#detective beignet

[kovopedia]

MV/MS Gartic Phone nonsense, featuring...

@magicwindsock, @normiconjun99, @heliosphere8, @martyychan, @voidalexis, @sailorsnightmare, dare2bbanned, and erythrosights!

[creedexa]

I thought Abalon fit wayyyy too well with the red flags thumbnail so I had to draw it. And the detective is here because why not.

[sims-half-crazy]

In Memoriam of Francis Edward Gosnoll 1925 - 1997

Francis "Frank" Gosnoll was the second son born to Gordon Gosnoll and Evie Delgato. He had a twin brother, Everett, who he was quite close to until Everett's untimely death at the age of 8. Frank's childhood was shaped by the loss of his twin brother, but also by that of his stepmother, Lena. Lena doted upon him from the moment that she and Gordon became a couple. Frank learned responsibility and duty from his parents and joined the fight against Germany in WWII. Surviving the war, he came home and immediately joined the Del Sol Valley police department, where he remained until his retirement. His career spanned decades and he was a decorated detective within the force. His methods helped shape the department into what it is today.

Frank met his wife, Jacklyn, while on duty and he often said that it was the luckiest day of his life. He and Jacklyn lived in Del Sol Valley their entire marriage but often vacationed in New Orleans, which became their home away from home. Frank could often be found with a mug of hot chicory coffee and a fresh beignet while reading the paper.

Frank was preceded in death by his parents, Gordon and Lena Gosnoll; his twin brother, Everett; his younger brother; Pvt. Thomas Gosnoll; and his wife, Jacklyn. He is survived by his brother, Norman Gosnoll, and numerous nieces, grandnieces, and grandnephews.

[delugedecade]

Scooby Doo on Zombie Island

forcefully review as watched by Deluge

spoilers, obviously, but then again, I'm the one watching it for the first time.

Wait so it was this movie that gave evidence on what the fuck Fred was wearing in that one tumblr post?

Of course it's a real estate agent

Shaggy and Scooby are airport security? Wild

The Ghost is Here pretty banging

What the fuck is a beignet? Oh pastry

You Americans call sandwiches some really weird names. Po' Boy? Really?

It's until now that I realize the Mystery Van looks different. less flat on the front.

Daphne's inner Sappho with Velma levitating and her saying it gets better and better.

It's a still frame, why in fuck is it flashing on the camera like it's still rolling? Also god damn, didn't know old school recorders could sharpen and darken images.

All those other times they could have gone up and out of the hole, they didn't go the short end. lol. also, very square like hole

They really are making the joke on how cartoon characters wear the same thing over and over again.

Geez, they're really hammering in the Fred Daphne tension

Those new zombies look awfully touristy... Hmmmm

The zombie helping as a clue

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm voodoo dolls

GASP It's Lena and Simone!

Oh god, that's a pretty ugly transformation, fitting i suppose

Scooby asking about Dog? Where? is getting kinda annoying. But if I remember from Mystery Incorporated, Scoob's like, an alien or something.

And they're all dead.

Huh, Gardner is a detective.

Them cats are always up to something.

Hmmm. No man in a costume for the main monster. Straight up supernatural shit.

Pretty good. Solid twist with it being voodoo and cat god magic.

8/10

@submissiveking99 @tokufan400 @freeusemuses @ofdarkestdesires

[laura-the-yellow-cat]

MSA X Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island Chapter 20: The rest of the gang is discovered that police have not found the cases, Gardeners are Detectives and undercover investigating the island/They are leaving the island with their own luggages and packages, rest of the gang with their own pets are picked peppers to a basket of peppers and getting back to ferry/Dogs are noticed that Cats and Kitsunes in Dogs forms have their own owners have died and homeless and become loved adopted family

Daphne: I can't believe all this. And without our videotape no one else will, either. I've got nothing for my show.

Me (Laura): Yeah, and the police will never believe this story either

Beau: Don't be so sure. I'm Detective Beau Neville

Ralph: and I'm Detective Ralph, We been working undercover investigating the island disappearances

Velma: Jinkies! So that's why you were digging around

Starla: Beau, um, Detective Neville have you ever been on TV?

Beau picks up Simone's necklace. Daphne bends her knees down to offer Beau a resolution a full interview story for Daphne's season premiere episode. Ralph picks up Icy's necklace. Starla tells him that story.

After having a very long night being chased by zombies and only got their lifeforces drained by evil were-cats and were-kitsunes, they spent the night at the house until early morning. Vera has developed an idea of what to do about the house and the pepper fields--convincing Lewinn to open a business by making Moonscar Island Pepper hot sauce and selling to the New Orleans local.

Landon loves the business idea and decides to immediately start on the project, since he is an ultimate food-lover, especially if it's spicy food. But first, he's got a big performance at the Mardi Gras Parade, so he ask them to take him down there before the day's out.

Daphne: You know, Fred, with all the zombies and cat creatures gone, this is a pretty romantic spot

Fred: Yeah, The bayou casts a spell all its own, and no matter how hard you try to solve its mysteries it always keeps something hidden

Marco: Starla, will you be my wife?

Starla: My answer is "Yes" **kisses Marco**

Mystery Gangs will be driving the two ferries back to New Orleans and Vera awaits the others to get on aboard. While she's waiting, she sees Fred and Daphne standing side to side watching the sunrise. Beau was talking Velma into becoming a writer for detective stories and coincidence - Velma owns a mystery book store. Ralph talking to Marco becomes Mystery Bookstore.

Velma: Aw, that was beautiful, Detective Neville. There's a bit of a poet in you

Beau: **chuckles** I don't know about that, ma'am. But I would like to write detective stories someday

Velma: Jinkies! I've always been crazy about a good detective story, that is.

Beau: I even own my own mystery bookstore

Velma: No kidding

Trixie: Muffet, I made something for u

Muffet: Hm?

Trixie: I made this ragdoll and i call her "Mabel"

Muffet: **gasp, was happy and holds Mabel the Ragdoll** Thanks, Grandma

Claude: **cute bark**

Aaron drives the van aboard the ferry and the others are waiting for the Mystery Vans to pull up. While they were waiting, Vicki started the fun.

Everyone has a batch of beignets when they reach New Orleans.

Shaggy drives the Mystery Van into the ferry. Velma checks inside and didn't see Scooby.

Velma: Where’s Scooby?

Shaggy: He's picking a pack of peppers, for the road. Hurry up, Scoob! We're pulling out!

Scooby: Rokay!

Scooby shouted back as he picks out his last pepper. Bart goes back to the captain's deck and starts driving the ferry back to New Orleans. Scooby makes an attempts to jump to the ferry when his leg got caught. He struggles to pull it off and then he flies up in the air, causing Snakebite Scruggs to lose his chance of finally catching Big Mona.

Scooby safely lands on deck and Shaggy gives him a sandwich. Scooby gives a generous amount of peppers inside his sandwich. Before he got to enjoy it, he became surrounded by Simone's cats and Icy's kitsunes in dogs, who are now homeless and will later be adopted into loving families. This freaks Scooby out.

**they are going to the Ferries boat ship, with cats and kitsunes**

Scooby: Rhaggy! Rats and Kitsunes! Yikes!

