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stories-and-chaos · 2 days
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Tarnished pt 29
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[Helluva Boss AU where Blitzø’s childhood theft from Stolas’ palace is discovered and major consequences ensue for everyone involved.]
[Part 29/?? Word Count: 1535]
—————
Blitzø continued explaining the upcoming festival. “The locals have a great time and the Pain Games are fun to watch, but I gotta do my bodyguard thing. Don’t even get to play.” He pouted, looking more like a grumpy impling than an adult. “Loonie’s coming for extra security. Dina’s never seen it so she’s tagging along for fun.”
Barbie made a noncommittal sound, mostly acknowledging she’d heard. She sipped her iced coffee, the rattling sound from the straw saying it was now more ice and coffee. She shouldn’t be upset. What was there to be mad about? Besides her coffee running out. There, that was it. She was annoyed about missing a free coffee after therapy. Her tossed cup landed in a trash bin; at least her aim hadn’t suffered from all the abuse she’d put her body through.
Blitzø, also finishing his drink, dumped the ice in his mouth. Gotta get all the chocolate he could from it. His cup followed Barb’s, hitting the rim before falling in. Crunching on his ice cubes, he saw Barb cross her arms and stiffen up. He’d seen her chomp on ice too, so he didn’t think that upset her. “‘Ey,” he said around a mouthful of coffee flavored ice, “‘ou w’nna come wif?”
“Huh? Swallow Blitzø, can’t fucking understand ice mouth dude.”
He crunched and swallowed some, giving himself brain freeze. “You wanna come with?” he repeated once it passed. “You’ve been doing great with rehab, maybe your therapist will clear you for the day?”
Barb blushed a little. Nope, she wasn’t embarrassed that he picked up on her feeling left out. Because she didn’t feel left out! “Well, how else am I gonna get my free coffee?” She huffed, deliberately loosening her shoulders and uncrossing her arms. “Which day is it?”
After giving her all the information, Blitzø realized there was something he needed to mention before she saw him in a public setting with Stolas. “Uh, one thing real quick. I gotta play the whole master/servant bullshit. For appearances and crap.” He rubbed his neck, his discomfort radiating off of him. “And that means I gotta have this.” He brushed his other hand against his forehead where the All Imp Circus mark was.
But when his hand moved away, there was a solid white heart in its place. It was topped by a crown with elegant scrolling lines on either side. Barb felt a flash of rage at the sight. You asshole, you covered up our mark?! Then she saw Blitzø’s expression underneath the changed brand. Hurt, shame, and fear. He couldn’t make eye contact with her. Her twin took a shaky breath and passed his hand over the mark again. It was back to a stylized skull heart.
But his expression didn’t change. “It’s… it’s part of the binding,” he said, voice thick with emotion. Fuck this hurt more than the brain freeze. “I learned enough magick to illusion it back, for when I’m solo. But anything in public with Stolas… yeah.” His voice trailed away.
Something else for her to process. “Well, thanks for the gut punch. Least you didn’t spring it on me at the festival.” Barb’s tail cracked in annoyance as she walked. The tip poked him in the side. “C’mon, I’m hungry and I wanna get back before the cafeteria closes. If you beat me there I’ll let you tell me more over dinner.” She picked up the pace, Blitzø slack jawed behind her.
“Fuck you Barb, you know the way better than I do!” He ran to catch up. He didn’t beat her to the dorm but they still had dinner together. They chatted about less heavy subjects and Barb agreed to the festival, pending therapist approval.
—————
A week later, Barb was waiting at the elevator concourse, not quite patiently. Either Blitzø or one of the girls were supposed to meet her at the Sloth terminal and head to Wrath. Normally, Barb was dressed in some sort of tight miniskirt dress with tall boots. She’d swapped that for denim shorts, sensible shoes, a crop top, and a checkered button up tied under her breasts. No point in her good heeled boots getting stuck in mud or worse at Wrath’s farms.
Loona hopped out of an elevator for foot traffic. Like Barb, she wasn’t wearing her usual goth outfit. Unlike Barb, she was dressed in a dark jacket, slacks, and wore a set of dark shades. “What’re you supposed to be, Men In Black?” the imp scoffed.
The Hound plucked at the jacket. “I know right? Blitzø wants my help with security and this is his idea of a bodyguard outfit. But fuck all happens at this thing. This is the third one I’ve been to and it’s soooo dull.” The two got in line for ascending foot traffic. “By the way, if you and Blitzø are cool now, should we call you Aunt Barb?”
“Fuck no! Makes me sound like an old lady, one that sits around knitting and shit. Just Barb, got it?” The imp glared up at the Hellhound. “And I still don’t know if I’m ‘cool’ with the jerk.’
Loona shrugged and pursed her lips as they boarded. “I mean, you accepted his invite? Been talking after every group?”
“I wanted a change from all that Sloth-pink. And he gets me free coffee.” Loona smirked and let the matter slide, for now. They complained idly together as the elevator steadily rose. Once at the Wrath level, they exited to see a throng of imps outside the terminal, gathering for the festival. “Dad and the rest are waiting at the main tent. You wanna see them first or check things out around here?”
Barb squinted at the harsh orange light. After years of Sloth’s dreamlike hues, her retinas felt like they were burning. “Might as well let Blitzø know I’m here.” They pushed through the crowd; the festival stage and tent were easy to spot amidst the countrified buildings. “Waiaminnit, isn’t that royal here too?”
“Oh shit! Yeah, Stolas, Dad’s with him.” Loona halted a few yards away from the tent. “You gonna be okay? I can let Blitzo know you’re here if you don’t wanna deal with Stolas.”
Barb glared at the fancy tent walls. “Fuck it, I’m here. Let’s rip off this freaking bandaid.”
Living in the circus gave her a flair for drama. She whipped open the tent flap and announced, “Barbie Wire’s here, bitches.” The small group inside all looked at her blankly before her twin walked up.
“Barb! You made it!” Blitzø had a similar outfit to Loona, black jacket and slacks, with dark shades. “Everyone, this is my twin sister Barbie Wire. Barb, you know Loonie and Dina. That’s Millie and next to her is Moxxie; they’re my employees. And this -oh shit.” Blitzø stumbled over his words as he’d just been about to introduce his twin to his master. Barb crossed her arms, suspicion rising over Blitzø’s hesitancy.
“Allow me, Blitzy, darling.” Blitzy? Darling? The Goetia rose gracefully from his ornate chair. His hair feathers almost brushed the tent canopy as he stalked over. Then he bowed deeply, putting his face at eye level to the twins. “A pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Barb. I am Prince Stolas of Ars Goetia.” His deep pupil-less eyes looked sincerely pained as he continued in a voice only the imp twins could hear. “Although it may not mean much at this late day, I deeply apologize for the pain my father put you and yours through.”
Barb shifted uncomfortably. “Just Barb, none of that ‘Miss’ crap. And uh…yeah…” From Blitzø’s side of things, Stolas was as much a victim as he had been in the whole debacle. But she hadn’t been prepared to deal with all that right this second.
“Not the right time Floof,” her twin muttered at the royal. Floof? They have pet names for each other? Stolas gave a surprised hoot. “Right, we can discuss this later if need be. Today is a festival after all. Why don’t you all take a look around before the official event’s start?” Stolas shooed all the smaller demons out into the Wrathian heat. “You too Blitzy, have a bit of fun.” Barb noticed Blitzø’s grimace as the flicker of light shone under his collar.
“You sure you’ll be alright on your own? You remember what happened the second year you hosted,” Blitzø protested as the owl demon continued to usher the group out.
Stolas laughed. “Yes of course I remember darling. You did an excellent job dispatching those assassins and their leader is still making a splendid horse hitch at the edge of town. Ah ah ah!” He shook a long finger at the imp as Blitzø tried to interject. “I promise I shan’t move from this pavilion until you return and any attackers will find themselves encased in stone. I’m sure someone could use a fence post around here.” With that he pushed his lover outside and closed the tent flap with as much drama as Barb opened it.
“Bad idea to piss off royalty boss,” Moxxie called out. “Better do what the prince says.”
“Oh go fuck yourself Mox.”
—————
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stories-and-chaos · 4 days
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Tarnished: M&M Teamwork
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[Helluva Boss AU where Blitzø’s childhood theft from Stolas’ palace is discovered and major consequences ensue for everyone involved.]
[Word count: 2028 Cw: blood, gore]
—————
While Blitzø is recovering from finding out about Barb. M & M are not yet dating.
Moxxie idly tapped his claws on the meeting room table. It was half an hour after I.M.P. was supposed to open for business, but there was no sign of the boss yet. He had double and triple checked the calendar; all the full moons were highlighted. Blitzø didn’t enjoy the restriction that came from being late for an ‘appointment’ with Stolas. So despite him being notoriously bad at making schedules, he had all the full moons marked. But the last one had been over a week ago, Blitzø’s absence probably wasn’t related to the royal demon.
“Maybe he partied too hard? Or maybe he got locked up again?” Moxxie checked the calendar a fourth time as Millie waved a dismissive hand.
“Calm down Mox, I’m sure he’s fiiiiiiine,” she drawled. “He’ll get here when he gets here.”
“Yeah, but there’s no sign of Loona either.” He and the Hellhound clashed but he didn’t want anything bad to happen to her.
