turn towards the sun - implydone (2024)

Chapter 1: untilled earth

Chapter Text

Tucked away on the southern side of Wrath, population 300, lies the town of Little Vengeance. Though the place has become more rundown, the townsfolk are happy with what they have. Most of the locals are imps, with a few hybrids who made it there from the other Rings. Some would say that one only ends up in Little Vengeance if they’re meant to be there.

Blitzø thinks that’s probably a crock of sh*t, but the town was special to his mother. So he would put up with some of the feel-good stuff in her honor.

Christ on a stick, it’s f*cking bright here. The sun is beaming down harshly and Blitzø feels sweat gather at the back of his neck. Two steps off of the old bus and he’s already feeling like maybe this was a bad idea, like maybe he should actually turn around and book it back to Pride.

Except there’s not much there for him, and he promised himself he’d at least visit the old ranch and see how it’s doing. And when it looks like sh*t and there’s no hope, he can pat himself on the back and take the next bus or train out of here.

There’s a small imp next to the bus station, craning her neck to look around. She’s pretty short but her overalls show off toned arms. Probably built by 20 years of farm work, Blitzø bets. He starts walking by her to figure out how to get to the town’s center, but she steps in his way.

“Howdy! You must be Blitzo!” She says, the twang in her voice like the sharp pluck of a banjo.

“The ‘o’ is silent,” Blitzø answers. “You know who I am?”

“Sure! My pa is the mayor and knew your ma pretty well. Razorwire Ranch was always like a gem in the valley, y’know,” she says, beaming. The gap in her teeth seems to emphasize her good spirits. “Name’s Millie. I work in the mines on the other side of town.”

Blitzø nods, eyes skipping over her athletic form for only a moment. She could probably kill him with a pickaxe if she wanted to. It’s a little hot.

“Nice to meet you,” he says finally. “I don’t suppose you can show me how to get to the ranch?”

“That’s just what I’m here for! Come on, I think my pa will meet us there.” And then Millie is towing him away from the station and towards an old pickup truck. Blitzø stows his singular suitcase in the back, taking a quick peek at the various mining equipment, before he hops in.

The drive to Razorwire Ranch goes quickly, with Blitzø making conversation as easily as he usually does. He’s able to glean some of the town updates from Millie as he goes. The valley is doing pretty well, but the mining carts are shut down and the old community center is rotting from the inside out. The only major change around here is the new Mammon Mart next to town square - some big box grocery spot that the Big Sin of Greed opened last year. Blitzø can’t imagine that the mart is making much money in a place with so few people, but either way it seems like a sore spot for the locals.

Eventually Millie turns onto a dirt road and rolls along until they reach a cluster of bushes and trees. She turns off the engine and shifts to face the other imp. “We’ll be on foot from here – the road hasn’t been tended to for some time.”

There’s no judgment in her voice, but Blitzø feels the sting of guilt in his gut. This ranch was one of his mother’s most treasured places and here it is, overgrown to Hell. And of course it is - they left Little Vengeance a whole 20 years ago and his mom has been… gone… for a decade at this point. She was probably the last one here, and by that time she would’ve only been able to do the littlest bit of upkeep.

The two imps make their way through the brush until they reach the farm proper, which consists of more overgrown weeds, trees, rocks, a rundown cabin, and an old stable where they used to keep the horses.

It looks like absolute sh*t, really. Blitzø has no f*cking idea what to do with it.

An older burly man is sitting on the porch steps. He’s got a few scarification tattoos on his arms, which are about the size of Blitzø’s f*cking head. When the guy sees them, he gets up and stretches his arms above his head.

“Blitzo, right?” He says, swinging one large hand down for a firm handshake. Blitzø can tell he’s squeezing hard on purpose, trying to feel him out, so he returns the grip with equal strength. Just because he’s from the city doesn’t mean he’s a little bitch, after all.

“The ‘o’ is silent,” Blitzø says, almost by rote. Satan, is he going to have to do that with every chucklef*ck who lives in this town?

“My name’s Joe and I’m the mayor,” Joe continues. “Unfortunately the place has fallen into a bit of disarray over the last ten years, since no one came by to keep it up. Real shame, but you’re here now and you can try to make the best of it if you’ve got it in ya.”

Blitzø looks around him and grimaces a bit. He’d really be starting from square one here, but maybe that’s a good thing. Plus he feels like Joe is challenging him or some sh*t so it makes him want to dig his heels in. At least there’s a free cabin he can sleep in.

“Not sure how long I’ll stay, but I’ll take the night to think it over,” is what Blitzø finally says. “Nice to have some quiet outside the city.”

Millie smiles at him from next to her father. “I’ll leave ya some tools if you’d like, that way you can hack away at some of this overgrowth to check the soil?”

“That’d be great, thanks Millie.”

“You need someone to come by and help?” Joe asks. “Not sure you’d even know what you’re looking at.”

Blitzø scoffs a bit. “You forgetting I lived the first ten years of my life here?”

“Just checkin’ that the city didn’t ruin ya,” Joe says, mustache twitching with mirth. Blitzø thinks he might end up liking this f*cker after all.

Millie grabs some tools from her truck to loan him and then she and her dad leave, disappearing through the trees obscuring the ranch’s entrance. Blitzø looks down at the axe, scythe, and pickaxe in front of him and sighs. The sun is still beating down, so he takes off his slightly sweaty t-shirt and picks up the axe. Might as well start with some of these trees blocking his way.

He thought it might be weird, coming back and using his hands more. But as he starts chopping at the trunk in front of him, he finds that he’s relishing this chance to do physical work. He doesn’t need to f*cking think about anything, just focuses on aiming the axe properly. His muscles burn pleasantly with the effort.

Before long, he’s managed to take down the two trees blocking the main road to town. He decides to use the scythe now to cut through some of the weeds, and the soil underneath looks alright. Dry, untilled, but promising. As he shears a path through the farm, he stumbles upon a small altar on the west side. It looks like it’s made out of obsidian or some sh*t, so he’s surprised it’s still here. On top are a few crystals, which he only recognizes because his mom used to take him to the mines and let him ride in the carts while she hacked at geodes.

And all of a sudden, the shadow of his mother’s life here and her life in the city and her death after that covers his mind. She had such happy times at the ranch, surrounded by green and plants. And then his f*cking dad made them all leave to try out life in Pride.

If they had stayed here, would she be alive today? Would his skin be smooth and red, instead of mottled and scarred?

Blitzø shakes his head slightly, trying not to sink too deep into his memories. Won’t do him any good now, anyway. All he can do is figure out if he’s sticking around here and hope that somehow, rehabilitating the farm can make up for all the f*cked up sh*t he’s done.

**

It’s nearing 8 pm by the time Blitzø decides he’s too tired to continue working. He leaves the tools on the porch, trusting in the good faith and manners of a small town. Plus, they’re Millie’s tools and he’s certain she can f*ck anyone up who decides to steal them.

Opening the door to the cabin, Blitzø brings in his small luggage. He grabs a snack and water bottle from one of the pockets and flicks on the light. The cabin is small – just an old tv, fireplace, and a bed, really – but it’s neat. Surprisingly, it seems pretty well-kept. There’s a small door on the ceiling that Blitzø knows leads to the attic, where he and Barbie used to sleep. He pulls down the string and climbs the ladder, taking a cursory glance around. The place is completely empty now, not a sign of his bed or the box of toys. They probably took everything with them when they moved.

Blitzø shrugs to himself and climbs down, nearly collapsing in the bed once he’s finished his paltry meal. He’ll need to figure out what the f*ck he can eat tomorrow. His eyes slide closed and the exhaustion in his body grants him a mercifully dreamless sleep.

Well, until the door of the cabin f*cking busts open. Blitzø sits up in bed, eyes making out a figure in the dark.

“What the f*ck!” He shouts, reaching for the knife in his bag. The light flickers on and he sees the intruder is a tall Hellhound with white and gray fur.

“Aw, piss on a dick,” she bites out, muzzle stretching back over her teeth. “The f*ck are you doing here? This is my spot.”

“Uh, it’s my cabin. Or, it was my mom’s,” Blitzø says. He takes a little inventory and tries to guess at her age – 15, maybe? Clearly squatting here, if the state of her clothes is any indication.

“Oh, sh*t,” she says, and it comes out with a sigh. “f*cking dammit, okay. I’ll… look for somewhere else.” She paces around the cabin and pulls a loose board away from the floor, gathering a few items hidden there.

