#1. They're right and 2. I took this set and ran with that.

[iero]

Mwah! Spicy!

[thewayitalknj]

I've been listening to a lot of Mötley Crüe lately to hopefully manifest me seeing them in Las Vegas next year. Came up with this while driving, which is how a lot of my ideas come to be recently. Word Count - 1.6k

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Full Mini-Series Masterlist Here

"Come on please, I have no idea what they have planned and it's killing me." He was practically begging you at this point. You roll your eyes as you walk down the next aisle, stacking the next set of 'romantic comedies' that just came in.

"Eddie, it's your birthday, it's supposed to be a surprise. And can you please stop bugging me while I'm working?"

"Yeah yeah sure I'll stop bugging you" he grits his teeth, "if you tell me what they have planned."

You turn around fully facing him, pushing your glasses back up your nose, taking your voice down to a whisper. "Look I truly have no idea what the fuck they have planned so please stop asking. Just be grateful they're doing something with you and you're not spending your birthday alone." You turn back around, making your way to the 'horror' section.

"At least come with me-"

"I can't, I have my bookclub tonight. But come to my place and tell me all about your guys night tomorrow if you're not too hungover."

He huff's his breath up, his bangs moving in the process. "Thanks a lot."

"I'm sure you'll have a blast."

A strip club. A fucking strip club. As much as Eddie appreciated what his friends were doing this is not what he expected. All he wanted was a guy's night in playing D&D and watching movies but no, his friends had to go all out.

The worst part is it was 'dress up night', so the strippers would be in various costumes. His friends thought the better, dress up plus dancing ladies ; what more could anyone ask for?

After a few hours sitting in a booth a few drinks in, an announcement sounded over the DJ speakers ; "alright everyone we have a birthday in the house! We want to welcome our birthday boy in Booth 21 to come on up for a special dance!" As everyone roared with excitement Eddie blushed under the neon lights.

"Why are y'all doing this to me?"

Garth pushes him forward, "Because we love you, NOW GO!" Eddie reluctantly makes his way up and sits on the chair provided for him. He drums nervously on his knees waiting for the song to start.

The next dancer comes to take the stage, dressed in all red, devil horns, and a red laced mask. Her hair is curled, not one piece left undone. She steps into the spotlight, and Eddie swears time halts and he has to take breath in order to steady himself. He is mesmerized. She slowly makes her way over, putting her hands on both sides of the chair. She eyes him up and down smirking to herself and as her song begins to play ; taking control of the room.

Eddie feels like he's fallen under some sort of spell, like something he wrote out for a campaign. He's so enthralled he completely forgot he was in a room with other people. He watches every move she makes ; the way her hips sway, how she doesn't come too close but just enough to tease him, and the way she makes eye contact with him? Forget about it ; Eddie swears he's falling in love with her right then and there, even though this was his first interaction with the mystery woman.

And in the three minutes the song plays, Eddie is so thankful his friends took him out. He tries to memorize every detail of the devil, just in case he decides to come back another time. Maybe on his own? Maybe with buddies again? Who knows, but he just had to remember her. Particular details ran through his head ; the hair style, the color of her eyes, and while she moved her body up against his, he noticed a small birthmark on the left side of her body, ironically shaped like a heart right above her heart ; and be still his own heart. Right when the music fades and the crowd begins to cheer breaking him out of his headspace, she leans in to his ear and with a sultry voice whispers "happy birthday sweetheart" and it's right then and there Eddie could have been shot through the chest by an arrow and he would feel no pain.

His posse of course never let him see the end of it, with constant teasing as the night went on. One thing was for sure, he could not wait to tell you about his night in the morning.

Eddie couldn't wait, he was practically banging at your door at 9:00am. You reach for your glasses on the nightstand, pull your hair in a messy bun and make your way towards the front door. You look through the peephole and Eddie is waving.

"Ed, what the hell-"

"I gotta tell you about last night." He races in, high on adrenaline pacing your living room.

"Good morning to you too-" You shut the front door, "can I please make some coffee first? I'm exhausted."

"Bookclub ran late?"

"Something like that. Want a cup?"

"Sure, thanks." You sulk to the kitchen and make your coffee, wondering what the hell has Eddie all wound up. You make your way back, handing him his cup as he takes a seat on your couch. "Damn, what book are you ladies reading that has you staying up so late?"

"It's nothing. So tell me, how was your birthday?"

"Amazing, they took me to a strip club."

You swallow your coffee, hard. "Oh wow, what an event."

"You're telling me, it was incredible. Well at least, she was incredible."

"Oh god Eddie don't tell me you fell in love with a dancer-"

"You don't understand. There was just something about her, I-I know it sounds corny but it was like magic. I've never felt like that before." He looks around your living room, then reaching over and grabs your shoulders playfully, shaking you. "Am I going crazy?!"

You laugh, "I don't think so. I just find it hilarious that it's a fucking stripper you're talking about."

"Yeah, well-" Just as Eddie begins to move his arms something catches his eye.

A birthmark. On the left side of your body. In the shape of a heart. He looks into your eyes, the same color and sparkle that were under the mask. He looks at your hair, it's normally straight, why does it look curly and wavy?

All these small details come together in his head. He moves his hands off you and runs them through his own hair, piecing everything together.

"So yeah, uh-enough about me...how was...bookclub?"

"Oh god you don't wanna hear about my bookclub. Why-"

"No no, I do..want to hear....about the bookclub. Please tell me." He takes another sip of his coffee, staring at the birth mark.

You follow his eyes, "is there something on me?"

"Hm, no. Just....so, bookclub?"

"Oh you know, just another night of girl talk about a steamy romance novel and too much wine, just the norm." Eddie can't even think straight, all the events from last night come rushing to his head.

You ponder at him wondering if he's okay, "sweetheart are you alright? You're starting to worry me."

Sweetheart, a nickname normally used frequently but now it's different. He jolts up from your couch. "I gotta go. Dustin and I have...stuff-to do."

You're dismayed, just nodding your head. "Um okay, but if you need anything just let me know-"

"Yeah uh thanks. And thanks for uh the coffee and...talk."

He speedily exits your home, and you're left wondering if maybe just maybe...

Just a Few Hours Ago

You stand off stage looking out to the man sitting on the chair. Only to realize it was Eddie.

"Oh shit-"

"What's up girl? Everything okay?" Your co-worker, Jade, comes up behind you.

"I-I can't go out. You take my slot instead."

"What, why? I'm not on for another 20, why do you want to switch?" She signals to Cassie, the DJ, to hold off on the music. Cassie gives a thumbs up and waits.

"I know the guy sitting in the chair, he's one of my friends. I can't...dance for him."

"Why? He won't know it's you, we're all dressed up tonight."

"Yeah but it's just...awkward that I know and he...doesn't."

"Look, I understand where you're coming from but I think you should just do it. He won't know it's you, does he know you work here?"

"No no, he's here with his friends for his birthday," You watch him drum on his legs, probably nerves. "I wouldn't picture him as someone who would want to come out and do this but, there he is."

"So, give him the dance of his life. Something he'll never forget. Remember, you're not going out as yourself." You nodded your head, Jade was right. You signal back to Cassie to start your song when ready. You quietly thank Jade, take a deep breath and take the stage.

24 Hours Later

As you apply your lipstick looking in the mirror, your other coworker Bianca comes in. "Hey B! How was your daughter's band recital?"

She takes a seat next to you giving you a half hug. "It was great! She crushed her solo, I'm so proud of her."

"That's incredible. I can't wait to see the tape!"

"Oh before I forget, Pam wanted me to tell you you got a private dance at 10:30."

"Wait, really?" You ponder, turning around in the chair. "I haven't done a private dance in weeks."

"Guess someone really likes you because they asked for you specifically."

"Oh wow. Really? Okay then, thanks for the heads up."

"No problem, be safe!"

Once 10:30 rolls around you make your way to Room #2, opening the door and stopping dead in your tracks the moment you see who it is, casually lounging on the couch.

"Sup sweetheart?"

Quick Notes - Hope you enjoyed! :) Thank you for reading! Reblogs are much appreciated! Maybe Part 2? idk.

[l0vely-sturniolo]

PANIC

matt sturniolo x reader

warnings: panic attack

summary: matt invites you to be the ‘point keeper’ during the versus tour, and that leads to a panic attack.

——————————————————————————

i was on tour with the triplets right now. they had officially just started their versus tour. they're first show was in San Francisco, and that's where we were currently heading. i was sat on the little couch thing, next to matt, with my head on his shoulder when he spoke up.

"you know what i was thinking?" he said to me. "what's that?" i smiled at him. "what if you came on stage with us? and you were our point keeper," he said. "really?" i asked him and he nodded. "okay," i smiled.

eventually it was almost time for the show. the boys were finishing up the first round of meet and greets, and i was starting to stress myself out about being on stage in front of everyone. there was so many people and i don't do too good in big crowds, even though i wouldn't be in the crowd, they would all be looking at me eventually, and that thought made me sick to my stomach.

i tried to distract my mind by going on my phone, but that didn't help. all i could think about was having hundreds of eyes on me and that somehow i would screw up, and then it would be all over the internet.

i set my phone down, taking a deep breath, but that didn't help. my breathing became uneasy, and my hands started shaking. "y/n?" madi asked. she was backstage with me. i just shook my head, and tears started rolling down my face. "mom! we need matt!" madi ran over to laura.

"she's having a panic attack i think," i heard her say, and next thing i know, laura was in front of me. "honey, what's wrong? what do you need?" "w-water," i stumbled out. "okay, i'll go get some," madi said and ran off. "what's wrong sweetheart?" "too... too many people," i breathed out.

madi came back over with a water and i was able to drink it, even though my hands were shaking like crazy. "i think the boys are almost done, let me go check," laura said, and madi sat next to me and grabbed my hand, and rubbed my back.

a few minutes later i heard footsteps running over to where we were, and someone bent down in front of me, putting their hand on my knee. i looked down, and i immediately knew it was matt's hand. "baby, look at me," he whispered, and i looked up at him.

"what's the matter?" he asked. "too many people," i whispered. "okay, okay, come here," he opened his arms, and i immediately went right into them. "you're okay, take deep breaths baby," he whispered, rubbing my back. "ready, 1, 2, 3," he said, and took a deep breath, and i took one with him. "couple more," he said, and we took some more deep breaths together.

my breathing went back to being okay, but my hands were still shaking. he sat me down and sat on the coffee table in front of me, grabbing my hands, rubbing them with his thumbs.

"matt, i don't think i can go on stage," i told him. "i know, even if you could i wouldn't let you. you need to relax after that, maybe even take a nap, you're just gonna stress yourself out more thinking about it baby, it's okay." he told me, still rubbing my hands.

i looked up at him and tears were still rolling down my face, and he reached forward and wiped them. "i didn't wanna disappoint you," i looked down. "disappoint me? baby, i'm not disappointed. i'm worried for you right now, you just had a panic attack baby. i'm not disappointed in you one bit, i'm actually glad you told me how you felt." he said to me.

"it's okay to be nervous baby, and it's okay to change your mind about doing something. you absolutely do not have to do this, i still love you, i'm not mad, i'm not disappointed, everything's okay baby. you're okay, i'm okay, we're all okay beautiful," he said. i let go of his hands and moved up on the couch, wrapping my arms around him. "i love you," i mumbled into his shoulder. "i love you princess, so so much." he kissed my head, rubbing my back.

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tags:

@stayingstromboli

[crushedsweets]

can u tell me abt ur au's liu a little bit

- 🥸 definitely not machine in a trench coat

hiiiiii stranger whos not machine ^_^ <33

ok so. liu is a huge WIP imma be real. him and jeff keep changing a LOT cuz 1. my irl friends and i made a crp AU and their faves ended up being jeff and liu so i keep getting swayed by their HCs even tho they conflict my own 2. the woods brothers have always been kinda unfinished/half assed in my AU and im tryna catch up.

SO IM GONNA USE THIS POST TO HELP ME MESSILY ORGANIZE MY THOUGHTS

SO.............unfortunately, liu's character is VERY reliant on jeff's. So I’ll keep bringing up Jeff. Soz

they're half brothers, same mom. Born and raised New Jersey

i'm imagining a whole messy thing with their parents. i'm still indecisive if i want their mom to cheat on liu's dad, resulting in jeffs birth, and they tried to sweep it under the rug for the family's image. regardless, liu's biological dad still raised both boys, and he's the one jeff kills when jeff goes on his rampage

this is mostly cuz i want jeff's dad to be a deadbeat who ends up in jail, while liu's dad maintains a better image. hence the whole golden child, black sheep thing going on with the brothers.

SO. Yeah, again, liu is the golden child. while jeff's getting caught bullying kids as young as 7, liu's getting decent grades, has a nice set of friends, is excitedly planning for college, etc. he's not extraordinary by any means, but he's doing good

he's also just like...genuinely a good person, he really really really cares for jeff and sees the good in him. he knows jeff is struggling, he knows jeff lives with heavy guilt and resentment regarding his family, there's always that unspoken tension of his father. and liu is jeff's #1 defender, even when jeff genuinely doesn't deserve it

HOWEVER. i dont think 'glass child' is the right term for their situation specifically, but something along those lines. liu IS incredibly overlooked because of how much jeff acts out. and even when he IS acknowledged for his good, it seems to always be an intentional attack on jeff. "liu's so smart, why can't you be like that?" "you're so reckless, have you ever seen liu do something that stupid before?" "go ask your brother for help, he knows better" . . . which impacts jeff more, obviously, but it still leaves liu with a lot of guilt, shame, anxiety, self esteem issues, cuz why is he only good in comparison? why isn't he good on his own? then he feels guilty for feeling guilty cuz at least he's not in jeffs shoes. he just feels like hes got a lotta mundane issues. at least they're not jeffs, right ?

Anyway. He was prepping for college but when he took the fall for Jeff attacking Randy, it fucked up his university acceptance and he just went to a local community college to try and build some credits and a GPA and resume. I’m. It’s 12am I’m. Anything after this is just me rambling don’t take it seriously ever at all

Trying so hard to finish this draft I’m so tired um. I’m not sure if he goes to college before or after Jeff’s first rampage n I’m too lazy to check.

Regardless, he ends up transferring, getting some sort of vague business degree, and getting a very mundane office job. Probably ran errands for a long time, getting coffee and whatnot. Felt very…. Lost? All things considered

Anyhow. Somewhere in this he starts dating some guy and they fall in love and whatnot and lius healing and he assumes Jeff’s dead cuz how te hell is he still alive . None of Jeff’s ‘famous murders’ are around (aka the smiles and go to sleep written on walls) so he thinks he’s done.

And then the Arkensaw case happens.

Liu spirals. Ruins everything. He gets so anxious and paranoid and depressed he ends up losing his job. Hes planning ways to go to Alabama, where the Arkensaw case happened

Fiance is like heeeeellll nooooo im not going to Alabama wtf r u on. Liu is like well I’m going regardless. Fisnce is like if you go I’m calling off the wedding. Liu is so hurt it just pushes him further

By time he ends up in Alabama he realizes he’s right back at the bottom of the corporate ladder, lost tons of savings, and doesn’t even wanna find Jeff anymore. Just wants to move on . Can’t afford to move again

[catsteinbooks]

The Thin Dark Duke of Hell

Haven't actually written a meta before, but I've been mulling this around in my head, so here's my take on why I think Crowley is likely to be a Duke of Hell in season 3.

Reason 1: it makes narrative sense

From a story-telling perspective, it's the logical starting place for season 3. Especially if we consider how the original idea was developed as a sequel to the book.

There's no body-swap in the book. Neither Aziraphale nor Crowley has heard from "their sides" at the end, so technically they're still connected to Heaven and Hell. They haven't been punished or kicked out. They even speculate that maybe everyone will just pretend it didn't happen.

And now we're approaching the Second Coming. The Big One. "All of us against all of them." Where are our heroes? Well, time has passed, things have happened. It's reasonable to think that maybe they've both been promoted. (Crowley, in particular, is often getting promotions, usually for things he didn't do.) And story-wise, they're set up as opposite numbers, so it makes sense that their positions as the sequel story begins will be of similar status.

Applying this concept to the screen version, we know Aziraphale has been offered the Supreme Archangel position. Therefore, if Crowley is to be his counterpart, he has to have a high rank in Hell. And there's a Duke of Hell opening to be filled. (Sorry, Shax, I think Crowley's going to snatch it out from under you.)

Reason 2: it fits Crowley's character

"What?!" you shout. "Crowley hates Hell! He turned them down! He doesn't want to go back!"

Correct. He doesn't. But he will if he thinks he needs to. Because he and Aziraphale have a huge, defining commonality: they love Earth and Humanity and don't want it to be destroyed.

Yeah, Crowley will probably wallow for a while. He deserves some time to get insanely drunk and cry. Sort of like he did when he thought Aziraphale was dead in season 1. But the thing is, Crowley always comes back. He's always ready to run. He always threatens to run. He hops in his car and drives somewhere. But he never actually leaves. Because there's no point in going away somewhere without Aziraphale. And that hasn't changed. If Crowley ran away now, he'd still be miserable, but without any music or whisky or his Bentley. It would be... pointless.

So what's a heartbroken, grieving, furious demon to do? Vent his pain in the best possible way: thwarting everyone and everything who hurt him and took away the angel he adores. He knows what Heaven is planning, because he saw it in Gabriel's file. He doesn't want Earth destroyed, he doesn't want Heaven or Hell to win. And he has an opportunity to sabotage the whole thing from the inside.

Which leads us to...

Reason 3: Crowley has a way into Hell already

There is a great meta here about Crowley's conversation with Beelzebub in Hell and its potential season 3 impact. The TL;DR version is: Crowley DID technically find Gabriel, and Beelzebub promised him anything he wanted (including being a Duke of Hell) in return.

