#JUST HOW MUCH this fic is. uh. me and my dad. in various sideways ways. (he is not a murderous fantasy emperor.)

[crimeronan]

i am. SO excited for the murdertrauma parts of the princess luz au. BRAINWORMS. I GOT EM. also thanks i found you via owl house stuff and ur blog made me revisit the raven cycle (i fell off just b4 the raven king) and! read the dreamer tril like! oh my god! thanks for the hyperfixation upon hyperfixation!!!!

also i am maybe feeling Some Things about luz calling belos, her Father (her dad!), Belos The Emperor like. even if this rancid man brought this girl up in as much love as he could muster it was STILL was j u s t before people mightve used 'dad' as a familial term and idk. IDK. 'her Father' and 'her Dad' and 'the Emperor' just all! Hit. they hit. camila makes me cry too, for the record. like does luz have ANY memories of the humam realm!! i Weep. thanks!!

OH I'M THRILLED THAT YOU ENJOYED THE DREAMER TRILOGY SO MUCH, TRULY IT'S THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING FOR FUCKED UP CHARACTERS AND HORRIBLE MURDERTRAUMA. MEDIA THAT CHANGED MY BRAIN CHEMISTRY. thank u for sharing!

and i am similarly thrilled about your luz feelings i am crazy and grateful to everyone who's out here being crazy with me.

i had to think pretty hard about how she'd view and refer to belos & the level of formality (or lack thereof, in some aspects) that their relationship has -- it's especially weird because luz has sort of.... segmented her mental image of this AU's belos??? into like two people. one is her dad and would be important to her and kind to her even if he wasn't an all-powerful tyrant. the other is the all-powerful tyrant, who needs to be handled much more carefully. (and she hasn't even dealt with the shit that hunter has!)

it's all. complicated. and mostly bad. girls who had the weirdest possible upbringing and don't even know how weird it was or how to use language to express it.....

thinking about camila in this AU MAKES ME SO SAD. thinking about luz losing her spanish and her cultural heritage ALSO MAKES ME SO SAD. IT MAKES ME WANT TO PUKE. i really don't know concretely how much luz remembers of the human world -- i think she probably remembers camila and manny as human parents who loved her, but kind of.... in the way that you remember childhood dreams, if that makes sense?? she remembers how they Felt. but she wouldn't be able to recognize them on the street anymore :(

[shadoedseptmbr]

20 Questions for fic writers

tagged by @wrathoscribbles Thank you!!! <3

hmm, i am where these things go to die but feel free to tag me if you get the urge to run with it!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

115 uh, doesn't seem like that much, really

2. What’s your total A03 word count?

832,340

3. What fandoms do you write for?

well, let's see- Mass Effect, Dragon Age, MCU (caveat, all my Marvel knowledge goes into anything I write. My Hawkeye is an amalgam of the Clint i grew up with, the Clint from Fraction's run of Hawkeye, and what we were given in the MCU with all the...uh, blatantly weird dad vibes thrown out the window. I really like Laura and the kids but i have no idea what to do with Dad!Clint. He is the least Dad-shaped Avenger and i'm including like, Speedball). I haven't written Buffy or the fandom that shall not be named in literally over a decade but i do have a couple stories for each on my AO3.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

In Cupid's Little Bag of Trix

Fandoms: Thor, The Avengers (2012), MCU by way of every Marvel 'verse M Clint Barton/Darcy Lewis background Natasha/Steve Summary Darcy might have a little crush. And possibly a kink. Look, it's been a long couple of years.

Shelter

Fandoms: Dragon Age 2 E OCf!Hawke/Sebastian Summary In whom do we seek shelter? Sebastian and Hawke, figuring things out over the course of a story. mind the tags, this one goes dark and sideways but ends happy. Written before extreme tagging was a thing.

apodyopis (SO *thirsty* lol)

Fandoms: Thor The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types M Clint Barton/Darcy Lewis voyeurism but not like...no one is actually having sex Clint's just like that

Summary

Clint likes to watch his girl work. Kind of a sequel to Cupid's Little Bag of Trix but can be read alone

Steal Away Home

Fandoms: Dragon Age 2 Explicit Graphic Depictions Of Violence F/M, Multi Work in Progress Sebastian Vael/Hawke (F) Aeryn is a menace Aeryn is also an assassin Child endangerment Panic attacks fantasy PTSD childhood neglect everyone here has issues

Summary Post-game adventure including the reclaiming of Starkhaven. Sequel to Shelter. This one needs tags updated, too. Several panic attacks, several people with control issues, lots of childhood neglect and out right abuse and endangerment. We used to just assume everyone knew that was par for the course with DA but honestly.

anchor the night

Fandoms: Mass Effect Teen And Up Audiences Choose Not To Use Archive Warnings F/M Summary After the date at Apollo’s. After the bit that would fade to black, too. Mind the tags.