“Wait,” he says, and he doesn’t even really know why. “You got somewhere else to go?”

“That’s none of your f*cking business,” she bites out, anger back like a flash. Before Blitzø can say anything else, she’s taking her things and running out the door. She doesn’t bother shutting it behind her, so some of the cold night air drifts in.

Rubbing his eyes, Blitzø gets up and follows her. Despite how fast she booked it out of there, the hellhound has stopped nearby and is leaning against a tree. Her head is down and her shoulders are shaking lightly. And she just seems so f*cking familiar.

“You can stay here,” Blitzø says. “I’ll sleep on the floor tonight and grab a sleeping bag or something tomorrow. We can fix up the attic, too, if you need a more permanent situation.”

“Why the f*ck do you care?” She says, but her voice is too choked up to have the same amount of malice.

“You seem like you could use a break,” Blitzø says. “I know the feeling.” The farm is dark and quiet, but the imp can just make out the sound of her clearing her throat.

“I can’t… pay rent or anything like that,” she finally says.

“You can pay with labor on the farm,” he says. “I clearly need help. Come inside already before we let all the f*cking mosquitos in.”

He turns around and steps inside, opening his bag to look for a sweatshirt or something he can use for a makeshift pillow for the night. He hears her light steps on the porch behind him and then the taps of her claws on the wooden floor.

“You can leave your stuff here or in the attic.” Blitzø continues rummaging in his bag and doesn’t turn to look at her. Doesn’t want her to feel like he’s watching her every move.

“Whatever,” she says.

“What’s your name?” Blitzø asks, arranging his clothes to pad the floor a bit. He gets down and groans a bit because, f*ck, he’s getting kind of old, but he finds a comfortable enough position. It’s silent for a bit and he wonders if she’s even going to answer.

“Loona,” she says.

“Nice to meet you, Loona,” Blitzø says through a yawn. “I’m Blitzø and this is my farm now, I guess.”

She snorts at him a little but she makes herself comfortable in the small bed. Too small for her, definitely. “Good luck with that, you f*cking weirdo.”

Loona is definitely being sarcastic, but Blitzø decides to take it at face value. At this point, he’ll take all the luck he can get.

Chapter 2: useless seeds

Chapter Text

Waking up on the floor with just a sweatshirt for an excuse of a pillow does not do Blitzø any favors in the morning. His back f*cking aches and there’s a crick in his neck. Plus, all his f*cking muscles are sore from trying to clean up the farm yesterday.

He sits up and sees that Loona is still out cold on the bed, so he moves as quietly as he can while he gets dressed. Snagging his nearly-empty wallet, he decides to walk to town to see if he can grab any supplies to get some crops started. Blitzø takes a second to meander around the cleared land, digging the toe of his boot into the soil. Under the top layer, it’s a bit darker and looks okay enough to grow things. Somewhat satisfied, he makes his way to the road and begins the walk to town.

It’s just past 8 am when he makes it to the main street, which has all of three stores along its stone paths. He reads the names out to himself, surprised to see the same shops from his childhood still open. The Prickly Peak, the town saloon, is open every day from 12 pm to 2 am. One of his dad’s favorite places, that one. St. An.’s Cross, the singular clinic which is good for two scenarios: you passed out on your farm or in the mines; or you need anti-itch cream. Anything else, ferry to the mainland. And finally, the aptly named Growcers, the valley’s local spot for food and seeds. Pulling the door open, Blitzø steps inside and makes a beeline to the crop selection.

“I wouldn’t bother, if I were you,” the clerk behind the counter says. Blitzø looks over and sees an older imp woman with thick horns. She’s got a couple freckles on her cheek. “Valley hasn’t gotten a single storm this season and the dirt is drying out.”

“No storms?” Blitzø is surprised. He remembers spending many summer nights tucked under blankets with his mom and Barbie, the rain beating down on windows and lightning flashing sharply. It used to scare the sh*t out of him, honestly, until he grew out of the fear.

“None. Nothing much growing ‘cause of it, either.”

Blitzø clicks his tongue to himself, turning back to the seeds. He sees packets for pink melons, hopps, blueberries, and peppers. He’d been looking forward to brewing some of his own ale. Shrugging and moving away from the stand, he peeks at some of the food on the shelves. He grabs a few cans and boxes in his hands, a package of sausages, and some bread.

On his way to the counter, he spots a small rucksack hanging by a hook. It’s a deep blue and made of thick canvas material. He grabs that, too, and makes his way to the register.

“Thanks for the warning,” he says, though he’s not sure why. Maybe some of those stupid f*cking small town manners are rubbing off on him already.

“No problem,” she says, totaling up the order. “You Tilla’s son?”

Blitzø nods at her, watching the purchase price rise. f*ck, he’s gonna have to put something back. “You can stop there, I’m gonna put the backpack on the shelf for now.”

“Nah,” the clerk says. “You’ll need it.”

Blitzø swallows some of his pride and mutters out that he can’t afford it. He’s got about 20 dollars and a few shirts to his name right now.

“Consider it a favor,” she says. “You can pay it back later.”

“Sure,” Blitzø says, because that’s an easy enough thing. He just hopes he doesn’t have to do anything f*cking crazy.

“Name’s Beth, by the way.”

“Blitzø, the ‘o’ is silent.” He pays for the food and packs it away in this free backpack he managed to get for free somehow. “Know where I could go to get a sleeping bag or a small bed?”

“That’d be up at Lin’s, she’s our carpenter,” she says. “Her shop is up the hill. If you bring her some wood, she might give you a deal.”

Blitzø dips his head in thanks and heads out of the store. He walks further down the path and notices the giant Mammon Mart barely a stone’s throw away. He can see now why the townspeople are pissed – the store takes up a f*ckton of space and it’s painted a bright white with green accents. The greedy f*ck clearly built it to leech off the small grocery shop nearby.

The imp is curious, though, so he pushes through the sliding doors. The florescent lights inside are f*cking obnoxious and Blitzø scrunches his eyes shut at the sudden harshness.

And promptly runs right into someone, of course.

“What the f*ck,” a gravely voice says, and Blitzø opens his eyes to see none other than Fizza-f*cking-rolli. The same Fizz that got hurt in that f*cking fire. The same Fizz he hasn’t seen since then.

The scarred imp in front of him is everything and nothing like the young adult he remembers. His eyes are still a shiny green and he’s wearing a giant jester’s hat that hangs limply. His prosthetic arms are bare underneath a t-shirt, the metal glinting.

“You’re f*cking kidding,” Fizz hisses. “Blitzo? Why the f*ck are you here?”

“Fizz,” Blitzø chokes out, and his former friend frowns at him. “I.. f*ck, I didn’t realize you were around.”

“Half of this sh*t has my f*cking face on it, you idiot,” Fizz bites out, hitting Blitzø’s shoulder with his own as he brushes passed. “f*cking get out of here, you dick.”

“I came back for my mom’s farm,” Blitzø blurts out. “I think I’m staying.” And the words are true, though Blitzø hadn’t realized he’d made a decision either way. But he’s tangled here already and he needs to fix something in his life for once. Seeing his childhood friend only makes that more clear.

Fizz freezes where he stands and turns back slightly to glare at Blitzø. “f*cking great. Guess I’m putting in for a transfer, then.”

Blitzø knows that Fizz is right to be angry with him, that he ruined his friend’s f*cking life, but it still makes him pissed off. “The f*ck are you doing working at a market in Wrath anyway? Your big Sin demote you or some sh*t?”

“f*ck you.” And with that, Fizz is walking away towards the other side of the store, the bells on his hat jingling softly.

Blitzø blows out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and vows not to return to this f*cking place. He’s better off shopping at Beth’s anyway. He thinks about making his way to Lin’s but realizes he has no way to cart f*cking wood there. So instead he goes to the mines to see if he can spot Millie and borrow her truck or something.

And it turns out Lin is Millie’s ma, so she's only too happy to help. One hour and the promise of helping her look for ore later, Blitzø has successfully haggled his way to a new cot for the cabin. He puts it in the attic with the plan to offer the whole space to Loona, if she wants it. She’s not around but he does notice that some more of the farm has been cleared off. He makes some food and leaves a portion of it for her on the stove to say thanks before he heads out again.

He’s exhausted but he needs to figure out a way to make some f*cking money.

**

Clearly growing crops isn’t going to work, and it’s too late to go to the mines for the day. So he finds himself at the beach, picking up shells and using a sharpened stick to catch some small fish. At least he and Loona can eat these, probably. Maybe.