----

After the credits, Scooby rips the black screen. He puts milk in the bowl of milk for the two cats are drink. Jaxson puts dog foods in bowls for the two kitsunes in dogs are eat. Scooby and Jaxson are happy.

**The End**

My MSA OCS and My New MSA OCS belongs to Me

Her MSA OCS and Her New MSA OCS belongs to @sfcabanasstarcgs and @mysteryideasgroup

Scooby Doo belongs to Cartoon Networks and Warner Bros

for @sfcabanasstarcgs and @mysteryideasgroup

[taylorkellyreporting]

i hope no one minds if i liveblog this bitch: curious caterer: dying for chocolate

so, i’ve seen parts of the first two movies and i do know who the killer is in this one but i’ve never fully watched either of them so i thought it’d be fun to liveblog all 3!!

off topic but nikki is so beautiful

not biscuits 😭

i wonder if laura still would’ve died if brad hadn’t interrupted her when she was trying to talk to goldie about what was going on

brad, she’s just not that into you

or maybe she is, since she just asked him out? lmao

“marla!” “that is exactly what these shortbread said when i walked in. they went ‘marla.’ they called my name and now we’re in love.” “well, as long as the beignets weren’t talking to you. archie dennison is already in a committed relationship with them.” “ooh, i wonder if adele knows? maybe she’ll catch him in the act with the beignets.” i love them 😭😭

i love that goldie and richard have such a good relationship, it’s way better than when the ex husband is an asshole

tom was such a jerk in the beginning 😭

so glad goldie and brad didn’t end up together, nikki and antonio have zero chemistry

owen comforting goldie and telling her to let him know if he can help with laura’s funeral like he didn’t kill her

i wonder if laura was having an affair with archie or if she was helping julian

mason is so scared of tom, it’s hilarious

“well, you were definitely trespassing this time.” “you gonna arrest me?” “don’t tempt me.” that was so flirty???

“i was just in surgery and handed over the scalpel.” goldie’s face was priceless 😭

“detective. did you come to arrest me?” “i’m beginning to think you wanna be arrested.” she just really wants him to put her in handcuffs

OH SHIT, BRAD WAS LAURA’S EX?

goldie’s face when marla told her laura and brad were together is sending me so bad

“brad and i are having dinner.” “…oh.” not his voice going up like two octaves 😭 my guy is jealous

“maybe you could be there, too.” i don’t think he’s interested in being a third

“i should bring a date.” the way he said it…he was trying to make her jealous, too lmao

mason is so adorable

“i imagined an affair.” “did you imagine the same thing with your first husband?” dfkgkd

“i used to have a major crush on goldie when she was my babysitter.” “really?” “she used to bring me delicious treats in mason jars. thought she had the jars specifically made for me.” LMAO. tom is trying so hard not to laugh 😭

woah, brad was gonna propose

i did not know they entertained the idea of marla being the killer

“i’m surprised you lasted three years” lmaooo goldie’s so shady

owen is insane

“i was closer.” i love goldie

can’t wait for them to go canon 🫶🏼

fucking mason 😭

this was a solid introduction but so far, the sequel is still my favorite!!

[theultrablog]

Pulp Storytime #40: The B-Team! Part 1

There was no need to execute prisoners; troublemakers would die soon anyway. They all would. We start with Lala arriving with lawyer Tacito Uriel Velasco at H&M Wakefield prison in England. The characters are paroled, facing trial in a few months because of their tertiary culpability in bringing William the Conqueror to England. Devika whines that the pillows were lumpy and they didn’t even have third helpings. This is the worst prison in the world. No adventure this week, vacation time. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world… Detective JP Diamond, ‘Big Man’ Adonis Carcetti, and Whistlin' Inquo were in the exercise yard of Devil's Island. On the way to help their escape was Trudy Truman, ace reporter. This week featured the B team! The players selected their favorite minor characters from previous sessions. JP was the PI-turned-zombie from "Beignet, Done That." Adonis was one of Baltimore’s crime lords from "The Demise of Dr. Enigma". Trudy was Florence’s constantly kidnapped girlfriend, and Inquo was Atlantean royalty turned hobo, who had joined the team on the "Race for the Electric Orb!". Each character was expanded; JP was a southern gentleman, gangly and willing to dig into any mystery, including his own death. Big man was not just a gang leader, but a utopian philosopher who ran a health food restaurant in addition to his gym. Trudy was a former rich girl, and basically immune to criticism from strangers. Anyway, prison was hell. Luckily, the party was extremely hardy. The real Devil’s Island had a mortality rate north of 70%, with heat exhaustion, tropical disease and squalor earning it the nickname “the dry guillotine”. Inquo decided to scan the yard for a fixer, discovering Dormand, a fellow Atlantean. Adonis quickly whipped up a gang, was thrown into the hole, and used his fellow inmates as stepping stones while he bent the bars. Patience, charm, burglary and muscle were all vital in arranging the escape. Trudy had arranged a fishing boat and new, false documentation. But even with Inquo and his new pal sabotaging a patrol boat, the group barely escaped! Trudy drove at ludicrous speed, crashing the boat into the jungle. After a series of haircuts and new outfits, the group made their way back to Baltimore… To find out who had sent them to prison in the first place! Trouble reared its head quickly. A routine dinner at the big man’s ‘health food restaurant’ was interrupted by an addled college student. He entered normally, then pulled out a piece and plugged one of Garc’s best lieutenants! Before anyone could react, he turned the pistol on himself. Horrifying. Now, JP Diamond is the best investigator our campaign has ever seen. He rolled a +7 and +8 on his two rolls, unraveling the mystery at will. The shooter had old tickets stubs for a local hypnotist. Another similar slaying at a boxing arena confirmed the group's suspicions: someone was committing hypnotic murders! At the hypnotist’s venue, the group ran into some old friends. Bebe was there, eager for stage time, being told that the hypnotists had booked out the rest of the month. In the showroom, Devika was arguing that she deserved a refund because “you couldn’t even hypnotize me.” Yes, the gang was relaxing from their British prison sentence by crashing with Dr. Enigma at his mansion! A highlight of the session was Devika interacting with every member of the B Team. Trudy she loved, Adonis she was scared of (being a crime boss who had flirted with her mother), JP she barely remembered but sensed his mystical essence… and Inquo she just said hi to...

[hauntedeaglepizza]

Experience the Diverse Celebrations and Traditions of the United States Via Cultural Festivals and Events.

Experience the Diverse Celebrations and Traditions of the United States Via Cultural Festivals and Events.

Hey there, event people and culture enthusiasts! Are you ready to immerse yourselves in the vivid tapestry of cultures that comprise the USA? Obtain your dancing shoes on, wear your celebration attire, and let's dive into a speedy of excitement as we check out a few of one of the most vibrant and varied social celebrations and occasions throughout this terrific nation! From music and dancing to food and practices, these parties promise a banquet for the detects and remarkable experiences. So, mark your calendars, load your adventurous spirit, and allow the cultural celebrations begin!