He didn’t have to speculate much longer. Loona burst into the office nearly ripping the door off its hinges. She’d flung it open hard enough that it lodged into the drywall; when she yanked it closed, there was a perfect imprint of the handle in the wall. The Hound was panting heavily and she looked like she hadn’t slept the night before,
“Fuck. I thought…the new…apartment… was closer,” she managed through gasps. She grabbed the water cooler’s reservoir, yanked it off, and chugged it like a beer keg before jamming it back onto the base. She’d gulped down two thirds of it, the remaining water sloshing widely from her treatment. She went to her desk, flopping over it from the visitor side.
The imps exchanged a glance and Millie walked up to their receptionist. “Uhhhh, Loona? Sugar? Everthin’ okay?” The Hellhound gave a thumbs up. “Well that’s good. Where’s Blitzø?”
Loona raised her head. “He’s taking a personal day.”
“Is that code for ‘drunk off his ass?’” Moxxie asked dryly.
“Drunk off his ass for personal reasons. I’m sure he’ll tell you all about it later.” Loona knew his tendencies to overshare and excessively pry into others' business. But she didn’t feel like explaining his shit. “Good news, we’ve got a client all lined up. I can send you to Earth, business as usual.”
“Wait, just Moxxie and me? We haven’t done a job without the boss before…” Millie was sure she could take on whatever the job was, but she wasn’t quite so sure about her coworker. Moxxie had been capable enough, but she didn’t know how he’d do without Blitzø around.
Loona heaved herself into her office chair and shrugged. “Either that or we default on the job. Besides, this one’s easy. Even Fatty there could do it solo. Probably.”
Moxxie weakly called out “I’m not fat!” as Loona continued. “You get to kill a whole group, which I know you like Millie.” She pulled out the relevant file. “Buncha humans died from salmonella poisoning and they want the people that packed the lettuce dead too.”
The imp took the file and flipped through it. It really did look like an easy job, despite the requested body count. “Awright, guess we gotta. Get your stuff Moxxie, we got work to do and jackasses to kill!”
Millie always had her favorite knife with her. She grabbed her new battleaxe, along with a sword and pistol. She preferred a more personal approach to murder, but she wasn’t a bad shot. And it was better to have the weapon than wish she’d brought it.
Moxxie had his arsenal of firearms and melee weapons as usual. Shotgun, sniper rifle, handguns in multiple colors and calibers, crossbow, hunting bow, blow darts, grenades, throwing knives, and a kukri were today’s rotation.
Loona made sure they each had a work cell to contact her when they finished. She smoothly opened the portal to Earth on their office wall and closed it quickly once the imps hopped through. “Ugh, finally. I can fix my makeup and get a goddamn coffee.”
The imp duo found themselves in a bucolic farmland, a sizable building in front of them. Moxxie squinted at the sign above the double doors. “McDrumpf’s Vegetable and Raw Meat Packing Emporium? Looks like we’re in the right place.”
“Remember Mox, we gotta get everyone in the building. Two dozen workers, three managers and the owner.” With that Millie broke into a bounding run to the side of the structure. Her sword made an excellent temporary climbing spike to reach a tiny window. Moxxie followed her up, retrieving the sword with his tail.
In the metal rafters, the imps had a vantage point over the entire operation. A variety of humans were at work, some blankly overseeing machinery, watching vegetables launch past. Others were chopping poultry without pause. Yet more made sure the produce was arranged correctly for packaging, then doing the same for a conveyor belt of chicken parts. The food emerged wrapped in plastic and got slapped with a sticker saying “McDrumpfs: Packed with ‘care.’”
Close to the front door was a room with frosted windows. The imps could vaguely see a wide figure walking around the room before it settled down to one corner. Presumably that was McDrumpf. The three managers were set apart by wearing dress shirts and ties; the rest had aprons and hairnets. Gloves seemed to be optional.
Moxxie scampered along the rafters to lock the front doors, while Millie made her way to block the emergency exits. One of the exits was blocked by a pallet of cling wrap rolls before she even got there. They regrouped on a small platform over the owner's office.
“Got a plan Millie? I figured I take out a few from here before we hop down. Maybe shoot the straps holding the pallets together near the front to block the doors?”
“Good for starters. I doubt this lot’ll put up much of a fight anyways.” In particular she noted one by the lettuce sorter who was nodding off while standing. Another putting stickers on was snoring as she did so. Millie readied her axe.
Sniper rifle steadied, Moxxie fired four shots in rapid succession. The first took out a manager, the second hit a butcher in the eye, the third went through the temple of a worker at a wrapping station, and the fourth grazed the rope tying the pallets. That was enough to break the fibers; the already unstable stack teetered and crashed into a pile of jagged planks and rusty nails.
The humans closest to his first three kills started screaming. Moxxie calmly reloaded and Millie leapt to the concrete floor. She grinned ferally at the nearest human and swung her axe to neatly decapitate him. She followed the battleaxe’s momentum to spin into another human, slicing him through the torso.
The other humans started panicking. “The fuck is that?! Jimbob is dead! Helga too! Crap the doors are blocked! Huuuuh, is it lunch yet-?” The last was cut off by Moxxie’s bullet. Millie was happily working her way up between two conveyor belts. A neatly sliced thigh appeared wrapped up on a styrofoam tray and a flung sticker landed on top.
Moxxie grabbed his shotgun and took out a group trying to open the only unblocked exit. The pile of three bodies made a nice bloody barricade. The machines continued to work even as the employees were falling. Moxxie saw a line of three beautifully cut salads garnished with eyes, ears, and fingers emerge from the belt of lettuce heads. Half a dozen human heads with hairnets still on followed, each packaged and ready to load into boxes.
Millie reached the butchers. Four of them armed themselves with cleavers and tried to corner her. Her eyes flicked between them. The gap in her teeth showed as she flung her axe at the farthest, slicing her vertically and lodging the weapon into a wall.
The other butchers were sprayed in blood, one half of the newly dead butcher landed on the shoulder of another. “Auuuugh! Oh god Sherry’s on me!” A third butcher shoved him. “Now’s our chance, get the devil!” He swung a cleaver down at Millie. The imp dodged, climbed up his arm, and wrapped her legs around his head. Her momentum dragged him to the ground where she got enough purchase to brace herself and snap his neck.
Barely pausing, the imp lunged at the next human, stabbing her knife between his ribs. Millie grabbed his meat cleaver as it dropped from the limp hand. With a smooth motion she threw it at the fourth butcher’s head as he tried to run. It neatly stuck into the skull, looking like a cheesy Halloween accessory as it bisected his head.
“Whew!” Millie went to retrieve her battleaxe and heard a gunshot followed by a gurgle behind her. Whirling with the axe, she saw another human body drop right next to her. Blood was spewing out of the mouth and she saw Moxxie lowering one of his pistols at the other end of the building. Two of the workers bodies laid next to him with neat holes in vital points, more of the male imp’s handiwork.
“What the fuck is going on out here?! I’ll dock everyone’s pay for-holy shit!” A man who was dressed way to nicely for the locale barged out of the office next to Moxxie, saw the carnage and hastily went back inside. Or tried to at least. Millie’s own pistol rang out. The bullet hit between the man’s eyes. Blood splattered on the frosted glass door as the man fell backwards.
Moxxie was in awe of the expertly sliced bodies Millie had left in her wake. Her shot that took out McDrumpf was better than anything he’d seen from his father’s goons. Could she be any more perfect? Well, yes, she could not be his coworker so he’d have a chance to ask her out.
“Nice shootin’ Mox.” Millie walked back to the other imp, counting the bodies as she went. “Oh! Ah, thanks! You’re not too bad a shot yourself Millie.” He also started counting; the job was for twenty-eight humans. If they ever wanted to be trusted on a mission without their boss again, they needed to kill all the targets.
But they both only counted twenty-seven. Moxxie handed Millie her knife back; he’d pulled it out of a chest as they did their deadcount. “Y’think someone stayed home? Pretty sure we got everyone in the building.”
“Oh crumbs, if one did, we’re going to have to find out which one! Then we’ll need to track them down and-” Moxxie’s stressed out rant stopped as they heard a door click open. Not any of the doors leading outside. It had been hidden behind a pile of flat packed cardboard boxes.
The imps ducked behind the stack and peeked over. A lanky male human, his death metal music audible through his earbuds, exited the men’s restroom. His head bobbed as he mouthed along. Coming around the pile, he saw the blood and viscera spread across the room. His jaw dropped and Moxxie hopped onto his head, slicing through the human’s neck with his kukri.
Moxxie jumped off the body. “Twenty-eight. All targets accounted for,” he stated with a satisfied air. Millie’s heart thumped at his quick dispatching of the last target. His pose and grin were so adorably gallant, she felt bats fluttering in her stomach. Never felt that with the shark toothed fuck face. Or any of the others, really. She really wished they weren’t coworkers and she could just ask the other imp out.
No point in wasting time on what couldn’t happen. “I think we’ve done some damn good work today. And we’ll get the rest of the day off, since the boss isn’t in.” Millie sent Loona a message while Moxxie made sure all their weapons were accounted for.
A freshly made up Loona opened the way home. The imps chatted about the kills as they went back to Hell. Neither noticed their tails swishing, barely touching each other’s and forming hearts as they walked home.
—————
A/N: Sorry for the delay, life has interfered. I hope everyone likes this little bit, poor M&M haven’t gotten much attention in the main story. We’ll be back to part 29 shortly!
