Blitzo, ever the "encouraging" boss, decided to give Moxxie one of his infamous pep talks. "Come on, Mox! Your rep with your judgy in-laws is on the line here. Make sure not to make an ass of yourself, alright?" His words didn't exactly exude positivity, but Blitzo figured they got the point across. "No pressure, Mox!" He added, flashing an exaggerated thumbs-up.
Moxxie deadpanned at his boss, silently wishing he could rephrase...well, all of that. Still, he appreciated the sentiment—sort of.
"You can do it, Mox-Mox!" Millie shouted with her usual enthusiasm, cupping her hands around her mouth. She had complete confidence in her husband. After all, she'd dragged him into countless training sessions with Eli. "Although," she thought with a chuckle, "He and Eli always looked so horrified when I said it was 'training day.' Wonder why."
"Try stabbing the neck for a quick takedown, Pops." Eli advised in his trademark flat tone. Even Loona, recording the whole thing with her phone, gave her own lazy version of encouragement. "Woohoo," she deadpanned, her expression as bored as ever.
Moxxie couldn't help but chuckle at the odd but heartwarming support he was receiving. With renewed determination, he approached the pig demon quietly, ready to make his move. As soon as he jumped on its back, the beast woke up with an angry squeal and thrashed wildly. Moxxie quickly looped a lasso around its neck for some stability, knowing full well he didn't have the raw strength to overpower it directly. But what he lacked in brawn, he made up for in brains and nimbleness—a fact he was more than willing to exploit.
"Yeah, ride that hog, Mox!" Blitzo cheered, thoroughly entertained. Watching Moxxie wrangle a giant pig demon wasn't exactly a daily occurrence, and Blitzo was living for the chaos.
Meanwhile, Mary somehow conjured two small flags reading "Go Moxxie!" and waved them enthusiastically as she floated above for a better view. Eli, watching her antics, thought to himself, How does she always have props?
Loona snickered, her phone still recording. She was already planning to upload this to Sinstagram. Eli, however, narrowed his eyes. His sharp gaze caught Striker out of the corner of his eye. The cowboy imp was crouching, clearly preparing to interfere. Subtle as a shadow, Eli's tail flicked, launching a small rock at high speed toward Striker's trajectory.
CRACK!
"Ow, what the fuck?!" Striker snarled, stumbling back and clutching his jaw. He glared around the yard, searching for the source of the perfectly aimed projectile.
By then, Moxxie had figured out the pig demon's weakness. Sliding off its side, he stabbed the beast in the neck, prompting an ear-splitting squeal as it bucked harder in desperation. Moxxie used the remaining length of the lasso to tangle its legs, causing the beast to topple over with a final thud—right at Lin and Joe's feet.
Moxxie managed to land on his feet, dusting himself off with a smug smile as if he hadn't just wrestled a rampaging pig demon twice his size.
Loona let out a low whistle of approval, briefly impressed before returning to her usual disinterest. "Not bad." She muttered, ending her recording and tapping away on her phone.
Millie, however, was over the moon. She launched herself at Moxxie, wrapping him in one of her signature bone-crushing hugs. "You did it, Mox-Mox!" She squealed, bouncing in excitement.
"Yeah, thanks, hon." Moxxie wheezed, his voice strained. "But I... can't... breathe."
Millie loosened her grip slightly, allowing him to gasp for air. "You were amazing!" She beamed, her pride shining brighter than ever.
Joe scratched the back of his head, his expression one of surprise and reluctant respect. "Well, I'll be. He actually did it." He admitted, still processing the sight of his once-scrawny son-in-law taking down a demon pig. Maybe fatherhood had shaped him up.
Eli approached his parents, his ever-stoic face betraying a hint of amusement. "That was impressive, Pops." He said simply.
Moxxie chuckled, ruffling Eli's hair. The teen tolerated it—barely. "Thanks, sport. Good to know this old man still has it." Moxxie said, puffing out his chest slightly.
Lin folded her arms, a small smile on her face. "Y'all ain't that old." She teased lightly, her tone warm. For the first time, she saw Moxxie as more than just her daughter's quirky husband—he was capable. And that earned her respect.
Moxxie blinked at the unexpected kindness before offering a small, genuine smile in return. "Thanks."
Millie couldn't contain her joy. Her parents were finally warming up to her husband, and she couldn't have been happier. "That's my Moxxie!" She thought proudly.
Striker, meanwhile, was nursing his bruised pride—and jaw. "Hmph. Not bad, lil fella." He muttered begrudgingly. His tail rattled with agitation as he hefted the pig demon's carcass. "C'mon, boss man. Let's get this thing skinned for dinner."
"Sure, sure. This wholesome family crap is giving me a toothache anyway." Blitzo quipped, sauntering after Striker. He turned back to Moxxie with a cheeky grin. "Oh, and don't think I'm letting you off easy, Mox. You're still my favorite punching bag."
Joe and Lin chuckled before heading back to the farmhouse, leaving the others to their own devices.
Sallie May pursed her lips as she watched. "Okay, that was slightly impressive." She admitted, turning to Millie with a teasing smirk. "But I still don't think your man's gonna last long in the Games."
Millie shot her a flat look. "Really?"
Sallie shrugged. "I'm just sayin'." She said with a grin before heading inside.
Millie sighed, shaking her head. "Just wait, sis." She thought. "You'll see just how tough my Moxxie is."
A/N: Seems like Moxxie grown a back bone~
In all seriousness though, I am tired as hell. I only had like 5-4 hours of sleep, which is not good at all. Remember to drink water too...