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

oh absolutely, fandom is built on the life blood of comments and i've made some of my dearest friends fangirling over each other's fic. Plus, i've never been particularly overwhelmed by comments so it's never been a particular hardship.

6. What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

dolore broke my own heart with that one

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

In Cupid's Little Bag of Trix, probably. Clint and Darcy are a barrel of monkeys and they're both so fucking full of zest.

8. Do you get hate on your fic?

Not that I've ever noticed. I'm fortunate enough to just get readers who want to be chill. i had someone once scold me for being mean to Alec Ryder, lol.

9. Do you write smut?

so much smut- less in Mass Effect, which is mildly hilarious given Aedan's penchants, lol.

10. Do you write crossovers?

Not unless you count the various branchings of Marvel. I don't really get the appeal.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not as far as I know.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

again, not as far as I know

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

I have! I had the high honor of writing Shep/Shep with my buddy @nightmarestudio606 with The End is Where We Begin

14. What‘s your all-time favourite ship?

I sail an armada, lol. I multiship and my favorite varies with what day it is. Right now, Codywan is winning, heh. My favorite to *write* though... Shenko is right up there but Clint/Darcy was so much fun.

15. What’s the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

none of my WIPs are abandoned. I don't know if I'll ever finish Steal Away Home the way i want to, though.

16. What’s your writing strengths?

Dialogue and characterization, I think. Structurally, I have an excellent grasp of nuance when it comes to word choice in a way that lets me say a lot with not much.

17. What’s your writing weaknesses?

I'm not particularly focused and it can take a long time for me to finish work. And I tend to write without outline and that can lead to a wandering, meander of a fic.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

Do it all the time, do my best to make it accurate. I use a smattering of Scots Gaelic for my version of Starkhaven and my source is mostly old books because i like the archaic texture of it. Several of my characters have american south accents and i elide words and use slang and drop g's. '"I am going to the store, mother," she said in her Texas twang' does not read like "Goin' t'the store, ma." and you can't make me believe you don't lose vast amounts of characterization by trying to force it to work. And overly correct dialogue is one of the first reasons i'll drop out of reading fic.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

First written? The Black Stallion (book not movie) First published online? Trixie Belden

20. Favourite fic you’ve ever written?

hard to pick from my favorite children, lol

Cupid's Little Bag of Trix is a (now fairly heavily edited) mess of stream of consciousness that grew a plot from when i was writing quick switch omniscient pov and just expected my readers to figure it out. But i love it. And it remains the biggest boost to my writing ego as ten years after posting, i still get kudos Verge (post Omega DLC) is when i really figured out who Aedan and Kaidan are, together and it manages to wreck me all over again, every time i re-read it.

[slashscowboyboots]

The Blackboard Jungle: All I Want For Christmas Is You (Part 4)

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Izzy tweeted!  And in celebration, here’s the final part of this fic

Tag list @izzysdenimjacket​ @no-stone-no-bone​ @sexcoffeeandrockandroll @awrestlinggirlwholoves80sbands ​ @smokeandmirrorz ​ @sodalitefully ​ @roger-taylors-car ​ @harley-m-rose ​ @whisperess33 ​ @shawolat​ ​ @80snikki @rumoured-whispers

Warnings: the f-bomb, total holiday fluff

You wound your way through the department store, dodging people and wanting to puke from all the Christmas music as you searched for your mother a nice gift.  She was the last one you had to buy for, and you wanted to get her just the perfect thing this year.

I think she has plenty of snow globes, you thought, absentmindedly turning one upside down and watching the glitter float down, then heard someone call your name.

You turned and looked into the grinning face of Miss Peterson, Patti’s third-grade teaching cohort.

“Hiiiii, doll,” she chirped.

“Hello, Cindy, how are you?”

“Oh, I��m just great.  Are you shopping for your boyfriend?”

