Stella sat as an imp servant poured tea for her brother and herself. She took in her surroundings, observing the intricate decor of the fancy tea shop. They sat in an unusually remote and private area. It was clearly the VIP area, which was quite expensive, even for Stella.
She found herself pondering what the occasion could have been. It wasn't often they went out for tea.
Andrealphus cleared his throat, drawing her attention back to him. "Thank you for finally making time to meet! I'm sure you've been busy?" he said, his eyes peering over the rim of his cup as he took a sip of tea.
Stella groaned. "Oh, you don't know the half of it," she said with a frown. "But I recall you saying we had important things to discuss," she added, leaning forward in her chair.
Andrealphus set down his cup and leaned in closer, lowering his voice. "Yes. About our parents," he said, his eyes shifting back and forth as if he was concerned someone might be listening in.
Stella raised an eyebrow at his cautious tone. "What were you even in trouble for anyway?" she asked, her tone laced with curiosity.
Andrealphus groaned, giving a performative roll of the eyes. "They figured that I knew more about that whole imp ordeal than them. They were upset that I don't live under your floorboards and spy on your degenerate husband. I simply had to cold-shoulder them after a while, so to speak." He giggled, a hint of bitterness seeping into his voice. "Excuse the pun."
Stella swelled with pride, a smirk forming on her face. "Hm, suit yourself, brother," she said dismissively. "I was sure to let them know how fucking stupid they are. Especially Father."
Andrealphus' eyes widened with delight. With a hint of admiration, he responded, "Well, you're certainly braver than I am, Stella!" He hesitated before pouring a packet of sugar into his tea. "Though I did hear that you went into a bit of a tizzy."
"I'm fine," she asserted, trying to dismiss any concerns.
Andrealphus leaned in, his voice filled with gentle concern. "You fainted, Stella. One does not simply faint when they're fine." Stella remained silent, looking away from her brother. Andrealphus pressed further. "Something was said to you which disturbed you, no?" he probed, his voice soft yet persistent.
Finally, Stella's voice trembled as she opened up. "They threatened to cut me out of the family if I'm divorced," she confessed, her words heavy with uncertainty. "They said they'd take everything—my property, the alimony—it'll all belong to them."
Andrealphus' expression turned serious as he absorbed Stella's words. "Ah... I feared as much. What shall you do?" he inquired, genuinely concerned for her well-being.
Stella hesitated, her voice wavering. "Well... I'm taking steps to preserve the marriage," she admitted, her uncertainty palpable.
"Snrk." A stifled laugh escaped Andrealphus.
"I'm serious, Andy!" Stella exclaimed, her voice tinged with frustration. "I'm... I'm taking anger management."
Andrealphus donned an unreadable expression as he began to stir his tea. "Hm. Interesting."
Stella's desperation grew increasingly prevalent as she continued, her voice filled with a mix of resentment and fear. "I don't want to stay here in this awful relationship, but I don't have a choice. Father will destroy my life if I leave."
Andrealphus's tone turned disdainful. "So you bend the knee to his tyrannical rule?" he asked, not bothering to hide his disapproval. His judgemental gaze pierced through her.
"I've no other choice!" Stella retorted angrily, her frustration boiling over.
Andrealphus leaned in, his voice filled with a mischievous undertone. "Well... I wouldn't say you've got NO other choice," he whispered. He lifted the menu slightly off the table, sliding a photo out from under it for Stella to see.
It was a Polaroid photo of a beige-colored imp donning a cowboy hat.
Stella's eyes narrowed, a warning tone entering her voice. "Andrealphus... you'd better not be insinuating what I think you are."
Andrealphus chuckled softly, his eyes gleaming with a hint of rebellion. "Come now, Stella. Must one abide by the rules when the cards have been stacked against us?" he teased, rising from his seat.
"You toil through marriage with that disgusting, cheating pig of a Goetian. And for what? So Father may get within arm's reach of Paimon's friends?" Andrealphus circled around Stella, his words urging her to consider a different path.
"Don't you want to just... break free?" he implored, sliding the photo closer to her, as if tempting her with an alternative. "Maybe... strike back?"
Stella snapped, unable to mask her disgust any longer. "I am NOT fucking an imp to spite Stolas! What is wrong with you?" she exclaimed, defiantly crossing her arms. "I'm not that petty."
Andrealphus facepalmed, pushing the photo a little closer to her.