Is it a somewhat dubious contract? Sure. Would that stop Crowley? *snort laugh* The demon who makes up legal clauses on the spot to save humans is well-equipped to argue his way into Hell's highest position in order to save the entire world. It's probably much easier than driving a flaming Bentley all the way to Tadfield.

So where does this leave us?

Aziraphale is up in Heaven, ready to burn it to the ground. You saw him when the Metatron mentioned the Second Coming. That was not a happy angel ready to do what he's told. And, frankly, Aziraphale is not actually capable of doing what he's told IMO. No matter how much he tries to follow the good/evil dynamic, he ultimately ends up choosing what is Right over what is Good.

Crowley in Hell would be doing the same kind of thing, albeit in a more subtle, sneaky way. After all, he spent 6000 years thwarting Hell all over the place and getting away with it the vast majority of the time. He knows how to mess with them. (And can you just imagine what would happen when demons like Eric asked him questions and he answered them?! He could gather his own little army with one Suggestion Box.)

So when shit hits the fan, as it inevitably will, we'll be left with both our ineffable heroes (gn) poised to do the exact same thing: destroy the machine from the inside.

Even if some of the other fan speculations prove true (memory wipes, for instance), I think it still makes narrative sense to have them both in equal-but-opposite positions. Because no matter how much the enemies are trying to mess with them, if you take a certain angel with an opportunity to fuck up Heaven and a certain demon with an opportunity to fuck up Hell and you bring them together (which, let's be honest, has to happen no matter what the storyline is), it's going to be pretty darn epic.

[thezombieprostitute]

Dream Come True - Part 2

Summary: The “Garbage Men” are the guys in the mob who get the dirt on others and clean up after the higher ups. They have many different ways of gathering intel by running legitimate businesses. One such business is Jefferson/Jensen’s cyber cafe where you regularly go to work. You’ve actually become good friends with Jefferson’s daughter and Jensen’s niece. You even volunteered as their after-school tutor. One day, there’s a robbery attempt where you get hurt protecting the girls. This is how you are introduced to Curtis Everett, the guy in charge of the “Garbage Men”.

A/N: Reader is plus sized, femme. No other descriptors used.

Warnings: Shooting mentioned, not written. American healthcare system. Insecure reader. Bullying with an emphasis on fat shaming. Please let me know if I miss any!

Part 1 -- Part 3

Series Masterlist

It's only been a few days but you find yourself unable to follow the advice of the medical staff and get some rest. Your brain won't let you. You've got budgets to consider, a resume to update, and follow up appointments to schedule. Thankfully when Jake and Jefferson had brought the girls for a visit they made sure to bring your laptop.

Because you hated not knowing, you opted to spend your time researching to see about how much you might be getting from that back-pay promised by Curtis. Jefferson had assured you that Curtis did, in fact, have that kind of pull but "please don't dig too much into it." You got the impression not everything was on the up-and-up but you have bills to pay so you agreed.

On day four you got a notice of deposit from your bank. You took a look and your jaw dropped. That couldn't be right! You'd done the research. There's no way even an experienced, highly qualified tutor would ever be earning that much! There must've been a mistake! You immediately make a note to tell someone who knows Curtis.

Curtis and Mace were going through their weekly itineraries. Between the two of them nothing got lost. Mace would, occasionally, grumble about needing a vacation but the two of them were the only people who keep all the moving pieces in mind.

"At least we can check a few things off the list this week," Curtis grunted. "Hal's got the bugs planted in the Smith law building. Jake's confirmed they're working."

"Fowler confirmed McMann won't be a problem," Mace reported. "Apparently the guy's busy trying to hunt down the guy that ran away with his wife."

Curtis chuckled at that. "That was Nat, right?"

Mace smiled, "yeah. Nat called "dibs" and we didn't have a counterargument."

"McMann's gonna spend a long time searching," Curtis shakes his head. "Nat's the best at not being found when she doesn't want to be."

"And the Missus is definitely better off," Mace agreed. "Nat's setting her up for life."

"That reminds me," Curtis interjected. "How's the back-pay for Hero doing?"

Mace double checked a few things on his phone before replying, "it's been deposited into her account."

"Good. One more thing we can cross off the list."

"Not yet, actually," Mace hesitated. Curtis gave him a curious look. "Turns out, she's trying to get ahold of you to talk about the amount. Beck says she's adamant that it's too much."

"Huh," Curtis's eyebrows raised. "There's something you don't hear every day. I'll talk to Barber and got some legal-ese that'll explain without explaining."

Mace nods and the two continue their meeting, switching to ongoing tasks.

"Excuse me?" It's been a few days since the money hit your account and you've finally gotten a visit from Curtis.

They kept you at the hospital longer because your stress levels made it "irresponsible" for Dr. Beck to discharge you, lest you have a heart attack as soon as you get outside. At this point you're certain Dr. Beck wants to get as much money from your stay as he can. Everyone who visits, however, says otherwise.

"Hazard pay," Curtis patiently repeated. "That's why there's so much more money than you expected."

"You can't expect me to believe that!" You are indignant. "That's not how hazard pay works. I've done my research Mr. um, Mr." you pause because you realize you don't know his last name. You feel the pang of embarrassment because you've been saying you've done your research but you don't know something as simple as a last name! You push past it and continue, "I've done my research, sir!"

You open up your laptop and bring up all of your documents of notes, focusing in on the bibliography. "I've got data from reputed tutoring websites, the Department of Labor, Glassdoor, even the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and none of them support the amount I was given."

Curtis finds himself smiling. He's been talked back to plenty of times, but never like this. "You're cute," he blurts out.

Thinking he's making fun of you, you look away from him and try not to show too much hurt. Curtis assures, "I'm not saying that to belittle you. You really have put a lot of work into this."

You shake your head, "it's besides the point, sir. You've grossly overpaid me. I know you've overpaid me. Yet you are refusing to acknowledge this."

"That's partly because I'm not sure why it's such a big deal to you," he calmly states.

"Because I don't want to cheat you!"

"Are you saying there's a price limit for saving my nieces?"

"I mean, technically there is. Could probably use some actuarial tables used in life insurance policies to find it out." Curtis gives you a hard glare but you persist, "I'm not saying that your nieces aren't priceless. I'm saying that I don't want to take what isn't mine. This is a lot of money and I don't want you going hungry or something because you feel you owe me when you don't. I only did what any decent person would do!"

"It's been my experience that decent people are rarities," Curtis stated. "As such they, and by extension you, should be treated well and given plenty."

"That's another part of the problem," you sighed. "I have not been told anything specific but I've seen and heard enough to suspect that this money might not be... legitimate."

Curtis's jaw tensed up. He'd have to have a word with the J's about being more careful. "I assure you," he nearly growled, "that the money you received was honestly earned by us and then you. All tax forms have been taken care of. All employment paperwork is settled."

You meet his gaze, undeterred by the intensity in his eyes. You see no signs of trickery. Nothing in those icy blue eyes indicating he was hiding the truth from you. You nod your acceptance and he relaxes a bit.

"Now," he says in a much lighter tone, "was there anything else?"

"Um, just one," you replied. "You said that I'm officially employed? That you might have more work for me? Who am I employed by and what other work should I be ready for?"

"The official name of my company is Everett Enterprises," he explained. "That's the company title on your W-2. As for the "other work" that was implied, it's simply a notice that I may have other employees in need of a tutor. I know Hal has been looking at getting his GED."

"So all you would need from me is more tutoring?"

Curtis can hear the tremor in your voice. You're a good person who doesn't want to get mixed up in anything illegal and he's happy to accommodate that. "Yes," he asserts. "Though that may involve helping some of my people learn how to cite their sources like you did."

That gets a half smile from you and Curtis considers the conversation done. "Now please follow the doctor's orders and rest up," he pleads. As he turns to leave he says, "make sure to get your beauty sleep."

Because he's facing away he doesn't see your face fall at the comment.

Part 1 -- Part 3

Tagging @alicedopey because I promised I would.

@dontbescaredtosingalong

@icefrozendeadlyqueen

@texmexdarling

@veltana

@winter-soldier-101

Let me know if you'd like to be tagged.

[isa-ghost]

you have eggza headcanons perhaps? 👉👈

I will take any headcanons of course, I love your headcanon posts

Previous Sets:

Set 1

Set 2

Set 3

Set 4

Set 5

Set 6

MORE: Eggza Edition

Starting with two I made in previous sets:

When left to his own devices & off-duty as dad + not needed by any of the islanders for something serious, he let's loose. No more wise bad bitch crow man who's palpably emotionally damaged yet won't admit it. He's off the shits. You've seen Eggza. That's him de-stressing by fully indulging his favorite things: preparing necessities for survival & being an absolute wildcard.

When he heard someone on the island made up a rumor that Eggza is legit because Phil taste-tested a cookie out of curiosity, he took that and RAN. Yeah. He's egg sometimes. Who's his parent you ask? Well that's a secret (it's Rose).

Remember how I said he commits to bits super hard? Yeah. Eggza is his second biggest bit after the 4th Wall existentialism but it's quickly surpassing it to his biggest one

Genuinely he enjoys his Eggza time. Everyone knows they'll get nothing but task help out of him more or less, so they more or less leave him alone unless it's to say hi or a chance encounter.

Everyone finds him speaking with signs funny and endearing. Except Tubbo. But that's understandable, dyslexia go brr. Even though the fool sometimes forgets he can tts the signs. It's fine, he's most likely to derail Eggza's cookie grinding so it's better if Tubbo stays away doing Tubbo things

He's torn between the kids witnessing Eggza & never witnessing Eggza. He can't tell what's funnier or if he'd be embarrassed. They've heard stories from other eggs though

He has no interest in making himself Look like an egg. The sign usage is all he needs. And its funnier when you approach your grown ass man best friend Philza Minecraft only for him to look as wild as he did during Purgatory but without the Looks Like He's Dying Slowly part & refuse to talk to you verbally. The "what the fuck is happening here" is the best part of Eggza, if he starts LOOKING like an egg everyone will understand what's going on and that's lame

He bounces off everyone's energy. The more unhinged they are, the more unhinged he is. Unless he's harassing the baker. Then he fuels his own fuckery

The funny thing is he makes sure everyone thinks he's constantly this wild gremlin that only knows one thing: Grind. But really if no one's around while he's grinding, he's actually just straight up vibing. Got headphones in, blasting his jams, doin his work. In his lane, unbothered, flourishing.

I would sell my soul to see Eggza beat the ever-loving shit out of Purgatory workers it'd be so fucking funny holy shit

One of his favorite parts of going Eggza Mode is amusing his friends with the way he's just a nonverbal weirdo. Especially when he answers something they say by just dancing

If He's An Extra Silly Gremlin They'll Give Him Avocado Toast As A Treat

No one knows where he shoos his crows off to when he's Eggza. Or if it's some unspoken "ok time to scatter" rule as soon as he puts the gas mask on by the bakery. But they disperse and for a while, the other islanders can't shake the feeling of Phil seeming strangely bare for some reason. It's bc the murder is away

Tbh I bet even without the Hardcore dreams, he'd sleep a long time with how hard he works as Eggza

"Hard work," I say, as if most of the time Phil isn't just making mobs insatiable amounts of horny so everyone can give the baker what they're asking for (the awareness of this is half of why he's so unhinged as Eggza, it's too absurd & funny to him)

Calling back to another prev non-Eggza hc I made, he has less of a filter when he's not parenting or in peril. He has said some absolutely wild out of pocket shit on signs

If given the right kind of motivation, an islander could probably get Eggza to go feral and kill something or someone. Fit tosses him a stack of whatever arbitrary item Phil might find enticing enough atm & Phil is suddenly on a spree like he was with those bunnies that one time

[simblorbo-bracket]

Round 3 - Simblr's Saddest, Wettest Meow Meow - Losers Bracket

Lyra (@literallyjusthereformods) VS. Rook (@morrigan-sims)

(polls are presented left -> right unless stated otherwise)

They may be down, but they're not out yet! Who deserves a shot at redemption, to prove that they, truly, are the saddest and wettest of meow meows despite all the odds?

What is a ‘Meow Meow’?

(taken from tumblr user @/torturelabyrinth) “The thing about a true poor little meow meow is they have to be 1) downtrodden 2) morally questionable at best 3) deeply and pathetically miserable”

Lyra

Lyra kidnapped as a puppy, and forced to perform in a circus due to her exotic werewolf voice. She was given the stage-name "Lyra Lyric."

After complaints of her misery apparent onstage, she was subject to rounds of injection procedures that forced her muscles to remain set in a smile.

It worked for a long time, but as her face matured in her teen years, the showmaster began to find the results unfavorable. They scheduled an in-house procedure to reconstruct the bones of Lyra's face.

The procedure was half-complete, with pins inserted to hold to the bones in place, when Lyra's horror overtook her. She fought back, discovering her raw power as a near-adult werewolf, and proceeded to fully lash out, killing the showmaster, medical staff, and anybody else impeding her escape.

The plate holding the surgical pins was never removed. Both because Lyra has no way to do so alone without damaging her skull, and because she doesn't mind it hiding her surgical scars.

Her teeth and lips suffer a lot from her mouth not being able to shut fully, and her face suffers from constant bruising due to the intense internal damage.

In her late teens, while living on the run through the rural mountain forest region, she murdered several individuals who caught sight of her during hikes or road trips. This is due to her intense fear of being looked at, both due to her lifetime of exploitation and paranoia about being found by her old master or law enforcement.

Two long years of foot travel led her to an old secluded neighborhood up in the mountains. She took refuge in an abandoned house, which she rarely leaves, except for hunting. Her Scopophobia leads to her dragging her kill indoors, and eating it, leaving the interior of her home stained with blood and gore. Primarily on an old rug, where she eats to minimize mess.

Drugs quickly became a habit of hers. She raids the local park's cigarette vending machine when nobody is around, and has gotten harder drugs from several dealers, though she ambushed and killed them upon meeting, since she lacks a source of money.

Originality: Original Character

Extra: Lyra is missing most fingerparts on her right hand.

The neighborhood Lyra moved into is filled with retirees who have inferred Lyra's situation. They keep the cops away, and prevent outsiders from bothering her, but don't approach her personally because she's still dangerous.

Lyra steals sodas from the park vending machine when she thinks nobody is looking.

The hearts on her face use a harsh dye and were put onto her face for stage appearance to make her more recognizable. The skin beneath is also dyed red. They’re basically tattooed into her skin and fur. 

Rook

Why a SWMM? I call him my "idiot bastard man", and it's accurate in every sense of those words. Actual literal bastard son of a nobleman. Ran away from home and joined a pirate crew because he was terrified of getting stuck working a dead-end job for the rest of his life (he was 17). Had 6 great years sailing with his captain, who was the first person who was ever nice to him. He even had one (1) real friend!!! But the rest of the crew hated him and thought the captain was showing him favoritism, so he got given a drugged drink during a "birthday celebration" on shore, and given to a rival captain. She kept him and torture him for 2 years until he escaped. He met two good father figures but one of them turned out to be the BBEG (see above), and the other one died 2 days later. The day after that he got kidnapped again. He's been cursed by a demon lord so he has terribly nightmares and barely sleeps. He's convinced that his life has no value, and is self-sacrificial to the point of self-destruction. Keeps telling people who care about him very concerning news (mainly that he died) in really stupid ways. Has died 3 times, and has been pulled back from the brink countless more. Goes down at least once every combat / gets the shit beat out of him constantly. Was reunited with his one (1) friend and she immediately got killed because of his actions. Has no common sense. Extremely impulsive. Got told he was too reckless to be trusted with his own life. Gets bullied by major villains on a regular basis. Has taunted powerful people twice and gotten killed both times. Has no common sense. A capital L Liar, has never told the truth in his life. Hasn't properly buttoned a shirt in ~9 years. Other people knew that his beloved mentor and father figure was actually the BBEG but they didn't tell him. Had to see said mentor figure get brutally "killed" in front of him.

Origin: He's my longest-running Dungeons & Dragons character, and I have literally never been more obsessed with a character in my life. And completely unbeknownst to me I wrote him to be a perfect parallel to the BBEG of the entire campaign. Hence why the DM made said BBEG show up and be Rook's mentor... Fun times!!!

Additional Propaganda: I mean, just look at this shit:

^ that should say "unless", not "in case", I made a typo and didn't realize until later.

Tags from a friend on a post I made about him:

[bereft-of-frogs]

I'm so glad I have actually stuff to analyze now to defend Indara and I don't have to just keep being like 'um that's not really how narrative storytelling works' and 'I suspect you guys just don't know what to do with reserved female characters who aren't evil' and 'not everyone who isn't a ray of sunshine is a secret Sith lord babes' this is even MORE fun than my reddit crusade over the last few weeks now that I have substance.

anyway, hopping back on the Indara defense train as I have been for a full month, but also talking about her 3 big missteps first:

Mistake #1: not putting her foot down and insisting on going in to talk to the coven alone the first time. Yeah, this was the last moment things could have gone well. I think she was right and going in alone would have looked less intimidating. Also given what she does at the end, she's a pretty strong telepath and wouldn't have had the weak point of Torbin to be exploited. I think if her level head had met Aniseya's level head they could have talked some things out, and the crisis wouldn't have escalated that quickly. There are definitely still some issues - what did Aniseya do to create the twins? why was Koril so afraid of the Jedi finding out? - and things might have come to blows anyway, but I don't think they'd have been as explosive if Indara had had the chance to initially diffuse some of the tension.

Counterpoint: they might have killed her or at least not let her leave actually. If it had JUST been Indara and Aniseya we're talking about, yeah, the fastest solution is a friendly chat between the two of them, I actually think the Jedi would appreciate some of Aniseya's philosophy, they have a nice little cultural exchange and part ways maybe agreeing to disagree on some of the specifics of the Dark vs Light side of the Force, but at least everyone lives. But there's the rest of the coven to consider. Koril particularly. She is DOWN to murder pretty much immediately, as we know from the advisor scene from episode 3, when she's like 'who would miss them?'

