A/N: Sorry for the long time on update folks. I've been following the issues about the show lately and I was worried if things would eventually settle. Now that we have confirmed season 2 I'm happy to be back at this and, hopefully, have more time to write on it. My schedule has been extremely packed lately. I'm depleted and looking to take a break for work whenever I can. See you all after Season 2 starts. :)
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"Are you sure I should stay? I don't think it's a-
"I'm sure. I want Blitzo to get this right, and what you say will matter as much."
"That we will see."
"Why were you taking so long to get some water anyway?"
"Huh... I may have stopped by the fridge... to get a few snacks. What?! I was hungry! It's almost launch time anyway."
"Sure, whatever. By the way... Stolas just came by. He left Octavia here for us to take care of."
"WHAT?!"
Collin scratched the back of his neck, feeling a bit itchy now that the amount of fur on his body increased exponentially. He was still trying to adjust his new hearing senses, which were far more acute than he expected. Blitzo yelling was actually painful now, which made the sh-wolf wonder how Loona managed to put up with him for so long. Collin quickly realized that having a much bigger tail would cause some discomfort when sitting on chairs with no space to slip it through, his sharp eyes caught on every detail of the room with such easiness, it almost felt like everything was going slower than normal. He would never imagine that a wolf could have such enhanced senses, which made the idea of a Hellhound even more frightening since they are far superior to regular wolves.
Loona was sitting on a chair at his side, arms crossed over Blitzo's office desk. Her attention solely on the Imp, and the serious glare on her face meant business. Her step father was somewhat aware that they were about to enter a serious conversation, yet, Blitzo was seriously distracted with the fact that Octavia was nearby and that Collin turned into a wolf out of nowhere.
"Okay, you know what? Let's forget the whole 'Octavia being here' for few seconds."
Or perhaps not.
"What the fuck happened with cotton tail?" He pointed out towards Collin. The wolf glanced back, surprised by being called out so suddenly. "And why the fuck is he purple again?"
"He ain't totally purple." Loona started with an eyeroll. "There's a pattern of white on his chest and underneath... well, I'm sure there is." She couldn't help the devious smirk, but it lasted a second before she turned serious again. "Now, why is he like that? Because I... asked Octavia to change him. Otherwise it would be a problem for him to look like a sheep. We don't want the Demon Lords on our asses, do we?"
Blitzo quieted down quickly after that, he eyed the wolf before replying with a clear tone of worry.
"Would they really notice? I mean... I guess the wings were kinda a giveaway, but still..., urgh! This day is just getting better and better. Now... what do you want to talk about Loony?"
"Blitzo... I... want to talk, about you, me and Collin. Also... about I.M.P overall."
"You're quitting?!" He blurted out without thinking. Loona raised her head in surprise before letting out a chuckle.
"What? No! Of course not, gez. Relax. This is something else entirely." She replied with a shake of her head. Blitzo was always assuming the worst whenever she tried to get him going about something. "Look, we've been together for like, what? Three years?"
"Four years, three months and twenty days." He correct with something akin to pride. Loona blinked, partially astonished that he was keeping such a precise count. "What? It was a very important day for me."
"Riiiight... and I'm twenty two right now. You do realize that I will have to move out at some point, right?" She remarked pointedly. "I can't live in your house forever. I want to have my own place someday."
Collin glanced sideways, surprised to find out that he and Loona shared the same age. It was a really huge coincidence.
"Well, of course I know that. Yet, I don't mind having you around Loony. You're always welcomed to stay if you want." Blitzo was clearly worried with the idea of her moving out, if his wavering smile was anything to go by. Loona wasn't convinced.
"Blitzo, I spent more time inside my room because is the only place I feel at ease. I would like to go around the house more often, but you're a goddamn insufferable nosy bastard all the fucking time!" She replied while slamming her fists over the table, which made both Collin and Blitzo jump. "I can't take two steps without you showing your stupid face into my business!"
"I'm just looking out for you. You know that!" For once, Blitzo actually was starting to sound frustrated with Loona's refusal of his caring, not that she could be blamed, but clearly the Imp was unable to see things from her perspective.
"Just like you look out for Moxxie and Millie? Sneaking into their house and trying to get pictures of them having sex?!"
