#jolly fish press

[thegirlwiththelantern]

2024 Children's and Middle Grade

There are quite a few Nosy Crow books on the list. I went through the publishers who have catalogues first and that’s how it panned out. The next children’s and middle grade releases will hopefully be more balanced. The Unbeatable Lily Hong by Diana Ma | 02 / 01 / 24 – Clarion Books If there’s one thing Lily Hong can’t stand, it’s being second best. That’s why she and Max Zhang have been bitter…

[sorrowsofsilence]

Harder • Folio

Pairing: Nick Folio x Fem!Reader

Words: 1.7k

Warnings: Smut (18+, male!receiving, female!receiving), choking, slight exhibitionism?kinda, mentions of drinking, derogatory terms used (whore).

Prompt: you know what they say, drummers hit it harder.

Author note: I enjoyed writing this way too much oh my god. I hope you enjoy it too <3

THIS IS A FANFIC USING REAL PEOPLE IN A FICTIONAL SITUATION! I AM NOT IMPLYING THAT THIS PERSON WOULD DO THIS IRL OR ACT LIKE THIS! ITS FICTION!

Tags: @sammyjoeee @cookiesupplier @nyxthedestroyerofworlds @th4t-em0-k1d  @lans-angels @dsireland86 @whenthesummerdies

Well, you know what they say, drummers hit it harder.

“I am so fucking excited!” Ruffilo exclaimed, tossing the last bag into the minivan. You and the boys were going on your last camping trip of the year, and it was bittersweet.

Initially, the trip was just supposed to be the two of you; but Ruffilo was persistent that the rest of the band tagged along, as well as Matt and Bryan.

Folio loved taking you out on his bike to go camping, fishing, and hiking; but his absolute favourite part was the great sex you two shared camping. Something about being away from home made it that much more exciting. His least favourite, was now his bandmates were going to be there.

“Yeah, me too,” Nick muttered through gritted teeth, giving a tight smile as he placed his helmet over his head, zipping up his leather jacket.

“Oh c’mon,” You sat behind him on the bike, geared up for the ride, wrapping your arms around him as your chest pressed into his back, “We’ll still have tons of fun.”

Nick shifted in his seat, “Is that a threat or a promise?”

You smiled cheekily, despite him not being able to see since the helmet covered your face, “both?”

He hummed in response, before turning the bike on and preparing to leave.

That evening after setting up, everyone was sitting happily around the fire, drinking beer and roasting hotdogs- the classic camping combo. Everyone laughed as they exchanged stories, Noah and Jolly reminiscing about funny memories during the tour they had just finished.

“And-” Bryan said through a broken laugh, “Remember when you just fuckin’ dive-bombed off the stairs?” He doubled over laughing, almost spilling his drink as he leaned into Noah, the two giggling.

You smiled at the exchange, arms folded over your chest as you sat comfortably in your camping chair, before glancing over at Nick. He watched the fire intensely, eyes glazed over in thought, face neutral yet disappointed. You knew he was upset that this trip wasn’t just the two of you, especially because he would be getting ready to leave for tour again in a few weeks; and this was one of your last fun events planned.

You wanted to cheer him up a bit and had the perfect idea.

Reaching over you ran your fingers through his hair, “I’m going to bed,” you said, eyes lingering on his for a moment to see if he understood what you meant.

Nick’s eyes flashed with excitement as he shifted in his seat, giving you a curt nod.

You stood up, stretching your arms before folding up your chair and staring at the group ahead of you. The flame danced in the middle, illuminating the shadows of the boys’ faces, who stared at you sadly.

“Packing it up now?” Jolly frowned, opening another can of beer.

You nodded, “I’m not feeling too good, so I’m going to get some sleep.”

You eyed Nick one more time, his gaze catching yours before wandering to the tent.

“I’m going to make sure she’s ok, I’ll be back.” Nick nodded at your friends before following you into the tent, zipping it up behind him.

You sat on top of your sleeping bag, motioning for him to lay next to you. Nick obliged, immediately scooping your waist between his fingers, gripping your side as he yanked your body towards his. You grabbed his face, pulling him up to kiss you, and his lips attached to yours hungrily.

Nick’s voice was hoarse as took a breath, “The boys-”

“I don’t care,” you said, and Nick moaned as you kissed him again roughly, “I need you, Nick.”

“Can I at least take my shoes off before you pounce on me?” Nick chuckled lowly, kicking off his sneakers hastily, before lying down.