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stories-and-chaos · 7 days
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stories-and-chaos · 9 days
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Tarnished pt 28
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[Helluva Boss AU where Blitzø’s childhood theft from Stolas’ palace is discovered and major consequences ensue for everyone involved.]
[Part 28/?? Word count: 974]
—————
Trust is exceptionally easy to lose and incredibly difficult to regain. Even when you’re not at fault for it being lost. Blitzø normally chafed at anyone telling him what to do. But if he wanted to reconnect with his twin, he sensed he’d have to follow Barb’s rules exactly.
So two days later, he was waiting at the same bench with an iced mocha in an insulated cup. Barb hadn’t specified what she wanted besides an iced coffee. He liked his iced coffee super sweet; he’d just ordered what he liked and made sure it was chilled for her.
Barb was one of the first patients out that day. She spotted him and immediately stalked over. There was no mistaking the scowl on her face as she flopped onto the bench next to her brother.
Wordlessly, she held a hand out in Blitzø’s direction, not looking directly at him. Maybe she couldn’t quite bear to yet. Blitzø handed the cup over and waited. She’d said before that he’d have another three minutes. He just had to wait until she was ready.
She took a long sip. Cold, smooth, and sweet, it hit the spot after all the group discussion that day. “I like caramel more than chocolate,” Barb told him. Blitzo didn’t reply verbally, but she could see his thumbs up. She drank about half of it as they sat in silence.
After a short time, Barb pulled out her phone. A three minute timer was displayed on the screen. “Ready?” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Blitzo nod and give her another thumbs up. “Go.” She pressed start and he launched into his speech.
No stumbling over his words or confused cursing this time. He’d been preparing what he wanted to say for the past 48 hours. Blitzø gave her a quick version of Loona’s adoption and finding Dina. That was what she’d been curious about after all. Loona’s adoption let him briefly mention starting up I.M.P. but once again the timer cut him off.
Barb sipped her drink in silence. Blitzø did his best to relax as he waited next to her; it didn’t quite work and his leg started jiggling. It didn’t help that he had no clue what was going on in her head. I’m bringing coffee for me too next time, he thought. Maybe having something to hold would help. If there is a next time. The longer the silence stretched on, the less likely it seemed.
But eventually she finished her drink and hopped up to stretch. He noticed she stretched the same way he did; left arm up and braced with the right, up onto her hooftips, popping sounds down her spine and tail. Her tail swished with a crack as she turned to look at him.
Barb settled her fist on her side as she looked down at her brother. Blitzo’s leg was still jiggling with nerves. His eyes were huge with desperate hope as he looked up at her. Once again, she couldn’t help but focus on the white patch covering half his face. It was hard not to. His face was so much like hers that the broad scar stood out to her. What the fuck did that?
The scar, his expression, his desperate need to talk to her, they all made his side of the story more believable. Barb could almost hear their parents in her head, arguing about Blitzo. He wouldn’t leave us like that! Tilly’s voice protested. Cash’s answered in a growl, He did, he’s gone, don’t question me.
Over the past two days, Barb had realized that was always her dad’s answer when it came to Blitzo. During a session with her counselor, they’d discussed reasons why Cash had shut down any talk about her twin or why they never went back to the Pride Ring. The one that made the most sense was that Cash had lied. About everything. That Blitzo’s version of events was closer to the truth.
But she’d spent two decades actively trying to forget him and passively hating him. Barb wasn’t ready for Blitzo to be back in her life yet and she knew it. So after a pause, she held out the coffee mug for him to take back. “Caramel next time. See ya Blitzo.” As she headed off to her dorm, she heard a faint, “Later, Barb.”
That became the routine. Blitzø would be waiting with iced coffees after every group therapy session. Dina and Loona would kill time nearby while he and Barb “talked.” There wasn’t much talking at first. Blitzø stuck to the three minutes and Barb wasn’t saying much at all. She was just absorbing everything he said and processing it later.
After a couple weeks, she started giving him more time. Another minute, then another, until eventually she put the timer away. Five weeks after their first meeting, she let Blitzo ask questions. Two sessions after that, she started calling him Blitzø.
It took time. As impatient as Blitzø was, he could see that the slow approach was working. The first time she smiled a little at seeing him waiting, he had to force himself to not cry in the middle of the city. Stolas’ feathers got rather soaked that night though. Mostly with tears. They grew comfortable enough that they’d walk a block or two together.
Two and a half months into the twins reconnecting, Blitzø let his sister know he had to miss a day the next week. Dina would be missing group that day too since Loona was going to be occupied. Barb gave him a grouchy look. “What’s so important that you’re all going to be gone?”
Blitzø rolled his eyes and slumped his shoulders as they walked. “Happens every year, Stolas has this Harvest Moon festival bullshit in Wrath.”
—————
A/N: I’m back and I didn’t melt from the heat! Getting back into the grove, this part’s a bit shorter since the next few will be fairly packed. Also I’ve started a Ko-fi account, if anyone wants to support me. I’m still going to be posting everything as I have been, no worries there. I’m a SAHP so if you want to help fuel the word train that would be amazing. 🖤🩶🤍💜
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stories-and-chaos · 12 days
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Of course we’re having a super warm spring and our AC unit decides not to work. It’s over 80 degrees inside the house.
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We gotta wait for Wednesday for someone to come take a look. My brain is not up for anything. I tried writing this morning and managed one paragraph. Maybe I’ll hide out at the public library tomorrow.
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stories-and-chaos · 15 days
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Hotdamn, 200+ followers?! Hello everyone! Im glad you’re all enjoying my writing so far! Figured I’d be super self indulgent and make a proper introduction post.
I’m Nimaina, Nima or Nim is also fine. She/her pronouns, biromantic asexual, married to the most wonderful trans woman. I’ve been on the internet long enough to be considered OLD ™️. Like our kid is now explaining memes to me OLD™️. I hate long walks on the beach but I love books, making up stories, and playing around with fountain pens and their pretty inks. My current media obsessions are Ascendance of a Bookworm, Helluva Boss, Hazbin Hotel, and Cult of the Lamb. Currently I’m chomping at the bit waiting for Stardew Valley’s 1.6 update to be on console.
I’m working through my Stolitz fanfic right now, it’s turning into a long haul. My Alastor x reader fics are on the back burner mostly, though I may post some more slices of life bits. I may post some original content as well once I wrap up the Stolitz fic.
Thank you everyone who’s been enjoying the writing, I hope you’re having as much fun reading it as I am creating it. 🖤🩶🤍💜
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stories-and-chaos · 15 days
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Tarnished pt 27
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[Helluva Boss AU where Blitzø’s childhood theft from Stolas’ palace is discovered and major consequences ensue for everyone involved.]
[Part 27/?? Word count: 2373 Cw: language]
—————
Loona woke up feeling stiff all over with a crick in her neck. She tried to stretch out only to find herself pinned by something. No, someone. Two of them. At some point she and Dina had fallen asleep on the couch and Blitzø had passed out on top of them whenever he got home.
One of Loona’s legs was tingly from dangling off the seat at an awkward angle. Dina had slumped over to nestle between Loona and the couch back, her head on Loona’s stomach. Blitzø looked like he’d just flopped on the couch, his face pressed against the opposite couch arm, pinning both girls’ tails. His legs splayed over both hounds with his hooves equal to Dina’s nose.
“Ugh, Blitzø! The fuck happened to you!” Loona shoved his legs away and shook Dina’s shoulder to get her awake. Blitzø’s hooves clanked against the floor but he still didn’t wake up.
“Loo-ouch! Ow ow ouch fuck!” Dina yelped as she tried to move her tail. She rolled Blitzø off to peel hers and Loona’s tails out from under him. “Ew! Dad drool.” She extracted herself from the pile and rushed to the bathroom to clean her fluff. Loona’s had been spared, being on the bottom.
Blitzø was half off the couch, still passed out throughout everything. “Uuhhh, Blitzø? Dad?” Loona poked his side. No response. She lifted one of his arms and let it drop onto his face. She was rewarded with snore and him flapping the offending arm. “Well, at least he’s not dead.”
He looked on the beat up side of things though. His knuckles were swollen and scraped and she could see at least one bruise on his face. She was not going to take any of his clothes off to see if there were more. Loona couldn’t see or smell any blood so likely he didn’t have more than bruises. And a massive hangover, from the stench of alcohol she could pick up.
With a sigh, Loona sent a text to Stolas that the imp was home safe. She snapped a pic of the passed out demon as proof, making sure to get the stupidest angle of his pose. And a few more for good measure. “Saving that shit for later.”
“He’s okay?” Dina came back drying her tail in a towel. At Loona’s affirmative grunt, she peered over the couch back. “You weren’t kidding about him being a mess.” She could tell her sister meant it with a level of fondness though. Dina was feeling a bit of the same. She pushed him back onto the couch to be marginally more comfortable.
That finally got him to wake up a little. “Loona?” He blinked drunkenly up at the pair. “There’s Loonie Toonie and Tiny Diamond!” He burped and Loona dragged a small trash bin over. “Ugh. I had a shitty night girls.”
“Yeah we can tell. Go back to sleep Dad. You can tell us about it later.” Loona brought over a glass of water while Dina threw a blanket over him.
“Mmmm, you‘ll both be there? Won’t leave me alone?” His words faded into quiet mumbling as he passed out again. The hounds exchanged a look before Dina said “We’ll be there, Dad.”
