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hopefulvittori · 4 months

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Birds of Prey - Chapter 6

Stalker!Carlo/OC & Romeo (AU)

Reposting my novel from ao3. Enjoy!

A tragedy struck when the father of puppets suddenly died in an accident. While the whole city of Krat has been mourning the engineer, the son of Geppetto only felt the sweet smell of liberation. What is he going to do now that the source of his hatred is gone?

An AU series where the puppet frenzy didn't happen, Carlo and Romeo didn't perish from the petrification disease. This is the story of a hawk, a falcon and an eagle about finding their purpose while they're uncovering dark secrets behind the origins of Krat's prosperity.

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Chapter 6: Concealed secrets

Heavy machines' blaring echoed throughout the workshop. The noise of clanking steel and sizzling steam filled the air with clamour. It wasn't uncommon for the members of the Workshop Union to hear it on a daily basis. And it was never too early to start the work either. Ever since Krat's most famous inventor died, the workshop couldn't truly sleep. Even those who tended to avoid the industrial streets of the Union knew about the competition between guilds. The stench of smoke covered a good portion of the city. Some say they could hear the roar of the Fire Eater's ringing across Krat's underground parts. Its tireless arms and flames breath life into puppets, making technology bountiful. However after some time Giuseppe Geppetto perished, Fuoco started to act strangely. Its vigourous - almost cheerful - roars turned into pitiful yowls. It was quite audible, especially on work-filled mornings.

Vittoria heard it too. Her watchful eyes gazed at the huge puppet. Its ever lively fire now weakly flickered across the center of the works. A few members of the forgemaster guild surrounded it. Trying to rekindle its feeble flames was a fruitless endeavor. A heated conversation arose between the forgemasters and armourers. One which the youngest Durante didn't want to hear. She doubled her steps towards the entrance of Venigni Works.

The girl finished with her classes way earlier. She didn't expect it though. Her tutor said there was "some commotion among the puppeteer guild". They had to cancel the rest of the classes until the problem was solved. Despite that, nothing seemed out of order... none except the presence of Stalkers. A small group of Sweepers - and even alchemists - were roaming around the industrial boulevard. They were purposefully searching for something - or rather, someone. One of the mercenaries stopped her too. They looked for a Bastard, donning their uniform and a lion mask. Apparently they were responsible for a fire on Elysion Boulevard. The girl couldn't hear about the news nor recognize their Stalker-fugitive. It left the chaser quite frustrated and disappointed. The mercenary told her to get home as soon as possible. Then he left Vittoria alone in her pondering state.

However she wasn't in her obedient mood. She could only imagine how this piece of news could have shaken the whole Stalker community. As soon as she realized this fact, she turned tail and started pacing towards unknown parts. She reached a dead end next to Venigni Works. As everyone - men and puppets alike - has been busy with either their bustling business or looking for the fugitive, no one noticed how the young Durante started climbing on a ladder. She sighed deeply as she reached a rooftop next to the entrance of the main factory. She couldn't help but cough from the thick smoke covering the whole upper area. The sun was barely visible through the smothering clouds of smog.

The girl purposefully leapt towards a bronzened chimney. It was an old cloth-filled smokestack, seemingly out of commission. She picked up an iron bar stuck between the roof tiles and started hitting the chimmey's side. Sometimes she hit it faster, sometimes she stopped. Hoping that her message would reach its destination, Tori repeated this process a few times. She took a step backwards after a while. She took a purposive look down to the factory's building. Waiting for a reaction, her gaze shifted towards beyond Venigni Works. Hearing the Fire Eater's miserable sounds even from that distance made her quite heedless. It filled her with a tender sadness. Although it was a puppet - a simple machine -, was it remotely possible that something so lifeless could feel something?

The girl started to lose herself in her thoughts. She didn't even notice at first how a gloved hand shaken her shoulder from behind. It doesn't help that the stranger's steps were as light as a feather. Even with the quiet jarred sound of the weapon on his back couldn't reveal his presence to the young Stalker-to-be. Nonetheless, seeing her acquaintance made Vittoria smile.

"Greetings, Fratello." she said with a nonchalant handwave.

The masked man stood before her with arms crossed. He didn't say anything but reciprocated the girl's gesture. The man tilted his head to one side while letting out a questioning "hmm?".

"Forgive me, I know you've been busy..." the girl continued with regret, "But I need your help."

Fratello let out a quiet "hmm" then curtly nodded. He flailed with his left hand as if he wanted to say: "go on".

"It's the Sweepers. They're looking for a Bastard with a lion mask. Do you know someone?" Tori asked with eyebrows furrowing then releasing. The man averted his unseeable gaze from his protégé and looked beyond the horizon. Tapping with his foot, he tried to remind himself of something. Seeing his distress, the girl continued, "Colorful tailcoat, fancy saber? Bastards are kind of haughty people, being nobles and all."

As an epiphany hit him, Fratello clasped his gloved hands together. He then muttered in a husky tone, "Hortensia's pupil."

"The Hortensia? The legendary Stalker?" Vittoria gasped in surprise.

The other Stalker grunted in affirmation. Relaxing his posture, he let out a shallow sigh. While his face was ever invisible to the gaping eyes, Tori knew about his source of suspiration. The man of few words was hit with a sense of nostalgia. It was a rare sight, seeing her friend like this. He wasn't known as someone who wore his heart in his sleeve after all.

"I didn't know that she had an apprentice." she said quietly.

Fratello spread out his arms, shaking his head. "Two." he added laconically.

"What happened to them?" the girl asked with raised eyebrows.

The air around the man suddenly shifted. As summer became autumn, his suddenly lifted spirits disappeared. He froze as the warm feeling of nostalgia turned into something sour. He shook his head yet again and replied, "One has met with a tragic end." When he heard the youth letting out a somber "oh", he added, "The other one didn't share the Peacock's ideals."

The youngest Durante had to face a cruel truth yet - that not everyone could have achieved their dreams by becoming Stalkers. Life was fleeting after all. Especially with the pandemic around. And it's not like everyone could have the same ideals either. It made her quite curious though. Is this why it was impossible to get tutoring from the veteran Stalkers outside of the Charity House? Even from those who lost their edge all over the years. Why was everyone so obsessed with their secrecy and lofty ideals?

Fratello saw the doubt oppressing her. Uncertainty was painted across her features. Tori's gaze started pacing between him and the rooftop beneath her feet. He looked at her with deep understanding. A huge responsibility weightened her and the next generation of Stalkers. It was their duty - their calling - to correct the mistakes of their predecessors. The man of few words silently watched her. Waiting for her protegé to regain her composure, the Stalker put a hand on her shoulder once again. Vittoria gave him a small appreciative smile. The masked man nodded then took both of her hands. Although she jumped in surprise, the youth didn't flinch back. His rough hands swept across the girl's bandages, starting to remove them.

Her delicate skin started to harden from the reddened and blistered burn marks. Although the swelling started to disappear, it still felt hot just by touching her hands. When he made her clench her fists, she slightly hissed. Fratello wrinkled his brows beneath his mask. As he let out a huff of displeasure, the girl abruptly looked at the man.

"I'm okay. Just.... give me more time." Vittoria muttered in desperation. Her hands slightly shook within the Stalker's grasp. The man of few words shook his head.

"I pushed you." he murmured, words drenched in guilt.

"No. Even if you did, I can't let this stop my training." she said, motioning at her hands. She sighed deeply through her nose, fighting off the flaring pain. As she pulled away to put the bandages back, Fratello let out a small "oh?" in genuine surprise. The girl looked into the mask's warm brown eyes with newfound determination and said, "After all, I want to partake in your way of life. Sharing those ideals with others doesn't seem so bad to me."

A warm feeling filled the man's chest. Pride blanketed over his being. While the sudden change of her behavior was a surprise, it was a pleasant feeling nonetheless. He nodded at her once again. She heard him smiling contently behind his animal mask. The Stalker coughed to excuse himself, saying, "Change your bandages sometime."

"Will do." Tori replied with a humm. Her simper disappeared as she reminded herself of her unresolved questions. Expressing her concern, she asked, "Do you know where this lion could be?"

The Stalker silently hummed then shook his head. Hearing his pupil's sigh of disappointment however reminded him of something. He grabbed his scrip hanging on his right side. The man of few words pulled out a smaller inflorescence of a flower than handed it over to Vittoria. It was a white chrysanthemum. A well known flower known as a symbol of optimism and joy all around Krat. In ancient times, people used these flowers as protection charms against God's anger and certain diseases. There were two public places where they planted these blossoms.

'The Cathedral and the Monad Charity House.' the girl hummed, immersed in her thoughts. Gaping her mouth open, she spinned her head towards the direction of the orphanage. Her hunch was acknowledged when Fratello murmured in agreement.

"I appreciate it." Tori said as she bowed her head in gratitude. She carefully slipped the inflorescence into her pocket. "Well then, I shall seek them out. If this Bastard is truly a troublesome fellow, Monad is going to be in danger." She wholly turned her attention to the destination in her mind. As she waved goodbye to the masked man, she was abruptly stopped by a firm pull. Her mentor drew her back by her coat. The girl jerked her head towards Fratello questionly.

"Stay away from the alchemists." he said firmly, almost with a guttural growl. Tilting his head downwards, the animal mask's eyes ominously gleamed in the half-sunlight. The air once again shifted around the Stalker. Even without seeing his features, his hands were trembling from seething hatred.

With her mouth falling open, Tori quietly asked, "Why?"

But the Stalker avoided giving her a proper answer. His fingers clutched the fabric of her reddened overcoat. His raspy snarl reminded her of a more dangerous beast than a man. It almost terrified the girl.

His hold over her clothes suddenly shifted. Fratello grabbed her by the shoulder and gently squeezed it. He let out a sharp sigh before looking into Vittoria's cerulean gaze once again.

"Just promise me, little one." he growled, fingers digging into her shoulderbone. "Do not talk to the Hand. Your brother's life depends on it."

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Krat Times Issue 1023 - Friday 26th October

On Thursday's evening, a sudden fire caused by unknown culprits burned down Theodore Books, Krat's most famous bookstore. While the general populace grieves the loss of the first wonder of our beloved city, some eyewitnesses saw how an automation dog (which normally guards the Petrification Quarantine Zone) risked its life to protect the shop owner's. Although this mechanical canine was destroyed in the fire, its ardent desire to defend someone in need won't be forgotten. As such, the Workshop Union decided to hold a commemoration for all those puppets which sacrificed their existences for the sake of our dear citizens. The event will be held on 31th of October at the basement of the Workshop Tower.

As compensation for the destruction of Theodore Books, the Monad Charity House offered up--

But before he could finish reading the article, Romeo angrily stuffed the newspaper into his pocket. A mix of fury and disgust ran across his features.

"Filthy liars." he grumbled under his nose, shaking his head in disbelief. The youth knew the truth. Two days ago he ran from this "heroic canine" to save his own skin. It absolutely baffled him how the Workshop shifted the blame just to save their reputation.

It was already past noon. The blond youth tapped impatiently with his legs, sitting on a bench before the Charity House. He hugged himself as he shivered from the cold autumn wind. Despite it being a sunny day, the chill seeped into his bones. He had already waited long enough for his friend's arrival. Not only Carlo didn't come back to the orphanage but he didn't show up for training either. He never skipped those sessions. Becoming Stalkers was the boys' lifelong dream after all. The worry almost overwhelmed Romeo. He started pacing around in nervousness, kicking some pebbles away in the meanwhile.

Luckily, his hopes weren't entirely misplaced. As the school's last ringing was heard, the mischievous teenager appeared. Despite the classes being over, he also donned his school uniform. Carlo made slow yet robust steps towards the tall boy. A relieved smile graced the blonde's lips... until he saw his friend's gaze. A scowl darkened his expression as he moved towards Romeo. He rubbed his temple, trying to ease the discomfort coming from his bruise.

"Oh, there you are." Romeo greeted him with a reserved smirk. "I hope you had fun with Lady Durante."

Although he said nothing, Carlo rolled his eyes.

'We have different definitions about what fun is.' he thought bitterly. He had to spend the last night at his old man's house. The boy didn't have any choice no matter how he hated the very idea. Everywhere he looked at the apartment, he only saw Geppetto's shade lurking around. It reminded him why he hated the puppet maker so much. Even though last night's experiences gave him a valid reason to doubt, his resentment got the best of him.

His head hung low, downcast expression held a mix of uncertainty and somberness. As he expected, Romeo didn't know anything yet. The older youth moved closer, holding out one hand to him.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, his head tilted to one side.

"...Perfectly fine." Carlo mumbled, shaking his head in dismissal.

Blinking rapidly the blond boy asked, "Are you sure? You never skipped training..."

As Romeo looked at his friend in confusion, he stepped forward. The son of Geppetto immediately flinched back.

"I told you I'm okay. Thanks for your concern, Mom." he hissed dismissively once again.

"If you say so, man." The friend shrugged nonchalantly. "The apology went well, I assume?"

"Oh, it went real good." Carlo's voice was dripping with sarcasm. Putting his hands on his hips he continued, "I didn't expect to cross the Sweepers to save your confidant on the way though."

Romeo looked at him with dull eyes. Unable to say anything, he froze. He knew what was coming yet he couldn't face his companion. Not like this. Seeing his friend's eyes twitching with anger made him completely silent. Now it was Carlo's turn to step forward. Even with the height differences, Romeo felt so small before his best friend.

Carlo leant towards the tall boy, asking with a low hiss, "Stop beating around the bush. Just what are you two scheming?"

The orphan youth swallowed. Massaging his nose bridge, he asked with a shaky breath, "Is Leo okay?"

Although the shorter boy nodded, his expression got darker by the second. Feeling utterly exploited, Carlo couldn't help but look at his friend with such animosity. Knowing that he saved someone unworthy made him irritated. He thought he could finally hold onto his firm beliefs as a future Stalker... only to save a deserter. The boy unwittingly touched his right shoulder. The slight discomfort coming from his injury reminded him of his own mistake. On the other hand, Romeo sighed deeply from relief.

"Are you just gonna ignore my question, huh?" His best friend gazed at him expectantly.

"Well--"

"Hello guys."

A familiar girl's quiet yet assertive voice interrupted their potential argument. Carlo's dark expression slowly faded away when he turned around. He became quite tense when Vittoria looked at him then at Romeo with uncertainty. As his amber gaze met with her cerulean ones, she averted her eyes. After she swept a few long hair strands from her flushed face, she hid her hands within the pockets of her reddened overcoat.

"H-howdy..." he said quietly, scratching the back of his head.

"Good afternoon, milady." Romeo waved in a theatrical manner. "I heard you wanted to talk with me."

The girl rolled her eyes in slight annoyance, saying, "Really? You wanted to discuss something with me in the first place."

"Did I...?" he asked with fake surprise. His brown eyes shifted between Carlo and Tori.

"Yes, you..." But before she could finish her sentence, she noticed the brown haired youth's wavering half smile. Carlo scratched his neck in confusion, humming in puzzlement. Even though she didn't know him as much as his best friend, she could easily read between the lines. The girl raised an eyebrow at Romeo and asked, "Wait, why didn't you tell him?"

"Yeah, Romeo, why didn't you tell me?" Carlo repeated her question with a sarcastic grin. With amber eyes flickering menacingly, he gave his friend a knowing look.

The tall youth held his hands up in defeat. He shook his head in disbelief but couldn't hide the conceading smile spreading across his lips. Once again, these two were more upset at him than anything else. On the top of that, noticing how her presence made Carlo calmer filled Romeo with relief. He couldn't help but chuckle in surrender.

"Alright alright!"he said with a knowing smile. "Let us take this conversation to somewhere else, eh?"