Collin felt his mouth drop in utter shock, looking from Loona to the Imp, who was clearly not expecting for Loona to be aware of such scandalous activity. He gave a quick tug at his collar while laughing nervously.
"Eh, errr, I was... y-you know... just making sure my employees are safe an-
"Just!... Shut up!" Loona was starting to breath heavily, not a good sign. Aware that she could be reaching a breaking point, Collin felt the need to step up before things derailed rather quickly. "YOU are such a fucking control freak! Lonely, ASSHOLE who has NO FUCKING IDEA of how to behave like a family member or respect anyone's privacy!" The Hellhound was trying her best to not shout nonstop, and Collin had the impression that her voice cracked a few times. She was the verge of an emotional breakdown, and he felt his heart shrink at how terribly agonized she sounded.
"Blitzo. Is this what you want for your daughter?" Collin started, looking directly at the Imp, pointedly ignoring the menacing glare he received in return. "Hell or not, family IS a really different take on its own. It's painfully obvious that she resents you. Yet, you keep making excuses and pretending everything is fine. I'm not here to tell how to deal with your employees or Loona, but advice goes a long way. There's a point, after four years, that you should have realized that something you are doing is simply not working."
"Huh, was not aware I had schedules with a psychiatrist." Blitzo immediately countered, crossing his arms while looking away, giving the impression that he couldn't care less of what the wolf thought about the situation.
Loona looked so irked by the Imp's disregard, but Collin quickly put a hand over her forearm to calm her down. She looked back at him, clearly confused by his gesture, but a gentle nod from the wolf was enough for the Hellhound to stand her ground and let him take the lead.
"How about this?" Collin started, already planning on where to shift the talk towards. "Do you love Loona?" He asked simply. Blitzo snorted.
"Obviously, what kind of stupid question is that? You must be one of the cheaps to start with that one." He added with a derisive snort. Collin ignored him, looking back at Loona with an even expression.
"Loona, do you love Blitzo?" He asked calmly.
"No."
The question was simple, the answer was short and to the point. Yet, judging by Blitzo's expression, one would think he just got stabbed by the Hellhound. Loona's reply, not filled with hatred or anguish, just utter disappointment, being completely honest.
Blitzo, for the first time, was speechless.
Collin let the silence permeated the room for a while. He knows this moment has to sink in the Imp's stubborn thick head. Loona went from angry to looking somewhat uncomfortable. As much she had to admit how she felt about the ordeal, she wished things were different. She knew, despite all the oddness of their relationship, that Blitzo sacrificed a great deal to take care of her.
"I... just want him to treat me like I'm a person, not a domestic excuse to cheer him up." Loona said, staring towards Collin with a tired look on her face. "After all those years, you're the first person to not treat me like I'm some pup... or worse."
"What, him?" Blitzo said, seemingly recovered from the shock from seconds ago. "He's an Angel! Now disguised as a weird dog!"
"He's a wolf, not a dog, but I'm not surprised you cannot tell the difference." Loona rebutted with an eye-roll. "Not like it matters what he looks. Being a former Angel is what makes Collin unique. It's what makes him the only reasonable choice in this Hellhole." The Imp snorted, shaking his head as he tried to make sense of everything.
"How?! And why?! If you can give me enough reasons to even consider this a good idea, I!... I..." Blitzo paused, an anguished look on his face that Loona rarely ever saw before. "I will let you two be. Even if I won't ever support it." He added stubbornly.
"And how can I believe that? You don't get it do y-
"Maybe you should just tell him the benefits of such relationship." Collin interrupted, an apologetic look on his face. "Then we can get to the cons of it. At least on what Blitzo sees as bad coming from it."
Loona made a rather endearing pout with her muzzle, her mistrust evident as she glanced in between her foster parent and her mate. After a couple minutes of consideration she finally relented to the wolf's request.
"Fine, let's get to the point then." She said while crossing her arms and laying back on the chair. Her gaze fixated on the Imp in front of her. "Collin cured me from the STD."
Blitzo blinked several times, his eyes going from her to the wolf and back to Loona at rapid speeds. After few seconds of silence he let out a nervous chuckle.
"Loony, what are you talking about? That's just impossible." He said somewhat apologetically, hoping he wouldn't sound dismissive about the health issue she was carrying.