Loona pulled out her phone to take a better picture for Stolas and saw the time. “SHIT! I’m gonna be late for work!”
As Loona scrambled to her room, Dina tilted her head in confusion. “Can you guys even do anything with the boss like this?” She pointed at a now loudly snoring Blitzø.
Loona left the door to her room open to talk as she changed. “Yeah, we’ve got a client lined up already; Millie and Moxxie should be able to handle it. Probably. And any new clients I’ll just take messages. Fuck, my makeup is all shitty. Ugh, I’ll have to do it at the office.”
She paused back in the living room. “Are you going be okay, alone with Blitzø?” Not that they didn’t trust their adoptive parent, but Dina had been so skittish about being around anyone but Loona.
Dina gave a shaky smile. “I think so. Doing better lately. And I can hide out in my room if I need to.”
“Text me, okay? I’ll be bored after M and M take off.”
Dina nodded and surprised Loona with a quick hug. “Get going, I’ll be okay. Love you.”
“Love you too,” the taller Hellhound called as she dashed out the door. A benefit of the new apartment, it was just within walking distance from I.M.P.’s office. A jog wouldn’t take long or tire her out too much. And jogging to work helped to avoid driving the van.
Dina was left somewhat at loose ends. She could have gone out, but she didn’t really feel up for it yet. And she didn’t want to leave Blitzø to wake up alone. Not after that mumbling question.
She rifled through the collection of books, looking for something to keep her mind occupied. She was waiting for the next chapter in the web novel and didn’t feel like rereading it. Loona had offered to tutor her in magick if Dina wanted. She wasn’t sure what she wanted yet.
Any plans she and her sister had made as kids were shattered beyond recovery. Working for Slicker, she hadn’t thought past completing her contract. Rehab had taken up a lot of her life and she still had a ways to go. But she was ending up with more time on hands and needed something to do.
Dina grabbed a stack of books and magazines to peruse in her room. Maybe she’d find something that piqued her interest. She left behind anything horse related, as she had her fill of horses just living with Blitzø.
A few hours later, she’d skimmed through a couple books when she heard rustling and grumbling from the living room. She poked her head out the bedroom door to see Blitzø’s horns pop up over the couch.
“Dina? Loona? Agh fuck why’d I drink so much last night?” He cradled his head. A pair of gray and white paws appeared in his view. He looked up enough to see another set holding out a glass of water and some mild pain killers.
Dina’s voice responded as he chugged the water. “Well if my therapists have anything to say about it, overuse of alcohol is often a response to emotional distress,” she said dryly. “You need to throw up?”
“Mmnnnnnoooo.”
“Riiiiiiight. Let’s keep the bucket with you anyway.”
He mumbled something that sounded like a thank you, letting his head droop down. “Thought I’d be happy. Finding out Barb’s alive. Nothin’ ever goes right Dina.”
“Preaching to the choir here.” Blitzø and Loona had filled her in about his situation after she was out of rehab, so she didn’t need him to elaborate. But she had no idea what to do. Blitzø nodded carefully, trying not to aggravate his hangover.
“Thanks for being here Di. It helps.” He glanced up for a second. “Where’s Loona?”
“Work. She said M and M could handle the job you lined up.”
“Fuuuuuuuuck we did have a client today. They better manage it or I’ll dock their pay.” He covered his eyes. “I am not up to dealing with work today. And I gotta be back to Stolas’ tonight too.”
Dina had only met the prince when they got her out of the brothel. He seemed decent, for a royal. “Maybe you can talk to him about it? What to do about Barb and all.”
“He is more about the touchy feely feelings bullshit. But I don’t wannaaaaaaaaa,” the imp whined. “He’s gonna see my hands and he’ll be all caring and want to cuddle and say to stay out of trouble and all that lovey dovey crap.”
She didn’t have a response for that, apart from suggesting he sleep his hangover off. He did end up needing the bucket. Some sleep, water, and food helped him feel somewhat normal by the evening. After a quick snack and checking in with Loona about work, he was off to the Goetia.
Blitzø arrived at work the next day, looking slightly less stressed. Enough to talk to clients at least. He was very hands on with jobs that day, which blew off some steam. At the apartment that night, he asked the girls if he could pick up Dina after her next group therapy.
“I don’t have any way to contact Barb. If she’s my twin, I need to see her. At least try to talk to her.” Dina agreed and two days later, he came to Sloth through Loona’s portal with them. Blitzø split from his daughters after they arrived. He didn’t want to interfere with the group session. After wandering around for about an hour, he waited on a bench outside the facility.
He couldn’t stop his leg from jiggling or his tail twitching. Blitzø had imagined reunions with Barb, Fizz, or his mom for years. Especially when he was a kid. But they had been happy scenarios. Not waiting outside a rehab facility for someone that hated him.
Eventually the doors slid open. Dina and Loona came out, looked at Blitzø and went into a nearby coffee shop to wait. A handful of other demons exited and then a tall, slim female imp. Blitzø stood up immediately.
No wonder the girls had been so sure. The same face had looked out of the mirror at him, until Stella got ahold of him. But even now there was no doubt as to the relationship. Barb spotted him as he stood. She recognized him right away, then her eyes locked onto the white splotches on the side of his face. Confusion and concern flickered in her expression before anger took over.
She turned away. Blitzø dashed across the street yelling her name. “Barb! Barb please, I just wanna talk! Please! Give me one chance!”
She stopped, still turned away. Her shoulders were stiff as she seemed to fight herself. “What the fuck do you wanna talk about Blitzo?” She whirled around, tail cracking in the air. “You made things pretty damn clear when you decided to stay with that royal.”
“Christ on a stick Barb, is that what our dad told you?! Holy fuck, please please let me explain. Just gimme a chance and I’ll leave you alone if you want afterwards. Please?”
Something in his tone made Barb hesitate. She still looked ready to tear his head off, but she hadn’t run off. Instead she pulled out her phone. “You’ve got three minutes,” Barb said flatly as she started a timer. “Go.”
“Wai-wai-wait fucking hell, was not expecting that. Shit where do I even start, a, fuckfuckfuck.” Realizing he was wasting seconds on cursing, Blitzø took a deep breath. In and out to gather his thoughts.
“Okay, I never wanted to stay with the Goetia, I didn’t even want to go in the first place. I was so scared but Cash made me and told me to steal a bunch of their shit. The Goetia found out and Paimon decided to bind me to his kid to pay for all the crap our dad made off with.” He yanked his collar down to point at the golden sigil at his neck. “Like magickal blood and name binding that hurts like dick.”
Barb’s gaze darted between the sigil and his face. Still angry, but still letting him talk. “I tried to get away, tried to come back. But I literally couldn’t leave to take a piss without Stolas’ permission. Once he got better at all that magick junk, I could be farther away, took until we were teenagers until I could be in the Pride Ring alone. I looked for you guys, I swear I did but I couldn’t go farther than Pride for years.” The seconds were ticking down and while she was thoughtful, Barb still looked angry.
“Please believe me Barb. I never wanted to leave, I wanted to be home with you and mom and Fizz so fucking much. I was scared out of my mind and just doing what our dad told me to do.” Anything else he wanted to say was stopped by the loud jingle from Barb’s phone. He wanted to keep going but he bit down hard to stop himself. She’d given him a chance to explain; pushing more would ruin it.
Barb took a few deep breaths of her own. “Satan fucking dammit! I don’t want to but we keep talking about second chances and shit and fuuuuuuck me but I kinda have to.” She started pacing, grumbling to herself.
“Listen up Blitzo.” She stopped in front of him and put her face inches from his. “I don’t know if I believe you or not. It makes sense but I’ve been pissed at you for ages and that’s hard to get past.” She jabbed his chest with claw. “I’ll give you another three minutes after my next group therapy. But you better bring me some coffee. I want something iced, got it?”
Blitzø, hardly daring to believe it, nodded rapidly. “One more thing.” Barb jerked her head at the coffee shop where the two Hellhounds were waiting not terribly stealthily. “You know anything about those Hounds?”
“They’re my daughters. It’s a long story.”
Barb looked over at the pair. “Huh. Fit it into three minutes then.” She spun on a hoof and left. Blitzø slipped to the pavement, all the tension draining at once.
Loona and Dina were there seconds later. “Blitzø, you okay, what’d she say, did she listen, what happened?”
The imp looked up at them blankly. “She wants iced coffee next time,” he said slowly.
Both of their jaws dropped. “So she wants to see you again, that’s fucking amazing!” Dina said excitedly. Blitzø couldn’t really respond so Loona threw the imp over her shoulder. “C’mon, let’s get you home for now Dad. Get you some pizza.”
“Can I get a beer with that?” came a plaintive voice from Loona’s hair. The girls answered “NO” together and heard grumbling about how he shouldn’t be outvoted because he was the dad.
—————
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stories-and-chaos · 16 days
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Tarnished pt 26
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[Helluva Boss AU where Blitzø’s childhood theft from Stolas’ palace is discovered and major consequences ensue for everyone involved.]
[Part 26/?? Word count: 1575 Cw: language, mention of drug abuse]
—————
There was an extended silence as Blitzø absorbed this information. “Ohshitohshitohshit, what the fuck do I do, are you girls sure, holy fucking shit I wasn’t even sure she was alive.” Blitzø dropped his burger and grabbed the sides of his head. His eyes went huge as he stared into nothing. “You’re absolutely sure it’s her?”
