Stolas groaned as he arrived in his room. "Why do the most satisfying things have to be the most exhausting?" From Blitzy railing him to Stella getting her just desserts. Three, full, days of nothing but shouting at her with all his energy, and purposely ruining all her supplies.

She would call to bitch about it, and Stolas would simply…. Not answer. She was out of his house and out of his life. Anything Stella wanted was no longer of his concern. "So many things I can do … but too exhausted to do them … the paradox." He lamented. "Maybe just a relaxing bath … oooh, I could listen to Blitz if it's his day for the child."

Stolas… had mixed feelings as of late. Neither him or Blitz attempted to communicate with each other since that night at Ozzie's beyond texts, where Stolas attempted to explain everything... leading to a rather long tangent that Blitz likely didn't read…

He had strolled through pictures, pictures that showed happy times with the man… or at least what he assumed were happy times. In every photo... Blitz wasn't smiling in any of them. "... Fuck." Stolas groaned.

Did Stolas not listen enough … did he make it not seem like he truly admired the imp? He only wanted to do what made his love happy, which was hyper sexual and kinky moments in bed. That's how this started, and Stolas ... Stolas thought that was enough.

He turned on the radio, letting the water flow. "And that you two, is why child murder is perfectly acceptable as a profession."

"…. Sir, all you did was show off crudely drawn pictures of you stabbing children and bragging about the benefits of population control for half an hour, which is very disturbing on multiple levels."

"Not true!" Blitz argued. "I also argued about how annoying children can be."

"This is exactly what I wanted to be doing this morning." The boy grumbled. "Suddenly I agree with Alastor's views on boredom."

"See, that right there is proof of argument." Blitz shot back. "You've become more of an annoying little prick ever since her gluttonous decided to be a dumb bitch and choose you of all people to be the next queen bee. I have nine tenths of a mind to dock your pay!"

"Go ahead, most of my money comes from Carmine anyway, you've barely paid me at all since I got stuck working here."

"Fuckin' … just go check my office phone and see if I have any missed calls."

"On it." The boy groaned. Such a fun little lad, truly a good soul. While the radio demon was a concern, he absolutely trusted the child with his Octavia … hmm, maybe he should check on her before getting in the tub. She seemed to want to talk about something. "Via-chan?" Wait, what?

"Iruma-kun. Perfect." Oh … she was there … alright then.

"Why do you have the book?" The what?

"No time to explain, just get us a portal on Earth." A WHAT!?

Stolas bursted out of his mansion, flying with a speed only surpassed by that of extermination day. He needed to stop them before the portal opened and his sweet little owlette was stranded on another world!

Fuck fuck fuck fuck! He messed it up again! He let his hatred for Stella get in the way of paying attention to his daughter! How clueless was he to let this happen again!? He needed to be better, more attentive. Stolas needed to be there for her!

He saw the building! Letting magic envelope him, Stolas tried his best to crash through the office wall, to reach Via, to stop her before it was too late! "Oh fucking damn it, why is it always that wall-?!"

"Blitz!" He let his inner demon out as black light and red magic filled the air. "Where is my grimoire!?"

"Stolas!? It's in a safe!" He shouted in fear. "In the room right-why is my office glowing?"

"SHIT!" He burst through the door … as the stars vanished. "NOOOOOOO!"

"What the fuck is he … where's Iruma?" The hound asked, standing up from her desk.

"What!?" The female imp shouted. "What the hell happened to my tot!?"

"My daughter and him … fled to Earth …" Stolas growled as energy built. "Completely unsupervised …"

"... Mox, Mills, run." Blitz whispered.

"Sir-"

"The worst he will do is break my spine, he'll kill everyone else, run!"

"BLITZ, YOU FUCKING MORON!" He let out his power as feathery tendrils spread out and smashed everything he could smash on sight. "I THOUGHT IT WAS GUARDED!? HOW COULD SHE GRAB IT!?"

"It was a hellsteel safe with a four digit combo! I don't know how they got in!"

"Ahhh, that's why I smelled embalming fluid from the fire escape." The hellhound nodded. "Plus your password is 1234. Even the kid could've guessed it."

Stolas glared down at the imp, who glanced back sheepishly. "... There's no fucking my way out of this, is there?"

"No."

While Loona was busy scrolling in her phone quietly, Moxxie held Millie's hand as the sounds of thrashing occurred in the other room. "You utter Asshole! I've been patient with you, lenient with you and BEYOND compromising, and this is how you treat my grimoire!? Why not just give it to a fucking loan shark to do party tricks, or use it to prop up your fucking table!?"

"I mean there are a lot of spells-GAAAAH! NOT THE TIME! I GET THAT!"

"So … think he'll do the deed?" Millie questioned.

"A bit of a bad time for sex, wouldn't you say?" Moxxie asked.

"I meant murder hun." His wife smiled. "Out of everyone in hell, Blitz has pushed the princey's buttons the most. Karma is a charming little bitch, isn't she?"

This new attitude Millie had towards their boss left Moxxie in a bit of a twine. On the one hand, Millie being this passionately angry was a turn on beyond belief, and it especially got fun when she took out the strap on. On the other hand, given Moxxie's own understanding of Blitz's …. situation, he knew more than anyone getting mad at the tall imp wasn't going to do anyone good anytime soon.

"Millie … don't you think you're a bit harsh?"

"My tot is on Earth with a girl without anything keepin' his chastity in check. If Stolas ain't killin' him, I'm finishing the job." Millie flipped out her knife. "I'm not going to let him get taken advantage of again!" He sighed.

"Millie, he can have conversations with girls that don't end in sex… he's one of the few people in hell that doesn't talk about sex all the time." Moxxie brought up. "And if you kill every single girl that talks to him all the time, we're going to be back to where he was when he first came to hell, untrusting and paranoid."

"All he needs is to trust in family, Mox. Cause quite frankly, my list of people I can leave him in the care of is growing shorter by the day." Millie nodded. "It's grown to you, me, Emily, and occasionally Ms. Princess sunshine and rainbows because she started beating the snot out of that radio fucker. But she still doesn't off him, so she's a bad influence."

