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Loona picked up her mascara. Via would be here soon and she needed to make sure she was able to catch her before their dads (plural) cornered her. Loona tried to convince her to let them pick her up anywhere else, but she insisted she would meet her at the apartment.
She inspected herself in mirror of the cheap vanity she'd squeezed into her room. She'd brought it up the stairs one day when her dad was out doing something. It had felt like a rebellion hiding a whole ass piece of furniture from him. Now it felt childish every time she thought about it. What was wrong with her?
And was she even doing the right thing taking a fucking kid to a Queen Bee party? Was Via even a kid anymore? There were moments where she felt so much older than she should be. Loona didn't really know a lot about Via's mom. Just that her uncle was a flaming piece of shit dressed in sequins. Either way, she didn't seem happy, and although Loona did pick a fight with Bee at the first party she went to, Bee and Tex did care about their party goers. Maybe they could help. Bee was part of the same circles as Via, right? Was that something?
She stood up and looked over her outfit. Tan and red plaid shorts and a knit short sleeve top. It was almost tasteful. She picked up a black, denim vest from the back of her chair and slipped it on. Gigi and Russ gave it to her saying bad-ass girls deserve a battle vest. She was hesitant to even get it out of her closet for tonight. They had pinned two very nice enamel pins to the left chest, a crescent moon and a cartoon style container of sour cream, and a cheaply pressed button of the IMP logo. She always thought about taking the button off. She never did. The thought of touching it made her anxious. The thought of other people seeing it made her anxious. Loona dragged her hair over her shoulder.
She left her room. Still no Via. Good. She could run interference once she got here. Just Blitz was smothering enough, but Stolas's anxious hovering somehow cranked up what Loona could only think of as Dad Energy to stifling levels. It was like standing in the humidity of Envy except for parents.
"There's my, Loony!" Blitz crawled - fucking crawled - over the back of the couch. "You look great!"
He didn't try to hug her without asking. He seemed to be doing better about that. That didn't stop him from doing the proud dad face. Was Via here yet?
As if the universe heard her thoughts, there was a knock on the door. "I've got it," she blurted the moment she saw Stolas and Blitz look over.
Via stood in the hall looking sulky. Loona knew the carefully arranged expression well. She was a master of looking disaffected. Well, until her temper punched through.
Via had her backpack thrown over one shoulder, the strap gripped in both hands. The bag didn't match her style. It was white and blue. Must have been something her dad bought her because she always had it. Probably could have bought anything else. Loona tugged on the left collar of her vest and adjusted her hair.
At least Via had dressed for the party. Loona had been a little worried she'd over do it. She was dressed in a hot pink skater dress with a square neck and glittery yellow constellations on the skirt. The rest was black. Black cropped cardigan. Black tights. Black patent boots. Even her choker necklace was black. And, of course, her ever present black beanie. Her crown. The thing that told everyone she was Princess Octavia, weird emo girl of the Ars Goetia.
"Hey," Via said.
"Hey," Loona said as she moved out of the way.
Via stepped in far enough for Loona to close the door but stopped. "Hey, Dad. Hey, uh, Blitz."
"Hi, Sweetie," Blitz responded immediately.
Stolas no longer sat on the couch, but he kept his distance. While they were talking again, there was still so much they had to work on. Sometimes it was fine. Sometimes it was very much not.
"Hello, Via," he said gently. "I hear Loona is taking you to your first hound party."
Loona almost snorted. When she told them she was taking Via to a Queen Bee party, she swore Stolas was going to yell at her with the way his face tightened up. It was a weird feeling to have. She liked Stolas. He could share a space with her without talking or asking questions. There was something quiet and soothing about him even when he was an anxious disaster. Maybe she was just used to her dad always running at a ten. She couldn't even say Stolas never raised his voice. He had lungs. It just took a lot to get him there.
He did not yell at Loona, but he wasn't happy about it. Blitz thought it was a great idea to allow Loona to introduce Via to her community. She really couldn't trust either Blitz or Stolas with their opinion. It's not like either of them made flawless choices. Loona still didn't know if it was a good idea.
"Uh, yeah," Via responded. She turned to Loona. "I'm going to put my bag in your room."
Loona nodded consent. Wow, barely five words. Via must be having a bad day. She wasn't a talker on a good day, but she did have more enthusiasm.
Her phone pinged. Gigi was downstairs.
When Via reappeared, Loona let her know it was time to go.
Blitz pulled out his phone. "Let me get a picture of you two before you go. It is your first party together."
"This isn't fucking prom," Loona snapped.
Via pulled her phone out of her skirt pocket. "It's okay. We can take a selfie too and put it on Sinsta."
Loona glanced over at Blitz, who was expectantly holding his phone, then Stolas, who had his hands together at his chest like he was excited or pleading. Probably both. Damn did Blitz's boyfriend make it really hard to give her dad the middle finger and bounce sometimes.
Loona put on her least grumpy face for the pictures. She wasn't doing it for Blitz. She was doing it for Via. If she wanted a picture, she would have a picture.
She inspected the selfie Via took before the posting on Sinstagram. Via took good pictures. They didn't look like they were being held hostage by their dads.