Stella's gaze darted from the photo to Andrealphus, then back to the photo. She noticed the gun in the image. It was an angelic weapon, glowing runes etched across its surface. It was the only thing capable of killing sinners and royalty for good. Royalty like herself. Or like… Father.
Her eyes widened in realization as she slowly started nodding. "Ohhh. He's an assassin," she whispered.
Andrealphus, weariness etched on his face, smiled at her and took a seat. "Stella, we'll just say that I'm the brains from here on out, hm?"
He clicked his beak, his voice tinged with caution. "You know I'm always optimistic, Stella, but I must admit, you are very close to checkmate. If you divorce Stolas, Mother and Father get all of the alimony."
Stella's hands reached for her head, her mind overwhelmed by the weight of her impending choices. "And if I stay, they continue to leech off of my miserable marriage," she murmured, a sense of despair creeping into her words.
Andrealphus leaned closer, his voice low and decisive. "Rather than allow Father to topple our rightful empire, wouldn't you rather... strike first?" he proposed, his words hanging in the air as he gave her an expectant look.
Realizing the weight of his proposition, he quickly waved his hands in front of himself. "All of this is hypothetical, of course," he clarified, his tone cautious. "But… if we wanted to, we could order a hit on Father. We would pay this hitman with the Goetian funds from Stolas' royal-"
Stella's eyes widened in disbelief, her voice barely a whisper as she leaned in closer. She glanced over her shoulder then leaned in. "You really want to kill Father?" Her incredulity was palpable, unable to fathom such a drastic step.
"He's the only thing stopping you from divorcing Stolas," Andrealphus responded swiftly, his tone urgent. "Father leads every decision of House Noctis. He holds the power over your life and mine."
Concern etched across her face, Stella pressed further. "What about Mother?" she asked, clasping her hands together. Despite all their relationship had been through, Stella didn't want Mother hurt.
Andrealphus scoffed dismissively. "Mother is a mindless drone, infected by Father's sick abuse and manipulation," he retorted with disdain. "Without Father, she won't be a problem."
The room fell into a heavy silence as Stella grappled with the weight of the choices laid before her. The path of revenge and breaking free from her father's grip was tempting, but it seemed like playing with fire.
"What if she doesn't cooperate? Or tries to stop the hitman? Are you gonna kill her too?" Stella asked.
Andrealphus's expression darkened. "Stella, do you recall the last time your mother stood up for you?" he asked, his voice filled with a somber tone.
Stella's mind flickered back to a distant memory. "Yes... back when I was..." Her words trailed off, the weight of the past settling upon her. Surely, she could recall at least one time!
Andrealphus nodded, looking at her expectantly. "Go on. When you were a child? You're in your thirties now, Stella," he reminded her softly before gently placing his hand on hers. He gave her a soft gaze dripping with sympathy. "I'm afraid the mother you and I knew is no more."
Stella's head shook slowly, her uncertainty tangible. "But what about me? What would happen to me afterward?" she asked, her voice a mix of fear and concern.
Andrealphus tapped his chin, deep in thought. "Well... let's imagine for a moment that Stolas is banished for trying to kill our father. Let's imagine you delegate his roles to me," he mused aloud, his voice filled with a mix of excitement and contemplation. "After all, I'm the only one qualified for his job."
His eyes gleamed with the prospect of power as he continued, his words laced with a hint of reverence. "I gain over a hundred legions to my ranks, thousands of acres of hellscape to rule over, and that Grimoire..." Andrealphus shuddered at its mention. "...oh yes, the grimoire... oooh, fuck..."
Stella raised a brow at Andrealphus. Snapping back to the present, he turned his gaze towards her, his expression softening. "And of course, you get to keep your fancy title as princess. Serving under Paimon, I'm sure I could find someone for you," he suggested, a knowing smile gracing his lips. "Someone who's more princely material than Stolas."
Stella's eyes shifted between the photo and Andrealphus, her mind racing with the weight of the decisions before her. "This is... a lot, Andy," she murmured, her voice filled with uncertainty. "I'll need to think more about it."
Andrealphus nodded understandingly, his eyes filled with a mixture of patience and urgency. "Yes, very well. Think things over, but don't dawdle! Time is of the essence."
"Octavia, come down for dinner, please," Stolas called. He heard a muffled groan from upstairs in response. Stolas snapped his fingers, lighting all the candles at the table before cracking open a book. It was on herbs and their various effects, as well as general botany. The book provided a pleasant distraction as he waited.