The two of them agreed with this suggestion. It was safer to discuss the last few days' events in a more private place. Carlo suggested the garden behind the Charity House. There was a greenhouse at the corner of the Monad estate, surrounded by hedge walls. Surprisingly, almost no one visited the house in this season. They were mostly alone, safe for the old gardener and a few cats visiting the garden. On their way, Romeo showed the newspaper to the young Giuseppe. Even without knowing the truth, he found it baffling to heroize a dog puppet in such a manner. Although he didn't share his father's interests, he knew a few things about Geppetto's creations. They couldn't defy their masters' orders just because they felt a higher calling. Most of the puppets were programmed to do simple tasks. It was impossible for a pile of iron and gears to suddenly grow a heart. As he mentioned this statement, he noticed how his friend and the Durante girl fell into silence. They knowingly looked into each others' eyes then at Carlo. When he glanced at them in a questioning manner, Romeo only said "you will change your mind soon enough".

Warm air washed over them as they entered the greenhouse. The sun shone through the transparent glass. Its gentle gleam blanketed the house with tender warmth. The perfect silence was rarely interrupted with crickets' chirping. There was enough shadow beneath a huge tree in the middle of the greenhouse. As if someone knew they were paying a visit, they found a wooden table and chairs there. After they closed the distance to reach their destination, one by one, they sat down. Carlo took another look at the pair. Vittoria quietly gazed at the blond youth, scratching her bandaged hands. Romeo then curtly nodded and took a deep watery breath.

"Alright then. There was another reason for the news lying to everyone." he said, spreading his arms. The brown haired boy raised an eyebrow and muttered a quiet "go on". The taller youth then continued, "Two days ago, that puppet attacked me. If not for her, I would be as good as dead." He looked at the girl and gave her an appreciative smile.

"Are you serious?" Carlo asked flatly. Even though his words were harsh, his face told another story. A swirl of shock and worry piled up within the son of Geppetto. When Romeo hummed in affirmation, his amber brown eyes quickly settled on Vittoria. He then quietly implored, "Really?"

"My apologies, I had no choice." she said with a tint of guilt. She looked at Carlo with an almost pained expression. "I know these puppets are your father's last rem--"

"It's not worth one's salt. You saved Romeo's life." he interrupted her while shaking his head in denial. His eyebrows furrowed in subtle anger as a scowl surfaced on his features. While it wasn't directed towards her, the girl rubbed her hands together. Noticing this, the son of Geppetto tried to flash her a reassuring half-smile. Tori scratched her chin, still averting her gaze from the boys.

"In any case, the Workshop clearly tries to cover up the whole scandal." Romeo said, changing the topic. Rubbing the temple of his head, he let out a faint sigh

The girl hummed as an epiphany hit her. "My classes got cancelled at the last second. Apparently, there was a huge uproar within the Puppeteer Guild."

"Puppeteer Guild?" the blond youth asked curiously, tilting his head to one side.

"It's the Guild responsible for engraving the four laws onto puppets and organizing their purposes." she replied with a shrug.

Romeo huffed, broad forehead wrinkled in pensiveness. "My best guess is because of that dead puppet at the Quarantine Zone."

"That doesn't sound right." Carlo said, shaking his head in disagreement. "Why would they announce it two days after the incident?"

"It's the Quarantine Zone, man. The security is quite low on these days." the boy replied, sighing deeply through his nose. Remembering the sight of puppet corpses mangled up made him wince. It's not like Romeo didn't see decommissioned automatons before. The way the iron corpses were tangled in each other reminded him of the sheer brutality of a murderer's mind. It made him quite upset how the news tried to make a hero of the dog puppet - the source of the heartless carnage. Shaking off his thoughts through rapid blinking, he bitterly added, "It's not like anyone would care about a handful of moribund people anyway."

"It's true. There were only puppet guards to keep the area safe." Vittoria agreed, shaking her head with a troubled frown.

"In any case, they keep trying to shift the blame to someone else." Romeo continued. Gritting his teeth, he held back a frustrated growl.

"To Leo." Carlo said it out as flatly as possible. The two teenagers looked at him with silent shock. His stare lacked the warmth it usually emanated. Seeing the confused pair left him no choice but to explain last night's events. How after saying farewells to Durante, he accidentally met up with the injured Bastard. How the Sweepers set Krat's most famous bookstore in flames while looking for him. After swearing to himself to live up to his ideals, he bought some time for the man so he could escape his pursuers. As he went on with his story, Tori noticed how his gaze darkened while rubbing his right arm. His voice got lower and huskier the more he talked about the Lion and the two Hyenas. And while he didn't share any of his doubts to them, a reserved yet tired expression spread across his face.

Romeo saw how the boy became more quiet... stoic even. The taller youth found himself struggling to find the right words to say. He knew how confusing this situation must have been for his friend. And even though Carlo tried to shrug it off, he was still processing the death of his father. Scratching his neck in uncertainty, Romeo tried to gather his thoughts.

"The Sweepers and the alchemists looked for him at the Workshop this morning." Vittoria said quietly, clasping her hands together before her chest. Taking a deep breath, she asked, "Do you know where he is hiding?"

But before Carlo could open his mouth, Romeo interrupted him. He asked with a guttural voice, "Why do you ask?"

"If the alchemists are looking for him, then he's a potential threat to all of us." she answered in a matter-of-fact way. "The Bastards and them are collaborators after all."

"All of us?" Romeo repeated her sentence, raised an eyebrow questionly.

Rubbing her nose bridge, the girl tried to gather her thoughts. "Leo has ties to the Charity House. If trouble rears its head, who do you think they're going to hold responsible?"

The youth fell silent. His eyebrows knitted in concern while averting his gaze from Durante. Gritting his teeth, he clenched a fist on the table. Carlo noticed this. He turned his head towards his best friend then at the girl. Feeling unsure whether it was a good idea or not, he shrugged and said, "He went to the Cathedral."

Like a primal urge, Romeo abruptly got up from his chair. Both of his hands were shaking. He swallowed a shaky breath as he tried to move away from Carlo and Vittoria. The son of Geppetto however saw where his sudden spur of action was coming from. He quickly grabbed the blond boy's hand to keep him from leaving. While Romeo tried to free his wrist, Carlo didn't let him go. Tori gaped her mouth open, feeling frozen in her chair.

"Let me go, Carlo." The tall boy said with a guttural growl.

"No." Carlo shook his head and continued, "Not until you explain what is going on."

"I thought you didn't care less about my - our - schemings." Romeo chuckled in a deep voice. Even though he tried to free himself once again, he wasn't as forceful as before. Seeing his friend's reaction made the blond boy a bit hesitant. It was subtle yet noticeable for him. The face of a young boy, trying to hold back his tears. He puffed his cheeks in stubborn defiance, shaking off the anguish to no avail. The orphan youth only saw this on that certain painting made by that famous artist. It was a sour reminder how Geppetto's absence made his friend's life the most bitter. Seeing the same look made Romeo halt. While his features lacked tears, the mischievous boy's eyes pleaded with him to stay.

"I didn't say that," Carlo declared with a thoughtful expression. With hands folded in his lap, he continued, "But that just means you don't trust any of us here."

"Please, Romeo." Vittoria said pleadingly, placing one hand on his.

Uncomfortable silence has set around them. Although the shorter boy's plea managed to convince Romeo to stay, he couldn't muster his strength to confess. It was all true. He couldn't trust them - or anyone, save for Leo. How could he expect understanding from them? Despite this, both the boy and the girl looked at him with expectations in their hearts. One was his true friend, the second saved his life. The debt he owned was too much.

He swallowed the bile in his throat and made his confession, "The Lion has leaked out information regarding the Sweepers and the alchemists. He broke his Stalker vow to bring the whole community together."

"At what end?" The girl asked with narrowed eyes.

The question made the blond boy chuckle in almost a menacing way. Both Carlo and Tori looked at their friend with confusion. A smirk graced his lips as he gazed into the girl's cerulean eyes. With a deep watery sigh he answered, "To rule all over Krat."

I added worldbuilding on purpose. I feel there were a lot of details about the game's lore that left much to be desired. Understandable, it's mostly because of its setting. I hope the DLC is going to show us more of Krat in its glorious era though (through memories or some other way)! In any case, I tried to add a multiple layer to the Workshop Union as a working organization. The Guild system is mostly based on irl guilds so every 'faction' has its important role within the Union. Oh, and the Legendary Stalker was mentioned by 'Fratello'. I named her Hortensia (The Peacock) for the sake of symbolism. Her story will shed some light to the Stalkers' true nature. Thank you for reading, stay tuned for the next chapter!

#lies of p #lies of p fanfic #lies of p x oc #lies of p carlo #lies of p carlo x oc #lies of p romeo #lies of p alidoro #lies of p carlo x reader #lies of p x reader #lies of p legendary stalker

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until-theend-oftheline · 5 years

Text

First Christmas

Pairing: Sebastian Stan x Reader

Warnings: Maybe a little hint of postpartum depression but nothing much. Mostly fluff and Seb being a huge dork though.

Word Count: 916

A/N: This is done for mine and Ida’s @sebs-potato 12 marvelous days of Christmas challenge and this is the second prompt: Finding the perfect tree

This is thought of as part of my Lifelong Love Letter verse but it can be read as a stand-alone too if you so, please. The year is 2013 and it’s Y/N and Sebastian’s first Christmas together and little Isabella is 9 days old.

Betaed by: @sebs-potato - I think Ida is becoming my set beta for this world lol. Thanks, darling.

***My fics are not to be saved nor posted on any other sites without my express written permission.***

You never knew it was possible to be this tired. Isabella was a fairly easy baby, but you were still awake more than you were asleep. Either because she needed to eat during the night or just because you woke up with a sudden urge to check on her.

Sebastian was great. It wasn’t his fault at all. He changed her and got out of bed carrying her to you whenever she woke during the night. The simple fact was just as long as she was this little she needed something he couldn’t give. He also didn’t know about your nightly panic attacks. They were stupid and not something you wanted to worry him with. There was never anything wrong with Isabella when you rushed to her crib. She was always sound asleep, being the perfect beautiful little girl that she was. It was all in your head and you were sure it would pass eventually.

All in all, you were just tired. It was natural. Your mom and Georgeta had both assured you of that. It hadn’t been more than a week since you had been released from the hospital and not more than nine days since your eleven hours of labor. So, of course, you hadn’t heard Sebastian leave the house this morning after breakfast.

You’d taken advantage of your little girl napping so you had taken a quick shower before passing out on the bed. Dead to the world and not noticing Sebastian kiss your cheek, leaving a note on the pillow next to you just in case.

You didn’t hear him bring in the bags of treats and warm Alidoro’s sandwiches for the two of you. You didn’t hear him until a loud bang came from the hallway and you shot up in bed, looking around with a bewildered look on your face.

Your eyes instantly went to the crib, but when you saw Isabella still sleeping beside you, your worry changed to someone else.

“Seb?” you called out, grabbing one of his sweatshirts of the chair next to the bed, pulling it over your head as you went into the apartment in search of him. Another loud bang sounded, making you jump and change your direction from the kitchen towards the hallway.

“Seba?” you called out again, and much to your relief this time he answered you.

“I’m alright…” You stopped in your tracks as you reached the hallway seeing the huge tree halfway through the front door with Sebastian standing in the doorway along with it.

“Just stuck.” A sheepish boyish smile spread across his face, as he watched you stand in the doorway to the living room staring at him. Slack-jawed.

“Sebastian… what in the world…” You shook your head, trying to get your mind to work again. You stared from the huge tree halfway through the door back to your boyfriend, clearly stuck between the doorframe and the branches. You clasped your hand over your mouth as you tried to hold in your laughter as Sebastian sent you a pitiful help me look.

“And she is laughing.” He faked offense and you could no longer hold in your laughter, as you started pulling on the branches.

“Ow. Wait… fuck,” Sebastian yelled, making you laugh even harder, much to his own amusement.

“I’m glad my misfortune amuses you, darling,” He grinned, not able to hide how funny and ridiculous he found his entire thing himself.

“How did you even get it up here you dork?!” You giggled, starting to push the tree to the side instead, hoping Sebastian would be able to squeeze through the door that way. After a few attempts and some huffing and puffing from Sebastian, he finally got loose, stumbling into the hallway and straight into your arms.

“Hi,” he grinned, wrapping his arms around you.

“You’re a dumbass,” you giggled, leaning up to kiss him and Sebastian instantly pulled you impossibly closer deepening the kiss. You loved moments like this. The world always melted away when he kissed you and nothing but him ever mattered. Not even your current inability to close your front door, since Sebastian had managed to get a Christmas tree three sizes too big for your apartment stuck in the doorway.

Sebastian kept one arm around you as he broke the kiss turning to look your pine smelling predicament.

“Well I think that’s a great place for it,” he played, causing you to slap a hand flat against his chest.

“Yeah? How do you expect us to get the stroller out?” You laughed.

“Lower it through the window?” Sebastian suggested, grinning cheekily down at you, just as Isabella called out for you from the bedroom.

“No. See even your daughter thinks it’s a horrible idea,” you laughed wiggling free. “Call Chris to help. He’s in town.”

“Y/N, no. He’ll never let me live that down,” Sebastian whined, making you laugh even harder as you reached the bedroom, lifting Isabella into your arms. She instantly went quiet, looking up at you with big blue eyes and you kissed her cheek. You might be tired, but your baby girl was the best thing that ever happened to you. More than that, your boyfriend might be the biggest dork in New York, but you knew he was going to make sure the three of you had the perfect first Christmas together. Even if it meant calling Chris to free a huge tree from your doorway and endure years of ridicule to follow.

Please reblog; help me spread my work - Leave a comment. Feedback is fuel

Sebastian Stan Tag Team

@feelmyroarrrr @sleepretreat @thejourneyneverendsx @roxyspearing @jewels2876 @hellaqueerangelofthelord @danijimenezv @cd1242 @mizzzpink @rumoured-whispers @becs-bunker @janeyboo @smoothdogsgirl @blacktithe7 @ifyougetkilled-walk-it-off @jae-sch @grace-for-sale @scarletlingeries @mizzezm @readitandweepfics @averyrogers83 @captainsamwlsn @sebs-potato

#sebastian stan #sebastian stan x reader #sebastian x reader #mcu rpf #mcu imagine #mcu fanfiction #sebastian stan imagine #sebastian stan fluff

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hopefulvittori · 5 months

Text

Birds of Prey (AU) - Chapter 1

Carlo & Romeo & OC/Reader (AU)

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Chapter 1: A hawk's resentment

"I don't care if an old man like that kicks the bucket!"

"Don't say that. It's nice you got any family at all..."

The death of Giuseppe Geppetto left a huge scar on the city of Krat. His knowledge about engineering let this metropolis prosper. Yet, the father of puppet technology was suddenly gone. They said it was an abrupt accident during the opening ceremony at the Grand Exhibition Gallery. It would've been a display about the developing process of puppet technology. He was meant to uncover one of his secrets regarding his geniusness. However, misfortune struck when one of the future puppets fell on the engineer. His secrets were gone with him.

Dark clouds blanketed over Krat. Ever since that day, the sun has barely set on the metropolis. When the day of the funeral came, distant relatives, close friends and colleagues gathered to say their farewells to Geppetto.

Everyone except his own flesh and blood: Giuseppe Carlo. The teenage boy despised his father for abandoning him. Ever since his mother died, Geppetto has been pretty much married to his work. It was natural for the boy to turn his back on his old man one last time.

A lot of people have started gossiping about him skipping the funeral. His best friend noticed those scornful gazes immediately. While they were walking out from the Charity House, he stopped Carlo at the entrance door.

"You went too far this time, man. He was still your father." Romeo said solemnly.