“A rod would work better, you know,” a nasally voice says. f*cking f*ck, what is with townspeople here and their unsolicited advice?

“Yup, would use one if I had one,” Blitzø says back. He turns around and a small imp with white hair and freckles. He’s wearing a f*cking bowtie for some reason and his button down has small fish printed on it.

“I’ll give you one if you sell me the fish you catch.”

“Cool, deal,” Blitzø says, even though he’s starting to wonder if he’s f*cking dreaming. His luck today – aside from Fizz – has been weirdly good. Too good. “I’m Blitzø, nice to meet you. The ‘o’ is silent.”

“I know, Millie told me. I’m Moxxie.”

Blitzø just nods, following Moxxie to the small fishing shack on the pier. “You know Millie pretty well?”

“She’s my wife!” the little guy says, and it’s like Blitzø landed on his favorite topic. From there, Moxxie talks a mile a minute about how great Millie is, how they've been married for a year now, how much he likes going to the mines with her, how he likes to catch her favorite fish and bake them into a special dish–

Blitzø mentally checks out as he takes the simple rod from his hands. His dad was a decent fisherman, so it’s natural for him to start baiting the hook and casting out. He manages to catch a few decent fish and sells them to Moxxie along with the ones he got through his stabbing method. Moxxie pays him pretty well for it, enough that he’ll be able to get a little more food tomorrow.

Leaving the pier, Blitzø stops to pick through the sand for some shells and sea glass. His dad used to let him and Barbie beach comb while he did his thing. His thing being drinking himself to a stupor while fishing for hours. As his drinking problem got worse, he lost more than he caught.

The memories are slightly sour, but Blitzø enjoys the familiar smooth texture of the glass. He remembers the feel of the hot sand in his hands, the sound of Barbie’s laughter, the crashing of the waves. He picks up another piece but realizes that it’s just a shard of a beer bottle, dark green in color. And then he recalls watching Barbie fall under the same spell as their dad after the fire. Splashes of green all over their apartment, bottles littering every corner.

Feet like lead, he trudges up the sand and back towards town. It’s evening now and he can hear the bustle from The Prickly Peak, meaning the townsfolk are relaxing for the day. He thinks about joining them, but the idea of seeing Fizz in there is enough to keep him away.

Blitzø takes a few furtive peeks in trash cans around town and finds some perfectly good bread and soda. He takes a seat at the park up the street, eyes on the slide and swings drifting in the wind. And again his mind overlays the present with the past, and he can see Barbie on that pink seat, pushed lightly by their mom. f*ck. Maybe it’s not a good idea for him to be here, back in this town where he can’t escape the glimmers of his past. Before it all got completely f*cked up.

He rubs at his eyes roughly and walks forward. The old community center is right here, and, like Millie said, it’s a f*cking mess. He almost wonders why Loona hasn’t been squatting here instead, since it’s clear no one comes near it. He tries the door and it’s locked, so that answers that. Stepping back, he looks into one of the dark grimy windows but can’t make anything out.

It’s a shame, really. Joe should really do something about this place so it doesn’t just sit here and rot. Blitzø turns around and walks a few paces, still not sure if he wants to go back to the cabin or keep walking around town aimlessly. Maybe he can find a few more treasures in trash cans? Or he could–

A slow creak interrupts his thoughts. He looks behind him quickly and sees the community center door is now slightly ajar. The f*ck? This is definitely straight out of some kind of Chainsaw Massacre backwoods horror sh*t. He should absolutely go home and not check it out.

The door pushes forward easily under his hand as he moves into the dark room, an echo of his footsteps greeting him. He flips a switch next to the door and a singular lightbulb flickers on. The place looks even worse on the inside -- trashed, with papers and glass on the ground. The old fish tank is busted, but thankfully someone pulled any dead fish out already. Blitzø moves forward to check out the old clippings and pictures on the walls and almost breaks his neck tripping over something.

The yell he lets out is a little embarrassing, honestly, so it’s good he’s alone. Looking down, there’s a wooden box just sitting in the middle of the f*cking room. Something skitters on the other side of the room and Blitzø catches sight of something… bouncing? A bunny or some sh*t? A thump sounds in another room and Blitzø decides he’s all good with this for the night. He’s not scared or anything, just doesn’t want to push that weirdly good luck he’s had. He definitely doesn’t fast-walk all the way to the cabin and leave a light on until Loona gets back. And he for sure does not sleep with his head slightly hidden under his blanket.

Chapter 3: roots planted

Chapter Text

Loona is happy to take the attic. Ecst-attic, even. She hits his shoulder when he makes that joke but he’s proud of his word play anyway.

As a thank you, she helps clear off more of the farm and takes him to the forest south of them to show him how to forage. Though rain has been nonexistent, the bushes of Little Vengeance are still blooming with tiny red berries. A meager meal for sure, but can’t argue with free. He and Loona gather as many as they can into a basket she nabbed from the trash. He puts a good amount in his backpack, too.

She also shows him the lake in the forest, which is great for cooling down in the summer and houses a few other kinds of fish they can catch. Blitzø uses his sh*tty fishing rod to nab a few and the two of them trot back to the cabin with their haul.

He builds a small fire and roasts a couple of the fish he caught. The smoke is irritating but it smells good, at least. Loona isn’t much of a talker, so he’s surprised when sits with him and lobs out a few pointed questions.

“So why’d you come back to this sh*thole?” is how she puts it. Delicate manner, this one.

“Got sick of the city,” Blitzø says, shrugging. “This farm is, well, was my ma’s and it seemed like time to come back.”

“And you’re staying?” Loona says, and the words are guarded. Blitzø can’t quite tell what answer she wants from him. That he’s gonna leave so she can squat in peace? Or that he’s staying and they can help each other eat and live a decent life here? Maybe he’s projecting on that last bit.

“Yeah, I’m staying,” Blitzø finally says. Loona looks away, so he’s not able to get a read on her reaction. “Can I ask you something?”

Loona shrugs, still looking at the dirt next to their small campfire.

“How old are you?”

“17,” she sighs out. Older than he thought, but not by much. She seems small and skinny for her age, which doesn’t surprise him if she’s been living off of handfuls of berries. He pictures her shivering in the cabin through the cold winters, starving during the seasons when crops aren’t an option and the lake freezes over. The image makes something in his chest f*cking hurt. He can remember living similarly at 20. After the fire, when he had nothing.

He’s so zoned out, he doesn’t realize Loona asked him something until she waves a hand in his face.

“Hello? I was gonna ask how old you are but I’m guessing pretty old if you can’t manage a short conversation,” she says, though it doesn’t have much heat in it. “And don’t f*cking look at me like that.”

He doesn’t have to ask, knowing that she probably saw the flash of pity in his eyes. And pity is a sh*tty feeling to have. He certainly doesn’t want anyone pitying him.

“I’m only 30, you brat,” Blitzø rolls his eyes. He stands and lifts one of the cooked fish off of a spit and hands it to her. She takes it and rips into it with her claws with little grace.

“Old,” she says, mouth full of flaky white meat. She didn’t even wait for it to cool, so some steam puffs out with her words.

“Watch it,” Blitzø says, with no real threat behind his words. “Anyway, you know anyone in town?”

“A bit,” she says. “Ozzie runs the bar and he’s pretty chill – gives me food sometimes.”

“Ozzie?” Blitzø says. “Like, Asmodeus? The King of Lust?”

“Yup.”

“The f*ck is he doing in Wrath?” Blitzø picks off some meat on his own fish and eats it.

Loona just shrugs. “Not sure. He showed up pretty soon after Mammon opened that stupid f*cking market.” She finishes her first fish and reaches for another. “Thankfully Mammon doesn’t stick around as much, only comes by once in a while.”

So Asmodeus is here running a stupid small town saloon, Mammon opened a market for a population so tiny there’s no way the profits are worth it, and Fizz is around, too? Something is definitely f*cking going on. Maybe he should pay a visit to the bar sometime.

They finish their fish and Loona snuffs out the fire. As she turns towards the cabin, Blitzø asks her if she has plans for the day.

“The f*ck do you care?” She bites out, suddenly all teenage rage. Blitzø puts his hands up and doesn’t say anything. She growls a little and stomps back inside.

Blitzø decides not to poke that hornet's nest and instead makes his way to town. He stops by Beth’s to deliver some berries in thanks for the backpack and buys a few more staples for their tiny kitchen. On his way out, he runs into Millie. Her hands are already covered in a light sheen of dust from the mines.