“My boyfriend?  I don’t-”

“Patti told me all about it.  I mean, well she made a long post on Instagram, how the two of you had been friends for so long, good friends, at least she was to you, and you chose that Jeff Isbell over the happiest day of her life-”

“Did she really?” you snapped.  “Well, since the two of you are so close, please tell her I said, ‘Merry Christmas.’”  And go fuck yourselves, you thought, deciding your mother would enjoy a very nice pair of diamond earrings.

It was unbelievable to you, how you and Jeff were the names on everyone’s lips anymore, especially since it was all so mistaken.  It was heartbreaking how everyone thought you were a couple, when you were simply coworkers who were also close friends.

Of course, you were never able to get him out of your head, especially since the Thanksgiving program.  Your combined classes had first traced their hands and colored their drawings in, decorating their turkey pictures with feathers and googly eyes (you stifled a laugh watching the Harrison twins hungrily eyeing the paste, and snorted when you saw Jeff leaping over a chair with his gangly legs to glue their turkey eyes down himself) and enjoying their lunches together.

He had excused himself during the break, and you paused while eating your sandwich, thinking about how really good he was as a teacher, how he never once talked down to the kids or lost his patience with them.  He always had time to listen to them, hanging onto their every word.

And they loved him in return, every single one of them showing them their turkeys the second they finished them, and the amount of praise he heaped on their artwork made you smile.

Putting away your lunch bag with a sigh, you looked up just in time to see a six foot tall turkey, complete with wattles, standing in the doorway of your classroom.  His tail feathers were so impressive he had to turn sideways just to make it through the doorway.

The children erupted in cheers, and Mr. Isbell strode in and fanned his plumage to their great delight, then announced that if they all quieted down, he would read to them, “Bear Gives Thanks.”  After he closed the book, he asked them what they all were thankful for.

He got various answers, from “my new puppy” to “my dad got a new job.”  But the one that stood out the most was from Cicely Brown.  She raised her hand and said in a quiet voice, “Mr. Isbell, I’m thankful for a teacher like you.”

Tears pooled in his eyes, and you heard a catch in his voice when he whispered, “Thank you.”  He turned around (well, awkwardly walked in a circle to turn around) to you and asked, “Miss Y/L/N, what are you thankful for?”

“Hmmm.  I’m thankful for friends.  And I’m thankful for every person that’s in this room.”

His eyes met yours, his smoldering gaze still able to buckle your knees.  “Me too.”

“But I don’t want to be an elf.”

“Oh, c’mon, Y/N, I went and got an elf costume just for you.  Where’s your Christmas spirit?”

You put your hands on your hips and pouted.  “I have plenty of Christmas spirit.  Why can’t I be Mrs. Claus?”

“Because she doesn’t hand out candy canes.  She stays home and entertains strange men while Santa works all night.”

“Oh, she does not!”  You smacked Jeff’s arm, shaking your head.  He really was going to talk you into this getup, wasn’t he?”

You took it from him and he said, “Hurry up and get changed.  I need you to help me put on the Santa suit.”

“Why do you need help?” you called from the coatroom, pulling your green and red striped tights on.

“Because I make a skinny Santa, and I have to hold the belly while you button the jacket.”

When you came out, he had already changed into his Santa pants and boots and was sitting at your desk expectantly holding a pillow over his chest and stomach.

“Jeff, you really should eat more if you want to wear this suit,” you laughed, buttoning the buttons over his padded belly.

He made a face, and you said, “What?”

“Nobody calls me Jeff except for my mom.”

“What do they call you?” you asked, puzzled.

“Izzy.  Or Iz, if you’re into the whole brevity thing.”  He buckled his belt as all the wind left you, then he slapped your elf hat onto your head.  Flicking the bell to make it jingle, he said, “C’mon, Sugar Cookie, let’s make a bunch of little people happy.”

It was entirely possible that you wished all the students a Joyous Holiday and handed them a candy cane after they visited with Santa.  You had no idea if you actually did, the earth had screamed to a halt after you’d heard Jef-uh, Izzy’s admission.

After all the pupils had left, he shot you a delighted grin, then furrowed his eyebrows at you.  “Hey, are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” you said softly.  “I’m….hot.”

“Me too.  Let’s get changed and go back to the party.”

