Chapter Text
“Where the fuck am I?”
Loona sat up from the thin square of mat she called her bed. Taking in her surroundings, she found a dark room illuminated by the blinding white light emanating from the other side of the iron bars keeping her trapped inside. A thick layer of cold, smooth concrete ran across the floor and three all too familiar cement walls kept her boxed in. She turned to the wall, finding dozens of tally marks painfully scratched into the stone. The faint image of blood still visible from when she’d torn her skin while clawing the marks in. They’d started as a spark of hope that she’d be able to leave soon, but as the days went on the row of lines just became a way to keep track of the days without a window to let her know how long she’d been there.
No, she couldn't be back here.
Two figures appeared on the other side of the bars. They were humanoid but she couldn't make out any details. They were simply ever-shifting black masses with bright white eyes peering into her soul.
He wouldn't send her back! He promised he wouldn't!
“Oh her, that’s just Loona.”
Shadows danced across the walls of her cage and a sharp growl drew her attention away from the voice. Several figures appeared on her side of the bars now. They approached her without moving bodies even an inch apart except for their arms raised towards her. Their teeth and claws were more discernible and clear than the other shapes.
Panic built in her chest as the silhouettes got closer. Her breath became rapid, her heart pounded in her chest, and her pupils dilated. She already felt the phantom sensation of claws digging into her, a memory of all the times she’d found herself in the same situation.
“What a nightmare. Serious attitude problem.”
Loona felt her throat begin to close as the chain around her neck tightened its vice grip and held her to the floor.
“She’ll be out of our hair next month when she ages out.”
The muzzle clamping her jaw together prevented her from screaming for help.
“Good riddance if you ask me.”
A white-hot pain shot through her body as claws dug into her flesh. Blood stained her fur as it gushed out of the open wound. Dozens of shadows and memories flashed in front of her as she heard the distant voice echo through the room again.
“She’ll never amount to anything much.”
“AAAHHHH!” Loona shot up in bed, sweat dripping down her naked body. She wiped the tears from her eyes as her breathing began to subside. Just a nightmare. Loona was almost sent back into hysterics when her mind registered that she wasn't in her room anymore, but as the remnants of sleep drifted away, the events of the previous night came back to her.
Loona’s eyes drifted across the darkened room she was currently occupying. The moonlight streaming through the curtains allowed her to make out some of the objects around her. Various sculptures and artsy ornaments littered the room. Each one Loona was sure cost more than her entire apartment block. A large bookshelf was flush against the wall opposite to the bed. Hundreds of ancient tomes were contained within the wooden shelves, with one specific slot being missing.
The bed was ludicrously lavish. Loona felt like she was being sucked into the mattress just by sitting on it and the velvet sheets were large enough to spread across half the floor along with the bed. It was much more comfortable than anything Loona had experienced in her life.
This was the main bedroom of the Goetia manor. The last place a lowly Hellhound from the street of pride should ever be.
Well, that was true in almost all cases. By some ungodly stroke of luck, Loona had managed to become the exception to that rule. It made her feel incredibly out of place. All these expensive items, all these depictions of demon royalty hanging from the walls, all these books filled with spells that ancient beings would wield to tear apart the fabric of reality, and here she was sitting in the middle of them all. A Hellhound from the slums of Imp City. Why the fuck was she here alongside all of these echoes of nobility?
Loona looked towards the outline of the sleeping body she was sharing the bed with under covers, then the large book resting on the mantle side. That's why she was here.
A few months prior business had been slow, to say the least at I.M.P. There was no shortage of assassins in Hell, and being extremely good at their jobs wasn't enough to give the Imps a leg up against the competition. Pretty soon they wouldn't have been able to afford the apartment anymore or be able to keep M&M on board. Shit was looking bleak until one day Loona walked into the apartment to find Blitz frantically working on a wall of madness in the middle of the living room.
He had an idea to get everything started up again. And to Loona's surprise, it was actually a good idea. A really fucking good idea. So good she was surprised nobody had thought of it before. Kill humans on Earth on behalf of the sinners they wronged.
“I’m telling you Loonie, this is our ticket out of this shithole! We’re gonna get a new apartment, a big fucking office, money, a horse, two virgins and seventy sluts!”
