Chapter Text
The sun had barely begun to rise over Paimon’s vast estate when a small, feathered figure stirred under the soft weight of a plush Max demon tucked tightly against his chest. Young Stolas yawned, stretching his tiny wings, before his wide eyes snapped open with sudden realization. “My birthday! My birthday!” he squeaked, leaping from his bed and landing on all fours, his excitement propelling him across the ornately carpeted floor.
Arms flailing, he raced toward his dressing room, where the Imp butler, ever patient, awaited with a tin of hair gel and a careful, measured demeanor. “Calm yourself, young prince,” the butler chided gently, opening the tin and smoothing the gel through Stolas’ spiky feathers. “You know excitement is unbecoming of a Goetia.”
“Oh! Right,” Stolas murmured, taking a deep breath to steady himself.
His mind buzzed with anticipation; today was the day his father would finally reveal his purpose, the responsibilities that would mark his place in the Goetia lineage. Mister Butler stepped aside briefly to retrieve Stolas’ vest and cape, adorning him with precision before placing a small crown atop his head. Following the butler down a grand hallway, Stolas’s eyes darted from one ornate painting to another, chronicling his life. The first depicted him as an egg, perched regally on a pillow, a tiny crown crowning his shell. The next showed him swaddled as a hatchling, the Goetia insignia pinning his blanket, the demon Max plush at his side, and a star-shaped pillow nestled nearby.
In the third, he was a chubby toddler, hugging the Max plush with unrestrained joy. The final painting, a more recent portrait, captured him holding the plush as green slime dripped onto his head from an unseen creature, a testament to both mischief and chaos in his upbringing. Reaching the grand double doors of the throne room, Stolas paused, chest tightening in awe. As the doors swung open, the monstrous figure of Paimon loomed in blackened, demonic splendor before shifting into his usual avian form. Stolas’ breath caught at the sight of his father, the room pulsing with power and grandeur.
“Ahhhh! There is my little—uh…” Paimon’s gaze lingered on Stolas, though it quickly shifted to a whispered aside to the butler. “Which son is this one? There’s so many…”
“Stolas, your highness,” the butler replied without hesitation.
“Stolas! Yes, right, right! Ha! The owl boy,” Paimon chuckled, striding toward his son. Leaning close, he whispered, then stood upright again, gesturing grandly. “Today marks your initiation into the Goetia family. Are you ready to learn the purpose that awaits you?”
“Yes, Father!” Stolas’ eyes sparkled with earnest anticipation.
With a dramatic flourish, Paimon opened a shimmering portal to the cosmos, revealing twinkling stars and streaking comets. “You will study the heavens, the stars, the prophecies they conceal. Your grimoire will grant access to the mortal realm, allowing you to observe, to learn, and to grow as a Prince of Hell with legions at your command.”
Stolas bounced with excitement. “I will do my best, Father!”
“And,” Paimon leaned in quickly, speaking almost too fast for Stolas to absorb, “you are destined to sire a precautionary addition to the family.” From his cloak, he produced a small, ornate portrait of a young girl, Stella. “You are now engaged. Isn’t she charming?”
The image of Stella, young and fierce, with a Quieve in her grasp, caused Stolas to recoil and cry. Paimon patted his head lightly. “Oh, that noise… stop this instant, son.” When the tears continued, Paimon attempted a distraction. “Shall we visit the circus? Children enjoy circuses, yes?”
The scene shifted to a bustling circus tent, its bleachers filling with imps and performers. A mirror in the butler’s hands reflected Paimon’s detached amusement. Stolas sat at the edge, his small body tense, clutching his grimoire as acrobatics and juggling imps filled the space. Spotlights illuminated the ring, showcasing clowns, fire breathers, and knife throwers. Yet, it was the young performers Fizzarolli and Blitzo on the trapeze who captured Stolas’ attention, especially Blitzo’s awkward attempts at balloon animals. His comically failed horse creation drew a small, delighted hoot from Stolas.
When Fizzarolli finally produced a perfect balloon horse, the young Goetia couldn’t contain a delighted laugh, his earlier fears temporarily forgotten. Backstage, Paimon negotiated Blitzo’s temporary companionship for Stolas, treating the boy like a commodity. Within moments, Blitzo was introduced as a playmate, and the two children’s personalities collided—Stolas’ structured curiosity meeting Blitzo’s chaotic inventiveness. In the library of Paimon’s mansion, Stolas enthusiastically shared his books, explaining the differences between frogs and toads, or how plants could hear.
Blitzo groaned in disinterest but soon found engagement through a game he called ‘Treasure Hunt,’ a pirate-inspired romp involving the collection—and subsequent tossing—of household treasures out of windows. Through laughter, climbing, and minor chaos, the two boys’ friendship took root. Stolas shared his grimoire, explaining his destiny to study the living world and the skies, while Blitzo recounted ambitions of circus empires and imaginative balloon horses. They giggled over each failed creation, shared fantastical tales, and reveled in the novelty of companionship.