Dina nodded. “Pretty sure. If it weren’t for the horns I’d have thought you snuck into my group.”
“She sounds like you too. Never thought I’d hear someone else cuss like that, besides you,” Loona added. “I heard her checking in, said her name’s ‘Barb Buckzo.’”
Blitzø stood up, still not really seeing anything. “Fucknuggets, that’s gotta be her. I haven’t seen her in decades. She might not even remember me now, we were just kids…” He gripped the back of his chair, claws making scrapes in the finish. “Wait… if she’s in your group therapy Dina…”
Dina took a sip of drink before answering. “Yeah. Sounds like she’s been through some shit. And um,” she hesitated before continuing what she wanted to say, “she mentioned her brother during the session. But…it wasn’t anything good Dad.”
He took a deep breath. “I think I can handle it.” Whatever Barb had said about him couldn’t be worse than the other crap that had happened in his life, right?
“She said her twin was a ‘traitorous royal cocksucker’ and that he ‘abandoned his family to be a rich boy’s pet as soon as he could.’” Seeing Blitzø stiffen as if he’d been struck made her wish she hadn’t said anything.
Hearing what Barb thought of him, it made the bottom drop out of his world. He hadn’t expected her to be thrilled with him, but this level of animosity wasn’t expected. What in the Seven Rings had Cash told everyone? Was that why Fizz never responded to his mail?
Did his mom hate him too?
“I’m sorry, I'm sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything-“ Dina started desperately apologizing. The imp cut her off.
“Not your fault Di. You warned me too.” He shook his head harshly. “I- I gotta get out for a bit. I’ll be back later girls.” He scooped up his phone and keys as he dashed out the door.
Loona opened a window to yell at him, “No driving the accident-mobile Dad!” He’d been about to hop in the van; instead he slammed the door shut. “Goddammit Loonie, FINE!” He jammed his hands into his coat pockets and walked off into the darkening night.
Dina, still at the table, was hunched down with her ears laid back. “Loona? Is everything gonna be okay? Feels like we shouldn’t have said anything.”
Her sister plopped back into her seat. “Nah, Blitzø is always kind of a mess. He thinks he’s a hot mess. He’ll be back.” She ran her hand through her hair and tossed a fry into her mouth. “I know I wouldn’t have been able to keep quiet about all this shit. And he’s such a busybody that he’d keep prying until we blew up at him.” Dina sighed and they finished the meal in silence.
Loona cleaned up the dishes while Dina put away the leftovers. They each took a side of the couch but left the television off. Instead they chatted about a web novel Dina had started reading while at rehab. Loona was catching up on it now and the sisters enjoyed discussing the plot and characters.
Neither of them wanted to head to bed until Blitzø got back. Dina mentioned that she almost felt like the parent right now, waiting for their kid to come home. The hours crept by with no sign of the imp. Just in case, Loona sent a text to Stolas. She didn’t go into details but let the prince know Blitzø had left the apartment upset.
Stolas replied that Blitzø wasn’t with him and not to worry unless he wasn’t back by morning. That wasn’t terribly reassuring for the Hellhounds.
Both girls ended up falling asleep on the couch before Blitzø stumbled back in around two in the morning. He was drunk and had gotten into some sort of fight. The lights were mostly off so he didn’t see the pair on the couch. Neither hound woke up; not even when he flopped on top of them.
Dimly, Blitzø realized the couch was both lumpier and fuzzier than normal. Those facts didn’t really stick with him as he passed out.
—————
In Sloth, Barb got back to her dormitory. She was staying at a sober living facility for now. She didn’t really have any place else to be or anyone to be with. Most of her friends were addicts and none were trying to get clean. Barb knew if she spent any time with her current circle of acquaintances, she’d be right back to square one.
The imp didn’t know who was footing the bill for her rehab. When she’d gotten sober enough to question the money situation, she was politely informed that an anonymous donor was taking care of it. While that was suspicious, she wasn’t in a position to question it. And what would she do otherwise? If she insisted on paying herself, she’d be neck deep in debt or kicked out.
Barb was suspicious, but not stupid. If this demon wanted to pay for her recovery, let ‘em. If they came looking to collect later, she’d deal with it then. At least she’d be sober for whatever came her way.
She had been thinking about who it could be. Not Mammon, that was for damn sure. Maybe Fizz? But she was pretty sure he hated her guts now. Cash wouldn’t be; she hadn’t been able to find out if her father survived the fire. If he had, he’d disappeared. Not likely he’d be paying for her medical bills if he was alive.
Her mom… Barb gripped the choker that she wore, that had been Tilly’s. Her mom would have.
Maybe one or more of the hospital staff she’d interacted with during Fizz’s recovery all those years ago? That was a long shot.
Blitzo? She snorted to herself at the thought. The jackass and his douche prince would have the money, but her twin had shown how much he cared decades ago. He didn’t even know she was still kicking, from what she remembered of the mail he sent Fizz.
There were other demons she’d encountered over the years. She’d worked odd jobs to fund her habit, with the legality of said jobs being questionable. She didn’t think she had made a good enough impression on anyone to warrant this however.
It gave her a headache to keep thinking about it and without more information, she didn’t have enough to figure it out. Scrolling her phone, she pulled up the pics she’d sneakily taken earlier. The Hellhounds she’d encountered at group therapy.
Barb had snapped at the first girl for staring. At the moment she’d brushed the girl looking at her so intently as listening in to her rant. Then she saw the other young Hound woman in the meeting room. Dina, as she learned at the introduction round, tried to hide looking at Barb. But the imp kept feeling her glancing over during the session.
After they broke apart for the day, Dina trotted up to the Hound in the waiting area. Seeing them side by side, it was obvious they were siblings and maybe even littermates. The only difference between them was height and hair length. The pair was very much trying to not look at Barb. The imp’s spines were raised and she glared at them before heading towards the dorms.
But she doubled back once she was sure the girls weren’t following her. She caught glimpses of them as they walked away. Then the girls slipped into a space between two buildings and Barb saw colored lights glow from the gap. She ran to the spot as the glow faded.
No sign of either Hellhound. A portal? For a couple Hounds? Most magick wielding demons were royalty or working for royalty. Imps, Hellhounds, and Hellborn in general didn’t have much to do with magick. Succubi on assignment to Earth used portals and illusions.
Whoever these girls were, they likely had a connection with blue bloods. And they were interested in her. Barb doubted they were connected with who was funding her therapy. Both Hounds seemed like they didn’t expect to see her. Like they couldn’t believe their eyes.
She scribbled down her thoughts in a notebook she kept in her room. Maybe because of the years of drug abuse, but she had difficulty keeping track of things. She was getting in the habit of writing down whatever was on her mind, since her notebook had a better memory than she did. During the day, Barb typed stuff into a notepad app on her phone, then reviewed it at night.
She was not up for any fancy journaling. No decorated grids, stickers, different color pens and fancy tape between entries. The words were lucky if she followed the lines on the page. Anything particularly important got circled or highlighted so she could find it easily as she flipped through the pages.
The Hellhound girls were an odd enough occurrence that she circled and highlighted her bullet list about them. If Dina was still in her group next time, she could try to find out more.
—————
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stories-and-chaos · 16 days
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Real time account of my brain powering down. I woke up to find this proof that I really shouldn’t be trying to write when I’m sleepy.
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stories-and-chaos · 18 days
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Tarnished pt 25
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[Helluva Boss AU where Blitzø’s childhood theft from Stolas’ palace is discovered and major consequences ensue for everyone involved.]
[Part 25/?? Word count 1793 Cw: language, addiction]
—————
Present day
Shortly after Dina’s rescue, the logistics of three adult demons living in a one bedroom apartment reared its head. Blitzø could (and did) stay with Stolas but the apartment was still too small. Millie had offered to let one of the girls couch surf, but the Hellhounds didn’t want to be separated again. Blitzø started looking at a bigger place when the issue became moot, if only for a short time.
Dina started showing signs of withdrawal from whatever drugs she’d been using. Twitching, irritable, and unable to eat much. During a lucid period, she confided in her sister. She’d been using more heavily in the short time between spotting Loona and the rescue.
Anyone in need of detox had to be handled with care. Hellhounds especially; they came equipped with their own weaponry. Depending how much they were craving, a Hound coming off of a high could be terrifyingly fast and vicious. Add on years of trauma and it was a bad situation.
Years of experience dodging Hounds and more street scuffles than he could count helped Blitzø avoid the worst of his new daughter’s attacks. Long enough that Loona could grab the scruff of her sister’s neck. Just like with mortal canines, it made Dina relax. The following few minutes were tense as Loona didn’t dare let go until it seemed the worst passed.
Eventually, the smaller girl said, “Loona? You can let go now.” Loona carefully released her hand, ready to grab again. But Dina just slumped to the floor, frustration all over her face. “Fucking hell! I tried so hard not to get hooked, then I fuck up and look what happened!”
Blitzø crouched in front of her. Her fists were pressed against her eyes but he made no move to touch her. A few days had shown everyone her aversion to touch and how she reacted. “Dina, you did what you could to survive. You can’t predict the future.” He paused thoughtfully as she peeked out a bit. “Well, Stolas can, but mostly for realm shaking shit and big fuck off apocalypses. Anyway, ‘s not your fault,” he said firmly.
