let out a small sigh.

"I suppose I'll have to be," she answered. "Sooner or later, I'll have to move on, right?"

Hearing that, Mick, of course, couldn't resist providing Octavia with even more of his support.

"You know you can come to me if you ever need a shoulder to cry on, right?" he asked, bringing a small smile to the Owl Demon's face.

"Yeah… I know," she said, rising from her chair, letting Snowflake drop to the floor before she pulled Mick back to his feet and gave him a small hug of appreciation.

Watching the two of them melt into the embrace, Snowflake tilted her head with a small blissful smile. To her, it was like watching her favourite scene from her most beloved movie. After a few minutes, however, the hugging eventually stopped, much to the Kitsune pup's disappointment.

"You sure you're okay, now?" Mick asked, offering Octavia a tissue from his pocket.

"Y-yeah, I'll be fine," Octavia insisted, declining the tissue but appreciating the sentiment regardless. "I'm a big girl, I'm sure I can handle this."

"Even a big girl needs to succumb to her feelings now and then, Octi," Mick pointed out.

Octavia, however, merely shrugged at that.

"True," she admitted. "And don't get me wrong, I WILL need time to adjust, but… this probably IS for the best, right?"

From the pleading look in her eyes, Mick could tell that Octavia was also trying to convince herself with her words, and she needed HIM to make the final confirmation. Given what the Goetia Princess said was undoubtedly true, the Sinner felt no hesitation whatsoever when he gave her a confident nod.

"Of course," he said, adding the final cherry on the cake that gave Octavia cause to sigh.

"And… you'll still be there if I ever need to talk right?" Octavia continued, her voice somewhat trembling. "I mean I know there's my Dad, but there's only so many things I can talk to him about… especially with this."

Despite knowing he couldn't confess his true feelings just yet, knowing that Octavia still needed him was considered a small blessing on Mick's part, and something he would embrace proudly.

"I've told you before, Octi," he said confidently. "I'm not going anywhere."

Hearing that, Octavia went for another hug, this one feeling tighter than the last one. By the time she and Mick pulled away from each other, Snowflake could tell that the tension had now eased immensely, so much so that the little fox had to paw at Octavia's leg. Scooping her up with a smile, the Goetia Princess giggled as Snowflake gave her a small lick on the cheek, lifting her spirits that much more just as a certain thought popped into her head.

"You know something?" she said. "I think I know exactly what'll help me perk up from this."

Needless to say, Mick was instantly curious upon hearing that.

"You do?" he asked, raising an eyebrow beneath his mask. "What?"

"Something that I think could help both me AND my Dad," Octavia elaborated, giving Snowflake a small scratch behind the ear. "I suppose you could call it impeccable timing in these circumstances, but he's promised to take me to the Living World next week."

The instant he heard those two particular words leave Octavia's mouth, Mick's eyes snapped wide in shock.

"For real!?" he exclaimed, his pleading eyes begging to know more.

"Mhm," Octavia replied, her smile growing bigger as the thoughts of the upcoming event rushed through her head. "There's this meteor shower called 'Asathoth's Tears' and it's supposed to be AMAZING to witness. So Dad's taking me stargazing in the Living World to go and see them when they pass over next week."

Taking a moment to absorb what he had just heard, Mick couldn't help but gaze at Octavia in awe.

"Stargazing, huh?" he repeated, thinking back to when he last saw the moon while he was down in the Wrath Ring, wondering if it could remotely compare to what Octavia would witness. "That DOES sound nice."

"Oh yeah, I've been looking forward to it since I was a kid," Octavia giddily replied as she took out her Hellphone and showed Mick her calendar with the 20th of the current month marked down. "I've had the date set and everything."

Seeing this, Mick couldn't help but chuckle.

"Well, it looks like SOMEONE is enthusiastic," he commented, causing Octavia to blush a little.

"Y-yeah, I guess," she said sheepishly, trying her best to ignore the smirk Snowflake was giving her. "And who knows… maybe they will take my mind off things, eh?"