"So did I thought a few times." Loona said, her voice nearly a whisper as she recalled those dreadful moments. "But... Collin actually did it. The call I had early was from the Hospital, the exam was negative on all tests. I'm... actually cured."
Blitzo felt the awkward smile on his face melt. He looked back to the silent wolf at Loona's side with an expression of incredulity and intrigue.
"I... actually have many questions about that. First would be 'how'. Yet, I feel like I want to know why an Angel would go to such lengths for a Hellhound." He asked without any sort of hostility. Collin felt uncomfortable now that the attention of the Imp was focused on him.
"Well, I care for Loona, like, a lot. I'm not sure on how to explain how this came to be, but we ended up just enjoying each other's company as time went by. I don't think I really cared on where she's from or what she's like, but more on who she wants to be." He replied, his voice dragging as he picked his words carefully. "I understand her struggles more than I care to admit. My experiences with the Humans taught me a lot about such emotional overdrives, social pressure and whatnot. I saw Loona's needs and despair clearly, and they were more important than my own troubles, which they still are. There was nothing I could do to improve myself, but there's a lot I can do for her to give her a chance towards a better life. More than a Guardian, I'm committed to be her mate."
"That's a serious claim there, you do know what you're getting yourself into?" Blitzo warned pointedly, to which Collin hesitated, but a kind gesture of Loona's hand gently grasping his shoulder was all the assurance he needed to reply.
"Yeah, I cannot say for certain I'm fully aware, but I'm sure Loona will help me along the way." Collin said while giving the Hellhound a grateful smile. Loona chuckled as Blitzo groaned.
"Why I get the feeling I'm getting an earful about this later?" He asked more to himself than anything. "How you even managed that? I looked for a fucking way to get rid of that disease for months!"
"Y-You did?" Loona asked, taken aback as she looked back at him utterly surprised.
"Err, w-well, yeah, of course!" Blitzo stammered slightly. "You really think I wanted you to be with that for the rest of your life?! Obviously things would only get worse if you kept going out and sleeping with the first fuckface that gave you the slightest amount of attention."
Loona was gobsmacked. She did not expect for Blitzo to care so much regarding her condition, but if he truly wanted to keep her away from other males due a potential worsening of her health... suddenly she felt a bit ashamed for accusing him so openly of keeping her isolated, even if his approach on that matter was terrible.
"Blitzo... I..." Loona wasn't sure what to say. She felt awkward all of sudden. It was a rather alien concept for her to learn her foster parent was trying so hard to care for her health. She just wished he didn't hide it from her. What Blitzo had been trying to do was a very meaningful thing, Loona would've been more than happy to know he was trying at least.
"It's a really strange way to go about it, but it shows that Blitzo does care a fair amount." Collin said, looking at her with a rather sympathetic expression. "As to how I did it, it was a spell t-"
"Bullshit." The Imp quickly cut him off. "There's no curse or spell that can even remotely come close to doing such thing, unless we are talking about resurrecting dead bodies, then th-"
"No, no, no!" Collin replied quickly, not wanting to hear more about that dreadful topic at all. "It's not just a spell. We, from Heaven, call it a Miracle Wish. It's... not something we would ever be allowed to do under normal circumstances, unless we had a direct order to do it so." He added nervously. Loona's ears raised, she looked at the purple wolf as her curiosity peaked.
"What? What kind of stuff has to happen to get that kind of order?" She asked, clearly intrigued by the mysterious level of demand.
"Imminent death."
...
...
"What?!"
Collin made a face, he hated talking about Miracle Wish, it was short of a taboo for him to even think about it. Yet, at this point he didn't really have to worry about whatever Heaven would do to him if he opened his mouth about that particular subject, nor anything was bounding him against speaking of it.
"It takes... a rather awful setting to be applied, or should I say 'that is bound to happen'. Miracle Wish can either save you from an event that will kill you, or prevent you from dying despite the horrific injuries you suffer. But those are the only acceptable occasions in which we would be allowed to use it, IF the individual benefiting from it is worthy of receiving such a gift."
"Wait, that shit doesn't make sense, how would you even know when anyone is about to die?" Loona asked with a confused frown. Collin hesitated, something the Hellhound quickly took note of. "Collin." She said pointedly.