“And we don’t need Stolas’ fancy ass book to see we need to get you help. I know you girls don’t wanna be apart right now, but if we keep this up we won’t have any furniture to move to a new apartment.” As it was they were down two dining chairs, a side table, five horse pillows and a cowboy devilduckie. “We found a good rehab in Sloth. There’s extended stay for visitors nearby,” he added, before Loona could try to launch herself at him. “Get you checked in, get you through the worst of the detox, and hopefully I’ll have a new apartment lined up for all three of us when you’re ready to check out.”
Dina took a look around the mess her latest rampage had made. At least most of it was shredded pillow stuffing, but it could have been parts of Loona or Blitzø. She agreed to rehab, so long as Loona would be nearby. “Definitely,” Loona said instantly. “A bit more practice and I can portal to I.M.P. for the workday even.”
“But you’ve got your license, Loonie. I’ll loan you the van.”
“Fuck no! I’m not driving that rolling accident all the way to Sloth and back even once! And every day means it’ll probably break down at every Ring in between!” She leveled a glare at the imp. “Speaking of, you better not be planning on driving us there in it.”
“I’m not going to rehab if you wanna use the van,” Dina added. “If I’m doing this, I want to get there in one piece Dad.”
Well shit, Blitzø realized what he was up against with two daughters. They’re gonna outvote me whenever they want huh? He realized that Via would probably join in too, meaning he and Stolas were screwed. He grumbled as he pulled out his phone. “Fine. Will Stolas’ car be sufficient for you ladies?”
“That would be perfect,” Loona replied with equal sarcasm. She packed up enough for a few days. If she was making portals between Rings, getting fresh clothes and what not would be fairly simple. Dina didn’t have much at all yet so she was ready to go long before the car arrived.
The rehab center got Dina into the detox ward as soon as they had her checked in. Meanwhile Loona and Blitzø got a room for her at the extended visitors housing across the street. Dina was allowed her phone and knowing that the other sibling was across the street was calming for both of them.
Blitzø went back to Pride once the girls were settled. He still had to find that new apartment. It took just over a week for Dina to be cleared from detox and move to the general wards. She was also cleared for visitors and Loona was spending most of her off hours with her. Most of Dina’s therapy and group sessions coincided with the general workday; allowing Loona time to portal to Pride and back regularly.
The small Hellhound worked hard on her recovery. She had the unexpected chance to rebuild her life and she wasn’t going to let it slip away. Her drug abuse mostly stemmed from the trauma she’d endured working for Slicker; the main doctor recommended she continue to see a therapist after being released. They also discussed her continued attendance in group therapy sessions.
After six weeks in rehab, Dina was able to go home. Blitzø had rented a two bedroom in Imp City. It wasn’t anything fancy and didn’t look much different than the last one. It did have a slightly bigger main room and the imp took advantage of that to have a pull out mattress couch. Two bedrooms meant Loona and Dina didn’t have to share, which was the main reason for the move.
Dina’s biweekly group sessions were still in Sloth, and Loona created portals for her. Dina was debating if she wanted to study magick as well, but felt her recovery came first. Most days her sister would wait until the session was over; she killed time on her phone in the lobby.
She’d been scrolling through Sinstigram when she heard “Barb Buckzo” hissed by an imp at the check in counter. Her ears twitched at Blitzø’s last name. Looking up from her phone, she saw a female imp berating the sleepy baphomet at the desk. In profile, she looked like her dad’s double. The only differences were feminine curves, the mostly black horns, and lack of scarring.
The woman continued. “Jesus H. Christ, I’ve been coming here for months! Is your memory that shitty you can’t recognize me if I’m here on a different fucking day than usual?” The baphomet continued to blink at her, the gears in his brain slowly turning. “Beezlebub’s tits, I was just here yesterday afternoon you moron. Can you just search my name to check me-“
“Oooooooohhhhhhh, you’re the after lunch girl!” the receptionist finally said. His eyes lit up in recognition before the veil of confusion reappeared. “But it’s morning, you’re not supposed to be around until…after lunch!”
“Yes, you annoying little twat stain, I’m usually here ‘after lunch.’ But the schedule fucking changed because my therapist had her little crotch goblin and now I’m in this group, dealing with reeaaaaaaally incompetent staff members who can’t even handle a patient showing up at a different fucking time of day!” She grabbed the scheduling sheet and jabbed a claw at the relevant entry.
“Oooooooooohhhhh, there you are! Okay I’ll get you all checked in and you’ll be angry morning girl until Dr. Hypna gets back.”
“Holy fucking shit, whatever gets this goddamn appointment going.” She stalked over to the waiting area and noticed Loona. “The fuck are you looking at bitch?” Loona looked the woman up and down before shrugging with the best disinterested expression she could manage. As she went back to her phone she heard “That’s what I fucking thought,” from the imp.
She quickly texted Dina.
Fucking hell, there’s an imp here that’s gotta be related to Dad. She looks and sounds sooooo much like him it’s bizarre as dick.
Srsly? Thought he was pretty unique. Pics?
Can’t, looks like she’s in your group tho. Going back now, should see her soon, don’t freak out
Damn you weren’t kidding! Did someone copy pasta Dad?! Starting group, talk after
Loona did her best to stay calm but she couldn’t help her tail swishing in agitation. Blitzø didn’t talk much about his biological family. She knew they existed and that he hadn’t seen any of them since his sperm donor left him with the Goetia. So finding his female doppelgänger in Sloth was not something the hound ever expected.
After the group ended for the day, the girls had to try extra hard not to look at Barb. The imp tossed the sisters a glare before sauntering off; they headed in another direction. Loona didn’t want to advertise her magickal capabilities all over Hell, so they found a quiet nook between buildings for her to make a portal.
It led them directly into their new living room. It had all the horse kitsch from the old living room with an added shelf for Blitzø’s collection of My Teeny Horsie figurines.
After the portal closed, the girls immediately started talking about the imp woman, stumbling over each other’s sentences. “Holy shit, she’s like his twin, I think she is his twin, she say anything? She mentioned a brother once, fucking Hell, the fuck do we do?” They compared notes but didn’t have much to go off of.
Blitzø arrived that evening with take out for the three of them. “So how’d your days go ladies?” he said around a mouthful of burger.
“Not bad,” Dina said with feigned nonchalance. “Had some new group members; one of the other docs is on maternity leave so they shuffled patients around.”
“Chilled in the waiting room, still working on Stolas’ latest reading assignment.” Loona exchanged a glance with Dina. A round of unspoken communication made of gestures ended with the taller Hound asking, “Hey Blitzø, whatever happened to your imp family? From the circus?”
“Wha, huh?” He swallowed a fry. “Fuck, wish I knew. The whole circus ran off in the night. Heard years later it burned down. My old friend Fizzarolli survived. Dunno what happened to my mom or my twin sister Barb. Don’t care what happened to my dad. Christ on a stick Loonie, why’d you wanna know?”
The Hellhounds shared another look and nodded. Dina answered, “I think your sister is in my therapy group.”
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stories-and-chaos · 23 days
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Tarnished pt 24
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[Helluva Boss AU where Blitzø’s childhood theft from Stolas’ palace is discovered and major consequences ensue for everyone involved.]
[Part 24/?? Word count: 2128]
[Cw: drug use, addiction, overdose, gaslighting]
—————
Fizzarolli was in process of moving his things to Lust. Ozzie was letting him stay in his palace until he got his own place. But the Sin made it clear he was welcome to be a long term resident. Fizz hadn’t decided yet, but the advantages were hard to ignore.
Not to mention, being in Asmodeus’ presence was…amazing. He told himself it was because the sex was so fucking good. While it was true the size of the boat didn’t matter as much as the motion of the ocean, having access to a luxury mega-yacht was just fucking fun. But regular bang sessions didn’t mean compatibility living together. Best to see how things went for a few weeks first.
Before that, he wanted to talk to Barb again. He’d been so busy, running around for Mammon. It had been over a week since that disastrous talk. Fizz belatedly realized she’d probably been high at the time. Likely she’d misunderstood what he’d tried to say and he needed to set things straight before it was too late.
But when he went to her studio apartment, she wasn’t there. Instead a quartet of imps that barely came up to his knees were. The studio wasn’t large by any means but for demons this small, it was probably palatial. They’d set it up as a sort of dormitory within the week since he’d been here last. And none of them had any clue about the previous tenant.
Now he was worried. Unfortunately, he didn’t know any of her current haunts. He had no clue of who she was getting her drug supply from either. Fizz had steered clear of the criminal side of Greed as much as possible; thinking back, Barb had encouraged that. Maybe to protect him, maybe to keep him away from her vices.
If she’d shown up to work at Mammon’s office building… even though it was his day off, he went over. But the office that Barb used was a repeat of her apartment. An unfamiliar imp was at the desk, sorting through the stacks of fan mail. “Oh, Mr. Fizzarolli! We weren’t expecting you in today.”
“Who the fuck are you? Where’s Barb?”
The male imp didn’t even flinch at Fizz’s hostility. “I’m Alphonse, you’re new assistant. Call me Alph. As for your former assistant, I’ll let Lord Mammon explain.” He dialed a number to inform the Sin and directed Fizz to the boss’s office.
“Fizzy my boy! Didn’t think you were coming today. Ya lookin’ pretty worked up, what’s got your balls in a twist?” Mammon looked as jovial as ever, with a scheming glint in his eyes.