"... Right." He said dryly. "Bad compared to us."

"Exactly! We teach the kid the good values anyone should have. Fun, wrestlin', survival, campin', and murder."

"He doesn't like murder."

"And that will change in time. He already made an exception for that chip fucker and an angel."

"I still find that last one hard to believe-"

"Well I firmly believe that our boy can become a fully fledged cold blooded killer, just as so long every bad influence in his life kindly goes and fucks off." Millie growled.

The front door slammed open. "I.M.P." The princess shouted out. "I have come to strongly discuss why murder is wrong! With drawings and pictures!"

"Oh fuck off princess, no one gives a shit!" Mills shouted. Moxxie looked at his wife, scandalized.

"Millie, that's the daughter of Lucifer-!"

"And we both know she's too spineless to actually enforce that." His wife scoffed.

"Well, I'm not leaving until you all sit down and listen." Charlie glared. "Now, where is your boss?"

"AAAAAAAHHHHH!"

"Getting tortured at the moment." Moxxie plainly stated.

"What the fuck were you thinking Blitz!? What the actual FUCK were you thinking-!?"

"Stop shoving feathers down my throat-ashHahahah, this is SO not sexy!"

"Choke on your mistakes damn it! CHOKE ON THEM!"

"Oh, um, am I interrupting another meeting?" The princess asked, looking awkward as she stared at the certain door closed. "I can wait outside. Or come back another day. Whichever is easier." Then said door slammed open.

"No!" Stolas screamed, throwing out a very damaged Blitz as he returned to normal size. His feathers flaring in great anger. "Because THESE buffons left the book unguarded, and allowed my little Starlight to leave for the human realm with Suzuki! Unsupervised!"

"...Oh no, his chastity is at stake!" The princess shouted, grasping her head in panic. Moxxie's eye twitched.

"THAT'S your main concern!?" Moxxie had to shout at that. "Not wild animals, gun wielding terrorists, angels spotting them other than Emily?" What was with her and Millie having THAT as their top priority.

"I mean, it's not like we've ever had to worry about Iruma surviving something dangerous in the human world." Loona shrugged. "He lives in hell, the human world is nothing compared to it."

"And now they are unguarded from the mortal realm, without human disguises, in who KNOWS where!?" The prince screamed.

"Wait just a moment, wait just a fuck, seriously!" Blitz shouted. "We can fix this! You have portal shit powers, just jump over to Earth and nab them!"

"That means nothing if I don't know WHERE on Earth they are, Blitz!"

"I can find out." Loona raised her hand as she entered the office. "The portal was open for a while, I can get a scent of it." The hellhound began sniffing. "Smog, sweat, throw up, with a… weird combination of forestation… L.A… no… Sacramento."

"Then to Sacramento we go!" … Everyone turned to the princess. "... What? We are going, right?"

"Excuse us, your majesty, no offense… but… you do realize we're talking about going to the human world, correct?" Moxxie inquired.

"Yeah, and if I wasn't so worried about Iruma, I'd be downright excited. This is the place where human souls are born. I can't wait to experience its beauty." The princess gleamed with excitement. "Of course, after we find our kids and give them a strongly worded lecture on asking permission before leaving home. Then we can get into the lecture of murder being wrong."

"So two useless lectures no one's going to listen to?" Blitz questioned with a roll of his eyes.

"It's more useful than your attempts at keeping the grimoire safe." Stolas grumbled. "Come now, the longer we wait, the farther they get. Who knows what they're up to?"

Octavia took a look at the blue sky. "So … this is Earth?" It was pure impulse that led her to this decision, but… she wasn't going to risk her own happiness because her dad was too busy hating her mom… she was going to see those stars… and she was going to see them with the only person she had in her life she could be certain would always be there. "It's…. Pretty…"

"Yeah … almost strange now." Iruma muttered, standing next to her. "I feel both it and the red sky in hell as familiar … like two homes. Two skies for a boy who lives in another world …" He stated, gazing up in silence. "So … you wanted a tour? I would have recommended a few places, but with the rush job it was hard to remember how Loona usually does it." He looked around. "Not even sure where I am. Could be any number of forests that I've had to camp in over the years."

"Would it be possible to gaze at the stars here?" Octavia pleaded. She couldn't have anything go to waste now.

"Ah... yeah, yeah, the forests are usually a good place for stargazing." Her boyfriend nodded. "Is that what you wanted to do for our next date?"

"… Sort of." She admitted. "Azathoth's tears…. They come once in a thousand years, meteors that dance across the cosmos in the most brilliant dance of light … And dad promised to take me to see them today…. But…" He was too busy yelling at her mom … At hating her mom more than loving Octavia.

"I experienced a meteor shower once." Iruma nodded.

"Was it beautiful?" She asked curiously.

"Yeah … for about a minute. Then they started falling on my camping site." His luck was truly inspiring in itself. Or depressing.

"Well, since my dad can't take me … you're the next best thing." She held his hand. "Because I love you, and I want you to experience this wonderful magic with me … my little bluebird."

"Ooooh…" Iruma blushed as his feathers flared up. Adorably fluffy. "Is it really that important to you?"

"I spent over a decade waiting for it." She nodded. "And I'd … really like someone I care about to be there with me." Something this… awe inspiring shouldn't be witnessed alone… it was a magic moment that needed to be shared.

"Don't worry Octavia, I won't rest until we see those stars." He nodded cutely, holding her hands with a determined expression. "I've been to every possible place in the world, I know the best places to spot shooting stars."

And once you see them, you can start using the moment to slowly peel off his clothes as the two of you lay there bare and close together, nibbling on each other and-STOP RUINING THE MOMENT!

"Thank you Iruma." She hugged him with a smile. "This means the world to me." She looked around. "So… do we start climbing a tree or...?"

"First of all, we need to get away from any nearby cities." Iruma stated. "The smog from the cars and the lights are only going to make it harder. We need to head deeper into the forest and up a mountain, maybe even make camp for the night if it's going to take long."

"Oh … I see." She nodded slowly, seeing he was clearly more prepared for this. "So do we need to head to a store to gather supplies-?"