Mardi Gras - New Orleans, Louisiana

First off, we're heading down to the Big Easy for the world-famous Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans, Louisiana. Get ready to allow the good times roll as you submerse yourself in the fun, songs, and vibrant shades of this famous event.

Sign up with the dynamic ceremonies full of elaborately decorated floats, marching bands, and costumed revelers throwing grains and ornaments to the crowd. Indulge in standard Creole food, from hot best places to go during winter in usa gumbo to freshly fried beignets, and dance to the alluring rhythms of jazz and zydeco songs.

See to it you seize the day to find the distinguished French Quarter, where the streets are full of masquerade balls, performers, and lively dancing occasions. Mardi Gras is a cultural event providing an abundance of aesthetic, acoustic, and gustatory experiences-- a party that will leave a long-term impression on you!

The annual hot air balloon occasion in Albuquerque, New Mexico is called the Albuquerque International Balloon Feast.

Start the following part of our cultural expedition at the stunning Albuquerque International Balloon Carnival in New Mexico. This occasion is a captivating display of vivid shades, creative designs, and thrilling experiences high up overhead! Prepare to be amazed as numerous hot air balloons soar right into the air, producing a mesmerizing phenomenon.

Enjoy as the dawn sky fills with a kaleidoscope of vivid balloons of all shapes and sizes, from whimsical characters to conventional designs. Join in the enjoyment of mass risings, where the balloons rise beautifully into the air versus the background of the stunning Sandia Hills.

For a genuinely enchanting experience, take a ride in a hot air balloon yourself and overlook the sensational New Mexico landscape. And as evening drops, don't miss out on the thrilling radiance of the balloons during the evening "Glowdeo," where the balloons brighten the evening sky like large lights.

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is a celebration of creativity, appeal, and the pleasure of flight-- a must-see occasion that will leave you out of breath with wonder!

Dia de los Muertos - Los Angeles, California

In Los Angeles, The Golden State, we're delving into the exciting customs and fantastic tones of Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, a cherished Mexican holiday that commemorates the deceased with striking altars, dynamic ceremonies, and joyful commemorations of life.

Sign up with the cheery parades loaded with elaborately embellished drifts, dancers in dynamic outfits, and typical songs that fills up the air with energy and delight. Explore the intricate altars adorned with marigolds, sugar skulls, and photos of enjoyed ones, commemora

[gyupremacy]

i've been good, thank you for checking up on me too <3 omggg i love beignets, i hope they were just as tasty as they seem from princess and the frog! it was so much fun, i genuinely enjoyed seeing everything and missed my friends :') that lovely angel seems to be quite the detective huh? 🧐

-🐯

They were delicious. A few had nutella in them, but it didn't taste right, but overall, they were good! That lovely angel is a detective... an unhinged one 💀

[alastors-radioshow]

The stag neatly folded his hands on the tabletop, crimson orbs studying the other. Alastor was a hard man to read. One never really knew what was behind that smile of his. Not unless one truly knew him and could recognize his mood. At the moment, he was simply observing. Calmly. Calculating whether or not Lucifer was a threat to him.

So far, he didn't detect any hostile behavior. Alastor was a firm believer in matching energies. If he was being treated respectfully, he would be respectful in return.

"I cannot recall much of my mortal existence, Your Highness. So I am not certain if anything had a certain difficulty for me then. Ah, but I have burnt my hands several times when making beignets. One has to pay attention to the frying process, after all~"

@sinnerxroulette (Lucifer) "I tried it for fun but....uh...Hey?~"

Are You Alastor’s Type?

"Goodness gracious! Out of every, possible scenario I could have possibly thought up, I would have never imagined that I would even have anything remotely in common with you, Your Highness. Nor did I even consider myself to be your type~ Color me surprised~"

[hydroacidcat]

old draw of me hangin w/ my favs

[illiana-mystery]

iliana-mystery story masterlist

Dafoeverse Characters

Gas (eXistenZ)

Faulty Spark Plugs

Get Your Kicks on Route 66

John Geiger (Speed 2: Cruise Control)

Prisoner of Love

Standing Ovation

Edward Blackridge (A Family Man)

Sugar Baby

Playing House

Max Schreck (Shadow of the Vampire)

The Vampire's Jewel

Alan Ward (Mississippi Burning)

Ease My Mind

Jumping the Broom

Bobby Hicks (The Florida Project)

He Won't Hurt You

One Thumb Down

Sergeant Elias Grodin (Platoon)

Reunited

Norman Osborn (Spider-Man)

Cloud 9

Chasing Foxy

Cat Got Your Tongue?

Saltzburg Keitel (Asteroid City)

Space Oddity

J.G. Jopling, Esq. (The Grand Budapest Hotel)

The Art of Seduction

Lionel Pembrooke (Saving Norman)

Delivery for Mr. Pembrooke

Lionel "Elvis" Cormac (Daybreakers)

Bloodlust

Jeffrey Hunt (The Hitch-Hiker)

Devotion

Bud Carter (Bad Country)

Love and Beignets

Nuidis Vulko (Aquaman)

Gills and Tails

Axel Heyst (Victory)

Break of Dawn

Leonhard Seppala (Togo)

Snow Angel

Rolfe Whitehouse (Affliction)

Light Rayne

Wolf Jackson (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice)

Hot and Cold

Yolked!

Mister Officer

Aftershave

Arnold Mack (The Clearing)

A Decent Proposal

Joe Cribbens (Dead for a Dollar)

Ungrateful

Freed

Coveted (feat. Silas McCall)

Delivered

David Tebet (Saturday Night)

Going Up?

Good Girl

Charles Taylor (Fireflies in the Garden)

Turning the Paige

Sergeant Buck McGriff (Off Limits)

Forbidden Desire

Clem Hoatley (Nightmare Alley)

Eye of the Beholder

Martin (The Reckoning)

Dance of the Rain Frog

Klaus Daimler (The Life Aquatic)

Oh Yes, This One!

Father Gabrjel Andrysiak (Edges of the Lord)

Reverence

Johnny Harte (Roadhouse 66)

California or Bust

Commander Virgil Cole (Flight of the Intruder)

Coffee Talk

Raven Shaddock (Streets of Fire)

Mirage

---

Molinaverse Characters

Alden Bertanelli (OC)

Bibliophilia

After Office Hours 

Jealousy

Doc Ock (Spider-Man)

Buzzed 

Closing Time

Experimentation

Otto, Actually

Ring Around the Rosie

Jolly Ol' Saint Otto

Take Me to the Galaxy

Scientifically Accurate Angel

Oliver Syme (American Friends)

Break of Dawn

Dr. Harding Hooten (Monday Mornings)

Cycle of Care

Jim Bussey (The Water Man)

Memories of Autumn

Maxim Horvath (The Sorcerer's Apprentice)

Whisper

Dr. Edelweiss (Angie Tribeca)

That's My Jam!

Detective Edelweiss

The Sweetest Taboo

Denis Brabant (Scorpion Spring)

Spanish Lessons

The Italian (Drowning on the Shallow End)

The Blind Date

Terry Berman (We'll Never Have Paris)

Rose-Colored Glasses

Silas McCall (ROAR)

Collateral

Poison Oak (Batman Fanon)

Powerless

Harry Greaves (Trust Me)

Makeup Session

Sir Aubrey Fields (Frankenstein...)

