***
Several days had passed and soon the news of Stolas and Octavia's marriage had faded like cigarette smoke rising into the sky. Both, meanwhile, were working on their relationship; it was still impossible not to describe it as awkward, even though Octavia's plan had worked -perhaps better than she had anticipated. Her intention was to use her body to make her father see her as a necessity; but she had never expected him to go to the extreme of committing himself to her, and every thought of it made her heart race like hell, her face flush, and an indescribable emotion well up in her -but all those emotions quickly turned to fear, for she had never thought about a boyfriend, much less a husband.
During those days, she looked in the mirror as she tried on every dress in her wardrobe; imagining what she would look like in a wedding dress. She thought about whether she wanted it white, or black; maybe a mix of the two - or red. A myriad of options crossed her mind day by day.
But her favourite part of all was that she slept with her father now, every night. Even if they didn't have sex; she could remember those nights in her childhood when Stolas would come into her bedroom, for some nightmare that kept Octavia from sleeping; and like the good father he tried to be, he would spend the night by her side -and she would hug him with all her might as the blankets covered them and sleep conquered them; frankly, the best experience she could have.
And though the sex had already taken a back seat; because she had used the rest of the balm the other day, she was slowly making her own subtle advances towards Stolas. Slowly but surely, they were slowly working -for Stolas was also gaining enough mental strength not to give Octavia the wrong idea that he rejected her; but neither the belief that all he wanted from her was her body. In a way the drug had worked; Stolas was slowly convincing himself of his feelings for his daughter. Even if they had been fabricated.
Even at this moment, she was lying with Stolas, who lovingly stroked her plumage on her head, giving her sweet and loving caresses as she leaned tightly against him, happily, enjoying every moment.
Stolas, for his part, though he treated the situation with the seriousness it deserved; he did not want to alert or worry Octavia at any time, so day after day he sought to remind her of how much he cared for her, whether by gesture, or physical contact. But on the inside, he was more nervous than ever, though he had stopped questioning how he had come to feel so passionately about his little girl; he still questioned whether Octavia really consented to these things -and if so, why?
It was the only piece of the puzzle he couldn't find; how did he convince his daughter that this was normal? Was it possible that even at 17, she still thought incest was just another form of love between demons?
From an objective point of view this would make sense; they are demons, and trivial things like morals are just a mere suggestion -but Stolas, who was always different from the other demons, could do nothing but feel out of place; an exception to this rule. Maybe it was just that his daughter was more normal than he was. And as a good father he would support her.
Suddenly, Octavia began to rearrange herself on the bed; slowly and awkwardly, until she was on the same level as Stolas -taking him by the chin so that he was facing her, stealing an infinitely affectionate kiss.
—Good morning, Dad.
—Good morning, Via. Sorry if I woke you up.
—It's okay, dad, I was already awake. —Octavia replied as she buried her face in her father's neck, nuzzling her face against him—. I love you dad.
Stolas felt a satisfying shiver as he felt his daughter on his neck, as she also took little bites; playing at wooing him, and he couldn't help his reaction.
—And I love you, my little starfire.
Little by little Stolas tended to his daughter's affections; starting by keeping her close to him, and gradually encouraging her to climb onto his body -something she gladly did as she savoured her father's body; that no matter how many times she did it, she always enjoyed it as much as the first time.
And so; allowing his daughter to touch his body without reproach, Stolas let his mind wander, in a way to relax his mind and body. Being completely at peace and in harmony, opening his heart to his new role as Octavia's future husband; he travelled in the ideas of how he could make this a new beginning, a second wind of opportunity and finally defeat his greatest fear -the one he had carried since his affair with Andrealphus; to be nothing more than a tool of pleasure for others. His heart rejoiced at the thought that he would finally truly learn about love.
However, not really knowing how to achieve that goal, he decided to do what he had always been afraid to do as a child -to use his books as a guide, what could go wrong?
—Via.
—Yes, dad? —Octavia asked, now resting on Stolas, using him as a pillow—.
—Would you like to go out? We have not gone outside for days; and now there is nothing to hide from.
—But wasn't it your idea to stay? —Octavia replied doubtfully—.
—Well... yes, I said that. But I already feel locked up in this house. —Stolas replied in a dramatic tone of voice to ignore the fact that he was contradicting himself—. Besides, it's been awfully hot.