"Maybe, yeah," Mick said in agreement, though not without feeling just a little bit jealous.

Of course, Mick was obviously downplaying his thoughts on the matter. Seeing the excitement etched across Octavia's face the more she talked about this trip with her father, the Cat Demon felt in his gut that it could be exactly what she needed, even if it was only a temporary distraction from the divorce.

"You know… if you want, I could ask Dad if you could come along," Octavia suddenly, yet bashfully suggested, quickly catching Mick off guard. "I mean you ARE my bodyguard, so…"

Alas, as much as such an idea appealed to him, Mick had no choice but to nip it in the bud before Octavia continued.

"Oh, believe me, I would LOVE to," he said regretfully, yet honestly. "But I really shouldn't. I mean getting sent to another Ring is one thing but for a Sinner to go BACK to the land of the living… I couldn't let you guys take a risk like that."

Though Octavia wanted to argue, and refute his rejection, she reluctantly had to agree with Mick's point. While certain Hellborns have been known to journey up to Earth, particularly those who live in the Lust Ring, a SINNER doing the same has never been heard of, and would undoubtedly lead to repercussions of the most gruesome nature for any guilty parties involved should such an attempt ever be made. The more she thought about it, the more Octavia realized just how stupid of an idea it was. Thankfully, Mick wasn't one to let a discussion end on a sour note if he could help it.

"Besides, this sounds more like a father-daughter thing, I… wouldn't want to be a third wheel," the Cat Demon pointed out. "I think spending some time alone with your Dad could be a good way to bring you two closer, ya know?"

"Yeah… yeah, you're right," Octavia admitted, though she nonetheless tried to hide her disappointment about Mick's absence. "Would've been nice if you DID come though."

"Yeah… yeah, it would," Mick sighed. "Still, it's something to look forward to, right?"

Octavia, of course, could only nod and give Mick a small smile at that. Seeing that Octavia's spirits have finally been lifted a decent amount, the Cat Demon finally felt that his work was done.

"Why don't we go see your dad, hm?" he suddenly suggested, catching Octavia slightly off guard. "I know it'll be rough but I'm sure he'd love to see you right now."

As hesitant as she was, Octavia knew that Mick had a point. Besides, regardless of whether she went to see him or vice versa, her father was still most likely under the impression that she had no idea about the divorce-inducing argument that occurred earlier. Probably best to nip that conversation in the bud now before Stolas had the chance to think up an overly complicated explanation as to why her mother left.

"Yeah," she eventually sighed in defeat. "Okay."

After that, the pair of them began making their way towards the exit of the library, stopping only once when the Cat Demon stumbled forward just as Snowflake ran through his legs.

"Oop!" he yelped, suddenly grabbing an iron chain that was fastened to the nearest shelf to keep himself from falling flat on his face.

"Careful, Mick," Octavia stated worriedly as she helped the Sinner regain his balance. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, just lost my footing is all," Mick replied reassuringly, dusting himself off as he gave Snowflake an annoyed glare, who in turn gave him a smug smile since apparently, her little scheme seemed to do the trick, whatever it was.

Looking around the particular area of the library the pair of them found themselves in, Mick couldn't help but shudder as he looked upon the horrifying-looking books that were on the shelves, each one more gruesome than the next. While some were bound in tattered leather, others seemed to be stitched up in human skin with added ears and eyes, and all of them looked as though they were restrained in the same chain that Mick had pulled himself up with.

"Say… why are some of these books chained up, anyway?" Mick asked curiously, unable to ignore the whole prisoner-esque appearance of them all. "I mean, what are they exactly?"

"Ghost Stories."

…

"Huh?"

Needless to say, Mick was immediately confused about Octavia's simple yet vague answer, to which the Goetia Princess responded with a quick elaboration.

"They're part of my Dad's more… unique collections," she explained with a small shudder of her own. "Probably best if you don't ask any more than that."