"I couldn't care less." Carlo clicked his tongue. "He did me a favour by pegging out."

"You're just being stubborn." The blond young man furrowed his eyebrows, arms crossed at his chest.

"I'm not stubborn, you know I'm right." The smaller teen tiredly rolled his eyes.

"Uh-uh. But don't be surprised if people will judge you for not paying respects. Even if you hated him, he wa..."

"Romeo, just stop, I won't repeat myself!" Carlo interrupted him. As his gaze darkened, the taller boy backed off from him.

"Have it your way then." His friend shrugged nonchalantly with arms spread out. "But don't tell me I didn't try to warn you."

"Don't worry, I won't. Besides, I don't care about what people think of me." He grinned smugly.

"Ever the fearless, ever the careless, Carlo. You're still the son of a famous engineer." Romeo said half-jokingly.

The other teen flipped his short brown hair from his face, straightened his back.

"Well, the son of a famous engineer will be the best Stalker of the world! I won't live in that old fool's shadow when that time comes."

The tall blond man chuckled at his confidence.

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They left the orphanage to get some walk before evening. They've been striding on the streets of Krat for hours, enjoying the freedom and the cold autumn air. The boys forgot about everything bad that happened on that day. As they stalked around a bridge, they stopped their journey for a short rest. Carlo's eyes gazed beyond the faraway mountains. He stared, dreaming about his upcoming adventures outside this boring city his father cherished so much. The boy wished for wings to fly away like a hawk. He just knew that he is a much different calling in his life as those adults expected him to be.

As he was lost in his thoughts, Romeo poked his arm without words. The boy looked at him, who in turn pointed to the top of the bridge. His amber brown eyes spied a certain figure. Standing there like an all-seeing guardian of sorts, the figure leaned on its weapon like a cane. The eyes of the stuffed dog mask gleamed in warm brown color while the Hound stood his ground, watching all over Krat.

This... this sight was Carlo's dream in its full splendor. While the Hound barely interacted with his protected ones, he already found his purpose in his life. He envied the freedom this mysterious Stalker had. He didn't understand why anyone would avoid this way of life.

While he looked at his hero, the Stalker jumped off from the bridge to the top of a storeyed house. Like a fierce wind, he disappeared into the darkness, just as he appeared before the two boys.

After seeing their hero in the flesh, the boys decided it would be the best time to get back to the Charity House. The evening slowly turned into night as they got to their destination. However, before they could enter the orphanage, Romeo said:

"Oh boy, how are you going to explain this?"

Before he could ask, Carlo already saw what his friend was referring to... or rather, who.

The one whom Romeo was referred to already was behind his back, clearing her throat. He turned over her with eyebrows raised questioningly.

"What do you want, Vittoria?" He asked.

The girl looked at him, then her azure gaze shifted to Romeo. After a while, she looked back at Carlo.

"Romeo, Carlo." She greeted them with a flat but quiet voice. The girl looked at the brown haired boy, then at the blond one once again. She smiled a bit at Romeo as he bowed his head respectfully to her.

"Well, I see that you want to speak with this young man." He said half-jokingly as he poked his friend's side with his elbow. "I shall take my leave now. I wish you a pleasant evening!"

Carlo sighed in frustration as he saw his best friend leaving, but not before winking at them. After he went into the house, the younger boy turned to the girl once again. Vittori furrowed her eyebrows as if she expected something from him. Carlo blinked at her.

"You have something in your possession which belongs to me." She said, once again with a flat tone.

"...I don't know what you're talking about." He replied the same way.

"You certainly do, Carlo. While you had your fun spilling my drink with ink once again, you stole my pamphlet."

She was forced to hide a cringe grin from her face. Because of that, the girl looked like she was in some sort of pain for a moment.

"I would appreciate it if you give it back. Now." She continued with one hand reaching out.

Carlo looked at her with a bad eye... then suddenly, he touched her forehead with the back of his hand.

"Do you have a fever or something? You're talking weirdly." He said with a fake condescending voice. "Oh, I know! Maybe you should visit Miss Sophia again. It's not like you have anything to do anyways."

Although the girl wildly pulled away from him, she didn't respond to the mockery. She should have known that he was always like this.Yet, here she was, trying to get back what was hers. This boy has defeated her once again.

Vittoria gritted her teeth, but as she looked beyond him, her gaze held sadness. With a wordless sigh, she walked past Carlo and went inside the Charity House. But before she disappeared, she quietly said:

"My condolences about your father."

It made his blood boil. She and her two goody shoes attitude irritated him to no end. Despite this, he smugly smiled as he reached for his pocket. The black pamphlet was always with him, at arm's length. While it was creased and jagged, he took care of it. Too bad that he only did it for himself, so he thought. It's not like he's planning to give it back to her anytime soon. Not when she just mentioned his old man. He just loved teasing her. The girl was quiet, reserved and well-mannered. She always read boring things he disliked so much. And yet, every time he mocked her, she didn't retaliate in anger. She looked at him with such sadness... almost with pity.

Curiosity overwhelmed him as he gazed after the direction where she went. The girl didn't deny the fact that she was going to visit Miss Sophia. He looked at her pamphlet and sighed quietly.

'It's hard to let a good reading go, but maybe...' He thought as he followed her into the orphanage.

Carlo waited a few minutes before following Vittoria to Lady Sophia's room. Judging by the lack of reaction earlier, she didn't deny that she wanted to visit the daughter of Valentinus Monad. The girl has never talked with anyone else in the orphanage, save for a few students.

As he slowly followed her through the long corridors of the home, she took a sharp turn to the left and knocked at the wooden door. As soon as a quiet "come in" was heard, Vittoria walked in. She left the door slightly open. The fireplace's gentle light leaked out to the corridor. Seeing this, the boy pressed his back to the wall as he leaned towards the door, eavesdropping on them.

Sophia sat on a wing-chair with legs crossed in a delicate manner. She pointed to a chair before a table, asking the girl without any words to take a seat. She nodded curtly as she sat down.

"I appreciate your help, Matron. I didn't know where to turn for support." She said tiredly, yet gratefully.

The lady smiled, but raised her eyebrows in concern. "Are you sure about this?"

Vittoria hummed in affirmation. "It's not like I have any choice on the matter."

The woman looked at her with a sad yet understanding look. She claps her hands before her chest as she hummed.

"How is your brother? You mentioned that he's working at the Workshop Union."

"He's been overworking himself lately. The death of Mr. Giuseppe has shaken everyone in the guild, but they've been even busier than before." She sighed wearily. "Now that he's gone, cutthroat competition will rear its head among inventors and engineers. Despite this, Marcello seems... happy."

Sophia tilted her head to the right in slight surprise. "How so?"

"They've been working on a big project for a while now. Apparently the energy supply won't depend on just electricity anymore." Taking a big breath, the teenage girl leaned a bit forward. "I don't know the details, but it's a much more efficient energy source."

"That sounds wonderful." Sophia said endearingly. But as soon as she saw her protegé's pensive expression, she asked: "Is it not?"

"There've been several accidents in the past two weeks lately. Some of my brother's colleagues have disappeared and no one has seen them since."

"I heard some worrying rumors, but not about the disappearances." The lady gave Vittoria an understanding look. "I'm so sorry to hear that, child."

The girl smiled at her in appreciation.

"I trust my brother. He's going to be alright and makes us all proud."

"He certainly will." Sophia agreed with a curtly nod, then she gave her protegé a knowing look. "...How about your sister-in-law?"

The silence was painfully deafening. Even Carlo looked askance through the leak, searching for the figure of the girl. Vittoria gazed downwards, avoiding Miss Sophia's questioning look. The boy's eyebrows knitted in slight confusion as he saw her shaking. She looked like she was in some sort of pain.

"I..."

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I woke up at 4 am in the morning with a new concept so here it is: Carlo content™. I thoroughly enjoyed writing this. While I wrote a Carlo x OC oneshot before, I'm trying to connect the dots in a way. I just hope he's not that ooc haha...

Anyways, I'll do my best to update this series at least once or twice per week. Once the queue is over, I'll post my stuff on ao3 as well. And while I'm still a greenhorn, any feedback would be much appreciated! Thank you for reading this, have a nice day! :)

#lies of p #lies of p fanfic #lies of p x oc #lies of p carlo x reader #lies of p carlo x oc #lies of p romeo #lies of p alidoro #lies of p x reader #lies of p carlo

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hopefulvittori · 4 months

Text

Birds of Prey - Chapter 5

Stalker!Carlo/OC & Romeo (AU)

Reposting my novel from ao3 Enjoy!

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Chapter 5: Fangs and talons

Feeling partly liberated from his guilt, Carlo said his farewells to the young Durante. A small self-satisfied smirk spread across his face as he got across the plank. He felt the worn paper within his pocket. The son of Geppetto was quite sure that Vittoria didn't check her pamphlet yet. It was better this way, or so he thought.

As he disappeared between the tall buildings and roofs, he didn't look back. The boy was shivering from the cold wind. He tried to extend his white sleeves as much as possible then looked up to the night sky. Gazing at the moon in silence, his eyebrows furrowed when newfound thoughts flooded his mind. It wasn't just liberation he had felt, but a blend of frustration and dread as well. He thought he was content about his father being gone. Despite the fact that he left his only son at an orphanage, everyone just adored him for his geniusness. His father made everyone's life easier - at the cost of his own child's happiness. And yet, here he was, pondering about the void Geppetto left behind. Thanks to his abrupt demise, a lot of people were suffering - including the Durantes.

'If you could've shown some concern to others, you wouldn't be in this situation in the first place!' Romeo's words echoed in his mind. Now he truly understood what his friend was talking about.

'Damn you, old man...' Carlo gritted his teeth in frustration as he kept walking on. He jumped over to the next roof, feeling the sting of autumn wind in his face. He doubled his steps as he was running through the roofs. The teenager was desperately trying to wash away those doubts he had felt. As he went on and on, he reached the very last square of the Quarantine Zone: a very confined courtyard surrounded by towering walls and lightened windows. It was reachable from an iron ladder before him. The moon was hidden from the boy's thoughtful eyes by tall buildings. He started climbing down from the ladder with newfound tiredness. Not too long after, he halted his steps then sniffed the air. A sense of urgency took over Carlo when he felt the smell of smoke and iron. When he looked for the source, he couldn't see but only heard unrecognizable voices from not too far off the Quarantine Zone. At first the boy swore that the shouts and howls belonged to some faraway animals from the forest. He was so very wrong. After he reached the bottom of the ladder, he looked around the exit of the restricted area. He saw some shadows looming beyond the brickened walls. Carlo carefully moved to the edge of a column to take a peek to the streets of Elysion.

"Come out now, botolo! We know you're hiding somewhere!" A man shouted in a deep raspy voice.

Although it was past midnight, apparently no one noticed nor heard them. There were two figures - apparently Stalkers - on the boulevard, looking for someone. Both of them wore ragged hyena masks and weathered brownish cloaks. One of them was shaking in excitement as she threw something somewhere. The boy saw the flames and sparks rising up at the corner of the neighbouring streets. While he wasn't as familiar as Romeo around these parts, the smell of burning paper meant that a book store was their target. The awful odor covered everything.

"Are you going to leave your accomplice to her fate!? You truly are something else, Leone!" The woman laughed as she flinged with her arm once again. After hearing the sound of breaking glasses, another wave of flames rose up.

While Carlo tried to look for help, he couldn't see anyone - not even a puppet - who would've noticed what was happening. The boy wasn't even sure what he could have done in that situation. He was figuratively and literally caught in a crossfire...

...Until a barely audible groan was heard around the opposite side of the streets. In the shadows of the dead ends, he couldn't see quite clearly. The earlier smell of iron came from there. Small pool of blood was painted across the cobblestones. Carlo squinted his eyes shut for a moment then took a sharp breath. He followed the trails of blood with haste. When the son of Geppetto turned his back on the streets, he heard another quiet groan. However, as soon as he wanted to take another step into the shadows, something stopped him. The tip of a saber touched his chest warningly. Carlo froze up in sudden surprise. While he noticed a figure in the shadows, he couldn't clearly see his shape. The injured stranger hunched slightly forward, holding their left shoulder with their free hand. The sword was slightly shaking in their grasp. It was a desperate attempt to fight back against their chasers. Once they leant forward to see the face of a boy, they deeply sighed.

"Curse you, Romeo... I thought you would leave everyone out of this..."

It was a sharp yet warm-sounding voice of a young man. Even though Carlo heard it from somewhere, he's still been literally and figuratively in the dark. He tilted his head slightly to one side when the stranger lay down his weapon. Once he did that, he pressed his back to the brickened walls while he tried to ease his fall. Carlo quickly moved to try to stabilize him. The moon's gentle gleam swept across his face for a moment. The mischievous teenager saw someone familiar when stern green eyes gazed back at him. His shoulder length beige blonde hair was messy and smeared with oil. His face was bruised, mouth covered in blood. His hand was stained with his ichor as he tried to stop the bleeding.

"What are you doing here...?" The man asked with a mistrustful glance.

Carlo furrowed his eyebrows, focusing on the figure once again.

"I know you. From the Monad..." But the boy couldn't finish his question. The familiar stranger hushed him. Both of them pressed their back to the wall, holding their breath. The male Sweeper moved around the narrow street, pricking his ears. The saw-edged sword gleamed menacingly in his hold, waiting for its next target to appear. The Hyena let out an animalistic growl while paced around, searching in a hurried manner. As soon as his partner in crime called for him however, the Stalker turned his back on the other side of the street. The son of Geppetto sighed deeply in relief.

"You shouldn't be here, Carlo. If they're going to see you..." The injured shook his head in worry, leaning on the wall.

The boy raised his eyebrows in realization. "...Leo?" He asked quietly.

"Took you long enough, kid. Though I would've been more happy if we could've met in... merrier circumstances." The Lion smiled sadly, sighing deeply through his nose.

"What happened to you?"

Leo chuckled dryly. "Let's just say: I have angered a lot of people."

"The Sweepers?" Carlo held his breath, gazing at the Bastard. The man bowed his head slightly while he tried to steady himself. "They're going to burn the whole street down. The book sto--"

"You don't need to worry. Their target was the bookstore and there's no one inside." The Lion interrupted him with a nonchalant handwave. "I sent the owner away to the Cathedral before they came. No one else needs to die today."

"No one else?" The son of Geppetto clenched his jaw with furrowed brows. "Just what are you planning?"

Leo smirked while holding back another pained gasp and said without any hesitation: "...Taking responsibility to protect you all."

Carlo froze up and looked at him in horror. He knew exactly what the Bastard truly meant. Once he measured his condition again, he was certain that he wouldn't survive the next encounter with the Sweepers. The way Leo hunched over, holding his injured shoulder in pain worried the boy. He was one of the Charity House's denizens after all. But what could a lone youngster do about it?

'...Is this how you want to be a Stalker?' Then Carlo heard Durante's words loud and clear in his mind. They rang true. The one before him was in mortal peril. He HAD to do something. Once his mind was set, he looked away from the injured man.

"--it over." He mumbled quietly, pointing at the Lion's saber. The Stalker blinked at him in confusion.

"Pardon?"

The son of Geppetto sighed in frustration, crossing arms across his chest. "Your weapon and tailcoat. Hand it over."

Without waiting for the Bastard's acceptance, he reached for his clothing. Even though the man tried to show resistance, his injury made him hiss in pain when Carlo pulled the cloth off of him. Once the mischievous boy held the peacock blue tailcoat in his grasp, Leo shook his head in disbelief.

"What is the meaning of this...?"

But the Lion got no answer. He could've sworn he saw Carlo pouting in a defiant manner. His confusion was growing even more when the boy started grumbling in frustration as he dressed up. Apparently the coat was a bit bigger than he expected. Despite that, he didn't waste more time on trivial things such as this. The teenager immediately reached for the Stalker's saber. Leo however retorted once again.