“Where’s Barb? What the hell is going on?” Fizz demanded, his tone still hostile due to fear and frustration. “Did you do something to her?” he remembered Mammon’s disapproval with friend at his contest win.
“Whoa ho ho! Relax Fizzy, I ain’t done nothing!” He held up all his hands in an attempt to placate the imp. “Here, lemme show ya.” Mammon spun his computer monitor around and pulled up a clip of security footage. It was the main doors of the building and Barb was standing in front. Even through the grainy footage, he could see the angry tension in her body.
Then he watched as she picked up rocks and flung them with scary accuracy at the doors. He knew rocks wouldn’t break them, but her screamed curses and the sharp cracks of stone hitting reinforced glass made him jerk in fear. His tail wound around his legs as one rock bounced back and hit her face.
Despite his fear and the fact that he was watching footage from days ago, Fizz reached out to his friend with a cry. She was stunned for a moment, then “Fine. FINE, YOU HEAR ME! YOU CAN GO FUCK YOURSELVES! HAVE FUN BEING A PAMPERED WHORE FIZZ! YOU’RE JUST LIKE THAT TRAITOR BLITZO!” His ichor slowed to a crawl in his veins. Was that what she thought of him? The clip continued, showing her giving the building the middle finger as she walked out of sight.
“One of your new security guards talked to her about missing so many days and she went nuclear. She hasn’t been here since, so I sent some of my guys lookin for her. Mailed her a severance package, the check got cashed so she musta gotten it.” He looked and sounded sympathetic; that scheming glint was still in his eyes though. Barb would have picked up on it, but Fizz was too distraught to notice.
Instead, he trusted in Mammon’s concerned tone. “Sorry Fizzy, but at least you didn’t get mixed up in her shit. Or get hurt when she fucked off.” He squished Fizz’s cheeks between two hands and switched to a sing-song tone. “Can’t have my brand baby’s face getting all fucked up again, right?” He let go of the imp clown abruptly, leaving Fizz off balance. “You know what’ll get your mind off all this? Getting some clown practice with me! Then we can knock out some of those photoshoots we need, whaddya say?”
Fizz shook his head to clear it. “Uh…yeah, sounds good Mammon, sir.” The photoshoot would be exhausting but the clown practice would be a nice change of pace before that. Mammon strived for perfection in his act and from his employees. Fizz was always up for practicing with his idol.
He worked hard enough that thoughts of his former(?) friend hovered just out of reach. He didn’t think about Barb’s situation until he was back in Lust, in Ozzie’s palace. “So how’d things go Froggie?” Oz asked as he prepared dinner for the two of them.
The hurt and anger came rushing back. “Oh, you know, terrible. Guess y’all were right about Barb. She’s ghosted now though, no point worrying about her!” He forced levity into his voice, trying to keep the worst at bay.
“Wait, what? What happened?” Ozzie set down the knife he’d been using to chop vegetables and came over to Fizz.
Fizz shrugged and wouldn't look Asmodeus in the eye. “Guess she hates me now. They had security footage from a few days back. She tried to attack Mammon’s building with rocks and started yelling about me being a whore traitor like Blitzo.” He couldn’t stop the tears welling up at the loss of the last person from his childhood. “No one’s seen her in days. Her apartment already has new tenants.”
Ozzie shrunk himself down to be closer to Fizz’s eye level. He had millennia of experience dealing with the other Deadly Sins. This all sounded sketchy and precisely in Mammon’s wheelhouse. “You sure that’s how everything went down Fizz? It’s just Mam’s word-“
“I saw the tape Ozzie! I heard what she said. She told me to fuck off.”
“Look, I can send some of my people out to find her. Make sure she’s safe at least.”
“You said it yourself, Asmodeus.” Fizz’s voice cracked as he continued. “She’s gotta make her own choices and she made hers pretty fucking clear. She doesn’t want me around and she doesn’t want my help.”
“Mmmm,” Ozzie hummed noncommittally. “If you insist, Fizzarolli.” He went back to the cutting board as Fizz started ranting about Barb and this Blitzo guy. Privately, the Sin was considering his options regarding Barb. He was somewhat limited in what he could do, since Greed wasn’t his Ring. But he could have his employees locate her at the very least. Just without Fizz’s knowledge.
Because Fizz’s words said he didn’t want anything to do with Barb or Blitzo. But his tone and body language told a different story. Ozzie knew all of Fizzarolli’s history by now; he could see the imp woman’s disappearance was hitting Fizz hard.
For tonight though, he could provide food and activities that would distract his partner. Being the embodiment of Lust was useful for distraction.
The next day he did ask his employees that were used to Greed to look for Fizz’s friend. It took a few months but they did find her. The succubi that located the imp reported she wasn’t doing well, but didn’t seem in immediate danger. Ozzie wasn’t going back on his policy of personal choice; he kept tabs on Barb for years, just in case.
Almost a decade later, he was glad he did. Ozzie’s employee that was checking on Barb had struck up a casual friendship with her. But the succubus rushed back one day in a panic. The imp had OD’d. While the ER team had pumped her stomach and stabilized her, she was in bad shape. Ozzie arranged for her immediate care and to get her checked into rehab through his employee. He hoped this would get Fizz’s old friend on the path to recovery, but again, it was up to her to follow through.
Asmodeus didn’t tell Fizz what happened. His partner’s animosity toward Barb hadn’t abated yet. It was just as strong as his disdain towards Barb’s long lost twin Blitzo. Ozzie had seen that firsthand years ago.
It had been a semi-formal meeting of Hell’s royalty. Lucifer Morningstar, the Deadly Sins, and the major players of Ars Goetia as well as other high ranking families were in attendance. Many guests brought along plus ones, with Ozzie bringing Fizz. A large number of Hell's upper echelons wanted to meet the imp, get autographs or selfies.
There were also many lower ranked demons following in their master’s wakes. Especially the Goetia; almost all of them had an imp or two, carrying items and fetching refreshments. One of the strongest Goetia, Prince Stolas, had his bound attendant at his side for the majority of the evening.
Ozzie had noticed the scarred imp by the owl demon lock his eyes onto Fizzarolli. Fizz; entertaining a small group with some sleight of hand, didn’t notice the attention. The other imp’s expression started shocked, then changed to hurt, then banked fury all in a few seconds. But he didn’t approach the clown or leave Stolas’s side. Most likely he couldn’t, considering the sigil mark Asmodeus could see on his neck.
Fizz had eventually felt hostile eyes on him. He spotted the imp glaring at him next to the Goetia. He looked confused, not sure why this stranger was so angry. Ozzie could almost see realization click into place, as if Fizz was matching his memory to the man staring him down. “Blitzo?” he said under his breath.
Then, as Blitzo had continued to glare across the crowded room, Fizz’s expression hardened into similar anger. His eyes flicked over his childhood friend and he sneered.
Even when Ozzie was introducing his business partner to others, that anger didn’t entirely fade. He put on a good show. He always did. But Asmodeus could tell the difference in his companion.
Eventually they crossed paths with Stolas. “Stolas!” Ozzie said cheerfully. “Haven’t seen you in awhile, how you been? Have you met my business partner Fizzarolli yet?”
“Always a pleasure to see you, my Lord Asmodeus. And I’m pleased to make your acquaintance, Fizzarolli. I am Prince Stolas of Ars Goetia.” He tilted his head slightly towards Fizz, in a slight show of respect. He did not introduce the imp next to him, but that wasn’t unusual with an attendant.
Ozzie made a show of looking around. “All by your lonesome tonight birdie babe?”
Stolas gave a hooting laugh. “Oh, you know Stella; there’s too much business and not enough gossip at functions like these. Besides, Blitzø is plenty of company for me.”
Meanwhile, the two imps continued to glare silently. Fizz caught sight of Blitzo’s forehead up close and if anything he seemed angrier. Ozzie could see them both seething, not able to do anything with all the royals around. He and Stolas chatted a bit longer before Ozzie made the excuse of “Fizzarolli and I have a lot of his fans to meet still, we’ll catch up later Stolas.”
Stolas for his part, nodded and replied “It seems my presence is requested by my father. Another time Asmodeus. Come along Blitzø.” There was a faint glow at the imp’s neck as the pair made their way through the crowd. Throughout the night, the two imps continued to send furious looks at each other, beneath the noses of demonic royalty.
When Ozzie asked Fizz about the other imp later, a naked Fizzarolli launched into a familiar tirade as he paced around their rumpled bed. Ozzie let him vent everything out, the image of patience. He artfully draped a silken sheet over himself. When Fizz had finally ran out of words, the Sin’s pinup style pose had the desired effect. But afterwards, Asmodeus resolved to have that follow up with Stolas.
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stories-and-chaos · 24 days
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Tarnished pt 23
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[Helluva Boss AU where Blitzø’s childhood theft from Stolas’ palace is discovered and major consequences ensue for everyone involved.]
[Part 23/?? Word Count: 1857]
[CW: Drug abuse, addiction, gaslighting]
—————
Two weeks later, Blitzo sent another letter. It was thinner than the first. Barb gave it the same treatment, ‘RETURN TO SENDER’. The next one was even thinner, probably just one page in the envelope.
After she had that one sent back, he started sending postcards. Mostly they were generic landscape images from across the Rings. But not being in an envelope meant she saw snippets of the text on the blank side. Barb let Fizz know that Blitzo was sending mail, but never the content.
