THAT AFTERNOON...
The other guests at the Imagination Castle get-together were back in the lobby after the tour, now socialising, sharing drinks and nibbles, even dancing to some DJ music from the receptionist's desk.
Holding hands, Loona and Balin walked back into the lobby to join in the party after walking along the hotel-room courtyard, including the limited-time design she made for herself earlier on.
"I LOVED YOUR HOTEL ROOM, LOONA!" shouted Balin, who's hearing had gone a little haywire after listening to so much loud (rock) music. "WHO KNEW YOU HAD QUITE THE IMAGINATION?"
"Aww, you're just saying that, kiddo." Loona replied in a flush.
"NO, REALLY, YOU DO!" continued Balin in his excitement, whether his ears were clogged or not. "YOU'VE SHOWN ME AROUND THE WORLD, AND ROCK MUSIC. YOU HAVE A GREAT IMAGINATION!"
"OK, OK, little guy, I got it without the mushy stuff." she chuckled. "And the shouting, too. You sure your ears are okay?"
"Uhh, only a little." the ringing in the boy's ears began dying down.
"Here. Let me help." Loona then knelt down in front of him and quickly grabbed a tuft of fur from her tail before putting it away to help with his ears. "Hold still... this may tickle..."
With that, Loona used the tuft to remove some of his earwax like a cotton bud, making him giggle.
"Loona. Hehehehe. Now that tickles." he said.
"Bear with it. I'm almost done..." she replied with focus.
"Ahem!" Devo then interrupted them with chuckles of his own. "If I may assist, I have a TV room down in the basement. Maybe the white noise can soothe your sight-for-sore-ears more."
"Lead the way, old man." replied Loona with a for-now grateful shrug.
The three went downstairs to the basement as Loona played on her phone and Balin found himself holding his idol's hand. Soon, he then opened the door to reveal a laboratory-style bedroom with a widescreen TV, all dreamed up by the visionary himself.
"Here ya go, champ. This should help you out." he grabbed the remote and turned on the TV, showing a first-class train rolling through a rainy countryside, enough white noise to calm the kid's ears down.
After a few seconds, with a deep breath in and out, his hearing was finally restored.
"So, how are you feeling?" the icon asked his biggest little fan, as he patted his head.
"I'm... feeling good." Balin smiled, softly and gratefully. "Thank you, Mr. Devo."
"Please. Feel free to call me Devo for now." he smiled politely. "After seeing that impressive display of your friend's, I can tell we're all gonna be friends soon enough."
"Listen, Devo, I only did it outta his support." said Loona flatly but modestly. "He means a lot to me, he really does, so... Never-mind. I guess hearing that means more to me too."
"Oh. I understand. It can be quite the complication." chuckled Devo.
"You have no idea." muttered a smirking Loona.
As Devo continued chuckling, Balin saw a bunch of DVDs the visionary had made for the hotel. One of them was a Sci-fi film about a time-traveller from the 1970s trying to escape the 50s. So grabbing one of them, he put the disc into the DVD player and started watching the film.
...
ON THE TV:
As Devo's character fights a police squad of villains known as 'the Slammers', two genius scientist sisters are soon able to open a portal back to his timeline.
He quickly swipes a roasting pot and makes it to the portal upstairs, just in time before they can catch him.
SCIENTIST SIS #1: "Godspeed, Devo!"
SCIENTIST SIS #2: "The future world blesses you!"
Saying that, the lead character teleports out of the 50s and back to the 70s still carrying the pot, and his wife, a transgender actress in a sitcom-style smock, walks out of the kitchen.
DEVO'S WIFE: "Welcome home, dear husband." *kisses his cheek*
DEVO (TV): "Home, just in time for dinner. Made by Yours Truly, this time."
Devo then shows a chicken pot pie in the pan, making his wife pretend gasp.
DEVO'S WIFE: "Like the ones I bake you? Ohh, Devo! You do respect women enough to cook your own shit for once!"
DEVO (TV): "Remember boys and girls: dreams can belong to anyone. Even of being a chef!" *winks*
...
"Whoa..." Balin said, as Loona giggled seeing that last part.
"I take it you like my home videos, eh?" Devo then asked the boy, his hand on his shoulder.
"That was an amazing movie, Mr. Devo!" he smiled. "What about these films? Can I watch those ones too?"
"Kiddo, there's around 10 box-sets in the gift shop." the hotelier chuckled again. "Why not grab one as you two leave?"
"Yay!" Balin happily cheered, as he started watching another one.
Devo meanwhile pulled Loona over for a quiet conversation, while Balin quietly barked at the evil police like they were mail-men.
"So, how do you two dreamers know each other? Or, dreamer and child, rather." he asked Loona. "Are you his mother?"
"Everyone keeps saying and asking me that." she shrugged.
DEVO: "His sister?"
LOONA: "Oh, that's a new one."
DEVO: "Ahh, I see. You're his girlfr-?"
"OH, FU-! No, no, no!" Loona gasped, widening her eyes and waving her hands defensively. "Nothing like that! We're just friends! God."
"Nah, I'm only teasing. I'm just glad you're not 'two' of those guests." After chuckling, Devo squinted his eyes a little hauntingly. "Unlike the last ones."