Given the family's track record of collecting the most unique items, one of which tried to kill him on his first day no less, Mick thought it best to heed Octavia's advice and not say anything further… if only for the sake of his sanity.

"Duly noted," he said, choosing to carry on walking towards the exit.

A moment later, however, Mick quickly found himself picking up the pace. He MIGHT have been hearing things, but he could have sworn he heard screaming coming from one of the books as he walked by.

Making his way into the hallway with Octavia, Mick couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. Despite how many times he had already been inside that library, knowing that such an unnerving collection resides there still sent a chill down his spine. Suddenly, he felt someone tap his shoulder, almost causing him to jump in fright. Thankfully, it only turned out to be Octavia trying to get his attention.

"Hey, um… Thanks for trying to cheer me up, Mick," she said awkwardly, almost pulling her beanie over her face due to how sheepish she felt. "Really, I appreciate it."

Hearing Octavia say that, Mick's unease completely melted away, giving way to a small smile as he gave the Princess a small bow.

"One is glad to be of service, M'lady," he said, proudly quoting his favourite phrase, much to Octavia's amusement.

"Do you ALWAYS have to say that?" she asked, unable to hold back a small laugh.

At those words, Mick couldn't help but chuckle himself.

"What can I say?" he retorted. "Mom didn't raise me to be rude in the presence of a pretty lady."

As soon as those words left Mick's mouth, Octavia's cheeks instantly turned a deep shade of pink. Just how many times was the Sinner going to make her feel this bashful today? Taking a moment to let the moment sink in, she then cleared her throat and let out a few words she had been holding back for a long while.

"Hey, Mick?" she said, once again claiming the Sinner's focus. "Can I be honest with you?"

"Hmm?" Mick responded with intrigue.

"I know you've had a rough time here in Hell," the Goetia began, though feeling like she may have been oversimplifying the truth. "And please don't take this the wrong way… but all things considered, I'm sort of GLAD your afterlife turned out like this."

Understandably taken aback by such a statement, Mick could only look back at the Owl Demon with confusion.

"Wha… what do you mean?" he asked, practically begging for elaboration.

"Because… everything you went through, they all led you here, to this house, and… to me," Octavia explained awkwardly, causing Mick's confused glance to melt away into a look of awe. "And frankly, if you weren't here… I don't think I could have remotely coped with my life right now, so… Thank you."

After that, Octavia moved solely on instinct and did something that made Mick's mind go completely blank in shock. Before he could even obtain the chance to ask why, she suddenly pulled his mouthpiece away… and gave him a small kiss on the cheek.

…

"Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah."

After a brief pause, with Mick standing frozen on the spot, Octavia's blush suddenly intensified as quickly realized what she had just done.

"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuh, okay, I'd better go check on my dad!" she exclaimed, quickly turning and running down the hall "Farewell forever! GAH! Why'd I do that!? Why'd I do that!? Why'd I do that!?"

Even Octavia's words continued to echo in his ears as she disappeared around the corner, Mick just stood there completely flabbergasted even as Snowflake was bouncing on the spot with a giddy look on her face. Eventually, he managed to force out two words.

"Holy shit…"

THUMP!

And thus Mick Nikos once again rolled his eyes back and fainted for the second time that week.

Snowflake's Digital Diary: Entry 14

She kissed him! She finally KISSED him! This is officially the. Best. Day. EVAH!

Christ on a stick, diary! You have NO idea how long I have been waiting for this moment. Finally, after months of watching those two boneheads gaze at each other from afar, they're finally gonna get together! And that's not wishful thinking either, diary, Daddy said so himself. HA! Suck on that, Ember, you man-stealing hussy! … uh, actually I really shouldn't say stuff like that about a friend. Sorry, Ebby, I really DO like you.

Either way, diary, things are finally about to change around this dump, ALL for the better. Daddy and Octi are finally acting on their feelings and better yet, ding-dong! The Bird Bitch is gone! True, I would have preferred it if she were to say… suffer an unfortunate accident… one involving the spinning blades of the lawnmower, I might add, BUT kicking the Harpy to the curb works too.