Stolas heard the grumpy stomping of footsteps descending the stairs, along with the muffled blaring of that simply atrocious music. Octavia pulled out her chair, taking a seat at the table. Much to Stolas' surprise, however, she then paused her music, and pulled off her headphones, letting them rest around her neck.
Seeing this as an invitation, Stolas closed his book shut, laying it on his lap. "So, Via, how was your day? Did you do anything fun?" he asked cheerfully.
"I stayed inside and did nothing for 12 hours. It was alright," she mumbled in stark contrast to his cheerful attitude.
Stolas gave a forced smile as Octavia pulled out her phone, scrolling through some texts while tapping away at the screen. "Ah. That sounds fun…" he said. "Via, would you be interested in trying a book? I've got plenty to spare."
Octavia looked up, giving him a side-eye.
"I've got one on botany. Plants may not sound very exciting, but it's quite riveting to learn the many effects of…" Stolas trailed off when he saw her turn her attention back to her phone. "Very well. It's not for everyone. How about a book on the stars? You do love those stars, don't you?"
Octavia rolled her eyes. "Dad, we have audiobooks. You can just listen to someone read for you. Nobody actually reads books anymore."
Stolas recoiled a bit. "What in…-The phone reads for you now? But that takes all of the fun out of reading!" he pouted, outraged. "Don't you want to improve your reading comprehension skills? Don't you want a sharp mind?"
Octavia didn't even react, continuing to type away on her phone.
Stolas shuffled in his seat and gave an indignant huff as he crossed his arms. "Well, I still read books."
The two sat in silence for a few moments as the imps scurried around the room, tidying up and setting the table for the meal. Servants began putting the food on the table. An assortment of smoked rat, roasted vegetables and grains lay before Stolas. It was his favorite meal; Balanced, filling and tasty!
He looked over to his side to see a big bowl of mac-n-cheese and a plate of chicken tendies before Octavia. He cocked his head. "My little Owlette, is that truly your meal? Where are your greens?"
"I don't feel like having greens today dad," Octavia mumbled moodily.
Stolas hummed, sitting idle for a few moments, before a small handful of roasted broccoli slowly levitated across the table, touching down on Octavia's plate. Octavia rolled her eyes at her dad, but didn't object otherwise.
Just as Stolas was about to create more awkward father-daughter small talk, they heard the door downstairs open and footsteps trailing up the stairs soon after.
An imp scurried over to pull out her chair for Stella as she strode into the room with almost unusual pleasantness. She gave the imp a dismissive nod and sat across the table from Stolas. The imp grabbed her glass, preparing to pour her a glass of red wine, but she stopped him.
"Fetch me some tea instead, imp," she ordered. The imp nodded, a bit of surprise on his face before he ventured off toward the kitchen.
Octavia tapped the imp on the shoulder before he left. "Do we have any ketchup?" she asked. The imp shook his head, causing Octavia to groan. "Mum, can we please get some ketchup-"
"That had better not be your meal, young lady," Stella said, grimacing. "Too many carbs. You need some fruit with your dinner." She stabbed into the fruit on her plate with her fork and leaned over to share with Octavia. The young Owl groaned, pulling her beanie over her face as a few apple slices plopped on her plate.
With everyone present, the three began to eat. For once, the table had a rather peaceful atmosphere. The subtle scraping of utensils was the only sound to break the silence as the imps cleared out of the room.
Stella shifted in her seat. "So…how…was your day…Stolas?" She asked hesitantly. It was the very first time she had ever even uttered those words to him.
Stolas perked up. "Hm? Oh. It was nice. I tended to my plants and spent the rest of the day reading." he said, clearing his throat. "And how about your day?"
Stella sat back and gave a deep, relaxed sigh. The therapy session had only been an hour or two, but it was easily the largest part of her day. "I feel a lot better than I did in the morning. I wasn't sure about Doctor Wilkins at first, but I think I'm doing the right thing."
Stolas smiled encouragingly. "I must say, I agree. It's quite admirable to see you taking steps to better yourself. I, for one, think you're doing a great job." He said, laying a hand on his chest. He seemed…genuinely supportive of her, for once.
Stella nodded, smiling a bit as well. "I suppose I have been feeling a bit more laid back as of late. My past few sessions have been rather productive."