Although you were dazed, you flung your elf costume off in record time, exiting the coatroom in time to see Izzy unbutton his Santa jacket and toss aside his pillow.  He slumped in your chair clad in a white undershirt, slinging an arm against his forehead to wipe off the sweat, and when he dropped it down beside him you could see a tattoo just below his elbow.

Without thinking, you walked over to him and picked up his wrist.  Written in delicate script high on his inner forearm was desperadosdreams.

He tried to pull away from you, then he noticed you gasping for air with tears in your eyes. “Does that make sense to you?” he asked quietly.

You nodded, then pressed your lips to his, leaning down and throwing your arms around his neck.  When you pulled away for a breath, you looked into his eyes, then pushed the sleeve of your shirt up and extended your arm.

“Does that say IZ?” he asked in a halting voice, and you nodded again, then climbed onto his lap for another passionate kiss.  You carded your fingers through his hair as his lips traveled down the front of your throat, then he rubbed his nose against yours as you heard PJ Jones say, “I saw Miss Teacher kissing Santa Claus.  And he liked it!”

“Hi, Ian!” you smiled, holding up your ring finger.

“Hi!” he grinned.  “Ooh, that’s nice!  Congratulations!”

You held your phone toward Izzy.  “Ian, this is Izzy.”

“Oh, shit, he’s cute,” Sia said.  “Hi, Sexy!”

“Izzy, this is Sia.  She’s Ian’s fiancee.”

“Well……” she said, then they both held up their ring fingers.

“Omigosh!  You guys got married?!” you exclaimed.

“Yes!  I had to promote ‘Sharknado’ at the MGM Grand, and well, since we were in Vegas, we-”

Sia interrupted, “We found this Elvis impersonator, and it was so tacky and cool, I couldn’t have asked for a better wedding.”

“Congratulations!  Can you guys come to ours?”

“When is it?” Ian asked, with Sia hollering “Hell yeah!” in the background. 

“Next spring.  We don’t want to wait that long.”  You leaned over and pecked Izzy on the lips.  “We’ve waited our whole lives to find each other, we want our married life to begin as soon as possible.”

Thank you so much for being a part of this fic!  Because of wedding plans and moving and all that good jazz, I won’t be writing fics online anymore, but I will never forget how wonderful it was to have all your support.  Love you always, desperadosdreams

“I do,” you said.

“You bet I do,” Blaze said, sliding your beautiful wedding band on your finger.

“Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife.  Blaze, kiss your bride,”

He swept you in his strong arms, spinning you around, then dipped you and kissed you hard, the first kiss of the rest of your lives, as the fiery red sun sank in the horizon behind the two of you.

Now it was time for the two of you to begin your lives together, and dream as one.   And as he kissed you again, you knew you’d found forever, and he had been worth waiting for.

[the-fixation-zone]

and here it is...chapter 2 of The Boys Crack Open a Cold One, the fic I’m writing with @queenspinoodle​! art by my co-writer will be included in this one, as it was in the last. comments appreciated :)

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

The next day, Zucchini is inscribing fresh runes on his hands when Sock enters his tent.

“Knock, knock!” Sock says cheerfully. Zucchini grunts back. “Not a morning person, huh? Well, luckily for you it’s just past noon. Busy?”

“Little bit,” Zucchini says, finishing up the rune over his left hand. The last part’s always the trickiest, and he needs his full concentration. Almost got it…

“I think we should get to know each other a little better.”

Shit! Sock’s statement surprised Zucchini enough that his brush slid sideways, ruining the entire picture. He sighs, getting up to wash the ink off his hands. He’ll have to try again later. 

“Yeah? What makes you say that?”

“Well, we’ll be working together, right? So we probably shouldn’t be at each other’s throats in front of a bad guy. It’s not a good look.”

Zucchini hums, dipping his hands in the cool water of the basin in the corner of his room. “Sure, makes sense. What did you have in mind?”

What Sock had in mind was a trip into town. Sock loves the circus and the people in it, but he loves being out and about more. The sights and smells of the city always warm his heart. A glance over at Zucchini and he quickly realizes that this is not a universal feeling.  His companion has a wary look in his eyes, as if he’s expecting to be robbed at any moment. Zucchini walks stiffly, careful not to touch anyone he passes. Sock tries his best not to roll his eyes. They walk in silence and, after a few minutes, the silence turns...awkward. Sock twiddles his thumbs, suddenly unsure what to do with his arms. 