Blitz tucked his phone away. "You two have fun. Be safe. If you need anything, call."
Stolas nodded. "We'll drop everything if you need us. Don't hesitate." He stared at Via, but unlike Blitz, he wasn't going to hug his daughter while she looked at him with a look that promised pain to any who dared touch her. "I'll see you when you get back, Via."
For a moment, Loona didn't think Via was going to say anything. Then she said, "We'll probably be out pretty late. Don't wait up. See you, Dad." She opened the door and walked into the hall.
"And please, for all that is unholy, have clothes on when we get back. I can handle how disgusting you two are, but lets not scar her just yet."
"Awwww, look at Loonie. Already being a good big sister."
Loona scowled at Blitz. Cat was out of the bag, she loved her dad, but she was very tempted to make a new window with him right now. She took a very big breath. Go to the party. Have fun. Don't murder Blitz. Don't think about the word sister. "Just - clothes!" she shouted before slamming the door behind her.
"Are you okay?" Via asked her as they headed down the stairs.
"Just Blitz being Blitz. I should ask you the same thing. You've been quiet. We can change plans. We don't have to go to the party."
Via shook her head. "No. I want to go. I just don't want to be around my parents right now."
Loona never really knew how to respond to Via when she said things like that. Loona understood not wanting to be around parents, but she had almost been an adult when Blitz adopted her. She spent most of her life in the system, orphaned and alone. Via, from what Loona had got out of her, thought her parents loved each other once. That hadn't been true. To Via, she had been lied to her whole life and she held her dad responsible. Even with the truth out, there were days where she didn't want to see his face. Apparently, today was one of those days.
They exited out of the building. Russ was leaning against the side of the car. He opened the back door for them. "Loona. Little Bird," he said with a nod to each of them. "Your chariot awaits."
Via approached Russ. "My name is Via. And you?"
"Russ." He motioned to Gigi, who sat behind the wheel. "And your chauffer for this evening is Gigi."
"Get in the car, Russ. We have to catch the car elevator to Gluttony. We're going to be late," Gigi said.
"I was just trying to make Big Bird's kid feel welcome," he grumbled.
Via tilted her head in that uncanny way her dad did. "You know my dad?"
"Cha. He's No-O's boyfriend. Of course we know him. Scary smart dude, but real nice."
"That sounds like my dad," she responded quietly before climbing into the back seat of the car.
Loona and Russ exchanged a look that wondered if Via was going to be okay. They climbed into Gigi's car to get this party started.
They sat in silence for minute while Russ flipped through playlists on his phone until he found the pre-approved, pre-party bangers, as he called it. Via started nodding her head along immediately. "You like this one?" he asked.
"I'm not usually into industrial house, but this has a really solid back beat," she responded. "I've got it on one of my playlists."
"You're into music?"
Loona snorted. "Into music? You're lucky you're meeting her without her earbuds."
Via rolled her eyes. "Yes. I like music. Always have. I can even play guitar."
"That's so cool," Russ said. "If you're comfortable, I'd like to hear you play."
Via seemed to shrink in on herself. "Oh, uh. Maybe. I haven't really played a whole lot recently."
"Probably still better than me. I can barely hold a tune."
It was painful watching Russ try to pull Via out her shell. He was a pretty friendly dude. He had chill stoner vibes even sober. Loona had hoped he would help put Via at ease. It was not working, at all. Well, shit. Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe she should have Gigi change directions and they head to a bowling alley or something. Was that lame? When she was seventeen, she would have thought that was lame, but she wasn't Via. She was angry and scared, and some stranger had just adopted her. Via had parents even though they were very, very divorced.
The song on the playlist swapped over to a Verosika Mayday certified sex jam. Russ smashed at the skip button with his thumb. "Ah, shit, Loona. I forgot to take that off. I'll do it right now."
"Wait?" Via said, her shell temporarily shed. "What's wrong with that song? It's one of her bests." Her eyes snapped over to Loona. "Do you not like it? I prefer bands like I Hate You Dad, but even I can get behind Verosika Mayday."
Gigi's eyes met Loona's through the rear view mirror. "Do you want to tell her?"
"Tell me what? Are you Verosika Mayday's Number One Hater?"
Loona really, really didn't want to tell Via. It was already awkward enough between her and Blitz. She still hadn't changed his contact in her phone from "Dad's Shitty Boyfriend." Would this make things worse? Would it help?
She cringed. "This is going to sound weird, but I swear I'm not lying. Blitz used to date Verosika. The song is about him."
"I can't listen to half her catalog now," Gigi muttered.
Via sat silently, staring. After a moment, she burst out laughing. "I should be mad because I'm really tired at being lied to, but that's funny. As if he could be date someone as cool as Verosika Mayday."
Loona pulled out her phone and dug around in her storage for the folder of her proof. Once the whole Spring Break bullshit was over (and Tex had let her down gently) she started digging around to see if Blitz had been telling the truth. He wasn't a bullshitter about stuff like that. She was just curious, but she tried to justify her digging by telling herself he couldn't be telling the truth, even though they screamed at each other like exes. There was something surreal about finding old paparazzi shots of them together. Then she saw the dates and started connecting them to the dates of song releases. Realizing her absolutely favorite horny party song was about her dad made every inch of her body reject life. Revulsion wasn't a strong enough word for it. She now had a list of Absolutely Not songs.