You crawled on top of the man, his dark ember eyes devouring you as you stripped your clothes, remaining only in your underwear, straddling his lap. Nick’s hands gripped your thighs roughly as you began rolling your core into his, and he hardened below you.

Adjusting yourself you sat on his thigh, the fabric from his jeans rough as you began to grind against his body, riding along him. A red hue fell onto Nick’s nose as he smiled, admiring how heavenly you looked as you pleasured yourself against him.

All for him.

Nick peeled off his shirt while you played with the buckle of his jeans, undoing the zipper and springing his erection free.

Licking your lips you watched as his mouth opened slightly, soft puffs of air escaping as you spit on your hand, letting the saliva drag off your tongue onto himself, sliding your hand up and down his desire. Nick watched in awe as you worked on him, pumping up and down with a gentle roll of your wrist; his eyes unsure whether he wanted to stare at your hand, bouncing chest, or your face, eyes radiating with lust for him.

He licked his lips, whispering a soft plea, and you knew he was begging for your mouth wrapped around him. You obliged, sliding down his leg before licking up his length, smiling as he shuddered below you, precum dripping from the tip as his body prepared for yours.

“Fuck you are so hot Y/N,” he mumbled, hands grabbing each side of your head as his fingers tangled in your hair, pushing you against him forcefully. You loved it when Nick thrust into your mouth with need, causing you to gag against him. He fucked into your mouth, hips shooting up strenuously with an innate craving, needing you to take all of him.

You choked against Nick’s body, a deep guttural groan of satisfaction escaping his lips as he held the bottom of himself, slapping the tip against your cheek before sliding back inside your mouth. Your scalp burned as he held your hair taught.

You moaned along him before pulling away, your chest heaving with heavy pants.

Nick stripped off his remaining clothes, before sitting up and unclasping your bra, taking your chest into his hungry mouth, sucking on the skin. He kissed up your Neck, biting and licking against the sensitive spot behind your ear, causing a gasp to leave as your hands raked up his back. Your nails trailed along his skin, dancing back to the top of his head, running them through his chestnut locks as he hooked your panties, pulling them down your legs. The voices of your friends outside the tent became white noise as you watched Nick’s eyes worship you.

“I want to fuck you so bad,” Nick growled into your ear, the warmth of his breath contrasting the crisp air within the tent, causing your body to shiver. Nick wanted nothing more than to ram himself into you, bruising your skin and giving you everything he had; but the shame of his friends hearing halted his actions. He loved taking you from behind, clawing at your hips as he bred into you eagerly with thirst. He would have to wait till he got home to completely rail you into your bed, listening to you scream a slurry of profanities mixed with his name.

You moaned at his confession, biting his jaw gently and affectionately before pushing him back into the air mattress, having him look up at you with greed.

“You’ll make me scream if you fuck me, you’re always so rough,” You whispered heavily.

“Then keep riding my thigh until you come, like the good little whore you are,” Nick praised, and you nodded greedily. You rolled your hips into him again, sliding along him, your slick gliding you with ease. Your free hand began jerking Nick off and he threw his head back at the sight, completely overwhelmed with infatuation.

Nick wanted to touch your body, one of his hands wrapped around your throat. He groaned, squeezing gently, but hard enough that your vision danced into a darkened satisfaction.

“You like it when I choke you?” He said, dirty words sliding off of his tongue as his free hand made it to your core, flicking roughly at your pleasure. A loud moan slipped from your lips as your body shook, your senses heightened through Nick’s possessive grip, and he squeezed tightly for a moment.

He hushed you, staring with eyes dilated with fervour, “They’ll hear us if you’re not quiet.”

“Fuck,” you said sharply, completely indulged in his touch. Your eyebrows furrowed and Nick watched you through hooded eyes, hips thrusting into your hand as you pumped him.

Nick’s lip found its way between his teeth, “Look at me Y/N,” and you purred, staring into his eyes with his hands wrapped around your neck, holding you in place while you ruled each other.

Your body clenched as Nick’s fingers continuously brushed over your desire, sliding along his thigh over and over until your abdomen began to clench, eyes trying to remain fixated on the man who possessed you below.

“I-” you whimpered, trying to be quiet as your legs began shaking, back hunching over as you folded into Nick’s hand; but his grip on your throat held you up, resisting your need to push away from him.

“Shit!” You gasped, your body letting go as your orgasm consumed you, but you remained gripping onto Nick, sliding your hand along him.

