HELL HATH NO FURY.

     sprout ∙   guys i adore each &.   every one of u &.   appreciate the asks you’re sending in !!   but i’m getting swamped so i’m gonna turn the asks off for the time being !   they should be back on soon enough though, just not for the rest of today or tomorrow maybe.

     ❝ THERE’S A W H A T ? ❞

     ❝ What kind of father would I be if I didn’t ? ❞   He slams a textbook sized photo album onto the nearest table &.   the wood fucking shudders.   Did …   does he just carry that around with him ?

     ❝ You say that as if I haven’t tried that already, ❞   he sighs.   Maybe that person from earlier was right ?   ❝ I don’t …   think I’m cool enough for my son.   He’s already doing things like that up on the surface, what am I supposed to do for him that’s even mildly appealing to his interests ? ❞   Spoiler: hell golf is not the right answer.

     ❝ Hm ? ❞   He looks down at the monster with his brows furrowed &.   lips turned down in a frown.   He …   didn’t seem too psyched to be answering a question like this, but the politeness with which it was delivered certainly helped his mood.   ❝ I would tell you if I knew why myself.   He just …   doesn’t want to talk to us about certain things. ❞   He sighs, combing his hand through his hair in exasperation.   ❝ We …   don’t want to press him, after all, it’s his choice.   We’re here for support, but only if he wants it. ❞   His shoulders slump, he understood this whole ‘teen rebellion’ phase was necessary but it didn’t take any less of an emotional toll on him.

     ❝ The logistics of love are a complicated matter best left to the hands of those more equipped to deal with them. ❞   In other words, not the Lord of Hell …   but …   he rubs the back of his neck &.   lets out a sigh.   ❝ Don’t fret too much.   Things will …   work themselves out. ❞   That’s what happened with him &.   his husband !

     This poor student ends up falling under his scrutiny as he glances about the high school campus.   Hooves clomp on the ground as he approaches, raising a hand as his booming voice seems to echo across the grounds.   ❝ Hello !   You, young man !   I need your help with something ! ❞

     ❝ Damien ! ❞   Olly’s yell almost cracks the ground beneath him as he reaches to scoop his son into a hug.   ❝ C’mere kiddo ! ❞

     ❝ Ah . . .   it’s you. ❞   What an enthusiastic greeting, it’s clear to see by his tense body posture, &.   the almost sneer on his face that he is very happy to see Scott.   He begrudgingly looks over the werewolf with a critical eye.   ❝ You’re Scott Howl, isn’t that right ? ❞

     Olly’s face falls somewhat, he looks like he’s about to argue but then stops himself, sighing as he purses his lips.   ❝ Well . . .   you can’t really blame your dad for worrying about, can you ? ❞   The sour expression on him fades into a sympathetic smile soon enough, though.   ❝ I know you probably won’t get sick, but can’t you just do it to give me some peace of mind ? ❞

     ❝ I . . .   see . . . ❞   It was abundantly clear that he was questioning the validity of her statements; the irony of her behavior in relation to her actions was not lost on him.   All the same, despite her somewhat childish demeanor, he takes a healthy step back away from the car battery.   Something as simple as a big shock wouldn’t kill him ( what kind of DEMON LORD would he be if it were that easy ? )   but it certainly wouldn’t feel good in the morning.      ❝ I didn’t mean to be rude, ❞   he says, wondering whether or not he actually did.   To be honest, the last few minutes were a blur after watching a stitched together girl pump herself full of way too much electricity.   Man, the surface world was weird, how did his son do it ?   ❝ I suppose I should ?   Start over then ?   If you’ll allow me, ❞   he sticks out his hand as he speaks, ❝ My name is Apollyon LaVey, most just call me Olly.   &.   you are . . . ? ❞

     HUMAN dads ?     Did he just get compared to a human ?   Of any caliber ?   This was unacceptable, an insult to both he as a monster &.   to the LaVey family name !   He opens his mouth to protest &.   then promptly shuts it with the quiet click of his teeth.   I mean, what was there to protest ?   If them’s were the facts, then them’s were the facts, he couldn’t do anything about that !      An awkward moment of silence follows as he contemplates his next move . . .   &.   then he lets loose a long sigh, shoulders slumping.   ❝ Well then, what is . . .   ‘acceptable’ enough to climb this ‘cooli-meter’ then ? ❞   God he could feel his hellish pride shattering with every syllable, do it for Damien is a mantra that starts up in his head without him even consciously considering it.

     ❝ Damien can handle himself, this I know for a fact. But ━ ❞   There is an angry tremor in his voice as he points a claw at the unfamiliar being, lips curled back in a snarl.   A growl rumbles up from his chest that seems to cause the very wind to hold its breath.   Smoke comes curling out of his mouth in thick wisps of grey &.   fire licks at his feet.   Cracks web across the ground beneath them, hissing steam erupting from the pavement.   ❝ If you ever try to hurt my son, I will personally ensure that your every waking moment will be filled with nothing but pleas for death.   Now get out of my sight. ❞

     Olly frowns deeply at Vicky’s words, crossing his arms with a huff.   Sure, he’s heard it plenty of times, he’s not exactly very in touch with what was going on on the surface world, he’d given up on being up ━ to ━ date since the 1990s.   Everything moved too fast, there was no point !   He still didn’t like it when people brought attention to the anachronistic nature of his existence, though.   However, he absolutely would not accept these wild &.   ludicrous accusations of him not being ‘badass’ enough.   He lived in a fiery wasteland filled with nothing but the screaming of the damned &.   partially undead, it didn’t get any more metal than that.   ❝ Not bad enough ?   I’m one of the RULERS of HELL.   That’s as BAD as you’re ever going to get. ❞

     ❝ Of course !   Only the best for my boy ! ❞   You get two flaming thumbs ups !

     ❝ Hm …   that certainly sounds like a dilemma. ❞   Olly rubs his chin thoughtfully, glancing off to the side.   ❝ If he’s only gotten detention five times this week, that means he’s not wreaking nearly as much havoc on the surface world as he should be.   I’ll have to have a talk with him. ❞   Definitely not the right person to talk to about Damien’s troublemaking tendencies ——   he is a Lord of Hell after all, what did you expect ?

     There is a long stretch of silence as Olly takes those words into consideration.   He certainly didn’t like them, &.   as much as he wanted to deny these accusations &.   cast the offender into the fiery depths, he knew that wasn’t …   well, it wasn’t right.   Lips purse in thought &.   then curl into a frown as he sighs, deep creases of worry finding themselves on his features.   ❝ Where did you hear something like that ? ❞     It was merely a question, it wasn’t meant to sound accusatory, but he wasn’t particularly interested in providing a straight answer either.   ❝ I …   don’t know why Damien is acting up, ❞   he says, though just that statement alone merely added fuel to this posited theory.   ❝ He’s a good kid, it’s not his fault, it’s … ❞   It’s theirs ?   Maybe a little bit, yeah.   Olly combs his fingers through his hair, scratching the back of his head in a way that could only be described as stressed out.   A plume of flame erupts from his mouth at his hefty sigh, his shoulders slumping.   ❝ So maybe we’re not as tightly knit as we used to be … ❞