Story and scenario by me
Narration and dialogue by Athena M.
The office was a warzone again. Papers were scattered like casualties across the cracked linoleum floor. The smell of brimstone hung thick in the air, as if someone had kicked over a sulfur canister. And at the center of it all was Loona, face locked in a snarl, claws still retracting, the remains of the shattered receptionist terminal sparking pitifully on the floor. Blitz's voice echoed from his office. "Loonaaa~! What the fuck was that?!"
Loona didn't answer, she stood with her chest heaving, ears pinned back, her tail swishing in sharp, irritated flicks. She could still hear the client's scream, some stuck-up minor demon aristocrat with gold-plated horns, before he'd turned tail and ran out the front door. Good, one more smug prick off her. Blitz popped his head out, eyes wide, half-impressed and half-exasperated. "That console cost, like…a lot, you know!"
Loona growled, not turning around. "Then maybe you shouldn't have me using it."
He looked around at the mess, then at her. "You know, I've let a lotta things slide because, y'know, family and all, but this," He waved his arm at the smoking ruins, "is not professional." She could tell he was trying to seem fair, if it were anyone else on his staff, he probably would've docked their pay for the next week (if they even got paid that week). He was always trying to seem like the dad who wanted to baby her, but she was an adult, whether he liked it or not.
"Oh, like this place is ever professional?!" she snapped.
Blitz frowned, stepping out fully, his hands planted on his hips. "Okay, the attitude? It's getting really old. You scared off a high-paying customer!"
"Well maybe he shouldn't have called me a mutt!" Loona motioned to the door.
Blitz opened his mouth, then closed it again, there was a long pause before he sighed. "Okay, you know what? Fine, maybe you just need a break, that's all."
Loona turned her head sharply, "What?"
"I said you need a fucking break." Blitz walked over to her and rubbed the Ausmodean crystal on his wrist. It glimmered ominously as he pointed it at the wall, which peeled back to reveal an alley in some city on Earth. "You're burning out, and instead of waiting for you to burn the whole damn building down, I'm gonna be proactive about it."
"You mean you're sending me on a mission?"
"No, Loony, I'm sending you on a vacation." He grinned, then added with genuine sincerity, "On Earth, away from all this, just for a bit."
Loona's brow furrowed. "So you're kicking me out?"
Blitz flinched, "No—well, sort of. Just until you calm the fuck down."
"Fuck you"
The next thing she knew, they were both standing in an alley behind some convenience store on Earth, and Blitz was dusting himself off. "Trust me, you'll thank me later for this."
"I didn't agree to this!" she barked, stomping forward. "You can't just throw me into some random city on Earth like I'm a goddamn problem to get rid of!"
"But you are a problem right now," he said evenly, pointing a clawed finger at her. "And unlike every other time, I'm actually doing something nice about it. Instead of yelling at you or ignoring it, I'm giving you some space, and Earth's got plenty of space." Loona snarled and tried to snatch the crystal off his sleeve, but he yanked it back. "Nope, don't even try it. You're staying here until you chill out, and that's final, young lady."
"Blitz, I swear—"
"Now listen, I'll be back in like a week or less, and I'll make sure we stay in contact somehow. Stolas could probably help with that…Maybe I'll be back sooner if I hear you're not killing innocent civilians." His expression softened. "So just... be safe, alright?"
Before she could cuss him out again, he activated the stone and disappeared with a flash. Loona stood alone, her jaw clenched, the familiar ache of abandonment poking around the edges of her chest. Fuck him, fuck all of this.
She shapeshifted into her human form reluctantly, hating the way it made her feel cramped inside her own body. It took a couple of minutes to adjust to her differently-jointed legs, and she needed a wall to catch herself as she looked out upon her new environment. The city was a blur of neon, honking cars, and buzzing sidewalk chatter. She wandered aimlessly, scowling at street musicians, ignoring the scent of fried food that made her stomach twist. She didn't need Earth food, she wasn't some pitiful stray, food would…have to be figured out later.
She kicked a discarded soda can hard enough that it pinged off a metal pole and startled a pigeon. "Stupid—ugh."
"Whoa there" said a voice nearby.
She turned sharply. A man stood leaning against a brick wall, dark-haired, tan, maybe her age, wearing a denim jacket and holding a drink tray with two coffees. His brow raised as he noticed her expression.
"You okay?" he asked, not moving.
She narrowed her eyes, "Mind your own business"
"Right, sorry. Just looked like you were about to murder that soda can."
"I might"
He smiled lightly, "Well, in that case, wanna murder these overpriced lattes instead? One was for my coworker, but she just bailed on me. Don't wanna waste it."
She glared, "Is that your idea of a cheap pickup line?"
"Nah, just an offering. Usually by now, someone would have just taken it from me at gunpoint. We might as well skip that step, if that's where you wanna go."
That got a snort from her, despite herself, "I don't take drinks from strangers."
"That's very smart." He shrugged and set the coffee on a bench. "But I'll just leave it here in case. It'll be your decision."
She didn't touch it right away. Instead, she looked him over. Tall, a fit build, with a face that looked like it had smiled too much and now didn't know what to do with itself. His eyes, though, were... calm. And it was clear that his kindness was a bit overdone, though she couldn't figure out why. "What's with this shitty charity? What's your game?" she said.
"It's not charity nor is it a game. It's just because it looked like you needed someone not to yell at you."
Her throat tightened slightly, reminding her of what Blitz had done, and that only made her angrier. "Look, dude, I'm not looking for any company."