—Just the two of us? —Octavia concluded with a small laugh—.
—Just the two of us.
—I'd love to, Dad. And where are we going?
—In this weather, what do you think of the beach? —Stolas asked, with an idea finally forming in his mind—. Let's go after breakfast to find a good spot.
—Of course! —Octavia replied excitedly—.
Octavia excitedly got out of bed and headed back to her room, while Stolas began to think about what they would do while they were there, to make this the best date of their lives.
Although they had previously had one; that day they were discovered -this was different. The first date was to understand their feelings; this one was to consolidate and nurture them, it was time to go on the offensive.
Thus, he spent the morning making notes and drafts of what they could do; using his phone as a backup to research and schedule whatever activities were available and give Octavia a dream date that would not only prove that he loved her; but also prove to himself that he could make things work for the first time in his love life. He was determined to learn from his mistakes with Andrealphus, Stella and Blitzo.
Approaching afternoon; Octavia was going through her wardrobe from top to bottom, looking for the best swimming suit she could possibly wear -even searching online for one that could replace what she had. And despite having more than one option; the truth was that all her outfits were relatively simple -since the conflicts between Stolas and Stella began, few occasions were the ones she had to go to the beach or a water park. So, using all her creativity she found the perfect outfit; a summery dress consisting of a two-piece chiffon fabric -both robin's-breast red; semi-sheer, with slack on one side leaving the other exposed. Underneath it all, a bikini of a similar red; with small black laces that helped to highlight her waist, although this swimming costume was somewhat small for her current figure; it ended up helping to accentuate her endowments, and the ornaments that at the time gave her an adorable vibe; now served to sexualize her qualities. To finish off, black sandals with gold laces, an impeccable look. It was clearly from a few years ago, but as she tried them on and noticed these lovely details; she thought little of it. She even took a couple photographs that she would post on her Sinstagram later on, just to show off.
Meanwhile, Stolas was just beginning to dress up. And as is iconic for men; he wouldn't give it too much thought, as even though it was a special occasion, he had to accept the fact that he couldn't wear anything ostentatious to a beach; much less formal as usual -and with the time he had spent on his plan of action there wasn't enough time left to rack his brains over his appearance. Finally, he would opt for a blue navy boxer type swimsuit, and a white short sleeved shirt he had bought in Loo Loo Land previously, giving him a fresh, but not necessarily sloppy style, along with white flip flops with blue decoration, that looked like a strange variation of crocs -you could see Stolas' almost playful and childlike personality through this outfit and this somehow gave Stolas a boost of self-esteem and confidence.
And to make doubly sure that everything would go smoothly, Stolas made sure to take some special luggage with him. An umbrella he found lying around; multiple dull white bath towels; a fanny pack with essentials like sunscreen, lotion, and other junk he thought he'd get to use.
Finally, as they were about to leave their rooms for their adventures, Stolas received an unexpected call; it was Blitzo.
—Good afternoon, Blitzy. —Stolas answered the phone—.
«Hey, Stolas. I was wondering if we could get together, I need to talk with-»
—Sorry Blitzy, I'm going to the beach with Octavia. —Stolas interrupted—. Can it be another day?
«Ah... Yeah... sure, no problem. » —Blitzo could be heard saying in a somewhat disappointed tone of voice—.
—I'm sorry Blitzy, right now I have to focus on Octavia, I can't let my little owlet down, I'm sure you understand that. You should also work on your relationship with Loona, from what happened last time it is clear that you need to talk things over seriously and calmly. Another day we'll arrange a visit, what do you think? —Stolas replied with a concerned but cheerful voice—.
«Oh, no, don't worry about me Stolas; me and Loona are getting along just fine.... And I... I'm already on dating apps, there are some very interesting people here. » —Blitzo struggled to generate a believable story as he tried to get more information out of Stolas about what he would be doing that day—. «Which beach are you going to? »
—In gluttony, there are many activities according to what I saw on the internet. —Stolas replied nonchalantly—.
«Great, well then I'll see you later Stolas. »
—Wait, later? Blitz? —The call was over—.
And on that note, Stolas and Octavia finally made their way to the beach.
In the circle of gluttony, Dante tells us that there are endless rivers, where souls eat and eat of it without being able to get enough, while their bodies deteriorate as if they were suffering from starvation. These rivers come from an immense sea in the same circle.