"Don't worry, I always prepare for a camping trip." He smiled as he opened up his suit. "I got a trail mix, a tent, dried jerky, pots, a life preserver, ladder, flashlights, dry juice mix, an emergency electric fan..."

"How do you fit it all in there?" She asked in surprise.

"Moxxie's been giving me advice on storage." He nodded, taking her hand. "Come on, when night comes, it'll get colder, and we'll have to snuggle up to stay warm, which'll slow us down."

… I don't even NEED to say anything, do I? Just… shut up please. Remember when you're waking up with his head on your boobs, you'll know who to thank. You're just a repressed part of my subconscious. Why would I thank you? "Iruma… you're incredible, you know that, right?"

"I don't try to be, I just want to be good and friendly." Her boyfriend nodded with a smile.

"And that's what makes you incredible." She ruffled his head affectionately. "And I'm going to promise you tonight will be magical."

"I'll be excited for it." He grinned back, reaching up as his leg extended to peck her in the cheek. "… I know that's weird-" Octavia quiets him by putting her finger on his lips, giving her boyfriend a warm smile.

"It's not… I love it." Because you want every single corner of these mouths to kiss you all over where the sun don't shine-SHUT UP! She would spend time with her boyfriend and it would be magical, no sex required. But not unwanted-... Just…. Shut up….

Charlie smiled up at the sunny and clouded sky. "It's … beautiful!" She exclaimed, giggling. "This is Earth?! The land of humans, the first of Heaven's creations?!"

"Yeah, where god said let's take a shit on a pile of dirt and let it grow into more shit." The leader of IMP, Blitz, rolled his eyes. "Cool your tits princess, we're not here for a vacay."

"Right … right." She nodded, steeling herself from the amazingness around her. "We will find Iruma, Octavia, and get back home."

"Mox." Blitz turned to the imp. "I need eyes, how far are we from human civilization? And Loonie, which way did those fuckers go?"

"That's my daughter you're talking about, Blitz." The goetia growled as his four eyes glowed a deadly dark red.

"Yeah, and she snuck out of your house into my office to steal your fancy magic book." Blitz shot back.

"And took our tot." Another imp, Millie, growled. "After this, I'm cuttin' off Iruma from the girl. She's clearly a bad influence."

Prince Stolas towered over the female imp angrily. "My Via is not a bad influence! She's clearly more pleasant company to be around than any of you imps!"

"Oh, you want to make this a race thing, you pompous feathered ass, cause that will not end pretty for you!" Millie took out an axe.

"Hey, hey, hey." Charlie got in between them. "This is not the time for war. This is the time for peace, and when we find those kids, we will give them love and cuddles while bonding with everyone here and being friends who forgive one another."

"It's a bit too optimistic, but the princess makes a fair point." Moxxie spoke up with a more agreeable tone and attitude. "I checked it out, no civilization for miles. If the children are here then they're not heading to any human town."

"And I don't think we've landed exactly where the kids did." The hellhound Loona sniffed the air. "Trails are getting faint, and everything else in this forest is covering up Iruma's scent… he likey covered himself in dirt and leaves to throw predators off his trail."

"That's oddly specific." Charlie pointed out.

"It's what he said he'd do whenever he's in the middle of a forest." The hellhound shrugged. "Helps avoid the wild animals wanting to eat him."

Charlie shook her head, trying not to be upset again. "I know he had bad luck before but this … this is Earth … the beautiful planet full of life!" She exclaimed, happily gesturing to the majestic terrain. "We'll spend our days … In the warmth of the sun!"

"Ah fuck, she's singing again." Blitz sighed. "Let's just move people, she'll get it out of her system."

"As life goes around us, To dance and to run!" She skipped through the woods... and got a face full of branches. Ow. Earth trees…. So rough and so pretty!

"When it gets dark, and you feel afraid." Charlie told them as she approached a flower. "Don't worry, be brave. This is how our dreams are made." She smelt it's lovely scent … as a bee poked her eye with its stinger.

"Should we… warn her-" Moxxie spoke up hesitantly.

"The bitch wanted to know what Earth is like, so we'll let her get the full experience." Millie rolled her eyes as she kept walking.

"Heroes will die and kingdoms will fall! Reaching the ending once and for all!" An ending that hopefully included redeemed souls in heaven. "The world keeps on turning, long after we're gone." She strolled through some flowers, feeling itchy all over.

"That would be poison ivy." Loona informed as she sniffed the air.

"Yes, it will live on, all that we depend upon!" She started scratching all over… and fell down a ditch into a stream of water… Earth water, pure and clean!

"Whoa oh oh oh, Whoa oh oh oh!" She hollered out as a mudslide ran her over and buried her alive. "Whoa oh oh oh! The world is beautiful!" She sang out anyways, popping out of the dirt.

"Quite the optimist, isn't she?" Stolas asked.

"She gives Iruma a run for his money by about a thousand." Loona nodded.

"Whoa oh oh oh, Whoa oh oh oh!" Charlie exclaimed as she got out, taking in the sight of a bird … pecking her hair for the worm. It was so fluffy! "Whoa oh oh oh. The world is-" Just beautiful.

"Is this song going to last long, we're burning daylight here!" Blitz shouted, annoyed.

"Whoa oh oh oh, Whoa oh oh oh!" She ran through the woods, branches in her hair as she ran around, seeing something amazing. "Whoa oh oh oh. You might also like!" She grabbed a lovely looking orange … one that some bugs had gotten into and were now crawling all over her skin. "Ahhhhh!" She tried to shake it off, and ended up rolling downhill through a really rocky patch.

"She's going to die here, isn't she?" Moxxie asked blankly.

"Probably." Millie nodded.

"Whoa oh oh oh, Whoa oh oh oh!" But all of that didn't matter. "Whoa oh oh oh …" Because … "The world is beautiful!" Even with sticks in her hair and poison ivy on her legs, Charlie still found all this so AMAZING! "That was…" She leaned over due to the ache in her back. "That was… exhilarating. Why would no one want to live here!?" Pulling a biggest smile was quite a struggle.