"Carlo, what are you doing?"

Still no response. The boy basically looked over at him, searching for something. His amber gaze was glued to the Lion's belt.

"Do you still have your mask?" Carlo asked determinedly, ignoring his question.

"Are you still going to...?" Leo tried to speak up once more...

"Where is your mask?" ...But the youth ignored his query yet again.

Tapping with his shoe, he reached for the man's sash. Only the Stalker's firm grip stopped him from taking his last possession away. His green eyes gazed into the boy's amber ones in an irky way. He didn't say anything but looked at the youth in defiance. Seeing this, Carlo shook his head in annoyance.

"I'm going to make a distraction for you. As soon as everything is clear, get away from here."

"W-what? No, kid, I won't allow it...!" Leo said with a shaky breath. He tried to lean on his sword but he quickly fell backwards to the walls.

The boy spread his arms and tilted his head to one side. "It's not like you can stop me. Besides, don't you want to see Romeo?"

The man didn't answer. He measured the mischievous youth. The way he spoke and held himself reminded the Lion of a bird of prey. He saw his goals as clear as day. Despite his objections, the son of Geppetto stayed determined. While he was a small part of the ravenous community of the Stalkers, a hawk was still a dangerous bird to deal with. And the way he mentioned his confidant - his true friend? He read him like an open book.

"...More than anything."

Seeing this young man's determination, Leo surrendered. He handed over his saber with shaky hands. Carlo held the weapon in his grasp in a delicate manner. Like it wasn't a weapon but a fragile glass. His face held wonder - admiration even - as he looked at the golden grip of the sword. The way it was laced with lion patterned carvings spoke about the forgemaster's exceptional talent. As he was bewitched by the fine work, the Lion held out to him the epitome of his Stalker identity: his mask. The detailed lion head-shaped mask glared menacingly in the darkness. The beige mane looked like real hair rather than fabricated fur. Both the mask's and the saber's heavily detailed parts told much about Leo's noble yet self-conceited nature.

The son of Geppetto donned the lion mask with no hesitation. Although the Lion's doppelganger was convincing, the most keen-eyed Stalkers could've distinguished them by taking a look at their posture. This Lion was more humble than his predecessor. While he held a certain pride, he wasn't a noble in heart. Seeing Carlo's more natural - less cramped - posture, Leo hoped that the Sweepers wouldn't realize this trick.

"As soon as I get their attention, get away from the boulevard." The boy said flatly, one hand on his hip. "Do you know the shortcut to the Charity House?"

"I won't go back there. They know that I have ties to the Monad Household." Leo shook his head in disagreement.

"Any other options?"

The Lion let out a watery sigh. "...I'll head to the Cathedral."

"Can you make it to the lift?" Carlo asked with a tint of worry in his voice.

"I'll try." Leo nodded in affirmation.

While he wasn't fully convinced that he could make it, the youth had to trust in the Bastard's tenacity. With a curtly bow, he turned his back on the man, saber at the ready. As he dashed towards his targets' direction, the wounded Lion murmured a silent prayer for the youngster.

'Buona fortuna, Astore.'

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The Hyenas enjoyed the uproar they have caused. The flames danced around T. Dora's bookstore in vigor. The Sweeper woman cackled at the sight of it. When she held the very last fire bottle at the house, she called to the Lion once again. Her partner dissuaded her because the "coward feared his own life more than his confidant's safety".

He couldn't be more wrong. They couldn't take pleasure in the crime any longer.

A lone shadow approached them from the other side of the boulevard. Its steps were light yet robust. As it leapt out of the darkness, its intentions were clear as day. It held its saber at its right. The moon's light gave its blade a silvery glint. The male Hyena let out a raspy laugh.

"Look who decided to show up!" He cackled while pointing his saw-edged blade at the 'Lion'. "Any last words, botolo!?"

The Bastard did not say anything. His quiet resolve couldn't shake the pair of Sweepers. With a similar laugh, the female threw the last fire bottle towards her target. She aimed for his head. It couldn't stop the Lion though. He snapped his head to one side, dodging the flask. The bottle shattered on the ground. A small puddle of fire appeared behind him. Taking a glance to the flames then at his enemies, the 'Lion' lunged forward. The male Hyena did the same. Rang of steel clashing was heard throughout the street. The youngster felt overwhelmed at first. When the rough-edged blade met with his saber, he had to muster all of his strength to block the frontal attack. The jagged blade held his sword in one place.

"Tired already?" The Hyena smirked beneath his mask, pressing his weapon down with full force.

Carlo gasped slightly as he fought back against the pressure. With an upward cleave, he interrupted their contest of power. Just as the saw-edged blade could've struck him down with the next attack, he dodged to the left. As soon as he tried to flank his enemy, the Hyena swung his weapon. He could just barely parry the powerful attack. As he slipped backwards from the impact, a dagger was flung towards him. It swooshed next to him, scratching his mask. The female Hyena giggled. She prepared another dagger. Seeing the odds, the boy tried to get past the male Sweeper. He waited for his forward slash. However, as that attack hit its mark, another knife flew toward his direction.

He felt a newfound smell of iron. The 'Lion' hissed in pain as the dagger left a gash on his right shoulder. Blood seeped through his tailcoat. Luckily, the wound didn't hinder his swordhand, but his attention turned to the female Sweeper. Such cowardly tactics made Carlo's blood boil. The boy mustered his strength to make a run towards the other Stalker. He was still dangerously close to the male Hyena. Barely dodging the attack, his opponent's cleave split some hair from the mask. Paying no attention to him, the Bastard dashed towards his new prey. The female quickly lost her composure. She saw no man before him. It was a beast charging her with full might. Ever soundless, the 'Lion' lunged towards her without any words or yell.

"G-get away from me!" She shrilled, throwing another dagger at him. However, her aim wasn't as precise as before. When he drew near, Carlo thrusted with his saber. The Hyena yelped in surprise as she fell backwards. She scarcely avoided the fatal attack.

"Leave her alone, you coward!" The male yelled menacingly, running towards the Bastard with full force.

Seeing his reaction, the boy had a different idea. He quickly grabbed the woman by her wrists. Locking her in a vice grip, hands at back and a blade at her throat, the other Hyena had to stop his assault.

"Two against one? And you're calling me a coward?" The 'Lion' asked with a guttural growl. Pressing his blade to her throat, she let out a quiet yelp. "Lay down your weapon or...!"

"You wouldn't dare!" The man yelled, pointing his sword at Carlo. He was ready to make another charge...

...But seeing the wound on her neck expanding made him flinch. The sight of blood dripping from her nape forced the Sweeper to drop his blade. The Bastard let out a satisfied "hmph". He couldn't let his guard down however. As the woman tried to struggle within his grasp, he pulled her closer to him. Even though she didn't put up too much of a fight, she was still a trained Stalker. Her constant wrestling made him let out an audible pant.

"Killing me is one thing, but plunging innocents into this...?" The boy growled angrily, clenching his saber more tightly. "How despicable can you be?"

"Hah, says Mr. Turncoat himself! You know it's just business for the Sweepers, right?" The male Hyena snorted in amusement.

Carlo blinked in confusion. Seeing his hesitation, the Stalker continued: "Yeah, the alchemists promised a tidy sum for your head, Lion. You've been a thorn in our side long enough."

'Leo, what have you done...?' The youth thought, horrified by the truth. His hands were shaking, his lips trembling. Seeing his lack of response, the Hyena mockingly chuckled. As he slowly approached the Bastard, the 'Lion' held his hostage more tightly. He growled warningly, keeping the distance between himself and his opponent. The woman was still trashing against his hold.

"What do the alchemists want from me?" Carlo asked, holding the blade dangerously close to the woman's throat.

"...Ask them yourself."

'Drat... they don't know.' The son of Geppetto sighed deeply through his nose. He felt like he reached a dead end. The boy's arms felt tired, his body was getting fatigued. His gaze shifted between the two Hyenas and the next possible escape route. He mentioned a shortcut to the Charity House to Leo. He wouldn't get past his opponent without getting hurt. As he was thinking, the male Stalker tried to get closer. The enemy felt his hesitation. By the time the Hyena picked up his weapon once again, Carlo's mind was shifting between getting away and fighting.

His time was short.

However, just as he was slowly losing himself to indecisiveness, his ears rang. An explosion was heard. The bookstore's remaining windows shattered. The flames enveloped everything from the inside. The building couldn't support itself anymore. The boy saw how his enemy jumped at the sudden sight. He needed to act as quickly as possible. Smacking his hostage at her nape with the pommel of his saber, the woman quickly lost consciousness. Seeing her partner yell for her name while running with incredible speed, Carlo tossed her body without any care. Even though the Sweeper man quickly threw his weapon aside, he barely caught her. Seeing his shifting concerns, the son of Geppetto acted as fast as possible. With breakneck speed, he ran past his opponent. He could feel how the Stalker tried to grab him with half hand. He failed to. Carlo jumped past the spreading flames caused by the woman's fire bottle. With a sharp turn, he took another direction. Like a shadow, the 'Lion' disappeared from his chaser's eyesight.

He wasn't sure if he was being chased. Ears were still ringing from his quick heartbeat and the earlier explosion. As soon as he was out of sight, exhaustion came over him with newfound strength. Carlo sighed deeply, leaning his shoulder to the wooden walls. He removed Leo's mask with tiredness. The boy looked at it with a mix of weariness and unbelief. He felt... betrayed. His strength and values meant nothing when he tried to protect a disruptor - a traitor even. A sharp sting of pain overcame him. It wasn't only his pride that was hurting. He dropped his saber to the ground as he clutched his injured shoulder. While it wasn't bleeding anymore, his adrenaline rush ran out. The boy gritted his teeth then picked up and sheathed the weapon. He took a sharp breath and looked up. The street lights were going out. Some lights across the windows glinted. Even though the stars weren't going out yet, dawn was coming soon. He was sure it would cause much more uproar than most of his mischiefs. Carlo doubled his steps towards the Charity House. However, when he paced past a trash barrel, he abruptly halted his steps. With an angry huff, he threw the Lion's mask into the barrel. Then without any remorse, he ran past the cranky streets in a hurried manner.

The mask of the Beast King disappeared beneath the pile of waste...

Sorry for the late update, I've been busy with work (and playing Undertale). Time management sucks sometimes... :') So here comes and goes our Leo. He's been through a lot, but thanks to our good neighbourhood Carlo, he will live another day. There were like 0 implications about his personality in the actual game. Judging by his name (and probably his 'Stalker animal'), I think the persona of the righteous knight fits him, though I tried to make his personality quite vague. Being quite arrogant, mistrustful, hypocritical by hiding secrets he had learned from the Sweepers and the Alchemists of the Isle. For the sake of all Stalkers, he pretty much angered all three groups, ruining his reputation as a Bastard (quick note: the Blueblood tailcoat's description says the Bastards used to co-work with the alchemists; this is the reason our boy got so upset). Btw it was my very first fight scene after a long while. I wrote a few ones back then in my mother language, but that was like a decade ago. It was the perfect occasion to make Carlo wear P's signature blueblood tailcoat. I tried to portray him a bit cunning but not overboardly. Once he sees unfairness (quite the opposite when he kicks his schoolmate in the balls) or gets impatient, he quickly loses his composure. He's still young and inexperienced in actual combat after all. I didn't expect that this is going to be a big project for me. I still have some difficulties writing in English, but I feel I'm getting a better hang of it. I thoroughly enjoy spending my time thinking about the plot, how to connect the dots, etc. I can't say for sure if I can keep the 1-2 weeks per update though. Anyways, thank you for reading my novel, I hope you'll stay tuned for the next chapter of Birds of Prey!

#lies of p #lies of p fanfic #lies of p x oc #lies of p carlo #lies of p carlo x oc #lies of p romeo #lies of p carlo x reader #lies of p x reader #lies of p alidoro

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hopefulvittori · 4 months

Text

Birds of Prey - Chapter 4

Stalker!Carlo/OC & Romeo (AU)

Reposting my novel from ao3. Enjoy!

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Chapter 4: Pangs of conscience

The doctor at the sick-bay diagnosed Carlo with a slight concussion. Although Rocco's punch wasn't strong enough to cause more serious injury than an ugly bruise, he hit the back of his head from the fall. The medic suggested that he should rest at least until tomorrow. He certainly wasn't happy about the news. Despite this, it's not like he could've done anything else in Romeo's absence. On top of that, he felt really tired (not that he would've admitted it). With that in mind, the teenager went back to his dorm at the Charity House where he quickly fell into a carnivorous slumber.

While he's been drifting between dream and reality, memories from the past few months came back. The fleeting images were so clear like it happened yesterday. Although his memory was sharp to begin with, it scared him how vividly he saw those recollections of the past.

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"What are you reading?"

What a good way to start the Saturday morning, or so she thought. Vittoria only wanted to spend some fine hours at the orphanage's garden, reading her books in peace. However, a certain boy sabotaged her plans once again. She noticed Carlo's shadow covering her form. He stood there before the occupied bench, towering over Vittoria, questioning her. Before she could give him a proper answer, he kept going on:

"Wait, don't even answer. It's probably dull adult stuff."

"...How old even are you?" She looked at him with an unamused face.

"Hmm, not old enough to appreciate dull adult stuff." Carlo shrugged indifferently. "Why are you even reading this?"

"To kill some time, to learn something about the alchemists, to find a cure for the disease... pick your choice." she said flatly, tilting her head to one side. The mischievous boy blinked at her in fake surprise.

"Do you want to find the cure for the petrification disease? Wow." Carlo's words dripped with sarcasm, as he leant his back to a tree next to the bench.

"I don't know what is the problem with that." Vittoria closed the book, placing it onto her lap.

"Oh nothing at all. I just considered that not even the best alchemists could find a cure." he gave her a bitter laugh. "Why do you think that you're any different?

He's been testing her patience for a month now. He tried to make her upset on purpose. Although she felt insulted from Carlo's constant naggings, Vittoria respected him enough to give proper answers.

She gave him a serene yet sad smile and said: "Every poison has an antidote. Thus, I believe there's one."

The disobedient youth didn't reply. He quietly took a look at her with an unreadable expression. He couldn't understand her. Despite everything, she believed. She enkindled that spark of hope. A whirl of wonder and irritation set in his mind.

'Why does she have to be like that?' he asked himself in exasperation. He acted without a second thought. The boy didn't say anything when he approached her bench and snatched her book. She looked at him with a dumbfounded face as she got up from her sitting place.

"Why you... give it back, now!" Vittoria shouted as she tried to snatch the book back. Unluckily for her, Carlo was faster. He pulled back and dangled it just above her head. She took a deep breath in frustration. "Seriously, Carlo, give it back!"

"No can do. I just want to help with your research." he said with a sarcastic grin. "I'll hand it over if you can catch me though!"

Both of them knew it was a lie. As soon as she tried to make a jump for her book, the boy started running. While he clearly enjoyed himself from the chase, Vittoria couldn't say the same. And although she missed a good reading, she didn't want to get angrier at the mischievous teenager. She gave up after a few minutes then turned her back on the boy in annoyance.

Despite the girl's desperate desire to be left alone, the son of Geppetto couldn't grant that wish.

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It was a sunny afternoon during late summer. The son of Geppetto was waiting for the younger Durante at the entrance of the Monad Charity House. As soon as she saw him, leaning his back at the closed door with arms crossed, she visibly braced herself for the upcoming confrontation. Even if she tried to ignore his words, she couldn't get past without asking him to get out of the way. Argument with the mischievous boy was inevitable. Thus, Vittoria straightened her back and gapped the distance between herself and Carlo. She wanted to say something first. A preemptive strike with kindness would've cut it... or so she thought. While he looked troubled with his inner thoughts, the moment he took an eye on her, the frown slightly eased. He flashed a smug half-smile at her.