It was a great idea with one major hitch. They needed a way to get to Earth and Blitz’ big plan to deal with that was to break into the fucking Goetia palace and steal some fancy book from them. How the fuck he knew about the thing she had no idea, but he was insistent that this was the way to go.
At the time she had just called him a dumbass and walked away but inside she was panicked at the thought of him getting caught. Demon royalty weren’t exactly known for their forgiveness and Blitz may be a good assassin but he was anything but sneaky. It was there, alone in her room concerned for her dad Blitz, that she made the decision that led her to this room. She couldn't show Blitz even a fraction of the affection and generosity that he’d shown her as any normal daughter could. Like any good daughter could. But she could do this for him. Without telling him of course. There was no chance in hell Blitz would let Loona go on his behalf.
And with that, she’s set in motion the events that led her here. An unbelievably bad break-in attempt, an encounter with the Goetic princess, and a deal.
“Perhaps we can find a way to benefit each other. My husband is unable to satisfy my needs currently. Never has been able to. So, once a month on the full moon, you can pleasure me and in return, I’ll allow you to keep the book. Doesn't that sound enticing?”
Loona felt something stirring in the bed next to her. Apparently, her screams had awoken the sleeping princess. The covers shifted revealing white feathers and two glowing pink eyes. The light coming from them was slightly lessened by Stella’s eyelids squinting to make out the source of what pulled her from her rest.
“Uhhh, the fuck are you yelling about?” Stella said in a strained voice, clearly still fighting off sleep. The avian rose from beneath the covers revealing her beautifully curved form. Loona blushed slightly before turning away.
“Nothin’ just a bad dream,” Loona wiped her eyes again, making sure no more tears were present for Stella to see. She found her fur was still a little damp below the eyes but hopefully, it wouldn't be noticeable in the dark.
“What about?” Stella asked, in a surprisingly genuine tone. In the time Loona had spent with the royal she’d found that Stella was… something. Most of the time she was an absolute bitch! She was pretty much exactly what she expected a rich asshole would be. Almost a caricature of herself. But every now and then she'd let something slip. Some genuine care, some emotion beyond the anger, some love for her. Loona didn't know what to make of it. She wasn't sure what her own feelings regarding the bird were. Those few moments where she got a glimpse at what she perceived to be the real Stella sent a ping of something into her heart. Plus the sex was damn good. But that could easily be overshadowed when Stella was being a raging cunt!
“Just dreaming about getting more of your fucking feathers stuck in my throat,” Loona said in a sarcastic tone. She was joking but that had been a frequent problem she’d encountered since starting this arrangement.
“Well, now you know how I feel when you shed all over my bed. We’re even now,” Stella wiped some stray stands of fur towards Loona to accentuate her point.
“What? You pissed you’re gonna have to clean your own bed for once, feathers?” Loona said teasingly. Not thinking the royal would want the servants asking questions about why she had Hellhound fur coating her bedsheets. Alongside a few other substances.
“Of course not. I just don’t want to catch whatever fleas you're carrying!” Just couldn't let it last, could she?
“I don’t have fleas, Stel!” Loona’s voice portrayed a slight bit of frustration at her words. Loona was never in the mood to deal with this shit, but after the dream she’d just experienced she especially wasn't having this now.
“You can never be too careful, dear. Especially with strays like yourself!”
“Alright, one, fuck you! Two, I'm not a stray, and three, bold words to say to someone you were just scissoring an hour ago!” Loona pointed out, to which Stella responded with an equal amount of snark.
“Oh please, the only the reason I’m doing this with you is because I have no one else to fuck! Trust me, I wouldn't be rubbing cunts with your kind unless I absolutely had to!” Stella thrust her hips forward, emulating the motions performed earlier. Alright, now she was really starting to piss Loona off. Could this bitch not drop the shit for one night?
“Bullshit! You're rich and you're hot, you could get anyone you want into this bed if you tried. Why the fuck do you choose me if you're so ashamed to be fucking me?” Loona got some satisfaction seeing she’d clearly stumped the noble. Stella had a look of shock on her face as she scrambled to come up with an answer.