«Loo Loo Beach» said a sign at the entrance to the premise. A long time ago, Lucifer took ownership of a large piece of land surrounding gluttony's ocean and set up all sorts of things around it. There were people on giant inflatable bananas, others were surfing on a jetskii and more people were surfing on normal boards as they surfed the violent waves coming out of the infinite body of water. Another group of creatures could be seen playing volleyball in the distance and a myriad of other activities; plus, restaurants and eateries everywhere; many sponsored by mammon or other greedy demons who would submit to Lucifer for a slice of the pie.
There was a bunch of different creatures that day; many of them scattered everywhere and in every activity. It was the equivalent of seeing a beach in the world of the living at spring break, the amount of life that emanated here was definitely a surreal contrast to the day-to-day life in hell.
Upon arrival, Stolas took a deep breath; struggling to keep his emotions in check but finding it hard to hide the boyish grin on his face in excitement that everything would go as planned. He would make sure it did at all costs, checking his itinerary over and over again as Octavia was distracted by all there was to enjoy.
Speaking of Octavia; she was beaming with happiness, it had been a long time since she had been to the beach and coming back brought back very happy memories of her playing with Stolas building castles in the sand; or burying Stella in the sand, as she would just lie on her towel and ignore any invitation to have fun. Stella didn't enjoy it at all; but Octavia found her mother's reaction satisfying -for it meant having to do more than just lie in the sun. And with all the activities now at her disposal, the possibilities were endless.
As they walked along the beach looking for a place to settle, Stolas momentarily glanced at Octavia at short intervals, looking at her with a certain nervousness that he could not explain, for; again, although it was their second date -it was the first time he truly saw her as a partner. It was like watching a child who, although already had his first kiss, did not dare to repeat it; hiding behind excuses to avoid the situation. Stolas wanted to hold Octavia's hand, constantly watching his and then hers as if bargaining with both of them to take each other, and though Octavia was concentrating on observing her surroundings, somehow, she could feel Stolas' gaze; and so, as fate would have it, she led him to take her hand; filling Stolas with a sweet sense of self-improvement -taking her hand tightly and pulling her hand towards him, causing Octavia to smile.
What they both didn't know, was that Blitzo and his gang were also arriving at the beach; apparently, Blitzo couldn't contain his jealousy at losing Stolas' attention; and completely ignoring what happened in his office, and Stolas' words of encouragement moments before -he set out to find out all about their new relationship. For a change, Moxxie and Loona agreed to be the voice of reason; constantly trying to keep Blitzo at bay while he got over the situation, but as permissive as Millie is, all efforts were in vain.
However, they did not meet immediately, as Blitzo's plan was to be subtle and stealthy, while the others simply took the opportunity to take their own holidays. So thus began a series of unfortunate events, or perhaps events that had the good fortune to begin.
Meanwhile, our love birds finally found a place to rest; an unoccupied area facing the sea, curiously aligned with the path of the setting sun. Stolas then proceeded to set up the umbrella, spread out the towels and arrange his pile of utensils. Octavia couldn't help laughing at the sight of all that Stolas was carrying as she removed her gauze and dropped it, at last exposing her body to full view.
—Well, dad, do you like it? —Octavia asked aloud to get Stolas' attention—.
When Stolas turned to look at her, he stood in total silence with his eyes wide open. A strong blush of the cheeks was immediately present forcing him to swallow saliva as he admired Octavia's figure, little by little he stopped seeing her as his little girl; and began to see her as the little woman she was. Ironically this caused an embarrassing effect on Octavia, who immediately blushed back and tried to cover herself with her arms, completely avoiding eye contact with Stolas.
—I-if you see me like that.... It means it looks nice, right?
—You look beautiful, a real Goetian princess. —Stolas replied, standing firmly on his feet and making a full bow—.
Octavia could only respond with more embarrassment on her face as she turned her torso from side to side and continued avoiding her father's gaze.
But their pleasure was short-lived, for they quickly began to hear other creatures shrieking and shouting at Octavia; so, Stolas immediately became aggressive, giving a petrifying glare to anyone who he caught staring at his daughter. From Stolas' mouth came only an annoyed sound of anger and jealousy.