“Blitzø!” She crows. “I heard ya met my Moxx!”

Blitzø can’t help but grin at her, especially with how these two idiots talk about each other the same f*cking way. “Yeah, he’s alright. Gave me a fishing rod.”

“That’s my man!” Millie almost has hearts in her eyes at this point. “Listen, let me know if ya ever wanna join me in the mines. Good money in gemstones and I didn’t forget about those ores ya owe me.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Blitzø says. “I can come with you now, if you want?”

“Nah, but I will make you come with me for a drink later.” Millie grins a big grin, the gap between her front teeth prominent. “Come to the saloon around 6, alright?”

Blitzø just nods and the two of them part. It’s just shy of noon now, which leaves him with quite a few hours to figure out other sh*t to do. He putters around town a bit and picks more berries, ultimately leading him right back to the f*cking Community Center.

In the daylight, it’s not nearly as intimidating. He feels kind of stupid for getting so spooked last night.

“Blitzø!” a voice shouts behind him, and it takes a lot of self control to not f*cking jump at the sound. Christ on a stick, what is with this f*cking building? Is it f*cking cursed?

Blitzø turns around and sees Joe coming his way, mustache shifting with his grin. “Mayor Joe, nice to see you.” He tips his head, only slightly mocking. Joe clocks him anyway and cuffs his neck.

“Skulking around the old center?” Joe asks, nodding at the building in front of them. “This place has been rundown for years now.”

Blitzø hums in response and wonders where Joe is going with this. The burly imp walks forward and tries the door, which is locked. f*cking weird since Blitzø definitely didn’t lock it when he ran, er, speed-walked home last night.

Taking a ring of jingling keys from his pocket, Joe cycles through a few before he uses a big brass one to open the lock. The door jams slightly and he uses one massive bicep to force it open.

Inside, it looks pretty much the same as it did last night. Joe heaves out a sigh and Blitzø can hear years in that sound.

“Been thinkin’ about selling it,'' the mayor says. “Mammon made a generous offer.”

“What does a Sin want with a rundown building?” Blitzø can’t help but ask, especially since he’s been thinking about this sh*t all day. And he doesn’t trust that f*ckass greedy clown one bit.

“Beats me, but the money could be good for the town.”

Both men take a moment to look around. Last night Blitzø hadn’t made it beyond the front room, but there are quite a few open spaces. One looks kind of like a playroom, while another has an old oven and some chipped cupboards. Vague memories of storytime hours and community potlucks flash across Blitzø’s mind. His mom used to make her cheese and potato casserole and he burned his hand way too many times reaching for the pan too soon.

“You think it’s worth saving?” Joe asks, when they’ve reconvened in the foyer. Blitzø doesn’t know why the f*ck he’s asking him of all people.

“I’m not sure,” he answers. “I don’t like the idea of it being Mammon’s, if I’m honest.”

Joe nods and Blitzø knows it’s because they both don’t want the Sin of Greed moving more and more into the town. Plus, whatever that giant f*ck builds here is sure to be ugly as sh*t.

“I’ll leave it open for now,” Joe says. “Maybe we can do something with it yet.” The mayor makes his way out, leaving Blitzø alone. The quiet sets in, but it feels more peaceful than scary now.

Until Blitzø hears that same f*cking scurrying that he heard last night. Twisting his body around and scanning the room, he finally tracks the movement to the corner opposite to him. With the benefit of light, he can see that the little creature is not a bunny.

He actually has no f*cking idea what it is. It’s kind of round, shaped almost like an apple, and it has tiny limbs that look like they shouldn’t be able to hold up its weight at all. And it’s bright f*cking purple.

“The f*ck?” Blitzø says, and the little… thing… bounces in response. It keeps bouncing until it makes its way to him and he pulls out his fishing rod as if that’s gonna f*cking do anything. It weaves between his legs and he stumbles a bit to avoid stepping on it with his boot. It circles around him a few times before moving towards another room. Blitzø follows for some f*cking reason, and the creature leads him to a box just like the one he tripped over yesterday.

The box has some weird f*cking symbols on it that Blitzø absolutely cannot read. But the booger thing is bouncing on top of it and it almost looks… impatient? The tiny eyebrows above its beady eyes are scrunched inward, almost meeting in the middle of its face.

“What do you want from me?” He asks, and he can’t believe he’s f*cking talking to whatever this is. Maybe he’s f*cking hallucinating from those berries or some sh*t.

The booger bounces in response and then f*cking leaps towards him. Blitzø yells – in a totally not scared way, obviously – and falls flat on his ass. The little creature bonks its whole body against his backpack a few times until a few flowers fall out of the side pocket.

“You hungry or something?” the imp asks. “Can’t say I appreciate being f*cking accosted but sure, here, take it.” He hands the tiny thing one of the flowers, which is bigger than it’s whole ass self, but somehow it holds it up just fine.

Chirping, the booger takes the flower and lays it on top of the box. Taking the hint, Blitzø opens it and places it inside. He closes it and looks over at the creature, which is bounding around with even more energy. He gives it a little pat on its head, careful not to hurt it, and stands.

Except when he does, he gets a f*cking headrush and promptly falls right back down. Before his eyes slip closed, he sees that f*cking booger rolling around on the ground next to him. What the f*ck.

**

When he wakes up, he’s alone and the sun has definitely gone down because there isn’t much light filtering in through the windows. Satan dammit, he was supposed to meet Millie at the bar. He sits up slowly and drags his backpack towards him, noticing that quite a few more flowers and berries are gone. That f*cking tiny thing stole his sh*t.

Shoving some food in his mouth, he waits until he feels a little less lightheaded before he stands. That box is still in front of him, so he opens it to see if he can steal back his f*cking flower at least.

Instead of a flower, the box holds a bag absolutely full of crops. Peppers, a melon, some hopps even. All the stuff that he hadn’t been able to grow yet.

“What–”

A chirp at the front of the room. Blitzø turns and now there are like three booger things dancing around each other. The purple one is back – if it’s event the same one, how the f*ck can he tell – and then there’s a red and a green one, too. They’re really kind of cute, even if they’re f*cking thieves. All of them circle around him for a bit and one bonks against the box a few times.

“I can have these?” He receives several chirps in response. “Cool, uh, thanks. Not sure this was an even trade but I’m not gonna look a gift horse in the mouth, that’s for sure.” He pauses. “Actually, a gift horse would be amazing, if you need a suggestion for next time.”

The tiny creatures chirp happily as he removes the bag and moves the crops into his backpack. He pats the purple one again because it's kind of like his little buddy now, even if it drugged him or some sh*t. It waves its tiny arms in response.

“See you later?” he says, lifting his backpack onto his back and making his way out of the community center. Maybe there are some books or something about these things in the town library? He makes a mental note to check it out tomorrow. For now, though, he wants to see if he can still catch Millie for at least one drink, even if he’s at least a few hours late.

Stepping inside The Prickly Peak, the place is pretty busy for a weeknight. He sweeps his eyes across the room and is relieved that Fizz is not here. Millie is, though, sitting at a booth with her husband. When she sees him, she waves happily.

“Was wonderin’ if you were gonna skip out on me!” Millie crows, hitting his shoulder. It only hurts a little.

“Sorry, I lost track of time.” Blitzø says, taking a seat across from her. He nods at the man next to him. “Hey, Moxx.”

“Blitzø,” the smaller imp nods. “Catch anything else good lately?”

“Some lake fish, actually. Made for a good meal for Loona and I, so thanks for the rod.”

“Loona?” Millie interrupts. “The hellhound?”

“Yeah,” Blitzø says. “She was squatting in the cabin before I got here and I agreed to let her stay if she works on the farm. Seems like a decent kid.”

Moxxie and Millie share a look and Blitzø isn’t sure what that means. Some kind of marriage telepathy?

“What?” he says after a moment because their mental conversation has continued a bit too long.

“Sorry,” Moxxie says. “Most of us had thought Loona up and left. The fact that she’s just been… alone in the cabin is sad.” Moxxie’s mouth pulls down in a deep frown, and Millie especially looks a bit heartbroken.

“She’s definitely a lone wolf,” Blitzø says, only leaning into the joke a bit. “She probably didn’t want anyone to know.”

Millie and Moxxie share another look and nod to each other. Blitzø decides he’s going to start calling them M&M when they do this sh*t and act like one person instead of two. f*cking couples.

