The Goetia Hired Mercenary

Between Daughter and Mercenary

Preperations for the Full Moon ball went underway. Stolas was still pig headed on the whole ordeal and ignored the cries of Blitzø and Zumira. Millie and Moxxie went along with Stolas as to not be next jn line to trigger Stolas in demon form. This would be the last weekend Stolas may get with Octavia at the same time needed to make the necessary Goetia arrangements that had to be met before the ball.

That job landed on Zumira.

Zumira went up to the bedroom door of Octavia when she heard the comversation being taken on the other side.
"Mom, you're the best!" Octavia squealed with the soft thumping of feet.
"Don't worry. I will pick out the best dress." Octavia answered before the souund of a phone was hung up and the door swung violently open.

Zumira had little time to react when both her and Octavia tumbled into a heap of bodies. However, Zumira noticed Ovtavia's overjoyed excitment.
"Oh sorry, Gummy." Octavia smiled and raced off down the hall and down the stairs.
Zumira rubbed her head feeling a slight bump form on the temple of her forehead.

Zumira got up and followed Octavia to the massive ball room where it was being decorated. She walked in to find Octavia giggling to Stolas about a dress she wanted to go get since her mother loaned her the credit card for such an occassion.
"Please dad! There's this new place downtown-"
"Via, can't you see I am a little busy right now. I have much to plan, I don't have time to take you to buy you a new dress." Stolas scolded.
"Oh come on!"
"I seem to remember you making your own clothes when you were just a wee owlet, why can't you make your own?"
"Mom would have taken me!" Octavia argued back.

"Then perhaps you should have stayed with her!" Stolas shouted, his voice echoing throughout the room.
Zumira stood in shock just as Octavia did. For a moment, she stood there staring at her father who inhaled heavy heaps of breaths angrily.
Without a single word more, Octavia fled the room and left the sanctum of the house.
Zumira looked to the ground, weighing her options of her next set of actions.

"Fuck."
She took off too, following the trail of the weeping teenager.
Zumira walked outside looking in every direction when she saw Octavia take off behind some trees. She raced after only to find herself in a thick forest.
"Octavia!" She hollared.
"Leave me the fuck alone, Gummy." Via answered back, her voice sounding further away than anticipated.

"Octavia, stop!" Zumira ordered.
"I said leave me the fuck alone!"
"I will not!"
Zumira chased Octavia back into her view of sight.
"Octavia, I order you to stop! RIGHT FUCKING NOW!"
Octavia stopped in her tracks.

"You dare order me!?" She shrieked, her voice growing deeper and aggressive.
Zumira halted and watched as the teenager grew taller and darker. Her four eyes turned to a violent purple and her feathers turned crimson red. The owlet towered over Zumira in her new form, her demon form.
"Nobody orders me!" Octavia threatened, opening her wings ready to attack Zumira.
"Via, knock it off! What caused you to be so angry?"

"Who hasn't pissed me off today besides my mother?! My own father doesn't find time for me instead he sends his dog to babysit me. It was my mother that stepped up to be a parent, not him!" Octavia explained still outstretching her wings.
"Via, please calm down." Zumira begged, getting down on one knee and shielding her head.

It took a minute with Zumira closing her eyes to the aggressive change that transformed Octavia. It was a sight she believed Stolas had yet to witness.
The winds died down, the light came back and a soft hand laid on Zumira's back.
"I'm...I'm sorry." Octavia whispered.
Zumira looked up and saw the genuine honesty displayed on Via's face. Zumira caustiously got back on her feet.
"Look, let's just go get you a dress and we can talk later." Zumira suggested.
"I would like that very much." Octavia smiled wiping her eyes dry.

Zumira and Octavia went to a store in the heart of downtown Imp City where Octavia went inside a  clothing store called Threaded Conspiracies.
Inside was an array of clothing choices. Dresses, skirts, suits, regular shirts and pants along with shoes and accessories to match. Octavia attempted to hold in her excitment but failed as she began to run all over the store.

Zumira walked in, looking around the many unique styles of attire that she had never seen the likes of. Dresses made from spiders silk while others were made of rugged patchwork. Shirts the resembled crossbones and black blood. Zumira walked among the many clotheslines, peering at the garments with admiration but with a distaste. Given more time to browse, she noticed the pattern.

This specific clothes store was selling attire based on items or stories of murder scenes from the human world.
Dresses wrapped in crime scene tape, tuxedos made from the blood splattered walls of a murder. The more she saw, the less in awes she became. However, Zumira tried to keep the same excited energy as Octavia.
"Gummy, I found it!" The teenage Owlet screeched.

Zumira went over to Octavia where she held a long black dress. The sleeves were slim and it exposed the shoulders. Octavia wasted no time in racing toward the changing room, determined to try on the dress.
Zumira waited when Octavia flashed out the door.

The dress snug close to her body in a beautiful slim style. It was black with a faint white spiderweb that glided close behind the dress like a veil. Towards the collar of the dress, it was cut into that of a red, velvet spider that may have revealed the teenagers chest but kept it hidden all the same.
"Well?" Octavia asked, giving the dress a twirl around.
Zumira was at a loss for words and smiled, "You have exquisite taste."

With that, Octavia bought the dress and carried the bag it was wrapped in with great care and confidence.
"Now, I need new make up to match my outfit."
"And shoes." Zumira pointed out.
"Oh fuck you're right." Octavia commented hitting herself on the forehead.

It took a bit more time to find the right shades of make up that would contrast to the dress as well as the shoes that would compliment her style.
But Octavia found everything she needed for the ball. Now, it was time they had something to eat before returning back to the Palace.

They ate outside a local restaraunt known as the Cheesy Screamer. Zumira took bites from her burger keeping an eye out for any trouble.
"Gummy, I need to get something off my chest."
"Its about your dad, huh?" Zumira asked her eyes still patrolling the area.
"I just...I don't get him. Why can't he be happy that Mum is finally recognizing me as her daughter and treating me as such?"
Zumira swallowed, "Don't you find it a bit odd that this behavior from your mother just came out of nowhere?"

Octavia shook her head, "I mean, at first. But then we sat down and had a long conversation and now, things are getting better."
The smile on Octavia's face was genuine and innocent, unbeknowest of the intentions behind those actions. Sadly, Zumira was also at the mercy of those intentions without the slightest idea of the execution and the involvement of Octavia.

"And of what your dad?"
"He just....misunderstands her. This pure hatred is what's causing him to be so blind to the changes she's been making."
"Can you really blame him?" Zumira questioned, "You do realize it was your mother that tried to have him assassinated."
"That's a load of bullshit. My mother explained the truth behind that tattered conspiracy." Octavia argued more.

"Well, try explaining it to me." Zumira challenged, leaning forward to Octavia.
"She said that he's been trying to set her up. To make himself look like the victim and get the attention off his love life." Octavia replied.
"Please, that is a load of bullshit." Zumira growled.
"Well, my mother has been the one trying to spend time with me."
"So is your dad."
"And yet here I am having lunch with you." Octavia scolded and glaring strongly towards Zumira.

Zumira couldn't argue against it. Octavia was right, it should have been Stolas sitting here instead of her. But she was still suspicious of Stella's intentions.
"Let's just head home. I'm done shopping for that dumb ball anyway." Octavia sighed throwing her food into the nearest garbage can.