Aside: **Book spoilers, I wish tumblr had spoiler tags like Reddit or Discord, don't read this point if you don't want Path of Deceit spoilers** And eep, yeah who WOULD miss them? I sort of jokingly said this after episode 3 like 'lol well it did work for the Path of the Open Hand, that's not that crazy an idea', but now we have the context and oof, they're even MORE off grid than Zallah and Kevmo were. At this point they haven't even contacted Coruscant about finding the coven, right? So while the Council knows the planet they're on, they still think it's uninhabited and evidently the witches are pretty well hidden, they'd just vanish. Jeez, the Council knew the town and precise location of the Path compound and it still took an absurdly long time to figure out what happened after Zallah and Kevmo started missing check-ins, long enough for the Path to escape. I bet they don't check in as much on a peaceful survey mission vs an active investigation too, the four Jedi really could be missing for a long time before anyone realized something was wrong.

But yeah, Koril seems pretty down for murder, so while one Jedi going in alone doesn't look like that much of a threat and might set Aniseya at ease, Koril might have seen it as a weak point available to exploit. Fearing what Indara would report back to the Council about their presence and the twins, Koril might goad the coven into making an attempt on her life, and while Indara is clearly a formidable fighter, she is drastically outnumbered, fighting all the witches alone might have been too much for her. And of course, that makes things so much worse immediately. The leader and the most level head is gone, the Jedi are now grieving and rightfully fear for their lives, tensions explode even earlier. But that's really not much more than an interesting AU idea lol a slight counterpoint though.

Mistake #2: not being the one to go after Torbin when he ran off. This one is just going to come down to clunky writing, I'm sorry. Because there is zero logical reason for her to trust Sol to bring him back. She should have gone herself. Torbin was her responsibility, she's been reticent about how Sol's imbalance was feeding his the whole time, she should have known Sol was never going to deescalate and was only going to drag him further into trouble. But we can sit here arguing over her thought process and blame her but at the end of the day, it was just that the writers needed it to be Sol for the plot and...I don't know, didn't workshop other reasons to divide them like this. But yeah, in universe, there is no reason for it to have been Sol. Things still might have been escalated due to the events inside the fortress and Sol likely sensing Osha's fear when Mae starts the fire, but Indara could (and should) have stopped Torbin's part in it, that was her direct responsibility.

Mistake #3: suggesting the cover up. Yeah this one's not great. I think most of the 'wow Indara did nothing wrong' people are like '.....ok until the cover up'. And like this maybe also is going to get filed under 'clunky writing' but I'm willing to be argued around on that, I just can't quite figure out why they had to lie about the fire to protect Osha's dream of becoming a Jedi? That's the sticking point for me. They're going to have the same arguments with the Council to let her join, I'm not sure what the difference is whether they tell the truth or not.

On the characterization side though, I can also see where it's like....maybe Indara shouldn't have been making decisions at that point because she did just kill at least a couple dozen people with her mind and is probably kind of freaked out. It was an accident, yeah, but I could see being pretty unnerved by what she'd just done and not wanting to reveal that to the Order. I think a big point has been the way each of these characters (on both the Jedi and the coven's side) act out of fear and that being what dooms them, and this is the moment Indara acts out of fear. She's afraid of revealing this frankly kind of frightening telepathic power, she's afraid the Order will blame her as the leader and call into question her ability to lead, or maybe even to have a padawan. I could see in this moment her being like 'well this is technically true and upsets the status quo the least, let's just go with it.' And then gets locked in once Sol tells Osha, so she can't change her mind after she calms down a bit.

ok back to defending her against two things: 1) breaking the spell and killing the coven, 2) her teaching style.

The issue with the conversation around her breaking the spell and killing the coven that I'm having is I think one of 'authorial intent vs what comes through on screen'. Because in the Nerdist interview that confirmed Indara did not intentionally kill the witches, Headland also said that her mistake her was acting out of 'selfish attachment to save her friend' and not worrying about the consequences. And I just...my brain does not make that logical leap. You could maybe argue that if like...a bunch of other things weren't going on. Like the alternative to Indara not breaking the spell is: Kelnacca continues on his puppet rampage and she has to fight him essentially alone (Torbin is knocked out and Sol's tiring) and probably kill him, which could have also killed the witches, she doesn't know that.

I guess if she 100% knew that breaking the spell telepathically would kill the witches and killing Kelnacca physically would not, you could argue she was stuck in a trolley problem and maybe should have just killed Kelnacca, but even then it's like. Eh. So she kills Kelnacca. She's still vastly outnumbered by hostile witches who could just turn their attention to someone else. Maybe they go for Sol next and she has to do the same thing, then Torbin, until she's alone and Koril can re-form from the mist and kill her. (Nerdist interview all but confirmed Koril is not dead.) I think this is where writers get mired in the weeds of attachment, pacifism, and the greater good. Yes, the philosophy of the Jedi asks them to sacrifice possessive attachment to others so they are not fueled by those emotions and they try to find a nonviolent way to resolve conflict first, but this doesn't equal 'you should just lay down and die immediately rather than fight back against someone who's hurting you'.

TWO the teaching style thing. I've seen so many people over the last couple days be like 'wow she's such a shitty teacher' and call her style 'sink or swim' and imply she's letting Torbin drown. And I agree it's not perfect. Seven weeks is a long time to be stuck in a stalemate with your homesick student over whether he understands the grander purpose of your mission. But also I think it makes perfect sense if you consider that she's trying to teach him patience and also not influence his own line of inquiry (...unlike someone else which I'll get to). But first off, this seems like the perfect mission to teach this sort of patience. I'm even hesitant to call it 'sink or swim' which I'd apply more to like, if she brought him into a high-stakes, dangerous environment and was just like 'good luck.' Up until the last 36 hours or so (or less lol we don't know how long the day-night cycle is on this planet, but from when Sol sees the twins to the fire starting is about a day and a half), this was a safe, low-stakes mission. They're essentially doing a mystical ecological survey, on a planet that seems mostly uninhabited and without significant predators or other dangers. Finding the vergence doesn't seem to have any sense of urgency to it. Part of being a Jedi is listening to the Council, even when you have to do something boring or that you don't want to do. You don't really get to choose your assignments, especially when you're an apprentice and are expected to go wherever your master's work takes you. I think it was a fine situation for her to wait out. Yeah, she maybe underestimated how badly Torbin wanted to go home and should have interrogated those emotions earlier but still this is a pretty low stakes mission, I think without the sudden acute pressure of the situation with the coven and Aniseya exploiting that homesickness, they may have found a healthier resolution to those issues.

And, given what she tells Sol about not wanting to give Torbin answers but teach him to seek them for himself, that she might not want to influence his ideas. The masters clearly know what they're looking for is probably a vergence, but Indara might not have wanted to tell Torbin because he's young and inexperienced and then he might start seeing a vergence everywhere, rather than listening to what the Force is really telling them. (This is another thing where like, yeah if they were on Earth in our time with no psychic powers I think it's fair to criticize her for withholding answers that long...but they're psychic space wizards who are supposed to be able to sense things normal people can't, I think some of the pedagogy for that is a little different than what we're used to.) I think Sol was wrong to step in like that, especially considering the outcome, that Torbin does get so fixated on finding the vergence and going home he loses perspective. And I think Indara was right: this wasn't about what Torbin was feeling or needed, this was about what Sol was feeling. It seems like he was done with their stalemate (that exchange around the fire sounded like a conversation that's been had before, and like, not really faulting Sol for that, I would also probably get fed up with a moody teenager) and he thought he knew what Torbin needed better than Indara, so decided to override her and just spill the answer.

I think it's interesting that before Osha even comes into the picture, Indara has already accused Sol of projecting his feelings onto someone else. It does seem like he's feeding into Torbin's anxiety just as much as Torbin's feeding his, I kind of wish they had used that more in the scene where they head off for the fortress, honestly just a couple sequence changes would probably have fixed a bunch of that. (Indara comes and tells them the Council said no, they go over the results of the blood test, Sol says he thinks something is wrong and the girls are in danger, they decide to head off together, would eliminate the nonsensical 'Indara suddenly trusts Sol and Torbin to be alone together and not cause shenanigans' issue.) But yeah, that feels like foreshadowing of how he's projecting his own feelings onto Osha, like his was projecting his own feelings of being imbalanced and restless onto Torbin.

Anyway. Indara was a fine teacher probably, not perfect, but I wouldn't go as far as to say 'she sucks' or even that they were poorly matched. This was just...a long and tiring mission that ended with a literal explosion. Can't wait for the finale! Especially because ack, the 'Indara is the secret Sith' people have not quit on Reddit and there's still like the absolute remotest chance they pull something stupid like a double reverse twist - because for SURE in those early episodes she was being set up to be the 'mean one' vs Sol, and the twist is that she was actually levelheaded and willing to listen and sweet with the twins - and the final shot of the season is a cloaked Sith figured revealed to be Indara. Like there's NO way but...there is the tiniest way so I will not be fully comforted until the finale's out and that theory can be laid to rest. Though I don't think it will be, they could literally show her decaying corpse to definitively prove she's dead and show her spending the 16 years between the flashback and the present cuddling puppies and saving babies and being the lighty-est-side light-sider in the galaxy and I guarantee Reddit would still be like '...ok but here's how that really just proves she's the Sith...'

[thebunnednun]

Whispers of the Heart Dracule Mihawk x Fm! Reader (Part 5)

I do not own the artwork its by: @xuchuan25 Tell them they're amazing y'all!

Chapter 4 in the building y'all!!!! I just needed to see my Buggy.

Part 1 can be found: Here

Part 2 is right: Here

Part 3: Right over yonder

Part 4 right here baby!

Don't be afraid to send me any requests my loves and if you are waiting for the next installment I have another Mihawk story:

*Shadows of the Blade (Dracule Mihawk x Assassin reader)

Chapter 3/4 is where it gets good.

You all voted so here is chapter 5! We get some of Mihawks POV again!

ON WITH THE SHOW!!~

______________Chapter 5: A Gathering of Friends__________________

[Name] found herself standing on the soft sands of a secluded beach, the rhythmic lull of the ocean waves creating a soothing backdrop. The moonlight painted the scene in silver hues, illuminating the world in an ethereal glow.

Beside her stood Mihawk, his presence both commanding and comforting. They walked in companionable silence for a while, the only sounds being the gentle lapping of the waves and the occasional call of a night bird. Finally, they reached a small, intimate cove where Mihawk had set up a modest picnic. A simple but elegant spread of fruits, cheeses, and wine awaited them.

"Tell me," Mihawk said, his deep voice breaking the silence as they settled onto the blanket. "What are your thoughts on love?"

[Name] looked into his golden eyes, feeling a mixture of warmth and curiosity. She took a moment to ponder his question, her thoughts drifting to the many forms of love she had witnessed and experienced.

"Love is complex," she began softly. "It's not just about passion or desire. It's about understanding, trust, and sometimes sacrifice. It's a bond that can give you strength but also make you vulnerable."

Mihawk nodded thoughtfully, his eyes never leaving hers. "And do you think it's worth the risk?"

Before [Name] could answer, the dream began to fade, the edges of the cove blurring and dissolving into a haze. She woke with a start, her hand instinctively reaching under the pillow where she knew Buggy kept a knife. In one swift motion, she grabbed it and threw it towards the direction of the voice that had stirred her.

"Well, I see you're still as fun as ever," a familiar voice remarked with a hint of amusement. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, [Name] focused on the figure standing at the foot of the bed. It was Alvida, her curvaceous form outlined by the soft morning light filtering through the porthole. She was smiling, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Alvida," [Name] sighed, a smile tugging at her lips. She relaxed, her heartbeat slowing down from its initial adrenaline-fueled pace. Alvida sauntered over, smoothing [Name]'s hair with a gentle hand.

"Buggy's making breakfast," she said, her tone softening. "I thought I'd come and wake you."

"Thanks," [Name] replied, sitting up and stretching. She glanced around the room, her eyes falling on Buggy's closet. "Do you mind if I borrow a shirt?"

"Go ahead," Alvida said, stepping back to give her some space.

[Name] slipped out of bed and walked over to the closet, pulling out a loose, comfortable shirt that belonged to Buggy. As she slipped it on, her gaze fell on a small stash of photos tucked under Buggy's pillow. Curious, she picked them up, sitting back on the bed to examine them. The first few photos were of Buggy and Shanks, their youthful faces beaming with joy, the pictures clearly having been taped back together after being torn apart.

She smiled at the sight of them, their camaraderie evident even in the still images. Then she found a photo that made her pause. It was of her, Mihawk, Shanks, and Buggy, much younger and full of life. They stood together, arms around each other, (Or at least Mihawk had rested his hand on your hip before Buggy freaked out) their smiles wide and genuine. She ran her fingers over the image, tracing the faces of her old friends and recalling the memories they had shared.

The details in the photo were vivid: Mihawk's intense gaze, Shanks' carefree grin, Buggy's exaggerated expressions, and her own younger self, caught in a moment of unguarded happiness. The edges of the photo were worn, showing signs of age and frequent handling. A wave of nostalgia washed over her, mingling with the remnants of her dream. She couldn't help but smile, despite the bittersweet tinge of the memories.

"You okay?" Alvida's voice brought her back to the present. [Name] looked up, meeting Alvida's concerned gaze. She nodded, slipping the photos back under the pillow. "Yeah, just... reminiscing."

Alvida smiled gently. "Come on, let's go see what Buggy's burnt this time."

[Name] chuckled, feeling a warmth spread through her chest. She stood up, giving Alvida a grateful look. "Lead the way."

As they left the room, the scent of butter cooking wafted through the air, mingling with the promise of a new day. You decided to keep that memory you dreamt of to yourself.

You and Alvida made your way down the narrow hallway of the ship, the creaking of the wooden floorboards accompanying their steps. The scent of something delicious wafted through the air, making your stomach rumble in anticipation. As they entered the kitchen, the sight that greeted [Name] made her stop in her tracks. Buggy stood at the stove, a spatula in hand, flipping pancakes with a surprisingly deft hand. The counter was a mess, flour and batter splattered everywhere, but the smell was unmistakably enticing.

"Christmas day in the morning!" [Name] exclaimed, her eyes wide with delight. Even though it wasn't Christmas, the sight of Buggy cooking her favorite breakfast filled her with an unexpected warmth.

Buggy turned around, a grin spreading across his (for once) bare face. "Good morning, [Name]," he said, stepping over and planting a quick kiss on her cheek. "I figured I'd surprise you with breakfast."

[Name] felt a blush creep up her cheeks as she smiled back at him. "You certainly did. I thought you gave up cooking."

"Don't get too excited," Buggy said with a chuckle, handing her a stack of plates and cutlery. "Why don’t you set the table while I finish up here?"

As [Name] started arranging the plates and silverware on the small, rickety table, Alvida leaned against the counter, watching Buggy with an amused expression. "I never thought I'd see the day when the great Buggy the Clown is flipping pancakes."

Buggy rolled his eyes, though a smile played on his lips. "Don't make a big deal out of it, Alvida. Even a captain needs to eat."

Alvida smirked, folding her arms. "Oh, I'm not complaining. Just enjoying the show."

Buggy flipped another pancake, his movements fluid and practiced. "You just wait. These are going to be the best pancakes you've ever had."

"Bold claim," Alvida retorted, raising an eyebrow. "Let’s see if you can back it up."

[Name] couldn't help but laugh as she finished setting the table. The banter between Buggy and Alvida was a familiar and comforting sound, one that made the Big Top feel more like a home. As she placed the last fork down, she noticed Buggy sneaking glances over his shoulder. "Something wrong, Bugg's?"

Just as Buggy was about to serve the first pancake, a familiar voice echoed from the doorway. "Well, isn't this a cozy little scene?"

[Name] turned abruptly, her heart skipping a beat. Standing in the doorway was none other than Shanks, his trademark red hair and jovial smile instantly recognizable. He leaned casually against the frame, his eyes twinkling with amusement, and a basket of smoked salmon on his arm.

"Shanks!" [Name] exclaimed, a mix of surprise and joy flooding her. "What are you doing here?" You practically jumped over the table and threw yourself in the arm of the other man you could call your brother. He received you with much vigor, his warmth flooding into your bones and causing you to sigh out contently like a pleased cat. Shanks grinned wider, stepping into the kitchen while balancing you and the fish basket with an easy grace. "I heard there were pancakes. Thought I'd drop by and see for myself."

Buggy groaned, though there was a hint of a smile tugging at his lips. "Of course you'd show up now, you red-haired freeloader."

Shanks laughed, the sound infectious and warm. "Can't help myself, Buggy. You always did know how to make a mean pancake." Alvida raised an eyebrow, looking between Buggy and Shanks with a smirk. "This just keeps getting better. Should I set another place at the table?"

"Yes, please," Shanks said, moving to give [Name] a quick squeeze before setting her down. "It's good to see you, [Name]. It's been too long." [Name] let her arms remain around Shanks' middle, feeling a surge of affection for the man who had been a part of her life for so long. "It's good to see you too, Shanks. You always know how to make an entrance."

As Shanks and [Name] settled at the table, Buggy began serving the pancakes, each one a golden, fluffy masterpiece. Alvida helped distribute the plates, and soon the small kitchen was filled with the sounds of clinking cutlery and happy chatter. Buggy took his seat, looking around at the familiar faces with a satisfied expression. "Well, dig in, everyone. Let's see if these pancakes live up to the hype."

[Name] took a bite, the warm, buttery flavor melting in her mouth. She closed her eyes, savoring the taste. "Christmas day in the morning indeed," she murmured, smiling at Buggy. "These are amazing, Buggy."

Buggy's cheeks turned a faint pink, and he ducked his head slightly, clearly pleased with the compliment. "Glad you like them," he muttered.

Shanks chuckled, taking a large bite of his own pancake. "I have to admit, Buggy, these are pretty fantastic. You've outdone yourself." Alvida nodded in agreement, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Looks like you've got a new calling, Buggy. Master pancake chef." Buggy waved a hand dismissively, though he couldn't hide the grin on his face. "Alright, alright. Enough about the pancakes. Let's just enjoy breakfast."