"Ugh, you are way too cheery for me to handle right now and I'll stab myself if I'm forced to listen to this any longer." Blitz grumbled, rubbing his head. "Alright fam, we're splitting up. M and M, you take princess daddy issues, Loona, you-

"I'm going off on my own." Loona stated suddenly as she started walking off. "I've been hearing everyone bitch the entire day and I need a break."

"... Then I guess it's me and-"

"I'll be heading off on my own as well." Stolas said coldly. "I can fly, and I'm not in the mood for company." He added, before taking off in the air.

"Oh … Alright-"

"And me and Mox are gonna find the tot faster through our own merits." Millie dragged her husband away.

"…. Why does everyone leave me….?" Blitz curled up in a ball and got on the ground, looking very sad.

"I won't leave you." Charlie patted his head gently.

"….. why does everyone leave me?" Blitz repeated with a sniff. "I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I have a big enough dick and I make life fun for everyone, but they all leave me in the end."

"Well … have you ever thought that maybe, murder isn't fun?"

"Impossible, we all love murder! Millie is from Wrath and I met Mox in jail. We're born killers, that's like the glue that binds us together!"

Right. She was talking to an imp, who could have even less standards for decency than sinners. "Maybe…. Murder shouldn't be the glue? If that's all you have… maybe you need something else?"

"... Like sex?" He asked lethargically. "Cause believe me, I've been working on getting that three way with the Ms, but they seem to be resisting all my charms and charisma."

"Oooor … genuine emotional connection forged through the fires of friendship?"

"... I'm going to walk away now." The imp began strolling.

"Wait, hold on-!" Charlie tripped as she started following along. "I'm the princess of hell, and though my goal is to redeem sinners, I want to help out all of my people, and that includes imps and whatever they're dealing with."

"Look, if you're looking to be my therapist, don't bother. The kid already made me spill my guts all over hell and it didn't make me feel better for shit." Blitz growled. "If anything, it just made the radio fucker you let hang out in the hotel you love giving the kid to us more." That stung more painful than the bee sting on her eye.

"Right..." Because as comfortable as she made the hotel for Iruma ... Alastor was still the one thing in the way of giving the boy a truly happy life. "Some days I don't even know what the right thing to do is. I have my ideals and dreams, but then… reality crashes and I'm left… clueless." She rubbed her face, stressed.

"Reality says that you either kill the deer man or the kid suffers. Really no ifs ands or buts about it." The imp shrugged. "Stolas can't even break his daughter's contract, probably can't do shit for that one."

"I know I know, I know what to do… but doing it… I…"

Blitz looked at her for a moment, and sighed. "Knowing what's right and doing it are two different things… even if you have all the best intentions in the world, it can't stop you from being a total fuck up… believe me I've been there more times than I could count."

"..." She looked forward. "... So, what's it like being a dad?" Maybe a topic change could help.

It worked as Blitz perked up. "Oh it's great. Plenty of hugs, fun jokes, smiles. Just have to make sure I threaten and shoot every boy she's around before shit gets too kinky." The imp's attitude instantly changed to cheerful and… delightful.

"Sounds nice, but don't you think you maaay be overreacting on the boy thing?" She asked with a weak grin.

"Wasn't your first concern when you heard the kid was alone on another world, his chastity at risk?"

Sheepishly, she poked her index fingers at each other a few times. "…I mean, fair point but ... Iruma's a teenager and Loona's a young adult..."

"And they smooched each other the night of the party he got turned into a demon hybrid."

"…. Wait what?" Charlie blinked.

"How did you not pick that up with his constant frantic apologies to the bird girl?" Blitz asked, his brow raised.

"I just thought he was apologizing for getting drunk against his will and a kiss on the cheek, not full lip on lip contact!" She exclaimed in dismay while pulling her hair roughly at this revelation.

"Actually it was more of tongue on tongue contact."

"What!?"

Iruma checked on the paw prints. "Hmm … okay, good news. I finally narrowed down that we're in Sacramento, California. My mental map is much better equipped for the moment." Knowing where you are was always a big step in keeping yourself alive.

"I'm assuming by how you're phrasing it that there's a bad news." Octavia tilted her head.

"We're near wolf territory. And since I now smell like a wolf thanks to my demon stuff, if they catch my trail, they'll assume we're invading their turf." Iruma informed warily. "They're survivable animals, but a pack of them is risky. You can get blindsighted when you least expect it."

"Given everything you've been through, I wouldn't have expected you to be worried about a bunch of wild dogs." Octavia chuckled.

"Well yeah, that's because I'm usually alone and never have to think about anything but running in any direction and hiding in small holes." He nodded, turning to her, his face firmed. "But now that you're here I'm gotta do my best to protect you, like you do for me."

"Awww." Octavia blushed as she rubbed his cheek. It always felt so nice when she did it.

"Luckily we're not being chased at the moment, but just in case keep an eye out and stay close. They're forest animals, so we'll be safe once we reach the mountains. Of course there's also the risk of mountain lions and panthers, but they're usually passive… well, passive enough where you can go past them without too much trouble."

"Aren't you an expert?" She chuckled. "It's so weird seeing you take the lead like this." Octavia smiled.

"Oh." He blushed. "You can do so if you want …"

"No, no, no!" She held his hands. "It's fine… it's a very adorable weird, like a two headed chipmunk."

"Ah … thank you." He wasn't sure how to take that. He assumed it was good if the hand holding was any indication. "So … do you know what time the tears are gonna fall? It's about four pm according to the sun."

"It's supposed to come when the full moon has risen in the center of the sky, so that the crashing nebulas colliding with one another can circle the collapsing cosmos in a beautiful harmony." Octavia answered with a bewildered expression.

"... Midnight it is, we've got time." He nodded as they walked. "Sorry your dad couldn't take you, I know you were looking forward to doing this with him."

"It's fine..." Octavia looked to the side as she gazed at the trees. "It's only the one thing he's promised repeatedly to me for over a decade and swore to never forget ..." She grumbled.

"... Are we about to have a fight?"

"What?" She blinked. "What made you think that?"

