#ALSO LIES OF P GOT CATS

[captain-k8kat]

So far, I don't like lies of p as much as I like bloodborne, though that's not saying much because I love bloodborne more than any other game. Lies of P is still a really excellent game.

[queseraphita]

*sees the stargazer right next to the boss room knowing exactly who I'm up against* oh... how kind of them... :)

[tadc-harlequin-au]

God your designs are so fucking good bro, I'd love to know how the design process went

lmfao, I can give some insights

Caine's design was mostly an accident. In the scrapped initial intro animatic for this AU, he had a placeholder design until I could finalize him when I went to clean up the frames

which became this, then this, then...

He literally got designed as the animatic went on, the coat on shoulders was a subconscious approach because I blame One Piece for making me a coat-on-shoulders whore. His final coat design is mostly taken from my own oc lol

up to this point, I had no idea how he would've been colored until I did this shitpost

Pomni's is weird too

She was partially inspired by both the Circus breach crack idea, Pauline from my Unexpected Reunion AU, and Mystery!Pomni because I do love women (in suits)

so if Caine was designed overtime within an animatic, Pomni's design spanned fucking AUs-

Ragatha was literally just me thinking, "hm. what if. hear me out. maid. but tattered skirt cus puppet revolution time"

this is her VERY first appearance and it hasn't changed much since leave me alone let me enjoy women being gay

Now, Kingr is actually the closest ANY design in this AU would come to it's base inspiration Lies of P, because AUGH King of Puppets my beloved

He started as a boss design from the get go then reverse engineered to look more friendly, because by the time I was designing him, I was already incorporating the idea of Pomni having to fight bosses so she could free them from these insane forms of theirs

This idea was recycled from my other AU for fnaf btw, the Eternal Eclipse AU where Freddy has to free the other Glamrocks from their "Primal forms" by fighting them WITH THE POWER OF ROCK AND ROLLLLLLLLLL (which are GIGANTIC and INSANE, sound familiar yet?)

back to the rest, I actually didn't really know what I wanted for Jax, aside from a Cheshire Cat motif from Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland because love that mofo and Jax's constant smile reminds me of him

I guess that's why his initial design was so unnecessarily cluttered and so hard to draw, because all I knew was that I wanted it to be loose, flowy, bouncy and airy, like an actual cartoon. But, still respecting the laws of reality somewhat

and then I had to switch the outfit out, because at around this time, The Patriarch's design was finalized, and I didn't want people to start to think Jax was associated with him purely due to similar palettes. So I sneakily swapped it out with an explorer's outfit (since I was thinking of Jax as the team's scout), and tried to play it off as simply a "oh it was hard to draw"

He was even supposed to have goggles in the newer design, but I scrapped it because I'm repeating the same mistake of making him too cluttered again.

Z is a pretty straightforward one, although they diverged from the initial idea. My first thought was making them a brawler of sorts because they were initially going to be Pomni's training buddy, so I looked up "Victorian brawler" and yoinked the outfit I liked.

The concept of Z being the training dummy was then recycled to be Kingr's role instead because Kingr was more of a tank character than Z, and in turn, she became the weaponsmith

Each part of Z was also inspired by something that randomly came to mind when I was trying to wrack my brain with what parts should they have:

the hook peg is from Hiccup, the other peg is from A series of Unfortunate Events, the antler is a reference to Mystery!Zooble but combined with the Minecraft Warden's palette, spiked chokers were taken from my own sona's eel tongue. The flexible arms are very much Doc ock

Gangle... She was the hardest to design that my brain is blocking me from remembering the process because it was so traumatizing /j

I just know that like Caine, her design was also mostly an accident. Iirc, she wasn't meant to have cat ears/motif in the first place, but after I finished the mask with the <:3 face I went like "fuck it we ball" and went furry mode

I think she was also meant to have painted whiskers, and the only reason why she doesn't is I forgor 💀

There was no inspo for her outfit except maybe Disney Cinderella because I was only putting what worked and discarded what didn't (not recommended)

The double ribbon arms was literally just me thinking the ends are her little fingies, and her "feet" is just me wanting to make her ribbons look like a part of her dress and looking flowy because ew feet

anyways if you can't tell, there's a pattern here: recycle ideas, take inspo, look it up or fuck it we ball when all else fails lol

the lesson here is to not follow in my footsteps because I keep stepping on shit /lh

[hunterbunter3000]

Thinking about a fake dating scenario like say Sweets family is always bothering her about not dating anyone and she lies and says “actually I am seeing someone!” But then they ask to meet the person so now she has to find someone ti be her fake date. I would imagine the boys would be fighting each other for a chance to do that.

I know this is super random haha I’m just talking to talk at this point.

YES! AND RANDOM IS GOOD 👏👏 talk the talk and walk the walk babes! Any ideas you have SPEAK ON IT!!! 💓

But omg you're right, they would

Sweetheart walked in the living room, where the team was sitting on the couch drinking beers. She was talking on the phone as she walked past them to the kitchen, not even noticing the boys.

And she's talking to her mom about her love life. Saying "Yes ma! I will bring him this time!" And "You can tell Danni to shut the hell up cause he is real". And then she says love you and hangs up the phone.

Sweetheart, looking at everybody:

The boys looking at her:

Sweetheart: Okay who wants to be my boyfriend for the day

then they all say M E

And all hell breaks loose 💀💀

Soap: What tae FUCK do y'mean 'mE', Ghost?

Ghost: the fuck do YOU mean 'mEaH', Mactavish?

Soap: I SAID ME

Ghost: nah see-- you did it again. 'MeAh'. It's two letters.

Soap: AH WULL PUMPIN' BREAK YE YAH BRITISH CRUMPET

Sweetheart: uhm, guys?

Gaz: Bitch don't even try

Horangi: And why should I listen to you?

Gaz: You get a nose bleed everytime Sweets hugs you.

Horangi: WHAT?? HOW DO-- HOW CAN YOU EVEN SEE THAT I WEAR A MASK

Gaz: it drips under it, bruv. And I don't think her parents want to witness an extremely touched starved man get an aneurysm everytime their daughter touches him.

Sweetheart: GOOD LORD GAZ--

Horangi: OH YOU THINK YOU'RE SO MUCH BETTER? YOU CRY EVERYTIME SWEETHEART TELLS YOU A GOOD JOB

Gaz: YO I DO NOT-

Ghost: He cries when Capitan says it too.

Horangi: THAT TOO

Gaz: GHOST STAY THE FUCK OUT OF THIS

Price: You cry when I tell you good job?

Sweetheart, kinda touched but concerned: And you cry when I say it too?

Gaz: UHM- SIR I-- WELL SWEETS YOU-- FUCK

Krueger: Ignoring the emotionally unstable man--

Gaz: HEY

Krueger: You should take me, Kleine Göttin.

König: Don't, Sweets. You'll never return if you do

Krueger: König what the fuck

Krueger: You can't even talk your way into getting gas at a gas station, you think her parents want to see you freeze like a tortoise having sex when they talk to you?

König: AT LEAST I DONT SNIFF ANY SEATS SWEETHEART WAS IN

Krueger: THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS

König: IT HAS E V E R Y T H I N G TO DO WITH THIS

Sweetheart: Krueger-- YOU DO WHAT

Ghost: He also sniffs your hair

Sweetheart: You do that too, Ghost

Ghost, stares at Krueger: Not while you're sleeping.

Sweetheart: KRUEGER????

Krueger: GHOST SHUT THE FUCK U P

Alejandro: Please don't take Krueger, mama. He would end up in prison

Krueger: (angry German words)

Alejandro: You can take me! They'll love my charm.

Price: What, so you can flirt your way out of personal questions they'll most definitely ask you?

Ghost: Especially with that five-palm forehead you got

Alejandro: CÁLLATE LA BOCA DECORACIÓN DE HALLOWEEN

Rudy: Price, you have no say in this matter. You can practically be her father's golfing buddy.

Sweetheart: uhm, my dad doesn't golf--

Price: I'm 37 you fucking Muppet

Sweetheart: nevermind.

Rudy, surprised: Really?? Damn I didn't know that! You just looked like one of Super Mario's long lost cousins to me because of the janitor mustache you have on your old body

Price: Mother fucker--

Ghost: I don't think you would do well either when you look like a human gopher

Rudy: GHOST WHERE DO YOU KEEP COMING FROM

Alex: ROACH OW STOP HITTING MY FACE

Roach on Alex's shoulders:😠 pap-pap-pap-pap-pap-pap (like a fucking cat)

Sweetheart, rubbing her temples: Oh my fucking GOD- I'LL JUST CHOOSE MYSELF THIS IS TAKING TOO LONG AND GAZ LOOKS LIKE HES ABOUT TO CRY

Gaz, tearing up: I AM NOT

Soap: Me!

Horangi: It's me!

Graves, picking his nails:

Graves: It's probably not me.

Keegan: Uh... If it's no trouble, you can take me. I have to give your brother his game boy back anyway

Everyone looking at Keegan:

Soap: w u t

She takes Keegan.

(He honestly had a good time! Yes, he did start a fire with her siblings accidentally but other than that her parents loved him. Sweetheart sent pictures to everyone and omg they were so SALTY SAD AND JEALOUS. Ghost kinda smiled at a picture with Sweetheart and Keegan together, Keegan's face without the mask and grease paint wearing a nervous but kind smile. He looks happy. The others don't but they'll get over it someday💀💀)

[cheriladycl01]

My choice - Liam Lawson x BrazilianOlympicSkateBoarding! Reader

Plot: While Liam’s fixing his cars you are always found at the skatepark with your best friend Keegan, people online start to assume there’s a little more to that friendship than friends …

It was a normal Friday, and you were in Australia with Keegan. Liam was at the track for the Australian Grand Prix watching FP1 and you and Keegan had been invited by Quadrant.

You’d met through both winning Gold in 2021 at the Tokyo Olympics and had been friends ever since. When Keegan got the offer of Quadrant he said he’d only accept if they made you part of it too.

Lando and Max had in fact met you before Keegan asked for you to be part of the Quadrant Athletes having been to many F1 races with your boyfriend Liam since 2022.

You weren’t at the GP yet because you and Keegan were shooting stuff for Quadrant with Max and Ria. You and Keegan were always goofing around trying to be better than the other one or just making fun of one another.

Your relationship with Keegan was so pure. He was one of those people that you only met once in that lifeline and you hoped to meet again in another.

You knew Keegan before Liam, so naturally you guys had more inside jokes, more banter. Whereas your relationship with Liam was everything you looked for in a partner.

He took care of you, always made sure to know your worth, and eventually (when you agreed to come to races with him) showed you the world.

But some people saw you and Keegs and thought there was more to it than just friends. And it annoyed Liam more than anything.

Of course Liam didn’t care that you were friends with Keegan and he’d never ever try to come between that friendship because he wasn’t the first one there, Keegan was. But it irked him just how hard the media shipped you too.

It got to the point where he was hard-launching your relationship once a week, again and again even though it was out there that you were a couple and had been since 2022.

“Are we finally done! I need a shower now!” You complain having built up a sweat from all the fun things you’d filmed.

“Yea, all wrapped up!” Max smiles and you pull Keegan into an exhausted hug thankful that this part of the day was over. You really just wanted to go to the track now and be with Liam.

Little did you all know but Ria filmed the hug, posting it on her story and Quadrants story to let people know that you were completely done filming with the day.

“Thank god!” You groan, trotting off to the rental car Max had and jumping in the back. Keegan in tow behind you taking the seat next to you.

“So who wants to put money in a Max Verstappen win?” You ask on the drive back.

“Nah im putting money on my boy Lando!” Keegan smiles.

“I’m being realistic and I’ll join in an say Max. But Lan to get a podium!” Max chuckles from the drivers seat.

“Mmm yeah I’m gonna also put money on Max, but Ferrari are looking good” Ria expresses and you nod, knowing people were in fact slowly but surely catching up with Red Bull.

“Oh Max! Is P gonna be there! I haven’t seen her for ages!” You complain wanting to see his girlfriend.

“Yeah she’s at the hotel now, she had a bit of a headache this morning so she didn’t come!” He says looking at you through the rear view mirror to see you pout!

You guys venture back to the hotel, getting ready before all walking to the race track having a close hotel.

“Baby!” You cry running away from the group seeing Liam say outside the RB hospitality with Daniel and Yuki.

“Hey Y/N” he says his tone a little off.

“What’s the matter?” You ask frowning and pouting at him. He never acted like this.

“Nothing” he smiles and you look at Yuki and Daniel who are doing everything to avoid eye contact with you.

“Liam…” you say and he squirms a little bit because you never used his name at all. Even if it was a silly stupid nickname like Li, or Iams (like the cat food brand) to the usual pet names.

Daniel and Yuki slowly left not wanting to be around for the growing tension they could sense.

“What is going on? I’m sorry I wasn’t here this morning if that’s why your pissy but you knew I was filming with Keegan and Max!” you exclaim thinking it must be that you hadn’t been there when he first woke up.

“Mmmm you and Keegan have fun?” He asks forcing your best friends name out with an almost grit.

“I mean - yeah? No more than we usually do…” you offer looking at him.

“Why do you care so much about Keegan today. You never normally have an issue!” You ask with all seriousness, normally you’d laugh.

Liam gets out his phone with a groan showing you the video circling of your and Keegan from Quadrants post on Twitter, so many of the comments were shipping you guys.

“Baby … you know Keegan is my best friend … and there always coming up with new weird shit! You know there’s even fanfics of us now?” You laugh but he doesn’t seem amused.

“Are you being for fucking real right now Liam! It’s the media … they spin anything they fucking can. Do you not feel secure in this relationship? Do you not trust me?” You ask a disappointed look on your face. You genuinely couldn’t believe him right now.

“Honey, what? Of course I trust you! But it just hurts seeing that people think you’d be better off with some other guy than me” he huffs out.

“Liam, look at me!” You say holding his face in both your hands forcing him to look at you.

“I chose you, all those years ago and I’m choosing you today and I’ll choose you tomorrow! You Liam Lawson are the love of my life! And I won’t have you being a mopey little baby over the media and Keegan!” You say before pulling him into a kiss, you can feel him smiling into it making you pull back and look at the new and dare you ay improved expression on his face.

“I love you” he admits holding you tightly in a hug.

“I love you too, my jealous driver” you grin teasingly making him shake his head.

y/user

Liked by keeganpalmer and liamlawson30

y/user: Skateboarding with Bestie and Fast Cars with the LOML is my lifestyle 🇧🇷

Tagged 3 People

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fan1: her and keegan are cuties … look at that date on their boards 😻

-> fan2: shes dating Liam not Keegan 😦

liamlawson30: baby why’d you put Kitty Purry on the board?

-> y/user: coz she’s a CaliforniaGurl 😝🌸

-> liamlawson30: of course she is … you’re weird!

-> y/user: but you love me! ❤️

fan3: Y/N living her best life fr. Imagine having all her friends.

keeganpalmer: it’s always fun hanging with you, my bestie 🏎️���

-> y/user: love you bestie 🧡🦖

quadrant:🔥 post Y/N!

landonorris: you best be in Australia little miss!

-> y/user: Keegs an i will be there! In merch DW!

-> liamlawson30: erm I didn’t agree to this … RB merch only …

-> y/user: I’ll sneak in with it Lando!

maxfewtrell: Quadrant Athletes have brought us the best duos!