When the situation calmed down, Stolas came back to himself, and taking a deep breath reminded himself of his goal for the day, to connect more with his daughter and the feelings they shared.
Stolas thus invited Octavia to sit on her respective towel and taking the bottle of sunscreen; he sat behind her and began to smear it all over his daughter's body, who naughtily took his arms to guide it in an almost erotic way all over her being -seductively running it over her waist, her neck and hips.
When he finished, the role was reversed; Stolas removed his shirt and the situation was repeated in almost the same way -although Stolas did not grab his daughter nor guide her hands, on the contrary, Octavia knew exactly how to and where to go placing the sunscreen on her father. And although the situation was becoming more and more erotic, little by little Stolas was planning his way of deferring from the idea to something more romantic as he had planned.
I heard that waterskii is very popular, now that we are ready, what do you say we give it a try?
—You? Waterskii? Who are you and what did you do with dad? —Octavia couldn't help but laugh—. Sure, Dad. Come on. Hahaha.
They both left their things, took off their shoes and trotted to the stall, which had a wooden sign nailed to the ground with the word waterskii written on it in big white letters. It was manned by a kind of humanoid shark that looked like it had belonged to a pirate ship. Behind him was a small boat; if anything for 2 or 3 people, and next to it; also nailed to the ground, the skii which one could assume were the ones used for the activity. Along with all this a tabloid with important instructions such as not being responsible for injuries, deaths, being eaten by marine animals, among other things. And of course, prohibited to sue.
—Good afternoon, I wish to rent your service. —Stolas approached the merchant, perhaps a little too formal when speaking to him—.
The shark just stared at him and then cast an eye at Octavia, which Stolas made it clear he didn't like, repeating himself in a louder tone of voice.
—We want to try water-skiing. —He repeated, almost shouting—.
—Only one person at a time sir, who is going to try first?
Octavia embraced Stolas and responded immediately.
—Him!
Stolas was surprised and somewhat nervous, but agreed anyway, while the stall keeper sighed deeply; assuming at once that things would go wrong and turn into a nuisance.
—All right, listen up because I'm not going to repeat shit. —The shark replied in an annoyed tone of voice—.
The explanation was long and boring to say the least, for a moment both Stolas and Octavia had lost track of the instructions and were lost in thought. Was he a pirate? Why does he look like one?
—Did you understand?
Stolas and Octavia were on cloud nine.
—Uh... —The annoyed shark sighed again, facepalming—.
At that moment Stolas received the skiis, and the fun began. At first everything went well, but because of his inattentiveness, the problems were just beginning.
—Come on dad! you're doing well! —Octavia shouted to Stolas in a supportive voice while trying not to laugh—.
Stolas on the other hand struggled to stand upright and on more than one occasion looked like he might fall over. Until finally he did, hitting the water head on as the jetskii kept moving at full speed, ending up upside down, submerged in the water and with its legs sticking up to the surface. By this time Octavia couldn't stop laughing, but the bitter driver didn't share her sense of humour; slowly slowing towards the shore, as Stolas was trying to regain his breath and composure once they returned.
—Well, you almost made it, Dad. —Octavia kept laughing as she helped him up—.
Stolas however did not share the humour, but tried to hide it, though he failed in the process. This made Octavia feel a bit bad, she also wanted to have a good time with Stolas, in a way; she understood what he was trying to do and loved it -but also didn't know how to let him know.
—Come on dad, next time you'll do better. —Octavia threw a blow at the water, splashing Stolas with it—.
Stolas just looked at her smiling, as if despite the accident; the attempt had been worth it.
—I think it will be better if we go to something more chill, don't you think Via?
—What? The inflatable banana?
—You read my mind.
Thus, Stolas and Octavia, with laughter and a hug, headed for their new destination. Some inflatable bananas simulating a banana Split on which you could ride and float in the water. A very popular attraction for families or large groups, as each one could hold up to 6 people.
In the distance, little Blitzo could be seen spying on the two with binoculars. Even he couldn't hold back his laughter when saw Stolas' accident, but because he was far away, no one was able to hear him.
—I hope you don't find this too boring, Via.
—After what just happened? Nothing will ever top that, Dad.
—Oh... Hehe... Well, I guess I was a bit clumsy. —Stolas said in a rather sad tone of voice.
—It's OK, Dad. You can't fall in this one.