"I've been trying to understand proper healthy relationships, and Charlie and Moxxie say that good fighting is when couples address their problems instead of just bottling them down." Iruma said. "And… well, I know that there are times, when people say it's okay, it's not really okay..." Iruma blinked. "Unless I'm pushing you into something uncomfortable, because I don't want things to explode like when I tried to confront Blitz, and-"

"Iruma, relax." She rubbed his face, keeping her eyes locked with his. "This is nowhere near uncomfortable for me … just … hard to verbalize I guess."

"I understand that… heck, I'm still struggling to use that word of the day calendar." Iruma chuckled. "I... I can try to understand it the best I can."

She sighed. "I … I want to love my dad, and I want to accept that he loves me … but there's such a difference between what he says and what he does that it just … gets me frustrated." … Like Emily … "And now this thing we've been promising forever is gone because life is just pushing him, and I can understand it, but it's …"

"It's not fair... for you or him." Iruma nodded. "Weirdly I've been there... a lot." He chuckled. "Emily ... she's the warmest person I know yet I only got to experience her love in full recently. Millie's kind and I can trust her to protect me, but she also wants me to be a ruthless killer… heck, Charlie's the only one I've been able to put my faith in on a parental level. Sure she doesn't always get it right... but she hasn't disappointed me either." Iruma sighed. "I can't speak for all parents… but ... circumstances sometimes ... just don't let you be happy ... or at least, happy in the ways you want to be."

"They don't … they really don't." She sighed. "And then when they do try it just … makes you feel like they're …"

"Making it up as they go along?" He asked.

"Or trying to just fix a problem instead of being there for you …" Octavia finished. "You get.."

"Excuses." Iruma nodded. "Excuses for why they weren't there, why they couldn't help…"

"And they're still making it all about them, not you." Octavia sighed. "... Thank you Iruma, for just … getting me. Being here for me."

"My pleasure, Via-chan." Iruma nodded as he guided their hand. "Watch your step, there's a lot of poison ivy in the area too."

"Yikes." She muttered, moving her foot away. "I really don't want to test my rank against those."

"Definitely not. Although if you get hit, I wouldn't mind rubbing some ointment on your legs if you need it." Iruma offered.

She blushed red. "I mean… better to be safe than sorry... right?"

"I guess you have a point." He nodded as he took out the bottle. It always paid off to be proactive in infection prevention. "I'll just add it lightly for now. We can add the rest when we get to the mountains and set up camp."

"Good, goo-" She paused for a minute as he started rubbing. "Very good..." She moaned that it sounded funny. Huh, he had no idea that Octavia was so into personal health. Maybe he should get her a survival and first aid kit. "Um… you know….if… If you'd be down for it…" Octavia rubbed her head awkwardly. "I know you stay at the hotel a lot of the time now, and, well, I spend half my time at my dad's and the other half at mom's… so… maybe... I… I can use that time where I'm staying at my mom's… and…. Spend it with you…maybe?"

"Oh, that sounds great." Iruma smiled. "I'm sure Charlie would be more than happy to give you your own room if I ask her."

"I was thinking… maybe… we share a room… and…. Maybe a bed…" She blushed. "Nothing sexual of course! I... I just… like the idea of… hugging you... When I sleep..."

"Oh …" He processed that. "Again, I don't really see a problem with it. I mean, unless your parents say anything about it."

"Again, I'm almost eighteen. It would be a good start to me moving out on my own."

"Then sure thing. I'd be happy to sleep with you Via-chan." He continued to rub as she blushed redder. "Are your feet doing alright? You're not too tired or anything?"

"Not at all, not at all!" She yelled for some reason. "Perfectly awake…"

"Well your face is heating up a lot, so you should probably hydrate." He took out a water bottle. "I can hold it for you if you're too tired to hold it."

"Fine!" She grabbed it, gulping it down greedily. "Alright! Cool! Great! How much longer is the hike!?"

"Eh, we should be there by elevenish and cut it close." He muttered. "Too bad we can't fly."

"…." Octavia stared at him.

"Too bad I can't fly well." He corrected himself. "... Wait, you're a bird, can you fly?"

"I…" Octavia blinked. "I actually don't know… dad can occasionally but I've never been strong with magic."

"Eh … probably for the best." He nodded. "Between the lack of control and the need to carry me, it'd be better to walk."

"You know, I wouldn't mind carrying you." Octavia shifted shyly.

"But I need to protect you out here, I should be carrying you." He stated. Sometimes she was just too nice for her own good.

Blitz groaned as he looked at the sky. "Sun's finally setting, it's gonna be dark before we find the brats …" An entire day of nothing but walking in the woods alone, just what he needed.

"It's beautiful." Oh wait, he wasn't alone, he was walking with the most naive woman in all of hell, the one that made Iruma's naivety look like Albert fucking Einstein by comparison. "A sun dipping down on the horizon. No eternal night or day, just an ever shifting beauty!" She squealed.

He was getting a headache from all the sunshine and rainbows this girl constantly spewed. Of course he wanted to give her to someone else, but they all walked away. Cause you deserve to be left needed a drink. "Ugh, where's the nearest bar when you need it?"

"Who needs a bar when you can get drunk off of nature." The bitch smiled. "The beautiful sights and sounds, so gorgeous, you know?"

"Yeah, and the shitty smell of humans fills the air." Blitz rolled his eyes. "Aside from horses, this world has nothing of value in it. It just takes and takes and takes until you die and end up an empty husk in hell, which is why they're so many fucking desperate degenerate rubs in hell that I can take advantage of." He said. "After all, if you hate Earth, you'll pay to kill people up there."

"I doubt every sinner in hell hates Earth. That's basically saying you love death, and that's inane no matter what context." The bitch crossed her arms.

"Oh sure, you can say that because you're fucking rich and never had to suffer or struggle a day in your life." Blitz rolled his eyes again. "You upper class royal asses and blue bloods have NO idea what it's like for people like us."

Princess looked defensive. "That's not true, I was born in hell just like you-"

"Livin' it up in your daddy's mansion without ever spending a single night hungry or alone. Oh yes, the horrors." He sarcastically groaned. "Let me guess, was the most terrible thing you've ever experienced not getting enough cuddles?"

"… I…" She hesitated.