“Well, it sounds like the two of you get along?” Millie says, but the sentence pulls up into a question at the end. She must be a little familiar with Loona’s temperament, then.

“Yeah, she helps out,” Blitzø decides to change the subject. “How about that ‘welcome to town’ drink?”

Millie snorts. “Heard ya loud and clear.” She gets up and makes her way to the bar, and Blitzø follows with his eyes so he can finally gets a look at Asmodeus himself, standing behind the bar with a bunch of drink shakers floating around him.

“Weird that the Sin of Lust is here,” Blitzø says, fishing for information. And he knows Moxxie is just the type to take the bait. (Because he’s a fisherman, right? He really needs more credit for how f*cking clever he is.)

“Yeah, it is,” Moxxie says. “But it’s been nice. His drinks are good and the prices are surprisingly fair.”

“But shouldn’t he be, I don't know, in his own ring?”

“Oh, yeah,” Moxie grins. “Well, actually, there’s this rumor around town that he’s here because he’s interested in someone.”

“Interested? Like romantically?”

“Right?” Moxxie nods, his lips quirking up slightly. “He even went to the mayor and proposed a special Lust Festival to get people mixing.”

Millie returns to the table then. “Moxx, you gossipin’ about stuff you shouldn’t know about again?”

Moxxie looks only a bit chastised, and Blitzø can bet he actually likes being reprimanded by Millie. He rolls his eyes. “He gets intel from you, right? Mayor’s daughter and all?”

Millie mimes zipping her lips up. “Don’t say anything about the festival, please, my Pa isn’t sure what he’s doing with that yet.”

“Well, I saw your dad today and he doesn’t seem too concerned with keeping secrets,” Blitzø teases. “We were at the community center and he told me he’s thinking about selling it.”

“Oh, he told ya that?” Millie seems surprised. “Yeah, I’m really hopin’ he doesn’t go for that deal.”

“It would be better than letting the center rot, though,” Moxxie points out. Millie gives him a slightly unimpressed look, and Blitzø wonders if he’s stumbled on the one thing these two don’t agree on.

Not wanting them to start arguing, Blitzø pulls his drink towards him and takes a sniff above the glass. Some kind of ale, which he knows he isn’t gonna drink. “Sorry, Mills, I should’ve said something. Not a beer guy.”

“Oh, no, I’m sorry, I shoulda asked!” Millie says, and Blitzø doesn’t want to watch her fall over herself so he just switches his beer with Moxxie’s glass. The liquid in it is clear and flat so it’s either water or straight vodka.

“Hey!”

Blitzø ignores Moxxie and takes a small sip. Water it is. He puts one arm around Moxx and pulls him in for a side hug, delighting in his surprised protests. “We’re spit buddies now!”

Millie cracks up and grabs the cup. Blitzø thinks she’s gonna give it back to her husband, but she just takes a gulp and puts it back in Blitzø’s hand.

“That’s what I’m talking about!” Blitzø laughs and offers Mills a fistbump. And with Moxxie’s indignant sputtering and Millie’s giggling in the background, Blitzø thinks that maybe he can actually like it here.

Chapter 4: moonflower

Chapter Text

Greetings, new farmer! I noticed you spent some time in the old community center yesterday, and you may have encountered some things that seemed… unusual. I’d love to discuss this with you if you might visit me. I live in the tower in the forest with my daughter. Please do stop by when you have a chance!

The curling script is written in a deep blue ink. The paper smells faintly of lilacs and the words almost float off the page. When he shows it to Loona, she just mumbles something about some weird magic dude who moved into the forest some years back. She does give him directions on how to get to the tower, though, so there’s that.

Blitzø forages for more flowers and berries on his way, popping a few of them in his mouth. The shade of the trees protects him from the harsh Wrath sun. When he reaches the west side of the forest, the trees thin out just enough to give him a glimpse of a tall tower.

The bricks are a mottled gray and several long vines climb up the structure. The path to the building is laid with dark cobblestones and Blitzø makes a small game out of jumping to different stones. A few bushes line the outside of the tower, perfectly trimmed, along with rows of bright flowers. The door looms large, definitely for someone taller than an imp, and the knocker on the front lays against a crown insignia.

Well, sh*t. This looks a little fancy. Blitzø glances down at his clothes, just an old t-shirt, a ratty pair of overalls, and his brown boots. He raises his eyes to the door again, realizing he’s actually too f*cking short to reach the knocker so he just uses his knuckles to rap on the wood. A few moments pass and he wonders if this weirdo is even home or maybe still asleep. He knocks a little harder and shifts on his tired feet.

He’s thinking about scrawling a note on the letter and leaving it for the guy when he hears a scuffle from the other side. The heavy door swings open and a tall owl stands in its frame. The feathers around his white faceplate are a little mussed, as if he was rushing to the door. Following down, the ones on his chest have little white highlights. His forearms are dark, an ombre from blue-gray to black on his fingertips. Same for his legs, which are bare. Actually, the guy isn’t wearing much at all – just a dark purple robe that hangs off one shoulder and some pink bunny slippers.

Blitzø drags his eyes up from those slippers a bit slower than he means to but, f*ck, this guy is tall. He has to lean his head back a little to look at his face. Finally, he meets fiery red eyes with a second pair glowing slightly above the owl’s brows. He catches the movement of white pupils just barely before they disappear, a pink blush spreading over white cheeks.

Blitzø coughs awkwardly, aware he was being rather obvious about checking him out. “I, uh, got your letter this morning,” he says.

“Yes, of course,” the owl says. He waves Blitzø in and the imp walks past him. His shoulder brushes the tall f*cker’s hipbone slightly.

As he enters, Blitzø spins his gaze around the room, noting the rows of crystals and books covering the walls. One corner of the room has a small table littered with small vials, each filled with a bright colored liquid. At the center of the floor, there’s a rug decorated with stars and constellations. It looks soft.

“It’s lovely to meet you, officially. I’m Stolas.”

Hold the f*cking phone. Blitzø stops his scanning immediately and looks over at the owl. “Stolas? Like… Prince Stolas?” A third bigwig in Little Vengeance? The f*ck is going on in this town?

“Ah, yes, the very same.” The prince smiles slightly but it looks more like a grimace. “And you are Blitzø, right? The new farmer.”

“Yeah,” the imp says. He fidgets a little with the straps of his overalls, sticking his thumbs underneath them. “Surprised to see a Goetia all the way in Wrath.”

Stolas nods but doesn’t offer any other information. Okay, mysterious. Whatever.

“So why did you write me?” Blitzø says, taking the letter out of his pocket.

“Right,” Stolas motions him over to a small couch in front of a window. The imp takes off his backpack and lays it at his feet. Stolas reaches next to them for a book on the shelf, one with a thick blue spine. “Well, I wanted to ask you if you… saw anything strange in the community center?”

“Wait,” Blitzø says. “How did you know I was there?”

Stolas was clearly not expecting that question and his beak drops open in shock. He snaps it closed quickly and doesn’t say anything for a moment. Blitzø taps his feet a little, resolving to get an answer. Stolas must read the determination on his face, because he finally offers an explanation.

“Well, I’m here to look into the magic of the town, and when you were in the community center one of my wards was activated,” Stolas says. “So I was curious to hear if anything strange happened while you were there?”

“Magic?” Blitzø says. He didn’t even know the town had magic. But Stolas was honest with him, so he returns the favor. “Yeah, honestly. First of all, the door was locked and then it f*cking opened on its own. Then, I saw some booger-looking things, and one of them stole from me and knocked me the f*ck out. When I woke up, a few more of my things were gone and I found a bag of crops.” Blitzø counts the experiences off on his fingers, knowing he sounds actually insane. “Oh, and there was a box there with some weird f*cking symbols on it. That’s where the crops were, after I woke up.”

All four of Stolas’ eyes are wide, now. “I see. What a series of events, indeed. You say that the… creatures stole from you?”

“Yeah, I even gave one flower as a freebie, but then they pilfered more while I was unconscious, f*cking cowards.”

“And when you awoke, they’d left you something?”

“Well, I’m not sure if the little boogers left me the crops, but honestly I don’t know who else it could’ve been.” Blitzø reaches into his bag and lifts out a handful of red peppers. “No one else has been able to grow anything, and I haven’t even planted any.”

“Right, the drought.” Stolas looks around the room for something. “Could I bother you to draw a picture of the, ah, boogers you saw?”

When Blitzø nods, Stolas floats a pencil and paper over, both wrapped in purple glowing magic. Show-off. The imp quickly draws a few of the tiny apple-looking creatures he saw. “They were different colors, but the purple f*ck is the one that stole from me and did something that made me faint.”