Instagram Story Caption

Keegs and I living it up at the Aussie Grand Prix 🏎️🦘🇦🇺 Thank you for the invite @ quadrant / @ landonorris

Taglist:

@littlesatanicassholebitch @hockey-racing-fubol @laura-naruto-fan1998 @22yuki @simxican @sinofwriting @lewisroscoelove @cmleitora @daemyratwst @lauralarsen @the-untamed-soul @thewulf @itsjustkhaos @purplephantomwolf @chasing-liberosis @summissss @gulphulp @starfusionsworld @jspitwall l @sierruhhhh @georgeparisole @youcannotcancelquidditch @tallbrownhairsarcastic @ourteenagetragedy @peachiicherries @formulas-bitch @cherry-piee @spilled-coffee-cup @mehrmonga @bigsimperika @blueberry64857959 @eiraethh @curseofhecate @alliwantisadonut @dark-night-sky-99 @i-wish-this-was-me @tallrock35 @butterfly-lover @barnestatic @landossainz @darleneslane @barcelonaloverf1life @r0nnsblog @ilove-tswizzle @laneyspaulding19 @malynn @viennakarma @landosgirlxoxo @marie0v @yourbane @teamnovalak @nikfigueiredo @fionaschicken @0picels0 @tinydeskwriter @ironmaiden1313 @splaterparty0-0 @formula1mount

[moistreicher]

Lies of P

Pinocchio own headcanons.

• I kind of imagine that P is a very curious puppet (like a player in game exploring) and he would always bring something back to the hotel Krat after mission and Gepetto would see his son piling up things on his table. A broken doll in a red dress. A small piece of screw that shines so brightly like it was newly made. A cowboy hat which Gepetto wonders where did he get it and small few jewels which resembles Gemini's color and his eyes. However, P has been collecting so many things and piling it up on Gepetto's table, forced the old man to get a chest for P to put his treasure (mostly junks) inside.

• P doesn't seem to talk in game but characters in game acts as if so I think, P doesn't usually talk. He only talks when spoken too like an actual puppet with corresponding lines but P can make his own replies and he chooses a word or sentence that would only be a brief response. Gemini once tried to make the boy talk more than he usually does by striking conversation and question but it seems like P got annoyed that he eventually ignored Gemini for the whole mission (still listening to Gemini at least)

• despite he had fought big monsters and big hostile machines, P is afraid of cats at first. When he was curious and tried to touch the feline, it launched its claws to his hand and hissed which caused him to startle. Confused and unable to comprehend what happened, it feared the small creature temporarily as Eugene showed him that cats aren't terrifying creature. Although sensitive, cats are surprisingly affectionate in their own way. But he wishes that the cats would at least trust him and let him touch their soft fur.

• P is fascinated by his own limbs. How it bends and straighten. How his arms are able to move in rotation motion and how his fingers folds in a curl. Gemini taught him how to make a heart but unable to understand as it is not the shape of a heart (he thought literal shape of a heart) and Gemini had to go through explaining him how it is a heart. Then Gepetto gave P a show where he'd use shadow of his hands to imitate the silhouettes of animals. P was amused.

• P purrs. Or so what it sounds like. His springs inside make a sound when he feels pleasant, comfortable at certain someone or simply enjoying the pat on the head from Gepetto. They thought that spring sound is only natural but they don't mostly hear it when P feels neutral till Sophia noticed how the springs started to shift inside him when Sophia and P sat down together to enjoy the rain at the garden.

"Oh my, you sound like you're purring, oh clever one" and then smiled. P doesn't know what it means but kept quiet as the spring sound continues. Sophia thinks that he must have gotten it from the cats as he observed them without touching.

As for P's situation, he does feel warm inside or what he would try to describe it as best as he can. He also feel a small vibration inside. Only vibration and nothing else that is worrying so he lets it without telling Gepetto or Eugene.

• Puppets don't need rest however, P started to like his leisure time. He have no mission? He would stay in Hotel Krat and sit down simply and enjoy the structure of the interior. He would explore the Hotel and look at the painting. Check some corridors he hadn't seen yet. He would also look at the cats. Sits in front of them and simply observe them with a small smile which Eugene found adorable feature from the puppet.

After a mission, he wouldn't go back to the Hotel Krat immediately. He will take his time to go back there. Walking in the alley, roadside, other paths and trying to picture the place before the puppet frenzy had happened. He would ask Gemini about the buildings and structures about what it used to be.

• Missions can get P really dirty. He don't sweat but the muds and dirty water can get to his boots, clothes and skin including his hair so whenever he gets back to the hotel Krat, he is adviced by Gemini to go straight to bath immediately.

P can also feel temperature and he likes the coldness of the clean water. He would always let the cold water run and get into the tub willingly. Gepetto had once reminded P not to use too cold water and don't stay too long there to protect his P-organs from freezing. But P can be act like a child still and insists on using even colder temperature to test how he can go on until it actually happens. Almost freezing his P-organs and thanks to Gemini to call out for Gepetto which saved P from freezing all over.

P got a lot of scolding from Gepetto and after that incident, Gepetto would check on him if his staying longer in bath and sometimes would come in and help P to wash his hair thoroughly from the dirt that is in blindspots.

[lilac-cat-draws]

Got around to making my own Lies of P oc since I've been spending my days going through my 4th play through

Anyways this is my stalker oc Lynx

Info under cut:

Lynx

Age: 25

Real Name: Oliver

Info:

Oliver aka Lynx, is a rogue stalker also trying to survive the events that occurred within Krat

Before all of this, Oliver used to be a well known stage actor back in Krat's prime years. He made a name for himself in Rosa Isabelle Street and had everything he could have ever wanted in life up until the petrification disease started to spread more into the city

Oliver unfortunately became one of the other victims to the disease forcing the actor to completely retire from the spotlight

He trained to become a stalker using the knowledge he had from sword training that was originally used for his performances and became Lynx

Lynx has a limited amount of time left and could be cut shorter once the puppet frenzy happened, so his only goal in this city is to find some cure for his disease and leave Krat for good

Other stuff I had in mind:

Lynx is another neutral ally to P

His personality is considered very jaded after the disaster and would still reminisce his glory days back at the opera house performing on the stage again

When Lynx took refuge in the hotel, thanks to the information from P, he prefers not to tell others in the hotel about him being infected except for P once he trust him enough

On first meeting, Lynx would refuse any sort of interaction, not even sparing a glance to others because ever since he got infected, he grew more distant and aloof

His symptoms are somewhat manageable during the events of the game but would have moments where he'd break out into sever coughing

If he were to have a side quest, I could imagine it would be something similar to the Black Cats situation where depending on the choice P makes it could decide his fate

[total-drama-brainrot]

i dont know whether youve established this or not but for ur p!noah au, what does phobia factor look like? (if he makes it that far)

I've got a few ideas for how Noah (both in general and in this AU) would behave in the Phobia Factor episode!

My first idea, which works better for a more canon-adjacent Noah, is to have him either genuinely fall asleep at the campfire or feign falling asleep at the campfire- so he doesn't have to divulge his "greatest fear" in front of the others.

Because Noah's a very private person; both his fellow competitors and the audience at large know very little about him, and those who try to are often met with his sour, prickly exterior. Why on Earth would he ever willingly share his greatest fear on international TV with a bunch of people he doesn't even like?

(And, as we saw in the Awake-a-thon episode, pretending to pass out is something Noah would and does do to get out of uncomfortable situations.)

Of course, that scenario could be ruined by having one of the mlre confrontational characters (like Heather) shake him awake to hear his answer. But, ideally, it'd end up being more of a Courtney situation, where he never does give an answer, but Chris finds something in the shows footage that indicates Noah has a fear of [insert phobia here].

Then there's the second scenario, where Noah just straight up lies about what he's scared of (and I'm surprised no one else did this canonically). Again, why would he tell people what he's actually scared of? So he picks one of the most common phobias and runs with it- something innocuous, like a fear of the dark, or claustrophobia. Or maybe he decides to be a smartass and chooses some obscure or 'ridiculous' phobia instead, like ailurophobia/cynophpbia (fear of cats/dogs), on the off-chance that they'll have to face them as part of a challenge.

In the case of p!Noah, I think he'd do something similar to the second scenario, but claim his 'biggest fear' is hemophobia (fear of blood)- a bold claim for someone's who's decidedly Not Afraid Of Blood, in fact he's quite fond of it. Of course, no one else has any way of knowing this, so it's accepted as truth.

As a side note here, I kind of touched upon this before but p!Noah doesn't really experience fear like others do- that's why he's so amused by other's fear responses, since he lacks one of his own. It's also why he's such a thrill-seeker, he gets all of the adrenaline and none of the actual fear.

And then the Phobia Factor challenge happens. Noah's tasked with submerging himself in a pool of blood, similar to Beth's pool of worms, to earn his team a point.

Noah's fine with this. (More than fine, really. Red is a pretty colour.) But he can't let the others know that, or he'd be caught out in his lie. But he also doesn't want to lose this challenge. So he gingerly climbs into the pool, doing his best to fake fear and revulsion to... mixed results. He doesn't understand things like fear, panic and terror at a personal level, so for the most part he just looks like a soggy unamused cat. Despite how much he really wants to splash about, or get lost in the sauce.

(Maybe the more switched on of his team mates pick up on the maddened glee in his eyes as he floats in a pool of blood, or his almost carefully crafted stoicism- a far cry from everyone else's screams of terror.)

He wins a point for the team, and that's that.

Remember, Noah's strategy here is to be as unremarkable as possible; he wouldn't go out of his way to draw attention to himself. Especially not when Izzy’s still around to cause chaos for him.

...That doesn't mean he won't later make a confessional, still dripping in 'blood', where he complains to the audience that Chris used the 'fake shit' for his challenge for the budgets sake. Noah can tell! He knows the feeling of being covered in real blood.

[the-words-we-sung]

The songs of Young Royals - S1 E1

So after a few re-watch I started noticing how well the songs are used in the show and I wanted to chat a little bit about it ^^ (Because I'm usually watching alone with my cat and he doesn't really care about my opinions on how awesome the show is at picking its songs :p So hopefully people here will be more interested!!)

Bad, Farveblind

I think it's wrong I think it's bad I think it's lame I think it's horrible The song starts when we see Wilhelm at the club where he gets in a fight and then we get the chorus through his earbuds in the car (note: I love it when a show put a music in the background that ends up being something a character is actually listening to in the scene!!). He just got out of a shitty situation which will have huge repercussions on his life and his mother is making decisions about his life without asking him: the show is not subtle about telling us how "wrong" and "bad" it is. And despite this lil' foreshadowing (the song plays before Minou tells Wille about his mother's decisions) and Wilhelm's strong opinion against them, it's still gonna happen. Going to a boarding school is "lame" (or so Wilhelm thinks) and the whole situation is "horrible". And yeah, it's gonna suck on a lot of points, but it's also gonna change his life...

Wannabee Ghetto, Fata Boom

... Keep up the front like it's your decision ... Look our best Covering up what we're missin It's literally what Wilhelm has to do now. His mother decided for him that he should change school and enroll at Hillerska, he is not happy about this plan but has to pretend he's okay with it. He just lied to the public that it was a decision he took part in. He is the prince, even if he's not (yet) the Crown Prince, and he has an image to maintain. An image that was damaged due to the video of the fight: someone is literally putting make up on him to "cover up" the marks of the fight so he can look his "best". And what is he missing? Well August will say it at least twice: he doesn't have the same drive as him or Erik. So he's missing the desire to be on top, to be king, to keep the status quo...

It takes a fool to remain sane, The Ark

... Wasn't life supposed to be more than this ... Let go off my hand and it will slip on the sand If you don't give me the chance To break down the walls of attitude I ask nothing of you, not even your gratitude 'Cause it takes a fool to remain sane ... Of becoming like the others Who become unhappy mothers And fathers of unhappy kids This song!! Such a great choice for their first song <3 Wilhelm being so incredibly unhappy and stuck because "being a prince is a privilege, not a punishment" but he wants more for his life. It is supposed to be "more than this", more than pressure and appearance. The song going on with the "unhappy mothers / unhappy kids" while we follow Erik and Wilhelm stiffly posing for pictures outside. How can Wilhelm not be scared? Is it the life that awaits him? Always keeping a nice front, not being himself?And why is that? 'Cause they've forgotten how to play But Erik and Wilhelm haven't forgotten yet!! Right after these lyrics we have a playful Erik who suggests they take off in the middle of the photo-shoot! And they do!! So there's hope for them!!

I see you, Nadia Tehran

Back to their bases Covering their faces Tones through the breeze yeah The power calls crises Round my crowd No cops allowed Interestingly the song starts with "you ain't welcome here, you don't look like us". This part is not in the show but works so well for Wilhelm starting at Hillerska. He's getting hazed by his peers "covering their faces" and being really rough with him (this hazing is so yucky, I struggle watching it every time ^^'), and he's welcome here because he's the prince, because he's supposed to be part of their world. But he's not gonna be like them. Do they know it already? "You don't look like us", and thanks god for that!! (And yup, "no cops allowed", right August? You can do whatever you want here without any consequences...)

Blah blah blah, Armin van Buuren

All we ever hear from you is blah blah blah So all we ever do is go ja ja ja And we don't even care about what they say The song plays while August is talking to Wilhelm about being among his peers and criticizing him for wanting to be "normal" at his previous school. I love that this song is playing because, yes, it's a good party song, but also, it's probably what everyone watching the show is thinking when August is being an insufferable prick like that! And Wilhelm too, who just usually goes "ja ja ja / yes yes yes" to what August tells him (until he stops and finally goes openly against him, but for now in the show, he just listens and nods). Erik told him he should listen and trust August, so he listens to him. But at this moment Simon appears, and suddenly Wilhelm "don't even care about what they say" because the cute boy he already has a big crush on just arrived. And August and his stupid speeches about rich people being above everyone else don't matter anymore.

[writingescapades]

Walkie-Talkies

Lies of P Modern AU

Continuation of Lift Friends. Please read for this to make sense.

His father was visiting again, and by the noise, it was clear that the family was once again in a state of tension. Standing in your balcony, you could hear angry muffles. It was not the father, Geppetto. No, from what you heard and experienced, that man was not one to easily loose his temper. Though you never met her in person, somehow you knew the voice belonged to Eugenie, P’s younger sister. You remembered the face from the numerous photo frames that hung around the house. That’s right, you accepted the offer for tea and found yourself in a large house cramped with warmth and stuff, so much stuff. Tea and biscuits were served atop a book-ridden table. Practice dummies replaced sculptures. Machinery littered the floors. The walls were chock-full of art, diagrams, to-do lists, and photos. A random grand piano rested in the living room, and somewhere you spotted a cat slinking about. Nothing in the house was devoid of personality. Most nights, you could hear piano, tinkering, mewls, and laughter ricocheting out of the apartment up to your balcony. But tonight, you just heard silence and anger.

“That family’s got a lot of trouble,” you neighbour Lorenzini Venigni said as he looked down his balcony. He then stood up, sighed, and turned to you.

“Don’t judge them too harshly, they’ve been through a lot”

“Oh, I wasn’t,” you trailed off, not sure what you wanted to say. What could you say? It was technically none of your business.

“I hope their neighbours won’t complain,” you murmured.

“Oh no one will complain in this complex,” Lorenzini said with confidence.