As they ate, the conversation flowed easily, filled with laughter and the occasional teasing remark. For [Name], it was a moment of pure contentment, surrounded by people she cared about deeply. The memories of past adventures and the bonds forged over time made this simple meal feel like a celebration. While the last pancake was devoured and the plates were cleared away, [Name] leaned back in her chair, a satisfied smile on her lips.

"Thank you, Buggy. This was perfect." Buggy looked at her, his expression softening. "Anything for you, [Name]." Shanks raised his glass, a twinkle in his eye. "To friends, old and new. And to many more breakfasts like this one." "Here, here," Alvida chimed in, lifting her own glass. They all clinked their glasses together, the sound a harmonious note in the morning air. For [Name], it was a wonderful to finally have the men she called her brothers by her side and the only other woman she could trust to keep an eye on them. 

'Coming here was the right decision after all.'

As the breakfast plates were cleared away and the remnants of their meal were tucked into the sink, the conversation took on a more relaxed, leisurely pace. Shanks, ever the instigator, leaned back in his chair and fixed [Name] with a mischievous grin.

“So, [Name],” he began, drawing out the words with exaggerated casualness, “tell us more about your little crush on Mihawk.”

[Name] felt her cheeks heat up immediately, and she rolled her eyes in a futile attempt to deflect the attention. “Oh, come on, Shanks. Do we really have to go there?”

Buggy, who had been sipping his coffee, nearly choked with laughter. “Oh, absolutely. This is prime breakfast conversation material.”

Alvida smirked, leaning forward with keen interest. “Yes, do tell. How did you get tangled up with that stoic swordsman, again?”

[Name] groaned, burying her face in her hands. “You guys are terrible.”

Shanks laughed, a rich, infectious sound. “We’re just looking out for you, like good big brothers should. Besides, it’s not every day we get to hear about someone actually catching Dracule Mihawk’s attention.” He tried reaching for Buggy's hand before the Blue clown slapped it away with a loud "Whap". However, that didn't deter the red head next to him. If anything, it caused Shanks smile to get even wider. 

Buggy nodded, eyes twinkling with mischief. “Yeah, you must have some sort of magic charm. The guy’s as prickly as a cactus stuck in someones ass and about as sociable as one too.”

[Name] sighed, but there was a hint of a smile on her lips. “Fine, fine. If you must know, it’s not like I planned it. It just… happened. We do actually like living together, and he’s surprisingly thoughtful when he wants to be.”

Shanks raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. “Thoughtful, huh? That’s a side of Mihawk I’ve never seen. Must be something special about you, [Name].”

Buggy chuckled, leaning back with a smug look. “Oh, definitely. She’s got the magic touch, alright. I’m just surprised she hasn’t run him through with his own sword yet.”

[Name] shot him a playful glare. “Oh, please. He’s not that bad. And for your information, we do typically travel and stay in the same areas together.”

Shanks leaned forward, his expression earnest but still laced with amusement. “So, what’s it like being in a relationship with the world’s greatest swordsman? Do you two spar with each other, or is it all moonlit dinners and quiet conversations?”

[Name] laughed, shaking her head. “A little bit of both, actually. He’s intense, but he’s also got this softer side that he doesn’t show to many people. It’s… complicated, but in a good way.”

Alvida’s eyes softened, and she reached over to squeeze [Name]’s hand. “I’m happy for you, [Name]. You deserve someone who sees you for who you are.”

Buggy, not one to let the moment stay too serious for long, leaned over and nudged [Name] with his elbow. “Just promise us one thing. If he ever gets too serious or brooding, remind him that you’ve got a whole crew of big brothers who are more than willing to knock some sense into him.”

Shanks nodded vigorously. “Absolutely. We’re always here for you, [Name].”

[Name] smiled, feeling a warm surge of affection for the people around her. “Thanks, guys. That means a lot.”

Buggy, ever the clown, couldn’t resist adding one more jab. “Just make sure he knows that if he breaks your heart, he’ll have to answer to us. And believe me, we can be pretty creative when it comes to payback.” "Oh yeah, the blue waffle clown and a drunk flirt, so scary!~ HEY! He kicked me!" You kicked Buggy's shin back before the room filled with laughter, the sound echoing off the walls and mingling with the morning sunlight streaming through the windows. For a moment, [Name] allowed herself to bask in the warmth and camaraderie, grateful for the bonds that tied them all together.

As the laughter subsided, Shanks leaned back in his chair with a satisfied sigh. “Alright, enough about Mihawk. Let’s talk about what’s next for us. Adventures to plan, seas to sail…”

Buggy grinned, his eyes sparkling with excitement. “And plenty of trouble to get into, I’m sure.”

[Name] felt her heart swell with a mix of excitement and contentment. No matter where life took them, she knew she could always count on these moments of joy and camaraderie with the people she loved most. And that, more than anything, made her feel truly at home.

---------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, Dracule Mihawk stood at the bow of his sleek black ship, the winds of the Grand Line whipping through his hair as he stared out at the endless expanse of the sea. His mind was consumed with thoughts of [Name], her presence lingering in his thoughts like a persistent melody. He had never been one for sentimentality, but there was something about her that stirred emotions he had long thought dormant. 

As he sailed toward his destination, Mihawk found himself contemplating his next move. He had sought out Zoro under the guise of training the young swordsman, but in truth, he had been searching for answers—answers to questions he couldn’t bring himself to voice aloud. He needed guidance, someone to help him navigate the turbulent waters of his own emotions.

"And what of her?" Mihawk murmured to himself, his gaze fixed on the horizon. "What role does she play in all of this?"

The sea offered no answers, only the rhythmic crash of waves against the ship's hull. But Mihawk pressed onward, his resolve unwavering. He knew that he had to confront his feelings head-on, no matter how daunting the prospect may be.

Mihawk stood on the deck of his ship, his expression unreadable as Zoro approached him, a curious glint in his eye. Perona hovered nearby, her arms crossed and a scowl on her face.

"What's going on, Mihawk?" Zoro asked, his tone serious. "Why are we really heading to the Red Line?" Mihawk's gaze flickered towards Zoro before returning to the horizon. "We're going to seek answers," he replied cryptically. "There are matters that need to be addressed." Zoro frowned, sensing that Mihawk was evading the question. "Answers? From who?"

Before Mihawk could respond, Perona huffed impatiently. "Stop beating around the bush, Mihawk. We all know why you're really going to the Red Line."

Mihawk raised an eyebrow, his gaze shifting to Perona. "And why is that, Perona?" Perona's eyes narrowed. "Because of [Name]. You can't hide it forever, you know." Zoro's eyes widened in surprise, his gaze darting between Mihawk and Perona. "What? What does [Name] have to do with this?" Mihawk sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It's complicated, Zoro. There are feelings involved—"

"Feelings?" Zoro interrupted, his voice incredulous. "You mean... romantic feelings?" Perona nodded emphatically. "Exactly! Mihawk has been pining after [Name] for ages, but he's too stubborn to admit it." Mihawk's cheeks tinged pink, a rare display of embarrassment. "Perona, that's enough. This is not something to be discussed so casually." Perona rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. Like it's not painfully obvious to everyone except you."

Zoro shifted uncomfortably, feeling like an awkward bystander in the midst of their conversation. "Um, yeah. I think I'm gonna go train," he muttered, edging away slowly.

Mihawk sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Zoro, wait." Zoro paused, looking back at Mihawk expectantly. Mihawk hesitated for a moment before speaking, his voice soft but firm. "Yes, it's true. I have feelings for [Name]." Perona's eyes widened in excitement, and she let out a delighted squeal. "I knew it!" Zoro blinked in surprise, a blush creeping up his cheeks. "Uh, I'll just... go train now." As Zoro hurried off, Perona turned back to Mihawk, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. "Well, now that you've admitted it, what are you going to do about it?"

Mihawk sighed, his gaze drifting out to sea. "I suppose we'll just have to see what the future holds." Perona grinned, linking her arm with Mihawk's. "I can't wait to see how this unfolds."

As the ship sailed towards the Red Line, Mihawk couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation building within him. And so, with a sense of determination that belied his stoic demeanor, Mihawk set his course for the Red Line, where he knew he would find the one man who could offer him the insight he sought: Red-Haired Shanks.

It was a journey fraught with uncertainty, but Mihawk pressed onward, his resolve unwavering. Along the way, fate saw fit to throw him an unexpected curveball in the form of Vice Admiral Garp, the legendary Marine known far and wide as the Hero of the Marines.

Their encounter was brief but enlightening, Garp’s gruff demeanor belying a wisdom that Mihawk had not anticipated. The old Marine spoke of love and loss, of the fleeting nature of time and the importance of seizing the moments that truly mattered. It was advice that struck a chord with Mihawk, resonating deep within his soul.

"As always, Garp, your words are both insightful and cryptic," Mihawk remarked, a rare hint of amusement in his voice.

Garp chuckled, a twinkle in his eye. "Ain't that the way of it, lad? Sometimes, you gotta read between the lines to find the truth."

As they conversed, Mihawk couldn’t help but notice the presence of a few familiar faces among Garp's company. Sitting at a nearby table were Luffy, Ace and Sabo, their laughter ringing out as they regaled the old Marine with tales of their latest adventures. And beside them sat Uta, her eyes twinkling with mischief as she teased the two brothers mercilessly.

Their reunion was a bittersweet one, the weight of their shared past hanging heavy in the air. But amidst the laughter and the banter, Mihawk found himself feeling strangely at peace, as if for the first time in a long while, he was exactly where he was meant to be.

As their conversation turned to more serious matters, Garp mentioned something that gave Mihawk pause. “You know, Mihawk,” the old Marine began, his voice grave, “the civilians think [Name] is dead. Ax-Hand Morgan has been searching for her, but so far, he’s come up empty-handed.”

Mihawk’s brow furrowed in concern, his thoughts turning to [Name] and the danger that seemed to follow her wherever she went. “I see,” he murmured, his mind racing with possibilities. It was a sobering reminder of the dangers that lurked in the shadows, dangers that threatened to tear them apart.

But even as the weight of the world bore down upon him, Mihawk felt a glimmer of hope stirring within his heart. For in that moment, he thought about what it would be like to have [Name] by his side. As they disembarked from the ship, Zoro shot Mihawk a sideways glance, his expression unreadable behind his usual stoicism. "So, where to next, Boss?" he asked, his tone casual but his eyes betraying a hint of curiosity.

Mihawk cast a brief glance over his shoulder, his gaze lingering on the bustling streets of the port town. "I have business to attend to," he replied cryptically, his voice low and measured. "You two are free to do as you please."

But to his surprise, Zoro and Perona exchanged a meaningful look before nodding in unison. "We'll stick around," Zoro said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument. "You might need our help."

Mihawk arched an eyebrow in mild surprise, but said nothing as he led the way through the crowded streets, his mind already turning to the task at hand.

It didn't take long for them to reach their destination—a quaint little bar tucked away in a quiet corner of the town. As Mihawk stepped inside, he was greeted by the familiar scent of stale ale and the low murmur of conversation. It was a far cry from the opulent halls of his castle, but there was a certain charm to the place that Mihawk found oddly comforting.

As he made his way to a secluded corner of the bar, Mihawk motioned for Zoro and Perona to join him, their presence a silent reassurance in the face of what was to come.

It wasn't long before Shanks made his entrance, his trademark grin lighting up the room as he sauntered over to their table. "Well, well, well, if it isn't my old friend Mihawk," he said jovially, clapping the swordsman on the back in greeting. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Mihawk's expression remained impassive as he gestured for Shanks to take a seat, his gaze unwavering. "We need to talk," he said simply, his voice devoid of its usual edge.

Shanks raised an eyebrow in surprise, but complied, settling into the seat opposite Mihawk with a bemused smile. "Talk about what?" he asked, his tone light but tinged with curiosity.

Mihawk's eyes locked onto Shanks'. "I have acquired certain affections for your sister."

Shanks blinked, the smile slipping from his face as he processed Mihawk's words. "You're serious," he said, leaning forward slightly, his tone now serious.

Mihawk nodded. "I am. These feelings have been growing for some time now."

Shanks rubbed his chin thoughtfully, a myriad of emotions flickering across his face. "And what do you plan to do about it?" he asked, his voice carefully neutral.

Mihawk exhaled slowly, his gaze never leaving Shanks'. "I intend to pursue her, but I felt it necessary to speak with you first. Out of respect."

As Mihawk and Shanks delved into the depths of their conversation, memories of the past resurfaced like specters from the shadows, haunting and bittersweet.

"Do you remember when Buggy introduced you to her?" Shanks asked, his voice tinged with a hint of nostalgia. "Smaller than a dust mite and fiercely strong. She was quite the character, wasn't she?"

Mihawk couldn't help but chuckle at the mention of her name, a fond smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "How could I forget?" he replied, his voice soft with reminiscence. "She was a force to be reckoned with, that's for sure."

Shanks nodded in agreement, a wistful smile playing on his lips. "I still can't believe she managed to outsmart both of us," he mused, shaking his head in mock disbelief. "That woman was something else."

Mihawk couldn't help but laugh at the memory, the sound ringing out like a bell in the quiet confines of the bar. "Indeed she was," he agreed, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "But I suppose that's what makes her so captivating."

"She's something special, isn't she?" Shanks remarked, his gaze lingering on Mihawk with an intensity that bordered on scrutiny.

Mihawk nodded in silent agreement, his thoughts drifting to the woman who had become his constant companion, his confidante, his... everything. "She is," he agreed quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. "And I would do anything to keep her safe."

There was a gravity to his words, a solemnity that hung in the air like a shroud as they sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. But amidst the uncertainty and the doubt, there was a glimmer of hope—a hope that no matter what the future held, they would face it together, bound by bonds stronger than steel.

But it was also when the conversation turned to the future that things took a decidedly somber turn. "What if she wanted to leave?" Shanks asked quietly, his gaze piercing as he locked eyes with Mihawk. "What if she wanted to return to a life at sea?"

Mihawk hesitated, his mind racing as he considered the question. It was a possibility he had not allowed himself to entertain, a fear that had lurked in the darkest corners of his heart. But now, faced with the reality of the situation, he knew he had no choice but to confront it head-on.

"If that's what she truly wanted," he said at last, his voice barely above a whisper, "then I would have no right to stand in her way. But I would be lying if I said it wouldn't hurt."

There was a heaviness to his words, a weight that hung in the air between them as they sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. 

Shanks leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. "You realize this isn't something to take lightly, Mihawk. [Name] is... well, she's special."

"I am fully aware," Mihawk replied, his voice firm. "And I do not intend to take this lightly. My feelings for her are genuine."

There was a moment of silence as Shanks studied Mihawk's face, searching for any hint of insincerity. Finding none, he finally nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Well, if anyone can handle her, it's you. Just don't break her heart, Mihawk."

Mihawk inclined his head slightly. "You have my word."

Shanks chuckled, the tension in the room easing slightly. "Alright, then. Guess I'll have to get used to seeing you around more often."

Mihawk allowed a rare, faint smile to touch his lips. "Indeed."

As the two old friends sat in companionable silence, the weight of the conversation lingered between them, a silent acknowledgment of the new path Mihawk had chosen to take.

Shanks fiddled with a gold chain around his neck, his fingers tracing the delicate links. "You know, Buggy isn't going to like this."

Mihawk's eyes caught the glint of the chain before he rolled them, exasperation clear on his face. "I truly do not understand how the two of them could be so close."

Shanks smirked, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Watch it now, Hawk Eyes. That's how you fucked around and found out the last time."

Both men chuckled, the shared memory lightening the mood. Shanks stood, stretching slightly. "Well, I need to make a phone call. Excuse me for a moment."

Mihawk nodded, watching as Shanks walked away, the gold chain catching the light with each step. As Shanks disappeared from view, Mihawk allowed himself a moment of contemplation, the weight of the conversation settling in. Whatever lay ahead, he was ready to face it, knowing he had the support of an old friend and the resolve to follow his heart.

Mihawk sat quietly at the bar, his drink in hand, contemplating the conversation he had just had with Shanks. The dim light of the room cast shadows across his face, highlighting the intensity of his thoughts.

The door to the bar swung open, and Zoro and Perona walked in, their expressions determined. Zoro spotted Mihawk and headed straight for him, Perona following close behind.

"Mihawk," Zoro said, his voice carrying a hint of excitement. "Perona and I have decided we're going to stay with Luffy for a while."

Mihawk raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Is that so? And what brings about this decision?" Zoro smirked. "We have our reasons. Let's just say it's time for a change of scenery." Perona nodded enthusiastically. "Besides, I miss annoying those idiots. It'll be fun." Before Mihawk could respond, the door burst open again, and the full Strawhat crew poured into the bar, filling the room with their lively chatter. Luffy led the way, his trademark grin plastered across his face.

"Hey, Mihawk!" Luffy called out, waving energetically. "What are you doing here?"

Mihawk raised his glass in a silent greeting, his eyes scanning the familiar faces. Along with the Strawhats were Uta, Ace, Sabo, and Law, each adding their own unique presence to the gathering.

Nami was the first to notice Mihawk's contemplative expression. "What's going on, Mihawk? You look like you've got something on your mind."

Usopp grinned, nudging Sanji. "Maybe he's in love or something!"

Sanji raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Who would have thought? The great Hawkeye Mihawk, in love?"

Robin's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Is that true, Mihawk? Do you have feelings for someone?"

Mihawk sighed, knowing there was no avoiding the onslaught of questions. "Yes, it's true. I have feelings for [Name]."

The room erupted into a chorus of excited chatter and encouragement. Luffy, in his usual exuberant manner, jumped onto the nearest table. "That's awesome! You should tell her!"

Nami nodded, a knowing smile on her face. "Luffy's right. You shouldn't keep your feelings to yourself."