By the afternoon, they sprawled beneath a large tree, comparing notes, laughing at each other’s antics, and imagining futures filled with magic, adventure, and circus mischief. In those moments, Stolas’ fear of his obligations melted into joy, and Blitzo found satisfaction in the company of a friend who appreciated both the ridiculous and the profound. Their laughter echoed across the estate, carrying the promise of a childhood uniquely theirs—a blend of study, magic, and mischief, punctuated by balloons, books, and boundless imagination.
After everything that happened at Ozzie’s, both Stolas and Blitz agreed to keep their date nights at Kara’s club instead. Blitz had to apologize to Barb for spying on her date. She did forgive him, but only if she got to show Octavia and Loona some of their old childhood photos. Blitz groaned, knowing that this was a trip down embarrassment lane. But what he didn’t expect was that Millie, Evangeline, and Moxxie were gonna be at the house. It was after they had just finished up another hit for a client. This one was a vengeful fiancé looking to have his supposed mother-in-law dead for killing him.
“Well, that’s a wrap for the day!” Blitz exclaimed.
“Hold it, Blitz!” Barbie stated, “I invited M & M and Evie here over to your place. And I want them to see the old photos of you.”
Blitz gasps, “No! No! No! You are not showing those to my co-workers!”
Barbie smirked, “They are my co-workers too.”
Blitz tried to argue, but hours later, Barbie was on the couch with a couple of photos from when she and Blitz were in the circus. Millie and Moxxie were sitting on the side of Barbie. Evangeline hovered above the two of them. Stolas, Loona, and Octavia were looking at the photos. Loona couldn’t help but laugh at one photo, one where Blitz had braces. “No way! That’s dad?!” Loona chuckled.
“Oh yeah!” Barbie stated, “You should have seen him when mama told him that he needed braces. He was screaming and clinging to the trapeze poles.”
“OK, thank you for spilling my shame!” Blitz commented.
“And you always told Loona that you were fearless when she goes for her S H O T.” Octavia bluntly smirked.
Blitz merely pouted his lips, hearing Octavia say that. Stolas kissed Blitz on the cheek to comfort him. After a while, Millie, Moxie, and Evangeline left the manor for home. Blitz went to check on the twins, Helia and Spiroz, to see if they were still sleeping. Loona and Octavia were in their own rooms, asleep. But Stolas was going through his books in a frantic state. He knew that his wedding anniversary with Blitz was coming up, but he was having a hard time coming up with a present. He knew that Blitz would probably come up with something romantic for their anniversary.
When Stolas was married to Stella, she would just throw out his gifts or mock him by throwing a “Not Divorced” party where she only invited her friends and laughed about Stolas. Honestly, Stolas was happier being married to Blitz and having the twins in his life. But he still loved Octavia to bits, even though she was Stella’s child. A part of him always wondered what happened to Stella. He hadn’t seen her since she tried to crash the wedding. Last he heard from Vassago about Stella was that she was still living with her brother, Andrealphus, in his ice palace.
Stolas suddenly pulled out a book from the shelf and started flipping through the pages until he found what he was looking for, Asmodean Crystals. These crystals can grant Blitz access to the mortal world legally; even though Stolas was fine with Blitz using the grimoire, he wanted Blitz to succeed without always relying on him. Plus, he figured that it would be the perfect way to renew their vows. Without another thought, he called up Asmodeus and asked if they could set up a meeting in a couple of weeks. Asmodeus, on the other end of the phone, agreed and then hung up.
Meanwhile, on the other end of the pride ring, in a literal ice palace in a winter wasteland, something bad was coming from there. In one of the rooms, it was dimly lit with a single candle showing a wall that was covered in photos of Stolas and Blitz going back years from their wedding to Octavia and Loona from when they were kids, Spiroz and Helia’s birth, all the way to the present. Some of the photos had Stolas and Blitz cut up, crossed out with a red marker with the words “Man Whore,” “Imp-Sucker,” or Home Wrecker.” Some of the photos looked like they were either cut up with scissors or long, sharp nails.
Staring at the wall with a crazy, mad look in her eyes was Stella. She wasn’t the same Goetia from years ago. She had gotten more spiteful and vengeful towards Stolas. She hated how he had taken everything that was rightfully hers. Not only did Stolas get custody of Octavia, but he also left Stella with nothing in the divorce. She has been living with her brother ever since, plotting her revenge on Stolas and Blitz, also so she can take everything from them. After her attempt on ruining the wedding; Stella not on;y moved back in with her brother, but started planning her revenge.
She hired a private investigator to stalk Stolas and Blitz just to see what they have been up too, which is where she got the photos. When she learned that Stolas and Blitz now have their own children, she went beserk. She screamed and threw things at some of the imp butlers while cursing out Stolas and Blitz. Stella was out of blood and she planned to make sure that both Stolas and Blitz pay. Stella hired Striker to kill Stolas and Blitz at the harvest moon festival. She gave him the blessed riffled. But the night she got the call from Striker from a motel with news. “I failed to kill the target at the festival. But don’t worry, ma'am. It won’t happen again.” he said.
Stella growled then slammed her fist on the table. “It better not! I want this prick dead! I don’t care who you have to go through! MAKE IT HAPPEN!!” Stella screamed then hung up the phone.
Stella was playing a dangerous game; and she was in it to make sure that she comes out on top. Oh this will be fun.