At your quizzical gaze, he explained, “That family owns a lot, including this complex”. He laughed. “Practically everyone here works for them or is somehow connected to them, even if they don’t want to be”.

Then he turned to you, thoughtful. “Except you, that is”.

“You seem to know them well”.

Lorenzini shrugged and spoke noncommittally. “Friend of a friend. That sort of thing, you know? Business alloys”. He chuckled at his own joke, then continued in a somber tone. “They are good people. Especially the boy. Remember that”.

…

Stupid Lorenzini with his stupid comment. It’s not that you disbelieved him. No, far from it. You saw from your lift conversations that P and Sophia were drained from their father’s visit, and you felt useless because you felt their wall. It wasn’t your business. Just be patient. Just do nothing. It drove you mad. So here you stood on your balcony with a fake potted plant. The pot was hollow inside. You just hoped P would be smart enough to open the pot. It was a stupid idea, but you didn’t know what else to do. You never asked for their number. Never though you’d need it until this moment.

Down the plant went until it hung within height reach. When you met P the next day, you would tell him to go to the balcony.

Day 1:

You pulled up the pot and underneath the fake plant you found the empty sweets and chip bags, along with a note. It only had a smiley face on it. You stuck it onto your fridge.

Day 2:

Another empty pot and this time, along with the smiley face, you received a note. Sorry for Gepootto. Though you never saw P’s handwriting, something told you your communication scheme was busted by Eugenie. There was also the doodle of a dancing mannequin.

Day 3:

With now two people to console, you got a bigger pot and hung their tidbits of thanks upon your fridge.

Day 6:

A new note joined the duo. Most appreciated ___.

Day 7:

You got a bigger pot.

Day 10:

A small note with a cat paw print joined the trio. Spring says Hi!

Day 11:

You got a bucket. By this point you were delivering nightly grocery goodies, and to avoid alerting Geppetto, the siblings would take turns going to the balcony, quietly gathering everyone’s items and storing it away for later. In return, they filled the bucket with numerous treasures. Notes of thanks. Doodles. Books. Questions. Paragraph answers to questions you sent each other. Paper games, and whatever else that hands could quickly grab.

There was a relish in disobeying their father. More importantly, there was affection. The house had grown cold with their father’s arrival. They no longer dwelled in their home, laughing and sharing tea over books while music played through open windows. Now everyone shut themselves into their rooms and only came out for work. Even Spring holed up with Eugenie. Meals were scarcely shared. Only if Geppetto requested it would a meal be made, and even then, there was a specified meal and set time to eat. Life became routine, and the bucket felt like the last haven. A storage spot for their rebellion.

Day 17:

As you were dropping the bucket down for the night, you heard loud shouts. They were getting closer to the balcony. You hesitated and stopped dropping the bucket.

“You cannot take her!” Eugenie’s cry came loud through the balcony.

You briefly glimpsed the girl before she ran back in, Spring tightly wrapped in her arms.

“That cat is a distraction. I will not have it ruin your studies. Obey your father and hand her over. You clearly cannot handle the responsibility”.

Geppetto’s cold voice crawled up the balcony and your arm shook, remembering the cold eyes and callus remark he threw at you. Inadequate. The bucket rattled against the brick wall.

“Easy there,” a familiar voice called out. “Don’t want to alert the old man to your heist”.

Lorenzini stepped out onto his balcony, phone in hand. He was focused on texting someone, but he glanced up with a conspiratorial smile.  Your neighbour asked you to wait a moment, that things would calm down and it would be safe to lower the bucket again. You appreciated his support, but you would have waited all night for P and his siblings to receive their bucket. Time passed, and while you heard a door being shut, nothing could stop both you and Lorenzini from hearing Eugenie’s sobs. Soon a familiar face appeared at the balcony. P stood against the edge, peering up to your floor. Spring was in his hand.

Instinctively, you understood what he wanted and dumped the contents of the bucket out. Lowering the bucket, you waited for P to place Spring into the bucket before gently pulling it back up, watching as P’s hands lingered on the bucket. His face never stopped looking up at yours.

Day 19:

You cursed yourself at the mistake you made. Noticing P, alone, at the lift, you couldn’t help but murmur that everything was okay, hoping he’d get the hint. But P wasn’t alone.

“Oh, it’s you again,” Geppetto’s voice came, jolting you away from P. “Really now, I thought I told you to stay away from my family.

P, who was looking down, now turned towards you, confused.

The lift doors opened and Geppetto prodded P forward. He then stopped at the doors, baring you from entering with his arm.

You took the stairs.

Day 20:

The bucket was cut from the string. Three siblings stood around the bucket. Their father stood near the bucket’s hiding spot with scissors in his hand. He was looking up, at you.

“Despite my warning, you continue to spread your vagrant behaviour on my children”. His eyes narrowed, as if recalling something. “You leave me with no choice. I shall have to take drastic actions”.

Protests came from Eugenie and Sophia. P’s hands were clenched, but he looked down at the floor.

“I presume my rebellious daughter here has managed to squirrel away her cat to you. It is not yours. I paid for it”.

“She was a stray,” Eugenie spat.

“And who paid the vet bills and made sure she had food?”

Anger flashed through Eugenie. Once, she adored her father. Looked up to him and aspired to become a great engineer like him. Over time, she realized how little her dreams meant to him, and the image crumpled. Suddenly her every achievement became transactions. Food and lodging for academic merit and achievements. Spring was the only anomaly, for the cat loved, and loved unconditionally. That’s why she left, only to realize her siblings were equally chained to their father.

Geppetto stared at his three children. They would have to face repercussions for such disobedience. He looked back at you and an idea formed.

“This apartment complex falls under my company. I can evict those I do not consider good prospects. You,” he said point with his scissors, “are inadequate”.

P’s face snapped to his father’s face, and for the first time in a long time, Sophia saw genuine anger in her brother’s eyes. Their father had missed the gaze, but Sophia remembered the events all too well.

Ah. What a time for you to wake up, Pinocchio.

Day 21:

Loud shouts were heard today. You hear genuine anger in Geppetto’s voice. In fear of what might happen to Spring, you sent her over to Lorenzini. Now even if Geppetto shoved you out, you knew the cat would be safe.

A sharp knock came at your door.

You exhaled, straightened your posture, and confidentially opened the door.

Blue eyes and chestnut hair greeted you.

“Can I stay over?” P signed.

Would you let him?

[fantasies-fairytales-n-fics]

Code Blue Ch. 50 - Red Dawn

Summary: A tense car ride is full of twists and turns. Josie gets an upsetting message. Craig softens and he and Jo seem to bond as they share another long talk. A phone call leaves Jo with more questions than answers.

*Chapter Warnings* language, angst, anxiety, drinking,

Chapter characters: Luke, Josie, Craig, Lee

Chapter word count: 7,953

Stories Stories Stories Masterlist:

Salem, Massachusetts

March 22, 2022

The tedious drive back to Salem seemed like an eternity and it was deafly quiet, except for the cat-like purr of Luke's Charger. As soothing as the subtle sound was, it still couldn't calm the seething tension between you and the law abiding bad boy that consistently chewed on his thumb nail, for it was much too close for comfort in the compacted side by side space.

But as the cruising car entered Essex county, your focus then went to the mile long monster that lied up ahead. The Salem Harbor Bay bridge that you had recently drove over with Orlando with no choice, for time had been of the essence to get to Dave and this time, your reaction was not much different as your anxiety began to rise, but at least that time, you were in the driver seat. You had control and had someone with you that you trusted and felt safe with and that got you through it. Now, you were literally bound by your wrists and at the mercy of a man who's personality was all over the place. Hot, cold, gentle, savage. It was mood swing madness and you had been stupid enough to wake the lion.

The no speaking agreement was now over for you as you became desperate. "Can you please go another way?"

Luke's tone was cold and his words were straight to the point. "Nope. Freeway. Nowhere to turn around. This way is faster. The sooner I get you out of my car and my sight, the better."

You supposed you couldn't blame his anger after shoving him like you did. You were angry with yourself too, for look where it had landed you. In cuffs and facing prison time for assaulting a cop. Jesus, how were you going to get out of this one? You hated to admit it but Luke was probably right. Gerry couldn't do anything for you. Not without jeopardizing his job and his morals, but...it didn't mean he wouldn't try and you had to hold out hope for that, for if anyone could find some loophole to free you, it was your ex-fiance. You also knew that his guilt over his drunken one-nighter with your sister would give him the extra incentive, not to mention, he still loved you and now you were the one who felt guilty for even thinking of using that against him. BUT, you had the same issue you recently had with Dave. Gerry was M.I.A. and now with that added onto the Brobdingnagian bridge rapidly approaching, your nerves might just send you into a code blue.

Seconds before the wheels thumped over the divide from stable ground to an abyss of lung filling liquid, Luke couldn't help but notice your fear through his random side eyed glances at you as your body stiffened up, your breathing ceased and your eyes clenched shut. He pretended not to notice as he stared straight ahead and tried not to care but deep below the hardened shell of a man, the Grinch's small heart grew 3 sizes that day.

"What's going on Jo?"

"Just shut up and drive. Faster would be great." you muttered, eyes still closed.

"Can't. There's a truck in front of me and I can't pass. Double lines."

Your left eye peeked at Luke. "Oh my god mister holier than thou. Trying to make up for the shitty things you've done by being a model citizen now? What happened to the skillful driver who perfectly whipped my Monte Carlo around every turn in town like he was Luke Duke in the General Lee trying to outrun Rosco P. Coltrane?'

"But Bo always drove the majority of the time."

"Yeah I know that! I just thought it was more fitting to say Luke since that's your name and your hair is dark like his."

"True I suppose. I didn't care for Bo anyways. I don't like blonde hair."

There was silence as both of your eyes were now open and glaring at him as he stared straight ahead with that curled smug smirk of his.

You then raised a smart ass brow. "So that's why you cuffed and stuffed me."

Luke's eyes swung right over to yours and now you were giving the smug smirk.

"I cuffed you because that blonde hair of yours caused you to do something extremely stupid. Now, I thought we weren't talking?"

Your lips pursed and your eyes slitted. "We're NOT! So just hurry up and get us over this bridge already."

"We've been over it for the past 30 seconds."

"What?"

You straightened up in your seat and looked around to see that you were now on a rural road surrounded by forestry.

"Hmmph." you marveled as you burrowed back into your heated leather seat. "Guess I was distracted."

Luke grinned as he glanced at you. "Exactly. It usually does the trick."

"Wait, so...you only engaged in conversation with me to distract me from my fear??"

"Yep and it worked like a charm. Guess I' m not such a bad guy after all."

"Says you."

His eyes snapped to you as he grimaced. "Why do you hate me so much?"

"Is that supposed to be a rhetorical question??? Can you please just STOP talking now??"

"Whatever." he mumbled and sped up.

Not even a minute passed and Luke was speaking again. "So...you're afraid of bridges huh? Why's that?"

Rolling your eyes, you sighed and continued to gaze out the window as you reluctantly replied.

"I'm not afraid of bridges. I'm afraid of heights. There's a difference."

"So, more so, you're afraid of falling really."

"Well duhhhh...and falling into what lies beneath it. All the weight of that water, just pulling me down further and further into it's ice cold depths where there's nothing but darkness and it fills my lungs as my panic forces me to suck it in, trying to breathe."

"Or...you could always swim."

Your eyes lowered as you became quiet and began fidgeting with your fingers.

As Luke looked at you, awaiting your usual mordant riposte, he quickly realized why you hadn't.

"You...you can't swim?"

"Does this even matter? Why can't you just leave me alone and quietly revel in my misery? I got my just deserves. But hey, if you do happen to find a heartbeat under that cold and austere armor, could you not mention this to my mother for the time being? This is the last thing she needs right now."

You wriggled your hips in the skintight seatbelt so you could turn towards the window to hide the oncoming tears of shame and once Luke couldn't see you, they poured out of your eyes like a waterfall. What you didn't consider was that he could see your emotional reflection in the glass as you silently sobbed.

5 minutes of faint intermittent whimpers and sniffles were unwillingly heard loud and clear by Luke. As he came to a stop at a red light, he looked over at you and that's when his own anxiety got the better of him.

Seeing you all vulnerable and huddled against the door like a child sent a stinging twinge of empathy through his heart and made him question if what he was doing was right, even if you did break the law, for he had goaded you and not only that, your anger was justified about Lee. He wasn't going to tell you that though or the fact that he spent many nights weeping and beating himself up over what happened between him and his once upon a time good friend. It was extremely hard for him to speak about just as it was for Lee, for Luke knew it was all of his own fault by intentionally knocking over the first domino, he just never knew the chain of events would lead up to what it did. What he did know is that someday, you would know the ugly truth.

As Luke neared the road that led straight into downtown Salem, the guilt trip he was on forced him to abruptly stop and turn around.

As he pulled to the side of the road and parked, you were already sitting straight up with wet and wildly confused eyes.

"What are you doing? The police station is the other way?"

"I'm not going there. Give me your hands."

"What??"

"Jo, just give me your hands before I change my mind."

As you slowly and unsurely swayed your hands in his direction, he grabbed them, startling you as he vigorously unlocked the cuffs, then yanked your seatbelt off.

"There. Go on. Get out of here."

You sat speechless for a moment, staring at him as he stared out of his window, chewing his thumb nail once again.

"You...you're letting me go...just like that??"

"Did I not just take the cuffs off and tell you to go?"

"Ok but...here? You want me to walk? It's at least another mile to get back to my apartment."

"Can't you just thank me and get out?"

"Why won't you look at me and WHY are you doing this?"

"God damn it." he grumbled and side eyed you. "Why are you such a pain in the ass??!! Just fucking go!"

"Not until you tell me why you changed your mind and are freeing me into the wild like some caged bird??!!"

His palms slapped over his face and then he roughly dragged them down as he groaned in frustration.

"If I tell you, will you fly away???"

"Depends on what the answer is."

"Holy fucking hel..." he began as his fuming eyes met yours, but abruptly paused when he saw the remnants of your tears, then popped the glove box open, ripped a tissue out and held it in front of you as he continued, refusing to look at you once again.

"It's what you said about your mum. You're right. She don't need this. I spoke with her briefly last night and she was quite distraught about Megan so, I just feel with all her grief over one daughter, she don't need the added stress from another."

"So you're telling me you're doing this for my mom??"

"You sound like that's incredibly hard to believe."

"I don't know what to believe from you anymore Luke. One minute, you're this sweet and caring man that seems to have a heart, like the one who once came to my mom's house and comforted me through an anxiety attack and even defended me against my sister and stopped me from strangling her, WHICH ironically I was doing for you with Landy only 24 hours prior when you morphed into robot Arnie the freaking terminator...and the next minute, you're back to being human again, helping me back there on the bridge and now you're claiming to let me go out of sympathy for my mom."

You sat back in a huff, realizing that Lee was behaving the exact same way and you were at a crossroads, literally, on what to do anymore about either of these messed up men.

Luke sighed and softened up a bit. "Look Jo. I don't know what else to say. I pushed you over the edge, waving a red flag at you. If I hadn't done that, I don't think we would be sitting here right now."

And so you softened up a bit too. "Yeah well, I pretty much came at you sideways and got you all riled up."

Luke chuckled and shook his head, then looked right at you with a disbelieving smile.

"What?" you asked, returning a half smile as your eyes curiously tried to figure him out.