The Actor's Trunk

Sgt. Stephen Dunlop (The Little Traitor)

Welcome Home

Sergei Mikhajlovich Andreyev (Letter to Brezhnev)

Chicken!

Ricardo Morales (Law and Order Los Angeles)

Sex on the Beach

Titorelli Imbroglione (The Trial)

Busted

Tulio Marroquín (A Further Gesture)

A Kind Gesture

Tadeusz Melnik (A Very Polish Practice)

Covert Affairs

Mike Hubble (Boon)

The Roommate

Standing Ovation

Sir Alistair Touchstone (As You Like It)

The Runaway Bride

Leland Drury & Manuel Aringarosa (White Fang 2 and The Da Vinci Code)

Can't Hide Lust

This list is subject to change and most projects will be updated and finished at a later date.

[the-keeper-of-midnight]

Trying to hit the ask button and it hit unfollow. RIP.

Anyways, question, so with the new WIP, can we ask RO questions? You know, in case I want to know if any of them are the “throw you up against the wall” type.

LMAO 🤣

Here I thought I got a new follower! 😛

Yes you can ask question, the only thing I'm not sure yet is their physical description, but their personality is already kind of set.

Let's start with:

The family lawyer:

They will be hard to impress. They have been in this business for a long time and have seen it all, so for MC to get in their pants or them to get into MC's pants lol... it will take some hard work. I'm planning a scene where MC can have the option to have a pilot fly the family private jet or MC's private jet to Paris just to have coffee and some beignets with the lawyer.

The family lawyer is charming, smart, confident, always speak their mind, and they have an old rescue golden retriever called "Lou"

They are recently divorced (No no ex drama lol) which makes them a little hesitant to go back into a relationship, especially with a rich kid that might not be in it for the long term.

They are not the type to throw MC against the wall, but they are open to some kink experience like bondage.

The Bodyguard:

Very protective of MC, I know it's their job, but they have become a close friend with MC and know how crappy the family can be as they are often around to pick up the pieces. Mind you, they are MC's assistant-bodyguard-PI, they have full access to MC's money and can do stuff on behalf of MC, like sign checks for donations and more.

I'm planning a scene where depending on (where MC's money comes from) there will be a protest and the bodyguard literally will have to protect MC from the angry crowd protesting. Then the scene will cut to MC cleaning up in a bathroom and the bodyguard checking in, making sure that MC is okay.

Bodyguard: "Just say the words and I will take you to the customized underground bunker in (MC country-origin) that I had a group of contractors build for you."

MC: "You what?"

Bodyguard, "Come on now, what kind of bodyguard would I be if I didn't have a contingency plan? Whenever you're tired of this, just say the word."

The bodyguard is an ex-military, now turned into a bodyguard for MC. (Also, MC doesn't know their real name lol)

They are trustworthy, direct, overprotective, very observant, and yesss they have a total crush on MC, It's to the point that they have stopped paying themself (MC doesn't know that) because they are not doing this job for money, they are doing it for MC.

And yes, totally the type to throw MC against the wall (but in the most softer way possible lol)

The Detective

Anger issues, no patience, dislike for rich people, used to be a heavy drinker, but currently going through AA. They have been suspended before for the poor handling of a case, (a little more on that below), and working with MC's family to bring in the killer is sort of the saving grace that will restore their reputation at doing this job. Every interaction with MC will be full of angst and clap back as they will not mince their words on telling MC how the rich are just... spoiled and the worst kind of people 🤣

The detective tries to be a good person in the community by volunteering at a soup kitchen for troubled youth (which MC will have the option to buy out to make it a better place and provide funds for)

They work 14+ hours, have never been married, have no children, every time they meet with MC, they refuse to eat or drink or owe MC anything lol. It's to the point where they will pay for the bill at a restaurant for having a cup of coffee, (they will put $20 on the table) but MC will later tell them that the cup of coffee at this restaurant is around $250 lol which they will literally make a check to MC 😅

Overall they are torn between love and hate for MC and being able to do their job with keeping it professional... they are investigating MC's family so it's a little hard to get into bed with MC, but boi.... when they finally do... haha let's just say they will use the handcuffs.

Totally the type to throw MC against the wall.

(about the case and their despise for rich people. They were working on a case where a rich guy took advantage of a youth, but the rich guy got away with no punishment because they have money, and the Detective went on to beat up the rich guy, taking justice into their own hands. That's why they got suspended and don't like rich people.)

[bythebonefire]

♕♦☮♣

Get to know the RPer || Accepting!

Send me a   ♕   for me to describe favorite rp character of someone else’s.

lol I mean can I gush about your Sans for a moment? All of your muses are such a delight to play against, but we definitely have a lot of Sans/by verses under our belts, and you bring out different facets of Sans in all of them, and by contrast bring lots of different things out of Grillby. You really nail his world-weariness underneath the sense of humor, and that carries over consistently from verse to verse. 

I am, I will concede, extremely soft on film noir verse, because The Aesthetic, and also because your Sans just naturally fits in very well as a private detective in that kind of setting, but I’m looking forward to seeing more of him in your The Thought AU verse, now that we’re doing a thread in it!

Send me a   ♦   for me to describe a plot that I’ve been wanting to do.

You and me had talked briefly about a King Grillby verse and that would be just MMM. Chef’s kiss. Though also, the more we’ve talked about Mafiafell and such, I’d love to plot out some interactions between a Mafiafell Renegade and Mafiafell Wingdings. Pre or post-”whoops I murdered your kids”, I’m not particular. In general I really want to see more of your more morally ambiguous muses--you really do just go all in with them, and that’s something I appreciate. :B

Send me a   ☮   for me to describe an amazing rp experience.

Years ago I was RPing Ashiya from Hataraku Maou-Sama, and ended up on a whim following someone playing Reisi Munakata from K Project. I think maybe I had originally followed them on a blog for a different character? I don’t remember. But we ended up doing this whole plotline together that ended up leading to an unbelievably sweet crossover romance with a really gradual, natural buildup that involved months of flirting and building up their friendship before they kissed under the fireworks at a festival and it was the cutest thing ever. 

We ended up doing multiple verses with that ship. Tons and tons of threads and a couple of shipkids. And then a few years ago, I was at a conference in Anaheim, near-ish to where they lived, and we were able to meet up for dinner at Downtown Disney. We had beignets! It was fun. 

Send me a   ♣   for me to describe a favorite rp ship of someone else’s.

I feel bad admitting this, but I don’t read nearly enough of my friends’ ship threads lmao. 

I’m definitely looking forward to seeing more of you and @starredfame writing Sans and Mettaton interacting in the human AU! idk if you’re planning to go full ship with it, but they have a really cute dynamic from the little bit you did on our Discord, and that’s a dynamic I can see you two wringing a lot of fun content out of. 