Zoro crossed his arms, grinning. "About time you made a move, Mihawk."

Uta chimed in, her voice sweet and teasing. "Just be honest with her. She deserves to know."

Ace clapped Mihawk on the back, his grin wide. "Go for it, Mihawk. Life's too short to hold back."

Sabo nodded in agreement. "You'll regret it if you don't take this chance."

Law, standing off to the side, gave a rare smile. "It's not often we see you vulnerable, Mihawk. Use that to your advantage."

Perona's eyes gleamed with mischief. "Just don't mess it up, or I'll never let you hear the end of it."

Even Chopper and Brook joined in, offering their support. "You can do it, Mihawk!" Chopper cheered, while Brook added, "Love is a beautiful thing, yohoho!"

Franky, flexing his muscles, gave Mihawk a thumbs up. "Show her your super side, Mihawk!"

Jinbe stepped forward, his deep voice steady. "Matters of the heart require great courage, Mihawk. We believe in you."

Mihawk looked around at the enthusiastic faces surrounding him, feeling a mixture of amusement and gratitude. Their encouragement was unexpected but not unwelcome.

"Alright," Mihawk said, his voice steady but filled with determination. "I'll tell her."

The room erupted into cheers, the Strawhat crew and their honorary members celebrating Mihawk's resolve. As the noise subsided, Mihawk felt a sense of clarity and purpose. Whatever challenges lay ahead, he knew he wasn't alone, and with that, he slipped out the back of the bar to find the Blue haired Freak she loved so much. 

------------------------- Bonus part: 

As the bar's atmosphere buzzed with excitement over Mihawk's revelation, Shanks excused himself to step outside for a moment. He felt the vibration of his den-den mushi in his pocket and answered it, recognizing the familiar voice on the other end.

"Shanks," Buggy's voice crackled through the line, sounding both hesitant and urgent. "I've got something to tell you about [Name]. She confided in me earlier."

Shanks leaned against the wall, a smile playing on his lips. "What is it, Buggy?"

Buggy cleared his throat, his tone shifting from urgent to slightly embarrassed. "She... she mentioned Mihawk. I think she might have feelings for him. She seemed really serious about it."

Shanks chuckled softly. "Funny you should mention that. I just had a talk with Mihawk. He confessed he's got feelings for [Name] too."

Buggy's eyes widened on the other end of the line. "You're kidding. Mihawk? The guy who treats emotions like they're some kind of disease?"

"Yep," Shanks replied, still smiling. "Seems our sister friend has managed to break through that icy exterior of his."

There was a brief silence before Buggy spoke again, his voice softer. "You should come over, Shanks. I think it’d be good for us to be here for her, you know, in case things get complicated."

Shanks couldn't help but tease, his grin widening. "Aww, does the clown prince miss me?"

"Shut up, you red-haired idiot!" Buggy snapped, his voice going up an octave. "This isn't about us. It's about [Name]. She deserves to be happy."

Shanks laughed heartily, the sound warm and genuine. "Alright, alright. I’ll be there in the morning. It’d be nice to see her settle down. And you know what, Buggy? It’s nice to see you care so much."

Buggy huffed, trying to regain his composure. "Yeah, well, don't read too much into it. Just hurry up and get here."

"Will do," Shanks promised, his voice softening. "See you soon, Buggy."

As he ended the call, Shanks felt a sense of anticipation. Tomorrow promised to be an interesting day. He re-entered the bar, catching Mihawk's eye and giving him a reassuring nod. Mihawk returned the gesture, understanding the silent message. With friends and family by their side, the future seemed a little less daunting.

Meanwhile, Buggy sat by [Name]'s side as she slept, watching her peaceful expression. Pulling the covers up to her chin, he felt a strange mix of protectiveness and hope. "Oh babydoll, you don't even know how much we love you." With that, he turned the lantern down and lay down to sleep with his hand on his chest to play with the golden chain that rested underneath his vest.

With Shanks on his way and Mihawk ready to make his move, things were about to get very interesting. 

______________________________________________________________

CHapter 6

Chapter 7

Make sure you check out the a03 account by the same name. Everything I have posted here is there in chronological order. I also have other one piece fanfics posted in the masterlist! Give it a read if you please!

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See you soon my loves!!~ <<33

[sometimes-men-need-help-too]

So this guy posted about how his wife "baby trapped" him, with baby trapped in quotes because he didn't know if it necessarily counted. He said she didn't do it to make him stay, just against his will

They've been together for 8 years, have 2 (5f and 2m) kids and when they talked about having kids, she wanted 2 but he wanted 1. They ended up having 2 because she insisted it was important for a child to have a sibling. After his son was born, OP didn't want to go through all the sleepiness nights and everything again. But when their son was a year old, his wife started mentioning having a 3rd child. I would laugh it off but finally she sat me down and said we have to have a third. I said no, we agreed on two, but she said she wanted four and three is the compromise. I refused and said I wanted one and we have two. She got angry and called me selfish for taking away her dream of wanting a big family.

Few days later, she apologized and they had sex. She was on birth control, he had a condom, so they did it. Then one day, she showed him the positive pregnancy test. When she saw his less than happy expression, she berated him for not being supportive, that he should be grateful, etc. So he apologized, hugged her and told her he was excited.

When she was asleep, I took the condoms out of the cupboard and ran them under water. Holes.

I nabbed her phone and saw she'd set a password. That was odd. Nevertheless, my wife has a terrible memory so I tried her birthday and it opened. Further up were texts with her best friend of my wife complaining how I wouldn't come around. Her best friend suggested "arrange an accident" with a winky face. My wife agreed and said she was going to come off of birth control. It went on for a little while, ending with my wife saying that yes, we were going to have a 3rd.

So he woke her up after that to question her about it. She started crying. Through tears she screamed I had no right to go through her phone and it's her choice whether or not she wants to take BC, the side-effects are bad and she was sick. She also brought up if I really didn't want a third kid, I should have had a vasectomy. She told me to go sleep on the couch, I laughed out loud and said no, I'm sleeping here, you're leaving. So while wailing she packed a bag and left to her parents. When she called the next day I told her I just need some time to myself. She said that's fine but I need to come around for our child. I told her I wasn't sure if it'd be "our child" and she cried more.

It's been two weeks since then. Governments recommended to stay at home and I knew staying home by myself while also working with two kids would not be ideal and she wanted to see our kids. So we're in the same house, she constantly keeps on stopping me and trying to get me excited for our kid and planning the nursery and names and how happy our kids will be to get a younger sibling. I've been ignoring her entirely.

A lot of the comments were in his favor so I was happy to see that. But there were also plenty of other comments that weren't as supportive, even downplaying the wife's actions.

There were a number of people who were against him divorcing her, questioning him why he wants to ruin his marriage and his family over this. I just can't get over that, how they're acting like he's in the wrong here. Would you want to stay with someone who crossed the line severely? Would you want to stay with someone you couldn't trust?

She ruined the marriage on her own. He's reacting how anyone can expect someone to react in that kind of situation. A lot of people were insisting he try to fix his marriage and stay for the kids so he doesn't break up the family but that is, in this case, the worst advice someone can give. I'm not sure there's any coming back from this. How could you trust someone like that again? How do you know she wouldn't do it again in the long run because she'd want a 4th baby?

Not to mention, it's a horrible thing to put the kids through. They're already, according to him in a comment, wondering why he isn't talking to their mother (sidenote: some people expressed disbelief that the kids would notice at that age. I haven't spent much time with super little kids like a 2 year old but 5 year old's can be surprisingly observant. Or the wife might have said something to them). If he were to stay and things worsen, like them fighting more often, that just hurts the kids. And it's not a good lesson for them when they get older. There are limits to keeping a relationship with someone.

And of course, his own mental health and happiness are important too.

What bothers me is the justifications people are pulling out in defense of his wife. They are severely downplaying her actions by saying she just wanted a baby, people aren't perfect, etc. Somebody even compared the situation to...rearranging a room.

And then you have others blaming him because he hasn't had a vasectomy yet. That isn't the point of this. If the wife hadn't done anything and he was complaining that she got pregnant, then I would find him more at fault. But what the wife has done is considered reproductive coercion, which is a form of intimate partner violence.

Sure there was a bit of a chance of pregnancy occurring, but she crossed the line in order to get what she wanted. She is at fault here for the pregnancy. And she should be held accountable for that. I've found conflicting information about whether she could face legal consequences, but at the very least we shouldn't be trying to make excuses for her or downplay it to make it sound like it's something innocent.

Because it definitely isn't

[tokischaaaaa]

si las más puta' son las más fina' pt.2

summary: yall gotta read and see 😈

warning! : angst, cursing, fluff

word count!: 1.3k!!

tokischaaaa speaks: yeah the fact 1 request and another and a comment on this was all I needed to continue this story

"y/n, what the actual fuck are you doing here?" hamzah said, raising his voice.

"they're close friends," said martin. "she came here to take some sort of test."

that set hamzah off. "what the fuck kind of test, y/n?" hamzah yelled, his face turning red.

"i need to know if i contracted something from this whore!" hamzah cried, immediately regretting what he called y/n once again.

"hamzah! take a lap! go outside and cool off!" mandy yelled at hamzah while pointing at the door. as hamzah was heading towards the door, y/n took off her sandal and threw it at him.

unfortunately, she only hit the door. as the shoe fell to the floor, so did y/n. she cracked. tears started pouring out of her eyes heavily.

mandy and martin ran to y/n's side. they handed her tissues and calmed her down. after y/n was able to calm down, mandy signaled to martin that they had to talk… due to martin's loud mouth.

hamzah, on the other hand, was sitting in front of the apartment, walking back and forth. "i could have chlamydia or anything. what the actual fuck. i should've never met her," hamzah thought, his thoughts spiraling more and more negative.

after martin and mandy calmed y/n down, they left to talk in their bedroom. y/n took a deep breath and walked to the elevator. as she pressed the button, she entered and felt tears attempting to leave her eyes once again.

she quickly wiped her eyes. the elevator opened and y/n began to look for hamzah. she walked outside the apartment building and found him.

"can we talk?" she asked.

"sure, wanna puff?" hamzah asked, handing her the blunt.

"no, i can't," she said, pushing the blunt away.

"the fuck you mean you can't?" hamzah groaned.

"the test mandy made me take, it wasn't an std test," she said, holding her face in her hands.

"wait, so you're—"

"pregnant."

hamzah's face softened quickly. "oh shit! oh really shit!" hamzah screamed. people on the first few floors were definitely awake. y/n was scared shitless.

she didn't know what to say or do at this point. obviously, hamzah was now caught up and scared.

"i gotta, i gotta go upstairs for a few," hamzah said. before y/n could respond, he left.

the tears that y/n thought were no longer longing to leave her eyes came out, an absolute rainfall of tears pouring out of y/n's eyes. meanwhile, hamzah's loud reaction to the big news caught mandy and martin's attention. the front door leading to the apartment opened, and martin walked out.

"hey, y/n."

"oh my fucking god," y/n sighed, face-palming.

"hamzah! do you now get it? so if you now get it, why the fuck would you leave her outside?!" mandy yelled at hamzah.

"mandy, i'm fucking scared! this was something i wanted eventually, but this is so out of nowhere!" hamzah cried.

"hamzah, i need you to realize something: life isn't planned, it's how it is. also, for as long as i've known you, you've somewhat had a kind heart, especially towards kids. you'd definitely be a great dad, but you need to talk to y/n, explain how you feel, and plus imagine how she's feeling right now," mandy explained.

hamzah got up and surprised mandy with a hug.

"thank you, mandy," hamzah said.

mandy was surprised by hamzah's reaction to her lecture but was glad that it seemed like he heard her out.

hamzah thanked mandy once again and went to find y/n. meanwhile, y/n was consoling martin since he wouldn't stop apologizing for his big mouth.

"martin, let me take it from here," hamzah said. martin got up and patted his friend's back.

"can we talk?" hamzah asked.

"are you gonna scream again?" y/n smirked and patted the floor to signal to him to sit with her.

"no, i'll use my inside voice," he grinned.

"hamzah, listen, i'm sorry about this. i don't know about us, but i am at a point—even though i'm young—i'm stable and not against having this baby," y/n said as the tears were falling onto her legs. she didn't care anymore to wipe them away.

y/n's rant continued until hamzah took her hand into his and wrapped them together. "listen, y/n, i know we met a few weeks ago, and we did click. but i know this is scary. believe me, i'm scared too. but i've wanted this, way long ago, and since the world is very spontaneous, i think that this is a moment not worth missing. this is what i've been asking for, for a long time," hamzah said as a tear fell down onto their hands.

y/n scooted closer to hamzah and put her arms around him. he did the same, placing his head on top of hers.

a few moments passed before hamzah proposed, "wanna get a snack?"

"boy, you a fat ass!" y/n snickered, "but yeah, i'm actually starving."

"bet," hamzah grinned and grabbed y/n's hand, leading her to his car.

as the two got in the car, y/n plugged her phone in. "trillions" started playing. as the music got louder, y/n felt hamzah's hand lay on her thigh. she put her hand on top of his and lightly squeezed it. he picked up their hands together and kissed her hand.

"sorry about the name-calling again," hamzah sighed.

"it's okay. next time i'm throwing a shoe at you," y/n sneered.

hamzah nodded, not interested in getting hit with any object.

once the two arrived at target, they went looking for snacks like there was a black friday sale. once they claimed they had all the snacks they needed, they headed towards the register.

"shit, i forgot the chocolate-covered pretzels. can you grab them, please? i'll take care of this," y/n said, holding onto hamzah's hand and giving it a light squeeze.

"sure, i'll be quick," hamzah grinned, giving y/n a peck on her cheek.

once y/n was about to pay, she realized hamzah had been gone for a while. she handed the cashier money and paid. she grabbed the bags and walked all around the store to find hamzah.

once she passed by the baby section, she slowly walked backwards and caught hamzah looking at baby girl clothing. she saw he held a piece of the clothing to his chest. he took out his phone and took a picture of it.

"you do seem like a girl dad," y/n grinned. baby fever was already high and there (she's pregnant, duh).

"i'd want to be. you're definitely a y/c (your choice) mom," hamzah grinned, walking closer to y/n. he still had the baby girl clothes pressed against his chest and the chocolate-covered pretzels in his other hand.

now y/n and hamzah's noses were an inch away from each other. y/n gave his nose a peck, grabbed the pretzels, and walked away.

"hey! we were having a moment!" hamzah cried.

"yeah, but i want to have a moment with these pretzels," y/n smiled.

"can we get the clothes, though?" hamzah asked, putting his arms around y/n's waist.

it took her a few seconds before she caved in.

"ugh, sure," she groaned before pushing hamzah towards the cashier since she just wanted the chocolate-covered pretzels.

as the two walked outside target, hamzah had his arm around y/n's waist. hamzah felt all the anxiety from before leave. though the fear left him, now in this moment, that was enough for him to feel the happiness that he lacked in his life.

FIVE MONTHS LATER…

"HAMZAH, GET YOUR ASS IN HERE! IT'S THE BABY!" y/n cried.

~ fin(a) pt.2 done <3

tokischaaa speaks: HEHEHHHHEHEHEHHEEHEHEHHEEHEH. most proud of this one <333

[badlysummedupmoviestournament]

If you recognize the movies/characters hiding behind the decoy titles, please do not give identifying details about them in the notes.

Villain n°1: Hopeless Rhino

We're an often misunderstood and ostracized commune who follow traditional religious practices and are happy to bring in open-minded outsiders to the fold. When a group of tourists comes to visit, several of them make asses of themselves by disparaging our customs, snooping where they're not supposed to, and disrespecting that which we hold sacred. One of them, however, quickly bonds with us and finds a sense of community she lacks at home. We welcome her with open arms, letting her take part in our festivities and eventually helping her cut ties with her troubled past and become one of us.

Villain n°2: Chicken Submarine

I was betrayed by the man I loved and that's enough to drive anyone to do some crazy shit, right? Look, most of my life has sucked ass. I was born with a debilitating illness that requires constant, miserably unpleasant procedures to keep me alive. I like to have fun, and every time I do, I suffer. I got used to it, but I never stopped dreaming things could be better. My best friend--met him in the pediatric hospital, same illness--finally concocts this INCREDIBLE cure, it works on him, and he TELLS ME NOT TO TAKE IT? Of COURSE I took it.

Okay, so there were side effects, but honestly, I think he was complaining too much. I'm healthy as a horse now. People talk shit on my boy? I defend his honor. I can do that with my fists now, instead of just Daddy's money. That's my best friend, no one gets to insult his beautiful, brilliant brain with those eyes that you could just drown in... What was I saying?

Oh yeah, he got mad at ME for NO REASON. I said, babe, let's run away together, the world is at our feet, and he ran away FROM me. So I decided to get his attention--his girlfriend is fine, unfortunately--and he not only attacked me but set hundreds of his new friends on me! Like we don't have a history? Like I'm not important to him? I could even follow his annoying petty lifestyle demands if he would just share his life with me. Maybe. For now, anyway. But I really don't think I was asking too much.

[ironychan]

Scary Monsters

@dysphoria-sweatshirt @30spiders @sweatersexual @angrylittlesliceofpizza @writer652

Part 1/? - Rocco’s Closet

Part 2/? - School for Monsters

Part 3/? - The Waternoose Family

Part 4/? - The Terrifying Humans

Part 5/? - Hiding Places

Part 6/? - Nobody’s Fault

Part 7/? - Edge of Disaster

Part 8/? - Caged Monsters

Part 9/? - The Journey Home

Part 10/? - Portorosso

Part 11/? - A New Family

Part 12/? - More Obstacles

Part 13/? - Out and About in Genova

As a note, both San Francesco di Paola and the Palazzo Spinola are real places in Genoa, and if you ever visit they're worth a stop. Also check out the aquarium, which not only has adorable catsharks but is also where the world premier of Luca was held!