Stolas grabbed his glass of water, nodding. "How was that today, by the way? I hope the therapy process isn't too overwhelming."
Stella began elegantly cutting into her steak. "It was rather enlightening. I had much to think about on my way back, " she said, bringing a slice of the meat to her mouth and chewing on the buttered rare steak.
Stolas raised an eyebrow. His interest peaked. "That's nice. What was so enlightening, if I may ask?" He asked curiously, raising the glass to his lips and taking a sip.
"Well…" Stella said, "We tried CBT."
Stolas' eyes widened in shock as he spat his water back into his cup. Octavia, taken aback, coughed in surprise and inadvertently spat her chewed-up chicken tenders back onto her plate.
"Ugh! You two are both disgusting!" Stella yelled, looking away and bringing her hands to her face. "Can you hold your food and drink in your mouths for once?"
"What the fuck, mum?!" Octavia yelled in disgust.
Stolas carefully dabbed his beak with a napkin, calming himself and regaining his composure. "Stella, I'm hardly one to judge, but I thought you were attending professional therapy," he said, clearly caught off guard.
"I am. And CBT is the method of therapy," Stella said, confused.
"That's your therapy?" Stolas asked in shock, setting down his utensils. "What in the nine circles of hell are you doing to your poor therapist?"
"What? It was his idea! So what if I strangled him a little bit? We made up for it!" Stella said defensively.
Stolas cocked his head, narrowing his eyes in confusion. "Stella, what…kind of therapist are you seeing?"
"What does it matter? Why the fuck do you care how I go about relieving my anger?" Stella snapped.
Stolas squinted, seeming rather confused, before shrugging. "I suppose I'd just never taken you to be that kind of woman," he said.
Stella huffed. "Hmph. Well I suppose I'd never considered myself that kind of woman either," she said, shaking her head.
Stolas gave a strained smile, nodding his head. "Well, I…uh…I'm happy that you're… exploring… new things." He mumbled, seeming rather uncomfortable.
Octavia scoffed. "So that's why mom's so chill now. Someone else to take the stress out on. At least she's not doing it to you, dad," she said, trying to lighten the mood.
Stella raised an eyebrow. "What? No. Wilkins was practicing CBT on me. He's the professional, not I," Stella said, confused.
Octavia's face contorted from amusement to unadulterated revulsion. "What," she muttered in horror as her fork clattered to her plate.
Stolas rubbed his temples, pushing his plate aside. "Oh dear. I mean this with the utmost respect, but you're mistaken," he said warily.
Stella rolled her eyes. "I'd know better than you, simpleton!" she said, before smiling as she recalled her session. "I felt so much better afterwards; It was like I've been locked in a cage for years and was finally freed," she admitted, sitting back and giving a sigh of relief. "It was a little uncomfortable at first, but well worth it."
Octavia buried her face in her hands. "Oh my fuck why can't I just have a normal family," she whined into her palms.
"Stella, there's nothing you could even have 'caged', it's in the name," Stolas said, growing more confident. "You need to…well…" he looked to his side, seeing his young daughter still at the table. "You need the C and the B to make the T work."
Stella squinted her eyes in confusion. "What the fuck are you jabbering about, Stolas?" she demanded.
Stolas sighed, resting his chin in his hands and giving Stella a passive-aggressive smile that practically screamed, 'Are you serious right now?' "What does CBT stand for, dear?" he asked.
Stella puffed up proudly, harrumphing at Stolas. "Cognitive Behavioral Therapy," she said.
"Cog…what?" Stolas recoiled in confusion.
"Oh! How surprising." Stella said smugly. "This whole time, you didn't even know, yet I'm supposedly the one mistaken," Stella said with a victorious smirk. "It's called Cognitive Behavioral-"
Stella was cut off as Octavia suddenly burst out into a fit of uncontrollable laughter. Stella glanced at her daughter, bewildered and slightly surprised by the outburst. "What? What's so humorous, Octavia?"
Octavia tried to speak but couldn't get a word out, buckling over in her seat as she started crying. Octavia's laughter spread to Stolas, a smile creeping onto his face as he began chuckling, too.
Stella looked between the two, confusion quickly turning to annoyance. "What the fuck are you two laughing at?"
"Well, Dad?" Octavia choked out, gasping for air. "Wanna explain to mum what cock and ball torture-" she broke down laughing, unable to even finish her sentence.
"Octavia! Language!" Stolas scolded, or at least attempted to while giggling himself.