"Okay."
"Okay?" He didn't move, just stood there quietly, sipping his latte from across her. "You're really not gonna push?"
He shrugged, "My sister gets like this sometimes, the best thing you can do is shut up and wait for her to talk."
Loona's jaw clenched, she stared at the coffee for a long moment, then sat on the bench beside it with a heavy sigh. "My boss dumped me here because I broke some shit."
The guy blinked, "Wow, harsh"
"He's also my... adoptive dad, kind of. So I'm also not allowed to go home for the time being, I guess."
"Ah."
"Yeah."
"Sounds like a dick move."
Loona exhaled sharply through her nose. "He's a dick. But... it wasn't completely uncalled for. It's not the first time I've broken some shit in front of a client, and I'm sure he was just running out of funds to cover some new shit. I don't know, maybe all dads just treat their kids like they're five."
The man didn't offer any pithy line or meaningless advice, he just listened. "Yeah…sometimes it's just like that. You think they're trying to push you out of the nest, but then the next second, they can't stand the idea of you leaving since there's still 'so much' you could need them for."
She glanced at him. "Humans– I mean, that happens in your family too?"
"Oh yeah. Like once I broke a window screaming at my mom."
She scoffed, "What for?"
"She told me I'd never amount to anything if I didn't take college seriously." He stared into his coffee. "She wasn't wrong, but I still hated hearing it."
Loona stared at her shoes. "Blitz always says he understands. Like, he knows I had a shitty start. But it's like he never gets how much it still screws me up."
"Sometimes people try to help the way they'd want to be helped. Doesn't mean it's what you need."
That hit deeper than she wanted it to. She wiped her eyes roughly. "God, this is so fucked up. Why am I even telling you this? We literally just met, and I have no idea where I am."
"I dunno. I'm just a guy with two coffees and a dead shift. I can't have all the answers, even though I wish I did."
A small silence passed between them. "You uh… you hungry?" he asked, "I know a place. Real food. No pressure, though, I get it."
Loona hesitated, her instincts screamed not to trust it. But her stomach growled traitorously, and...the thought of walking back to nowhere alone kind of sucked. "Fine," she muttered, "You got a name?"
"Jacob"
The restaurant was small, tucked between two laundromats, with creaky booths and vintage posters. He ordered a burger while she got fries and some hot wings. She picked at the food, not sure what to do with it at first in case there was some human custom she was about to ignore, but she eventually took a few bites and realized how hungry she'd been.
"You don't talk much, do ya?" he observed, after a few minutes of Loona focusing entirely on her food that she was chowing down like an animal after a successful, yet desperate hunt.
"I talk plenty" she said, sipping her drink.
"Not judging, just means I gotta guess what's on your mind." He said, smirking.
"You're not gonna guess."
"Try me"
She shot him a side-eye, but a part of her, some raw, vulnerable thread she rarely let show, was curious. "Fine, what am I thinking?"
He looked at her, semi-serious now. "You don't trust anyone because everyone either left or expected too much from you." She blinked.
"You keep people at arm's length because if they get closer, they'll find out how messed up it is up in there." He tapped his temple jaw tightened, but she didn't dare show any flinch in emotion.
"But" he continued, "you're still hoping someone doesn't leave, even though you wouldn't admit." She didn't respond, she just looked down at her food and quietly chewed another wing. The silence stretched comfortably this time, and she enjoyed it. Suddenly, Earth felt more comfortable than it should have been.
"Or maybe I'm full of shit, talking out my ass just trying to sound smart, maybe trying too hard to impress. ….what's your name, anyway?" he asked eventually.
"...Loona." She cursed herself for being able to fold so easily. If he'd been one of the human spies after demonkind, she could have just ruined her family's chance at a career. But…she didn't feel much regret after seeing his small smile.
"Well, Loona" he said, raising his drink, "thanks for not killing me yet."
She snorted, "You're not worth the effort."
The corner of his mouth quirked up as they finished their meal in a sort of silence. Her tension didn't vanish, but it started to dull, like the difference between a clenched fist and a palm that's forgotten it's supposed to stay tight.
When they left, the night air was cooler, the sidewalks mostly emptied. Loona shoved her hands in her jacket pockets, remembering she didn't have to retract her claws, it was a strange feeling. Jacob stayed by her side, saying that he could walk her wherever she needed to be if she wasn't comfortable doing it alone.
"Now I just gotta find a place to stay" she said, stopping. It was a realization that she'd made far too late, especially as the sun had begun to dip below the horizon.
"Wait, like you can't even get a hotel or something?"
"Sort of. It's… a long story." She wasn't going to explain to him that demons didn't exactly share the same currency system as humans.
Jacob hesitated. "Well... I've got a couch."
She looked over at him with a small frown. "Seriously, guy?"
He held his hands up. "Oh! No, no, I didn't mean it like that. I mean I've got an apartment nearby with my own bedroom. You could just stay for a minute if you want, and there's an extra sink if you need to use it. Really, it's pretty spacious, and I'll be in my bedroom. No strings attached, I promise."
Loona stared at him for a moment too long. She could say no, she probably should say no. Humans were unpredictable, and she knew where the majority of them went when they died. Jacob probably had some dark secret that he wasn't showing, and though he'd given her no indication of such, she kept her guard up. Whatever decision she made next, she'd have to really ponder it. The city for someone who looked like her was dangerous (especially at night), and it wasn't like she had human money to get her someplace safer. She sighed, their eyes meeting once again. "...Lead the way."