Zucchini, feeling the change, grows more uncomfortable. It’s not his fault he doesn’t get out much! It’s just easier to stay home reading or practicing his rune work. And, besides, it’s not like he has any friends he’d go into town with. Sock is the popular one. The longer they walk, the more both men feel as though going out may have been a mistake. However, still determined to salvage this outing, Sock finally speaks.

"Um, so do you like… food?" Not the most original conversation starter, but anything is better than the vacuum they’re traveling in.

Zucchini seems to agree. “Yeah! Uh, I mean yes, I like food. I’ll eat anything. Well, not anything with coconut. Or too much sugar. But, yeah, I, uh, eat.” 

"Oh. Do you want to get food?" 

“Sure, that sounds good. Do you have somewhere in mind?” 

Sock, not expecting to get this far, immediately blanks on every place he’s ever eaten. Food? What is food? 

“Uh, Sock? Earth to Sock, you good?”

Sock quickly looks around and notices a vendor selling kabobs. "How about kabobs?" He smiles and tries to seem like he knows what he's doing. He thinks he does pretty good.

“A kabob would be nice, yeah. Which one should I get? I don’t think I’ve had one before.” 

He's never had a kabob? Does this guy do anything outside of practice? Sock gives him a weird look out of the side of his eye and says, "I think the beef ones are the best."

Zucchini doesn’t notice, already walking towards the vendor. “I’ll take your word for it.” To the vendor he says, “One beef kabob, please.” Then he turns back to Sock. “And you? What’ll you have?”

"I'll take a beef one, too." He takes his from the vendor and searches his pockets for enough change to pay for both. Surprised, Zucchini gives Sock a grateful smile. Sock shrugs, the vendor thanks them, and they head off again.

Zucchini takes a bite of his kabob and finds it’s pretty good. Not what he expected, but nice. He realizes Sock made the last attempt at conversation and decides the ball’s in his court. “So…” Zucchini starts, “how did you get into trapeze work?”

Sock pulls a piece of meat off his kabob with his teeth, chewing for a bit as he thinks of his answer. "I learned many of the basics at a young age while being taught to hunt. It wasn't that hard to put it all together for the trapeze." He remembers times when he was learning to hunt, climbing trees to get a vantage point with his father behind him, whispering guidance. It was a happy memory, once.  "Sometimes the best way to catch an animal is to hide where it least expects you. Usually that’s up a tree. What about you?" 

“Well, back when I was living with my dad, I used to like to get away. More like escape, if I’m being honest.” He gives a little laugh. It doesn’t sound happy. “I’d go up to the roof just to be alone and I realized if I crawled across clotheslines, I could get to the roof next door. It was terrifying at first but, like, kind of liberating? I could go anywhere on those clotheslines and no one could stop me. The juggling was different, though. My mom and I used to play catch with things in the kitchen, eggs, butter, just to have some fun while we were cooking together. I liked to show off for her, show her how many things I could catch at once. It sort of spiraled from there.” He smiles thinking about it. “Kind of silly, huh?”

"Nah, it's neat. When did you learn fire manipulation?"

“Oh. You could say it’s a... family tradition. My dad’s really good and he taught me.” Zucchini’s tone turns unquestionably sour.

Sock picks up on the mood change and decides to drop the topic. He looks around for something new to talk about when he notices they're passing by a street lined with clothing stores. He loves shopping for clothes and other material things, though he'd rarely admit it. It isn’t the most masculine thing to be into, and he doesn’t want to face any more ridicule than he has in the past. Besides, he’s already spent most of his money on those kabobs. He does slow down a bit to see if Zucchini is interested, though.

Zucchini notices Sock slowing down and turns to look down the street. “Oh, hey, you wanna go clothes shopping? I think I need some new outfits for my act. And…” he looks around subtly, “maybe we can think about costumes? You know, for crime fighting?”

"Oh, sure! Right, right, costumes." Sock heads to the first shop that doesn’t seem overly feminine.

Zucchini follows him in, looking around. “So, uh, weapons shop huh? Not exactly what I had in mind, but I guess we need something other than nets, don’t we?”

"Yeah, uh, we don't know what kind of people are out there, you know? Gotta keep ourselves safe."

“Right, right,” Zucchini replies, nodding.