She showed Via the screenshots and downloads from her investigation. The teen princess's face twisted into the unique brand of shock and horror only a teenager would be capable of. It was like she'd been shown something cringe and embarrassing and only being hit by a bus would spare her.
"What the fuck?" Via took the phone from Loona to get a closer look. "How?"
Loona cocked an eyebrow. "You're confused about a pop star and yet he's shacked up with your dad."
Via held out both hands palms up and cut the air with them to emphasize her point. "But she's cool. She's Verosika Mayday." As if that was the answer.
Russ was removing Verosika songs from his playlist. "A pop star and a prince. I wish I could pull tail like that," he said absently.
Loona kicked his seat. "Gross! That's my dad."
Via had that look on her face again. The one that said she wanted to be anywhere but here. She handed Loona her phone. "You know," she began. "If it wasn't for my dad's current, uh, situation, it does sound a bit like Blitz is a gold digger."
Loona scoffed. "I wish. It would make things so much easier. Instead he used to fuck anything that moved, the pervert. Stolas is the one that stuck. They're probably watching some cheesy movie right now. They do that a lot." Or doing unspeakable things on the couch. Loona really didn't want to tell Via that Blitz had found the freak to match his freak, yet.
Russ finally settled into letting the playlist run and a Not Verosika song started pulsing through the cheap speakers. Via perked up. "I like this one. You know there's a remix?"
They spent the rest of the drive down into Gluttony and to Queen Bee's palace with Via redoing the pre-party playlist. It was impressive watching Via sort through different versions and genres from memory. When she was done, the playlist sounded amazing and cohesive. Loona felt hyped to get this party started. She wondered if Via knew she was so smart and talented. Obviously her dad did. Stolas wouldn't stop telling her and wouldn't stop telling anyone else, but it wasn't the same.
"This is way better than mine," Russ said just as Gigi found a parking spot. "Good job, Little Bird. I mean, uh, Via. I'm going to save this as Via's Awesome Party Pump Up Jams. Want me to share?"
Via nodded. Russ and Via put their heads together to start exchanging info while Loona and Gigi climbed out of the car. Gigi's parking spot was far down the sidewalk from Queen Bee's palace. It was better than Loona expected, but it still wasn't great. They had a hike up the hill. Loona was surprised Bee didn't have her own parking lot with the amount of events she threw. It made sense a lot of people carpooled or got a taxi, assuming they weren't just walking in.
Via emerged from the car, followed by Russ. They all headed towards the palace. Loona fell in besides the younger woman. She felt like she had to talk, to say something as they all walked in silence. She was still wracking her brain when Via was the one who spoke.
"So, you're on speaking terms with Queen Beelzebub?"
"Kinda. I'm friends with her boyfriend, Tex. He's actually Verosika's bodyguard. That's how we met. Blitz and Verosika were measuring dicks, and we had to put up with their dumb-asses." Loona was glad she already explained the whole ex's thing. "He invited me to my first hound party." She would leave out the utter disappointment that he already had a girlfriend. Loona didn't feel like explaining to Via how crushing it was to find out Tex's girl was the Queen of Gluttony herself. She never had a shot.
"Wait. You didn't say you met Verosika."
"I saw her yelling at Blitz. It's not the same thing."
Via was quiet for a minute. "You said this is a hound party. Does that mean there are only hell hounds there?"
"No, there are imps too." Loona cast a side glance at Via. "I haven't really seen anyone else. There's Queen Bee herself. She's… fine." She didn't stop the trial that almost killed Blitz. "She didn't smite my dad for out drinking her."
Via didn't say anything. They continued to walk in silence until the people mingling in front of the palace came into view.
Loona's phone pinged. It was Gigi. Is she going to be okay? the text said.
Loona texted back. I have no idea.
Via stopped and pulled out her phone. "Whoa. This is so cool." Her eyes glittered with excitement as she stared up at the modern style palace with it's dome of golden honeycomb panels. She snapped pictures, turned around, and took a selfie with the building.
Gigi and Loona shared a glance and shrugged. Maybe she would fine.
While Via took her time posting her picture, Loona tapped out a message to Tex, letting him know they had arrived. As they headed through the open doors, Loona spotted strange looks directed at Via from the party goers in front of the palace. She figured this might happen. The only hell born with avian features were goetia. Via hiding her "crown" wasn't going to hide that she was covered in feathers and had a beak. Maybe they should leave. No. This was her new reality. If Blitz and Stolas worked out, Via would be apart of this life. She kind of already was.
Via lifted her phone for more pictures of the multi-level atrium once they stepped through the doors. The way the fading light cut through the dome to the large disco ball. The lights. The people. It was like a club. Music pulsed at a comfortable volume below the steady chatter of the guests as Via held up her phone for Loona to see her pictures. "This place is cool. When you said palace, I was expecting something closer to…" She trailed off. "What my family has."