I’LL TELL YOU ANOTHER ONE THOUGH YOU ABSOLUTE MAD LAD

THAT I WOULD’VE LOVED TO SEE MORE OF

YOUR RENEGADE AND ELI’S FELL GASTER

I KNOW IT DIDN’T GET TOO FAR BUT I WAS ROOTING FOR THE BI AWAKENING BAD END

[takinghisbow]

@ahogedetective​ asked: ❝ "I had such a fun time at the Christmas Party, Kokichi! Thank you again for inviting me to spend it together with your family." The two had just arrived back home from the party. The initial nerves he had about making a good first impression at first, completely wiped away once he realized that he didn't have to try so hard: that they were all laid-back and already knew he had to be a good person, to be their leader's boyfriend. That made him relax considerably, and was able to have a blast with everyone with the many things they surely did. And if they all liked the cookies he made and brought for everyone, then he was delighted.

"They were all such lovely people, as I knew they would be. And the food that you made was so good! I loved it. Thank you again for that... and for such a fun night in general." He hums, leaning in to give his boyfriend a soft kiss. Once they changed out of their clothes into their sleepwear, there was just one thing left: giving Kokichi his gifts. "Alright, Koki: I have some gifts for you...! They're right here." From the closet, Shuichi pulls out two wrapped gifts. One was a bit smaller than the other one, both wrapped in checkerboard pattern wrapping paper.

Holding them out to Kokichi, he tells him: "Here you go...! I hope you'll love them." The smaller present would reveal to be a bag charm plushie shaped like a cat. Specifically, an orange-and-white colored Japanese Shorthair Bobtail cat. "Ehehe, I tried to find one that looked really similar to Beignet! So I really happy to find this: i-if you'd like, you can put it on your bag! And then, ah... for your next gift....I-I actually made it, myself...."

He softly mutters, twiddling his fingers with a shy smile on his face. The second gift would reveal a handmade scarf. It was similar to the one Kokichi normally wears, except its colors were purple and black. The cloth was made of a soft texture, and was long enough to utilize like a scarf to keep warm, or worn as a bandana. "I made you a scarf... ! How does it feel? I wanted to make it feel very soft and warm... and to implement our colors in it, hence why I chose purple and black, e-ehe... ah, and one more thing: turn it around. I... added a special little addition at the bottom..." His smile brightens, clasping his hands together. If Kokichi looks at the bottom part, he will see that Shuichi made the DICE symbol, too. "T-To make it even more personal for you..! Hopefully I made the symbol look nice... but yeah, I hope these are wonderful surprises for you, Kokichi! You made tonight for me one of the most fun Christmas nights I've ever had, and so I want to make your night extra great, too."

"That, and... my beloved supreme leader deserves nothing but the best. And to always be happy. I love you, Kokichi. And Merry Christmas... thank you again for such a wonderful night. I'll cherish the great time we had with everyone and each other today, forever..." Giving him a smile and gaze dripping with warmth and love, Shuichi leans in to give him a slow, loving kiss, arms wrapped around him in a gentle hold as he nuzzles their foreheads together. ( hehe, this got a liiittle long, hope you don't mind that!! Merry Christmas~!! 🎄✨ )

The Christmas party had gone even better than expected. Although some had been a little skeptical when Kokichi had mentioned inviting his detective boyfriend, they had quickly changed their mind once he was there. Shuichi had made a good impression on them, and Kokichi couldn’t have been happier. He still had a bounce in his step the whole way home.

Shedding his coat once inside, he grinned at Shuichi. “Good, because I did too!” Hearing Shuichi refer to them as his family was strange, but it wasn’t inaccurate. Still, despite that, they wouldn’t see him around by the end of the next week. While everyone else spent the New Year’s celebrations with family, he would spend it avoiding the holiday aggressively.

Once he was in a pair of tacky Christmas pajamas, sat cross-legged on the bed, he knew where the night was going. His own gift to Shuichi was hidden in his pajama pocket. “Everyone ate super good between what I cooked, your cookies, and Yukiji’s kushiage! All of DICE is gonna want those cookies again, so you better be prepared to make them again next time.” He giggled behind his hand—he wasn’t lying at all.

“Gifts!” Kokichi exclaimed with all the excitement of someone who totally hadn’t known what was coming. He eagerly pulled the smaller box closer, pausing to grace Shuichi with a much softer smile. He didn’t know what was inside, but he knew that Shuichi understood him. A thought confirmed when he tore into the first gift and found the little bag charm. The tiny charm, so similar to Beignet, instantly made his heart thud against his chest. Shuichi could have got him something cute but generic (and Kokichi would have still loved it), but he had gone out of his way to get something special. “You’re so lame, Shumai,” Kokichi said as if he wasn’t clutching the charm to his chest, a bright smile on his face. “But this is the perfect offering to me and Beignet!” What a roundabout way of saying, ‘thank you.’

He set the charm carefully on the nightstand, then grabbed the second box. “You made it?” Shuichi had made something for him? Ignoring the already faint heat rising in his cheeks, Kokichi tore past the wrapping paper, opened the gift and—

For a moment he was dead silent, then he slowly reached inside and pulled out the scarf. The material was soft beneath his fingertips, and the colors—”our colors.” He followed Shuichi’s instructions, finding the small DICE symbol. He fiddled with the scarf for a moment more before burying his face in it. By the time he peeked up over it, he was feigning anger despite damp eyes and a flushed face, “This is so mean! How are my gifts supposed to hold up against one this good? I’m gonna wear this all the time now!”

Despite his words, a moment later he had set the scarf aside and was walking on his knees toward Shuichi. He threw his arms around him, burying his face in the crook of Shuichi’s neck. No one had ever given him something quite like this. It meant more than he knew how to express, so he just clung to Shuichi for a good minute. “I love you too,” he said quietly when he leaned back. He accepted Shuichi’s kiss eagerly, pressing all of his devotion and gratitude into it.

Once the kiss broke, he gazed into Shuichi’s eyes for one long moment, before saying, “I know I gave you gifts earlier,” —a new notebook and a shirt Shuichi had mentioned wanting— “but I lied about that being all.” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small box. “I’m not proposing. Unless you want me to, in which case: I’m totally proposing.” Despite his joking, his tone and shaky hands made clear his nervousness. He handed the small box over. Inside was a ring, black with intricate details carved into it. When the light caught it just right, it appeared purple. On the inner part of the ring were the carefully carved words, “To my beloved.”

He took a deep breath, then spoke, “It’s probably dumb, but I-I—” He bit his tongue; only Shuichi could make him stammer like this. “I’m yours. Forever. And that’s proof.” He took a deep breath, then groaned, “That actually sounds a lot like a proposal. I guess it’s, like, a. . .  couples ring? Except there’s only one. Please shut me up.”

[daretosnoop]

Chapter 4: Bad Girlfriend

Chapter 3

The chapter some of y’all have been wanting since this game came out. I hope the story is interesting so far. 

Henry told Renee their plans, then brought Nancy upstairs to the guest room. It was a simple room, if a little bland for colour. Henry supposed his uncle had some notion of social etiquette given that many people would probably not take to his interior design choices. Renee entered soon with a bundle of clothes.

“Not sure what would fit you dear or what your preference is so I brought some of my clothes, Dr. Bruno’s clothes, and some random pieces stored over time”.

Nancy thanked her and both Renee and Henry went downstairs.