"I... well, some Angels may be gifted with foresight."
"Da fuck?!" Blitzo looked perplexed. "How is that even a thing?! Are you telling me your tiny ass can see the future?!"
"Not quite." Collin replied while throwing an annoyed glance back at the Imp. "We can have a strong sense of premonition, sometimes we may see for a few seconds the outcome before it happens, but not necessarily means we can see it clearly enough. Which is why Heaven direct us to the place those events take place. Otherwise even if we can tell it would happen, there would be little to do about it."
"Still doesn't really explain how strong Miracle Wish is." Loona pointed out as she scratched one of her ears distractedly. "You're just saying it works because that stuff needs to happen or whatever. You cured me and I wasn't in danger of death or anything like that."
"Because technically Miracle Wish can do anything, but that depends on the power of the caster. If you try to do something that requires too much, you end up dying." Collin seemed slightly distressed. "I was spent after using Miracle Wish on you. Had you condition been far worse than it was, I probably would've passed out."
Loona nodded slowly, still stumped that such task could drain so much from the caster. She was starting to understand even more the risks Collin took when healing her. Blitzo whistled.
"Wow, that actually sounds like a very handy type of spell to have. Say... can you cure any disease then?" The Imp asked, suddenly his tone being different from the usually irritable one. Collin nodded. "Huh, what about mental illness?" The wolf blinked.
"Huh, that's... new territory. I don't think the spell has ever been used for such a thing." Collin replied slowly, internally wondering if mental illness could even be corrected with a spell. "I'm certain it heals the body. Yet, mental issues are a different matter entirely. I wouldn't be sure if it could work. I imagine it would be more about thought correction."
"Can we get back to what matters?" Loona asked tiredly. "We are talking about our deal with each other Blitzo, and Collin too." She added quickly. "Like I said, Collin not only cured me from that crap, he actually kept me out of trouble during our going out last night. He's... I can trust him! Isn't he the type of guy you want me to date? He won't stab, rape, betray, cheat or lie to me, ever!" Loona was clearly exasperated. "Where else I can find someone like that? Definitively not here! You can't seriously think I would go single forever! I can't do it!"
"OK, Ok! I get it!" Blitzo raised his hand, the consternation on his voice evident. "You make fair points, I really can't say much. I really don't think it's a good idea, but... I guess there ain't really better options." He admitted begrudgingly. "Fine, if you really want to try this, go ahead. No, I won't sneak on you. I trust you enough to take care of his tiny ass if he tries something." Blitzo added as soon Loona made a motion to talk. She snapped her mouth shut, somewhat between annoyed and pleased. "Still, I feel like we still have something to talk that regards us rather than him."
"Yeah, about that." Loona started hesitantly. "Look, you can't really expect me to stay at your house forever. I'm planning on moving away as soon I can find a place. Normally I would stay somewhere near work, but shit here is expensive as fuck. I will be looking around for a place. Of course Collin will help me with it. I... don't want you to think I'm leaving you alone because I hate or anything like that. I just need my space, and only my room just isn't cutting it."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Blitzo cut her off immediately. "You're moving out with him?" He asked, perplexed and somewhat irritated.
"Who else? He needs a place to stay too!" Loona retorted back immediately. "Collin can't stay anywhere else. He would be murdered in seconds!"
"I'm not that hopeless." The wolf muttered under his breath. Loona glanced at him with a narrow frown.
"You feel like trying your luck? Be my guest, don't come complaining, if you survive, that someone fucked you senseless while popping your bones out of place."
Collin remained quiet for a very long time after that.
"Right. So, as we were discussing Loona." Blitzo started slowly, fighting to get that gruesome image out of his head. Even he has his limits. " If you think that moving out is the better deal, then... I will try to help you out."
Loona was taken aback. She definitely did not expect any kind of financial support from Blitzo regarding this matter.
"On one condition."
'Of course it wasn't going to be that simple.' Loona thought ruefully. She sighed dramatically while rolling her eyes. "Sure, what is it?"
"I want you to enable your GPS."
"What?! No fucking way!"
Collin blinked, staring confused at both the request and the extreme reaction. Blitzo snorted, seemingly amused all of sudden.