...
FLASHBACK:
One time, Pasquale turned the dream key in the ignition and made a room in a shape that shocked the hell out of him and Devo.
I can't actually explain what shape it was because that's how 'not nice' it is. But I can tell you it was a rather 'sexual' one.
As George Michale played inside the dream apartment, a group of now half-naked humans ran towards it, their arms linked with one another. First it was a gay couple, a lesbian couple, an interracial couple, robot and human, even a 22-year-old saw a little boy licking a lollipop and tempted him to join her.
After looking with confusion for a second, he shrugged and nodded with a smile on his face.
Devo was shell-shocked at the room and the sickening displays that came with it.
FLASHBACK ENDS.
...
"Those goddamn X-rated hipsters." Devo said, still feeling haunted, before shaking it off. "But I guess I do see you as quite the mother-son duo, of some kind."
"Th-Thanks." stuttered Loona.
"But if I may ask now, what brought you two together?"
"Well, uhh..."
Loona looked at Balin, still barking at the bad guys on the TV playfully in his normal form, and blushed sadly at what she was about to tell his idol. If he would like her to.
She walked up to him and knelt down to his level, asking if he was okay with having her speak about his tragedy with Devo. As hesitant as he seemed at first, Loona then reminded him of how he did it with evert friend he made in Hell so far, and that Devo could understand too.
So looking at his interested expression behind her, Balin nodded to Loona and began speaking himself.
"Mr. Devo,... Loona found me, w-when I was about to neay give up, on my dreams." he spoke quietly. "I was, separated from my mommy and daddy, when they were taken away to a place called witness protection. And, they said they couldn't take me."
"What?" Devo was surprised.
"Because the judge said I wasn't there when their disaster thing happened and I was considered a liability to their safety." Balin continued. "I was sent to a foster home to wait until they got out, but things weren't going good there. I... I escaped, and had to spend a few days at the hotel until... Loona saved my dreams."
The boy smiled looking up at her with a thankful hug around her waist, making her flush knowing he was technically doing this in public.
"Wow. Kid, I-I'm so sorry. What bastards." Devo said in sympathy, whispering in private. "With a story like that, you must be an even bigger dreamer than her. No offence there, Ms. Loona."
"I've been called worse." she kindly scoffed. "He's a big enough dreamer to be here today. In front of you. One helluva birthday present."
"Birthday present?" Devo perked his head up intriguingly. "Huh. Happy birthday, kid."
"I'm gonna be 8-years-old in 2 days." replied the little boy.
"Aw, still, happy birthday to you." the hotelier ruffled his hair causing him to giggle. "Because you know what? I got an idea. Follow me."
As Devo walked upstairs from the basement, Loona walked up to her little human friend, playing with his hair with one finger.
"You okay, kiddo?" Loona asked him in a grin.
"I'm never letting you lick my hair again." Balin said in excitement.
"Yeah. That's not happening." she scoffed, soon holding his hand to walk upstairs and catch up. "And hey, human world, remember? Wouldn't want our secret getting barked out there, now would we?"
"No." replied the boy, bringing a chuckle out of Loona again.
...
A FEW MOMENTS LATER...
As everyone was still socialising, drinking, and dancing to the music, Devo walked back into the lobby and everyone started cheering as they watched him, one by one.
"How did he walk up a whole flight of stairs?!" one random human yelled from the crowd. "You are a GOD!"
As everyone quieted down, Devo began his speech in the middle of the staircase where Pasquale spoke.
DEVO: *clears his throat* "Ladies and gentlemen! Boys and girls! Today's been quite the celebration for the Imagination Castle. One dedicated to not only the hundreds of dreams that it's brought to reality, but the people in reality who dream them and make them come true, the way no-one else can. Because whether or not it's something influential or handsome, that dreamer always has someone to look up to, so they can truly begin with them looking into its beauty. And in saying that, I recently found someone amongst you all who's blown me with his ability, his muse, either me or the best friend he's made and brought here with him tonight, giving him the early-birthday experience of the ages. Or two days. Little Balin Johnson, come on up!
Balin, hearing his name being called out, stood up front of the crowd and next to Devo as everyone clapped for him. Even Loona clapped and gave him a double thumbs-up, trying to be her nonchalant self as usual.
"Before 7-years-of-age ends in these 2 days, Balin has shown the optimism, pain, and of course, the heart of a true dreamer." announced Devo once more. "Just like his friend, but don't go spreading that about."
Loona just shrugged taking that to heart, as Devo then put his hand on Balin's shoulder.
"Come and sing with me now, everyone! he called out, making Loona howl in the crowd while everyone else cheered loudly.
As everyone started singing happy birthday, Devo and the boy lead everyone out to the courtyard. Loona watched him with a wide smile, finally feeling like her heart became fuller with him around.
Whatever the feeling was to her, her smile proved she liked it.
THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT...
Everyone staying or touring at the Imagination Castle gave him the full birthday experience.
In one room, a movie-style apartment, he played movie-like games such as the 'high-noon' experience and the 'Avengers' experience in the living room, some of them with the hidden hybrid skills in his human form.