“I’ll make a little night snack for your sleepover,” Renee said as she headed for the kitchen. Henry followed her.

“Don’t trouble yourself. And it’s not a sleepover. We don’t have a choice given the weather”.

“You could have always dropped her home”.

“I, I can’t do that on rainy nights”.

Renee paused in powdering the beignets. She looked at Henry and nodded.

“Could have asked me. I don’t mind”.

Henry shrugged and Renee just smiled and returned to her beignets. She placed two on two plates and poured out a glass of cold milk.

“In the morning, y’all can have them with coffee”.

She then wished Henry good night and went out the kitchen towards the stairs. On the landing, she suddenly felt a chill run across her back and turned to see Nancy peering over the model cemetery.

“I’ve seen it too,” she suddenly called out.

Nancy whirled around, startled by the voice.

“Seen who?”

“The skeleton man”.

Nancy’s face became serious as she headed towards Renee.

“What have you seen?”

“I don’t even want to talk about it. All I know is that I saw it, that thing. Soon after seeing it, strange sounds came from my room”

“What did you do?”

Renee looked up proudly. “I found a solution in my book. Used my powers in hoodoo to put up a spell,” Renee placed a hand around her little pouch necklace. “It worked too. Those sounds stopped”.

“Did the skeleton man stop? Was it just the one time you saw him or did you see him repeatedly? Do you think there is a connection between the sound and the man? Did you tell Dr. Bolet? What did he say? Did he believe you?”

“Goodness child,” Renee laughed though it did not reach her eyes. “You sure are inquisitive”.

Nancy shrugged.

“Well, I admire your tenacity child, just be careful. There are powers far beyond mere mortals. The best we can, and should, do is protect ourselves and not dare challenge the powers”.

Renee said nothing to Nancy’s perplexed face. There really was nothing to tell the girl. She would either play it safe, or learn the hard way. She told Nancy of the food she placed out and bid her goodnight.

 Nancy was surprised to see Henry in the kitchen. He had started on one of the beignets but his attention was clearly on his phone.

“Bad news?” Nancy asked, reading his face.

Henry started, blinked at her while he processed her question, then hummed and took another bite of the beignet.

I wonder if it’s that Summer person?

She started on a beignet and thought over her case. She’d called Bess soon after changing her clothes. Half-asleep Bess barely registered everything Nancy told her but somehow understood that Nancy was not coming home tonight. Nancy didn’t know when Henry was going to sleep, but she hopped it was soon. He was still a suspect and nighttime was always optimal for snooping.

“Find everything okay?” Henry asked.

Mouth still stuffed with food, Nancy nodded.

“Put my clothes to dry so I can wear them tomorrow. I plan on calling professor Hotchkiss and then going from there”.

With a beignet half in his mouth, Henry looked at her, eyes wide.

“You mean, you intend on continuing?”

“Duh”.

“What if I say no?”

“Then I guess I’ll have to go. I’ll go and forever lament this unsolved case to my friends,” Nancy waved her hands about, exaggerating the tragedy Henry’s refusal would cause her.

Henry’s lips twitched.

“You’re stubborn”.

Nancy gave him a cheeky smile.

“Good friends are”.

They chatted amicably on Nancy’s previous cases until the beignets finished. Henry immediately took the dishes and washed them. He then nodded at Nancy before heading towards the study.

“How long do you stay up?” Nancy asked.

Henry shrugged. “Depends on the work”.

Darn. Hate those answers.

With nothing better to do, Nancy bid Henry good night and went to her room. She fiddled with the number she had for professor Hotchkiss and thought over the night’s events. Not able to think of anything new, she searched up hoodoo, the Bolets, and New Orleans on her phone. Something sinister was afoot in this house.

At around 10:45 p.m. Nancy heard footsteps climb up the stairs and a door open. She waited a while longer, and when she was sure Henry was not planning on leaving his room, she quietly opened her door and walked down the stairs with her torch. Thankfully, the stairs did not creak. Nancy opened the door to the study and crept towards the desk. Looking around quickly and finding no one, Nancy sat on the chair and grinned.

 She meticulously searched through all of Henry’s papers, but could find nothing relevant. She then looked through the desk drawers but only found a keychain with an eyeball. Strange, but again, not relevant. Henry had left his computer on the desk and of course, it was locked. Nancy thought over any possible passwords. Bolet didn’t work. Henry’s name didn’t work. Don’t tell me. She typed out Summer and logged in. There was nothing relevant on Henry’s laptop though Nancy did see an email from Dr. Buford’s medical clinic. It was an invoice for a paid bill. Myocardial Infraction. Dr. Bolet’s cause of death.

Nancy looked through the rest of Henry’s emails but found nothing of relevance their either. Not even in the junk and deleted folders. She fell back onto the chair and sighed. Then her eyes caught the rubbish bin beneath the desk and she reached out for it. She read each memo, card, and invite but found nothing of interest. She then picked up an envelope. It was from Milo Research and Technology, and addressed to Bruno Bolet. There was an address but no number. She put the envelope aside and continued to dig. There were some pieces of paper in intelligible handwriting, but Nancy did catch the word skull repeated so she put them with the envelope.

Finding nothing else, Nancy stood up and carried her clues back up the stairs. As she climbed she happened to look up and felt her heart freeze. There, by the flower vase, she could almost swear she was seeing Renee’s eyes watching her. But that was ridiculous. Renee was not there. Nancy took a deep breath and slowly let it out as she went back to her room.

 After breakfast, Nancy went back to her French quarter hotel and was greeted by a frantic Bess.

“Nancy! Where were you?”

“Bess, I called and told you that I would be staying the night at Henry’s place”.

“You know I can’t remember anything told to me when I’m half asleep!”

Bess sighed loudly before looking behind Nancy at the man who was standing awkwardly at the front door. Following her gaze, Nancy introduced Bess to Henry and soon Bess had ushered him in for tea. As the trio sat around the table, Nancy filled Bess in with what had happened to her and what her plans were. Bess’s face fell when she learned that her friend was, again, bailing on her to pursue a case. She knew Nancy meant well, and to be honest, helping Nancy with a case was more fun than a traditional vacation, but Nancy had just gotten back from Alberta from another case. It would have been nice to have some time in the warmth before she whisked off again.

“Will you help me Bess?”

Nancy’s words broke Bess out of her thoughts. She wasn’t paying attention.

“Uh, help you with what?”

“Finding out some information. Just background research. Nothing dangerous”.

“Nancy,”

“Please?”

“Okay, okay. I’ll be on standby. The sooner you solve this, the sooner we can get back to our vacation”.

Bess turned to glare at Henry.

“You could have just told her no, you know”.

The man shrugged and Bess could tell from his face that he had tried, Nancy just didn’t listen. She never could catch hidden tones very well, but it was probably a good thing. She wouldn’t be a good detective if she was constantly hampered by emotional cues.

Nancy got up to pack her bags. Alone with Henry, Bess found herself not knowing what to say. The man was a complete stranger, even if he was dressed smartly, and even if he did carry himself with a certain grace. It was interesting to see that despite his outwardly appearance, Henry exhibited a lot of manners. He hardly made his presence known and it was only after Nancy left that Bess took a good look at Henry.