"Iiiiif you want me to, as per your saying, 'chill out and give you two some space', you will have to enable it. Consider it just a precaution in case something goes really bad. Which we know it can happen."
"Oh, fuck me! Really?! The reason I turned the thing off is to avoid you in the first place." Loona complained heatedly, sounding anguished at the idea of Blitzo tracking her every move. "Why would I want that?! I don't trust you to not be around somewhere even with it off."
Blitzo didn't reply right away, instead he took a deep breath while slowly reclining on the back of his sizable chair. Both his hands holding each other by their clawed fingers. He stared pensive towards the roof for few seconds, leaving both Collin and Loona puzzled at what was happening.
"This last few days were a huge eye opener. Despite our best efforts, we cannot ignore the threat we are currently facing. Striker sending a bunch of losers here to kills us, not adding the fact he knew where exactly we are located, just raised lots of flags I never had to worry about before. All of us are on immediate danger. The reason I'm taking you for the job outside is because I feel we might be facing more troubles on the Human world than usually we do. At this point we cannot allow ourselves to carry without being a bit more discreet about how we do our killings. You having a Human disguise will play a huge part on how we will carry things forward. I just was not expecting... well, this." He said while briefly nodding towards the purple wolf. "I get you want to go around Hell and do your own thing. But someone has their sights on our backs now. I'm wary of letting anyone out of view for too long. Stolas is no longer the only one that has to worry about assassins. If someone out there is out to get me, they sure will come after you all aswell, if it means a way to force me into a vulnerable spot."
Loona was left speechless. She blinked a couple of times, slowly looking back towards Collin with a worried frown on her face.
"Oh... that... kinda sucks. What we do then?" She asked. Collin could tell the Hellhound was not feeling very well with the idea of being hunted by an unknown face somewhere. Or perhaps several.
"Best thing we can do is prepare. I... never really thought about practicing spells for actual fighting, but if things are becoming so dire like Blitzo sa-
"The 'o' is silent."
"... like Blitzo said, then I think we should listen. I understand you don't want your GPS on for the reasons you mentioned, but maybe I can get mine on then? I need to get a cellphone anyway. Is very unlikely we will end up away from each other."
Loona opened her mouth to argue her point, but found the attempt to be pointless anyway. She didn't like the idea of someone actively hunting her, but being on her own about it sounded even worse. Collin and Blitzo were being reasonable about it, perhaps this was the time she acted more responsibly.
"Fine, I guess that's a plan. If Blitzo agrees." She added while giving the Imp a pointed look.
"I don't doubt your capacity of being incapable of letting go of your cuddle toy. Or perhaps I should just call it sex toy now." He added with disgusted eyeroll. Loona took a deep breath, the sudden desire of clawing Blitzo's face returning like a powerful tide wave. "Fine, I agree with those terms. Now get out of my office. If you have anything else to say save it for another time. I have a few calls to make and plans to set. Out!"
"Err, we are going then." Collin replied uncertainly, following after Loona's taller figure. She seemed annoyed but overall her mood improved somewhat. At least until they reached the room across the Hallway.
"Dickhead." She said after shutting the door behind the wolf. "Making excuses already. He knew there was still more to come from that. Fucking whatever. At least he knows now and that's one less thing to give a fuck about. How about we go somewhere and-
"We can't."
Loona looked back at the wolf with an incredulous look.
"Huh? Why not?" Collin crossed his arms while returning the stare with his own touch of incredulity.
"Because we promised Octavia, remember?" He asked back. Loona winced, having already forgot about the Owl teenager. "I think we should plan something we can all agree on, which means talking with her about it. Well, at least you two can. I'm not really sure I would like anything on Hell... besides you of course." He added with a tiny smile. Loona chuckled, suddenly feeling giddy on the inside.
"Alright, you win. We will look for Octavia and ask her." The Hellhound approached slowly, placing her hands around his shoulders as she felt his new shape more thoroughly "Just avoid being flirty while we are in her company. I don't want to make her uncomfortable."
"Oh, sure. I will remind of that." Collin quipped with a touch of sarcasm. "Say, should I take my gun?"
"Huh? Wait, wasn't that on your wool?"
"Yeah, about that..."