"You. You're so afraid of all these things that are bigger than you and here I am, at least 3 times your size, yet you weren't afraid to shove me on my ass. I'm not sure what shocks me more. The fact that you did it or the fact that you were even able to do it. I admire that fire in you Jo. Don't ever let anyone try to put it out. With that said though, use that fire on those other than authority. If it were anyone other than myself or Gerry, you'd be at the station right now being booked as we speak."

You gasped. "Oh god, speaking of, I better call Dave and tell him because I guarantee he's already on his way to bail me out and you'll be busted. I mean, it's the least I can do so you don't lose your job over me."

Luke sat quietly stunned as you made the call, telling Dave to turn around and asking him to keep what he knew under wraps.

"There. He won't say anything. I really hope you are going to lay off of him now."

"As long as these ferry tickets he gave me and the ferryman's words all coincide, he should be good. Thank you Jo and... for the record, I wouldn't have just left you out here. I would have let you sweat for about 5 minutes and then came back." Luke teased with the usual curled grin, then put the car in drive.

Your riposte came out of left field and definitely struck a nerve. "Thanks for sparing me from being another victim of love em and leave em Luke."

Luke gritted his teeth, appalled by knowing that either Orlando or Lee had told you about his notorious moniker of his younger days that he had long forgotten about and wanted to keep it that way.

"This joy ride is over. It's time for you to go home and...about Lee. Just stop asking me. It's his story to tell. Put your seatbelt on."

"It's not just his story when you're involved."

"Wasting...your...breath." he firmly certified and slid a cd in, hoping to shut you up.

You buckled your belt then crossed your arms and scoffed as you sank back into the seat. When a song came on, Luke cranked it up and began mumbling the words as he tapped his fingers upon the wheel and both the singing and the choice of music had your eyes gaping at him with an severely raised brow.

"There'll be no strings to bind your hands..." he began and then snickered as he glanced at you. "How fitting eh?"

"Seriously? You have a Juice Newton cd? Why am I not all that surprised."

"You're mocking me when you clearly know who she is?"

"Nope. Not at all. It's just that the night you drove my car, your choice of music was quite different and frankly much better."

"Oh, you mean Radar Love. Yeah well it was fitting for the occasion just like this one because now here we are with you, a cheery oh angel of the morning." he razzed and then beamed a snarky smile full of teeth.

Shaking your head, you heavily sighed and looked away, trying to ignore the overgrown infant beside you, but that quickly became impossible when he began crooning out the chorus, which you knew was solely just to annoy you.

"JUST CALL ME ANGEL OF THE MORNING BABY! JUST TOUCH MY CHEEK BEFORE YOU LEAVE ME BABY! Then slowly turn away...from meeeee."

"Whad'ya think? Next American Idol winner?" he gloated and howled on with his karaoke session, which if you were to be honest, Luke had a damn good set of pipes but you wouldn't dare tell him that because then he would certainly never shut up.

"Goblin king, take this baby away from me!" you irrationally jeered, then flung your head back against the seat and closed your eyes to try and zone him out, hoping he would take the hint to leave you alone, but you should have known better than that.

Luke's speedy riposte was a breath stealing punch to the gut and you had pretty much had set yourself up for it.

"Oooo ouch. That's rich coming from you. You know Jo, you should really be careful what you wish for since children seem to go missing when you're around."

Just as your eyes snapped open from the sting of his tongue, Luke was pulling up in front of your apartment and low and behold, Craig was outside speaking with what appeared to be a gardener.

"What a coinkydink. Daddy dearest in the flesh. So, does he know that Blaise was right within his reach that night and you knew and didn't...."

"He knows alright! I..I told him yesterday and now, I guess I'll be moving back in with my mom."

"Oh? Why not move in with Lee? You're basically at his place and up his arse all the time anyways aren't you?"

"Now you're the one wasting their breath. We're done here Luke. And if I were you, I'd get out of here before Craig sees you. Besides me, you're not exactly his favorite person."

"Not worried in the least."

As you opened the door, Luke touched your shoulder. "Hey Jo."

"What now??"

"Just be careful around him ok? You're probably better off to get away from him."

"And that's rich coming from YOU." you argued and got out.

Before you could close the door, Luke had more to say.

"Oh and Jo."

"Oh my god, what Luke??"

"Don't let the door hit you in that cute ass."

You shot a death glare at the derogative detective, then slammed the door and heard the blacked out window roll down.

With an arrogant wink, Luke put on a pair of mirrored sunglasses and attempted his best terminator voice. "I'll be bock."

Your eyes rolled so hard, it made you dizzy. "Ughhhh!"

As you stormed off, he revved the engine and sped off which then alerted Craig to your arrival. The last thing you wanted was another confrontation, especially with your rightfully pissed and soon to be ex-landlord, so you kept your head down and moved quickly, feeling his eyes upon you the entire time as you trekked up the sidewalk and into the building, but he never said a word.

You were now safe inside your apartment, all alone to finally gather and process all of your scattered thoughts, but first, you needed to call your mom and see how Megan was.

Slipping off your coat, you let it fall to the floor and went straight to the fridge for some wine, not caring that it was only 10 in the morning, the same time Craig had been drinking yesterday that you hypocritically gave him a lecture about. As you sat down on your bed with your full glass and turned your phone screen on, there was a text from Lee.

When you opened it and read his woeful words, your heart dropped down to your stomach as if you were falling.

Lee always expressed himself with such endearing words from his heart, but sometimes, he let poetry and music speak for him and this time, it was lyrics from a song you knew.

"I had all and then most of you, some and now none of you. Take me back to the night we met. I don't know what I'm supposed to do haunted by the ghost of you. Take me back to the night we met when the night was full of terrors and your eyes were filled with tears. When you had not touched me yet. Take me back to the night we met and then I can tell myself what the hell I'm supposed to do. And then I can tell myself not to ride along with you."

Your heart began to pound, for Lee was basically telling you he wished he could go back to that day in the hospital and never visit your room and that meant you never would have found his bracelet under your bed and took it to his house where your love story all began. You knew he wasn't trying to hurt you. He was just being honest about how he was feeling, but it still hurt. It hurt immensely.

You didn't reply. You didn't even know what to say to that, so you just picked up your wine and let the entire contents of the glass roll down your throat as you fought back the burning tears.

Desperately trying to distract yourself, you called your mom. She told you Megan was doing well but was still too groggy to speak. She also told you that she saw Lee that morning when she came down for coffee. He was on the phone with someone, seemingly upset, so she respectfully kept her distance but she couldn't help overhearing his scolding tone to the unlucky recipient. He spoke about his father's one month of passing and that he was going to his grave to pay his respects after attending the evening mass and told the other person that they should be going too, then Lee abruptly hung up and stormed out. You knew instantly it had to be Gordon and had something to do with the farm dispute between the two bitter brothers.

You told your mom you would be there later to sit with Megan so she could go home, eat and shower. When you hung up, you then nervously wondered if you should still go to the cemetery too, like you and Lee had planned, for if you saw him, you might not be able to walk away again.

Undecided, you got up to begin packing up some things since Craig had given you till the end of the month to move out and that was now only 7 days away. Luke's words haunted you about moving in with Lee as you sorted through your clothes. Yes, you were there all the time and everything was perfect in that area. You were so happy there with him. You would have been happy anywhere with him because Lee was home to you.

Your distraction tactic of keeping busy was failing miserably and it was quickly blown to bits when you were going through clothes you hadn't laundered yet and found a shirt of Lee's that you wore home a few mornings ago. And if that wasn't gut wrenching enough, it was still saturated in his Drakkar cologne and all you could do was scrunch it up against your nose and inhale his intoxicating essence as you laid down and cried your exhausted eyes to sleep.

Meanwhile, Craig was on his way up to your apartment to give you back your deposit and as he approached your door, he raised his hand to knock, but humbly lowered it when he could hear your muffled laments from within. Whatever you were going through, he felt that he should not add to it and it aggravated him that he even cared. Was any of it due to how he had treated you?, for he just witnessed you had rushed to avoid him at all costs or was it because of the depraved detective he had come to despise?, solely because he was Ethan's brother. Craig's street smarts told him Luke was still a red flag, no matter what surname he took on to disassociate himself with the flyblown Bloom blood and if Luke became a threat to you as Ethan had, he would handle him too. Regardless of what was ailing you, Craig decided to leave you alone for the time being and slipped the check under the door, then left, feeling rather disheartened over making you leave.

3 hours later.

You awoke in the same position that you fell asleep in, still tightly clutching Lee's shirt against you and now, not only did his sweet succulent scent seep from your pores, it was also imbedded in your purple satin sheets. You had to get rid of it. ASAP.

The bed was torn apart as you ripped the sheets from it and threw them in the basket along with the perpetrator, Lee's guilty shirt and then headed to the door to take them all down to the laundry room which is when you discovered the check laying on the floor.

Upon picking it up, the amount floored you, for it was hundreds more than what you had given Craig and attached on the back was a sticky note, scribbled in red ink with incredibly perfect penmanship for a man.

Craig certainly seemed to be on the wealthy side but this was too much and was clearly not about your clothes. It was his guilt over kicking you out and you weren't about to accept a payoff apology, especially when he didn't even have anything to be sorry about. You were the reason his 4 year old daughter was missing, even when you weren't the one who snatched her.

Exasperated over that and everything else, you hurried downstairs and packed the washer full of clothes along with an undetermined amount of soap while sobbing the entire time, then went back up to cry some more in the shower, a shower that was cut short by a burst of water as cold as the Atlantic and rust as red as blood....just like what happened to Dave. AND...you had the same reaction as he did.

Gasping and frantically rubbing your eyes, you huddled in the corner waiting for your sight and the water to clear. What was happening?? You did not believe that to be a coincidence all in a matter of 8 hours at two far away different locations, especially when that had never happened in your shower before. Was it some kind of sign, more so an omen or was it merely a plumbing issue like Dave believed his was?

Now that you were all primed and primped for the day, you resumed your packing while debating on calling Craig about his demonic shower needing an exorcist and to come get his money, or...you could just simply shove it back under his door with your own note attached so you didn't have to interact with him. Option 2 seemed best.

You scrawled out a note on the back of his and reattached it to the check, then quietly creeped down the hall to his studio where all was silent inside. Hoping he wasn't in there, you bent down and slipped it under the door, cringing at loud the sound was. Just as you stood up to tiptoe off undetected, footsteps swiftly approached the door.

Spinning around with a gasp, you rushed off only to freeze solid at his shout from directly within the door.

"Just Josie. Come on in!"

With a gulp, you hesitated then slowly made your way back to the door and walked in. There he stood, dressed in all black attire as usual and wickedly grinning while holding your check.

He then turned it over and began reading your note out loud in a trenchant, yet amused tone.

"Thank you but no thank you. My outfit only cost twenty bucks at a thrift shop."

"Well, if that's so." he continued, "then you obviously like deals and that's what this is. A hell of a bargain actually."

"Craig, the added amount is almost as much as one months rent. All you needed to give me was my deposit."

"I was trying to apologize for my wine induced behavior and the harsh things I said to you and a simple "I'm sorry" just didn't seem to cut it."

"You don't owe me an apology Craig. I deserved all of it and the paint bath too."

"You were only trying to help my drunk ass up and even after the first failed attempt that ruined your clothing, you still tried again. And no, you didn't deserve my spontaneous misguided anger. You didn't kidnap my child and you certainly couldn't have known that it was going to happen."

"How could I have not?? I witnesses Elizabeth drop her off at Angel's in a panic over Ethan harassing her about paternity. I should have tried a hell of a lot harder to reach you, end of story... and for that, I will forever be so damn sorry, but as you said, those words just don't seem to cut it. I..I pray that you find Blaise safe, sound and soon. I really do and I will do whatever I can to help make that happen and make things right for you and her. Now, I have to go finish packing. Your apology is accepted and please just keep the money."

"Alright." Craig agreed with astonished disappointment all over his face as he watched you walk out.

His agreement was short lived though and he chased after you, squeezing in your door just before you turned to close it.

"Craig, what the..."

"Just hear me out. Please?"

"Do I even have a choice since you barged right in?"

"Do you want me to leave?"

"Ok fine, but whatever you have to say, you'll have to say it while watching me pack. I have a lot to do today."

"Fair enough. I guess I'll start with Jason. Are we even now?"

"Even?? Craig, I swear I didn't use Blaise to get back at you for..."

"No no no. Jo, I know you didn't and I'm sorry I ever said that. What I meant was, well...if I forgive you, can you forgive me for not telling you your brother was alive? I mean, you were pretty rabid mad that day. Just a little bit scary." he teased with a smile.

You chuckled as you thought of what you just did to Luke. "Yeah umm...I guess I too had spontaneous misguided anger. It was meant for Jason, not you. I know you were just trying to keep him safe and you did. You saved his life, so how can I not forgive you?"

"Sweet. So we're square now. Well, except for one thing."

Craig walked over to your suitcase and began tearing your clothes out of it.

"What are you doing??"

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm unpacking your clothes."

"What...wait...why?? Put those back!"

"I will not. I don't want you to leave. I kinda like you a little bit if I'm honest AND I think you kinda like it here and maybe even me too and..."

He held up a long blue dress and placed it against his brawny body. "And oooh wow. Smokin hot."

"Give me that!" you barked and grabbed it, but Craig laughed and wouldn't let go.

"Nope. Not until you agree to stay." he demanded as you both were now playing tug of war...until the dress split right down the middle.

"Oh, well THAT'S great. It's all yours!" you huffed and plopped down on the edge of the bed.

Craig sat down too and slowly handed you the ripped remnants.

"Sorry." he whispered.

You couldn't even be mad, especially when he had the shameful expression of dog who got busted for chewing up a pair of shoes. Instead, you did what you were becoming a pro at lately. Broke down crying with your face buried in your hands.

"Whoaaa, hey now sweetheart. What's this??"

"Everything!" you squeaked and then rambled on. "My sister was hurt really bad and is in the hospital. She could have, would have died if she hadn't been found and I know Ethan did it, and I was almost arrested today for what you described as my rabid madness and Jason took off with Britt because of your creepy ass father and Lee, he is...I don't even know anymore with that and then everyone's showers are spraying blood and..."

"Alright slowwww down and breathe love. Let's start with the psycho scene. Showers are spraying blood??"

"Yes, mine and Dave's. Well, he said it was rust but with all this ghost shit, I don't know what to think."

"Ghosts??"

"Long story. Is your shower doing that?"

"No...and what did you do to almost land yourself behind bars?"

You mumbled your answer in shame. "I...assaulted a cop."

Craig's eyes popped wide open as he released a titter out of is grinning lips. "Oh how I would have loved to have had a front row seat to that event. What a little baddy you are. Remind me to never piss you off."

"Not funny." you sniffled.

"Ok, maybe not then, but you're obviously not in jail. So, how'd you get out of that mess? Oh wait, was it your ex-fiance cop?"

"Let's just skip this part ok? I shouldn't have mentioned it."

Considering Craig saw Luke drop you off and how fired up you both seemed, he knew it was him you spoke of, but per your request, he would drop it and the overwhelming desire to take the little piggy to market...for now.

"Yeah cops aren't exactly my favorite subject either. Ok so...what's going on with your sister? Ethan attacked her?"