"Visiting Miss Sophia again? You really don't have anything else to do, do you?"

"I do appreciate how you're trying to spare me some concern, but I would be more content if you could leave me alone." she said quietly, spreading her hands out widely. Carlo raised an eyebrow aloofly.

"Why? Does the truth hurt so much?"

Ah, she tried to escape. Vittora wanted to get past him by ignoring his presence. However, the mischievous boy stopped her by grabbing her arm. She looked at him pleadingly. "Carlo, please..."

"Ah, but I can see through your act." he said in a quiet yet serious tone. "You can convince Miss Sophia, Master Valentinus or anyone else at the Charity House..." He squeezed her wrist slightly, scowling at her. "But not me. Once you get what you want, you'll just forget about us."

As she hissed in slight discomfort, the girl gazed into his amber eyes with uncertainty. She met with a fiery wall of anger. Like an invisible yet powerful force, it pushed her away. It kept her away because it felt pain - enormous grief - at its core. It didn't want to be hurt ever again. This wall of fire was the true self of an abandoned boy. She couldn't hate, only pity him. Feel immense sadness for the loneliness he had to endure.

Then again, there was that. The words of a wounded heart: 'You'll just forget about us.' She raised her eyebrows in confusion.

" Us or just you?"

The boy quietly gasped yet didn't say anything. This was new to the girl, seeing her tormentor like this. Vittoria looked at him questionly. He tried to avoid her curious gaze.

"For your reputation, you're taking your sweet time just to tyrannize me." She leaned closer to him. "What do you feel when you're doing this to me? Satisfaction? Happiness?"

Her questions met with deafening silence once again. She could feel Carlo's grip getting a bit weaker though. Vittoria knitted her eyebrows and shook her head in sadness.

"...Or do you hate me this much?"

The quietude was a stark contrast of the earlier confidence the son of Geppetto held. He couldn't deny nor confirm the girl's claim. The doubt he had felt almost pierced his heart. He slowly let go of her hand then looked away in uncertainness. The girl gently rubbed her hand. The boy's rough hold left a mark on her sensitive skin. Despite this, Vittoria didn't flinch away from him.

He tried to speak up, but couldn't find the strength to. Although she was surprisingly patient with him, she had finite time within the orpahange's walls. When she saw the futility of making him talk, she sighed in helplessness.

"I thought at least you had a backbone to admit it. Guess I was wrong." Her azure eyes gazed into his amber ones, almost judgingly. She made one more step forward to the entrance door. "I won't forget about any of you. After all, I usually come here to take my mind off certain things." And with that, she gently touched his shoulder to move him out of her way. Surprisingly, the boy didn't show any resistance. He only watched her with confusion and dejectment written all over his face.

Vittoria entered the orphanage, leaving Carlo behind. She couldn't even bother to take a final look at him. He was quite certain that she lost any kind of patience. Although he got what really wanted... then why did his heart ache so much?

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Carlo read all of her stories. Surprisingly, he liked them. Especially the last one, despite the fact that he took her pamphlet before the girl could even finish it. It was about a bird keeper, living beneath the earth. This young man was born crippled and blind. Despite his own hopeless situation, he sought to see the heavens. Even if he couldn't do it on his own volition, his desire was as firm as the earth in which he lived. He carved bird-shaped forms from the mud, then he gave them his breath. The mud-birds became flesh. Their driving force was to see the bird keeper's wish fully realized. Thus, the flock of mud-made birds flew away to find what lay beyond the earthen firmaments. They greeted and said goodbye to many creatures of the surface. The birds learned both the joy of new beginnings and the sorrow of endings. It was a heavy burden which they must've bear. For the sake of their creator, they had to be strong.

'What is the point of being strong...?'

A simple yet sorrowful question was written down at the bottom of the page. The rest of the paper was weary. It looked like the author tried to write the perfect ending for her story, yet failed to. In her desperation, she left the tale incomplete.

For all his stubbornness, the son of Geppetto couldn't stand this. While the author's goody two shoes persona irritated him, her weak-willed side made his blood boil. She reminded him of his own younger self: the shy and weak boy who waited for his father to come home. And despite his son's desperate pleas, he didn't stay with him. He remembered how many times he cried himself to sleep, hoping that his father would console him. But Geppetto couldn't come. This is why the boy had to be strong. And this is why Carlo couldn't accept the abrupt ending of the tale. Even if he was nothing but tyrant to Durante Vittoria, his most mischievous act still yet had to be done:

Finish her story with his own two hands.

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He abruptly woke up with a sharp pain at the back of his head. The boy silently hissed as he slowly got up while holding the pained area. He looked for some lightsource, but only the moon's gentle gleam offered some sorts of. It was around midnight. While he heard some commotion coming from Rose Isabelle Street (since it was close to the Charity House), the usual bustling was done for the night. Carlo's eyes searched for Romeo's form. However, the tall blond boy didn't come back to their shared dorm room. Romeo's bed lay empty at the opposite side of his. Even when he tried to look for him from the window, he couldn't see his friend. The unruly youth knew about how much his secrets meant to him. So much so that Romeo didn't tell any of them. While it hurt him, Carlo respected his decision. It was the Sweeper-to-be's choice after all. He was more than capable of protecting himself. With that in mind, he tried not to worry too much. He fell back onto his bed and closed his eyes once again.

The next time he came around was in the afternoon. Even then, he would have overslept if not for his best friend. Romeo was sitting next to him with crossed legs, roughly shaking his shoulder. Carlo tiredly groaned as he opened one eye. The blond youth was there, bathing in the sunlight. He tiredly smiled then greeted him with a quiet "hey". The brown haired boy frowned at him, pressing his lips in a thin line. He then turned away from him. Even without saying anything, Romeo understood his best friend's grudge. Carlo was worried about him, even if he couldn't show it more openly.

"Sorry about that. I had some intrigues that needed to be taken care of." Romeo scratched the back of his head. The other boy shook his head.

"It's not like I can stop you from doing those... schemings." Carlo sighed deeply. "What about the address?"

He gave him a thumbs up. "That too, was taken care of."

The son of Geppetto slightly nodded. When he tried to get up from the bed, he hissed once again. Seeing this, Romeo wanted to hold him back. Of course, the ever defiant Carlo pushed his hand away. He brushed his bruise with the tip of his fingers. However, even the gentlest touch caused him discomfort.

"Are you okay?" Romeo asked, raising his eyebrows in worry. The shorter boy grunted in affirmation.

"I'm fine. Let's get over with this."

They spent the road to the Durante Household in comfortable silence. By the time they reached the Quarantine Zone, the sun was already setting. While Carlo felt uneasy around the infected, Romeo assured him it was fine. The smaller boy wasn't completely sure. He didn't even know what to think about Vittoria now. She's been moving around the Quarantine Zone on a daily basis. While Romeo didn't tell him about the sudden puppet attack, he mentioned that the Durante girl moved around these parts without any consequences. Maybe he misjudged her on that part as well. In her own way, she's also been a rebellious young girl, trying to fight against her shackles.

By the time they reached Vittoria's home, afternoon turned to evening. Darkness blanketed all over Krat. Street lights and neon signs illuminated the vast boulevards and squares. Despite the light sources, the two boys remained enshrouded in darkness. They stand tall on the storied-house, gazing at the home of the Durante family. The plank laid before them, waiting for bystanders such as them to get across to the balcony. However, they weren't alone. Durante Vittoria was standing at the balcony's ledge, gazing at the moonlit Krat in silent reverie. Carlo was on the edge - quite literally and figuratively. Seeing her in a vulnerable and lonely position made his heart beat a bit faster. Pangs of conscience chew at his core. Every self-confidence he felt went out of the window the moment he saw her. Romeo saw his friend's hesitation. A rascally smirk spread across his face. Seeing Carlo in this state somehow made him delighted. Sadly, he couldn't let him stay like this forever. He needed to act or his friend would never keep his promise. Romeo suddenly pushed him from the back. The brown haired boy let out a small yelp as he tried to stop himself from falling beyond the banister.

"What the hell are you doing!?" he shouted, looking back at his friend. Romeo held out his arms in surrender.

"Sorry, my hands slipped!"

"Who goes there!?" The blond youth did that on purpose so the sudden shouting was heard by the girl. Vittoria looked at the direction of the shadowy storeyed house.

Carlo's gaze darkened as he glared at Romeo. But before he could say anything to his partner in crime, the Durante girl repeated her question. The taller teenager got past the other boy and waved at the direction of their target.

"Why good evening, Lady Durante!" he yelled to her, spreading his arms out in a cheerful way. "Thank you for keeping your promise by showing up."

"Romeo wha...?" She looked at him in confusion, scratching her head. The girl looked past the blond boy suspiciously. "Is anyone else with you or...?"

But before she could finish her question, he leapt out of the shadows. Giuseppe Carlo was standing there next to his friend with an unreadable expression painted all over his face. Whether it was uncertainty or guilt, Vittoria couldn't see it from such a distance. Her breath hitched and glared at the tall boy in silent anger.

'Well now at least they're more upset at me than each other.' Romeo thought in amusement as one of his arms encircled around the mischievous boy's rigid form.

"My apologies, milady, but it seems this young man claimed an urgent arrangement with you." He waggled his fingers nonchalantly. "I'm afraid our conversation will have to wait." After he let go of Carlo, he backed away from the ledge. When he saw the boy's darkened gape, he winked at him. "Have luck, my friend. "And with that, Romeo bowed in a theatrical manner and left the roof as quickly as possible.

There was an uncomfortable silence between the two. While Carlo didn't move an inch, Vittoria's hands were slightly shaking. None of them wanted to make the first step, yet it was necessary. As the boy wanted to absolve his own guilt by apologizing, the girl wanted to know why he came all over here. She was curious yet mistrustful. If he couldn't make his point, she had to do the preemptive strike.

She crossed her arms across her chest, furrowing her eyebrows. "...What are you doing here?"

The infamous son of Geppetto got his tongue tied. He looked at her with unsureness. "I... I would like to apologize."

Vittoria scowled at him in confusion. She wasn't quite sure what the boy said. She shook her head with open arms and said: "Sorry, I couldn't hear that. " She pointed to the plank before them. "Feel free to use that. Come here and you can tell it to my face.

'This woman...' Carlo sighed in annoyance. Despite that, he wagged his head with a small smile. As he made his first steps on the plank, a sudden dizziness came over him. He wasn't entirely sure whether it was from his head injury or the fear of heights. When he gazed down, he saw the narrow streets of Elysion. There was a small garden before the Durante Household's entrance. Two huge black dogs were lying there in chains. Surely, it wasn't the best idea to fall down lest he would've met his end by these canines. Although he was as careful as possible, his vision became a bit blurry. He sighed deeply as he tried to calm himself. Seeing his inner turmoil, Vittoria looked at him with slight worry. He waggled from one side to another. Before he could sway too far from the plank, she quickly approached the struggling Carlo and held onto his hand. She gave it a small squeeze as a way of reassurance. The boy curtly nodded as she led him through the rest of the plank. When they reached the balcony, she let go of his hand and took a good look at him. She squinted at the sight of his bruise. Like a flower, it bloomed in violent purple at the left side of his face. Vittoria tried to reach for the injury, but he backed away until his back felt the balcony's stone ledge.

"...It's nothing." he said quietly, looking away in embarrassment. Although the girl was unconvinced, she bowed her head.

She swallowed a shaky breath, blinking at the boy. "What did you want to tell me?"

Carlo slowly but surely reached for his pocket. He took out the black pamphlet and held it out to Vittoria.

"I would like to apologize."

Hearing that made her world turned upside down. The young Durante girl wasn't entirely sure she heard him right. While she hesitantly reached for her belonging, she stared at him in confusion, tightening her lips. Seeing Vittoria's lack of meaningful reaction, Carlo fakely coughed.

"...I'm sorry."

"For what?" Her voice was quiet yet firm and cold. Her hands were clenched to fists as those were shaking. "For insulting me? Spilling ink on my drink? Robbing me of my belongings?" She bared her teeth in silent fury.

The brown haired youth's breath hitched. Despite seeing her upset so many times, this was a new side of her. He was unsure about what to do with himself. His quickened breathing and hunched posture spoke about his guiltiness, but the girl wasn't easily convinced.

"Do you have any idea how much pain you have caused?" Vittoria's voice cracked a bit, though she didn't show any sadness. She was more bitter if anything.

Carlo swallowed, pacing back and forth. "Vittoria, I... I didn't know about your circumstances. If I knew, I wouldn't have made those jokes about you."

Then out of the blue, she looked at him furiously. She stepped dangerously close to the boy, trapping him to the ledge. "My circumstances!? That doesn't change anything, Carlo! You chose cruelty!" As she yelled at him, her cerulean eyes deeply gazed into his amber ones with vexation. As she took a deep breath to try to ground herself, she chillfully asked: "...Is this how you want to be a Stalker?"

Touché. She hit a sore spot where he didn't expect to. While it was a general knowledge around the orphanage that he really wanted to be a Stalker, the true reason why wasn't. Apparently the girl read him like an open book. Despite his bad reputation, Carlo wanted to help people so no one had to rely on puppet technology. Even if it was out of hatred for his father, he wanted to be kind to those who needed it. But his actions towards a helpless girl was anything but kind. Although he knew that, she questioned him. And that angered him. The boy clenched his jaw, ready to get back at the girl. However, as soon as he tried to tower over her, sounds of dogs' (probably the same ones he saw from the plank) barking interrupted him. Vittoria hissed in frustration as she grabbed Carlo's hand once again.

"Drat, those stupid mutts..." she said with an exasperated sigh. "Let's get inside before they're going to notice you."

The patio door was slightly open before them. He let the girl get inside before him before following her. Once they were inside, Vittoria completely closed the door behind them. Before she could beckon him to sit down somewhere, Carlo looked around her room. It was a small but comfortable gallery room. The warm brown and red colors and the bookshelves already made him comfortable enough. There was a small fireplace at the right corner of the room. That was the only part where he couldn't find any bookcases. Even her bed was surrounded by shelves. She was basically living in her books. Despite the newfound wonder he had felt towards her, he noticed the empty basket next to her bed. It probably belonged to Vittoria's cat. Carlo looked at it pensively.

"That was my cat's place." she said solemnly as she sat down to the end of her bed, hugging herself. "I had to get rid of her..."

"Why?"

"The mutts from earlier? Those were my sister-in-law's dogs. It was either them or my cat." she sighed. "That's why I went to the orphanage last time. I asked Matron to take care of her."

Carlo looked at her with curiously raised eyebrows. "What did your brother say?"

Vittoria shrugged, gazing down in a defeated manner. "...Nothing. I needed to get rid of Pumpkin."

"This is so unfair..." the boy gritted his teeth then clenched his fists in frustration. The girl chuckled bitterly.

"Life is unfair, Carlo."

"You should've said something. Anything."

"You don't know her OR my brother." She narrowed her eyes scornfully. "As soon as they've got married, I'm nothing in their eyes. Just another mouth to be fed."

He swallowed then looked around once more. While the girl had been avoiding the boy's gaze for a while, she pointed at a chair before her desk next to the windows. Carlo pulled the chair towards the bed as quietly as possible and sat down before Vittoria. They've been staying that way for a few minutes, in a less awkward silence. This time, however, the boy tried to break the quietness.

"I... have to admit something." he said hesitantly, rubbing his hands together in his newfound anticipation. The girl looked at him, letting out a questioning "hm?". "I followed you on that day... then I eavesdropped on you talking with Miss Sophia." He gave her a small apologetic smile.