"Cock and what torture?!" Stella all but screamed, her eyes going wide with realization. Stella groaned in dismay, covering her face. "Ugh! What is it, some sort of wrath ring punishment?" she asked.
Octavia wiped the tears from her eyes, giggling a bit. "Well…I don't know if it came from the wrath ring!" she said before losing composure again, literally hooting out of laughter.
Stolas grimaced. "Stella, it's a…sex…thing." He muttered awkwardly.
Stella's jaw dropped, her face twisting in horror. "What?!" she squawked, shuddering. "That's horrible! What unbridled depravity! Who the fuck would be into that?" She cried, a look of pure disgust on her face.
Stolas blushed and averted his eyes. "…some rather unusual people, I'd imagine…" he said meekly, scratching the back of his head.
"…oh fuck…I need to leave, I'm gonna piss myself…" Octavia cried, practically hobbling away from the table, clutching her sides as she struggled to crawl up the stairs, leaving Stella and Stolas to themselves.
"Well, that was a rather unfortunate misunderstanding," Stolas grinned, watching Octavia retreat to her room. "I believe that's the first time I've seen Via laugh in ages."
"Stolas, give me three fucking minutes to compose myself," Stella whined, hiding her face in her hands, her cheeks burning with humiliation. "Stolas, I swear, if you tell anyone about this, I will CBT you until there's nothing left."
"Hoo, don't threaten me with a good time…" Stolas teased, making Stella groan in disgust as she buried her face in her arms. With one last chuckle, Stolas composed himself as well, returning to his nearly finished meal.
She still needed to ask the question. She knew Wilkins would be disappointed if she didn't even try. Stella took a steadying breath.
"Stolas? I think that we should…" Stella trailed off, trying to find the appropriate words to say.
"…Talk?" Stolas finished for her. "Perhaps we can wait until Octavia goes to bed," he suggested.
"No, no. It's nothing serious," Stella said, shaking her head. "It's…I was going to say…maybe we should, er…"
She couldn't find the words to say what she wanted to say. She wanted it to seem like it was no big deal, but every passing second worked against her. Why was it so hard? Why hadn't she prepared something ahead of time?
Stolas cocked his head to the side, intrigued by whatever Stella was thinking about. She took a deep, calming breath in, and sighed.
"I was thinking…maybe we could do something together," she said, choking back a grimace.
Stolas seemed to be caught off guard by this. "O-oh! I, uh-together? Like, together together?" he stammered, clutching his forearm.
Stella quickly corrected herself as she saw him blush a bit. "As in, a day where the two of us just…find something to share some commonality over."
A look of understanding came over Stolas' face. He nodded along, tapping his chin. "That sounds…interesting. I wouldn't be opposed to it. What activities would you like to attend together?"
"Hm…" Stella thought for a moment. What was something that Stolas liked? She glanced at the book lying on the table, its cover depicting a series of vines and flowers. "You spend so much time in that garden of yours. Perhaps you could…"
Stolas let out a gasp as a giddy smile crossed his face. He stood from his seat. "Yes, Stella! That's a lovely idea! I can teach you everything there is to know! Finally, I can share my passion for plants!" he said joyfully, before composing himself, clearing his throat and straightening his expression as he sat back down. "I can show you the basics of botany. We could start after breakfast tomorrow if you'd like."
Stella nodded. "That we shall. I cannot promise it will be to my liking, but it's worth a try."
Stolas gave her what almost appeared to be a grateful smile. "You don't know how happy I am to finally have the chance to spread knowledge of botany! Octavia has no interest in such a thing."
Stella bit back a disdainful groan as she, too, had no interest in plants. But, in the name of family inheritance, she would try. "Yes, well. I hear gardening can be relaxing. And I could certainly use a relaxing hobby," she says, doing her best to put on a smile for her husband.
"I'm just so excited! I cannot wait to show you my garden!" Stolas said eagerly, squealing with excitement. "I planted a Horned Drakebell just a week ago, and it's already growing a few little baby leaves! You know, their thorns can actually be ground into powder and mixed with water to form a powerful antioxidant! And their leaves secrete an oil that smells of mint and has restorative properties!"
"Tomorrow's going to suck," Stella thought to herself bitterly as she smiled and nodded.
ENTRY 2
October 3, 1982
Tomorrow shall be miserable.
Sincerely,
Stella Goetia