Loona heard the unspoken My Dad hanging in the air. Via had a mom and an uncle, but Loona was beginning to think they were never her home in the way Stolas was.
"LooOOona!"
"Tex!" she shouted at the approaching hound.
"It's been a minute. I didn't think I'd see you around after what happened. That was intense."
Ah, fuck, the trial. Loona was hoping she could avoid talking about it, especially with Via around. Via didn't need a reminder of Stolas's banishment. Loona didn't need a reminder that she almost lost Blitz.
She smiled nervously. "Yeah it was, but I figured it was time to show my face. Anyway, I have someone to introduce to you."
Via stepped forward. She still had some of the excitement from seeing the palace lingering over her expression. "Hi, I'm Via. So, you're Tex. Loona says you're the one responsible for inviting her to - " A hound tried to jump into his friend's arms, only to miss and crash into a low table, spilling drinks and food everywhere. "These things."
Tex chuckled. "Yeah, I invited her to her first party. I actually met your dad at a party like this." He shrugged. "Well, met is a strong word. More like Verosika made me sing back-up vocals for him. He's got a good voice."
Loona raised an eyebrow. "Why would Verosika make you sing back-up vocals for him?"
"More of her drama. You know she doesn't pay me enough to care."
Loona narrowed her eyes. Tex knew enough, he just didn't want to tell her. Why would Stolas be at a Veroiska party? She leaned back and crossed her arms. "You know, I thought we were friends," she said, mock wounded. "It had something to do with my dad, didn't it?"
"Look, it's not my place. You want to know more, you're going to have to ask him."
Loona scowled. She wanted to growl and argue and make him tell her, but he was right. And did she really want to know? She was already way too familiar with her own dad's messes than she wanted to be.
She shrugged. "Fine. I'm already well aware of how sloppy Blitz is."
Via grunted. She didn't look just sulky anymore. She was seething. She was scowling out from behind her bangs like she was planning a murder. Loona knew that look all too well.
Loona started speed running through everything she could do or say, none of it feeling right, when her thoughts were interrupted by a loud, bright "Heeeeey, bitch!"
Loona wagged her tail. "Bee!" Maybe she could help her.
Bee placed her hand on Loona's upper arm and gave it a squeeze. "How ya doing, girl? I didn't think I'd see you around again."
Well, fuck. Here was the trial again. Bee had actually advocated for Blitz, as ineffective as it was. It was hard to be mad at her. It was also hard to ignore how awkward this felt standing here with Via. Why did she think that Bee might help? Bee didn't now the truth. She didn't know that Blitz had been paying Stolas with sex to get access to his spell book. It had been that simple and that illegal. There was no attempted assassination. No complicated plan. Just two idiots being ambitious and horny, and not thinking about the consequences. Maybe she could just skirt around it? "Yeah, well, I couldn't just avoid one of the few people who actually stuck up for us. Besides, no one throws a party like you."
Queen Bee waved her hand and a Beelze-juice bottle appeared. She handed it to Loona. "Then you must enjoy yourself. If anyone needs it tonight, its you." Her eyes finally registered Via. "Who is this cutie?"
Loona thought about putting her hand on Via's shoulder, clocked her murder look, and decided to motion to the younger woman with her bottle. "This is Via. She's Blitz's boyfriend's kid. You know Stolas. You saw him at the trial." And condemned him to banishment, but she really didn't need to clarify.
Bee narrowed her eyes. They widened. "Oh, Prince Stolas!" Then she muttered to herself, "I don't think I can call him that anymore," before turning back to Loona. "I heard him and your dad guy got together. Good for them!" She stared down at Via with sympathy, her voice taking on a softer quality. "I'm sorry how it went down with your dad. I still think we should have heard everyone out, but everyone wanted to be an asshole that day. Its days like those I miss Lucifer."
Via's expression got darker, but she said, "It's nice to meet you, Your Majesty."
"You don't need to call me that." Her voice was all bubbly effervescence again. "Bee is fine. Especially for you, Horseradish."
Via's face scrunched up, but she didn't respond.
"Sour Cream. Horseradish. Have fun. If you need anything, don't be afraid to ask."
Bee bounced off, speaking with everyone she passed to make sure they had anything they wanted. Food, booze, it didn't matter. She was the consummate host. Indulgence herself. A ray of sunshine next to the dark, foreboding cloud standing next to Loona.
Tex glanced over at Via and back up to Loona. His expression asked if Via was going to be okay. Loona wished she had an answer. Instead she said, "I'm going to find Russ and Gigi. Looks like they've disappeared. Catch up with you later?"
"Sure." He didn't look sure. "Come get me if you need me."
Once Tex disappeared into the crowd, Via snatched the bottle from Loona and chugged it.
Loona snatched it back. It was already empty. "What in fuck sake are you doing? This is Beelze-juice from Bee's own hand. It's not for lightweights."
"Why does everyone know my dad and his shitty fucking boyfriend?"
Loona couldn't have been more surprised if Via had punched her. She almost wished she had. There wasn't a good answer. Blitz gets around? Correct, and objectively a bad idea. It would probably be easier to count who didn't know Blitz at this point. "There's nothing wrong about people knowing about them. In fact," she straightened up, "it's good your dad gets out. Think, did he really have anyone to talk to besides you?"