Vittoria blinked in surprise then chuckled a bit. "I see now. You told this fact to Romeo. Then he dragged you all the way here to make your apology official. Because you were afraid to do it on your own."

Carlo puffed his cheeks then shook his head defiantly. "I wasn't afraid..."

He gave her credit for figuring it out though. He, too, judged the book by its cover. Remembering the past two days' events, everything was like a shaggy-dog story. Even the cause of his injury was a foolish joke if anything. Carlo unintentionally grinned at the thought while gazing downwards.

"Romeo is a good friend. I wish I had good friends such as him." Vittoria said quietly, tilting her head slightly upwards.

A silent reverie. Although the girl was still upset with the charming youth for lying, she would've lied to herself if she didn't enjoy his company. The way he spoke and acted filled her with joy. Sadly, the blond boy usually went overboard with his theatrical persona. It was hard to see his true persona beneath all those charms and dramatic flairs. Despite all that, she still wished for friends like him. An orphan boy's companionship. Seeing that she didn't judge Romeo for his social status, Carlo was filled with newfound wonder once again. He pressed his lips together and like an universal truth he said:

"...But you can."

His confidence shaken her. She wasn't even sure she heard that right. But the boy repeated it once again: "You can, Vittoria."

He leant closer then looked at her as warmly as possible. This time, the amber gaze of Carlo didn't hold any mischief nor hatred. This was a gaze of a young boy, elevated from his past traumas - at least for now. Although she still didn't fully trust him, his sudden kindness filled her with warmth.

...But a small kindness couldn't make those hateful voices go away. Even then, she heard Durante Arianne's voices in her head, loud and clear.

' It's not their fault, foolish girl! It's because you couldn't make your little grimalkin behave herself!'

'I only asked you to do this before we're coming back from the theatre! Are you really that incapable!?'

'If you wouldn't have crossed me, your brother wouldn't be disappointed.'

'...Why are you doing this to your brother?'

She ran a hand through her ashen brown hair with a shaky breath. The girl looked at Carlo with an empty gaze. "I... I can't."

"Why not?" He tilted his head, eyebrows knitted questionly. She sighed in frustration

"Because I... to them, I'm just a foolish girl."

His gaze darkened. Clenching his fists, he asked with righteous anger: "Is this what they - she - said to you? Or do you truly think you're foolish?"

She gasped then looked at her hands in a self-degrading way. The burn marks were still hurting beneath all those bandages. It reminded her of her own desperation. Even then, the woman only said "it was the girl's fault to be so careless". So she started to believe it...

...until firm fingers encircled around her wounded hands. Carlo grabbed her more forcefully than he really wanted to. As soon as he heard her hissing in pain, he immediately eased the pressure on her hands.

"If you're an air-headed fool, you wouldn't have this many books." he said quietly yet firmly, looking around her room. "You wouldn't read this much about the topics the alchemists and novelists keep spitting about." Amber eyes gazed into azure ones with surprising tenderness. "An air-headed fool wouldn't write about the things you're wishing for. And it's not a sin to think and act that way either."

"You... read my novels?" She asked with a shaky breath.

Carlo nodded curtly. "I did. Though I'm no bookworm such as you, but I did."

For a moment, comfortable silence surrounded them. While she looked at him emptyly, the boy's fingers tenderly brushed her bandaged hands.

"It's not a sin to wish for a better world, Vittoria. I think your hopes and ideals would make you a magnificent Stalker."

His words echoed in her mind. At that long yet fleeting moment, she didn't hear Aria's spiteful words... but Carlo's encouraging ones. Like a wall of fire shattering those doubts, cleansing those cutting words from her mind. Those flames of hatred she saw in his eyes earlier... Those were sustaining her sparks of hope. With that, like a mantra of some sorts, Vittoria chanted these words in her head:

'She wasn't a waste nor a fool like that woman said so. She had valuable ideals. She can be a magnificent Stalker.'

As that realization hit her, teardrops fell from her eyes. First for her helplessness, second for her anger towards her family... third for her rekindled hope. And this went on and on. Her breath hitched as she quietly sobbed. Her hands suddenly went limp in the boy's gentle hold. Seeing her in such a state, Carlo's eyebrows knitted in concern, lips parted in distress. He stood up from his chair to sit with her on the bed. The boy started to wipe the girl's tears away with his sleeves. One by one, he dried those tears of pain, taking her pain away. His gentleness was almost astonishing.

He couldn't say anything when a sudden realization hit him. They were kindred in spirit by being in a similar situation. As he was waiting for his father, she had high hopes for her brother to save her. Yet, their closest ones made them suffer the most. How both of them desired for their affection - their love. The two of them were trapped in a golden cage, unable to fight back against injustice. Oh, how he despised this feeling....

'Like birds of a feather, huh...?' He thought bitterly.

When Vittoria slowly calmed down, she took a deep watery breath. She looked at the boy with a weak wobbly smile, appreciating his kindness. Seeing the son of Geppetto like this, she realized that she also misunderstood him. He held onto his goodwill after all. Beneath that smug, mischievous layer, there was a gentle soul of a young boy.

When she saw that he was meant to say something, she interrupted him. "It's alright... I'm alright."

"Are you sure?" he asked quietly, eyebrows still knitted in worry.

"Yes. Thank you, Carlo."

He bowed his head in acceptance as he continued to stroke her tear-streaked cheek. Vittoria appreciated his kind gesture by leaning into his touch. They stayed that way for a long time. The silence of the night was comforting. The dogs' aggressive barks were repressed by the overbearing stillness of the dark hours. It seemed neither of the youths wanted to let those moments go. However, just as the Cathedral's midnight bell was heard from the top of the hill next to the city, a realization hit Carlo.

Did he actually stay there that long, comforting the girl until midnight?

Sadly, the teen boy pulled away as his gaze shifted towards the windows. Although dawn didn't come any time sooner, if someone noticed his absence at the Charity House, he would be in big trouble. It's not like he cared too much about the consequences but he already skipped a training day, thanks to his injury. He didn't want to spend the next day with his punishment.

"I need to go." he said quietly. Vittoria hummed in agreement then both of them stood up from her bed. As she reached for the patio door, she looked at Carlo with worry.

"Will you be alright? I mean it IS past midnight."

"Hey, I'm going to be the best Stalker in all of the world." He smuggly grinned. "How could I be the best if they're going to catch me?"

The girl only rolled her eyes with a half-smile then opened the door. A cold wind swept across the room. Both of them felt it immediately.

"Hurry up before you catch a cold." She said with a playfully impatient tone while poking him in the back. He was hesitant to leave just yet. The boy has been gazing at her bandaged hands for almost a minute. "What's wrong?"

He quickly shook his head. "...Nothing. Romeo and I are going to meet up after tomorrow's training. Care to join?"

Vittoria blinked at him in surprise, tilting her head in a questioning manner. She didn't say anything but stared at the boy.

"He really wanted to talk with you, you know. And you said you wished for a friend like him." He continued as he leapt out of the room and moved towards the plank at the balcony. Then he turned back to the girl. "You'll start with us... and I'll start with you, Vittoria. What do you say?" With a new gesture of kindness, he reached towards the girl with his hand.

An offer of friendship. Another surprising act from the infamous son of Geppetto. She wouldn't have trusted him if he offered this before his 'official' apology. He would've pranked her like any other time. However, his honest gaze told another tale. While the offer scared her so much, it also filled her with excitement. A new chance for a start. A spark to her flames of hope. They wanted her as a companion - a friend even. How could she refuse?

She slowly accepted his handshake as a warm smile graced her lips. "Just call me Tori."

Notes:

Can... Can I just vent a little bit? Back in the middle school days (almost a decade ago), there was this boy whom I liked. Sadly, that feeling didn't last long because he started to bully me for years. It was painful but I kept going on, trying to bear it until graduation. I quickly turned into an introverted, reserved, shy fellow. Although I still wear those scars from the abuse, if that couldn't happen, I wouldn't be here, writing novels. My only regret is that I couldn't tear into him, asking the same question as Vittoria did to Carlo. Anyways, vent off. A lot of emotions went through me while writing this chapter. I was thinking about whether I should split it into two chapters, but I think a lot of emotional parts would've lost their edge/importance. Carlo finally reached enough emotional maturity by accepting responsibility for his actions. Although it wasn't clear, there was another reason why he felt so guilty. Ever since Geppetto died, Tori's brother has been overloaded with work. Because of that, he (in his father's place) felt responsible for the girl's trauma... plus another golden opportunity for blaming his old man once again. And although Carlo made a hella lot of effort, Tori still has trust issues. I tried to make the apology part not too hasty yet not too slow. Btw, that part was basically a reimagination of a previous OC x Carlo one-shot I did as a practice. Anyways, thank you for listening to this author's rambling. Of course, any feedback would be much appreciated! :) By finding out about their mutual background, the birds of prey will grow so much more. How far though? Stay tuned for the next chapter to find out!

#lies of p #lies of p fanfic #lies of p carlo #lies of p carlo x oc #lies of p x oc #lies of p carlo x reader #lies of p romeo #lies of p x reader #lies of p alidoro

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hopefulvittori · 5 months

Text

Birds of Prey - Chapter 3

Carlo/OC & Romeo (AU)

Reposting my novel from ao3. Enjoy!

──────────

Chapter 3: An eagle's ambition

"Teach? I don't understand something."

"What is it, R?"

"Why would they divide the Stalkers into two groups? Aren't they fighting for the benefit of all of Krat?"

"...Heh."

"Did I say something funny?"

"No. You just made me realize how this city is in dire need of a king."

If Romeo hated any places around Krat, it was Elysion Boulevard. The high and mighty nobles didn't pay attention to those who had lower social status. They didn't care about those who were stuck in the mud, begging for better lives. It was inevitable though. Those with power had the opportunity to gain fame through encouraging the development of technology. Enkindling the spark of evolution through wealth and power. Romeo despised how the ways of Krat shackled the future generations. If he could've done something about that, he would. And he swore to himself: he will.

Even though he went around Elysion almost on a daily basis, he always braced himself. He basically ran through the long but narrow streets in an urgent hurry. Romeo had a certain destination in his mind: Theodore Books, the most famous bookstore all across the city. He made some deal of allowance there by part-time labour. The owner of the shop - a middle aged woman called T. Dora by the visitors - was on friendly terms with the blond youth. Through his charming and theatrical persona, he gained a valuable base for his schemes. He didn't think too much about how the nobles or the higher ups looked at him. He always standed out like a sore thumb.

As he entered the book store, the bell's ringing signaled his arrival. T. Dora gave him a wave as a non-verbal greeting. She ran a hand through her grey-touched hair and pointed to one of the bookshelves at the back of the store. Romeo took a bow as appreciation then walked towards his destination. The rarely visited corner was cold and dark. Only the candlelight's gleam offered some lightsource of sorts. The youth only could find old ragged books here, barely worth anything. Despite this, he knew exactly what his search was for. It was an old version of the "Tale of the Mischievous Puppet". It looked like a pile of papers rather than a book. He didn't mind though. He purposefully took it from the shelf and started turning the pages. He thoroughly searched each piece of paper until he found something out of place. One of the papers was folded in half. Someone left a faint blue-ish tint mark in the middle of it. Romeo recognized the small four-leafed flower mark. As soon as he saw it, he abruptly opened the note. The handwrite was a mix between elegant and rough. Its writer probably wrote it in urgency.

Dear R,

Forgive me for the late reply. They've been calling back every Bastard all across Krat due to the disappearances. Probably the same goes for the Sweepers too, though I'm not entirely sure. In any case, I can't return to the Orphanage yet. I have to look out for Abel. Ever since those disappearances, he started to become more paranoid...

Apparently, a problem has reared its ugly head around the Quarantine Zone, but HQ couldn't afford sending a Stalker to the area to investigate. Some deluded patients heard a "howling ghost" around those parts. They said it's just a rumor because they don't value the infectees' testimony, but they're lying... even to themselves. They only care about their new toys at the Union... while condemning the masses.

We shouldn't hold onto our secrets too tightly, my friend. Promise me that you'll become a magnificent Sweeper. Be a light in the wide darkness of uncertainty. I'll make sure to do that on my part as well.

Please consider checking out the Quarantine Zone if you have the time. I know I can count on you with this. It would ease my mind for a bit. Give my best regards to Lady Sophia.

Yours truly,

As soon as he finished reading the note, Romeo quickly hid it in his sleeve. He looked around himself, searching for any customers or curious observers on sight. When he convinced himself that no one's watching him, the boy deeply sighed. He took another book from the shelves, then tore an empty paper from one of those. Then he pulled out a pen from his pouch and started writing.

Dear L,

As long as you two are well, I will try not to worry too much. Just make sure your step-brother won't do anything reckless.

You can always count on me, friend. I'll see what I can do about it. I really hope your "ghost" stays as an urban legend though...

Even if you lost hope in the Stalkers, as a man of action and words, I will keep my vow to you. Together, we shall deliver salvation to all of Krat.

For that purpose, I need you to ask one last favour...

...

But before he could write down that sentence, he heard some commotion from the entrance. Worrying for the owner's safety, he took a peek from the bookshelves's shadow towards the apron. T. Dora was talking with two men. Judging by their tattered clothes and weapons hanging on their belts, they were Sweepers. Surprisingly, they took off their ragged masks. Maybe a way of respect or the lack of wariness... or maybe bumptiousness. Either way, the taller man lifted his voice high enough to make Romeo drop his ploy.

"Come on, Missy! We know all too well you're hiding something." he said impatiently while leaning on the checkout counter.

"Why, this bookstore only hides the common knowledge from all Krat." T. Dora replied with a mysterious smile spread across her face.

"Yes and I'm going to be the next Archbishop of this city." he snorted while leaning closer to the shop's owner. "Why don't you make our job easier and tell us where we can find a certain lion, hm?"

Romeo raised his eyebrows in worry. As soon as he heard that, he showed no hesitation to intervene... if not for T. Dora's defiant gaze. It was just a moment, but the cold yet objecting look immediately made him halt. Seeing his reluctance, the owner smirked before attending to her "customers" once again.

"A lion, you ask?" she asked curiously.

"Indeed, a lion." The short Stalker said with a curt nod. "This certain cat has been leaking out valuable info about..."

"Be quiet, you idiot!" The tall Sweeper roared, smacking his partner at the back of his head. Before he could completely lose his composure, he coughed a bit before continuing: "Anyway Missy, we know that a certain Stalker has been visiting this shop. Where can we find our lion friend?"

"I'm afraid you're mistaken. I'm no lover of cats nor predators in general." T. Dora said innocently, pressing a hand to her face thinkingly. "As such, if you're in a dire need of reading, I can suggest the "Tale of the Great Magician". You can find your cowardly lion hiding amongst those pages."

Deadly silence filled the air. Meanwhile Romeo tried to hold back a chuckle and the younger Sweeper hid his face in his palm, the tall man took a sharp breath. He clenched his fists on the apron while growling like a savage beast. He leaned closer to the owner. She could practically feel his breath on her face.

"You can't fool us forever, Theodora. We know you're hiding him here... amongst other things besides these ragged books." he said menacingly, leaned his head towards the back of the shop.

Romeo mouthed a small "damn" out of exasperation. He has been found out. Despite all of this, T. Dora stayed as cool-headed as possible. She blinked once or twice as the tall man before beaming a warm smile at him, bowing her head slightly.

"Have a nice day, good sirs."

The tall Sweeper tilted his head towards the door, calling his partner in a silent manner. Clicking his tongue, the younger Stalker hurriedly left the shop. His collegue shortly followed him, but he took a last menacing gaze at T. Dora. He then closed the door as loudly as possible. When their menacing forms disappeared before the showcases, the owner of the shop took a deep sharp breath.