Again, the stall was similar to the previous one, another semi anthropomorphic sea creature manned while a series of inflatable bananas rested behind them, a series of rules and signs virtually identical. In the same way as the previous one; it was explained to them how to use the items and what not to do.
This attraction was rather calm, it had no real way to truly go wrong. So, they both had the opportunity to simply enjoy each other's company, as Octavia was in front and Stolas behind, embracing her affectionately as they floated almost adrift, it was a moment of calm and necessary exhilaration, where their hearts were united in harmony and love.
After an hour, it was time to return to the mainland, which they both took advantage of for refreshments.
Near where they were, was a series of small restaurant-style food stalls; small, one-storey constructions, with a bar inside and in front of it, a couple of tables. Picking one at random, Stolas and Octavia opted for some seafood to appease their hunger. What they didn't expect was that near their table were two very familiar little imps.
—Stolas, mister, what a surprise! —A female voice was heard—.
Both Stolas and Octavia turned to where the voice came from, it was Moxxie and Millie, who were eating a few tables away. Neither Stolas nor Octavia hesitated to change to their table to engage them in conversation.
—What are you doing here, mister? —Millie asked—.
—Spending quality time with my daughter, that's all. —Stolas replied—.
—Millie, let's just not pretend, ok? —Moxxie said annoyed—.
—What do you mean? —Stolas asked—.
—Our boss brought us here with the excuse of resting, to spy on you, sir. —Moxxie confessed—.
After a long explanation, Stolas and Octavia were aware from Moxxie that Blitzo had been following them from the beginning. For Stolas it was silly and somewhat immature, but for Octavia it was somewhat annoying, as she felt a rivalry conflict with Blitzo. He also told them that Loona was accompanying them, but unlike Moxxie, his rivalry with her only allowed him to say that she was around, so her whereabouts remained a mystery.
But things were just getting started; for as they ate, a third group was about to make an appearance.
—Stolas?! —A loud female voice was heard—.
—For the love of Lucifer... STELLA?!
—Oh, Stolas... —Said masculine voice—.
—And Andrealphus, of course. —Stolas replied in annoyance—.
Octavia by this point was trying to hide herself with her hands; derived from the discomfort of the situation.
—Don't worry, miss, I'll take care of it, —Said Moxxie to Octavia as he stood up, walking calmly towards Stella. —Ma'am, if I could please ask you not to cause a scene.
Stella was so upset to meet Stolas that for a second, she couldn't hear Moxxie talking to her.
—Can't I take a break from you? —Stella said, after which she noticed the little imp—. Uh?
Stella finally saw Moxxie standing in front of her, due to Stella's large size; and Moxxie's diminutive size, it was a curious scene, almost like David versus Goliath.
—As I was saying, if you could please avoid a scene... —Insisted Moxxie—.
Stella, somewhat shocked by the little imp's bravery, could not help but be awed by his courage. So much so that she simply kept silent and motioned Andrealphus to leave.
Stolas and Octavia could barely understand the scene unfolding in front of them. First meeting with Millie and Moxxie, learning that it was all a plan by Stolas to follow them; and now Stella appeared. It was impossible not to think that someone was conspiring against them that day.
So, with the willpower of a mountain, Stolas approached Octavia and comforted her in the only way he knew how, gave her a big hug; reminded her that everything would be all right and offered to continue having fun the rest of the day. To which Octavia agreed, somewhat hurt by the situation but moved by her father.
—Everything will be fine Via. It was just a terrible coincidence.
—Thanks dad, are you sure we can go on? I don't want mum to ruin our day.
—Nothing to worry about my little owlet.
The two embraced, which Moxxie and Millie couldn't help but find adorable as they said goodbye to go their separate ways.
—Have fun, sweetheart! —Millie shouted as they walked away from the place—.
Once this calamity was over, Stolas and Octavia came across a curious little stall. It was a strange imp who was engaged in sketching the people he saw passing by. Octavia could not help but be interested in these doodles, which led them both to take a look.
Go ahead, go ahead, a caricature for the lovely couple. Haven't I seen you before?
— I doubt that very much. —Stolas confirmed—.
—Can we get one, Dad?
Stolas could only let out a tiny laugh at the tenderness of Octavia's request.
—Sure, Via. Could you draw us, imp?
—For a fee; of course. A family portrait coming right up.