Via scowled at her. "That doesn't answer my question. I feel like I'm not being told everything, and I'm getting tired of it."
Ooof. That was a terrible feeling. Loona understood it, but she didn't really know where it was coming from. Stolas had told Via everything. Her and Via had talked about it. It was all pretty mundane when broken down. Stolas hid his shit marriage from his kid, acted like a dumb ass, and is currently suffering the consequences of the worst divorce in Hell. The truth didn't take the pain away.
"You know, this was too much. Lets get out of here. We can go smash bottles at a wreck room or something."
"Stop treating me like I'm a child!"
"I would stop treating you like a child if YOU STOPPED ACTING LIKE ONE!"
Loona felt it. Her hackles raised. The growl in her throat. The heat in her face and chest. Her temper. She dragged it back. Tried to contain it. The look on Via's face told her she was too late. There was something sharp about the spite in Via's face. There was something mean.
Via held out her hand and dragged an unopened bottle of Beelze-juice to her using her magic. With a flick of her finger, the cap popped off and she downed it. Loona lunged for her and bounced off a shield of magenta pink analog snow, like an old, broken TV fed through mall goth aesthetics. Via flipped Loona off.
"Oh, real mature."
Via flicked the empty bottle over her shoulder and used her magic to guide it into a trash can.
"Keep that up, and you're really going to regret it." If Via kept that up, Stolas was going to fucking kill Loona. Via was the most precious thing in the world to him, and here she was shooting back drinks like it was water. Loona did not want to see his reaction if she dragged his baby girl home so wasted she had to be carried. What if she needed her stomach pumped?
The shield dropped. Via crossed her arms. "And are you going to make me regret it?"
Loona scoffed. Her smirk a humorless line. "I won't have to with the hangover you're going to have in the morning."
"I think I'm wiling to chance it. After all, aren't we supposed to be at a party?"
"Fine. Go ahead. I don't care." She did care. She cared so much. She wanted Via to feel better and have actual fun. She wanted Stolas to see she could be trusted to bring home Via safe. She was fucking it all up. Why couldn't she just say all that?
"Oh, my Bee. Is that Loona? I'm surprised you're showing your face around here."
Loona cringed at the sound of snide valley girl. She knew that voice anywhere. It was Vicki. The level in which she loathed Vicki was somewhere under Sloth. What bitch - and she was a certified bitch even if Loona couldn't say it out loud - kept a picture of Loona puking on tap? She didn't like Vicki before that. Finding out just made Loona's disdain for her deeper.
She turned toward Vicki. "What the fuck do you want? Can't you see I'm busy?" She gritted out the words between her teeth. She didn't have time for this.
"After you had to carry that imp you called your dad out of here, I figured that would be enough, but," she held out her phone, "now he's got that criminal goetia working for him. Doesn't that make him a bit of a class traitor?"
Loona studied the screen of the phone. It was some tabloid rag with paparazzi photos of Blitz and Stolas entering the office building the IMP office was at. It was weird that this seemed to be news since they had been damn near inseparable since the trial. Part of that had to do with Stolas's safety. Assholes still liked to throw things at him, spit on him, or dump drinks on his head. Blitz almost ripped some dickhead's horns out last week for trying to run him over. Sure, the guy was only riding a bike, but fucking with Stolas was a one way rocket to getting your shit kicked in. Loona was actually surprised Blitz hadn't killed anyone yet, even when she believed everyone remained alive because it would make Stolas upset if Blitz had.
What she wasn't surprised by was some whiny loser with an opinion wasn't happy that the impressive imp who avoided death and ran his own company sheltered the prince who apparently had framed him. Some people just couldn't keep their dumb thoughts to themselves. Not that their opinions would change if they knew the real truth.
She reeled her temper in further. "As if I care what some stranger thinks. They don't know their business."
Vicki pulled back her phone and crossed her arms. A smug look on her face. "Is that why you were fighting with that goetia?"
Loona's eyes widened. Oh, shit. "Via!" She whipped around. The younger woman was not where she left her.
"Is that her name?" Vicki said, sounding as if she learned a particularly juicy rumor.
"Fuck off, Vicki!" She started moving her way through the crowd of lower level demons. She didn't see a single black beanie, not even on the wrong person.
"Loona! Hey!"
It was Gigi and Russ. They must have noticed the panicked look on her face because their party attitude immediately dropped away.
"What's wrong?" Gigi asked.
"Via and I had an argument. Then Vicki distracted me. Now Via is missing. We have to find her. She was drinking way too much." She grabbed the side of her head and clutched her hair. "Her dad's going to kill me."
Russ put a hand on her forearm."Whoa, hey. We'll help you find Little Bird. We'll get her home safe."
"And I can't believe I'm saying this, but if I have to put my finger down her throat so she'll puke, I will," Gigi said.
"She probably doesn't have a gag reflex," Loona said without thinking. Then wished Blitz was here so she could punch him.
"How do you know that?"