"Or was it that someone bumped into you without saying excuse me, or stepped on your golden woven rug?" He glared. "Face it, you're spoiled and have nothing wrong in your life other than sinners, who literally advertise themselves as the worst people in the universe, not believe in you."

"That doesn't mean I don't have any reason to not care about my people." She frowned. Oh she wants to go there?…Fine.

"Oh, so you care about hellhounds?" He asked, his glare hardened. "Just like you would anyone else?" She jumped.

"I care about all my people-!"

"Then you must totally be aware of the dozens of orphanages that euthanizes any of the 'undomesticated' pups that reach the age of eighteen. Cause you care enough to know about ALL the problems in hell, right?"

The bitch blinked, stunned. "Wait, but Bee-" Just like that, the dam that contained all his frustrations and hatred for the aristocracy broke.

"Beelzebub cares about nothing about her people, just the fucking partying to make all of life's pain numb long enough for everyone to forget about how fucked up everything is! Newsflash Princess, in hell, the bottom of the barrel fucking stinks due to all of you privileged assholes sitting right on top of us!"

"I... Blitz-" The flood of intense emotions kept on flowing and crashing.

"Oh right, that's my mistake." Blitz admitted. "I forgot about Greed, which sells them as slave labor so people don't have to pay the pups money they can make. Cause why would Mammon want to pay his employees?" Blitz rolled his eyes. "Oh wait, I forgot, you just found out about soul deals, and clearly anybody not chained to a soul contract like your collection of losers at that hotel of yours you don't need to worry or so much as think about!"

"I … but …"

"Or maybe you want to talk about the high costs of life saving surgeries in Sloth that are ten times more expensive than what an IMP makes in a year?" Blitz questioned, the heat in his voice increasing. "Oooh, we could discuss how anyone lower than a goetia isn't even legally allowed on the surface of Envy, and forced to the bottom of the ocean cause they're 'ugly and repulsive'?!"

"I-"

"Shut it, princess crybaby, the reason why no one takes your cause seriously is because all your help is nothing but pity!" The volume of his voice is growing louder.

"Blitz-"

"No one in power cares. To them everyone else is just a servant, fucktoy, or some kicks for fun!" He was no exception. Stolas just wanted him for his dick and a fun time. Cause he doesn't care, and you fucked it up, and now you're alone again."So stop with the lecturing about morality and good feelings and getting me to open up, because it's not going to work, because I'm a shit head beyond help, just like every fucking shit head in hell-!"

"Awwwwwwwwoooooo-!"

Chomp

"Gaaaaaah, fucking damn it!" Blitz yoweled out with a heavy, pained wince as he pulled his tail back from whatever the fuck was biting him from behind.

"Grrrr." Which was a wolf, snarling at him.

"Fan fucking … tastic..." A wolf … looking at him with such … innocent eyes.

'Good riddance, if you ask me. She'll never amount to anything much.'

"Ah…. Blitz… we're getting surrounded by a pack..." The princess spoke up in fear.

She … she … his little Loonie, so scared, violent, alone, about to be hurt.

Chomp

She was biting his arm. "BLITZ!"

"It's okay! She just needs to get it out of her system." He rubbed her head, making shushing sounds. "There there Loonie, it's alright. Daddy's going to keep you safe and sound."

"Blitz, I don't think they're friendly-!"

"No, no, she's a good dog trying to get through her pain of being abandoned by everyone in her life! Daddy's here, just lay it out all on me, I won't leave you ever!" Blitz yelled.

"Grrrrr." They were biting down harder as blood spurted from the wound.

"It's alright, you'll be safe and sound and protected. No one will ever hurt you, little girl." Safe and sound, safe and loved. Like you could ever give something love."I do love her, and I'm never giving her up!"

"Oh for fuck's sake!" The princess pulled him away and held him upwards, fleeing from Loonie and her pack as he squirms.

"No! No! She needs me, she needs me like I need her!" Blitz reached out to his baby.

"RUFF! RUFF RUFF!" The innocent baby hounds started running at them.

"I'm pretty sure they just want to bite your flesh!"

"She can have anything she wants! I'll prove that I haven't fucked up her life like I've done for everyone else!"

"Why can't Hell have ONE decent therapist!?" The princess shouted exasperatedly as a wolf jumped at them to give them a love bite-

Pew

And the princess shot a firework at them. "Sorry, I know this is self defense for you lovely creatures-!"

"YOU SHOT MY BABY!" With a growl, Blitz went for the eyes and did his best to strangle the rich bitch.

"Blitz-stop it-I can't see where we're running!" She yelped.

"YOU SHOT MY BABY!"

"It's just a wolf, Blitz, it'll be fine-!"

Trip

They began falling… right into a rushing waterfall with spike rocks at the bottom of it. "Oh you have got to be fucking kidddddinggggggggg–!" The princess screamed as they plummeted to the water.

SPLASH

Loona had followed the kids easily enough, just tracking their scent. She was actually only semi-serious about the kid covering his tracks. Yeah, it was a thing he did, but she mainly just wanted to get away from Blitz and the others for a while, there was WAY too much drama brewing, especially with princess bleeding heart and Stolas tagging along.

Of course, once this shit was over it was probably going to be ANOTHER long trip for them to get together again, but … that's future Loona's problem. She walked up the side of the mountain, seeing smoke forming from the top as she got closer, a conversation starting to become known with her enhanced hearing. "And that completes the tent. We're all set to go Via-chan." A cutesy nickname… of course they were at that stage.

"I still can't believe you out-growled that mountain lion… like I knew you could go feral with the new features, but… damn…."

"Sorry, instinct kind of took over… I should really ask Bee about that one of these days." So many things going on with that body. "Anyway, I think the fish is finally done cooking. Here you go."

"Thank you, bluebird." Octavia chuckled, then there were sounds of bite, munching, and gulping. "Mmm, this is good."

"Really? According to everyone else, I suck at cooking." Iruma asked in confusion. "I mean, before I didn't really have a sense of taste as long as it kept me fed… I did my best to cook it all the way."

"I think you did well Iruma… besides, I…well..." Loona got closer and saw the bird blushing. "..I eat rats, so this isn't too far off from it."