“So, how do you know Ned?”

“We’re classmates”.

Bess nodded and silence overfell both of them again.

“Do you like tea?” Bess asked.

“Yes. It’s nice”.

That’s it? Just nice? C’mon, give me more to work with! Henry was a walking enigma and it infuriated Bess.

“I’m sorry about Nancy. She can be,” Bess moved her hands to emphasize, “much”.

Henry snorted into his tea.

“But her intuition is always right, or close to it. Whatever it is your uncle’s hiding, she’ll figure it out. Don’t worry”.

“I’m not worried. I just don’t think there is anything worth finding out”.

“So you’re okay with letting possible treasure, a priceless artifact, go undetected?”

“Doesn’t really mean much to me?”

“What if it meant something to your family?”

“I’m the only living relative of my family, and since I know nothing about my family, the treasure or whatever uncle Bruno may be hiding might as well not exist”.

Bess didn’t know what to say to that, and they finished their tea in silence. Nancy came in and plopped in front of Bess.

“Bess. I need you to look into someone. His name is Gilbert Buford. Dr. Buford was Dr. Bolet’s heart doctor. Apparently they were also friends”.

“What do you want me to ask him?”

“Ask him what he knew about Dr. Bolet. If Dr. Bolet ever confided anything to anyone, his friend would probably know—right?”

“I suppose”.

Bess glanced towards Henry.

“Is it okay if I do this? Or am I breaking some law here?”

“Don’t think so. If you are, I guess you can just say that I’m asking you to do this”.

“Great!” Nancy beamed and all but dragged Henry outside.

Bess sighed and pulled out her phone to look up medical clinics, but stopped when she heard Nancy come back in. She wore a serious expression.

“Bess. I need you to do something else”.

Nancy handed her a piece of paper that said ‘Zeke’s’ on it.

“I need you to see if there is some store called Zeke. Then I need you to go in and ask if Henry Bolet or Renee Amande ever sold anything recently”.

Bess slowly lowered her phone.

“You, you suspect Henry and Renee?”

“You know the drill Bess, everyone’s a suspect”.

“But, for what?”

“For being the skeleton man. I’m following up on every lead I have. Couldn’t tell you earlier because,” Nancy nudged her head towards the door.

“How does this place relate to a skeleton man?”

“Don’t know yet, but I know it was burned recently. Renee mentioned she keeps the place spotless. She couldn’t possible have overlooked the fire place if it was burnt a while ago”.

“Alright”.

Nancy thanked Bess then headed out the door.

 Henry drove them back to the Bolet manor and went towards his desk. Nancy pulled out her phone and dialed professor Hotchkiss. No one picked up, but Nancy was not surprised. Professor Hotchkiss was probably off doing research or some other wacky project. She left a message asking professor Hotchkiss to call back to discuss a book she recently wrote.

She had no other lead to follow and so went out to the gardens. Renee was not there and Nancy took her chance to snoop. There was a shovel on one wall and some other gardening tools hanging about. For the most part, it looked like a garden. Even the plants seemed common place. Finding nothing suspicious, Nancy turned to leave the garden and came face-to-face with Renee.

“Can I help you dear?”

“Oh, I was actually looking for you,” Nancy spoke placidly. She was a little startled by Renee’s sudden appearance, but quickly recovered when she saw the pouch necklace Renee always wore.

“I was going to ask you, what’s in that necklace”.

Renee closed her hand around the pouch and Nancy could have sworn she saw anger flash through her eyes.

“This is my connection to the forces of the universe. Their elemental powers course through me when I wear this”.

Nancy stared at her and Renee scoffed.

“Well, least you didn’t laugh. How else can I help you?”

“Well, what can you tell me about Dr. Bolet?”

“Recluse. Obsessive. Neither jolly nor morose, but there was always a soberness that clung to him. It’s as if he refused to let himself be happy. Not very picky either. So long as I left him alone and kept the house, he didn’t care about what I did in my free time”.

Renee gave a soft smile. “We had a great working relationship. It’s rare to have in the housekeeping business”.

“How did you come to work for Dr. Bolet?”

“Answered a paper advertisement,” Renee answered quickly.

“Did he ever talk about his family?”

“Very little”.

“What did he say?”

“That his parents died when he was in his thirties. He had a younger brother whom he adored. Loved his sister-in-law, and had no desire to get married”.

There was barely anything to work with, still, Nancy persisted.

“Dr. Bolet was alone his whole life? Even after his brother’s death”.

Renee pressed her lips into a thin line.

“From what I’ve come to understand, Dr. Bolet loved his brother and when he died, he essentially lost a part of himself. Whatever was left came out only through his eccentricities”.

There was nothing of use in anything Renee mentioned. She tried a different angle.

“Do you know how Dr. Bolet died?”

“Oh yes,” Renee’s eyes took on a far-away look. “I was. I was there when he died. I saw him fall, on the threshold”. Renee placed a hand on her shoulder and looked down. “I thought, maybe, he just stumbled. Maybe got knocked unconscious, but Dr. Buford was there and he said it was a heart attack”.

Nancy looked sharply at Renee.

“Dr. Buford was there on the night Dr. Bolet died?”

“Yes. I suppose he came to visit Dr. Bolet”.

“Does he regularly visit Dr. Bolet?”

“No. Usually Dr. Bolet visits, but I suppose given his age. It must have been easier for Dr. Buford to come. Or maybe he wanted something. Either way, he was there”.

“What was Dr. Bolet doing on the threshold?”

Renee scrunched her face and held a finger to her lips. She still did not look at Nancy.

“I don’t remember quite well, but I think he was reading something. A letter perhaps?”

Excitement rose through Nancy.

“Do you still have the letter? Can I see it?”

“Sorry dear. I don’t know where it’s gotten to”.

Renee gave Nancy a tight smile and pointed towards the plants. Nancy took her cue to leave Renee and head back into the manor. She went back to her room and searched up Gilbert Buford, New Orleans. There were three Gilbert Bufords, but only one had a medical clinic. Nancy dialed the number and waited for the receptionist. The receptionist told her that Dr. Buford was not working full-time anymore.

“He only comes in for urgent situations and requests”.

“Where can I find him outside of the clinic?”

“I’m not authorized to give you that information”.

Nancy was fed up of facing blockades that interrupted her investigation. It was as if the whole of New Orleans didn’t want the mystery that was Bruno Bolet to come apart. She decided to take a risk.

“I really need to talk to him,” she said, softening her voice to add grief. “You see, we had a mutual friend who recently died, and I-I just need to talk to him”.

“Need some consoling?” The nurse empathized.

“Yes! Exactly! I need, that”.

“Well, alright. I guess it’s okay given the circumstance. Dr. Buford generally spends his time in the French quarters. He lives nearby and frequents a Cajun truck stop at Rampart and Dumaine. Claims it’s the best gumbo New Orleans has. I’d contest him on that though. Nothing beats a fine gumbo than my own Bluefoot’s Gumbo”.

Rampart and Dumaine? Jackpot!

“Thank you so much”.

“No problem,” the receptionist replied. “And I hope you get the help you need for your friend”.