And so, Stolas paid for the caricature, and at the imp's indication, took a seat with Octavia on some small benches provided by the artist, who immediately set to work.
***
After a few long minutes, the drawing was done; and delivered to Octavia.
It was a somewhat humorous representation of the two, with heads too big and bodies obscenely small. But Octavia loved it.
Again, she was in a positive and cheerful mood; but Stolas, still troubled by recent events, kept questioning whether he could still salvage their rendezvous. Octavia noticed this with her father's glib answers along with his now slow gait. Stolas kept wondering if it was even possible to fix the situation; when in Octavia's view, there was nothing to fix on his part, she was the one who felt she had failed him, worrying him too much.
With this in mind, Octavia decided to take Stolas to something she had seen as they walked along the beach that she was sure would interest him. There was a vendor offering a somewhat unique service; a marine exploration of the depths of the sea of gluttony, and a clear view of the fearsome beasts that tortured the poor humans that fell there.
When Octavia offered the idea; Stolas felt a sudden change in his mood; seeing his daughter in such high spirits and interest in the date gave him hope that maybe they were having a good time. Even with all the setbacks and problems, Stolas finally saw the date as a success.
And just like the other occasions, after submitting to a quick guide on how to participate in the event; both were ready to dive into the deep end. But unlike lightning that doesn't strike twice in the same place; fortune was about to throw them an even tougher storm.
As they watched the creatures, and Stolas; like a little boy, was thrilled by the monsters larger and more fearsome than anything he saw before, Blitzo made his appearance again as part of the expedition group they had joined. But because of Blitzo's distractions in spying on them, he ignored the safety rules and ended up being attacked by one of these monsters.
All the other scouts swam in panic while the organiser tried to put everyone in order. Finally, as Stolas realised what had happened, he did not hesitate to rescue Blitzo, so, with a great show of magic, he attacked the creature that was trying to eat the imp, finally ruining the expedition and forcing everyone to return to the mainland.
—What was I not clear about, Blitz? —Stolas commented, annoyed by the situation—. I'm trying to have quality time with my daughter after all the problems we've had because of her mother; I can't have you getting involved in this too.
—Stolas, I...
—Silence, Blitz. I don't want to hear from you until you sort yourself out. You are still special to me Blitzy, but if you continue like this, I will have no choice but to end our friendship. —Stolas was annoyed—. You can ruin my day all you want, but not my daughter's.
Blitzo finally just kept quiet and left. While all the other scouts were checking themselves hoping that they had not been hurt. And in the same way, Stolas immediately finished his talk and went to Octavia, who was now the one who was saddened by the failure of her plan to set things right.
To tell the truth, even Stolas didn't know what to do at that moment, but he didn't want to abandon his daughter in her pain, so he sat down next to her, and gave her a big hug, to remind her how much he loved her.
In the end, in a positive way of ending things, the organiser decided to take responsibility for what had happened, so, as a way of thanking Stolas for intervening and as an apology to Blitzo for putting him at risk, the organiser offered them a free dinner at the restaurant owned by his family. After much deliberation, Stolas finally accepted the idea, and to give him one last chance; he offered Blitzo the idea of dining together.
***
And so, evening was coming to an end, and the whole I.M.P. personnel, together with Stolas and Octavia, enjoyed a well-deserved dinner.
Despite the inconveniences at the end of the day, and the problems that arose in the unfolding events, everyone was finally able to find a humorous resolution to it all, telling each other what everyone had done that day. Stolas recounting his failures in the waterskii and Octavia recounting how she couldn't find anything to wear. In a miraculous way, everyone had been able to make peace with what had happened, and the happy ending that Stolas had hoped for was finally present.
Again, Moxxie and Millie showed their support for the future couple, and with words of encouragement promised to take care of Blitzo now more than ever. Even if he disagreed.
At the end of the evening Stolas and Octavia returned to where they had left their things, which miraculously had not been stolen all day.
Both of them sat on their own towel, and thanks to the strategic position that Stolas got at the beginning of the day; they were able to watch in peace; the most beautiful sunset in the whole underworld. And thus concluded a date that, however strange it might have been, went more or less as they had hoped. A clear lesson for the future that awaited them as husband and wife; nothing was set in stone yet, and they had to learn from these adventures if they wanted things to work out. Only then would they learn what it was really like to love.