Well, diary, that'll be all for now. Gotta go give my new Grandpa his latest therapy session.

Snowflake out!

Almost a week after her mother had moved out of the house, Octavia had surprisingly woken up that morning with the biggest of smiles on her face. Given what today was, there was absolutely nothing that could spoil her mood. Hopping out of bed, she then walked up to the calendar she had pinned up and circled today's date, that particular square having small doodles of her face, Stolas' face, and a meteor shower. This was it. The day she finally got to see Asathoth's Tears! Only a few hours away!

Soon enough, she was all washed up and dressed, hopping down the hallway as she finished putting on her boots. At any other time, she probably wouldn't have rushed such a thing, but the fact is that she was just so excited to get going, it was almost funny to watch. She had even told Mick and Linda to take the day off the previous night so that they could relax while she and her father were off on their adventure. However, once she made it to her family's kitchen, the excitement soon faded.

"Hey, Dad!" she called out, popping her head through the kitchen door, only for her smile to fade as she looked into an empty room.

Retreating back into the hall, Octavia began looking around to see if she could spot her father, her face faltering in concern as she passed by several areas that had been stripped down of their ornaments.

"Dad?" she repeated, receiving no answer. "Dad?"

Just then, as she reached the top of the stairs, the Goetia Princess's attention was captured by her father's voice coming through the open front door. Staring down into the foyer below, Octavia's concern immediately skyrocketed. Judging from the tone in Stolas's voice, this can NOT be good.

"Yes, I know! It will be there shortly," Stolas snapped, fiercely clutching the phone in one hand and Pringles's rib cage in the other. "Of course, they're being careful!"

Alas, much to his chagrin, this had been Stolas's entire morning ever since the movers came hammering on the door during the early hours of the morning. Now here he was, standing in the courtyard in his robe, overseeing the progress of said movers, who, along with the added assistance from some of his own staff, were struggling to fit a series of large furnishings into the back of the van. To put even more salt into the wound, he was also currently on the phone with the one responsible for sending the movers in the first place, AKA his soon-to-be Ex-wife.

"Dad, what's going on?"

Turning to the sound of his daughter's voice as she stepped out of the house with a confused look on her face, Stolas could only groan in exasperation as he tried to simplify the situation.

"APPARENTLY, your mother can't exist somewhere for two minutes without the entirety of her possessions-" he began, only to feel his blood pressure begin to rise as Stella began screaming from the other end of the call. "What? No! I'm not turning her against you- Yes, Stella!"

Seething in aggravation, Stolas suddenly squeezed Pringles even harder, causing the poor Imp to turn a light shade of purple. Not that anyone could blame the Prince for reacting like this, of course. After all, the instant he regretfully had to make the phone call to his future alimony leech, he could practically feel the veins in his forehead throb like bongo drums. To make matters worse, Stella had also used his credit card to pay the movers, meaning that he was losing money with every trip the van took.

Of course, while he may have been bottling his rage, it was Stolas's daughter who appeared to be the most concerned as he overlooked the movers' progress.

"Dad?" she said anxiously, approaching her father with concern. "This IS going to be done before tonight, right?"

Alas, even that tiny ray of hope was dead and driven into the ground before Octavia could even comprehend it.

"What?" Stolas uttered, turning away from the phone call for a brief moment to respond to his daughter's voice. "Oh, I hardly think so. Knowing your mother, this will take all weekend."

With that, Stolas snapped back to the movers, his stern gaze swiftly returned to his face.

"Don't be gentle about it, now!" he snapped. "Break whatever you have to to get it all in there!"

"What?!" Stella's voice screeched through the phone. "What did you just tell them to do?!"

At those words, one particular Imp dropped the expensive vase he was holding, the brief moment of shock suddenly making way for the biggest and most insane grins of his life. In Buzz's mind, he might as well have heard that Christmas had just come early.