---

Giulia started to run to the window for a look, but her mother grabbed her and held her back.

"Don't!" Helena exclaimed. "There's broken glass on the floor, and we're all in our bare feet!"

Giulia growled in frustration. "Get dressed, ragazzi," she ordered, pointing a finger at the boys. "We've gotta find him!"

"Where's he gonna go?" Luca asked, as they ran back to their own room to get their things. "He doesn't know where anything is in Genova, and I don't think his kind of monster has that extra sense where they can find their way back to places. The first time we took him through town he was in the pram and could barely see, and the second time he was in the suitcase!"

"He can't even ask anybody for help," Alberto agreed. "Anyone who sees him is going to freak out."

"Then he can't go far!" said Giulia firmly. She opened a dresser drawer and started pulling clothing out. "We'll find him. If he's smart, he'll stick to the roofs."

"I'm not sure he's smart," Alberto said cynically.

Somewhere outside, a dog began to bark. Luca lit up.

"I've got an idea!" he declared.

Helena put her shoes on and set to work cleaning up the remains of the broken window, while the kids got dressed and went straight to the neighbour's home where Helena had dropped off Nerone the dog. Giulia knocked hard on the door and called out.

"Signor Traverso! It's Giulia!"

After a few seconds they heard stumbling footsteps and the bolt slid back. The door cracked open, and Signor Traverso, a tall, skinny man whose face was mostly moustache, blinked down at them. "What on earth are you doing here at this hour?" he asked through a yawn.

"We're here to pick up Nerone!" Giulia replied, as if this were a perfectly normal thing to be doing after midnight. The boys on either side of her nodded.

Signor Traverso blinked sleepily. "What? Now? It's..." he glanced at his wrist, but was not wearing a watch. A moment later, however, a clock somewhere nearby chimed twice. "It's two in the morning."

"Yep! Right now." Giulia nodded and smiled, making it silently clear that she would not explain.

Signor Traverso must have been too tired to argue about it. He shut the door again, and came back a few minutes later with the dog on his lead. Nerone himself was perfectly happy to be awake in the middle of the night, perhaps unsurprising for a creature who spent most of his days napping. He trotted up on his short legs, and greeted Luca and Giulia with happy licks. Alberto, of course, he didn't know as well, but he seemed happy enough that this was another friend of his humans. Perhaps Alberto smelled enough like Luca to satisfy him.

"Thank you, Signor Traverso! We owe you one!" Giulia waved cheerfully as they headed for the stairwell.

"Good ni... good night, Signorina Marcovaldo," the man replied, having to pause in the middle of the sentence for another yawn.

On the next landing, Luca pulled out an object he'd brought with him - Harry's little sailor cap. "Okay, Nerone," he said, offering it to the dog. "Smell this."

Nerone leaned towards it, his shiny black nose twitching as he took in the scent. Then he shook his head and backed away, disgusted.

"Yeah, he knows who that belongs to," said Alberto.

"Can you find him for us?" Giulia asked. "Can you find Harry?"

They made to continue down the stairs, and Nerone seemed to get the idea quickly. He began straining at his leash to run ahead, bouncing eagerly down the steps towards the street with his hindquarters sometimes nearly trying to overtake his head on the way. The kids ran to follow him, and he led them back to the street and uphill to the building where Giulia and her mother lived.

The apartments were built around a little courtyard that resembled a medieval cloister, though much smaller, with a covered walkway bordering an open rectangle with potted plants and a tiny fountain. The window in the bathroom looked out over this, which meant that after breaking it, Harry would have climbed out onto the walkway roof, and from there would have been able to drop to ground level. It was easy to spot the broken window. Helena had the light on as she finished cleaning up.

They led the dog to the most likely place where Harry would have landed, and directed him to sniff the ground. Nerone was willing enough to do so, turning in a circle with his nose to the ground and his tail perked up. Whatever he smelled, he didn't seem to like it, and made the same disgusted face as he had at Harry's hat.

"Yes, that's right!" Luca urged. "Now, follow him!"

Nerone started sniffing at one of the potted plants. The kids watched him, waiting for him to do something, but he took his time, moving from one plant to another and stopping to pee on one of the pots.

"What's taking him so long?" Alberto complained.

Helena's face appeared in the window above them. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"We're trying to get Nerone to track him by smell," Luca explained. "Like in the movies."

Helena frowned. "You... you do know that those dogs have to be specially trained for that, right?"

Luca had not, in fact, known that. He looked at his friends to see what they thought. It was pretty clear they were surprised, too.

"Nerone's barely trained to wait five minutes while I open a can of dog food," said Helena.

"Oh." Luca's shoulders slumped. "Sorry," he said, embarrassed. "I thought that was a good idea."

"It sounded like a good idea," Giulia agreed, and grimaced as the sound of more barking came from elsewhere in the city. "The dogs are really upset tonight. It's..." her eyes widened. "Of course!"

Luca had the same thought at the same time. "Nerone doesn't like Harry! Neither did the gelato man's dog!"

"Come on!" said Alberto.

Helena lived in the San Teodoro district. The sound of barking was coming from the south, closer to the harbour. The kids ran through the narrow, twisting streets. Because Genova was so much bigger than Portorosso and the people there worked at less demanding jobs, it had a nightlife that the smaller town lacked. There were a surprising number of people out and about, even as 'late' turned into 'early'. People and cars were in the streets, and the windows were bright in bars and dance clubs.

Nerone didn't know what was going on and certainly had never understood that the kids wanted help finding a missing monster, but he did know they were going for a run and that was one of his favourite things. Furthermore, they were running towards other dogs who were barking up a storm, and that was something he definitely wanted to be apart of. He sprinted along with his tongue hanging out of his mouth, letting out an occasional yap of his own to let the others know he was on his way.

"What is their problem tonight?" a woman asked, as the group ran past a restaurant entrance.

"No idea," said one of the friends with her, lighting a cigarette. "They're sure excited about something."

Nerone barked again as they got closer, and then, from up ahead, they heard a scream.

The kids had been getting tired at this point, but now they found a second wind as they sprinted the last few metres to turn the corner into the piazza in front of San Francesco da Paola. Several dogs were barking at something wrong the buildings, and one unfortunate man who'd been taking his spinone for a late-night walk was holding on to the leash with both hands as it tried to get free to bark at Harry, who was standing in front of the metal doors of the church with his arms crossed over his chest.

"What in god's name are you?" the man with the dog demanded.

"I'm a monster!" snapped Harry, annoyed. "Now, take me to the train station, and I won't hurt you!"

"What are you going to do?" asked the man, "gnaw my ankles?"

Harry responded by hissing and scurrying towards him with his arms held up. The man yelped in terror and ran, dragging his dog behind him even as the animal continued to bark.

"Chicken!" Harry shouted after him.

The kids came running up. Harry looked towards the sound of people approaching, then yelped as he realized these ones were likely to trap him in a suitcase again. He turned to run, but Nerone bit into one of his many legs, prompting a pained screech from Harry, and the boys grabbed his arms while Giulia got the dog off him.

"What do you think you're doing?" asked Alberto.

"Going home!" snapped Harry. "You can't tell me what to do. Neither can any of these humans - they're all too scared to do anything. Ercole was too scared to even tell me not to sleep in his room. He would do anything I told him to! He needed you guys to take me away for him!" he huffed, and then stood up straighter. "These humans are so easy to scare I don't know why my Dad even bothers with the door thing. We could just come right in and scare them all, and they wouldn't dare do anything about it!"

"Yes, they will," Luca insisted.

"They totally will," Alberto agreed.

The bronze doors of the church of San Francesco da Paola and the adjoining mendicant monastery had been closed for the night. Now they opened a crack and a monk in his dark habit stuck his head out. "What is going on out here?" he asked. "You children should be in bed, not roaming the streets."

"Shut up!" Harry said, and spun around to snarl at the man.

The monk stared, then made the sign of the cross and slammed the door again.

"See?" Harry turned back to the other kids. "Just because you're not scary enough to make them do what you want..." he began.

Then they heard a renewal of barking. A light came on in a building across the piazza, and a voice shouted, "in front of San Francesco!"

"Come on!" Alberto tugged on Harry's arm. "We gotta go!"

"No!" snarled Harry. "Watch - they'll do whatever I want!"

The man with the spinone appeared around the corner again, his shaggy black and grey dog barking excitedly as it pointed its nose towards Harry. "There!" he shouted.

A policeman was the next to step out, and by he light of the streetlamps the kids could see a half-a-dozen other people behind him, men and women both. Some of these gasped at the sight of Harry, while one woman exclaimed, "my God! What is it?"

The policeman put his whistle in his mouth and blew it to summon help. "You kids!" the policeman pointed. "Get away from that thing!"

"Wait!" Luca held up his hands. "We can explain!"

Harry pushed past him. "Everybody!" he addressed the gathered humans. "My name is Harry Waternoose and I'm..."

The policeman stepped forward and kicked Harry in the face.

This was a shock to the kids, but to nobody moreso than Harry himself, who staggered backwards with his hands over his bloodied nose. "Who do you think you..." he began, then had to duck as the policeman swung at him again.

Behind him, the doors of San Francesco opened again, and half a dozen monks came out, carrying bibles, crosses, and censures - and two carrying the tall metal candelabras that were used to light the church for night services. These were over six feet tall and well able to be used as weapons. The abbot, marked out by his broad black hat, strode towards Harry with a cross held out, repeating a prayer.

Harry didn't know what any of that meant. He backed away from it, but that brought him closer to the policeman, who had his truncheon out. Two more police, another man and a woman, had arrived, and various other people were gathering with improvised weapons. He looked around. The piazza was shaped like a triangle, with the wide end towards the north. There was another road there, leading uphill - the one Luca, Alberto, and Giulia had come down. Harry started to head towards them, but then there was another chorus of barking dogs.

The kids looked back. Another policeman was coming from that way, with a couple more people behind him. There was now only one way to go, and that was south, where a brick path wound its way down a very steep hill towards the harbour.

Giulia knew Genova well enough to know, however, that the winding road wasn't the only way down. She rolled up her sleeves, transferring Nerone's leash from hand to hand as she did.

By now it had gotten through to Harry that he was in terrible trouble. He hunkered down in the middle of the piazza and covered his head as people got closer.

"Don't hurt me!" he begged. "I'm sorry! Don't hurt me!"

"Grab him and then follow me," Giulia ordered, and took off for the path.

The boys dived on Harry. Alberto took the monster boy’s left arm and Luca his right, and then they just kept going, dragging him past the startled and shouting people and the policeman ordering them to stop. They followed Giulia as she passed by the gates of the walled garden at the south end of the monastery and rounded the corner. The path continued there, turning right to hug the side of the steep hill, but Giulia didn’t go that way. Instead, she and Nerone ran up to a green wooden door in the wall on the left side. Giulia threw herself against this and it burst open, revealing a steep dirt track that went directly down through the trees, bypassing the winding road.

The boys dashed through, Harry scuttling as hard as he could to keep up with them, and Giulia slammed the gate behind them. The path was not an easy one for people in a hurry, and the group ended up doing more sliding than running. The main route went right, to join back up at the road with another door, but Giulia turned left and went through the trees. This wasn’t much easier, but at least by holding on to branches and shrubs they could keep from falling down.

The trail brought them between a pair of apartment buildings and into a small garden, divided from the road by a tall fence. Alberto, Luca, and Harry climbed over, and Giulia hefted the dog over the top for Alberto to catch. Then she scaled it like a lizard on a wall and jumped down the other side, and all of them, including Nerone, were able to stop and catch their breath.

“We can’t stay too long,” Giulia cautioned. “They’ll figure out where we went eventually.”

The sound of voices shouting and more barking dogs told the boys that she was right, but they spent a few more moments leaning on the fence, breathing hard and trying to swallow the metallic taste of exertion in their mouths. Harry was in the worst shape of all, holding on to the fence with both hands as he panted.

“They weren’t afraid of me,” he whimpered finally.

Giulia rolled her eyes, but then she reached out and patted his back. “Yes, they were,” she said. “That was the problem – they were scared to death. When humans are scared of something and it’s just one or two of us, we run away, but when there’s more, we get together to hurt it before it can hurt us.

Luca nodded. “That’s what happened to us, too. We got rained on in front of the whole town, and if it hadn’t been for Giulia and her dad I dunno what would have happened.”

“Yeah, we never even threatened them or anything,” Alberto agreed. “Unlike some people.”

“What did Giulia and her dad do?” asked Harry. “Did they fight them?” He looked both hopeful that this was the case and skeptical that it could be.

“No,” said Luca at once. “They just reminded everybody that we’d been there all along and never tried to hurt them.”

“Although Massimo would have fought them all if he had to!” Alberto said proudly.

“So why didn’t you just tell all those humans I wouldn’t hurt them?” Harry asked.

“They wouldn’t have listened. They don’t know us,” Giulia pointed out. “Everybody in Portorosso listens to my dad because they’ve known him forever. Genova is too big for that. Nobody here even knows about Luca, except for the teachers and a couple of friends we really trust.”

“Remember Dorotea and her mom?” asked Luca. “They don’t even know.”

“Also, you actually were threatening to hurt people,” Alberto reminded Harry.

Harry hung his head. “No wonder Dad doesn’t want humans to know about us.”

That was a sobering thought. If the parents of the world knew that there really were monsters in their children’s closets, they would probably camp there waiting for them, just like Luca and Alberto had in Rocco’s room... except that the parents would bring harpoons or even guns and that would make everything so much worse. None of the kids had been born yet when the War had happened, but all had heard the way the adults talked about it. Even the sea monsters, who weren’t involved, had been affected by the warships and submarines. Nobody wanted anything like that to ever happen again, and a war across two worlds, between humans and monsters who really had nothing to fight about besides that each found the other frightening, would be both terrible and pointless.

“I wanna go home,” Harry complained.

“Like... home home?” Luca asked cautiously. “Back to your world?”

“Yeah,” Harry said.

Giulia stood up and brushed off her hands on the seat of her shorts. “Let’s go, then.”

There were several close calls as they crept through the narrow streets of the city back up the hill towards Helena’s apartment. Fortunately, Genova was a positive maze of winding medieval streets, and every time they were almost caught, they were able to find a trash bin or a side street where they could crouch in the shadows until danger had passed.

They arrived to find Helena, still in her nightgown and slippers, pacing anxiously in front of the entrance to her building. A man across the street came out the door of his cafe to leave the garbage for pickup, and spared a worried glance for her, but seemed to decide not to intervene. He brushed his hands off and went back inside, locking the door behind him.

Once he was out of sight, the kids hurried out to meet Giulia’s mother, who greeted them all with hugs – even Harry.

“What were you thinking,” she asked him, as she got a hold of the rambunctious dog. Nerone was wagging his tail, not knowing anything about what had just happened except that it had been an unexpected adventure.

Harry didn’t answer.

“Hes’ fine,” said Giulia. “He says he wants to go home now.”

Harry nodded miserably, and Helena patted his shoulder.

“I hope you’ve learned an important lesson, young... monster,” she said.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied, cowed.

Upstairs, Helena had cleaned the bathroom floor and taped some plastic up over the window so that the birds and insects couldn’t come inside, so there was nothing more to do but send everybody back to bed. Nobody said very much, although Luca did wonder what would happen if Harry tried to escape again. He probably wouldn’t, but what if his change in demeanour was just an act?

It seemed he needn’t have worried, though. Come morning, Harry was still there, and was still very quiet as he ate his breakfast. They did not discuss what had happened last night. Once the meal was finished, Luca and Alberto helped clean up the dishes, while Giulia and her mother packed up the things they would need for their ruse.

They had decided it would look best if the kids wore school uniforms. Alberto borrowed one of Luca’s, choosing the short-sleeved jacket so it wouldn’t be obvious that his arms were a little too long for it. It was a bit narrow across the chest, too, restricting his movement, but the part he really didn’t like was the necktie.

“You really have to wear this every day?” he grumbled, tugging at it.

“You get used to it,” Luca assured him.

“All right,” said Helena. She was in work clothes – a pair of paint-spattered overalls and a man’s striped shirt, with her hair tied back under a kerchief. “Is everybody ready?”

“Yes, Ma’am,” said Luca. Harry just nodded.

“Let me do the talking,” Helena told them. She unzipped the suitcase for Harry to climb in. “Unless somebody asks you something directly, and even then you can just say you don’t want to talk to strangers if that’ll help. I’m the one who knows the people in there.”

The kids agreed. Harry curled up inside the suitcase without complaint this time, and they trundled their way down the hill and around the harbour to the Palazzo Spinola. Luca had read about this place in a newspaper, and couldn’t resist the urge to talk about what he’d learned to his friends as they wound through the tangle of increasingly dim and claustrophobic streets in the old city centre.

“The building is almost four hundred years old,” he told Alberto. “Like Singora Marcovaldo said, it used to have a third floor, but that got bombed during the war.”

Alberto frowned. “How did they bomb the third floor without getting the ones under it, too?”

“I dunno,” said Luca. “A few years ago, the owners gave the whole thing to the city, along with all the paintings and furniture in it. It used to be somebody’s house, so that somebody probably would have had kids and it makes sense that the monsters would have portals into their closets.”

“Not so loud!” Giulia said, as a woman passed them with a dog on a leash. The dog sniffed at the suitcase, its ears back, but its owner hurried it along.

“Sorry,” Luca said. He leaned down a bit to whisper to the suitcase. “You okay, Harry?”

“Yeah, I’m good,” Harry muttered. “Are we almost there yet?”

“Almost,” said Helena.

The main facade of the palace was on the Piazza di Pellicceria, which was a wide-open public space by the standards of the cramped medieval part of Genova, but tiny to people used to the Piazza Calvino in Portorosso. The main entrance was boarded up and covered with scaffolding for the restoration work, so Helena walked right past it and around the side, to yet another very narrow and dark alleyway that reminded Luca and Alberto of an underwater trench. Buildings rose up like cliffs on either side, and only a few thin shafts of sunshine managed to make their way down through the forest of roofs and chimneys above.