“Oh, yes. I will. Thanks. I feel better already.” Saying so, Nancy quickly hung up and called Bess.

“Bess, he’s in Rampart and Dumaine!”

“Who?” Bess asked, her voice laced with sleep.

“Gilbert Buford. I called his clinic. They said he spends his time nearby a Cajun food truck”.

“Hang on”. Bess muttered and Nancy could hear her wrestling out of the bed and walking around.

“I’m in the balcony now”.

“What do you see?”

“I see a food truck called ‘Granny’s Cajun Cooking’”

“And?”

“And no one else. It’s pretty busy right now, but no one is sitting around the food truck”.

Nancy sighed. “Must be too early in the day”.

“Or hot, it’s the middle of the afternoon. But I’ll keep any eye out, okay?”

Another dead end. It seemed that for every inch of progress Nancy made, there was a foot of backlash.

“Hey Nancy,” Bess’s voice called urgently. “You won’t believe what’s in front of our hotel. It’s the name, ‘Zeke’. It’s a curio shop!”

“Bess, you gotta get right down there and ask those questions!”

“I’m on it,” Bess replied with determination and hung up.

 Nancy wandered around the gardens, looking for a clue that would help her understand the spider lock. Neither Renee nor Henry understood the lock, nor did they know if Bruno kept a pet spider. Renee eventually mentioned that she’d often see Dr. Bolet standing in certain spots around the garden. Sometimes he looked up to the sky, and other times, he was peering down. At times, he’d even bend over and inspect the base of the fountain that rested in the centre of the garden.

Carefully, Nancy crept around the fountain. The rain had made the soil muddy so she could not walk within the base. Thankfully, she did not need to. There was a hole surrounded by overlapping wires nestled into the soil ground. Nancy pulled out her phone to confirm her suspicion. The wire web before her matched the lock image on her phone. They’re keys, she realized. Musical keys. Each wire twanged a musical note. Looking at the image on her phone, she realized that the dashes extending out of each wire varied in number. So each dash must corroborate to a number—an order perhaps? But what would it release? She assumed it must be another key given that she was trying to open another locked door. Peering down into the hole, she saw a bronze key and the legs of a giant tarantula. Nancy could face anything, had faced everything, even certain death. She’d grown quite resilient in nature— but spiders, spiders were the one thing she just could not understand. I’d better get this right.

Carefully she pulled each wire in the order the lock indicated, and listened carefully to the note it played. She heard the mechanical sound of a platform being raised, and saw that the spider had backed off because the key was sitting upon a stand that was now rising to greet her. She nabbed the key and stuffed it into her front pocket. She turned around and saw Henry.

“What are you doing?” Henry asked.

“Oh you know,” Nancy shrugged then grinned. “Just testing theories out”.

Henry’s eyebrows quirked. “Discover anything, scientist?”

Nancy laughed. “Maybe,” she coyly answered.

Henry nodded but when he saw Nancy was not going to offer any more information, he let it go.

“Just going to take walk”.

“I’ll join you,” Nancy spoke suddenly.

“You will?”

It was a sudden decision, but Nancy did want to learn more about Henry. He might know more about his family, and Nancy wanted to know more about this Summer person. She might also be connected to this mystery—though, probably, very weakly connected.

They walked into the cemetery, Henry being a gentleman and opening the gate for Nancy.

“Thanks, but don’t bother. I’m your friend”.

“So I shouldn’t be nice to friends?” Henry countered.

“No, I meant. No need to be formal. Chill out a bit”.

“Yes, I suppose I could learn a bit about chilling out”. He gestured around the cemetery. “Think this is a good place to learn how?”

“Can’t be more chill than dead, can you?” Nancy teased and Henry laughed.

When they got to the Bolet mausoleum Nancy could sense Henry’s tension. One pain for another, I guess.

“So,” she started. “Tell me about Summer”.

Henry’s eyes snapped towards her, and without needing to look back, Nancy admitted that she overheard his conversation.

“Overheard?” Henry asked and Nancy knew what he was really asking.

“Well, you were loud enough. What was I to do? Cover my ears?”

Henry just sighed but didn’t say anything. Nancy tried a different angle.

“Friends help each other”.

“Why do you keep insisting we’re friends?”

“Because we are”

“People don’t just become friends in a day or because someone says so”.

“Then how do they become friends?”

Henry shrugged. “I dunno. Hang out a lot. Talk a lot. Eventually they come to rely on each other and feel safe and wanted around each other. They enjoy each other’s company”.

“Is that what you have with Summer?” Nancy asked softly.

Henry stopped walking and looked down. Nancy waited. She thought Henry would refuse to answer, or tell her to stop walking with him, or even cry, but slowly, Henry lifted his head and stared right at her.

“No”.

“So Summer’s not your friend?”

“No. She’s my girlfriend”.

“Your girlfriend can’t be your friend? Little ironic. It’s in the name”.

“It’s,” Henry scratched his ear. “It’s complicated. I like her, and I think she likes me back, but she can be so unpredictable it drives me nuts”.

“How so?”

“I never know what’s going to make her happy. Like just recently I— “Henry stopped and hesitated. “I always have to buy her things”.

Nancy’s mind began to whir.

“Have you tried talking to her about it?”

Henry nodded. “I did but she always gets very mad, and I’d rather not deal with her anger. Besides,” Henry pressed down hard on his lips. “I’m afraid if I don’t give her what she wants she’ll,” he pressed down harder and his lips disappeared into a thin line. “I’m afraid she’ll dump me”.

“What’s wrong with being dumped?”

Henry looked at her incredulously. “I couldn’t take it. She’s the only girlfriend I’ve ever had, and probably ever will have”.

Nancy did not understand Henry’s argument. “So you’d rather be unhappy with someone, then happy but alone”.

“I’m not unhappy when I’m with Summer,” Henry snapped.

“You just said you don’t consider her your friend,” Nancy argued, “and that you’re only staying with her out of fear”.

“What’s it to you?” Henry argued.

Shoot. Her inquisitive side had gotten her involved in emotional affairs again. Whoever said detective work required cold calculated minds was a god-damn liar. Henry must of have noticed the change in the air and quickly apologized for his behaviour.

Nancy rolled her eyes. “Look. I know I’m nosy. I probably shouldn’t have said anything. But I’m not that type of person. If something’s wrong, I usually try to figure it out, and seeing your behaviour, I feel you’re in the wrong relationship. I’m not going to tell you what to do, but if you don’t consider me as a friend, then consider this as advice from a stranger who’s sensing something’s wrong—you’re in a bad relationship. This Summer, she seems like someone who likes being provided for and taken care of”.

Henry crossed his arms against his chest. “And what’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing, if you’re okay with having such a relationship. But if you’re not, then what are you doing?” Nancy hesitated and carefully said her next words. “You’re going to make both of you unhappy, and eventually, one person is going to leave”.

“Oh, you’re a relationship detective now?” Henry spat.

“No,” Nancy said softly. She laced her fingers together in front of her. She could see the gates dividing the cemetery and garden. She walked ahead of Henry and opened the gate. Standing on the threshold, she looked back at Henry and smiled.

“I’m the bad girlfriend”.