After the whole debacle with Stella and Striker, I decided it would be best to give my own house some space for a while. The tension was suffocating, and I needed a change of scenery—something calming, something different. That's when I found myself wandering to Stolas's manor. The grandeur of his home never ceased to amaze me, even in my most distracted states. The sprawling structure seemed to stand as an intricate monument to his character: dramatic, elegant, and slightly intimidating.

I could hear faint voices carrying on the breeze as I approached. Rounding the corner of his vast garden, I spotted Stolas perched on the edge of his opulent balcony. His feathered form was as poised as ever, and he seemed to be deeply engaged in a conversation with none other than Blitz. The imp's signature energy was unmistakable, his expressive hands emphasizing every other word, while Stolas listened with a mixture of delight and exasperation.

A mischievous smile curled on my lips. The railing of the balcony was just close enough for me to make an unexpected entrance—and I couldn't resist. With practiced stealth, I leapt onto the ledge, landing with feline precision. My sudden appearance startled both of them, and the effect was immediate.

"Y/N! You can't scare us like that!" Stolas exclaimed, a clawed hand flying to his chest as though to steady his startled heart. His feathers puffed slightly in alarm, making him look more like a distressed owl than usual.

Blitz yelped and nearly dropped whatever drink he was holding, his tail curling instinctively as he glared up at me. "Damn it, Y/N! Are you trying to give us a heart attack? You're lucky I didn't have my gun on me, or that would've been a whole different kind of jump scare!"

I couldn't help but laugh, a sound that only seemed to deepen their mutual annoyance. Stolas's momentary shock gave way to a fond exasperation, his lips quirking into a soft smile despite himself.

"I swear," he muttered, smoothing his ruffled feathers. "You'll be the end of me one day, Y/N."

Blitz snorted. "You mean the second end of you. First one's already booked for when Stella finally snaps."

Stolas shot him a sharp glare, though there was little malice in it. I chuckled again and slid down onto the balcony properly, leaning casually against the ornate railing.

"Oh, come on. You both needed a little excitement. Besides," I said with a grin, "it's not every day you get to see the mighty Stolas and the infamous Blitz squawking like startled hens."

Blitz rolled his eyes, but his grin betrayed him. "Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up, featherbrain. You're lucky I like you. Stolas, on the other hand, might have half a mind to toss you out for pulling stunts like that."

"Oh, hardly," Stolas replied airily, though his gaze softened as it lingered on me. "I suppose I can forgive them. Just this once."

The tension from earlier seemed to evaporate as the three of us fell into easy banter. For all the chaos that seemed to follow us, moments like this reminded me why I kept coming back. In a world as unpredictable as ours, it was good to have friends who could make you laugh—even if you occasionally scared the feathers off them.

Stolas turned to me, his voice tinged with concern. "But Y/N, why are you here? Stella hasn't been back yet... is she with you?"

I growled low, my anger still simmering. "That harpy thought it'd be nice to waltz into my house and threaten to kill me."

Stolas blinked, his eyes widening in alarm. "What? Really? Are you hurt?" Without waiting for an answer, he reached out and tugged my arms, pulling me closer to him. His crimson eyes scanned me meticulously, searching for any sign of injury.

I nudged him away gently with my snout, offering a small, reassuring smile. "Don't worry about me, love. I can handle myself."

Stolas let out a long, dramatic sigh—one of those that felt like it came from the depths of the cosmos itself—and then he hugged me close. Really close. Like, "you're never leaving my side again" close. "Don't scare me like that," he murmured, his voice all soft and vulnerable, though still a bit gruff from the usual chaos he found himself wrapped up in. "I can't bear to lose you, you know."

My heart melted like a popsicle in the sun, and without a second thought, I smiled and buried my face in his chest feathers. Seriously, those feathers were the softest thing I'd ever felt in my life. They practically screamed luxury and indulgence, and I wanted to just disappear into them forever. Also, his heartbeat was kind of oddly comforting—like a weird lullaby, only it was the sound of a prince who had absolutely no clue how to talk to normal people.

From behind us, Blitzø, ever the chaos engine, grinned with that wide, mischievous smirk of his. "Yeah, squirt," he chimed in, lounging casually against a nearby wall like he was too cool for any of this emotional nonsense, though it was clear he was in on the joke. "You can't go around dying on us."

He sounded serious, but you could tell by the twinkle in his eye that he was absolutely loving the drama of the moment. Honestly, I was half-waiting for him to throw in some ridiculous quip about how he still wasn't entirely sure about my "magical durability" or something. But hey, Blitzø wasn't wrong. I was definitely not going to let myself go and break their hearts. Well, at least not any more than necessary.

I pulled back a bit, giving Stolas a teasing wink as I straightened up, not letting the moment get too saccharine. "You heard him, Stolas," I said with a grin. "Apparently, I'm a very important piece of the team now. Can't go dying on you guys, or who would handle all the nonsense?"

Stolas, ever the dramatic flair king, gave me a playful roll of his eyes and mock-annoyed groan, but the smile tugging at the corner of his lips said everything. Even Blitzø cracked up a little at the scene, clearly enjoying the weirdness of our dynamic.

And that, my friends, was the perfect way to deal with a heart-to-heart conversation when you're wrapped up in absurdity.

Stolas pulled back, his expression softening as he gazed at me with a gentle, almost fond smile. "Would you like some tea or dinner?" he asked, his tone as warm and inviting as a cozy fireplace on a chilly evening. "I'm sure Octavia would love to have you over too."

I couldn't resist. I grinned, leaned in, and planted a quick kiss on his beak. His eyes went wide, and his face instantly turned a deep shade of crimson. His feathers fluffed out in a perfect, comedic puff as if a thousand tiny red pillows had exploded across his chest. It was honestly adorable.

I giggled, stepping out of his embrace, letting my wings unfurl behind me in a dramatic, almost theatrical manner. The way they spread, catching the light just so, made me feel like I had just walked out of a high-budget fantasy film—minus the annoying camera angles and dramatic music, of course. "I'd love to," I said with a smile, "but I'd better go and make sure the harpies aren't in my house anymore, and that I can sleep well tonight."

Stolas blinked, clearly a little thrown off by my sudden shift in focus. "Harpies?" he asked, his feathers still slightly puffed up from the kiss and looking ever-so-fluffy.

I shrugged casually, though there was definitely an edge of humor in my voice. "You know, the usual. Harpies breaking into my house, causing chaos. It's practically a weekly occurrence at this point."

Blitzø, ever the mischief-maker, snorted from somewhere nearby. "Oh, right, yeah. Harpies. Because who wouldn't want to deal with that?" he quipped, eyes glinting with amusement.

I shot him a playful look, tossing my wings slightly, the feathers catching the light with each subtle movement. "Exactly. Honestly, if it wasn't for them, I could have a perfectly normal life. But I guess normal is overrated."

Stolas gave me a slightly exasperated look, but his smile never wavered. "Well, if you need help with those harpies... or anything else..." His voice trailed off as he looked at me with that familiar, fond warmth in his eyes.

I winked at him, feeling a warmth bubble up inside. "I'll keep that in mind," I said, giving him a playful salute before turning to head out. "But for now, I'll let you two handle your family drama while I wrangle the chaos in my own little corner of the world."

As I spread my wings wide and took off, the wind rushing through my feathers, I couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of it all. Harpies, dramatic birds, and unexpected kisses—just another day in my unpredictable, wonderful life.