Soon came dinner time, and after the boy helped plant some M&Ms in the greenhouse hotel-room, he went to the hotel buffet station, where there were buttons for each 'fast-food restaurants' such as KFC, McDonalds, and Krispy Kreme's. Picking McDonalds, he pressed the button for it and a food stamp came out from the shoot underneath it. Before long, Balin put the food stamp into a 'Spy Kids' style microwave that turned it into his meal: A chicken-cheese burger with a vanilla caramel sundae that he added the planted M&Ms to.
...
Meanwhile...
While Balin was eating his meal and having more fun, Loona was in her rock 'n' roll hotel room with the Helluva gang sitting in a group circle, reverting back to her normal form to quietly discuss Balin's party.
"You nervous, Loonie?" asked Blitzø.
"Fuck no. Who gave you that idea?" she scoffed sarcastically, before Tex kindly put his paw on her shoulder to calm her down. Releasing a sigh, she continued speaking. "I mean, yeah, I guess."
"Well, whether it's his first birthday with us or your first birthday with a kid, ever, we'll be there for ya!" Millie spoke happily. "Right, Moxx?"
"Right. Especially if it's your FIRST." added Moxxie with quotation fingers. "Wait, let me rephrase."
"No, no, not necessary. You did good, Fatty." Loona cleared her throat to get back on track. "So! With this embarrassing shit outta the way, I wanna say... thanks to Bee, for giving me the birthday package. I'm... gonna need everyone, to make this kid's day a cool one. So, Verosika, can you write an original song for the kid?"
"Hmm, I haven't performed for kids' parties before. Normally because I'd never do it." the pop-star replied. "But since it's the sweetie, ...I guess, I can give it a whirl. But Tex will have to write one for me."
"Yes, ma'am." Tex replied assertively, before winking to Bee to have her help out with that too, making her giggle.
"So... any more suggestions?" asked Loona.
Everyone started thinking of some ideas, until Blitzø immediately got one in his ...rather weird head.
"OOH! OOH! I got one, Loonie!" he raised his hand.
"I'm not putting you on cake duty, Blitzø." she replied to him flatly.
"Not after that cum cake you tried giving me when we met the kid." Moxxie heartily agreed.
"OR that dildo cake you gave us for our first date." added Millie sternly. "AND our wedding..."
"You're right. That WAS all before we met Balin." Blitzø nudged Moxx's shoulder in a friendly manner. "But, I was thinking of a vanilla cake, with little streaks of chocolate and strawberry."
This idea made Loona's eyes widen with a little shock.
"...Actually, I think I got the cake figured out already." she replied.
Soon, Neptune and Marijiana picked up some footsteps from nearby with their hound hearing. "Someone's coming!" they whispered.
"Okay, we'll get to more planning tomorrow!" Loona whispered rather pathetically as Blitzø opened a portal. "Go, go, go, get the fuck outta here!"
As everyone ran back through the portal back to Hell, Loona changed back to her human form and opened the door to see Devo with Balin holding his hand.
"Oh. W'sup, kid? How was your pre-b'day tour?" she knelt down to him with her smile.
"It was SOOOO much fun!" smiled an energetic Balin. "There was a room in the shape of a pizza! One slice was a house, another was a beach, another one was a supermarket, another was a cinema where the pepperoni was a chair, and the screen was on the crust! AND IT WAS STUFFED!"
Hearing all that made Loona and Devo laugh a little.
"Okay, that's enough excitement for one night." she picked him up with her strength.
In her arms, Balin soon cooled down and yawned, feeling her hellhound body heat underneath warm him up.
"So, you sure I can stay overnight, old man?" Loona asked Devo. "Isn't this crib taking up some space?"
"Nah, it's cool." he replied. "Here, a temporary room can only last 24 hours after its build. Consider this one on the house too."
"Thanks." smiled Loona, feeling comfortable with him. "For-For everything in the kid's case."
"No. Thank you two." he then said. "Even as we're growing, today's world won't be strong enough to think about the dreams or their dreamers much longer. But kids or adults, you two look like an example of both. No matter which one you are."
"Well... you're welcome. Or, thanks again, I guess." flushed Loona. "G'night, D-Devo."
"Good night."
As Loona shut the door to her room for the night and locked it, Devo walked away back into the hotel to call it another successful day.
But he couldn't get a little something from earlier out of his head: "Wait. That cheer. Was that a... uhh... a howl?"
Back in the hotel room, Loona tapped another app on her hotel room phone for another rock themed landmark: The rock 'n' roll hall of fame! (Imagine if the stage was a bed.)
She tucked Balin into her tail next to her on the stage, and turned out the spotlights with a clap of her hands.
"Loona...?"
"Huh, sweetie?"
"Can you read to me, please?" Balin gave her his sighed 'Room by Room' book as his bedtime story.
"You got it, dude." she ruffled his hair and gave him a kiss on his forehead. "Mwah! Good night, Meal."
"I can't wait for my birthday..." the boy yawned quietly.
Balin soon shut his eyes and fell asleep as a smiling Loona began softly reading him a chapter of Devo's auto-biography.
A/N: See y'all in the next chapter.