She didn’t mean to read any of them, but checking the address meant seeing what was written. There was a theme of ‘sorry, please talk to me, let me explain, I’m sorry, text, call, so sorry,’ in his scribbled handwriting. Knowing their dad’s account of events, her brother’s repeated requests for forgiveness just infuriated Barb.
She saw there were a few that mentioned her and their mom. Blitzo was asking if Fizz knew where they were. You’d know if you’d stuck around, traitor, she thought bitterly as she sent the postcards to be shredded. 
The frequent reminders of Blitzo’s existence kept her off balance. And Fizzarolli was spending more time in Lust. He kept denying any emotional attachment to Asmodeus but Barb saw the difference in how he talked about the Sin.  His absence left her somewhat at loose ends in her downtime.
The other survivors from their circus had scattered; few wanted to stay in Greed with all the established gangs and corruption. Barb, not wanting to be alone constantly, found other demons that shared her interests. One of those interests being drug use was incidental. 
After seven months, the postcards arrived less frequently. Barb didn’t really notice; she had access to stronger stuff and was getting fucked up on a regular basis. Fizz was paying her enough that she could afford it… for now. But as the next pageant got closer, she started missing more days.
At first it didn’t matter too much. Her friend was off being Ozzie’s boy toy. The PR team was finally filtering the mail somewhat. And just before the pageant, Blitzo sent a card saying, ‘I’ll leave you alone Fizz. You know where to find me. I’m sorry.’ That was one less stressor; Barb celebrated with a weekend long bender.
She managed to be clean for a few days before and after the clown pageant. She was able to function as Fizz’s security the whole time. Once again, he won. Once again, Mammon immediately signed him on with a year long contract.
This year though, the king of Greed had some things to talk about concerning Fizzarolli’s assistant. Whisking him behind closed doors for the rigamarole of the contract was the perfect moment to plant seeds of doubt about Barb in his mind.
“Y’know Fizzy, that assistant o’ yours…I know she’s your friend but she’s been slacking big time,” he said as they signed and initialed pages. “I’d hate for someone from your past to take advantage of you, yah?” Mammon had a look of intense concern as he finished his portion of the contract.
“I-I’ll talk to her, Mammon sir.” Fizz was already worried about Barb. He knew she’d gotten hooked on painkillers after the fire. She’d been sober for years but he could see the signs popping up. And if Mammon noticed, things were getting worse.
“Good boy Fizzy! ‘Cause we’re gonna be real busy again and we don’t need c**ts coasting off your success.”
The day after the pageant saw Fizz in Lust again, working with Ozzie on updating the Fizzies. Asmodeus took him out for lunch again. He’d told Mammon before the contest that he’d need the whole day with the winner for their work, preventing his fellow Sin from interrupting anything.
After lunch, Ozzie sprung an offer on Fizz. “I’d like you to work at my lounge club, Froggie. Get you some experience outside the Greed Ring and away from all those creeps.”
Fizz waved a dismissive hand. “Psh, I’ve always had creeps around, it’s not that big a deal. Besides, Barb’s got my back.”
“Yeeeeeeaaaah, about that,” Asmodeus said slowly.
“Oh not you too Oz! Mammon was just bitching to me last night about her!”
“Hey, I’m just saying…she’s having a bad time lately. I’m not gonna pry, but if even Mam has picked up on it? Your girl needs help.” Ozzie cupped Fizz’s cheek. “Look, I know she’s important to you. You’re basically family right?” Fizz nodded. “So I want to help. And moving you both out of Greed is a good way to start.”
Fizz sighed. “Yeah, she’s never really liked it there anyway. I can’t make her do anything though.”
“You know me babe; I ain’t about forcing anyone. Unless she’s in deep shit, too deep to handle or putting herself in danger? you gotta let her make her choices.” He leaned back in their private booth. “I’m serious about working at my lounge though. You’d make a great M.C. Fizzy-frog.”
Fizz agreed to perform at Ozzie’s, with the frequent scheduling starting in a few weeks. He had prior commitments with Mammon to take care of first. Doing nightly shows at the lounge would mean moving to Lust.
Before that, he wanted to talk with Barb. The first chance he got was almost a week later, after they were done at Mammon’s for the day. Fizz had to steal himself to talk to his friend so he went to her apartment after hyping himself up via a phone call with Asmodeus.
Barb, meanwhile, had taken a hit of her current drug of choice as soon as she got home. It was the first big high she’d had in the past two weeks. When Fizz showed up at her door unannounced, she could feel the drugs hitting her system. Although he looked serious and she was trying to focus on what he said, the chemical filter in her veins meant she really only caught a few words. Kind of like those snippets of Blitzo’s postcards.
“Barb, I know you’ve got a problem. You’ve been using drugs again, I can tell. We need to get you help, but we can’t do it here. Asmodeus offered me a gig, I’ll need to move to Lust. Please, come with me. I can’t stand seeing you destroy yourself. We’ll get away from all this shit in Greed. Get you some fucking help.”
Barb tried to string together what he was saying. What truly stuck with her was he was moving. Leaving for Lust and Asmodeus. Away from her. She growled angrily. “Urrrgh! Fine, go fuck off with your royal sugar daddy! I don’t need you!” She pushed him away from her. Her intoxication meant she didn’t have much control of her strength. Her push knocked him against the wall; if he hadn’t hit it with his prosthetic arm, it would have left bruises.
She stomped to the door and yanked it open. “Get the fuck out Fizz. The other imp looked stricken so she pushed him again. This one sent him into the hallway. Barb slammed the door shut, locked it and  put the chain on. He had a spare key, but even his extendable arms would struggle with the chain. She pressed her back against the door and slid down it as Fizz knocked desperately. He kept saying her name but she didn’t respond. She just curled up, silent and crying.
Eventually, he was gone. Her sense of time was completely distorted. Maybe it had been an hour, maybe just a couple minutes. She just wanted to forget about everything again. Fortunately, past Barb had picked up a baggie full of little friends from her dealer that were very good at helping her forget.
A few days later, she’d come down enough to realize she had to go work. That many pill-shaped friends weren’t cheap. But when she got to Mammon’s main offices, her keycard didn’t work. Barb tried multiple times, flipping the card in different directions but she continued to get error sounds. She was ready to punch the scanner when the door opened smoothly.
The shark demon that stepped out towered over Barb. “What do you want?” No politeness, just blunt demanding attitude.
“I want to get to work. Why isn’t my keycard working?” She waved the offending piece of plastic in front of the shark’s snout.
His concentric ringed eyes focused on the card, reading her name. “Barb Buckzo. Yeah, your position’s been…terminated.” He gave her a leering grin and flicked the card. His claw hit with enough force to send it spinning out of her hand and down the street.
“The fuck d’you mean, ‘terminated’? I’m Fizz’s  assistant and bodyguard!”
“Not no more. You haven’t been here for a week. Mr. Fizzarolii and Lord Mammon don’t need some lazy ass coasting on her buddy’s success.” He straightened up to his full height. The shark crossed his arms and continued to match her glaring look. “So you’re out, shoulda got a termination letter in yer mail.” 
Her jaw dropped. Those assholes! “I wanna talk to Fizz. Right now!” She tried to push past the beefy shark, but he outweighed her and Fizz combined. 
“Mr. Fizzarolli is busy. Lord Mammon is free for the next ten minutes if you wanna talk to him.” Barb growled, a rumbling hiss coming from her chest. “Thought so.” The shark went back inside and the door slid shut behind him.
Barb stood there, chest heaving. She had mostly come down from her high and there was no drugged filter between her and her emotions. After a few minutes of glaring at the locked doors, she started hurling nearby rocks at the building. Her aim was still good from all those years in the circus. But those doors were designed to withstand bullets; a valid concern with all the turf wars likely to pop up in this Ring.
All the rocks in Hell wouldn’t do much to the structure. Barb didn’t care; if anything it made her madder. She kept hurling the same rocks over and over, screaming obscenities all the while. Until she threw one that ricocheted back, hitting her directly on her circus brand and knocking her on her butt.
She sat there, dazed. The pain on her forehead belatedly hit and she rubbed the spot to find ichor welling from the scratch. “Fine. FINE, YOU HEAR ME! YOU CAN GO FUCK YOURSELVES! HAVE FUN BEING A PAMPERED WHORE FIZZ! YOU’RE JUST LIKE THAT TRAITOR BLITZO!” Barb turned away, rubbing her upper arms with both hands as she tried to keep the anger in the forefront. She flipped of the building as she walked home.
Not that the studio apartment would be home much longer. She was behind on rent and her landlord was ready to kick her out. Checking her mail, she found the termination letter; included was her severance check. Not enough to back pay everything. But enough to find somewhere else. Something cheaper and closer to the drug dens she was visiting more often. 
Within two days, she was gone, ghosting everyone in her life.
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stories-and-chaos · 26 days
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🫡🫡🫡
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stories-and-chaos · 26 days
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stories-and-chaos · 26 days
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Told my kiddo about tumblr having a boop button today, obviously he loved the cat paw. Then he started booping me IRL.
I’m so proud 🥹
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stories-and-chaos · 26 days
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Maybe the real treasure was the boops we made along the way
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stories-and-chaos · 26 days
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For Boop-Badges Collectors
Rough estimate: It's possible to reach 1000 boops in less than 2 hours (took me 1:30h), if you got some people to spam it to.
If you are a blog where people can spam boop's to, reblog this.
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