The prince titters at him in response, a smile pulling at his beak as he takes the drawing in his hands. “Thank you. Yes, these little creatures are sort of… spirits. They’re connected to the magic of the town.” Stolas traces a long talon over the lines of the picture. “They’re called junimos, actually. And they normally don’t interact with people in this way.”

Stolas is staring hard at him, now. Blitzø has no idea what to make of that look, but he finds himself caught in the gaze either way. This prince really is rather… pretty.

“You must be rather special,” the prince says. The words make a flush steal across Blitzø’s face. He turns away with a frown, because he’s not special. Not in a good way, anyway.

“Or an easy mark,” he deflects. He feels a hand on his shoulder and looks back over.

Stolas is shaking his head at him. “What seems to have happened is that you made an offering and it was accepted,” the prince says, standing up. He gathers another book from the shelf. “Do these symbols match the box you saw?”

“Sure do,” Blitzø says, peering at the cover. Stolas leans down and presses the book into his hands. His robe gapes open further and Blitzø has a straight view into the plume of feathers on his chest and some of the other ones, further down... He gulps and looks at the book instead, flipping the hardcover open. Rows and rows of the shapes and squiggles stare back at him. “Can’t read it, though.”

“Yes, it’s an ancient language,” Stolas explains. “But if the junimos are interacting with you, I’d like to try to teach it to you. At least enough to read the writing on the boxes.”

Blitzø just shrugs. Stolas sits back down next to him, closer this time. Their legs are touching. Blitzø shifts the book so it’s between them and watches Stolas flip to another page. This one has a list of all the symbols in rows with more familiar letters underneath them.

“This is the alphabet key,” the prince murmurs. His voice is soft and melodic. “It’ll help you decipher what each symbol means and put them together.” Blitzø follows the line of his finger as it drifts across the page, underlining the print. Stolas goes over several symbols, voice calm like lakewater. The words slip over the imp’s mind and slide into his memory like a key in a lock. He’s not sure how long they sit there, but Blitzø has never learned anything this quickly in his life.

After some time, the imp clears his suddenly dry throat. “You using fancy magic on me, feathers?” The nickname slips out and Blitzø immediately regrets it. Needs to remember this is a f*cking prince, after all.

Stolas looks at him in surprise, another pink flush stealing over his face. He doesn’t correct him, though. “No, actually. Why?”

“Just feels like I shouldn’t have learned that as quickly as I did,” Blitzø admits. “Usually these things don’t… come as easily.”

Stolas hums thoughtfully. “It could be that your connection to the magic is easing the translation. Perhaps the junimos want to talk to you?”

“Yeah, well I got some sh*t to say to them, too.” He’s still a little bitter about the way those f*ckers stole his sh*t and made him late for drinks with Millie.

Stolas grins at him. “I have to say, I am so excited that you’re here.”

“Because the boogers like me?” Blitzø rolls his eyes.

“Because I think you’ll be good for this town,” the prince says. Satan, the weight of that sentence and the expectations that come with it feel like lead in his stomach.

Luckily, he doesn’t have to think of a response. The door to the tower opens and a young owl steps inside. Her dark head feathers fall in a curtain over half of her face.

“Octavia!” Stolas greets happily. “Octavia, I’m pleased to introduce you to the new farmer in town, Blitzø. Blitzø, this is my daughter.”

“Heya,” the imp says, offering a small wave. He guesses the girl is about 13. He’s wearing a long t-shirt decorated with stars, just like the rug. Her pants are black and her feet are bare, just like her father’s.

She grunts at him, carrying a heavy bag inside. It looks like it’s filled with geodes, which isn’t that surprising. Blitzø wonders if the two owls crack them open with magic or with a pickaxe like everybody else.

“Well, guess it’s time for me to head out,” Blitzø says, gathering his backpack. He reaches inside and grabs a small bag of blueberries. “Here, I got these from the… junimos, or whatever. Thanks for teaching me the alphabet today.”

“Oh,” Stolas says, accepting the parcel and grasping it gently in elegant hands. “It was my pleasure, truly. Will you… let me know if anything more happens?”

“You could come with me to the community center, if you want,” Blitzø says instead. Though he’s not sure if Stolas and his daughter mix with the townspeople much, being royalty and all.

“A fine idea!” the prince says, almost a chirp. Oh yeah, Stolas is gonna get along great with those boogers. “Why don’t we meet there tomorrow? Around 10 am?”

“Sounds good, feathers,” the imp says, swinging his backpack onto his back properly. “See you then.”

**

When Blitzø arrives at the community center the next morning, he finds Stolas waiting with a small basket in his hands. Tracing eyes up from the prince’s bare feet, Blitzø notes that he’s wearing some high-waisted black pants and a white blouse with a cut out that shows off his chest fluff. Blitzø feels extremely underdressed in his simple t-shirt and jeans, which are covered in a fine spray of soot from being in the mines this morning.

“Morning,” the prince says.

“Morning,” the imp replies. “What’s with the basket?”

“Ah,” Stolas lifts it and flips open the top. “I brought a few flowers and plants from my garden to offer to the junimos. I wasn’t sure if you would bring anything and wanted to make sure we’d have something.”

The flowers are beautiful, fully bloomed and cut carefully at the stem. Some of the petals shine with drops of water, as if Stolas watered them this morning. Clearly, the owl knows what he’s doing with plants. It reminds Blitzø of the way his mom would grow new rows of flowers to match every change in the seasons.

“I’m sure they’ll like these a whole lot more than the glorified weeds they got from me,” Blitzø snorts. He passes the owl and pushes open the front door. The prince tsks a little at the sight of the place.

“Such a shame to see it this way,” he says. “When I set up the wards here, it wasn’t quite this rundown.”

“When was that, anyway?” Blitzø walks around the foyer, peeking around corners for any sight of those boogers. “I mean, how long have you been in the valley?”

“It’s been about 5 years now,” Stolas sighs. “Unfortunately my research has been unsuccessful thus far.” The two of them find one of the wooden boxes near the old fish tank and kneel down to read the cover. “Though, I do think that’s about to change.”

Running one claw over the text on the top, Blitzø can decipher that the box is asking for fish. Kind of weird to put a whole fresh raw fish in a box, but whatever. Blitzø makes a mental note to go catch some and bring them back another day.

In another room, there is a box for garden-grown flowers, so they place a bundle in there for the junimos. Stolas explains that he’s grown these particular blooms because they are native to Little Vengeance, though he had to use a fair bit of magic to make them flourish in the dry soil.

“Yeah, f*cking weird how it hasn’t rained,” Blitzø says. “The summers used to have these insane storms. My ma would swear you could catch lightning or some sh*t.” The imp sits on the floor next to the box and the prince follows. No sign of the tiny creatures yet.

“So you grew up here?”

“Sure did, born and bred,” Blitzø sighs. “Well, until we moved. But the ranch was my ma’s.”

“A ranch! How exciting.” Stolas moves so he can face Blitzø head on as they talk. “Do you still have horses?”

“Nah,” Blitzø says, voice drooping with the sadness he can’t hide. Thinking about the horses he used to care for as a kid is a bit of a sore spot. He still remembers Waffle Iron and Biscuit Queen and Mayonaisse Lid. “As soon as I have enough money, I’ll get at least one though. Much better than being on foot around here.”

Stolas opens his mouth to say something, but he’s interrupted by the sound of a chirp behind them. Both men turn at the same time to see a lime green booger hopping around.

“Oh!” Stolas sighs out, and then he’s chirping back. Blitzø wonders if he can actually talk to them or if he's trading bird chirps for booger chirps. “How darling!”

“Yeah, they’re alright,” Blitzø says. The junimo flops its way over and he gives it a pat on the head. It jumps onto the box in front of them and bounces happily a few times. The box glows with white light for a moment, shaking slightly. Bllitzø doesn’t know how, but the little thing keeps its balance perfectly despite the movement. After a moment, the shaking stops and the junimo jumps off. Blitzø looks at Stolas and then leans over to open it.

And just like last time, some kind of magic has swapped their offering for a bag of fresh crops. There’s also a few packs of flower seeds tucked at the top. Stolas immediately reaches one long arm over and takes one of the packs in his hands. He lifts it higher to look at the pictures and text embossed there.

“I’ve never grown these before,” Stolas says, turning one satchel over. “I think at least one of these went extinct in the valley some time ago.”

