Owls and a Fool part 8

from /hhg/ - Helluva Hotel General #819
part 1: h ttps://pastebin.com/g2AsxTm8
part 2: h ttps://pastebin.com/HpRT419x
part 3: h ttps://pastebin.com/4wHMMaVy
part 4: h ttps://pastebin.com/y785eyk8
part 5: h ttps://pastebin.com/9U41gtFJ
part 6: h ttps://pastebin.com/mdHimMUB
part 7: h ttps://pastebin.com/u5Ai5xQw
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Owls and a Fool Chapter I Part XI

>”Just make sure you win Millie her prize so we can actually leave this dump.”
>Moxxie’s face scrunches with visible comic frustration
>”Just pulling your leg, Moxxie. See you two soon!”
>”Ugh, see you soon Anon.”
>”Bye, Nonny!”
>It was good Anon was facing the opposite direction when she said that
>Millie’s already got a nickname for him
>For all he cared she could just snap his neck with her thighs and he’d die a happy man
>And his beet red face proved that
>On his way to the circus, Anon noticed a red and black blur flying out of the roof
>It’s coming down FAST
>”Torches! I say, I say! Get your inconvenient torches here!”
>The blur that ended up being Blitzo crashed into the vendor, spilling the green fire onto the cotton walls of the circus
>”Ow, I said OW!”
>It’s all on fire, including the poorly made animatronics
>What follows is pure nightmare fuel as melting robots emerge from the blaze, followed by a deranged robotic Fizzarolli
>Ock has mentioned him before, but he hasn’t ever recalled seeing Fizz himself
>Wait- weren’t Stolas and Ock in there?!
>”DAD? OCK?!”
>Dashing through the fire, Anon frantically searches for the two, only to find nothing
>He quickly rushes out of the circus, coughing up his lungs from the smoke as he spots Moxxie, Millie, Blitzo, and a terrifying Robo Fizz surrounded by flames
>”Oh, hey guys! You should probably go uh, make sure Stolas is okay, I… got some unfinished business to take care of.”
>”Come on, Anon, let's hurry!”
>Anon follows the imps into a fun house with paralyzing worry crawling up his back
>”Um- I think I’m supposed to be bodyguarded right now!”
>BLAM!
>An unamused Stolas and another dead assassin are spotted inside
>The fear quickly turns into warm relief
>Anon rushes over to the lanky owl, embracing him in a tight hug
>”Thank Satan you’re okay, dad.”
-
Owls and a Fool Chapter I Part XII

>Stolas gives a warm coo as he shares a loving hug back
>”Damn you, you scared me half to death.”
>They let each other go with a smile plastered on both faces
>With a look up, Stolas is disappointed to see Moxxie and Millie instead of Blitzo
>”Wait a minute, where is Blitzy? He’s my knight in shining armor, not you littler ones!”
>Millie slides down to the floor, followed by Moxxie
>”He’s uh… busy.”
>”Being a fool.”
>Stolas tilts his head in curiosity
>”What kind of fool?”
>Moxxie rolls his eyes with irritation
>”The ‘Everything is now on fire’ kind.”
>It’s almost as if Stolas couldn’t be less content with the citation given his ‘are you serious’ expression
>”Hey, you two go find Blitzo. I’ll handle this.”
>The two imps run off to deal with whatever the hell was now happening outside
>”I’m so sorry about that, Nonny! Your sister ran off and- I went after her…”
>Stolas sighs with stress as he runs his hands through his hair
>”I… messed up. She’s really upset and I don’t know where she went.”
>”Well then, come on!”
>Anon drags Stolas through the fun house, clenching his clawed hand as they make their way through the obstacle filled attraction
>They come to find a crying Octavia by herself on a rotating track
>Both feel a harsh tinge of guilt in their stomachs at the sight
>”Remember what I said about support, dad?”
>”I’ll help you along the way, but I can’t resolve the problem for you. You have to be the one facing it head on.”
>”She’d probably be more willing to listen to you anyway.”
>”But-”
>”No buts. You caused this, you fix it. I’ll be outside with the others.”
>Anon tightly clenches Stolas’ claws with a reassuring smile
>”You’ve got this.”
-
Owls and a Fool Chapter I Part XIII

>Anon unholsters his Ruger and leaves to assist the imps
>”Support…”
>”Face it head on, Stolas.”
>As Stolas assures himself with a newfound confidence, he approaches the crying Octavia, wrapping herself in her arms
>”Octavia?”
>Stolas drops his now frowning hat to the floor with a reverberating THUD
>”I take it you are… not having fun?”
>”I didn’t even want to come here!”
>”I’m sorry sweetie I- I thought you loved it here.”
>Octavia’s face fills with slight vitriol as she sniffles away her tears
>”When I was a kid and my family didn’t hate each other… and my dad didn’t flirt with some weird red dickhead the entire time.”
>Stay strong, Stolas. Do it for her.
>”I’m sorry, Via, I’m sorry for- everything- happening right now. I know it’s- a lot, I-”
>Don’t lose it, keep it together.
>”I should have listened.”
>Octavia’s emotions now begin to pour as her face shows more stress
>”I just want to go home... but home doesn’t even feel like home anymore.”
>”Anon is fighting tooth and nail to keep it all together while you and mom are just sitting there watching it happen.”
>”Via-”
>”What if he breaks from the pressure because of you? We-We’re not even honest with him!”
>“We’re just watching him trying to breathe underneath the weight of it all.”
>”I…”
>More tears fall from Octavia’s face, now freely streaming down her cheeks
>”I can’t live seeing him like this, I just can’t… you ruined it.”
>”You need to understand, Your mother and Anon…”
>Stolas rubs the back of his head in guilt
>”They’re… I felt…”
>Speak, damn it!
>”He’s always been- I haven’t been- I…”
>You can’t even comfort your own kid, Stolas? How dare you call yourself a father?
>”I’m sorry I-I don’t have the words!”