"...Huh, I guess given that you're an owl, that makes sense." He muttered. "I can try making you a rat stew the next time I come over then. I mean, not to brag, but I do make a pretty filling stew." He puffed his chest in pride, cute. "You just find everything that's edible and throw it all in." That sounded like murder on the stomach… but strangely sweet.

"Mmmm … maybe I could try taking up cooking." Octavia considered. "I mean you love food, it makes sense to make something you love."

"Only if you really like it, I don't want to push you into something you're not comfortable with." He smiled, pressing his lips to hers … as a purple fire on their chest bloomed. "You know … it feels really warm." The kid kept smiling. "Like a heat in my chest that tells me I'm not alone."

"... Are you sure it's alright?" The bird asked, looking uncertain. "It doesn't … bother you, being locked like that?"

"Octavia, five different demons own my soul. Comparatively, you're the absolute best of them." Loona wondered how many hellhounds felt the same, or any demon that had no choice but to work for someone else. "The only contract I actually want to break is Alastor's. Which ironically is the only one I had no say in."

"We WERE close to killing him, and you did eat that dorito demon…" Loona recalled that last one…. It was kind of hot knowing just how much bite was in that mouth….goddamnit, she was pathetic… "Anytime, we can go in and-"

"No… no matter how much I hate him, Charlie was right, I don't want him getting the last laugh." The boy sighed. "When I took out Bill, Alastor was just laughing about how he thought of me as a son … that unnerved me more than anything else I've ever experienced, parents included."

Octavia leaned towards him shoulder to shoulder with a hug. "I get it…. I hate it but I get it." The Goetia girl sighed. "Whatever you're most comfortable with, I'll support."

Loona just stared in disbelief … They were just so….. Nice… and supportive…. And… she was feeling jealous of that… why the fuck did this bother her so much!? They were just two kids enjoying each other's time, that didn't have any bearing on her!

She just … felt … fuckin' … "Gaah." She groaned quietly.

"Loona?" The hellhound jumped as two of them looked at her. Fuck, fuck fuck! She needed to leave-! "What are you doing here?" Iruma questioned. "Wait, what are you doing here? We have the book … did you get a portal from Verosika?"

"No…." Loona's shoulders sinked with a sigh. Ugh, not like she wasn't going to do this sooner or later. She left the bush she was hiding behind and walked towards them. "No, Octavia's dad realized she disappeared and poofed into the office the second she left."

"Wait… dad's here?" Octavia's eyes widened in surprise. "He… noticed I was gone."

"Yeah, pretty much right away… guess that's the advantage of the broadcasts." Loona nodded.

"Guess it is … so are they all with you, or did you split up to cover more ground?" Iruma asked. "That seems like a pretty dumb idea though considering your sense of smell …"

"Yeah, well, Stolas got pretty pissy and started kicking Blitz's ass, then princess sunshine and rainbows came in to lecture the idiots, realized you were on Earth unsupervised and went into mama bear mode and joined in-"

"Wait, Charlie came to Earth?" Iruma's eyes widened. "...In the woods, completely unprepared and splitting off by herself."

"Yep."

"...Oh dear god, she's probably really banged up by now."

"You know it's somehow disturbing you think the people you connect with are more helpless and innocent than you are." Octavia noted. "Adorable and sweet, but disturbing."

"Not entirely wrong though." Loona muttered as she sat back. "So … we never really got the reason you all left for Earth. Needed some space? Or you wanted a special little night to yourselves?"

"It… it's somehow both yet more complicated." Octavia groaned. "There's a meteor shower Dad has been promising me for years… but he's spent the last three days yelling at mom and completely forgetting about me."

"And now he's here searching for us, which makes the situation even more complicated on if we should still be mad at him for forgetting and only now trying to fix his mistake that he knows something's wrong, or coming here because he cares about Octavia and would do anything for her." Iruma said, creating a small silence. "... Being a kid is weird."

"It… it is." Loona took out a cigarette and a lighter. "I know that better than most…most of mine was spent in a cage waiting to die or get kicked out to the streets as a stray with low chances of survival because no one cared about me." That was just the life most of them expected. "Then Blitz came along…. And… he fucks up… like a lot… but…. I.. I don't really hold it against him." Then she lightened the cig before inhaling it.

"...You don't?" Octaiva asked, staring at her attentively. "But you beat him up, like, all the time."

Loona breathed out a smoke. "That's just how I am with everyone in my life." For the most part. "But … everyone tries. And they fuck up. And no matter how much effort you put in, at some point, you will fuck something up." It's just life. "The important thing is that they keep trying to make it right…." She smirked. "And I know that in the moment, it doesn't feel like much… but with enough patience…. They can follow through and make it worth it…. I mean, it was either this or…"...Or death. "At the end of the day… Can you say life's better with your dad in it?"

"... I can …" The girl muttered with a pause.

"... I wonder how much Emily was in mine." Iruma muttered, gazing up at the moon. "How many nights she was just there … trying … with all her might to keep me safe." He looked sadly at the sky. "...I probably made everything worse for myself and her by being mad at her all that time…I must be a pretty big jerk."

"Pffffttt..." Loona laughed as she almost fell on her back. "No offense Iruma… but that's LITERALLY the funniest thing you've ever said."

"She has a point." Octavia lightly chuckled. "You're the farthest thing in the world from being a jerk, Iruma. You're the kindest soul in all of hell." She nuzzled his face … affectionately …

"I'm probably not that kind..."

"Let's see, you never get mad whenever people yell at you, you're always looking to help someone..." Loona began listing off. "You always have something nice to say, you're always there to listen to anyone that needs it..." She felt her hand slowly rub the boy's face fondly. "And you always make me feel warm and comfortable and you make my life just a little less shitty whenever you look at me with those kind and innocent eyes…."

She could feel the two staring at her. "And … I…" Well, she was screwed anyways. It wasn't like she had much of a social life to begin with. She took a deep breath, before slowly exhaling. "I like you Iruma… like…. Really… really like you…" Loona confessed quietly.