"You owe me a big one this time, boy." T. Dora said, massaging her temple worriedly as Romeo slowly came out from the shadows. "It's not enough that you two are plotting your intrigues beneath these walls, but these hyenas have been ruining my business."

"Forgive me, Miss. I didn't know that the Sweepers have been bothering you." he replied quietly, face etched with guilt.

"It was inevitable. Your friend has a bad reputation amongst them, after all. I knew what was coming, but..." T. Dora shook her head as she leaned against the wall.

"...You can't keep the appearances up anymore."

She looked at him tiredly. Romeo's gaze held both guilt and resolve. She sighed in surrender as he touched her shoulder as a way of comfort. "I'm sorry, Romeo."

"Don't worry about it."

He looked outside of the transparent showcases. The boy had to make sure that no other Stalkers watched over them talking. After the realization of being supervised, he felt anxious.

As soon as he was convinced that nobody was watching, he asked T. Dora to pull the curtains back before the showcases. The owner didn't object. The crimson velvet curtains darkened the room as the very last source of natural light disappeared from the store. Only the bracket-lamps's gleam offered enough lightsource to the youth and the owner. After she was done, T. Dora offered him to take a seat on one of the reading chairs. Romeo shook his head as he was perfectly fine sitting on the checkout counter. The woman shrugged indifferently.

"For a self-styled gentleman, you're way too informal."

"You didn't take me in for my manners, T." Romeo crossed his arms across his chest, raising one eyebrow smuggly.

"Of course not. Ever since my husband got the disease, I needed someone to do the heavy lifting." she said tiredly with another shrug. "But enough small talk."

The youth nodded as he sighed deeply through his nose.

"Leo is going to be in big trouble. Or he already is in one."

"How could he leak out intel about the Sweepers if he's a Bastard?" T. Dora raised an eyebrow questioningly. Romeo shook his head.

"He was well-liked amongst the whole Stalker community. He could have some supporters from there."

The woman gave him a doubtful look. The boy gazed back in confusion, then let out a small "hmm" out of pensiveness. Although he tried to rule out that possibility, he had to face a certain fact. Even the King of Beasts had to watch his own back. While his chivalrous ways brought light to some people across the mercenary group, that shine will always beget darkness. It doesn't matter if L was well-liked or not. To some people, those secrets are worth more than some ephemeral light. That's why Romeo couldn't rule out that possibility: treachery.

As that epiphany hit him like a ton of bricks, the boy worriedly looked at his ex-superior. He took the incomplete letter out of his sleeve and handed it over to T. Dora.

"Please, give this to him. He mustn't come here anymore."

"Sure, as long as it won't cause me any more trouble." she gave a dismissive wave of her hand as she took the letter. Romeo gave her a thankful nod. As he standed up, another thing came to his mind. He turned back to the woman. She rolled her eyes in tiredness.

"Oh, and one more thing."

"...What is it, boy?

"5131126197149115185823." Seeing T. Dora's dumbfounded face, the boy took the letter for a second. He hurriedly wrote those numbers down before handing over the note once again. "He'll know what to do with it."

After he said a brief farewell to the shop's owner, the woman tried to say something. Sadly, Romeo was already on the streets, running away in urgency. She couldn't ask him how his friend was going to reply to his question. Then again, these children chose a pretty unorthodox way to send messages to each other. She didn't have any doubts that the two of them would find a way. She would've lied to herself if she didn't care about them. As sad as it was, their plotting cost T. Dora an efficient manpower to keep her business lively.

'Oh well. It's not like I have infinite time to begin with. I just hoped I could see how the King of Skies would take its first flight…' she thought in regret as she pulled back the curtains once again.

──────────

The youth cursed quietly. He realized that he forgot to ask about the location of the Durante Household. While his problem held urgency, he hated the idea that he couldn't keep his promise to his best friend. He couldn't return to the Monad Charity House empty-handed.

The sun has already set down. It was an unusual sight for the boy, seeing this many people out on the streets in the evening. Then again, the nobility didn't worry too much about tomorrow. Wealthy people are usually moved to Rose Isabelle to spend their nights at the Arcade or at the Opera House. This evening wasn't any different. Like a herd, people moved in and out from Elysion Boulevard. If he could've left without keeping his promise to Carlo, Romeo would've done it immediately. The sight made him more disturbed than he expected from himself. Despite this, he braced himself and tried to endure it. The weirded out gazes of noble women, the entitled behaviour of so-called gentlemen. Although he tried to ask for help in the most graceful and respectful way, some of them still looked at Romeo like a stray dog.

After an hour of unfruitful search, relief washed over him. He heard some people talking about Marcello Durante's house. How despite his rise in fame, he still lived in a relatively small apartment in a storeyed house after the Quarantine Zone. The youth sighed deeply as he didn't waste any more time to look for Vittoria's home. He was familiar with those parts. It was an eerie sight how the crowd suddenly disappeared just as soon as he got closer to that area. He could hear the sewer's water dripping within the pipes and the faraway coughs of the infected. Before he could enter those parts, he read the weared placard hanging on the bricked column:

Warning! Petrification Disease Quarantine Zone. No Trespassers.

Everyone is a patient or a lunatic. Do not speak to them.

The silence was almost touchable. It was a sharp contrast compared to the loudy bustling streets from earlier. The comparison disgusted the boy. How much these high and mighty people enjoyed themselves while leaving the weak and sick confined within these quarantine zones. It wasn't any better than entombing and leaving them to rot.

Taking a deep watery breath, Romeo entered the quarantine zone. Despite the earlier warning sign, he didn't see any guards or dogs in sight. Strangely, everything seemed peaceful. The public squares were left empty. Only the lights leaking out of the upper windows indicated that there were people up there. Although they were still alive and kicking, their horrible coughs made the boy cringe out of guilt. They were dying, so slowly and painfully.

Trying to dismiss these thoughts, Romeo walked past the squares at a hasty pace. He thoroughly searched for a clear sign that he was on the right track. The one direction he could move is forward. A small street led him to another yet bigger square. Unfortunately, there were less light sources, but for a different - a worse - reason. The street lamps were blinking uncertainty as the lights were slowly dying out. The boy could've sworn the weather also turned colder. A shiver went through his spine as he heard something else besides the wind and distant coughs. As he walked past a statue of Valentinus Monad, he heard mechanical growls. When turned his head to the right, he could've sworn his mind played tricks on him. But no, that wasn't the case.

His mind painted a picture he couldn't easily forget. That painting etched into his memory forevermore.

A blackened puddle covered the cold stones of the statue. He saw a pile of mangled puppet parts overlapping each other. In a morbid way, it looked like those parts were partaking in an embrace. The boy's eyes spotted a mechanical dog - a beast - having its feast among the pile of automaton corpses. Judging by the static growls, it clearly took enjoyment from the banquet. The bronze canine flashed its reddened eyes menacingly as Romeo started at it. He tried to sneak past the puppet beast, only to stand on a scattered mechanical part and snap it in two. The weared metal snapped into two beneath the youth's heel, thus he drew the dog's attention to himself. Guttural metallic growls rang in Romeo's ear. Those piercing red eyes stared right into his soul. The puppet interrupted its feast then turned its whole attention to the boy. Its leaps were swift yet robust. Despite this, it didn't start running towards the youth. It tried to gap the distance between themselves before finding pleasure in a more organical taste. As he kept backing away, a shout was heard:

"Run, Romeo!"

Like a primal instinct, it was an order to which he obeyed. He turned tail to the beast and started sprinting. Seeing that, the beast's eyes flashed in crimson once again: the hunt was on.

The youth ran towards the next corridor like frenzied prey. He didn't look back. All he heard is the mechanical wheezing of the puppet-cannibal dog. It wasn't even a question: it was out for blood. It flicked across the walls like a grasshopper as it tried to gap the distance once again. The rocks cracked beneath the beast's legs. Romeo covered his head as the crumbled debris fell everywhere. That didn't stop him from getting away from his chaser. He took a sharp turn on the next small street. The mechanical beast mistook its last step and fell into the wall. Despite the small impact, it was barely damaged. The dog puppet howled and started its frenzied assault once again.

Romeo gasped in panic and confusion while he tried to double his pace. He basically felt the cold metallic breath on his shoulders. Not only that, but a looming shadow also followed him. Although it was smaller than him, it was twice as fast. Even when it jumped from one roof to another.

"Turn left!" it shouted as a two-way corridor appeared before them. Once again, the teenage boy obeyed the command. Just as the cannibal puppet leapt forward, he took the turn. Although he was lucky to avoid a direct attack, the automaton's sharp claws teared into the fabric of his long light brown coat. Learning from its previous mistake, the dog lightened its impact with its paws. It could easily continue its chase. On the other hand, the boy was getting exhausted. Every time the only way was forward, his chaser tried to grab his leg to pull him to the ground. All those sharp turns and jumps took a toll on him. Seeing this, the shadow tried to assure him:

"It's not too long! Keep running!"

And Romeo ran. Despite seeing the shadow disappearing in a house, he obeyed. As soon as he was alone with his chaser, he saw an opened workshop before him. The scuttle was open and waiting. He let out a small amused chuckle, despite his strained condition. He had some ideas in mind what the shadow was meant to do.

Trusting his shade like his own instinct, he made his last hoorah. Seeing his carnivorous chaser's previous tries, he wanted to do something similar. Romeo gathered his last energy to make a leap towards the scuttle. As he used his legs to push himself towards the workshop, he supported this jump with his arms. He showed himself away from the walls, barely dodging the puppet's penultimate assault. With his last strength gone, he fell onto his back when he was inside of the building. However, that wasn't the last of his problems. The dog flashed its reddened eyes in fury, seeing this as a disgraceful tact. With a more terrifying pace, the beast lunged forward. Almost like a bullet, it flew through the air with an open maw. Its claws were sharpened, ready for the kill. Like a mirror, the boy saw his own terrified look on the beast's metallic skin. Its screech hurted his ears. Bracing for the inevitable impact, he closed his eyes in silent surrender. Surely, if it wasn't for a certain shadow, the orphaned boy would've breathed his last. However, he was still alive.

Opening his eyes, he saw the mechanical beast lying half-dead at his feet. Its barely indestructible body was crushed beneath the scuttle. Small bluish sparks flew around the puppet's body. Its red eyes gazed onwards, blinking in black. It was in its mortal agony.

His trust in the shadow earned its fruit. It could easily pull the lever at the right time to close the scuttle, thus ending the deadly chase between the boy and the beast. Romeo exhaustingly laid across the wooden floor... until his saviour offered her hand.

"Well, what a pleasant surprise." he wheezed as he accepted the girl's hand immediately.

After she pulled him up, Vittoria took a good look at him. After she was convinced that he was unscratched, she shook her head in disbelief.

"What are you doing here?"

Romeo scratched his temple, avoiding her thoughtful gaze in the meanwhile. "...Just taking a walk."

"A walk. In the Quarantine Zone." she repeated in an unimpressed tone.

"Look who's talking!" He made a comeback in a similar manner. He walked past the dying puppet, overshadowing the girl's smaller form. "What are you doing here?"

"I went out trading food for lint. Since the pharmacy is already closed, I asked the infected if they had any." she said quietly, rolling her eyes. Romeo raised his eyebrows in surprise.

To his shock, he saw both of her hands bandaged. When he and Carlo met with her two days ago, she wasn't injured. Did something happen in the Durante Household once again? When Vittoria saw his eyes locked on her hands, she hid them behind her back and let out a fake cough. Seeing that she had no intentions about filling him with the details, he let the topic go.

"Anyways, thank you for saving my life." he said with a warm smile. The girl nodded, then a similar smile graced her lips.

"I'm just glad I coul..." But before she could finish her sentence, the dying puppet dog let out a static howl.

Romeo and Vittoria immediately shifted their gazes towards the automaton. Bluish light leaked out of its chest and reddened eyes. Although its time was up, something was very wrong with this faulty machine. Its limbs were twitching, twisting them in a way nature didn't intend. The soulless eyes looked at the boy, then at the girl. And to their surprise, besides of all those horrible growls and howls, a monotonous voice was heard:

"Aaaaaa... b... urns... it... burns... the V...oice... it... burns... wit... hin."

It let out a static yelp, wheezed a bit before its struggling body stopped moving. The blue and red light were out and with it, the faulty puppet stopped functioning. A pool of oil covered the wooden floor. With all that darkness, it didn't look too different from blood.

Both of them looked at the corpse with distress gracing their features. Neither of them wasn't sure what just happened. Despite these strange events, Romeo turned to the girl.

"Do you know what it means?"

Vittoria said nothing at first. Her cerulean eyes curiously examined the dog puppet's corpse. She hummed in her pensiveness. "I'm not entirely sure. I heard some rumors besides the "howling ghost". It's... related to the Workshop cases."

"You mean those gossips about the disappeared inventors and technicians?" Romeo asked, resting his hands on his hips.

The girl nodded. "Every time someone disappeared, they heard a static record from the radio. It mentioned the same thing over and over again."

"The burn?"

"...Yes."

No one said anything anymore. Too much has happened in a single day. Although the boy was quite curious about this certain howling ghost, he had a promise to keep. When he saw the girl making her exit through the upper stairs, he grabbed her hand. Vittoria looked at him with genuine surprise. She mouthed a quiet "what?".

"At least let me escort you back home. As a way of thanks." he said warmly, letting go of her hand. The teenage girl tilted her head to one side. "Please, Vittoria."

Pressing her lips together in deep thought, she bowed her head once again. "Why not?"

A satisfied grin graced his features. He immediately shifted to the girl's side. They began walking to the upper stairs of the workshop, then leapt outside of a window.

Romeo was hit with genuine surprise. He didn't expect that this uptight girl could've chosen a pretty dangerous way to her home. Surely it was shorter, but more threatening. She didn't seem too fazed about it though. To think about it, she wasn't even fazed about the puppet's odd behaviour. Maybe... just maybe, she might hold some secrets regarding his plans. One thing was certain: Vittoria caused him more than one surprise today. He was genuinely confused about her.

'Guess you can't judge a book by its cover' he amusedly thought.

As they jumped from one roof to another (in a short distance), they saw a two-storeyed house at the near distance. A wooden plank was connected to the roof which they were standing on. The home-made bridge led them to a balcony. A fireplace's gentle light leaked out to the streets. When he was about to ask a question, the girl nodded in his direction.

"This is my home." she said solemnly.

The home of the Durantes wasn't anything extravagant as Romeo expected it to be. A simple, two-storeyed home. Plainly speaking, it looked poorly compared to other apartments in that area.

"Thanks for escorting me. Can you find your way back to the Charity House though?" she continued, crossing her arms across her chest.

"But of course." he nodded in affirmation. His gaze softened before continued: "Are you gonna be okay?"

Vittoria blinked at him questioningly. "Yes? I always have been."

Romeo didn't say anything. Even when she pulled away from him to walk over the wooden plank, he watched her in silence. His thoughts were drifting between his friend, the frenzied puppet and this girl. A swirl of confusion and sudden helplessness reflected in his dark brown eyes. The girl noticed it too, as she looked back at him from the balcony. She smiled at him softly, waving in his direction. It was a way of reassurance, a small kind gesture from her part.

"Can we discuss something tomorrow?" The boy shouted after her. "It's about today's..."

"You know where I live. It's not like I have any choice." she replied half-jokingly. "Goodnight, Romeo."

He beamed a thankful smile at her. "Goodnight."

Even though it couldn't erase his doubts completely, it relieved him a little bit. Like a warm blanket, it covered him. He sighed after he said his farewells to the girl. When she disappeared from the balcony, Romeo turned his back on the Durante Household. Instead of his thoughts being looped back for his worrisome thoughts, a new feeling became dominant in his heart: righteous anger.