Here was a door with a sign on it that said Avviso: Solo Personale Autorizzato, and a bored-looking security guard standing next to it doing a newspaper puzzle. He looked up and smiled.

“Buongiorno, Signora Marcovaldo,” he said. “I didn’t know you were going to be here today.”

“I called ahead to management,” Helena replied. “Signor Zaccaria said I could bring my daughter and her school friends. They’re supposed to get pictures of a historical landmark this summer, and they’re very excited to see one that nobody else can get into.”

The kids did their best to look enthusiastic.

“Well, be careful,” the guard warned them. “Don’t touch anything. There’s a lot of damage in there – and one of the upstairs rooms is supposed to be haunted!” He winked.

“That’s great!” said Alberto.

“Yeah! Imagine if we get to show the class a real ghost!” Giulia clutched her camera.

“They’re prepared,” Helena told the guard.

The man unlocked the door for them, and they headed inside.

The outside of the Palazzo was fairly drab. Some of the fancy plasterwork had survived the war, but especially around the sides and back there was little to distinguish it from the humbler buildings nearby. Inside, the first floor was being used to store building supplies and old furniture covered in cloth. They passed that by and went up the first flight of stairs.

The second floor had been the Spinola family’s living area at the height of their wealth. It was now dusty and mostly unfurnished, with broken mirrors and missing light fixtures, and in one large room the entire frescoed ceiling had fallen down. People were laying out the bits of plaster on a drop cloth to reassemble the image like a jigsaw puzzle. Yet for all the ruin, it was clear that this building had once been magnificent. There were fancy tiles and marble mosaics on the floor, dozens of hooks on the ways for hanging giant mirrors and paintings, and places for fancy lights and chandeliers. What was left was almost nothing like the old black and white photographs from the newspaper, and yet Luca could see where that grandeur had once been.

Giulia was impressed, too. She raised her camera and began taking pictures.

“This looks like Harry’s place after a tidal wave hit it,” was Alberto’s assessment.

“The haunted one is supposed to be the green room,” said Helena. “It should be through here.”

Like many of the grander buildings in the city, the palazzo was arranged around a small central courtyard, one room leading into another rather than wasting space by having them branch off a hallway. That made it easy to get confused as they seemed to turn corner after corner, but Helena knew where she was going and brought them to a room where the walls were a bright spring green. Much of the paint had now come away from the walls during the bombing, along with the plaster underneath, leaving bare brick walls. What little remained was mostly in the corners and along the street-facing wall. There was no furniture and, more importantly, no sign of a closet.

“Is this it?” asked Alberto, opening the door opposite to the one they’d come in by. This, however, only brought him to the next room over, which had half the floor taken up to replace some damaged joists. The workmen looked up in surprise at this unexpected intrusion.

“Sorry!” said Alberto, and closed the door again.

“Where is it?” asked Luca, worried.

Helena smiled. “The people who lived in this palazzo were worried about looks, not practicalities. Things like closets had to be hidden. She let Harry out of the suitcase, and then went to a corner and used her fingers to brush dust away from a seam in the paint job. About half a metre away was a ring, and when Helena pulled on that, the hidden door opened to reveal...

... the scaffolding outside. It hadn’t been visible from the street, but the outer wall here had partially collapsed, leaving the interior of the closet as a narrow shelf with a wall on the right and the back, and open air on the left.

“Santo Parmigiano!” said Giulia.

Helena quickly closed the door again and looked at Harry. “Ah, does that matter?” she asked.

“Nah,” he shook his head. “There’s ground in our world, so it’s fine.”

“Good to know,” she decided. “So now we just have to wait.”

They made a show of touring the rest of the house, and let the people working there overhear Helena describing the delicate process of restoring things like the broken ceiling fresco. Giulia and Luca pestered the workers with questions, most of which were happily answered, while they left Harry hidden under a cloth in the green room, trying his best to look like a pile of masonry.

At lunch time they had a picnic in the central courtyard, eating sandwiches and drinking lemonade. Then Helena announced it was time to go, and they went around thanking everybody once again, as if they were about to leave. They did not, however, do so. Instead, they went back to the green room and joined Harry in hiding under drop cloths. When the end of the day came, nobody would remember having actually seen them leave, but nor would they remember them being there in the afternoon, and the workers and guards would conclude that their guests must have left hours ago. Nobody would suspect they had any reason to still be hiding inside.

Unfortunately, that meant there was nothing to do in the afternoon but listen to the sounds that echoed inside the building. There were hammering noises from the men replacing the joists next door, and clinks as they began putting the floor tiles back. Voices spoke on the street outside, and at one point somebody tried to bring a dog into the building. The animal must have smelled Harry, because it began barking in a frenzy and had to be dragged back out.

Finally, people began to go home for the evening. The smell of cigarette smoke and the sound of laughter suggested men weren’t working as hard as they had been. The door to the next room opened, and the workers from there came through in a cacophony of tramping boots and loud voices. Maybe some of them noticed that there appeared to be objects in the green room that hadn’t been there before, but if so, they didn’t think it was worth investigating. They went out through the other door, and could be heard descending the stairs.

Even then, it seemed to be forever before Helena became confident that everybody was gone and let them come out from under the cloth. They couldn’t turn any lights on for fear of being noticed, so they just sat in the gathering dark and listened to Harry describe what they were likely to find.

“The research labs will have a bunch of door stations,” he said. “I’ve visited them loads of times with Dad.” His confidence was starting to return now, as the time came closer to return to his own world. “They’ll probably only be using two or three at a time, because they’ll be testing different stuff. You know, one will be opened normally, and then another one they’ll have done something to.”

“They’ll have a control group,” Luca nodded. Another thing he’d learned about in school.

“There’ll be a bunch of scientists,” Harry added, “but I’ll tell them who I am and that I wanna talk to my father, and it’ll be fine. I bet he’s looking for me!” This idea seemed to perk him up even more. “I bet there’s a big reward out for my safe return. I am his only child, after all.”

Alberto wondered... if he’d gone missing, would his father even have bothered to look?”

“Anyway,” Harry added, “as long as you guys are wet, it’ll...” he stopped, frowning.

“Yeah, we know,” Alberto said, rolling his eyes. They’d filled buckets from a sink on the ground floor and were ready to use them. After what had happened last time, they weren’t likely to forget.

“No, I think I heard something, too,” Luca said, and put a finger to his lips. “Alberto, sssh!”

Alberto fell silent, and there were a series of noises from outside – specifically from the other side of the closet door. The kids moved closer to Helena as a series of thumps, creaks, and grunts came closer and closer. Was there something wrong with the scaffolding, perhaps? Or were the monsters getting to work early?

“Are those the sounds the maids hear?” Giulia whispered.

“I don’t know,” Helena replied. “I’ve never heard them myself.”

“Should we look?” asked Luca.

Giulia stood up and got her camera ready. “You open it,” she said. “If it’s something bad, I’ll set off the flash.”

Luca and Alberto stood on either side of the closet door, water buckets ready, and Harry reached to pull the ring. Helena got behind Giulia, ready to grab her daughter and run.

“Good luck, ragazzi,” Helena said.

“Here goes!” Harry announced. He wrenched the door open – only for him, Luca, Alberto, and Giulia all to let out a scream at the sight of something scarier than any eight-metre drop or monster scientist could possibly have been.

It was Daniela Paguro.

[gachawolfiebloom]

A Grumpy Troll and A Prince

Chapter 5: Escape Artists

Tags: Comedy, action, adventure, and romance

The guards walked through the halls past the burning torches. One in particular looked quite strange. It was actually Three and Four in an adequate disguise. They used their hair to swing over to a shelf at the other side of the hall, without drawing attention of course. Four looked around and asked Three "Where do you think our friends are?" This time he didn't notice that Four had said they were his friends too because he retorted back with a sarcastic comeback.

"If I had to guess, I'd say inside a Bergen's stomach."

Four groaned and placed his hands on his hips in a sassy way. "Could you try to be more positive!? Just once. You might like it." Three swung around and shot back "Okay. I'm sure they're not only alive, but about to be delivered to us on a silver platter."

Four didn't get the memo and instead breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you. That wasn't so hard was it?" Three smacked his face once again from how irritating this was getting. How was he this stupid!? The prince's hug time bracelet went off and he gasped. "Three!"

"Really!? Hug time aga-" Four immediately shushed and told him to listen. Multiple chimes with faint colored lights could be seen around a corner. "There they are!" Now who's the smart one Three? He rushed off while Three blinked for a few seconds and ran off after him.

-

The captured trolls were all huddling together in quivering fear while their bracelets went off. Many bergen guards were busy setting the tables and fixing the lights on the ceiling. "This is going to be the best Trollstice ever!" X cheered. He flattered himself with his excellent idea while his royal entertainer walked by his side and FM pushed the cart with the cage on top. Mr Puzzles instructed "Tomorrow is Trollstice everyone and it must be perfect!"

"Yes Mr Puzzles!" He smirked to himself and the commanding orders reminded him of when he was so high and mighty all those years ago...before the trolls had made their escape... "It feels great to be ordering everyone around again!"

Three and Four slipped down onto a chandelier and the prince was the first to spot their friends. "Three look!" He studied the cage and tilted his head. "They're alive?" The two ducked down before anyone heard their whispering and Four said "And on a silver platter. We were both right."

It always bugged Three to be shown up, but him being right on a sarcastic note seemed to not nag him as much. 

Mr Puzzles knew that his plan was working, but if he was really going to win the king over, he needed more convincing. With his devilish charm, Mr Puzzles pulled out a worn out piece of cloth and said "To mark the occasion your highness, I found your old Troll bib." What was the king going to do with an old bib now!?

Apparently, it somehow won X over as he took it out of the TV man's hands and stared at it in awe. "Wow! I bet it still fits-" He tried tying it around, but it was a little too tight. Within seconds, the bib had exploded into millions of little pieces and a faint sound of giggling could be heard. X angrily turned to see Mario laughing until the others shushed him. "Oh so you think that's funny do you? We'll see who will be laughing when I eat you all!"

Mario's laughter turned into sheer panic and his friends expressed the same. X then raised an eyebrow. 1...2...3...4...5...6...7....8? "Mr Puzzles, this won't be enough to feed all of Bergen Town!" Sweat drops played on Mr Puzzles screen while the king had another thought. "How do we have Trollstice if there isn't enough trolls!?"

Mr Puzzles patted his head and reassured "There's plenty more where that came from your majesty. I can just go back and grab more!" Four gasped as he realized that the TV guy was right. Because of him, Mr Puzzles knew where they lived and could capture them all. He shared a worried glance with Three, who he could tell was sharing the same thought.

"Are you sure? Because I promised everyone a troll." Mr Puzzles quickly shut that problem down by sticking his hands out, defensively. "No! No! No! It will all be taken care of!" He then eyed the cage deviously. "If I was truly worried....would I do...THIS!" He slammed open the cage and grasped tight onto Tag6.

"TAG6!"

Three quickly pulled Four down as Mr Puzzles turned towards the chandelier. He could have sworn he saw...

The suspicion was shut down when X eyed her and said "My first troll!" Mr Puzzles handed the troll to the king and said "Go on. Eat up King X. Enjoy a taste of true happiness." X started to raise Tag6 up to his mouth while the others whimpered. She was suddenly saved for a moment when X asked "Shouldn't we wait for Trollstice?" The others breathed a sigh of relief.

Mr Puzzles then tried to entice him by putting Tag6 in a taco. "Yeah, I guess." Mr Puzzles looked in excitement as once again, the king raised her up to his mouth. "But my dad said the first time should be special." Another wave of relief. Mr Puzzles was starting to lose his patience as he poured hot sauce on the poor troll. "Well you're the king now."

"Yeah, I am!" Here we go...any second now... "But I think I should share this moment with all the kingdom." That was the last straw. In irritation, Mr Puzzles shoved the taco in his mouth. "JUST EAT IT YOU BUFFOON!"

"NO!"

"YES!"

The guards started playing some really cringe Mexican music and Mr Puzzles stuck a sombrero on X's head and maracas in his hands. Twirling him around the room for a few seconds, Mr Puzzles took X into the hall, but before they left, he turned and commanded "IM! Lock these trolls in your room and guard them with your life!" He make a slit neck gesture and told him "If you lose them, YOU'RE DEAD!"

FM quickly nodded and said "Yes Mr Puzzles!" He rolled the cart toward his room while Four was standing there, horrified.

Tag6 couldn't be gone. She just couldn't. He refused to believe it. "Three! We have to save her!" He pulled the prince back and asked "Save her from what!? His stomach!?" Four pointed back at him. "We didn't see him chew or swallow!"

"Face it Four! Sometimes people go into other people's mouths and they don't come out! If we go after Tag6 now, we're going to get eaten." Four could feel tears building up in his eyes and turned back towards the door. Three's expression softened a little. "I'm sorry. It's too late for her." Four looked back and saw the Bergen, pushing the cart with the rest of their friends.

Okay, back on track. Four dove off the chandelier as Three tried to grab him and watched over the side. "Four!" The prince slid down the railing of a ladder and slid on a spoon across the table until he was hitching a ride with the servant. Three quickly followed, jumping off the caps of the guards and swinging over, right next to Four. They shared a quick smile with one another's before the cautiously observed FM going down a flight of stairs until he reached his room.

The two hopped off as FM set the cage onto a counter, when a voice rang out. "SERVANT!" What did that TV head want now? Multiple dishes came crashing down onto FM as Mr Puzzles shot back "Wash these dishes for Trollstice! The King is inviting everyone...except you." FM couldn't take the abuse. He had hoped that just for once, he could finally hang out with X, but he was mistaken.

In a fit of tears, he collapsed onto his rickety old bed with muffled cries into the pillow. Four was trying to sneak over to the cage with Three, but stopped to watch the heartbroken Bergen, feeling quite sorry for him. Three stopped in his tracks as well. "Four? The hell are you doing!?"

FM wiped the tears off his face with his sleeve and took out a picture of X from his drawer.

"I've been alone with you inside my mind."

A fantasy plays where fm is spinning around with X in his arms.

"And in my dreams I've kissed your lips a thousand times!"

Flashbacks now from when X was walking past FM's window.

"I sometimes see you pass outside my door."

FM wishes he could just tell X how he felt, but instead watches from afar.

"Hello!"

He's been doing this ever since they were kids.

"Is it me you're looking for!"

"I can see it in your eyes."

He scrubs a plate to see a faint reflection of X laughing and smiling.

"I can see it in your smile..."

"You're all I ever wanted and my arms are open wide!"

Even when X was yelling at his guards, FM found him irresistible.

Cause you know just what to say and you know just what to do."

"And I want to tell you so much...I love you."

FM kept crying into his pillow until he eventually wore himself out and fell asleep.

Three was confused, but Four thought it was adorable. "Aww he's in love with the king." Three gave him a deer in headlights look and said "What are you talking about!? Boys don't love other boys!" Why did he blush a little when he said that?

Four rolled his eyes and shot back "Well maybe you don't know everything about the Bergens!" There was no time for bickering so the two immediately ceased their argument and snuck past FM to the cage. Three pulled back the cover and Four shouted "Guys!"

"FOUR! You came to save us!"

He nodded and cheered "Let's have a celebration!" Three ran up and went "SHHHH!" Mario went down to a whisper and said "Let's have a party right here with spaghetti." Three grabbed some kind of Usb to use as a key and said "There is no parties going on here!" He set down the huge lock and replied "The sooner we get you guys out of here-"

"The sooner we can save Tag6!"

"WHAT!?"

The noise startled FM so much as he awoke instantly. "Hello?" All of them froze, praying he wouldn't look in their direction. Thankfully, sleep got the best of FM and he dozed off again. "Is it me you're looking for...

Once it was safe again, Three opened the cage door and told Four "I know that you're looking for the fun and laughter here, but let's face it. Tag6's been eaten!" Mario walked past, whispering "They put her in a taco!" Meggy followed. "It was horrible." Luigi put a hand on the prince's shoulder and said "Sorry Smg4. Tag6 is gone."

Three sighed and said "Four? How can you possibly think that Tag6 is still alive?" He spun around and responded "I don't think she's alive, I hope she's alive and that's enough." Three really didn't get it. "How do you always look on the bright side? There is no bright side here! None!"

"There's always a bright side!"

A light then flickered on as FM was standing there with a lamp in his hand. "Hey! Where do you think you're going?"

Oh crap. They were spotted...

Chapter 6: Broken Hearts and Awkward Dates

[tilebytiles]

when the sun goes down - a.t. (part 2)

summary: your favorite barista is … a vampire? word count: 4.4k warnings: mention of suicidal thoughts, violence (a fair amount and kind of graphic), death part 1

you had to kill a vampire.

you were sat on the floor of the living room of your flat, sipping at a diet coke and watching alex as he paced back and forth. he stopped every now and again, turning to you and opening his mouth, and then he'd mutter something to himself while shaking his head and go back to his pacing. you were starting to get a bit sick of his inaction. "alex," you finally said, "can't i just, like ... i dunno, pelt him with garlic bulbs?"

he stopped and looked at you, and you were thankful when he didn't start pacing again. "it would probably hurt a bit," he said, scratching at his chin, "but from what i can tell, he's ... powerful. we'd need more than garlic."

"silver, then."

"do you have a silver sword?" you shook your head slowly. "our best bet is to behead him."

"behead?"

"if you take a vampire's head, they can't come back. they're dead for good."

"oh." in hindsight, that probably should've been obvious. "so we behead him. but we don't even know where he is."

"not yet." you watched as he walked out of the living room, disappearing through the doorway of your bedroom. you wondered if he could see his reflection; probably not. there was a thump as something fell, and then he came back in, carrying one of your pillows with your blanket trailing behind him. you rose an eyebrow, but didn't move from your spot on the floor as he set the pillow and blanket up on your sofa. "you have a connection to him," he finally said, standing up straight once the pillow was fluffed to his liking. "he's in your dreams. my theory is, the locations you've seen him in aren't coincidental. you'll go to sleep, hopefully have a nightmare, and then he'll show up and maybe we can find out where he's hidin'."