Loona waved her hands dismissively. "Don't think about it. Divide and conquer. Call me if you find her."
Russ and Gigi confirmed the plan, and Loona returned to dodging dancers and drinkers. Like any Queen Bee party, drink and food and candy flowed like water. It was indulgence in any form. That included horny partiers disappearing in some back corner. Loona didn't think she was going to find Via in any of those spaces. Over the limited time she's gotten to know her, Via gave off a decided uninterested vibe in anything like that. Via was determined to get wasted, and there was simply too much booze floating around that Loona couldn't even begin to think of a place to begin.
Why couldn't she be stupid tall like her dad? Stolas was impossible to miss in a crowd. But, no. She had to be shorter than Loona. Did four foot legs skip a generation?
She was probably the only goetia here, right? Wouldn't that gather a group of lookie-loos who wanted to gawk at the princess slumming it with the poors? Look for a big group. That should do it. Should she call Bee? Was Via's sour attitude enough for her to use her Detect Buzzkill power? No. She didn't want to drag anyone else into this. She found Via once already on her own. She could do this again.
Loona pulled out her phone and went to Sinstagram. Maybe Via was feeling like she needed to post her first self destructive binge. It wouldn't be entirely out of character. There would be something weirdly adorable about her posting pictures of architecture and interior design while trying to get drunk. Please let that be the case.
With Sinstagram open, she had a couple of options. She could start with Via's account or go directly to the hashtags used for Bee's parties. Loona started with Via's account. There was the picture from before they left the apartment. The pictures of the palace when they arrived. A selfie with Via up against a planter of tropical plants. She had her expression of disaffection plastered on. The caption read, "I miss having this many plants around." There were no hashtags. Loona suddenly felt crushingly sad. She ignored the feeling. Another picture. This one a selfie against the pony wall that looked out over the atrium and the disco ball. The caption was only hashtags for the party. No other pictures. Loona immediately ran for the stairs.
She found the landing with the right view of the disco ball and began pushing through the crowd. She spotted a group of people bunched together around someone or something. Loona shoved through them and there was Via.
Via waved around the massive glass bottle in her hand. "I thought my family was happy. Turns out, my mom is a bitch and my dad is gay and they fucking hate each other." She took a swig from the bottle. "And now my bastard uncle is always around. He sucks. Have I talked about how much he sucks?" Another swig, found it empty, and swapped it out for an unopened bottle on the table next to her. "What is wrong with my family?"
Loona wanted to scoop her up and carry her off, but didn't want to embarrass her. Via hadn't seen her yet, so Loona shot off a quick text to Gigi and Russ to meet her at the bottom of the stairs. She watched Via chug down more booze. Yeah, she was probably just going to have to pick her up.
A guy who looked like a succubus-imp hybrid placed a hand on the wall and leaned near Via. "I'm sorry to hear about your family. I can make you feel better."
Via sneered. "Gross. No."
"Ah, come on, cutie. I'll cheer you up."
Loona moved before Via could open her mouth again. She pistoned out her right fist and smashed the dude right in the jaw. "Stay away from my sister you creep! She said no!" The creep stumbled back and crashed into the ground. Loona snarled at him and he scrambled off. She glowered at the crowd. "Anyone else wanna fuck with us?"
Hounds, imps, and the odd succubus put their phones away and scattered.
She turned to check on Via, who scowled at her.
"I don't need you to protect me," she slurred. "And you're not my sister." Then promptly drank more from the bottle.
Loona snatched this bottle away too. It was also far too light. She chucked it away offhandedly where it skipped off the top of the pony wall and plunged into the atrium. Whoops. Whatever.
She decided to ignore she called Via her sister. That's what Blitz had said, and it felt too sharp to touch. "Tough titties. I brought you here, and you're way over doing it, so we're leaving."
"No. You can't make me."
Loona almost laughed. If she wasn't trying to get this angry, drunk, demon princess in Gigi's car and out of here, she might have thought it was funny. Maybe she would later. Right now it was just pissing her off.
She lunged forward, grabbed Via around the waist, and threw her over her shoulder. Via let out a distinctly bird sound of surprise that Loona didn't even have a name for. She didn't try to use her magic. Instead she beat against Loona's backside screaming to be put down. Via pushed against Loona and kicked her legs. Loona kept one arm over Via's hips and the other over the back of her legs to keep her from flailing too much and to keep her skirt down. None of these assholes needed a free show.
Moving through the crowd was much easier than before. Maybe it was the glare that promised a kick between the legs to anyone who got in her way. Via kept shouting at her to put her down as they made their way down the flights of stairs, but she quieted as she reached the bottom.
Russ wagged his tail. "You found her."
"When in doubt, check her Sinsta."
They made their way out the front doors. Loona was glad she didn't see Bee or Tex or fucking Vicki. She wanted to get Via out of here without drawing more attention. Maybe get some food in her.
"I don't feel so good. I think I'm going to puke," said Via faintly muffled against Loona's back.
Loona promptly dropped Via to her feet. Via stumbled across the grass just outside the doors till she reached a bush. She collapsed to all fours and started retching. Loona knelt down next to her and pulled her long crest feathers back.
