Danny's Demons

The Stars Align

Stolas and Octavia arrived at Danny's room, the familiar soft sound of their footsteps alerting Danny to their presence.

Danny, eagerly awaiting Stolas' return, looked up from his desk, where he was doing homework. His eyes widened with surprise and excitement when he saw them.

Stolas gently knocked on the door before pushing it open, revealing Octavia peeking from behind his legs.

"Danny, I'd like you to meet my daughter, Octavia," Stolas said, stepping aside to give her space.

Danny first noticed her pair of pink irises gazing at him with a mix of curiosity and shyness. Like her father, she was an owl demon with soft-looking slate-gray feathers. Combined with her hesitant expression, she looked rather cute.

Stepping forward, Danny gave a gentle smile and waved at the girl. "H-Hi, Octavia. I'm Danny. I-It's nice to meet you." He chuckled a bit to mask his nervousness.

Octavia's expression seemed to soften. While she didn't say anything, she smiled and waved back from behind her father.

Stolas chuckled and patted his daughter on the head. "Apologies. Via can be a bit shy."

Danny nodded, undeterred. He walked to his desk and pulled out two plates. His mother always said the path to a good impression was through their stomach.

Octavia seemed to snap to attention when the sweet scent hit her. "Is that cinnamon?"

Danny wafted the first plate towards her. "Frosted Cinnamon Rolls." He held up the second. "Cookie Brownies. Try them!"

Octavia moved beside Stolas and looked up at him. She could easily tell Stolas wanted a bite, but he gave her a light nudge to encourage her to get the first taste.

Danny noticed that Octavia was wearing a light pink dress with white-lilac stars and white-lilac puffed long sleeves. He moved the plate closer as she walked towards him.

Octavia approached Danny and reached for a cinnamon roll. Before taking a bite, Octavia bowed as her mother had tried to instill. "Thank you."

Danny beamed. "You're welcome."

For years, Danny would remember Octavia's expression when she took her first bite. Her innocent eyes shined like the stars. "So good!"

Danny and Stolas laughed when she went as far as to lick the remaining frosting on her hand.

Stolas took one for himself and savored the flavor without letting her feel left out. "Ah... human sweets are always better than those made in Hell."

Danny took a bite out of a cookie brownie. For a first impression, things were turning out well.

#

Finished stuffing her face, Octavia stepped cautiously across Danny's room, her wide eyes taking in the array of objects that filled the space. From posters of constellations and planets to a desk cluttered with books and gadgets, everything seemed fascinatingly new to her.

"This is amazing," Octavia whispered, her gaze sweeping across the room. "I've never seen a place like this before."

Danny, noticing her awe, smiled and stepped beside her. "Really? It's just my room. What's so amazing about it?"

Octavia glanced at him, her pink irises glowing with excitement. "I've only ever been to the homes of other nobles. They're so neat. It seems so fake." She gestured all around her. "This is something like my room. It has personality!" She moved closer to his desk, her fingers lightly brushing over a model spaceship. "What's this?"