'Carlo, you fool.'

He made a silent vow to himself: tomorrow he will see this friend of his make an official apology to the younger Lady Durante.

The plot thickens. While I mentioned that there's no puppet frenzy due Geppetto's death, it's not the same for the petrification disease. What will it change though? Well, we'll find it out in time (with a lot of things)! L was mentioned in the game if you wear the Blueblood's tailcoat against the Survivor (who goes by the name Abel according to the game files), so there's that. There's a deep connection between him and Romeo, even though they could only talk with each other through messages for a long time. We'll see where their plotting is going to take them. I enjoyed writing Romeo's character overall. He has his own agendas/motives besides being Carlo's wingman. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and stay tuned for the next one! Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays!

#lies of p #lies of p fanfic #lies of p x oc #lies of p carlo #lies of p carlo x oc #lies of p carlo x reader #lies of p romeo #lies of p x reader #lies of p alidoro #lies of p survivor

3 notes · View notes

hopefulvittori · 5 months

Text

Birds of Prey (AU) - Chapter 2

Carlo/OC & Romeo (AU)

Reposting my novel from ao3. Enjoy!

──────────

Chapter 2: A falcon's despair

The girl has been sitting at the edge of her bed for almost an hour. She fought back some tears from dropping as she tried to calm herself by petting her cat. Pumpkin purred peacefully within the girl's arms. Although its hindleg was still hurting from the previous dangerous encounter, its main concern was to console her owner. It licked her hand as the orange cat heard her breath quietly hitching. Vittoria gave the pet a weak but fond smile as her appreciation.

Sadly, the tender moment between the girl and her cat was interrupted when an abrupt knocking was heard on her door. Without waiting for any answer, Marcello entered the room. The young adult looked at her sister with a faint smile. He wordlessly pointed at her bed, gaping a "may I?". Vittoria nodded and her brother sat down next to her. An uncomfortable silence lingered in the air. None of them had the mental capacity to start a conversation. Not after what happened earlier. How his wife's bewildered dogs chased Pumpkin through the house, injuring the poor cat's leg and ruining an old family painting in the process. They mostly held Pumpkin responsible for the cause of damage. The young girl tried to explain the dogs' bad temperament, but she was immediately silenced by the scornful gazes of the adults. Seeing that, she escaped with her cat into her bedroom, tending to its injury.

Yet, the older brother was there, trying to understand his little sister's opposing behaviour. He sighed deeply as his hand ran through his short raven black hair.

"Aria told me what happened." He started with a rough yet quiet voice.

Vittoria said nothing. She avoided his cerulean gaze as he tried to make her talk.

"Tori, you know why am I doing this, right?" He continued, placing one hand on her shoulder. She jumped a bit at the sudden touch. "Just bear it a little longer. As soon as my project is complete, we can finally be a fam..."

"...Don't lie to me." She interrupted him quietly, then flinched back from her brother's touch.

The man raised his eyebrows questioningly. "...Excuse me?"

As she put down Pumpkin from her lap, she took a keen breath. Feeling its owner's rising vexation, the cat quickly hid under the bed.

"Marc, what is a family to you? This?" She wrinkled her nose in disgust. "You're barely at home! And even when you're here, you spend more time with this... this wench."

Marcello's nostrils suddenly flared as he gazed at his younger sister.

"Watch your tongue, young lady." He hissed.

"Do you think mother or father would be happy seeing this...?" Vittoria looked at him with breath hitching. "What would the..."

He interrupted her with a booming voice: "They're gone, sister! If you really want to ask that question, ask that to yourself as well!"

Marcello looked down at her judgmentally. At that moment, he wasn't the brother of Vittoria. He was Marcello of the Durante family's next ambitious engineer. Not even his kin could question his decisions. Not the way he gazed at her.

"What would they think of you?" He asked monotonously.

"M-me?" She asked with hesitation. Though with a hitched breath, she standed up from her bed. With a straight-back manner, she stood her ground against the young adult. Then she looked into his brother's blue gaze and said: "I'm going to be a Stalker."

He furrowed his eyebrows in a belittling manner. "You? A Stalker?"

Vittoria blinked at him in surprise. "I don't see why I can't become one."

The brother suddenly fell silent. His eyes gazed onwards in an unpredictable way. He licked his dry lips as he avoided his sister's gape.

The girl tilted her head slightly to the left. "...Brother?"

Marcello closed his eyes, then shook his head vehemently.

"You know, Arianna was right, sister. You're living in a waking dream." He sighed deeply through his nose.

The teenage girl looked away from Marcello. Her lips quivered from the new pain she had felt in her heart. Her shoulders slumped in a defeated manner. She stepped backwards from her brother in both shame and disgust.

She should have realized this by now: this... this wasn't the Marcello she knew and loved so much.

"The dogs will stay, Vittoria. You must get rid of the cat. As soon as possible." He said with a finality as he abruptly left her room. He didn't even close the door behind him.

Vittoria looked after him achingly. And when he disappeared from her sight, she fell on her knees. Her heart broke in two from the sharp sting of the betrayal that his own brother committed.

By the next evening, she already asked the daughter of the head of the Monad Charity's house to look after her cat. She didn't have anyone to turn for help. If she could be honest to herself, she valued Lady Sophia more than her actual family. She called her "Matron" out of respect for her as a motherly figure.

She put Pumpkin into a large bag so she could move it as comfortably as possible. It was still injured, after all. As Vittoria was readying herself (and the cat) to the journey to the Charity House, she appeared before her. Arianna, wife of Durante Marcello, stood at the entrance door with a fake surprise written all over her face. The girl prepared herself with a long sigh then started moving towards the door.

"I'm leaving, Aria." The teen girl said monotonously.

"Oh, already?" Her sister-in-law asked in a faked flabbergasted tone.

Vittoria blinked in confusion, then nodded curtly. "Yes. You asked me to do this after all."

The brunette woman chuckled as she waved her hand in dismissal. As she got closer to her, she caressed the girl's long ashen brown hair.

"Silly girl, you could've just done it tomorrow."

She shook her head. "No. It will be easier for me if I do it today."

As soon as heard this, Arianna's hand movement stopped. The teen could've sworn that her hands were shaking for a moment. The woman sighed deeply as she kept embracing the teen. Vittoria looked onward with confusion, before she mumbled: "...Sorry."

"It's not like I can change your mind." The woman said quietly as she stepped back. She gave her a serene smile. "You are doing a big favour for me and your brother, Tori. I appreciate it."

The girl hummed in response as she picked up her bag. She took a look at her sister-in-law as she opened the entrance door. The woman crossed her arms and gave the girl a satisfied smile. She nodded as a goodbye before the teen closed the door behind her.

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"I..."

As she remembered the events of the past two days, Vittoria couldn't stop herself from shaking. Noticing her distress, the cat (quite literally) got out of its bag to cuddle to her leg as a way of comfort. Despite this small solace, the girl looked at Matron Sophia with a sad smile.

"I... I can't take it anymore, Matron. She always gets anything she wants. If not, she just tells everyone that I'm a lost cause." She said, rubbing her hands despairingly over her face. "I'm so tired of being her puppet.

She leaned onward, her face was still hidden in her hands. Seeing her distress, Sophia was already at her side. She gently pulled her into a warm embrace while the girl was still sitting. Vittoria almost immediately felt relaxed in her arms. She tiredly sighed as her hands encircled around Matron's waist. Despite this loving gesture, the youth was still struggling to calm her nerves.

"You have to be strong, my child. Even if you feel you are in the deepest depth of darkness, you have to find your spark in this life." Lady Sophia said warmly as she stroked the girl's back. "You don't have to be ashamed of who you truly are. After all, we are all struggling to find ourselves amidst these chaotic times." Sophia then looked beyond the door and gave a knowing look to Carlo.

The boy saw and heard everything. Luckily, Matron didn't blow his cover before Vittoria. While he felt gratitude, his heart was as empty as a shade. His legs buckled under himself, then he found himself sitting on the ground. With knitted eyebrows, he looked downwards with a hollow look in his amber eyes.

"I'm so tired of being her puppet."

A sense of familiarity rose within him. He knew all too well how people tried to take advantage of his ties to get closer to his father. Despite this, no one ever thanked him. No one ever appreciated him for who he was. No one ever loved him as Carlo. And now that Geppetto was gone, those people looked at him with scornful eyes. Such hypocrisy disgusted him to no end.

"We are all struggling to find ourselves amidst these chaotic times."

These words echoed within the boy's mind. Over and over again. Carlo felt sick when he remembered the awful things he did to the girl. He couldn't live with that indignity at that moment. He abruptly standed up and ran away from the utter shame he felt. The words he heard that night kept looping back in his mind. He tried to sleep that night, but he couldn't. Not the same way as before.

The next morning, he felt unwell due to the lack of sleep. During his daily sparring session with his classmates, some of the students noticed his lack of focus. Everyone at the House knew that despite his mischievous reputation, he was one of the strongest Stalker candidates. But on that day, he was an easy target for those who normally struggled against him. His movements were sluggish and weaker than before. Romeo, his only friend, also noticed this. At the end of the session, he tried to stop Carlo from challenging another student by grabbing him by the shoulder.

"You need to take a break, man. It's clear as day that you're not in peak form today." He said with a worried tone.

"Stop pestering me, I'm fine as a fiddle!" He snapped at Romeo, eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. He stubbornly flinched away from his friend as he grabbed his sword. As he walked towards his next opponent, the blond boy shook his head in disbelief.

"He's going to regret this so so much..." He muttered to himself.

Romeo wasn't far from the truth. The one whom Carlo challenged was Rocco, kindred of the infamous Black Rabbit Brotherhood. While he wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, his size compensated for his lack of brainpower. The twice as tall boy was eager to prove his strength against the mischievous boy.

It was a tedious fight to say the least. Although Rocco's swings were pretty calculable, Carlo has been struggling. The way he moved to dodge was tiredly slow. It was a wonder that he didn't get hit by Rocco's two handed sword. Romeo knew that if he were in his best form, he would've ended this charade in minutes. Yet here he was, flailing his weapon in a doggy-paddling manner. Even Carlo himself noticed this too. He grew frustrated quite fast, which was his first and last mistake during the sparring match. When the boy saw an opening, with a last act of irritation, he spent all of his remaining energy to kick his opponent in the crotch.

No hesitation.

When he saw Rocco's fist swinging towards him, he knew what was about to come. With a loud "twack", his face absorbed the impact of the powerful punch. He fell to the ground, drifting between consciousness and unconsciousnes. Although his vision was blurred, Carlo saw some students trying to hold back the agitated Rocco from doing more harm while Romeo tried to take him away. When his friend put an arm around the boy's shoulder to support him, he blacked out for a few minutes.

When he started to come around, the other youth had already dragged him away from the training ground. He groaned in discomfort as he tried to adjust his vision, looking for the form of his friend. The blond boy's face held urgency. Carlo knew that Romeo wanted to take him to a doctor. They were already inside the Charity House, walking through the familiar corridors to the sick-bay. As stubborn as he was, Carlo tried to struggle against Romeo's grasp, but the taller boy was stronger. Seeing the smaller youth's constant struggle, he suddenly dropped him to the ground. He yelped in surprise as he hit his back to the wooden floor.

"What was that for...?" The boy hissed, holding both of his swollen face and back in pain.

"I could've asked the same thing, Carlo." The blond boy said annoyed. "Could you elaborate what happened there?"

The boy averted his gaze in frustration. Romeo furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, then sighed a watery breath. He dropped on one knee as he reached out for his friend with one hand.

"You know we're friends, right? You can trust me." He assured him with a faint but gentle smile.

Seeing this as a sign of trust, Carlo huffed quietly before accepting Romeo's hand. After he got pulled up, he dusted himself. When he felt the other boy's questioning gaze on himself, he closed his eyes in a way of resignation.

"Romeo... I think I messed up."

"What do you mean?"

The mischievous boy was hesitant to speak. Instead, he took out the black pamphlet from his sleeve and showed it to Romeo. The taller boy looked at it in a questioning manner, then his gaze shifted to Carlo. The amber brows eyes held a swirl of guilt and confusion.

"What made you change your mind?" He asked quietly.

"I heard her talking with Miss Sophia." Carlo replied in the same way, while avoiding eye contact with his best friend. "About Vittoria's... family problems."

"Oh? You didn't know?" Romeo blinked at him in surprise.

The brown haired youth tilted his head in confusion. "Wait, what?"

"Everyone knows why she's been visiting the Charity House. That's why no one bothered her, except well... you, man."

While Romeo has been scratching his head in discomfort, Carlo glanced uncomfortably at the pamphlet. Did he really go out his way just to bully one girl for months? Everyone else knew about her situation, except him. This news didn't make him feel any better.

"Well, this is kinda awkward..." He mumbled.

"Awkward is an understatement, my friend." The blond youth agreed.

The smaller boy looked at his friend and abruptly held out the pamphlet to Romeo. "...I think you should give it back."

"W-what? Absolutely not!" He shook his head vehemently.

"Please."

"No."

"Please, Romeo."

"Still no."

"Please or I'm going to die from shame!" Carlo whined.

"Then at least you'll die like a man!" Romeo said fiercely. His gaze held righteous anger. The sudden change of tone made his friend recoil. "If you could've shown some concern to others, you wouldn't be in this situation in the first place!"

The brown haired youth tried to give his friend a fierce look, but only winced in pain. The bruise was already flaring in red on the left side of his cheek. Despite this, the cause of the whole problem hurt him and his pride even more.

Remembering Lady Sophia's words, he sighed in surrender then mumbled: "...Fine."

Romeo took a deep breath and gave him a self-satisfied smile. He nodded as he held out his hand once again as an offer of support. Carlo shook his head in refusal. Rolling his eyes in disbelief about his partner's stubbornness, the tall boy gave up. They kept going between shorter and longer corridors until they reached the sick-bay. When they stopped, Romeo tapped his friend's shoulder. Carlo looked at him in a questioning manner.

"Okay, how about this? While you're taking a visit to the medic, I'll ask around where she lives." The tall boy said, tilting his head to one side. "Then you can give back her belongings."

The mischievous youth huffed in response.

"You have a plan, don't you?" He asked quietly.

"I always have." Romeo nodded confidently. "And I know certain people who can help me... besides with something else." He added mysteriously.

Carlo blinked in surprise, then a faint half-smile spread across his face.

"You and your secrets, man." He said with amusement. The boy didn't pry any further with details. He wholly trusted this cool-headed yet passionate, theatrical friend of his.

As Romeo nodded and gaped a "see you later" to him, Carlo called after him: "Be careful."

The taller youth turned after him, grinning with opened arms.

"Hey, I'm always careful."

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Here we go: family drama. I always pondered about something regarding The Boys. Romeo didn't have any parents to begin with. Carlo had his dad (his mother implied to have died very early on), but he neglected his son due to work. He was sent to the orphanage by Geppetto. Rather than taking care of the last vestige of his deceased wife. Carlo's dad was there, but not there at the same time. I can't imagine which is more painful: having no family at all or seeing your parents but they can't take care of you due to some other obligations? But hey, at least Carlo didn't have to deal with a toxic family background since he was sent to a fairly caring orphanage. This is why it hits him hard when he realizes that he bullied an already abused Vittoria. Romeo tho? Since he didn't have a family at all, he can empathize with other people's problems much more easily. I enjoyed portraying him as an emotional bridge and a social glue between Carlo and Vittoria. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, stay tuned for the next one!

#lies of p #lies of p fanfic #lies of p x oc #lies of p carlo #lies of p carlo x oc #lies of p carlo x reader #lies of p romeo #lies of p alidoro #lies of p x reader

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