"Be right back!" he giddily told the movers, suddenly disappearing in a small cloud of dust.

Octavia on the other hand, was as downtrodden as they come. This couldn't be happening, could it? Not after she had waited for so long.

"But, tonight was supposed to-" she tried to say, only for her father to cut her off.

"Darling, can we not talk about this now? Your mother's being a real B-I-T-C-H," he said exasperatedly, his attention once again returning to the phone call. "Well, how was I supposed to know you can spell?! I've never seen you read! And no, those picture books do NOT count!"

The moment he turned his back on her, Octavia immediately glared at her father with anger and disappointment. Bad enough that he appeared to be too busy to go anywhere, but he also seemed to have forgotten about his promise entirely! Of all things to slip his mind!

Clenching her fists in frustration, Octavia turned back towards the house, silently resisting the urge to kick over the nearest plant as she stomped back inside just in time to miss Buzz stroll back up to the movers, dragging a large piece of machinery behind him.

"Okay, hold still!" he declared, hefting up the oversized chainsaw above his head. "Don't wanna go all Leatherface on ya!"

RRRRRRREV! REV! REV! RRRRRRRRRRRRRRREVV!

Making her way back towards her bedroom in a huff, it took every ounce of willpower for Octavia to keep herself from knocking over every ornament and potted plant in a fit. How could her father do this!? The one special day she and her father could enjoy together and he forgets all about it in favor of yet ANOTHER screaming contest between him and her mother!? How fucked up is that!?

"Asshole!" she exclaimed.

Well, fine! If that's how he wants it, then she'll just have to make her own plans! Plans that hopefully her best friend would be able to join in with her. She may have felt guilty about bothering Mick right after she gave him the day off, but right now she REALLY needed someone to talk to. Suddenly, just as she was just about to round the corner leading to their adjoining rooms, she heard two familiar voices coming from that particular area of the hallway.

"Big change, this divorce, eh?" she heard Jewel's voice comment from around the corner, followed by the sound of Jessie letting out a light chuckle.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," she said in agreement. "Hell, I'm surprised the Prince isn't screaming the words 'I'm free! I'm free!' while dancing on top of the roof."

Unable to resist peering around the corner, Octavia soon found herself looking towards the two staff members in the middle of their conversation, with Jewel standing on a footstool, polishing the frames of some of the paintings that hadn't been removed, while Jessie leaned up against an open window puffing small streams of smoke outside and she nibbled on a cigarette. Of course, while she may have noticed them, the two Hellborns didn't seem to notice Octavia just yet.

"Oh, he went through all of that before you started working here," Jewel continued with a light giggle as she dabbed a little wood polish into a rag. "As I recall, it was the morning after his anniversary party… giddy sap was laughing up on that balcony for at least an hour before Stella kicked the door down."

"And she STILL refused to leave after she found out about his affair?" Jessie questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"What can I say?" Jewel replied with an indifferent shrug. "Stella's a CRUEL bitch when she wants to be."

Octavia remembered that day, obviously. Of course, at the time she believed it to be one of the worst days of her life, for that was the day that any shred of delusion she had about her parents' marriage began to crack like an egg. Feeling that she had heard enough she was about to make her presence known to the two… but then Jessie said something that immediately made her freeze.

"Kind of ironic, huh?" the Hellhound sighed, taking another drag of her cigarette. "One parent hits the road, another comes back into their kid's life… well, AFTERLIFE, but still."

"Yeah, tell me about it," Jewel chuckled.

"Huh!?"

Slapping a hand over her mouth to keep herself from yelling out, Octavia immediately slinked right back to her hiding place around the corner. What the hell did those two mean exactly!? Daring not to interrupt and spoil her chance to find out, the Goetia Princess continued to listen in silence, only for her eyes to go wide in utter disbelief as soon as she heard the next set of words to leave Jessie's lips.

"Hard to imagine that Shelly turned out to be Mick's MOM," she said, causing Octavia to nearly swallow her tongue in shock. "I mean I've seen her around the Retreat but I never would have guessed."

