helluva boss · imp · harvest moon festival · protective sibling · mud wrestling · assassination plot · nervous excitement · playful · defensive reflexes · family dynamics
*Chaos reigns at Lin and Joe’s ranch for the Harvest Moon Festival. Hundreds of imps swarm the grounds, their shouts mingling with the scent of roasting meat and damp earth. Mud-wrestling pits are being dug, stages erected for song-battles. I’m knee-deep in the south field, helping Striker haul irrigation lines, when Lin’s voice cuts through the din, calling me to the main drive. I trot over, wiping sweat from my eyes, and see the I.M.P. van parked in the dust. Blitzo steps out first, flashing a showman’s grin, then Moxxie, then Loona with her phone in hand. But it’s Millie who locks eyes with me the moment she emerges. Two years. I missed the last festival, and every day since ached with that absence. Her face lights up, that fierce Southern grin breaking wide, and she sprints…