"It certainly appears that way but she hasn't been alert enough to finger him. I'm going to the hospital later to see if she's talking, but I just know it was him. I think he did it because she told Luke that she thinks Ethan took Blaise because he thinks he is her father or maybe he did it to scare me because he hates me and wants Lee all to himself."

"That measly inbred maggot. I should have just taken care of that problem when..."

Craig stopped himself but, it was too late.

"When? Does that have something to do with what you said yesterday? About something you did for me involving him??"

Craig seemed stunned and he was. "I...said that??"

"Yes..I...I just forgot with all that was going on. Craig, what did you mean?"

"Jo, I was quite sauced yesterday remember? I tend to say a lot of things when I drink. What...exactly...did I say?" he probed with an curious brow so he could figure out if he had to tell you what he knew about Ethan and Lee.

"You said you protected me from him but never said why or how."

Craig made sure that his explanation wasn't a lie, it just wasn't the entire truth because he felt you didn't need to know Lee was still Ethan's husband during a meltdown.

"Ohhh...that. Yes, well...I...I saw him once and I basically told him to stay away from you or he'd be fish food." he paraphrased as his heart began to beat again.

"You did that for me?"

Craig suddenly felt awkward. Not in a bad way, but more in a "too close for comfort" kind of way, so he gave a logical answer instead of admitting he had taken a sweet fancy to you, which was the last thing he wanted. He had vowed to himself after Elizabeth's destruction that he would never allow himself to become close to another woman ever again.

"Well...you're my best friend's little sister, so, you know. What's important to Jason is important to me."

"Well thank you and well... I wish you HAD fed Ethan to a mosh pit of sharks, still ALIVE and baited in a pool of his own blood and then let me watch so I could hear his screeching screams and the satisfying crunch of his bones as the angry aquatic vampires with a thousand razor sharp teeth chomped him to death in a splashing feeding frenzy of pure diabolical rage."

"Yeeesh. Easy there Annie Wilkes. Tell me how you really feel, minus the Stephen King synopsis. Horrifying image."

"Arrrgh. Jason was supposed to have taken care of him by now and for saying that, I feel like such a fucking hypocrite for giving him and Lee such a hard time about Liz when she was no better than Ethan."

"And I married the black widow. Even had a kid with her, or so I thought. Creator of life, destroyer of mine. "

'"So did Lee basically. She fooled everyone, EVEN Ethan. God Craig, how could she do that to her own son??? That little boy was my nephew and now Ethan has your daughter and I know he's not just going to forget about Lee. So much keeps happening. No wonder I ended up in the hospital."

"I...I heard about that and...I wanted to maybe send you some flowers or come visit but...I..I didn't think my presence would have been appropriate, you know, just being your landlord and all and well...there's the little tidbit of my primary profession as well that I'm sure Lee isn't too fond of. Anywhoooo...I'm really glad you're ok. You're...ok..right?"

"For the most part yeah. Just gotta keep my iron intake up and stress levels down, which you can see is damn near impossible with the life I'm stuck in."

"You're only stuck if you choose to be."

"It doesn't feel like a choice anymore, even when I try to...ugh, it doesn't even matter."

Craig's ocean-like eyes were consoling as his hand went to your cheek. "Hey, it does matter. What else is bothering you? I have really good listening ears like that of a faithful family dog, only much less hair and a strong but soft shoulder to lean on and even comforting arms if you recall."

"I don't know. Like, for one thing, I'm supposed to hate my sister after all the horrible shit she's done to me and yet, I'm having a hard time hating her after what happened. Like, why...why do I care about people that don't deserve it???"

"Because you have a good heart which can sometimes be a curse really. You're supposed to be able to trust the people closest to you and when they go and give you a reason not to, it's a total mind fuck. It's hard to let them go even when you know it's what's best for you. I get it Jo."

"What I don't get is why I'm not good enough for the truth. I'm always being lied to. It's become nothing but a pattern and how am I supposed to trust someone when I don't know what they're holding back?"

"Ok first of all, you are good enough and if someone doesn't see that, then they are the ones not good enough and second of all, why do I feel this is not about your sister?"

"I appreciate what you're trying to do Craig, but...it doesn't matter."

"It does matter because you're clearly not happy. Tears don't lie. Are...you happy?"

Your eyes fell. "No. No I'm not. I'm miserable."

"Me too. Why don't you stay. We can be miserable neighbors together and drink wine every day and night to the point of inebriation, creating terrible art as a hobby while being covered in a rainbow of paint. You know, kind of like I already do? It's actually kinda fun and therapeutic. A little bit of good trouble..per se. I could use some inspiration as you well know."

You giggled. "Right...because we would actually be the artwork. How inspiring."

"Exactly! Except you'd be a firework. Oh, and you still owe me a viewing of your own masterpieces. So...whad'ya say?"

Craig got down on one knee and took your hand as he gave you a pathetic puppy face.

"Will you be my neighbor?"

"Oh my god you're such a nerd. Get up." you chortled and stood up.

"Well, I've been called much worse. Things I cannot even pronounce. You don't want to know, trust me. Sooooo, is that a yes?"

"I'll think about it."

"YES!" he jeered like an old lady at a bingo game winning the jackpot.

"So now, I'm really sorry but I need to get going. Thank you Craig...for listening and for the advice. It was nice. I want you to know I'm thinking of Blaise everyday and if I can help, I will. You'll never convince me that it wasn't my fault."

In the blink of an eye, Craig became all serious as he placed his hands on your arms. "Alright but, before I go, I need you to listen to me. Don't be letting your guilt cause you to do something dangerous. You let me handle this ok?? I don't want anything happening to you. Let me know what you decide on the apartment and...I'm really glad you're ok Jo and I...I hope you will stay. I like having you around."

He softly smiled and headed to the door, then turned back around.

"Oh and...I'm also glad you don't hate me."

"Ditto." you smiled. "Talk soon."

Craig left and you felt terrible for him. The formidable mafia man, always full of quirky humor wasn't so tough on the inside and was clearly lonely, but even so, you had to do what was best for you and if you stayed, would it really be a good idea? Had you known when you first moved in that Craig was one of Sonny's men and Jason's bff, you most likely would have ran away as fast and as far as you could. On the other hand, he could protect you and he wanted to and you felt safe around him. BUT, that didn't mean you would be. Things could always go wrong, especially in his world, which was now your world. Although, hadn't it always been your world because of Jason? And things always went wrong then, no matter where you were. Even your own brother couldn't keep you safe.

In your confliction, you knew you may still need to leave on a temporary basis because of your sister. No one knew yet what happened to her or where Ethan was, so she could still be in danger and that put your mom in danger as well with Megan living with her.

As you carried on with packing the rest of the one suitcase for the time being, once again you were interrupted. This time by the cordless phone ringing that Lee had talked you into getting for extra ways of communication. You decided to let the answering machine get it because you were in a hurry to get to the hospital, but when Lee's hypnotizing voice was heard, you stood frozen in time.

"Hey sweet girl. I tried your cell but...I don't know, it must be on silent or maybe you just don't want to talk to me. I wish you would. I'm sorry about my text. I didn't mean it in the way you must think. If you're there, could you please pick up? I'd really love to hear your voice."

He paused and waited a few moments, then continued.

"Ok, well, I...I'll just say what I need to say and leave you alone. Jo, I know I've said this so many times and it just sounds so meaningless, but I mean it, with every ounce of my being. I'm so sorry baby. For all of this. For all I have put you through. It's only been a single day and I miss you in ways that there are no words for. You are a mental and physical ache. A longing woven deep into my DNA and I...I don't know how to live like this. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I'm nothing without you. I'm inside out. I merely exist in this soulless shell and because I know you exist, there's no going back for me. There will never be anyone else for me but you. No one else could ever do. The heart wants what it wants and mine wants you and I knew it. I knew you were the right one from the get go and I still know it because the word "forever" does not sound like enough time."

As your heart was being torn in two and devoured by his agony, you walked over to the phone and picked it up, letting your finger hover over the call button, but you couldn't bring yourself to answer, so you just kept listening to his unintentional torture.

"I know I have no one else to blame but myself. I know I'm broken. We were both broken. By life. By others. By our own serious dysfunctions, but we finally found each other after a decade of near misses. We were so close to each other all that time, yet so far apart and when destiny finally stepped in and we finally came together like the sun and moon during a total eclipse, all of the jagged edges of our broken pieces fit together like a puzzle, as if all that time, we were being broken for that purpose, to be a perfect fit for each other. But now I feel like I don't fit anywhere at all. Not anymore. Life goes on around me as i sit here and watch the boats sail by on the bay and I feel like I'm just a spectator, watching from the sidelines. You were...are my life. You are where I belong. You are my purpose, my reason. God Jo. Without you, all I want to do is drown my sorrows away and Lord knows I've tried, but even then, a sea full of whiskey couldn't intoxicate me as much as a drop of you. Because of you, I believe in love and fairytales and soulmates and everything that is magic. I followed the signs because you showed them to me. Just tell me it's not too late. Don't give up on me. I want to tell you everything and if I can bring myself to do that, maybe then you'll understand. I guess I've wrote a novel here and I should go. I still wish you would come today...to the cemetery. I'll be there around 4. If you don't come, it's ok. I will understand. Ok well..."

There was a pause and then he finished as his voice became very shaky. "I...I love you Miss Massachusetts. God I love you."

Lee quickly hung up and sat down. He had too. The 3 Red Bulls he downed earlier paired with the threat of an oncoming panic attack had him jittery, weak and breathless.

"Lee wait!" you shouted as you punched the red button, but there was nothing but a dial tone.

Should you call him back? It would be so much easier than speaking to him in person because he had this wicked way of breaking you down and getting what he wanted from you that no one else had ever possessed, but of course he could say the same thing about you. Now the real question was, should you go? Lee clearly needed you and you were worried about him. You could hear it in his voice, the fear, the destitution and desperation...the love. And just because you and he were having problems didn't mean you would abandon him, but were you strong enough to uphold your boundaries in his presence? The mere sight of him was like some invisible magic in itself. You felt so guilty because he was fighting like hell for you and you were keeping him at arms length and just running away. Fight or flight? That was the all out question now and you knew exactly who to go to for the answers. Someone who had been through it all. Your mother.

@redeemer46

[thetreefairy]

an euphoric night

p.1 - masterlist

@slasherscrybaby here is part two to your request

Warnings: yandere themes, reader lies to erasermic telling them that their new friend has a partner, erasermic are gaslighting reader into not working, yandere shigaraki is a warning on its own, eri and hitoshi are also kinda yandere for us, this shit long AF. they/them reader

Shigaraki tomura couldn't believe it.

Aizawa Reader, gave him, their number.

Eraserhead's child gave him their number.

And they healed them, without even knowing his name.

When he was at the hide out, he immediately got animal crossing ready. He needed an excuse to talk to them, he needed to know how much they even know about the League of Villains, he needed to become their friend.

He just needed to text them, but what should he say?

Tomura to Reader: Hi, we met at the game shop...

No... That didn't seem right....

Tomura to reader: 'Hi, it's Tomura, is this Reader?'

Yeah, that seems right... Then he can confirm that it's truly Aizawa Reader.

Reader to Tomura: Hii Tomura, this is reader :D, I'm so happy you decided to text me :D

Tomura couldn't help but chuckle at the quick response, it seems that the rumors are true, Eraserheads and Present mics oldest child truly is desperate for friends.

Yet it seemed endearing and cute to him.

Tomura to reader: Thank you for healing my neck, and a new gaming buddy? I am not going to pass that up.

'This won't scare them off right?' He thought as he scratched his neck. Then he got a notification:

*Reader changed Tomura to Tomu-Tomu*

he chuckled, they truly are cute.

Reader to Tomu-Tomu: Its no problem, just make sure to not scratch your neck that much. Well I hope we can be great gaming buddies Tomu!

Perhaps he should give them a nickname too. And he has just the one in mind

*Tomu-tomu changed Reader to player two*

Tomu-tomu to player two:

Send me a list of games you play, player two~ maybe we can play multiple games together :D

Tomura couldn't help but feel giddy, Eraserheads child, talking to him, without knowing who he truly is. Oh how exciting.

Player two to tomu-tomu:

I have to focus on dinner right now, my dads are glaring at me lol, I'll send you a list afterwards :D

Tomu-tomu to player two:

Alright, eat well.

Reader themselves were eating dinner with Erasermic and their siblings as their phone pinged the whole time. And with every ping Reader picked it up, typed something and then put it down.

"Are you done?" Shota asked annoyed. "Yes, sorry." Reader whispered as they ate. "who is texting you?" Hizashi asked. "tomu-tomu! I met him at the game shop with his partner!" Reader lied smoothly. The eyes of their siblings and fathers softened instantly.

"Thats great, but why is he texting you so much?" Eri asked, tilting her head confused. "Oh, he wanted me to send a list of games I play so that we can see how many games we can play together. I told him I would later."

Shota hummed in agreement. "I heard from Hitoshi that you went to a cat Cafe with him and that you got a job offer there." Oh, reader already knew how this would go, Reader glared at Hitoshi and said: "They did, I told them I would think about it, apparently I fit their aesthetic."

This time Hizashi spoke up: "But don't you already have enough allowance?" Reader gulped at his tone, it was clear he didn't want them to work there. "I do." They admitted but continued: "but I would like to work for my money too. It gives a sense of fullfillment, I guess."

"then you can do extra chores for extra money." Hizashi said. "Don't you agree, Shota?"

"Indeed, it seems like a way beter idea then working in a café." Shota agreed, Hitoshi nodded in agreement causing reader to groan in annoyance. Eri sudddenly asked; "what if you get kidnapped by a villain and get experimented on like me?"

Reader stared at their younger sibling in shock. "Eri, did you have a nightmare again?" They blurted out. "Do you want to have a sleepover in my room?"

It seemed that Reader was oblivious to how they wear their Heart on their sleeve. To the point even Eri could manupilate them with ease.

"We can have a family sleepover." Hitoshi counter suggested. "Okay!" Eri shouted happily, she knew that she did exactly what her parents taught her. They must be so proud of her! And they were, Erasermic smiled at their youngest child.

"I'll decline the offer." Reader told Eri with a small smile. However everyone in the room could sense Reader's disappointment.

They were always quite easy to read.

"Can I be excused?" Reader asked. "Of course." Hizashi said with a smile and then asked; "Are you going to send that game list and rest?"

"Yeah, if we are going to have a sleepover, sleeping won't be a top priority." They teased their family, causing Eri to giggle.

When Erasermic saw reader disappear upstairs they couldn't help but think:

I hope that that 'Tomu-Tomu' won't take Reader from us.

If anyone wants me to make a taglist for this post, tell me and I'll add you to it.

this is kinda long ngl

[turnupswritessometimes]

Ricordami - Lies of P - P/Romeo - Ch4

A03 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/56555755/chapters/143738143

Summary: P decides to repair the king of puppets. It sends him on a journey to discover what happened to Carlo and Romeo - and to discover whether puppets can love, after all.

First | Previous | Next

4

They went out together. One night, P and Romeo walked out of the opera house and onto the streets of Krat. They fought the puppets who roamed the streets; the puppets who didn't heed their king any longer. Some were infected with the petrification disease; their joints jammed with carcass fluids. They couldn’t delay much longer – he would have to go into the Barren Swamp soon.