“I-... I don’t have to explain myself to you, mutt!” Stella managed to finally get out. It worked better than intended as Loona was taken aback by the insult. She managed to hide it behind her rage pretty well, however.
Loona gritted her teeth and snarled at the avian demon, “Don’t call me that!”
“And why would I not call you what you are? A filthy hound who will never become any-”
“YOU KNOW WHAT? FUCK THIS!” Loona violently shot out of the bed, leaving Stella stunned at the sudden outburst. “You can keep your fucking book! I’m done with this shit!” Loona screamed. She grabbed the grimoire from off the bedside table and threw it at Stella. The demon caught the book in her hands but the force beyond the throw was still enough to knock her back slightly.
“Wait, done? What do you mean done?” Stella’s whole demeanor had suddenly changed. Her tone didn't come across as angry anymore, but desperate.
“I mean the deals off. Have fun being a pent-up bitch!” Loona stormed out of the room and flipped Stella off without looking back at her.
“W-wait… Loona!”
The door to the balcony slammed shut, leaving the princess alone with her thoughts.
The full moon's light shone down on Loona, giving her fur the illusion of a slight glow. She leaned against the railing that separated her from the several dozen-story drop to the ground below. From here she could see the vast landscape of the pride ring. Pentagram City stood out the most. Hell's shining city of sin emanates a red aura in the distance. Screams and wails were audible even from here.
She drew her attention to the sky above her. In Imp city it was impossible to get a good look at the night sky. The city's smog and high rises would always block her view from her bedroom window, but she could see all the stars clearly from her. Almost as if the space above the palace was cutting a clean piece of the sky out just for her to see.
A few minutes passed like that. Loona had meant to leave but she found herself lost in thought. Well, that and in her haste to leave the room she’d forgotten to pick up any of her belongings, including her clothes, so she’d need to make her way back into the bedroom before she could leave the estate. She definitely needed a minute to cool off before doing that.
Loona dug her hands into her tail and pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. Yeah, it probably wasn't a good idea to keep a lighter in her tail, but fuck it! Who cares?
She flicked the lighter a few times, trying to get the crappy old thing to light. Just like every time she had no luck. She was pulled from her thoughts by the sound of the balcony door opening behind her.
She glanced towards the sound of the creaking door and saw Stella, now clad in a robe making her way towards the railing. Loona let out an exaggerated grunt and turned back to face the sky again. She continued aggressively flicking her lighter with no luck.
“I could assist with that if you’d like,” Stella made a small purple flame appear at her fingertip to demonstrate what she meant.
“I wouldn't want you to get your oh-so-pure hands near a filthy Hellhound!” Loona spat, swatting the Goetia’s hand away.
“Loona I-”
“I don’t fucking get you, Stella! Sometimes I think, hey, maybe she really does just like me. Maybe that's why she wants me around so bad! But then sometimes you act just like every other rich prick who treats me like I'm nothing!” Loona turned to face the princess properly for the first time since she’d joined her on the balcony. She was surprised to find Stella’s face wasn't painted with her usual anger or snark or judgment, but a look of deep regret and sadness had made its way across her features. The avian's large eyes seemed more expressive than ever with the light of the moon reflecting in them.
This time it was Stella who looked away. She joined Loona in leaning against the railing and staring into the distance of the night. “Do you know what decision I made the day my daughter was born?”
“Uhh, no.”
“The same decision my own mother made when she had me. That I would show her as much love as I was permitted. As much as I could trust her with,” Loona was stunned. The demon in front of her had a completely different demeanor from the one who sent her storming off previously. This woman was more open, more honest, more herself. Looking into her eyes, those beautiful glowing eyes, Loona felt like she saw the real person behind them for the first time.
“It was a decision that’s caused our bond to be… strained. We’re distant, and I see I’ve done far worse to you. But that’s what being a Goetia is. It’s knowing that every word has a hidden meaning. It's knowing every friend you make is plotting against you. It's knowing any weakness you show will be used against you. It’s knowing you… you can’t even trust your own daughter with your affection.” Some anger slipped back into Stella’s voice throughout the speech only to peter off into sadness at the mention of her daughter.
“Stel.”