Gigi pulled out her keys. "I'll take Russ to get the car. Meet you at the curb."
Russ looked like he wanted to stay. Gigi didn't let him. She grabbed his arm and dragged him off.
Via's coughed and gagged until it seemed she was satisfied she was no longer going to hurl again. She leaned back and shuffled till she sat in the grass next to Loona. She was weeping softly. She brought up her knees and wrapped her arms around them. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
Loona let go of her hair and settled next to her. She thought about trying to get her away from the vomit bush, but Via might puke again, so Loona would just put up with the smell. She no longer felt the intense frustration toward Via she had a moment ago. Here was this sad young woman struggling with a major change to her life. Loona could relate to that. "You know, people who drink like that aren't usually okay. What's going on?"
Via didn't look at her. Her eyes stared off at a point Loona couldn't guess. "I almost didn't come tonight." Her voice was quiet. Loona almost asked her why, but didn't have to. "My mom and I have never been close. She always seemed more interested in other things that were not… me. I didn't really think about it. She's my mom, right?" Her voice cracked. "She's been different lately.
"Mom has been more," she paused as she looked for a word, "attentive. Its not a good thing."
Loona waited to see if Via would say anything else. When she didn't, Loona said, "What do you mean?"
"I don't think my mom has ever been a kind woman." Via blinked and tears ran down her face. "She took my phone after Dad, uh, left. Then she just kind of ignored me. Now, it's like I can't do anything right." She sobbed. "Was she always like this? Why didn't Dad tell me?"
Loona sighed, looking out at the lush grounds in front of the palace. It really was beautiful. It didn't help. There was no good way to tell Via her mom was probably abusing her dad their whole marriage. There was something darkly funny about watching an eight foot tall man try to take up as little space as possible, but the reality is that behavior only comes from trying to be unobtrusive. From trying not to be a target.
"She's your mom. Maybe he thought you'd be okay."
Via laughed, mirthless. "Of course he did." She paused again. When she spoke, the bitterness was gone. "He said they were always unhappy. I don't know why I didn't think there was a reason he hates her just as much as she hates him."
"You really thought Blitz is what did it?"
Via squeezed her legs tighter.
"I get it. Blitz is very easy to blame, but your parents would still be divorced whether he was in the picture or not. What did you say in there? 'My mom is a bitch and my dad is gay.' They were headed off the cliff well before the shitty boyfriend entered the picture."
Via snorted. Then she hugged her legs again. "Don't make me laugh. It's going to make me puke."
"With the amount of whatever you drank, you should probably throw up again if you need to."
"It's so confusing," Via said, her voice thick with tears. "He's so nice to me."
"Blitz?"
Via looked at Loona before turning away again. She nodded.
Loona couldn't believe what she was about to say, but it was needed. She was going to have to touch the edge and hope she didn't cut herself. "Before I left, he said I was being a good big sister. They aren't engaged or anything, so don't look at me like that. That's just Blitz. Once he decides you're one of his people, he's never going to let you go. He's never going to make you feel like you're not enough, not really." Loona could feel her eyes getting misty. She willed the moisture to stay put. "If anything, he might say he's proud of you a little too much. Blitz is a lot." She touched the cheaply pressed IMP button on her vest. "But you'll never feel neglected, alone, or not enough."
Via sniffled and wiped at her face. "Is that one of the reasons why my dad likes him?"
"Yeah. I think so." Loona squinted. "One of the reasons?"
Via flopped back into the grass, a look of disgust on her face. She managed not to land in her own vomit. "Please don't make me say it. I will puke again."
Loona looked down at her, a smirk on her face. "He mentioned Blitz's dick in front of you, didn't he?"
Via groaned and rolled over onto her side.
Loona patted her on the shoulder. "Welcome to the family. And I will make you tell me eventually."
Gigi and Russ pulled up to the curb. Loona stood up and held out her hand toward Via. "Lets get some late night tacos."
Via grabbed her and and pulled herself up. She stumbled, caught herself on Loona, and then just embraced her wobbly legs by leaning against her. "Why do tacos sound good when I'm so nauseous?"
Loona led her to the path and down the steps. "You're drunk."
Via groaned again and leaned into Loona. "Oh, no. My dad is going to be so mad. Do you think they'll be asleep when we get back?"
"Definitely not. As much as I like to believe they're actually fucking, they're probably parked by their phones right now. We're not getting off that easily." Loona was pretty sure Via had nothing to worry about. Her, on the other hand, might have a tougher time. Via had been her responsibility.
Russ had the back door to the car open when they made it to the curb. They got Via situated, and Loona slid in next to her from the other side. Via immediately leaned against her. Gigi held a bottle of water over her shoulder and Loona convinced Via to take it. Via sipped at it. They pulled away from the curb, Gigi assuring them she knew where they were going.
In the quiet, Via said, "I don't really hate Blitz. I kind of like him, even if he is obnoxious."
Loona smiled to herself. "Your dad is weird, but I think that's why I like him."
"My dad is so weird. Not as weird as the horses."
"What is with the horses?" Russ shouted from the front of car.
"I don't fucking know? I thought I would get used to them, but it just keeps getting worse. So many horses."