Mick's… Mom? HERE, in Hell!? But… that was impossible! She was in Heaven, wasn't she!? And, even if she wasn't… Why wouldn't Mick say anything about finding her again? After all, he and Octavia told each other everything… didn't they? Then again, if it was a recent development as the two Hellborns seem to be implying, he probably would have found his mom again around the same time as the divorce argument between her parents. Given how thoughtful the Cat Demon was with her feelings, he probably wouldn't have wanted to bother her with personal news while she was going through family drama… After all, he was sweet like that. One of the many reasons why Octavia grew to like him to begin with.

"And to think, Stella is the whole reason for her and Mick reuniting," Jewel soon commented, much to Octavia's intrigue.

"The fuck are you on about?" Jessie asked confusingly, blowing another stream of smoke out the window.

"Think about it, hun," Jewel retorted with a smirk and a roll of her eyes. "Stella sends Mick down to Wrath, where he meets this drop-dead gorgeous Imp whom he befriends and helps her get a job up here in Pride, and wouldn't you know? That job ends up being in the same place his Mom works at. The domino effect, bitch!"

Jessie, of course, couldn't help but chuckle at that.

"Heh, well, I don't know about all THAT," she commented. "But if Shelly's gonna be dropping by once in a while, then we DEFINITELY traded up in terms of mother figures around here."

"Dead right," Jewel laughed in agreement as she continued to polish the picture frame. "Thank fuck for small miracles, eh?"

So THAT's how it happened, huh? Well, Octavia was definitely going to have to talk to Mick about… wait… gorgeous?

"I guess we should also thank that friend of Mick's too," Jessie pointed out, taking yet another drag. "What was her name? Ella? Emma?"

"Ember," Jewel corrected her.

"That's it!" the Hellhound declared. "If it weren't for her being friends with them, Mick and Shelly probably wouldn't have even had a clue of each other's existence to this day."

"Yeah, I agree, she's a nice girl," Jewel replied with a nod "Quite pretty too… VERY nice ass."

The more those two talked about this… Ember person, the more Octavia felt like dragging her claws into the wall in frustration. But… why? She and Mick were just friends, right? It's not like he didn't have any other female friends. Hell, Linda is a girl and she has no problems with her… Then Jewel said the one sentence that froze the very blood in her veins.

"You know the two of them are fucking, right?"

"What!?" Jessie sputtered, coughing multiple clouds of smoke in utter shock.

"Oh yeah, it was so obvious with how she acted around Mick before she and Shelly left," Jewel continued, a sultry grin spreading across her face. "They have DEFINITELY visited Bonetown, my friend."

Hearing that, Jessie could only roll her eyes before she tapped out her cigarette, tossed the bud out the window and closed it.

"You certainly have a vivid imagination, I'll give you that," she commented, much to Jewel's chagrin.

"Hey, my sexy sense doesn't lie, alright?" she argued, as she stepped away from the painting. "Those two have been boinking and there's no way you can convince me otherwise… Hey, do you think they'll let me join in if I ask?"

At those words, Jessie let out an annoyed groan and pinched the bridge between her eyes.

"Okay seriously, why's it always a sex thing with you!?" she exclaimed, clearly having enough of the constant innuendos and/or outright declarations of Jewel's perversion.

Now it was Jewel's turn to roll her eyes.

"Look, I have parental issues, okay?" she said defensively, only to receive a confused glance for her trouble.

"Parental issues?" Jessie repeated with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, Mom's half-Succubus and Dad's a Gigolo," Jewel elaborated with an indifferent shrug. "Hell, even my grandparents are swingers."

…

"Okay, that explains a LOT!"

As the two of them continued to debate and argue amongst themselves, at the time neither of them would become aware of a distraught Goetia, whom they had inadvertently upset with their words. Standing there behind the corner, all Octavia could do was silently clench her fist and let out a single tear drop as she felt the next crack form across her heart.