“I don’t expect you to understand, but I can’t afford to be seen as weak. Can’t afford to allow myself to get close to anyone,” Stella said before Loona could speak. The truth was she understood. Loona understood the need to protect yourself. To put on a front of aggression and anger to guard yourself against the world. Against any and all potential threats. And she knew even better how hard it was to let those guards down, especially around the ones she loved. She couldn't believe it, but she understood.
“My dream was about the adoption center I used to live in,” Loona said in a monotone voice. The sudden statement caught Stella’s attention.
“I’ve heard of such places. I’ve also heard they are less than kind to their inhabitants.”
“Ha, that’s putting it fucking lightly! When I first got there I was kinda the runt of the litter. Everyone loves to go after the new kid and I was smaller than most of the older hounds. Perfect target for those assholes! I guess one of the hounds I shared a room with took pity on me or some shit. She’d keep me safe, bring me food, and talk to me when I was alone. Make me feel wanted. We… were friends. And then she let the other hounds into my cage in the middle of the night.” Tears formed in the corner of Loona’s eyes. Unlike before she didn't try to hide them.
“I’m… sorry to hear that,” Did she just fucking say that?
Loona looked back to Stella who to her surprise hadn't interrupted her story once and was instead listening intently. “That’s when I learned what it took to survive in that shit hole. If anyone tries to get close, you kick and you scream and you fucking bite back with everything you’ve got, otherwise they’ll leave you abandoned and broken.” A tear managed to escape her eye. She quickly wiped it away before trying to play it off, “Fuck, I’ve never even told Blitz that, haha.” She gave a half laugh, half sob.
“Perhaps you do understand,” Stella finally said, slightly more reserved than she was before.
The two sat in silence for a few seconds. Just processing this newfound perspective on each other. Eventually, Loona broke the silence.
“Why me?”
“You want to be more specific or…”
“I asked you before, why are you doing this whole deal shit with me? You could do this with anyone but you chose me,” Loona asked, confident that she’d actually get an answer to her question this time around.
“I’ll admit I have a certain fondness for you. You speak honestly, plainly, crudely, simple-”
“We’re having a moment here. Don’t fuck it up!”
“What I mean is you speak your mind. With everyone else, I have to figure out if every other word is a lie or a ploy to exploit me. But you never hide your motives. Even just now. Most of the Goetia would just bite their tongue, and keep playing along just so they can use me later, but you said exactly what you thought about me. I feel I can trust you.” Stella moved her finger over to Loona’s cigarette and ignited it for her. Loona took a deep relaxed breath in before letting all the smoke out. The fumes dance across the mage of the moon, creating a familiar shadow effect.
“You want some?” Loona said, holding her cigarette out towards Stella.
“Oh, fuck yes! God knows I need a good fag right now,” Stella quickly snagged the smoke out of Loona’s hand.
“Need a good what?” Loona asked, watching Stella take a drawn out breath from the cancer stick.
“It means cigarette, not that,” Stella handed the smoke back to Loona and just watched her for a moment. She watched the Hellhound inhale and exhale the fumes. She’d watched Loona do this before but this time it felt like she was seeing her in a whole new light, now she knew they shared much more than she thought. Maybe there was someone she could let her guard down around. Let go of all the aggression and anger. Let her closer. “You know, you remind me a lot of my daughter?”
“Christ Stel! Don’t say that to the person you’re sleeping with!”
"What? It was a fucking compliment! If you’d prefer I could compare you to my limp dick doormat of a husband instead!” Stella exclaimed, she was beginning to go back to her usual tone, although the vigor was no longer directed towards Loona.
“Nah, I'm good. Now that I think about it, you kinda remind me of my dad.”
“The Imp who can’t spell his own name?” Stella was clearly not pleased with the comparison.
“Yeah, you’re both old as fuck!”
“OLD?”
“Yeah, aren’t you like 40 or some shit?”
“What? I- I’m 36!”
“Whatever you say, grandma. Come on, let's get back inside. There's probably some horny fuck beating his tictak dick to us out there right now.”
The pair made their way back into the master bedroom. The full moon was beginning to descend. Ready to return to its full glory and light the sky again next month.