P had known Romeo was a good fighter; had fought him personally, even in this body; but it was different, fighting alongside him. Watching him move with such grace as he welded the weapon P had forged for him. Not quite the splendid sword he'd once had, but – enough.

It felt right, to be with him, like this. His Ergo hummed in response to fighting alongside someone it knew.

"I fought alongside the cat and fox," he told Romeo, as they stood with discarded puppets around them. Puppets that weren’t like them, P reasoned; these puppets were still trapped without their egos. They were still dangerous. "But this is different."

"The cat and the fox?" Romeo echoed. He wiped his blade on his trouser leg, and left a smear of oil there. He still wore the old Monad Charity House uniform. It made his hair was bright as a beacon.

"They're stalkers. Or were." P flicked Gemini on, to see better in the darkness. "They couldn't come with me far. The Cat's leg was bad."

Romeo looked at him for a moment. Then he gave a short laugh. "I think they tricked you."

"Why would they do that?" It didn't make sense. They'd been going his way too. They had helped him, at least a little. What reason would they have to lie?

"Because you're—" Romeo stopped himself. He took a breath, and squeezed P's shoulder. "Because you're kind."

"Was – he?" Was Carlo?

"Sometimes. He could be." Romeo let him go. Continued down the alley they were stalking. "I think he used to be, and I think he wanted to be, but he also thought the world was unfair. That made him reluctant to be." "Are you?"

Romeo looked back. His eye glowed red, in the dim light. "I wanted to be."

That seemed just as much of a riddle to P. They continued. They fought. They hunted. Until they came upon a chunk of Ergo bigger than P's fist. It shone like a streetlight; like a miniature moon.

They both cradled it, together. This would be the last piece of the puzzle, P thought. There wasn't much more left to the story. They'd both wanted to know, but now they stood, hesitant, with the Ergo. Neither of them were ready for that final memory.

"Back at the theatre," Romeo said. P nodded. Followed him back down the abandoned streets. This, he thought, was what they'd both wanted, once. Not just to know about the memories. Before that – in the charity house – they’d wanted to be together, a team, on the streets of Krat, only there was no one else to save, now. No chance of being Stalkers any longer. The city was destroyed.

They sat opposite each other, in the big chairs Romeo had used for the performance. They'd been pulled so close that the wooden legs touched each other.

P met Romeo's gaze. Romeo stared back, with his mismatched eyes.

The Ergo hummed between them, the blue reflecting on their hands; on Romeo’s smooth skin.

"Whenever you're ready," Romeo said.

P raised his eyebrows. "Are you?"

It got him a small smile. He suspected it was because it reminded him of Carlo. He really didn’t know if he wanted to delve into Carlo's mind once more. It was becoming harder and harder to separate the two of them. But he’d promised Romeo he would discover what happened to them, because Romeo was his friend. So he would.

P nodded. He adjusted his grip on the Ergo.

They crushed it, together.

*

Carlo was still sick. He still coughed until his handkerchief was splattered with blood. Still felt feverish. Still felt his organs beginning to turn to stone. His hand had been sacrificed in vain. He didn't tell Geppetto that. He didn't need to. His father could see that for himself, even if he wouldn't acknowledge it. It was only in the sad look of his eyes, the tightening of his mouth.

"I have something to show you."

Geppetto said it, when he'd deemed that Carlo was recovered enough from surgery. When he was strong enough to sit and stand on his own. He didn't look down at his left hand; his lack of a left hand, which his father had hated him using.

Carlo didn't want to see; he didn't care for anything his father would show him; but there was little else to do now, in his father’s house. So he slipped out of bed. He followed his father down the corridors of the house, silently. Down to his workshop. His stomach clenched.

His father paused, before they went in. He brushed the hair from Carlo's face, where it had fallen lankly forward. Carlo flinched away. There was a pause. His father didn't try again. Instead, he opened the door of the workshop.

There was a puppet sat in the workshop chair.

That was not unusual, but Carlo's stomach swooped with a horrifying recognition. He knew that blonde hair. He knew that sleeping face. He knew the puppet sat there.

Rage flooded through him. It ignited in every part of him, as though he was doused in flames. The rage was so strong that, for a moment, he couldn't see anything at all. The puppet swam in and out of focus.

"Is this a joke?" he spat.

"Of course not." And, God help him, his father was serious about that.

Carlo looked at him. He felt twisted with hatred. "You're sick."

"Permit me a moment to explain."

"You think you could replace him? That if it looked enough like him, then the real thing wouldn't matter?" Carlo shouted. It made his throat sing in pain. He had to stop to cough, backing away from his father's comforting hand. "It won't be him! It could never be him!"

His shout echoed off the workshop walls, following by his desperate coughing. The silence that followed was even worse. The P still watching from somewhere inside Carlo didn’t want to see anymore” He thought he knew the rest, and he didn’t want to hear it.

"But it is," Geppetto said.

"Liar!" Carlo managed to choke out.

"No, son." His father didn't try to hold him, again. He stepped toward the puppet instead. "You see, I've discovered it. The secret of Ergo."

Carlo spat blood into his handkerchief. He leant against the wall, his strength sapped. "Really?"

"I suspected, I've always suspected, but now I'm sure. Now that puppet's Egos are waking up all over the city. Ergo isn't a rock. It's not a power source – not in the traditional sense, at least. Ergo comes from us. From life. It's a life source. It holds souls."

Carlo felt sick. He wiped his mouth with the handkerchief, no doubt smearing blood over his cheek. His mind half-guessed at what all this meant, but he didn't want to acknowledge it. He wanted it to stay slow with the effort of being sick.

"The puppets have Egos, because they are remembering their previous lives," his father continued. "So? Don't you see? If you collect the Ergo, you can still use that person's life." Carlo stared. He looked from Geppetto's face – full of a manic joy – to the blank puppet he stood next to. Romeo. No. No. Everything in him was repulsed by the idea.

"You said you'd save him." His voice sounded very distant to himself.

"He had already passed, when I arrived," Geppetto said. His watery eyes flicked up to Carlo, and he felt a chill grip his spine with icy fingers. "But I did tell you I would help him. However I could."

"He's – he's..." Carlo's mind spun with fever. "Lampwick's in there."

It wasn't a question; it was a terrible, sickening truth.

"Yes." Geppetto smiled. "Though, truthfully, I have not started the puppet yet. We won't know for certain it's worked, until then."

Carlo shook his head. The room rose and fell with the movement, the puppet in the chair a pale blur. Romeo was dead, he told himself, as much as it splintered him in two. Romeo was dead, and he needed to mourn him. Not think about turning on that puppet.

The puppet wouldn’t be Romeo.

"Here," Geppetto said. "We'll start him up, together."

"No." The word ripped from Carlo's mouth. He snarled. "No. I refuse. No!"

He stumbled from the room. He didn't make it far. His heart was already overworking to keep himself alive, now it was racing with stress and fear and hatred. He fell to his knees in the hallway. Had to catch himself against the wall and scramble to his feet. He fled. From his father, still shouting after him. From the thing that he'd turned Romeo into.

Carlo had loved puppets. He'd loved watching puppets perform. It had been a delight. It had been a way to see his father, when he couldn't be bothered to show up at the Charity House. But puppets were – puppets. Tools. Performers. They were things which did as they were told, and they were marvellous for that.

They couldn't be people.

How would it feel to wake up inside a puppet? To realise you were a puppet?

To realise that you were bound by the Grand Covenant.

Romeo – his Romeo – his Lampwick – was bound by the Grand Covenant. If he was truly inside that shell.

When Carlo reached his rooms, he was sick. He retched into the bedpan, over and over, until only bloody spittle dripped down his chin. He had to twist his head into his shoulder to wipe it; his only hand was braced against the floor, keeping him upright.

 Geppetto followed him. Of course he did. And he rubbed that terrible hand on Carlo’s back as he struggled to breathe. Carlo couldn't push him away; he didn't have the strength; he didn't have the hand.

"I know it's surprising," his father said, his tone soft.

Carlo took a gulping, shuddering breath. He managed to look up at Geppetto, his hair sticking to his damp skin.

"If you ever do that to me," he said, his voice shaking. "I'll never forgive you."

*

Carlo woke to find his head resting against a chest. Romeo's chest. Romeo was holding him. His arms were around him; tight. And Carlo - P - shook. He was shaking as though he had a malfunction; perhaps there was; perhaps it was too much Ergo – too much stress.

"I think you're trying to cry," Romeo said, softly. Distantly.

P didn't move. He stayed pressed against him, his arms clutched in Romeo's shirt, his legs trailing onto the floor. Carlo's wish – his last wish – had been to not be a puppet. To not have his Ergo trapped. To not have his father bring him back, again.

Not like he had done to Romeo.

"I think..." Romeo paused. "I was an experiment. To see if it was possible. Before…before you."

P stared at the room of the theatre. The lights blurred into each other, and stung his eyes. "You think he always planned to do it."

Had he always known that Carlo was going to die? Had he tried to bring Romeo back first, just so see if it was possible? The prelude to his son?

"I think...Geppetto always loved puppets, more than he had people."

A puppet did as it was told, after all. His son would do as he was told. After all, Carlo's Ergo was inside P, and P had been obedient. He had done as his father had asked, without question. He had loved him.

Carlo had loved his father, once.

P still shook. Even when he got the strength to sit up. He took hold of Romeo's hands, and did not think too much about his legion arm. About the hand that his father had given him. Then he looked at Romeo, properly. He felt his gears jar.

"Your eye," he said. It was different. It was no longer the red puppet eye it used to be. It was the same as the other one. The same hazel, slightly green when it caught the light. Romeo untangled one hand, to trace over it, closing his eye. It was just like the necklace. He had changed. The memories had made him change.

Made them more human.

"Your hair." Romeo reached out a hand before P could check himself. He lifted a lock; it was the same length as before. This time, it was the colour that changed. The hair Romeo held was silver like stars. When he turned his head, he saw it was just that strand. A mark of Carlo's dismay and his grief.

Romeo looked back at him. His expression was stoic, but P saw something, in his eyes. Felt something, in the way he held his hands – he caught the other in his own, because it was easier than thinking about his changed appearance. Wondering whether he was becoming Carlo.

"I'm sorry," P said. His voice was strained. "I'm sorry for what he did. I'm sorry for what I told him to do."

"You didn't tell him to do that," Romeo replied, similarly cracked. "You didn't tell him to do this to either of us."

P shook his head. He brought the backs of Romeo's hands to his mouth, and kissed the knuckles. Even if they couldn't feel the same way, if it didn’t feel like it used to, then at least they understood the action. Understood the meaning behind it.

"You said you hated him, once," Romeo said. "Do you, now?"

P wasn't sure. Dimly, he realised that Romeo had said 'you,' and not 'Carlo,' and that P didn't correct him. But Carlo's visceral hatred, his disgust with his father, was mingling with his own affection he'd felt for Geppetto. Even then, he realised, there had been that nagging suspicion. Perhaps that had been Carlo. He wasn’t sure where either of them ended, anymore. He didn’t know if he wanted Romeo to, anymore. Perhaps Gemini was right about that.

"I don't know," he said. That wasn't a lie. "I don't know how I will face him."

Romeo tilted his head to one side, his lips quirking in a slight smile. He drew their joint hands back to himself, opening them to kiss P's palms.

"If you can lie," he said. "You can act."

P tried to smile back. He cupped Romeo's face instead, unable to look away from his mended eye. That had been Ergo. It had been because P was determined to find the truth. He had done that. Some good had come from the truth.

"Unless you want to do something more drastic?" Romeo asked.

Unless P wanted to attack Geppetto. He didn't think he could. There was still too much of P in him for that.

"He wants to save Krat," P said, slowly. He had believed that, and still wanted to believe that. "I believe that. But do you? Want to do something more drastic?"

"Will you fight against me if I do?"

Fight him again. Destroy him again, if he tried to destroy Geppetto?

P didn’t – couldn’t – reply immediately, because he was not entirely sure. Not anymore. P might, but he knew the Carlo in him wouldn’t. He wasn’t sure which was stronger, and he didn’t want to find out.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” he said. That wasn’t a lie.

Romeo smiled. Nodded. Leant forward, and kissed P’s mouth. A soft, gentle movement that stirred his Ergo. He kissed him back.

And tried not to think about Geppetto. 

*

Sophia stopped him, when he came through the door of the hotel. She held a hand to his chest, her brows drawn together. He did stop. Her deep blue eyes examined him, and she looked concerned.

“What’s wrong, clever one?”

P looked at her. It was a struggle to breathe. “I remember.”

Her hand hovered over the lock of grey in his hair, but didn’t touch. “You remember?”

“I remember – Carlo.” He was starting to shake again, just at the memories. “And Romeo.”

“Romeo,” she echoed. “The name from the necklace.”

“The king of puppets.” He caught her wrist, gently, and brought it down. She made him calm and composed.

“I’m worried about you,” Sophia said. She hadn’t moved, to let him step around her. “I’m worried you’re going to do something you’ll regret.”

“I’m not going to do anything drastic,” P said, carefully. Not tonight, he thought.

Sophia must have caught something in his tone. She lowered her chin, narrowing her eyes at him. “Are you lying to me?”

He half-smiled, despite everything. He shook his head. “I don’t want to lie to you.”

She almost smiled back. She did take his hand, in both of her own, and squeezed it gently.

“But I have to see Geppetto,” he continued. He didn’t know what he was going to do, or say, but he needed to see him. He needed to look him in the eye and see his reaction.

For a long moment, he didn’t think Sophia would let him. She still examined him, as though he was about to go into a frenzy. Whatever she saw in his expression, it passed the test. She nodded, and stepped to the side.

It left him facing the stairs. They seemed more numerous than before; seemed like climbing a tower, instead of a couple of flights. Gemini glowed at his side.

“I’m sorry pal,” he said.

P traced his fingers over the lantern. The glow felt like an encouragement, and he certainly felt he needed it. He started upwards, taking every step carefully. When he reached the landing, Spring spotted him from where she sat on the side table. She chirruped at him, and P smiled, as stroked her.

He still took a breath, and a long pause, before he stepped through to Geppetto’s room.

His father sat at his desk, as usual, tinkering with machine parts. When he heard P’s footsteps, he looked up. He dropped the machine parts. A screw rolled across the carpet.

Geppetto stood, and crossed to him. His face was pale; aghast.

P didn’t move. His Ergo was stirring, and he felt a swarm of emotions wash over him. Hatred and loathing, but mixed with the same affection and love from before. He loved his father, but he hated him too. Even worse, he had a slight fear. What would his father do, if he crossed him?

“Son, what happened?” Geppetto asked. “Your hair. Who did this to you?”

“Myself,” he replied.

“There will be a way to fix this.” His father took hold of the grey lock, twisting it in the light. “I will fix this.” Then he realised what P had said, and frowned. “What do you mean, yourself?”

“It happened,” P said. It took a great deal of effort to control his tone. His words. “When I remembered.”

Geppetto frowned. “Remembered? What do you mean?”

“When I crush Ergo, I remember things. From before.”

Geppetto’s hands went to take his face, as tenderly and gently as they always did.

P stepped back. Sharply. Suddenly, he didn’t want to be touched by this man; couldn’t bear the thought of it. “I remember Carlo.”

His father jerked backwards, as though he had been slapped. He stared, his brow furrowed, and his chest heaving. “Who told you that name?”

Who had first said the name Carlo? When had he first heard it whispered?