“If anyone can grow them, it’s you,” Blitzø says. He points at one pack with a green plant on the front. “My ma used to grow this one. She’d use the sap inside for our dry skin in the summertime.”

Stolas hums and puts the seeds in his basket. “Incredible. I’ll look into the rest of these and their uses immediately.” He picks up the sack of fresh crops and presses it into Blitzø’s hands. The imp doesn’t argue, knowing he and Loona can use any free food they can get. At the top of the bag, he can see a bunch of tomatoes and his mouth nearly waters. He loves tomatoes. Standing up, he sets down his backpack and bends over to pack it. When he looks back up, he sees Stolas jerk his head to the side, a pink blush on his face.

“The junimos like you,” Stolas says suddenly, before Blitzø can tease him about checking out his ass.

“Oh yeah?” The imp smirks and raises an eyebrow. “They say that?”

“Oh, no, I can’t actually speak to them yet. I believe I need to work on my pronunciation,” Stolas laughs. “But they let you pet them and they come out of hiding when you’re here. I never saw them in all the times I came here to work on the wards.”

Blitzø just hums in response. Everything Stolas is saying feels way too close to a compliment and he’s not sure what to do with all that.

“Shall we meet here again?” the owl says. Satan, his eyes are bright. His smile is so big and he’s almost bouncing with excitement, just like one of those boogers. And Blitzø can’t help thinking how cute it is. “I feel like we are making such good progress!”

And so they decide to come here every other day to offer more items to the junimos and see what they get back. On the walk home, alone, Blitzø tells himself that he’s not looking forward to seeing the prince more often.

Chapter 5: sprouts in the pavement

Chapter Text

Life in the valley settles into a rhythm for Blitzø. Still no rain, so not much point in planting anything. Instead, he splits his days up by spending time with different people – mornings at the water with Moxxie, lunch and dinner with Loona, meetings in the community center with Stolas, and hours in the mines with Millie.

Today he and Millie make an early start to the caves, Blitzø with a new and improved pickaxe he bought for himself. Mostly they hack at ore veins for copper, iron, and the rare gold, but they also find a good amount of geodes. Millie lets him keep a few to crack open later.

They’re making good headway, about six levels down, when Blitzø realizes that they are not alone in the mines. Around them, small slimy creatures crawl along the dirt. And he’s pretty sure he sees some f*cking hellbats, too.

“Uh, Mills,” Blitzø says, hearing a shriek in the darkened cave. “What’s that?”

“Oh,” she says, lifting her torch towards the ceiling. Several bats scatter in fright. “Right, yeah, I don’t think I told ya there’s some monsters down here.” When she turns to look at him, Blitzø gives her the blankest look he can manage. No, she did not f*cking mention that. Blitzø doesn’t even have a gun on him, just a stupid hunting knife.

“No need to worry,” she continues. “Usually the monsters aren’t too bad ‘til we get much lower in the caves. But if you see a chest, make sure you check it for anythin’ you can use to fight!”

“The f*ck, Millie?” None of that makes any f*cking sense. He just gets a toothy grin in response.

Luckily, he does manage to find a longsword in a chest, along with some thicker boots that are somehow exactly his f*cking size. Whatever, he already knew this town has weird f*cking magic. He takes the sword, deciding to focus on the monsters while Millie breaks rocks. He manages to kill anything that comes forward and Millie encourages him to take a few of the bodies with him.

“Uh, why?” Blitzø says, looking at the dead hellbat with no small amount of disgust.

“Well, if you don’t want it, you can definitely give it to Stolas.” Millie says, peeking at him with a weird f*cking smile on her face. “I’m sure he can use it for potions and things like that.”

“How did you know I’ve been hanging out with Stolas?”

“Honey, this is a small town. And that is a tall f*cking Prince of the Ars Goetia you’re traipsing around with.”

“Right.” Blitzø is not blushing. He’s not. It’s just warm in the caves. “What do you know about him, anyway?”

“Keeps to himself, mostly, but always been polite when he’s in town.” MIllie picks up some of the ore on the cave floor. “He shops at the local spots instead of the Mammon Mart and he’s come to the bar a few times.”

“So he’s not… sh*tty to you? Y’know, since we’re imps?”

“Nah,” Millie shakes her head. “Not anymore, at least. In the beginning he was a little iffy but my Pa asked him to straighten out if he was gonna be here for long.”

“Holy sh*t, and he didn’t maim your dad?”

“He’s not the violent type at all,” Millie corrects him. “No, he just about fell all over himself to make up for it. Paid for a new fountain in the park and everythin’.”

“Huh,” Blitzø says, his opinion of the prince warming considerably. “But he doesn’t go out much?”

“Not until you got here,” Millie teases. “I think he feels bad about not being able to make things better. That’s why he came here – to figure out what was out of sorts with the town.”

“Yeah, he told me.” They make their way down to another level and conversation halts while Blitzø clears a path for them. He slashes at a bat before it can scratch Millie’s face and she gives him a thumbs up. He picks up a few of the dead hellbats and ties them to a stick to carry over his shoulder.

“You should invite him to the bar with us, sometime.” Millie pauses to grunt as she swings her pickaxe down. Then she looks up at him with a glint in her eye. “It can be a double date.”

Blitzø starts sputtering out a response, but Millie just cuts him off with an almost manic laugh. Crazy bitch.

**

Blitzø drags Loona with him the next time he goes fishing with Moxxie so he can teach her how to do it herself. He buys her a rod and some bait, ignoring her protests, and they sit on the pier together. The air is balmy but the wind from the waves cools them down.

“Here, Looney,” Blitzø baits the first hook for her, slowing down his movements so he can explain it better. “And then you just cast off like this.” He mimes the motion and hands the rod over. Loona takes it with a frown but manages to cast the line pretty well.

“You’re a natural,” Blitzø praises. Loona snuffs at him but he spies a happy tail wag behind her.

“Did you learn how to fish when you grew up here?” Loona asks, waiting for a bite to tug the line.

“Yeah, my dad taught me.” Blitzø baits and swings out his own line, aiming so he doesn’t drag any fish away from Loona. “Probably the only good thing he did.”

Loona doesn’t say anything for a second, and Blitzø worries he made the conversation awkward by getting too personal. But he’s been trying to get her to open up and sometimes she will if he toes the line first. Other times she tells him to kick rocks and walks away.

“Not sure what my folks were like,” she finally mutters out. The waves crash under her words. “Got left on a f*cking doorstep in a basket when I was a pup.”

“sh*t, I’m sorry Looney,” Blitzø says. He wishes he was more surprised, but Hell is f*cking full of sh*tty parents. “Here in Little Vengeance?”

“Nah, in the city. I came here later,” Loona says, picking a piece of lint off her cutoffs. “I think I was 12? I’d just been kind of… floating for a while. This place seemed okay.”

“When I mentioned you to Millie and Moxx, they didn’t know you were still here,” Blitzø says. “They thought you left.”

“Oh, I did. Back and forth. That’s kind of… my thing.” Loona sighs. And doesn’t Blitzø know what that’s like, drifting from place to place without anywhere to call home. He sees so much of his past in Loona's present. He looks over at her and tries hard to respond with something that will make her feel welcome without scaring her off completely.

“I hope you stick around, then,” is what he settles on. Blitzø feels a tug on his line and quickly reels in the catch. He pulls up a large tuna with a grin. Nice. “It’s been nice having all your help.”

“Yeah, not sure I can leave your senile ass alone anyway.” Loona smirks. And then her line starts moving and that smirk is wiped off with a look of panic. “Oh, sh*t, what do I do now?”

“Start reeling the line in here, but not too fast or it can break,” Blitzø instructs. Loona manages to pull up a healthy looking red snapper. “Nice job, Looney!”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever, it’s just a f*cking fish.” Her words are plain, but Blitzø can tell she’s happy. Proud, maybe. If he does nothing else, he's glad he taught her a new skill she can use to feed herself.

“If you want, you could probably get an apprenticeship with Moxx.” Blitzø takes the snapper from the hook and sets to work gutting the fish on the pier. Loona looks a little green, watching him.

“Nah, I’m not sure this is for me.”

“Maybe with Millie then? She hangs out in the mines,” Blitzø says without thinking. Then, he pictures Loona having to fend off hellbats and immediately changes his mind. “Nah, actually you shouldn’t go down there.”

“I’ve been down there, you idiot,” Loona rolls her eyes. “I can fight.”