"Do you think it's a sex thing?" Via asked.
Loona did not expect to hear that from Via, of all people. She cringed in revulsion. "Nope. Not going there."
"You know the answer."
She wanted the truth? Fine. She could regret asking. "It is a little bit of a sex thing." She smiled. "And your dad is kind of into it."
"NO! Noooo! That's disgusting!" Via made a gagging noise. "I'm going to puke in this car and Gigi is going to make you clean it."
"Don't you fucking dare!" Gigi shouted at them through the rear view mirror.
They continued to tease each other as Gigi pulled in front of a small taco shop. Through the window they could see the walls were painted a bright green on the inside. A blue neon sign flashed Open. The smell of cooking meat was already making Loona's mouth water.
Loona helped Via get out of the car. She was still a little wobbly. Supporting her arm, she moved to step onto the curb when Via didn't move.
"Can I have a moment?"
Loona nodded at Gigi and Russ. "You know what to order." She turned back. "What is it?"
Via met her eyes. She was a mess. Her makeup was smeared and her eyeliner ran in tracks down her face. "We're going to be sisters, aren't we?"
It had taken Loona so long to get used to the idea of a family. A real family, even if it had been just one person. Now there were two more. Loona never thought Blitz would have a serious relationship, let alone one that came with his own kid. Or that she would even like Stolas. It was strange seeing this soft nerd every day and remembering the enigmatic, powerful, horny being she had met. Via, though. Via had always been Via. Loona was happy to know her. "Maybe. Do you want to be my sister?"
"Yeah. I do."
Loona felt - something. It was a warm feeling, but she struggled to name it. She only knew it was good. "How about this? No matter what happens between our dads, I'll always be your sister."
Via fell forward and wrapped her arms around Loona. The first time this happened, it had thrown Loona off guard. It didn't stop from being a cherished moment. Now, she was ready and wrapped both arms around Via.
Via pulled away to arms length. "You know, sometimes I wondered what it would be like to have a sister."
"Well, that was probably never going to happen, because your mom's a bitch and your dad is gay."
"Oh, fuck you." Via shoved at the laughing Loona, stumbled, and caught herself on the car. Then she was laughing. They both pulled themselves together, and then Via said, "You're wrong. I did get a sister because my dad is gay."
"You're going to fit right in with the rest of the smart asses I work with."
They joined Russ and Gigi and the giant order of tacos inside the restaurant. They didn't speak much. They really couldn't with the amount of tacos they shoveled down their throats. Gigi and Russ were impressed at the amount of food Via could put down. She didn't look like someone who could put away a fourth of the tacos when up against three hell hounds, but she held her own. Once they were all satisfied, stuffed beyond any reason, Loona knew it was time to get Via home so she could sleep off whatever was left of the alcohol in her system.
Loona looked at the time as they pulled up in front of her building. They hadn't been gone as long as she originally planned. Blitz and Stolas were definitely up.
She was proven right the moment she opened the door. The lights were on and Blitz was already half way to crawling over the back of the couch. He stopped himself and tried to cover the movement by just standing on the back. He was such a dork.
"Hey, Loony. You're back early. Everything fine?"
Loona didn't even get to respond. Stolas spotted Via's tear destroyed make-up. "Octavia! What happened?" He was already almost across the room.
Via let go of Loona and wrapped her arms around her dad. "I love you, Dad. I'm sorry."
"Sorry for what?"
Loona scratched at the back of her neck. She wanted to back out through the door and run. She couldn't do that to Via. "She might have, uh, gotten drunk. Very drunk."
Stolas pushed Via out to arms length. Loona tensed up, but he just looked her over. Her face, her hands. Via scowled. "Dad. Stop. I'm fine."
Blitz appeared next to them. "Here." He took Via's hand. "Lets go sit down and I'll get you some water."
Via followed him. Stolas watched her go before turning his attention to Loona. It was coming. She had fucked up.
"Did nothing happen?" His voice was just on the edge of icy, as if waiting to be convinced.
"Just got carried away." The rest of what Via was feeling was her own. If she wanted to talk to him about it, she could. That was her business.
Stolas narrowed his eyes. He was studying her. Loona had to admit there was nothing like being scrutinized by an eight foot, four eyed predatory bird. It made her feel like she was about to be hunted.
Just as the silence grew awkward, he placed his hand on her shoulder. "I'm glad she's okay. Thank you for getting her home safe."
Loona's whole body sagged as he joined Blitz and Via at the couch. The whole evening crashed into her. Her doubts, her panic, her worry. Running around the party like a mad woman. Getting beat on as she carried a drunk girl out of the party. The walls and the vulnerability drained her. She needed to get to bed. Loona would think about everything tomorrow.
She leaned on the back of the couch. Via was allowing Blitz to clean up her face.
"Why are you so good at this?" she said as he began to clean the other side of her face.
"He used to be a circus clown," Loona said. "And still does a ton of drag."
"I hate clowns," Via said, automatically. She seemed to realize who was cleaning her face right now, and added sincerely, "But not you. You're okay."
Blitz didn't cry. Loona was very proud of him.