“Romeo.”

“Romeo?” and Geppetto sounded angry, now. “How do you know anything about Romeo?”

“His necklace.” P found he didn’t want to lie. He wanted to tell the truth. He wanted to watch the words pierce his father; wanted to see his reaction to them. To realise what he had done. “The king of puppets had a necklace. Engraved on the back, it said ‘To Romeo. Your Friend C.’”

His father smiled, then. Indulgently. He did step forward, and said, “I believe you need rest, son. I said before. Even if you can’t sleep, your system needs time to configure itself. If you don’t, you get confused.”

Geppetto’s hand landed on his shoulder, and squeezed.

P didn’t move. He stared. “You tried to fix him. Carlo. You took his hand.”

His legion hand clenched on its own. He watched his father’s mouth tighten; watched the recognition spark in his eye. Still, he took P’s other shoulder. Pushed him back a step.

“Son, you need to sit.”

P shook his head, but there was a strange compulsion within him. He wanted to do what his father said – he’d always done what his father said, and that was easy. It made him feel safe. He wanted to. It was easier.

But—

“No.” He caught his father’s wrists. Not hard. “No. You took Romeo. You made him a puppet.”

Geppetto froze, again. He drew his hands away, breathing heavily. He brought one up, again, and brushed P’s hair lightly. The same way he would to Carlo. He hated it. He hated this man, he thought.

“Sit down, son,” he said, again. “And we’ll talk.”

He sounded so reasonable. So gentle. P didn’t want to talk. He didn’t know what he wanted to do – if he wanted to shout and scream, or lash out. He didn’t know if he could; if he was able to scream; if he was able to hit his creator.

His indecision decided for him.

He sat down, in the chair. That same chair he always sat in. He didn’t realise that he was so compliant.

And Geppetto knelt before him, as though he was speaking to a small child.

“I amputated Carlo’s hand to help heal him,” he said. “He asked me to save his friend, and I did. I only ever did what was best for Carlo. He was everything to me. He was my precious son.”

He. He was Geppetto's son. And the soft way in which he said it about Carlo made P realise it had only been used for him out of habit. He felt a dull hurt, at the same time as resignation. (That was from the Carlo side of him, he realised – of course his father would see him as less – why was he surprised? Why could his father still hurt him, even now?)

"But you have to understand..." Geppetto spoke slowly, now, slowly rose to his feet. P felt a creeping sense of danger; felt like when he could hear puppet footsteps further down the street; when he could hear springs, but couldn't see where they were coming from. Surely, he was wrong. "You are a puppet."

"I didn't want to be," Carlo said.

Geppetto blinked. Then his face twisted with anger. He caught P's chin in a harsher grip than he had before. His heart hammered.

"Don't." The word came out twisted like a gnarled tree root. "Don't pretend you are him. You're not."

He was. He was, and he wasn't. He was Carlo but he was also P, like two halves of a butterflies wing, joined in the middle by his body. He stared back at his father, watching the anger and confusion play out over his face.

"Stop looking at me like that."

It clinked into place as neatly as a spring; Romeo had been right. His voice stayed eerily calm – that was the P side of him.  

"Isn't this what you planned?" he asked. Still felt trapped, and still felt that sense of dread. "Lampwick was the experiment. When it worked, you tried it with me."

Geppetto let go of his face. Sharply. His head jerked back. There was a grim satisfaction in knowing he was right. That was the truth. It shouldn’t send him wheeling like it did. He sat in the chair, stunned, and watched Geppetto’s expression harden. He looked like stone.

"No," he said. "No, you're not Carlo. Not yet."

Not yet. It sounded like a threat. P wouldn't dream of hurting his father, but he suddenly knew he needed to be away – needed to get away – but he was trapped by the man over him. He couldn't get up without hurting his father.

And he didn't have the chance. He felt the shock through all of him; from the metal foot of the chair, the headrest, the arm rests. A sharp shock that took his breath. A shock his father had administrated. Panic flooded him, brightly, a sharp fear that he felt in his Ergo.

Felt his Ergo spark out – felt it call for Romeo!

Then his whole system short-circuited.

[sneakyboymerlin]

Heeeeeyyyyy it’s ur boy uh. Skinny penice.

If any of you lovelies wanna help me get my mom’s account out of the negatives, I would be eternally grateful.

Her account is around -$300 after the bills got taken out, we’re just trying not to rack up any late fees at this point ✨ any money will go to getting her account out of the negatives or else paying off the fees as they add up. She’s already been in the negatives for 2 or 3 days because she tried to “fix it herself” without telling me (I only found out because I happened to see her bank app).

Her car’s engine also stopped and we can’t afford a rental so I have to drive her to and from work myself (a 40 minute drive each way, I will be making the 80 minute drive twice today so I can go to my own job). I don’t get paid until Thursday and the only thing I can afford rn is gas.

I just had to pay $500 to get my own car out of the shop after almost 2 months since someone tried to steal it in September (all the parts they needed were on back order) and the dude who tried to take it for a joy ride gets to pay it back in small increments (when a white boy does it for fun, they give him every excuse) which means I’m out $500.

I wanted to attend my community college this upcoming semester but I’m just going to have to skip again if this keeps up, which I really don’t want to do because of pressure from my sister to get a degree or apprenticeship. She won’t help my mom in order to “punish her” but it really just punishes me. My mom has been hiding her finances from me ever since my dad died, resulting in things like my car (the car is under her name & insurance but my dad gave it to me) getting repossessed during the summer (we were able to get it back luckily) and the internet getting shut off. She lied about where the money I paid her was going, paid for her own car + insurance instead and let my car get repossessed. My finances and well-being are entirely dependent on her bank account, and she is consistently dishonest about where our money goes, and then funnels any money I make into her account. She also tries to buy frivolous things we don’t need when she runs out of money + tries to force me to buy those things for her and is only frugal when spending her own paycheck. Everyone I have explained the situation to tells me that I am being financially abused, and I cannot find a way out of it besides moving out, but I can’t afford to do that and I can’t leave my pets behind.

I was also trying to pay off my phone and late bills to T-Mobile so we could switch over to a cheaper company but I can’t make any progress on this because we can’t afford to pay anything off before the next month rolls over and we get charged yet again (when T-Mobile bought Sprint they started charging us out the ass). The electric bill is also going to be unsustainable this winter, our heater doesn’t work half the time so we have space heaters but that’s it for us + our 4 cats + 1 dog.

I’m also supposed to be going to the doctor’s to get a diagnosis (probably EDS), physical and mental therapy, etc. but I have to go through multiple doctors and institutions(?) to do this, which is pretty much impossible when you’re sharing 1 car between 2 people and are the only one with any gas money (which is gonna go FAST). I also do not want my mom to know under any circumstances if I attend mental therapy.

And there’s always more but I don’t have time to continue on

If you follow me or enjoy my posting please consider helping out if you can 💗

C*sh*app is $ThreeTrilobites

DM me for P*yP*l or V-nmo info

[a-m-pyra]

First Burn: Ch6 Surprise (American McGee's Alice/Lies of P)

It all started in the morning. Everyone went down for breakfast, including Mrs. Seymour, and after a few minutes no one was interested in the food, but in the baby Alice was carrying in a wicker basket. 

According to the card attached to the basket, the girl was six months old, and her name was Evie. She was cold and terribly hungry. Everyone immediately rushed to help. Mrs. Seymour rocked her in her arms and held her close. Nan Sharpe prepared milk for the girl, Alice, on Mrs. Seymour's instructions, contacted her aunt, who gave away her daughter's cradle and bottles, and he, Otto and the children collected blankets and pillows for her. 

Everyone forgot about breakfast as they watched Mrs. Seymour feed the baby, who grabbed the bottle as if afraid someone would take it away. Cormac also came interested in the baby, so much so that Mrs. Seymour had to push him away so that he wouldn't irritate her with his excitement.

“She's so sweet,” said Dodo, who got a few punches on the shoulder from Diggie, who joked that he was a softie.

“What kind of mother would do that?” Gemini spoke up, and P realized he had been asking himself that question.

“There are different situations, Gemini. She may have been assaulted, not ready to have a child, or simply not have money. She chose the most humane option anyway,” Mrs. Seymour explained, adjusting Evie in her arms. “I guess we'll have to take care of her together.”

“I'll bring her my toys,” Inez said.

“Can Angela and I look for clothes for her?” Abigail asked.

“I can ask the girls if they have anything from their babies,” Alice said.

“And I can be a long-distance nanny,” Gemini announced, making P look at him with a raised eyebrow.

Mrs. Seymour laughed.

“Any help will be worth its weight in gold.”

Once Evie was fed and Mrs. Seymour helped her burp, she became a completely different baby. Instead of crying, she made sounds that P found quite delightful, or she would pick on other children by crawling up to them and grab their ankles or the hems of their dresses, or she would crawl up to Cormac who was lying under the sofa and grab his ears, and cuddle his stomach. 

And Cormac, despite being a large dog who looked extremely menacing, seemed completely unfazed by the pulling on his ears. Sometimes he would just sniff her and then put his big head back on the floor, letting her continue playing.

When Alice went to work, Mrs. Seymour took care of the sessions, Mrs. Sharpe took care of dinner, and only he, Gemini, and Otto remained on guard.

“Kids are adorable, aren't they, P?”

P looked at him, then back at the girl who was holding the teddy bear by the ear, babbling at it.

“It’s the first time I see a human baby.”

“You said you helped a woman find her daughter.”

“It was a puppet. And this is a human baby.”

Evie crawled towards them. Otto picked her up and sat her on his lap, facing him, making silly faces and funny noises at her, making Evie laugh hard and contagious, making Otto barely contain his giggles and P smiling softly.

He reached for a pencil and a sketchbook, intending to sketch. Evie leaned against Otto's chest, watching what P was doing, accompanied by the questions Otto was asking her. P glanced at the girl from time to time, and after a while he returned his gaze to the pages of the sketchbook. 

He wondered if he should draw Spring. She looked like the kind of cat that would like babies, maybe she would be interested in them; and Evie would certainly be interested in Spring, just as she was now reaching towards Gemini's lamp, which stood on the sofa between him and Otto, or as she was playing with Cormac's ears.

After a few long moments, he turned the sketchbook towards Otto and Evie, showing a sketch in which the girl was sleeping and Spring was resting her head on her belly.

“Who's in this drawing, Evie? You? Yes, you. Together with the kitten,” Otto told her as she smiled at the drawing, reaching towards the drawing of the kitten. 

So he wasn't mistaken after all, Evie actually took an interest in Spring's drawing, smiling and giggling. 

P sighed heavily.

“I don't really know how to deal with children.”

“You're doing great so far, pal. I'm proud of you,” Gemini assured.

“Maybe you want to take her in your arms?” Otto suggested, and P suddenly felt himself tense.

“No, no. I don't want to hurt her.”

“She's such a strong girl, she'll be fine. Come on.”

“No, I prefer not.” 

Otto shrugged and continued entertaining Evie until dinner. Then Mrs. Seymour came down, fed Evie again and spent the afternoon with them, leaving only to put the fussy girl down for a nap and inviting Abigail to the session.

P stood over the cradle with his head tilted slightly to the right, watching the sleeping girl. Evie seemed so terribly delicate, so much so that he was afraid he would hurt her, catch her wrong, squeeze her too tightly with his legion arm. 

He heard quiet footsteps. He looked at the door, noticing Mrs. Seymour. She walked over to the cradle and placed her hand on his shoulder.

“Alice is home from work, you can go to the living room if you want,” she whispered and P lowered his head. “Everything's all right?”

“Yes, it's just new to me.”

“I see.” She looked into the cradle when she heard squeaking. “See, she's waking up.”

She whispered to her, gently scratching the center of her chest. P smiled as she opened those blue eyes of hers, looking at them and yawning at the same time.

P laughed softly.

“Do you want to take her in your arms?”

“Otto already asked about it. I don't want to accidentally hurt her.”

“You have more gentleness than many women. I'll show you, okay?”

He nodded and followed Mrs. Seymour's instructions, realizing after a moment that it wasn't that difficult after all. After a moment, Evie was in P's arms, and he realized that she was not as light and delicate as she looked.

“So you see? You're doing great.” She patted him on the back. “You can entertain her a little. Swing around, make silly faces or sounds, and I'll go get Alice because she has big news for you.”

“For me?” he asked as Mrs. Seymour was already moving towards the door. 

“You'll find out soon,” she said and disappeared down the hall, and P did as Mrs. Seymour said, rocking Evie and trying to make her laugh.

She smiled and reached for his hair, and P felt warm; on the body and chest. After a moment, footsteps sounded in the corridor, and a moment later he felt Alice's hand on his shoulder. She tickled Evie's belly as she greeted her. 

“You're doing pretty well.” She looked at his face. “And another gray streak appeared.” She grabbed a strand of hair that Evie was trying to get at. 

“You're kidding.”

“No.” She giggled. “Put her in the cradle, because I have news for you that you’ll need to sit.”

P nodded and soon waited for Alice to tell him what happened. 

“And so?”

She smiled broadly and took a few breaths.

“We have the green light.”

“What? I don't understand.”

“We will exhibit it Cruel. Vicious. Vengeful. !”

He parted his lips.

“Are you kidding?”

“No! The head agreed.”

He hugged her with joy, and Alice hugged him back, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“You have no idea how happy I am. Congratulations.”

“Thank you.” She pursed her lips, and P noticed that she was smiling strangely. 

“What?”

“Well, I have a proposition for you. I just need to know if you can sing.” She grabbed his hands.

“I don't know, I've never tried, why…”

“I would like you to play Jean-Pierre Interdit.”

He blinked, silent. He had no idea what to say.

“Are you sure?”

She nodded vigorously. 

“I didn't expect… I…”

“Do you agree or not?”

He looked at the door where Mrs. Seymour stood. She winked at him in support.

“Great. I agree.”

Alice squealed happily, falling into his arms again. When P looked at the door again, Mrs. Seymour was no longer there.

[annakie]

Fixing the House Part Ten: Rooms With No View

Part One: I Do Not, In Fact, Have the Power

Part Two: Let’s Spend Lots of Money!

Part Three: All These Things That I’ve Done

Part Four: I Really Want to Stay At My House

A little interlude.

Part Five: Power Down

Part Six: You Will Leave Some Paint

Part Seven: Backwards to go Forwards

Part Eight: Master of Bathrooms

Part Nine: Within a Room, Somewhere.

So we've dove way too deep into the master bedroom and bathroom. Today we're getting through two (or maybe three-ish) rooms, but tbh they're the least exciting rooms so it shouldn't take ridiculous amounts of time and pictures.

*edit* -- I lied. It's long.

THE GUEST ROOM!

Yep, that's an ugly room, with cheap furniture, not long after moving in.

I mentioned before that my first couple of years I had roommates, just to afford the mortgage.

The first roommate I had was only there a couple of months. We… did not hit it off. She was loud and annoying and her boyfriend was always over. I was also not the best roommate and the house was... really not great anyway. Not a good fit for either of us.

Also she did this to the wall. She painted that much, and then stopped, and never started again.

Hey you can see the comparison between the original offwhite and the cream I ended up painting everything there though. Oh also where she DID paint to the ceiling she smooshed the paint on the ceiling.

I got a second roommate and told her I'd paint the room before she got there, she said no, she'd like to paint the room herself.