"and if he doesn't show up?"

he sighed and ran a hand through his hair, messing it up even more. you questioned if it had ever been neat. "we keep tryin’ until he does."

you got up and set your coke down on the nearby table, then laid down on the sofa, pulling the blanket up to your shoulders. alex perched himself on the opposite arm, watching intently as you closed your eyes and attempted to fall asleep. you'd never been very good at falling asleep when you wanted to, and you anticipated it taking a good few minutes before you did slip into a state of unconsciousness. although you weren't sure exactly how long it took, when you opened your eyes, you weren't in your flat anymore. you appeared to be back in the victorian maze you'd detailed to your therapist, the deep red walls surrounding you on all sides. this time, however, one of the walls housed a door.

cautiously, you walked over to it, a couple of the planks in the floor creaking beneath your weight. when you were close enough, you reached out and wrapped your hand around the handle — it was wooden, elegantly carved and smooth beneath your fingers. you pulled down on it and pulled the door open, poking your head out into the hall. there was a painting directly across from the door (saturn devouring his son, if your memory served you right) with a small table beneath it, holding only a small white vase of flowers. they were roses. to your right, the hall seemed to end with another door, but to your left, it opened out into a bigger room. you emerged from the room you'd woken up in and took a left.

you were in a mansion, you thought, and you'd just stepped into the entrance hall, if it could even be called a hall. there wasn't much furniture, beyond a coat rack close to the front doors, and two large staircases on either side led to the second floor of the house. there were tall windows in the front wall of the mansion, revealing the full moon that hung in the night sky. to your left, an open doorway revealed a parlour room of some sort. there were half-full teacups on the low table in the center of the room, indicating there had been life here once. tall cabinets with ornately designed glass panels in the doors held shelves full of ceramics that you thought might break if you got too close. there was a window in the wall on the other side of the room, covered by sheer white curtains. it was open, and a cold draft blew in, making you shiver.

"cold?"

you jumped at the sound of a voice and whipped around, the colour draining from your face at the sight of the tall man. he didn't acknowledge your fear, though, just shrugged his cloak off and draped it around your shoulders. he then stepped into the parlour room and sat down in one of the armchairs, picking up a teacup and its accompanying saucer. there were flowers painted below the rim of the cup, their pastel colours a stark contrast to the moody palette of the house. he took a long sip of the tea, staring at you the whole time, as if he were waiting for you to speak first. you didn't know what to say; you were rather uncomfortable. finally, you gathered up the courage to ask, "who are you?"

he simply smiled and set the cup and saucer back down on the table, then sat back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other. he was wearing a white button-up shirt with a black vest over it and a pair of black trousers. he had black socks on and his shoes ended in a point. his hands sat clasped together in his lap. "i've been watching you for some time, y/n," he finally murmured.

the sound of his voice — deep, gravelly, perhaps even a little dry and raspy, as if he'd had to swat away cobwebs before speaking — made your skin crawl. "that doesn't answer my question."

he just smiled again. "you'll learn who i am in due time, y/n. sooner than you think. in the meantime, i think we should evaluate who you are."

"what does that have to do with anything?"

"your life has no purpose, y/n. you struggle to leave the house. you have no friends. you have a hopeless crush on the boy that makes your coffee. you're letting your degree waste away in a picture frame. you have no real direction. you're wandering aimlessly, waiting for someone else to give you the answers instead of seeking them out yourself. you've considered suicide before, but you've never acted on it. why? are you waiting for your prince charming to save you from your mundane, meaningless life?" he leaned forward in his seat. "think about it. if you have to question if anyone would care if you died, doesn't that tell you exactly what you need to know?"

you gulped. your hands balled themselves into fists at your sides. "you don't know me," you said, although the small wobble in your voice betrayed you. "i haven't killed myself because i know things will get better."

"will they?" he asked mockingly. "or do you just keep telling yourself that, and then nothing ever improves?"

"if you think i should be dead, why haven't you killed me yet? why do you want to turn me instead?"

his smile grew a little crueler. "you're much more useful to me when you have to bear the weight of being a vampire — my vampire."

you hated the way he said that. "what are you talking about?"

"you're the one. can't you see? i'll turn you, and you'll become ..." his eyes widened, his smile turning into an open-mouthed grin as he looked up at the ceiling, his arms outstretching. "... my queen. your life will have purpose. you will serve me until the end of time." you could hear a faint rumbling sound coming from somewhere.

"no." his queen? was he mad? "no, i'm never —"

"too late," he said, looking back down to you. his eyes were still wide. "the plan is already in motion, y/n." the rumbling drew closer, shaking the floor beneath you, and before you could react, the ceiling crashed down around you, burying you in rubble and dust.

you shot up on your sofa, your chest heaving as you struggled to catch your breath. alex left his perch in an instant, kneeling down beside you and rubbing comforting circles against your back. "breathe," he said softly. "you're okay. it's over."

when you'd calmed down enough to form sentences, the first thing he asked was, "were you able to find out where he is?"

fuck. you hadn't even thought to ask; then again, with the way the tall man had behaved, you didn't think he would've told you, anyway. "no," you mumbled, burying your face into your hands. but then you paused. somewhere, deep in your mind, a faint flicker of a thought came forward for a passing moment, like a whisper in your ear from a familiar stranger. you slowly lifted your face from your hands and looked at alex, whose brows were knitted together at your apparent revelation.

"y/n?" he said slowly.

"i know where he is," you mumbled. his eyes widened.

•••••

you and alex stumbled up the dirt path worn deep into the hill, the full moon that hung in the sky perfectly illuminating your path. you wondered if that dream of yours had been foreshadowing, but you tried not to think on it too much. the grass you passed by was tall and dead, swaying gently in the wind. if you walked too close to the edge of the path and brushed against a blade, it would curl in on itself and crumble into dust.

as you reached the top of the hill, the house from your dreams came into view. beside you, alex let out a breath. “you were right.”

there was a tall metal gate, and standing in front of it was a man. something about him looked off, even in the darkness of the night; his eyes looked glazed over, his clothes were worn and torn, and dirt was smudged on his skin, as if he hadn’t bathed in days. his hair was dark brown and cut short, and from where you stood, his eyes looked like two black holes. he had a pistol in his hands, and when he saw the two of you approaching, he lifted it up, his eyes going wide. “state your names.”

“put the gun down,” alex said, stepping forward. “you don’t have to do this.”

“state your names!” the man shouted. his hands began to tremble around his pistol.

“you’re under his control, aren’t you?” alex could barely get the last word out before the man pulled the trigger, firing at him. you covered your ears, expecting a deafening bang, but there was only a faint click instead. you looked over at alex, swallowing a scream at the sight of the blood that was seeping through his trousers. he’d been shot in the left thigh. he looked down at the wound, then sighed and shook his head, looking back up at the man. “he didn’t even give you silver bullets?”

in one swift motion, alex sped towards the man and knocked him down, the pistol skittering across the dirt. you heard a scream, but it quickly became gargled and then turned to silence. you hesitated, then finally asked, “who was he?”

“thrall.” he slowly stood up, holding a set of keys. he must’ve gotten them from the man. “a vampire’s servant, unwillingly. no idea how long he’s been out of control for. that’s why he looks a mess.” you approached slowly as he unlocked the gate, pushing it open with a thunderous creak. the man — thrall? — had died somewhat painlessly, at least; the only indication of anything having happened to him were the two red dots on his neck. you forced yourself to look away and followed alex through the gate.

you eyed the red stain in his trousers warily and asked, "doesn't that hurt?"

it was almost like he'd forgotten he'd been shot at all. he stopped and looked down at his leg, then shut his eyes. you knew something was happening, although you had no idea what; at least, not until the bullet popped out of his thigh and hit the dirt. you stepped in front of him and eyed the hole in his trousers. the skin of his thigh was perfectly smooth, as if he'd never been shot at all. he seemed to know what your next question was, for he said, "healing properties. i have to be completely still for it to work, though."

"i don't know if i should be amazed or horrified."

"maybe a bit of both."

the two of you headed up to the front doors of the mansion, ascending the stone steps. there were two large pillars on either side, connected to a stone arch that sat above the door. at least the tall man had good architectural taste. alex reached out to open the door, but the handle only jiggled in place. "it's locked."

"we'll need to find another way in." you descended the steps and took a few steps back, examining the entire front of the mansion. you were hoping one of the windows would be open, but they were all closed. you thought back to the dream you'd had — the parlour room. you motioned for alex to follow as you walked around the side of the home, making your way to the back wall. sure enough, the window was open, the feeble wind shifting the curtains every so often. you climbed in first, and alex followed.

not much was different in the parlour room except for the teacups being gone. "it's a bit too quiet in here," alex murmured. "are there not even any thralls around?"

"it was this empty in my dream," you replied. "maybe they're all hiding somewhere ..."

a sudden thump erupted from upstairs, making both of your heads snap up as you gazed at the ceiling. "looks like that's our answer," alex said.

you abandoned the parlour room and went back out into the entrance hall, making your way to the staircase on the right. there was a red carpet trailing down it that you did your best to avoid stepping on; a part of you was convinced it'd slip out from beneath your feet and send you tumbling down like something out of a cartoon. the second floor of the mansion appeared as empty as the first, although you immediately noticed something strange: all of the doors were open. you nervously glanced at alex, who said nothing and pressed forward.

there was another thump not long after your emergence at the top of the stairs, much louder than the first. a few seconds passed, then another. against your better judgment, you and alex followed the sounds, taking a left, then a left, then another right ... how big was this place? the monotony of the halls and the paintings on the walls wasn't helping any. at least the thumping was getting louder, signifying some kind of progress — and, simultaneously, something positively terrible. after a few more turns, alex came to an abrupt stop, and you almost crashed into him. "what?"

silently, he lifted his arm, pointing at something not far ahead. you peeked over his shoulder. only one door was shut, and behind it, something violently thumped, increasing in speed with each step you took. when you were right in front of the door, alex grabbed the handle and yanked it down, pulling the door open. the thumping stopped, and you both stared in confusion at the contents of the room. white sheets were draped over different pieces of furniture, and a window sat in the opposite wall with the curtains pulled back. there was no sign of life; the moonlight that filtered through the window revealed the dust on the floorboards.

"we can't have just imagined it," you said, stepping into the room. "we both heard it, we —"

the door swung shut behind you, and you gasped, whipping around to face it. you ran over and tugged desperately on the handle, but the door wouldn't budge despite being unlocked. on the other side, alex began banging on the wood. "y/n!"

"alex!" you shouted. "what's happening?"

cold hands wrapped around your ankles and forced you down onto the floor, pulling you away from the door, far away from the room and the mansion. darkness surrounded you as alex's shouts grew fainter and fainter until the silence absorbed them completely. you were alone. it was so dark that you wondered if you'd closed your eyes without realising, but blinking a few times instantly proved you wrong. a bit shakily, you pushed yourself up from the strangely solid chasm beneath you and looked around, hoping for anything to pop up before you and allow you back into the real world. but nothing ever came.

somewhere in the distance, music began to play. it crackled and popped every now and then; it must have been some old record. you felt reluctant to follow it, but what choice did you have? the darkness felt cold and hot, real and nonexistent, loud and silent. you hated it. after some time of walking, a room finally became visible, and it took everything in you to not break out into a run at the sight of it. you could make out the gramophone that was nursing the record, its needle following the path laid out in the grooves of the vinyl. the room was cast in a soft orange glow, and when you got closer, you realised there was a fireplace. it felt warm and inviting.

you crossed the threshold and entered the room, immediately enveloped in the warmth of the fire and the tranquility that accompanied the gramophone's music. there was a piece of paper beside the gramophone, full of ridges like a mountain range due to having been crumpled and uncrumpled, folded and unfolded. one of its corners had been torn off. the writing was shaky, sloppy, as if the author was in a rush. you slowly picked it up and read it.

'i don't feel normal. i know they did something to me. i don't know what. something's wrong with me. i keep having this really strong craving. what did they do to me?'

"so sad, isn't it?" you jumped at the sound of the voice and turned around. the tall man stood in front of you, his arms crossed over his chest. his cloak was still gone. "they say that when you are turned, you grieve. you grieve the person you once were, the life you once had. try as you might, you can never go back. things can never be the same."

"please just leave me alone," you pleaded. you sounded a bit pathetic.

he just smiled at you. "i don't think, y/n, that you would have anything to grieve at all. i could give you a life so much better than the one you have now. why, i could ... fix you."

"i don't need to be fixed."

that made him laugh. "don't you? have you taken a look at yourself recently? and i don't mean in the mirror, i mean inwards. you are so broken, y/n. if you came with me, i could pick up the pieces for you. i could put you back together."

"i don't want to be a vampire, or your queen, or — or whatever sick shite you're into."

the smile that had curled his lips slowly faded, and an unsettling glimmer settled upon his eye. "i don't think you have much of a choice."

in an instant, he darted towards you, and you narrowly avoided being tackled by him as you dove out of the way, making him crash into the table behind you. the gramophone played a few warbled notes, then seemed to right itself. you scrambled up and ran for the door, swinging it open. you were back in the mansion, although you had no idea where. a hall led away from where you stood in every direction, and you blindly began running down the one on the right, forcing your legs to go faster when you heard the tall man emerge from the room.

the hall, much to your dismay, ended in a short staircase that led up to the attic. although the attic itself was a bit of a maze with all the wooden beams that stood erect, holding the roof of the mansion up, you knew you were screwed unless you got a weapon. "y/n," the tall man called, slowly approaching the stairs, "you can't run forever."

fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck. you darted between beams and ran to the other side of the attic, ignoring the cramp that was starting to spread across the left side of your abdomen. there was a window that led out onto the roof, and you fought and fought with it until it finally opened, allowing you to slam the windowpane up into place. nearby boxes held old relics, prized jewels, weapons from previous battles fought against mortals. the handle of an axe poked out in the air, practically begging you to take it. you silently thanked whatever divine being was watching over you and climbed through the window.

the axe was heavy — or maybe you were just weak. you made a note to yourself, if you got out of this alive, to hit the gym more often. you moved carefully along the shingled roof, some of the metal sheets slipping out and tumbling down to the ground below. you weren't sure where you were going, or if there was even anywhere left to go.

"y/n," the tall man called behind you. you looked, watching as he slowly came out of the window. "why are you doing this?"

"because you're crazy!" you shouted, lifting the axe up. you didn't hold it very confidently.

he eyed the weapon in a way that made it clear he wasn't taking you seriously. you didn't think you'd take yourself seriously, either. "this is getting ridiculous." he stepped closer, displacing five more shingles with every step he took. "you need me. you're nothing without me."

your grip on the axe's handle tightened. off on the horizon, the sun was slowly beginning to show itself again. how long had you been in the mansion? "you're wrong," you said, staring him down as he finally came to a stop. "you're wrong about everything." gulping, you summoned up what little courage you had left. "i did want to die at one point. i didn't see a point in sticking around. i didn't think anyone would even want me around. but ... that was before, and people change. i changed. i have something to live for now." you thought of the awkward barista with his big brown eyes and his pink lips and his hair that always got in the way and his lopsided grin and the way his nose scrunched up when he laughed and the way he made your coffee perfectly every single time.

"y/n, you're being foolish. do you think that boy really cares about you? he's just like me. he's going to use you."

"no." your voice shook a little. "he's nothing like you. and he never will be."

the tall man dove for you, and with what little strength you had, you swung the axe as hard as you could. the world seemed to freeze in place, time slowing to a stop. the tall man's eyes stared at you, wide, empty, soulless, as his head separated from his body and fell, fell, fell, finally hitting the ground with a muted thud. a small circle of dust rose up around it. the body in front of you fell to its knees, then slumped forward, slowly rolling off to join the head down below. it wasn't as gruesome as you'd expected it to be; his flesh was kind of mangled, and you could see the vertebrae in his neck, but there wasn't any blood spewing out and getting all over you.

you stood for a minute or two and waited for the body to get back up, reattach its head, and resume its pursuit of you. it didn't, though, and after a minute or two of standing and staring at the corpse of a vampire, you forced yourself to head back to the window. the sun was slowly rising, shining down on the mansion that suddenly felt leagues more decrepit than it had before. that felt like a good thing.

it took you a while to navigate around the mansion, but eventually, you managed to find the entrance hall again. the hall, which had once been empty, was now littered with the bodies of thralls. there were even some on the stairs, and the sight made you queasy. alex was knelt on the floor, finishing a thrall off, but when he heard your approaching footsteps, his head jerked around, blood smeared on his lips and creeping onto his chin. his gaze softened at the sight of you, and he dropped the body in his arms, getting up and walking towards you. "did you ..."

"he's gone," you said. "he looked pretty gone, anyway. you know ... with no head." he let out a sigh of relief, and you hesitated before gesturing to your mouth. "you got a —"

"oh, fuck. sorry," he said, reaching up and wiping his face off with his shirt. it had been perfectly white before, but now it was blotchily stained red. the two of you stood there awkwardly until he finally spoke up again. "what are you gonna do now?"

you shrugged. "go back to my daily life, i suppose. café and all."

his brows furrowed. "you still want to see me?"

"of course i do. besides," you added, reaching out to grab his hand, "i think after all this nonsense, you owe me a date."

he looked down at your entwined hands, then met your gaze again, smiling softly. "yeah. that is the least i can do."

as the two of you walked out of the mansion, he seemed to be deep in thought until he finally asked, "does this mean you'll let me peek at that sketchbook?"

"one step at a time, alex."

"right, of course. but — eventually?"

"eventually."

tags: @elexnorislingtxn / @edandmollydeservebetter / @sagegreensimmr / @billyseye / @supernaturalandpain / @not-a-big-slay / @indierockgirrl / @melasworld