CONTENT WARNING: f-slur and suicide mentions.
"Stolas. What happened?"
He looks over at Blitzo with eyes filled with tears as fear fills his heart once more, the sight of that blood fills him with terror and dread. It can't be what it looks like, but his heart already knows the truth... There's no way Octavia would ever do this to herself...
"I... I wish I knew, Blitzo... She's hurt herself... But I've done everything in my power to ask her what happened, what could have possibly led to her doing this, but she won't speak. All the wounds... They're self-inflicted cuts..."
Blitzo nodded his head at stolas in understanding. He picked up the note and read it. Tears came to his eyes, something that rarely happened to the imp.
"Octavia, we both want to understand why you did this... we promise not to tell another soul. Please, talk to us."
Blitzo's reaction to the note breaks Stolas completely as the realization of the truth is something that shakes him to his core, it is now clear as day he's failed his daughter... What kind of parent does he make to push their own child this far... His mind races with the thoughts and what he could have done to stop her from doing this... How has he failed her so...
"What... What could cause her to do this? Why would you do that, Octavia?.. I.. I..."
Stolas falls to his knees, his heart broken into a million pieces.
Blitzo picks him up and supports him. One hand on his chest and the other on his back.
Octavia began to speak.
"I couldn't take any more suffering... you and mum fighting every night...
I overheard you two speaking about me... you two were forced to marry so that you could birth and raise a precautionary eir to the throne... that being me. I wasn't wanted... you were forced to have me, dad. You stayed with mum "for me" like I was some fucking obligation."
Stolas is absolutely heartbroken, his mind racing with the realization that his daughter felt unwanted, unloved... How could he have been so blind... He's failed her in the worst way imaginable... Nothing matters outside of her now... He'd been foolish to assume she felt safe and happy... She must have felt so alone... She had been hurting and in pain but never once let it show... He'd assumed that she had everything she could have wanted and needed... He failed her... He failed her...
"Octavia... I... I'm so, so... What have I done?"
"And now you're divorcing mum... because I'm almost old enough to be on my own. Ever since I was a little girl my biggest fear has been losing you."
His heart shatters further at her words once more, the shame and guilt filling him once more. The pain he's caused his daughter... It's unbearable... He had been so blind, so careless... He'd failed to recognize the pain she was in... Everything he'd done in his life feels completely worthless now. But his daughter is more important than anything else to him, and she will not feel like an unwanted obligation any more... Stolas will make sure she knows exactly how much he loves her, and he will do everything he can to make his little Owlette happy again...
"baby."
Blitzo had noticed stolas' eyes beginning to fill with tears and pain once more.
"If you need to step outside for some air, you can. I've got everything covered."
He places a pack of cigarettes on the ground beside stolas. He knew that he liked to smoke when stressed or distraught.
His eyes dart to the cigarettes and he nods his head silently, taking a few steps away, he lights a cigarette to help him calm down, he takes a few puffs, the smoke filling his lungs as he lets out a heavy sigh of defeat and heartache...