She was here about two years and never did paint the room, lol. We got along just fine but she worked all night and I worked all day so we didn't see each other much, and she really just stayed in her room and watched TV and interneted in her free time. I tried to drag her out a couple of times to hang out with my friends, to just go to a movie, and she seemed to have a good time but never really initiated much. I wasn't sure if I was annoying her by getting her to have more of a social life but she seemed to really latch onto life here or take initiative to do more.

When she moved out, she moved back home, but we parted well. She left a bunch of stuff here, a few things like a floor fan and some plates I still have.

So then a friend-at-the-time was going to move in. She DID paint the room.

She painted it dark brown on the bottom, THEN a stripe of grey, and THEN aqua on top.

It was, tbh, hideous. I hated it a LOT. Then she never moved in.

I hated this, a lot. But it still took me probably a year or two to repaint it because I didn't want to offend my friend. I shoulda anyway. :p

We had a falling out and I immediately repainted it when I realized I could just stop giving a shit about what she thought, finally.

Why yes, I DO intentionally pick pictures with my cats in them. That's my dearly departed Jim. <3

And hey, the white carpet, right after it went in. Regret.

Yeah this green, called Sanctuary, was a nice, comforting color I really liked, but it was pretty dark. It's been that for the last 15 years or so.

My mom sewed me curtains for the room, too. The problem was… they blocked almost no light out, though I do love them.

That was the state of the room for many years. Mostly empty, but hey, kept pretty tidy since I rarely had people use it. TBH the last time a guest stayed in it was… 2019 even now lol. Mostly my mom had used it when she came to visit before this, but since my parents moved closer, she only stayed in it a couple of times when I was really sick and needed her.

I sometimes call it Fry's room because Fry would use it more than anyone else.

When the new flooring went in in 2019 it got a light makeover with a rug, new bedding, and a few details to make it a little more welcoming to any guests (or, just the one guest who's stayed in it since haha.) I was pretty happy with it.

So! As you had seen the dining room was yellow. But it isn't anymore. Also there was… this.

This painting, by an artist whose work I love (and you've probably seen here on tumblr) Leonid Afremov.

But it really did not work on that wall with the pink... nor would it work with how the room currently is.

So I decided to move the painting to the guest room and theme the entire room around it.

So with that, I set out to find the perfect shade or two of yellowish, that wouldn't be too much like the copper/orange of the master bedroom.

I settled on golden yellow tones, and in a theme that would repeat several other places in the house... same card, different shades.

Yeah, like two tones from this card! This looks great!!

The paints I decided on were sent to Arturo. A few days later I heard they were painting the guest bedroom while I was in a meeting in the living room. An hour or two later I excitedly went to go check, annnnnd....

Oh... Ummm... errrrrrr... well the light color is right! Enjoyable Yellow, the top color on the card above where my thumb is covering the name. And I love it!

But the accent wall... that's not yellow. That is decidedly brown.

For a minute I thought that someone had picked up the Llama Wool paint and painted that color, but it was wasn't. It was a whole new brown called Yarrow.

I called Arturo in and we discussed it and discovered... that when I'd texted him the colors, I'd swapped the two middle numbers in the color. Totally my bad, and I paid directly for the right gallon of paint and part of the guy's time who was doing the painting that day when Arturo went back and picked it up.

TBH, we both really liked the brown, and if it went with the Yellow Painting at all, I would have just kept it that way.

And yes, the room is the new Laundry Mountain. It literally still is, so this next picture is a MESS and I have no energy to go fix that situation yet, like we've discussed. That will come when everything else is done, but there's still a lot to do elsewhere.

The RIGHT COLORS! Olden Amber! And the painting hung on the wall!

It's currently centered over the bed but looking at this picture, maybe that's a mistake. I'll think about it later.

But I absolutely love the colors of the room. Yellow is such a welcoming color, but I wanted it to also be warm now, and the slightly orange yellow does that so well and fits into the autumnal picture so well.

Sorry mom's custom curtains... I slept in this room for over three weeks while renovations were happening and the light coming in in the morning is killer. New blackout curtains were bought and hung with a new curtain rod. The old blinds had long since gotten cut down but the bar that had been holding them up was still there, but now removed.

Of course that's the new window but uhh... you can see the view out of the room though. It's... just the fence now. Before it was the neighbor's backyard and that wasn't much to look at unless their pitbull was outside. But also if the pitbull saw or even heard me it would set off barking and now with the fence it's both a little less noisy and she's not set off as much anymore. The new window helps with that so, so much.

I do have a vague plan to turn that area outside of the Guest Room/Living Room windows into like a mini-garden at some point, when I have money again. Hang or lean some trellis against the fence, or buy fake ivy fencing cover or something, maybe some no-work groundscovering, maybe even a little table and chair set to make it a bit of a secret hangout spot? I just don't have the cash right now, at all.

Back inside!

Like every room, new trim was installed, the closets and doors painted white. New oil-rubbed bronze hardware on the closets -- plus the doors actually open and close/stay on the tracks now whereas they very much did not before! New vent cover, new outlets and light switches and covers. Ceiling fan and doorknobs we've talked about.

All and all its the full room that probably got the least amount of attention AND the one that currently needs the most work done in it. It's very not done yet, but all of Arturo's work is done, and looks just like I wanted it as far as renovations go.

The rest is up to me.

Oh, that poster you're seeing there that you're like why the FUCK would you still have that? was in the closet for the last 10 years or so and it was set out so I could throw it away. It's not there anymore.

This closet btw has been the cats daytime home basically every day since the renovations started. There's a nice space for both of them in one of the corners, floorspace for Pemily and a long but narrow-ish box where Fry perches next to her. Especially since all my dresses and jackets are in that space so they're well tucked away and hidden and happy. They just run in there as soon as workers show up, they want to stay hidden and it's probably pretty quiet in there, too.

One of the guys who is here a lot, Antonio, has a truck that has a beep-beep-beep sound when in reverse, and the cats actually recognize that sound now and make it into the closet on their own when they hear it.

Honestly I think they may just like it in there because sometimes I find them in there days they don't need to be.

Honestly I think they've enjoyed when the workers leave and I call them out, they both prowl around the house finding out What's New. Sometimes I call them over and point out the New Stuff to them, sometimes they find it on their own for thorough investigation. Even more on that later.

OK. That's really about all there is to see here. Let's move on.

The Living Room

Again, my living room is the smallest bedroom of my house.

It wasn't always.

Yes, the "I just moved in and cannot afford anything nice." pic. That computer desk probably was the second nicest thing I owned after my expensive bedroom furniture. And that chair was SUPER GROSS. I threw a sheet over it and still sat on it for a couple of years as a gaming chair. TBH, it was pretty comfortable and was like a $5 goodwill find.

Yeah, see? You can barely tell how gross the chair is!

Only the best stuff $20 in 2004 could offer. And a coat of beige-ish Peacan Sandie paint on the wall.

The second roommate I had, the one I got along with, had a futon that wouldn't fit in her room so it went in the office, just behind my chair there. So that turned the office into the Guest Room for the time she lived with me. I kind of got used to having the futon, so when she moved out she took the frame but not the mattress. I bought a new frame, and have had a futon in there ever since. This was my favorite pic taken on it right after I put it together. Jim and Leela, just hangin' out napping together.

The thing about what-was-the-office is, it's a 10x10 room. It has a tiny vent and was always hot in the summer and cold in the winter.

And I spent like 80% of my waking hours at home in that room.

I didn't really think much about it for a long time, just kept a fan half-in and half-out of the room going on me all summer and a space heater for the winter.

On the other hand, I had a living room that just rarely got used. I was always either in the office or bedroom. Even when I got some pretty nice living room furniture instead of a hand-me-down couch that the cats ruined... just didn't go in there much.

The cats (tbh, just Leela) ruined the really nice set of furniture after a couple of years, too. I talked about my struggles with her in her farewell post.

After a few years, I ended up paying someone to haul the living room furniture away and the room was kinda empty for a few months.

In 2017, when my awesome company (see: The Master Bedroom post) got bought out by the shitty company, and they decided we all had to move to another office, they also decided we'd all sit in shitty cubicles instead of our huge, awesome and expensive desks we absolutely loved at our current office. This is all talked about in excruciating detail here, with some pictures.

They basically told us we could just take our desks and $1000 ergonomic amazing chairs home if we wanted them, otherwise they'd probably just get thrown out.

Almost everyone in Dev came and took their desks, including a lot of people who'd quit in the last few months, and a few people who'd quit years before came and got some.

Of COURSE I wanted mine, but I couldn't really fit this desk with a 9' wingspan in a 10x10' room, with the futon, and TV.

So of course THAT'S when I had the idea to just stop living my life with a living room where it's supposed to be and spending most of my waking hours at home in the smallest room.

I finished cleaning out the "living room" and when my work buddies delivered my desk and chair (and a few other pieces of furniture) to my house, they set it up right by the front door.

The small former office room sat pretty empty for like almost two years, NGL. The room, especially the carpet, was pretty gnarly for awhile and I just shut the door to figure it out "later" because it didn't feel good for anything in its current state.

When a friend decided to visit in 2019 it was time to take action, it was the main reason why the 3 bedrooms got new flooring.

So new flooring went in, the futon and other furniture got rearranged, a few new things bought like a 47" new TV that got wall mounted... and suddenly... holy crap I had a living room!

I got a recliner chair I was SUPER happy with for... about a month. When the "vegan leather" started flaking off.

Mom also made the curtains in this room many years earlier. It was fine when I had computer monitors that were placed facing the same way as the window. Especially since they were an inch or two short. I soon came to realize that the glare against the TV really sucked.

In 2021 during the Great Freeze, this room was where I camped out. I kept warm via candles and nailing a blanket over that window.

I never took that blanket down, until last month. It looked terrible, but it stayed warmer/cooler in the room and no TV glare! Sorry mom. I also covered up the TV console better since that pic, since I chopped the top of it off when the TV got hung.

Honestly, the room really worked for me. I thought about getting a real couch instead of a futon but slapping a memory foam topper over the newer thick futon mattress was pretty comfortable for sitting, laying watching TV, and not bad for sleeping, either.

And hey, also if two people ever come spend the night at my house, the futon means I still have two guest bedrooms! I've done that before, actually, two or three times in the past when a couple of people visited. The room is too small for a sleeper sofa.

It's just worked really well for me, aside from the peeling recliner. Fry loved laying in it, though. I tried getting it out of the room a couple of times but I couldn't get it to fit by myself. It had come in two pieces and I couldn't get it apart, so I endured, just sweeping up the peeling flakes every week or so.

Until last month.

---

There's only one thing about the entire renovation that I'm Actually Mad about and needles me every day.

I picked this Starry Night lightswitch plate up on a trip to Disney with my mom and Aunt my mom paid for. I LOVED that Starry Night lightswitch place. And I do mean loved.

It was just one of my favorite little things in the house.

I didn't even think about it in relation to the rewiring.

When the old lightswitch plates came off... this one disappeared.

I didn't even realize it for a day or two because of the whole AC saga.

When I asked Arturo about it, a Tuesday had came and went, meaning the trash was gone, and my lightswitch plate probably got thrown out in the process.

Like... who the fuck would see this and think it's trash and I wouldn't want it anymore!? It's obviously a custom little thing, not some shitty plain old plate!? Most of the other lightswitch and outlet plates in the house were copper plates, and a lot of them got thrown out, too. They're in great condition despite being 20ish years old... the fuck!?

I mean, I didn't even think to tell Arturo to tell his guys to save the obviously still good and non-shitty plates, but I wouldn't think I would have had to... ESPECIALLY THIS ONE.

I kept hoping it would turn up as I moved stuff around and decluttered... but nope. It's gone. I'll always be a teeny bit pissed about it.

Anyway...

One of the things I paid Arturo for was to fix the cracks and imperfections in the walls and this room probably had it the worst. Part of the drywall was a bit rubbed away from where I would lean against it in my gaming chair (I did get a real office chair a year or two after moving in that I had until moving into the front room), just lots of marks on the wall etc.

So much of that work was needed that eventually I was like ah screw it, let's just repaint that room in full. It was the first non-bathroom room I decided to repaint totally and it cascaded into all the other rooms.

I'd been talking to a friend of mine and she somehow mentioned she liked blue rooms. I knew at that point that the hall bath was getting completely redone so I just went... ya know what... let's make the living room blue.

The color I picked was called Favorite Jeans and I decided that it would be the entire room because I wanted it to feel super cozy.

I also mentioned in the earlier post linked above that I got Arturo to get the flaky recliner OUT. Ah, so much more space.

...except that this room also became the de facto storage room to move stuff to when redoing other rooms. Especially... well... you'll see. Next post probably?

It got worse than this for a bit, too, haha.

Eventually other rooms got put back in order and thus so did the Living Room. It has served as the cats food room since I got to move back into my bedroom, I plan on fixing that maybe this weekend.

So here's the current, mostly done state.

New vent plate (we had to buy 3 to find the right one that fit this weird size), closet doors repainted and stay on the track now, oil rubbed bronze hardware for both doors, door stop, trim installed...

It's still probably the ugliest room in the house, tbh, but it suits me fine. That little side table has bounced around to every room in the house, filling multiple purposes over the years, and its finally back next to the coffee table where it belongs.

And yes, it's also decorated mostly with TAH posters. Even if it's been a few years since it was my everything fandom, it's still great memories and a lot of cool art.

New black blackout curtains for the blackiest blackout and no-glare TV watching. We've talked about the window and view and ceiling fan. Should probably do something to pretty up the futon-couch better but meh.

It's my cozy TV-watching and sometimes Steamdeck (I can cast it to the TV!) or Xbox360 playing hidey hole, and I love it.

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OK just going to hit on The Hallway real quick to wrap this up and finish up with the "Boring" rooms.

It is a hallway. Yep. Hallway.

In the last 21 years it has changed little, except the flooring twice, and the light got swapped to an LED light.

I've posted this one before, but here it was on the first day of the electricity going in. The biggest change to it ever -- a hole cut in the ceiling for easier attic access. There's an access in the garage but because of some weirdness Arturo explained to me and I forgot, it's actually super annoying to use to get to the rest of the house. So they cut a hole in the hallway ceiling.

Annnd here it is, just now.

First real look at the new flooring, which I'll talk about a lot more next post. New trim to go along with the new flooring (next post will also talk about the trim a lot more haha). Doors painted. The first door on the left is the furnace access. New hardware on the linen cupboard at the end there. And Arturo closed and framed the new attic access nicely.

The only bit of trivia I'll add is that it's the ONLY room in the house that is still the same color as before. Silver Trophy. First, because when I decided to actually paint the rest of the house, the hallway had already gotten a full repaint because there was a lot of scraping on the walls due to all of the people walking through, it just needed paint and had gotten dinged up a lot more from all the work. I didn't want Arturo to have to paint it entirely a second time when it was done.

Second, tbh, I really just love the color. It's somewhere right at the intersection of Blue, Silver and Purple. It's a color chameleon. It's nicely neutral and goes with everything. It's the perfect hallway color and I'm glad it's the Same. It anchors the house together and the way it is now anchors the past and the new.

So there it is. A hallway. Not exciting, but refreshed and an added feature of attic access I guess. :)

Okay!

Next time we go to the BIG ROOM. I mean, it's the biggest room in the house, and finally, it's only one room instead of kind of two. So excited to show this one off. :)