Blitzø has to remind himself she’s almost 18 and has been on her own for a long time. He fights down some of those protective instincts. “Well, then I think you and Millie might make a good team.”

He’ll just tell Millie that if Loona gets hurt on her watch he’ll f*cking deck her, that’s all.

**

At sunset, he meets Stolas at the lake near his tower. He brings him the hellbats and feels like an idiot doing it, but Stolas is thrilled.

“Oh, these are just what I need!” Stolas cries, grabbing the stick from Blitzø. The two dead bats swing comically for a moment, almost hitting a nearby treet. “Thank you, darling.”

Blitzø flushes a little and scratches the back of his neck. “Yeah, sure, no problem.”

“Do be careful though, in the mines.” Stolas looks at him, red eyes earnest. “It can get quite dangerous.”

The imp just scoffs. “I’m pretty tough, don’t worry.” He playfully flexes his biceps.

“Right,” Stolas says, but his face is pink now. “Yes, of course you are.”

“Anyway, I just wanted to bring you these.” Blitzø nods at his haul. “I’m gonna head back to the ranch now and start repairing the stables and the coop.”

“Ah!” Stolas says. “Actually, I have something for you. Please wait here.” The prince dashes away to his tower. Blitzø sits down in the grass while he waits and pulls an energy bar out of his backpack. He’s just taken a bite when he hears rustling in the trees and sees Stolas come back, reins in hand, towing a tawny f*cking horse towards him. Blitzø spits his food out so fast he almost chokes. He coughs and hits his chest roughly, scrabbling up from the ground.

“No f*cking way.” Blitzø moves forward and pets the horse. A cursory glance between the legs confirms that this is a mare. She huffs happily into his palm and he quickly reaches in his bag for a piece of melon for her. “Good girl, you are so beautiful.”

“I know you said you wanted a horse,” Stolas says, watching Blitzø fawn all over the animal. “And I wanted to thank you for all you’ve done for the junimos.”

“Christ on a stick, this is one hell of a ‘thank you’, Stolas.” Blitzø looks up at the prince and can’t f*cking help how big his grin is. “I don’t know if I deserve this.”

“Nonsense,” Stolas says. “She’ll be in better hands with you, anyway, I’m sure. What will you name her?”

Blitzø pets her neck lightly as he considers. “Mm, for now let’s call her Daisy Duke. Though I may change it later.” He walks around and sees Stolas even got her a nice leather saddle. f*ck, he feels more spoiled than he ever has. “Thank you so much, Stolas. Really.”

The prince absolutely f*cking beams at him and those white pupils make a quick appearance. “I’m so happy you like her.”

“Like her? I love her.” Blitzø taps her lightly and gets up on the saddle easily. Daisy Duke lets him because she’s a perfect baby girl. “Come on, get on and I’ll take us for a ride.”

That f*cking blush is back and Blitzø has this crazy thought that he wants to feel how warm that cheek is against his lips. Stolas looks a bit nervous but he takes Blitzø’s hand, which the imp uses to swing him onto the back of the horse easily. f*cking light ass bird bones.

“Oh, you are strong,” Stolas sighs out. And Blitzø feels something curl in his stomach.

“Put your hands on my shoulders so you don’t fall off, feathers.” Blitzø clears his throat a little. “C’mon, I’m gonna show you the ranch.”

The owl does as he’s told, large f*cking palms gripping the tops of Blitzø’s arms. He feels Stolas’ stomach against his back. f*ck, okay. Yeah, this is fine. Just dudes being pals on a friendly horseback ride at sunset.

Blitzø tuts at Daisy Duke and she starts walking, then trotting, and then he kicks her into a gallop. Stolas cries out in shock and his grip tightens, almost ripping Blitzø’s shirt seams. The imp just laughs as they bound through the forest path and towards the ranch.

The trip is short, with how fast Daisy Duke can move. Blitzø takes Stolas’ hand and lets him dismount first before he swings himself down. He gives his new baby another few pieces of melon and kisses her face. “Great job, honey, you did so well.”

Stolas is watching him with a small smile and gives the mare a few pets himself. Blitzø ties her to a small post and looks at the stable. Well, sh*t, now he really needs to get one of these stalls sorted. He’s already sweated through his shirt so he takes it off, leaving him in his jeans and boots. Stolas makes some kind of choked noise but when Blitzø looks over, he’s facing away.

Blitzø walks over and begins testing the wood of the stalls for rot and weak points. Surprisingly, the beams have held up okay over the years. He grabs his tools and starts fixing it up so Daisy Duke will have somewhere to stay.

“Can I, ah, help with anything?” Stolas says after a time. His face is still slightly pink and Blitzø can feel his gaze on his back as he lifts a plank into place.

“Sure, but can you?” Blitzø says, turning around. He catches a flash of those white pupils, Stolas’ eyes cutting down to his stomach and back up to his face. Busted. “Didn’t take you for hard labor there, feathers.”

The prince sniffs at him, lifting his beak daintily. “I can do things!”

“Uh huh.” Blitzø smirks at him. “You can start working on the coop over there, then. I’d like to get some chicks before autumn rolls in.”

Stolas nods at him and looks over at the small dilapidated building at the corner of the ranch. He looks back at Blitzø for a moment. The imp is watching him with one brow raised.

“Hmm,” the prince hums to himself, mouth pulling down at the corners for a moment. And then he’s ripping open a portal next to him and reaching one long arm in. He brings a book out and flips until he reaches the page he wants. He turns to the coop and the entire thing starts f*cking glowing purple. Blitzø watches, mouth open, as wood and hay shift on their own, gate planks lift and slam into place, and the windows piece themselves back together seamlessly.

“What the f*ck?” Blitzø says. “Hold on, that’s f*cking cheating!”

“Would you like me to refresh the paint as well, darling?” Stolas says, as if he didn’t say anything. “Perhaps a nice blue for the roof and the window trimming?”

“Stolas,” Blitzø pauses to huff at him. “You watched me wrestle with sh*t over here when you could just do that?”

That finally gets the prince to look back over him and then he’s f*cking blushing again. Biting down on his bottom lip, he tilts his head at the imp. “Well,” and, deliberately this time, he tips his chin and obviously scans his eyes down Blitzø’s body. There is heat in his gaze and Blitzø feels tingles all over his skin. “It was …illuminating to watch you work. I was merely following your example.”

“Oh yeah?” Blitzø isn’t one to back down, so he puts down his tools and walks over to the owl. “There are more interesting things you can watch me do, y’know.”

“I can imagine.” Stolas’ blush has deepened, but he’s managing to tease back with some sass. He leans down and their faces are so close now. Blitzø wonders if he can f*cking climb this owl like a tree here out in the open or if he should take him inside the cabin and–

“Hey, dumbasses,” Loona says, her voice deliberately loud. “Working hard or hardly working?”

Blitzø and Stolas jump back a little awkwardly from each other, but honestly the imp is grateful for the interruption. He needs to remember that Stolas is a f*cking prince and also probably due back to Pride as soon he figures out the town’s magic. Anything they could have would be over before it started. And that’s if the owl wants something more than his body, which is really all Blitzø has to f*cking offer anyway.

Blitzø clears his throat and digs one boot in the ground. He looks up and meets the hellhound’s eyes, and there’s a question there. He shakes his head and sighs.

“Hey Looney,” he forces his voice into a more cheerful tone. “Look who joined us!”

“Yeah, I know who Stolas is,” Loona says, rolling her eyes.

“No, no, look here!” Blitzø waves gleefully at his new horse. “This is Daisy Duke and she’ll be living in the stable now!”

Loona smiles at him, having heard all the things Blitzø loves about horses during many of their talks. “Good for you, you need something to help your old ass get around.”

“Hey!” Blitzø and Stolas say together, and then they look at each other and look away. Loona snorts.

“Anyway,” Blitzø says, desperate to move the conversation along. “Stolas, this is Loona. She lives in the attic and helps out on the farm. And calls me old.”

“A pleasure to meet you,” the owl says, reaching a hand out that the hellhound just stares at. He brings it back to his body with a grimace. “The farm is… really coming together.”

“Mhmm.” Loona looks at them both, staring harder at Blitzø, before making her way to the cabin.

“Guess I should head in for dinner,” Blitzø says. Stolas steps slightly forward but stops when Blitzø walks around him. “See you later, Stolas.”

The owl’s reply is soft and mostly lost to the wind. Blitzø doesn’t want to look back but he can’t help it, so he catches another glance of the prince just before he steps through a glowing purple portal.