Sock examines the various types of weapons they have. He used to have weapons of his own, but he had sold them a few years ago to afford food for himself and his sister. Now that they're in the circus, they no longer need to worry about their next meal. Not that that stopped him. 

Trying to shake the memory, Sock wanders the store. They have many large weapons, like axes and swords and maces, but Sock isn't a big fan of heavy weaponry, nor is he trained to use them. They do have a decent selection of knives and daggers, though. He gravitates towards them, thinking of the knife he has already. It’s old and in bad shape. Really, it’s a wonder it had even cut through that rope the night before.

Zucchini wanders around as well, thinking about what weapon he might like to use. He’d learned sword fighting when he was a kid, but it’s been a while since he’s touched one. Looking around, he finds a pair of swords that look exactly like the ones his dad had in the house. He walks over, staring at them but not picking them up. As he views them, the shopkeeper comes by.

“Ah, I see we have a gentleman with discerning taste! These are my finest swords, handcrafted by the famous Yoshi Hoshi two years ago. Visitors come by often to admire them, but it seems few people have the skill to use them properly!”

“Huh. They do look nice.”

The shopkeeper gives him a conspiratorial look. “Would you like to try them?”

“Oh! I, uh, I couldn’t, I’m just--”

“Go on! No harm in holding them, young man, go right ahead!” The shopkeeper gives him a hearty slap on the back, causing Zucchini to stagger. He quickly rights his balance, hoping he wasn’t too obvious. He takes another moment to look at the swords before he brings them down from their mount.

As soon as they’re in his hands, he knows these are the ones. He holds them together then separates them, taking a step back before giving them each a swing. Marvelous. They fit in his hands like they were meant for him, and the weight of each is perfect. He can feel the shopkeeper’s excitement next to him and is regretful when he puts them back. 

“I’m sorry, I can’t pay for them right now...but I’ll be back. I’ll definitely be back.” Zucchini walks over to where Sock is, his mind still on the swords. “Any luck? Or should we move on?” 

Sock really wants to get at least one of the knives, but after buying the kabobs he only has a few copper pieces left. Too embarrassed to tell Zucchini that, he says, "they have a lot out of stock right now. Maybe I'll check back later."

“Alright. When you come back, I’ll join you. Let’s look for some costumes for now.” Zucchini walks out of the shop and looks around for a clothes vendor. Seeing something suitable, he walks in, Sock following right behind him. 

The moment Sock walks in, he’s overwhelmed by the store’s selection of clothes from all over. Before he can get carried away, he reminds himself that he's only here to find an outfit to fight in. Hopefully a cheap one. He browses the racks, finding many dark clothing articles, perfect for sneaking around at night. He picks some at random, pulling out a black sleeveless shirt and a pair of fairly loose pants. They are low quality and flimsily made, but they’re extremely cheap and he can easily mend the seams back at his tent. 

Zucchini isn’t sure what he wants yet, so he looks around waiting for something to jump out at him. He touches the fabric, thinking about what might feel good when running around after criminals (or, possibly, saving people at the 11th hour…). Finally, he finds a turtleneck in black and some lightweight cotton pants that look like they’d just about fit. “Hey, Sock? Should we get something to cover our faces, too?”

Sock thinks about that for a moment. "I think I already have something we can use."

“You do?” Zucchini is surprised, but not that surprised. He’s always pegged Sock as a theatrical person.

The shopkeeper, who is hovering nearby to assist, starts giving them weird looks. Sock notices and makes a face at Zucchini. "I'll show you when we get back." He approaches the shopkeeper with a smile, trying to look as innocent as possible.

“Oh, right. Got it.” Zucchini follows Sock to pay for his choices as well.

After paying, Sock leaves the store feeling good about having something to fight in other than civilian clothes or circus garb. He has a pair of boots at home he can wear with his new outfit, and a few masks stashed under his cot to hide their identities. It may not be the best costume, but he figures it’s alright for just starting out. 

Zucchini is also pleased with what he bought but isn’t quite ready to go home. “So, uh. You wanna look around some more? We don’t have to buy anything but, well, the day’s still young, right?” 

"Uh, yeah, sure." Sock starts off in the direction of the next store when something catches his eye. Plastered to the wall of one of the shops is a picture. He peels it off the wall to read it.

“Whatcha got there?” Zucchini asks, trying to look over Socks’ shoulder

Sock grins. "Wanted poster. Looks like we've found our first job."