The boy tilted his head in that cute confusion. "When you say like like that…" He turned to Octavia. "Okay, so I usually have trouble when this stuff happens to me, so I never like to assume what people call out to be obvious…so…"

"She does mean it like when Rou did in chapter 145 of First Love Memories." Octavia nodded as Loona tilted her head. First love what? "He likes talking about it occasionally. A bit cheesy, but a little endearing."

"Oh … oh." The boy blushed. "… I guess I don't have to think you're mad about Bee's party."

"No…. thing is…" She really was about to say this to all of hell… well, if anything that Queen Bee said was right, it was that Loona gave no two fucks about how freaky she was. "...You're the first friend I've ever made, and being kissed by you… held by you… it… it was really special for me, more special than anything else I've experienced." She admitted, feeling the heat of blush on her face.

"... I see …" He was a red mess, his fur and feathers bristled out as his body seemed to almost warp and shrink in embarrassment.

"Fuck, fuck, sorry, sorry, I don't know why I said that, I know, it's weird and you're dating someone and…" Why did she open her big fat mouth!?

"It's fine …" He reassured Loona. "Better to get it out than hold it in …" Iruma shook his head, a reassuring pat on her back. "I … value you … great now I can't get words right."

"Feelings… they're nothing but a mess…" Octavia groaned.

"Completely." Both her and Iruma quickly responded at the same time.

Boom

The trio gazed up … and the sky exploded, as multiple blue lights rained down from up above, glistening down and making the night itself twinkle. "Wow…" Iruma spoke. "I… I've never seen anything so pretty on Earth before."

"Beautiful…" Loona looked up.

"I … Azathoth's tears …" Octavia muttered, starstruck beyond belief. "... Dad said that they formed from an elder deity crying over the beauty of life …" The girl explained in amazement. "They say only the eyes of demons can truly catch their beauty in full, being able to gaze into the beauty that stems from the eldritch void of the very edge of reality."

"I…I don't know what half of that means but it looks… stunning." Iruma stated in awe, mesmerized. "...Like….it's like the universe is crying…. But… it's a happy cry."

"Yeah …" Like every bit of struggle and victory, every birth and death, every moment ever lived … was being judged as wonderful … beyond it.

The three of them stared at the meteor raining sky for what felt like an hour, streams of light and explosions that danced with the moonlight like fireworks. A silent … beauty …

"Loona…" Octavia said suddenly. "... The whole situation with our dads… it's really fucked up."

"It is..." Loona nodded.

"Our lives are messy… and it's only going to get more messy from here on out." The girl kept going.

"Yeah, pretty much…'"

"Especially with Iruma going to be the Sin of Gluttony."

"You went from dating common folk to royalty way above your paygrade." Loona laughed.

"I still barely get it myself." The boy nodded.

"Him dating someone else wouldn't be the craziest thing ever…"

... "What the fuck/wait what?" She and Iruma said at the same time.

"Are… is this…?" Iruma's eyes lit up in worry.

"No, I'm not breaking up with you… I'd either be the world's biggest idiot or dead to ever do that." Octavia reassured with a peck on the cheek. "But… you've lived your whole life with people taking from you… and I want to make sure the rest of it has as much love, joy, and happiness as possible, to give back all the happiness that you've given to me."

"I …"

"I'm not going to say anything else about it. You've had enough people making choices for you." The girl said, turning to Loona. Staring at her intently. "What happens in the future…. Who he wants to date and how many that is… Will be his choice." Loona was so speechless she dropped her cigarette into a puddle next to her.

"...You're….you're…." Was this fucking happening right now…. Was this girl…actually… giving Iruma permission…. To date Loona? "... What the-"

"Via!" A shout cut them off, as the girl was grabbed by a familiar giant bird.

"Dad!"

"I'm so sorry my dear!" Stolas cried out as he hugged the girl in relief and concern. "I should have remembered, I should have been there, I should have-"

"It's fine dad … it worked out." Octavia patted the man on the back. "I had a fun time."

"I still should've been here too..." The man murmured.

"Dad, this was my choice." Octavia looked up at the taller owl. "It's my life…. You have yours and I have mine… that's… that's just how it is."

"... Right …" He rubbed her back. "Did you … enjoy it?"

"I did …" The girl smiled, looking back to Iruma… and to Loona. "I really did."

Loona blushed, still not sure how to take that. Having feelings for Iruma was one thing… but getting permission from his freaking girlfriend to date him…that was…. Confusing… and…flattering…. Oh shit, don't tell her she liked Octavia like that too!?

"LOOOONNIEEE!" Blitz shouted, climbing up from the mountain side, looking like he was halfway chewed up by cannibals ,as he jumped at her. "YOU'RE SAFE-!"

"I'm fine, moron." She stopped him halfway. She had enough mushy feeling moments for the day.

"IRUMA!" And the Princess, who looked worse as Blitz, hugged the boy.

"Oh, hey Charlie." He patted the woman's back, looking concerned for the taller demon. "Sorry you had to suffer from Earth….. Ooff, you look beat up." He winced.

"Whaat, nah, this… this is nothing! Sure, I got stung by bees, chased by wolves, buried alive, and almost drowned in a rushing waterfall, but it was nothing nobody else on Earth couldn't handle!" The princess laughed a bit brokenly.

"True." Iruma nodded. "That's a pretty light first day all things considered." He looked her over. "Still, probably should get peroxide on those bite marks… also you got poison ivy spreading all over your skin, nothing I haven't dealt with before."

"...You are a remarkable boy." The princess paused for a moment as she hugged him tighter, crying a little bit.

"There, there Charlie, it's going to be alright." Iruma patted the woman's back again.

Loona snorted, ruffling the boy's head. "Alright, let's find the other two losers and head back home." She had a … LOT to sleep on personally….lots of feelings… that… had her… weirdly excited.

"You know, given everyone else, I kind of expected Moxxie and Millie to come in with something rather… more catastrophic." Iruma noted. "I'm more surprised they didn't burn down the forest-"

KABOOOM

Everyone turned to the mushroom cloud in the distance. "...Nevermind." Iruma nodded.

"Loonie's brothers and sisters!" Blitz cried out-

"My WHAT!?"