Nick’s mouth fell open as he watched you come undone, a sly smile of satisfaction playing on his lips as he eyed you with admiration. He loved when you came for him, from him.

“Fuck Y/N, mouth, now,” Nick demanded, and you sucked along him again. His fingers dug into your thighs as he clenched through his orgasm, a strain of continuous deep groans escaping his body. Nick was unable to contain his sounds as you drank in all of him, ropes of his release coating your throat. He pushed into your mouth and you gagged, but he held you firmly in place with his hand, pushing your head into him.

“Good girls swallow, everything,” He said through deep breaths, your stomach erupting with motive as you drank all of his surrender.

You sat up, smiling down at him as you wiped your lips. Nick panted, giving you a knee-weakening grin before closing his eyes, and catching his breath.

“Not feeling well, huh?” You heard from outside the tent. Nick’s wide eyes snapped to yours in horror as you covered your mouth in embarrassment, the two of you hiding your ashamed laughter.

[artificialstardust]

Jolly Karlsson x Reader with a Rare Blood Disease

He knows you get cold easily, so he makes sure the house is warm

If it’s during the winter and that’s not enough he has a heated blanket for you

Jolly is also pretty well a furnace so he’s more than happy to cuddle with you

He knows that you have bone pain, so he tries to make sure he has Tylenol since he knows it won’t thin your blood out more than it already is

Jolly is aware of how easily you bruise, so he tries to make sure his hand is covering the corner of tables or anything if he’s there it won’t bruise you (or bruise you as bad)

He is genuinely so gentle with you on the days where you are in pain and need some help getting up. He’d lean down so you could hold onto him so he doesn’t press too hard onto your skin and bruise you on accident

He keeps plenty of bandages and dressings since your blood doesn’t clot. He helps you clean it the best you can, then he’d wrap it or put a bandaid on it for you

Jolly makes sure to keep snacks in him for when you have weak spells. He’d get on one knee so you could sit on one if you were out somewhere and there wasn’t seating nearby (same goes for dizzy spells)

When you get dizzy spells he makes sure you sit down immediately or holds onto you gently so you don’t go down and get hurt

He gets one of those iron fish that you use to add iron to food when cooking since you told him that eating something with more iron helps to prevent dizzy and weak spells

He makes sure you have water all the time. Especially in the summer when you’re more at risk for spells or even a mini fan to keep with you

@winterthevengeance @thisbicc

[ghostinthelibrarywrites]

Let's be jolly

The first chapter of the MSI-verse Christmas fic (ignore the fact that it's almost March, time is fake) is up, featuring ugly Christmas sweaters, Charles being totally normal about that time Edwin banged Thomas in a supply closet, and pixies. You can read the first couple of chapters below or the whole thing here on AO3.

Rating: T

Warnings: none

Relationships: Payneland and Palasaki; past Catwin

Summary: When Charles drags Edwin to the MSI’s annual holiday party, Edwin expects the extent of his troubles to be the appalling jumper Charles makes him wear. No one is expecting the attack by pixies.

Excerpt:

"Back in my day, Christmas was a dignified affair,” Edwin says with a sniff. “Garlands of holly and plum pudding. Not all this garish nonsense—”

“So, you don’t like the jumpers, mate?” Charles asks from behind him.

Edwin turns to his partner, dismayed. “You expect me to wear this in public, Charles?”

“I think you look mint! And we’ll match.” Charles does a little twirl. Their jumpers are an eye-scalding shade of green, each sporting a skeleton tangled up in Christmas lights and wearing a Santa hat. “And see, they light up!” He presses a button on the inside of his sleeve and the Christmas lights begin to blink.

Edwin just stares.

“Listen, Dougie told me the competition for the ugly jumper contests in Birmingham was fierce,” Charles says. “The London office is twice its size, so we have to be on our game.”

“People have contests about this?”

“You’ve really never been to a Christmas party, mate?”

“Not since 1915. If anyone had walked into my parents’ house in this getup, they would have faced social ruin.”

“No social ruin here.” Charles grins. “So long as you don’t overdo it on the eggnog.”

Only a few short months ago, before Charles Rowland was transferred to the London branch and turned Edwin’s entire life around, Edwin would not have dreamed of attending the MSI’s yearly holiday party. Before Charles, he had only attended the monthly socials once, on Niko’s behest, and had never stepped foot in the holiday party. Charles, however, is a firm believer that it’s healthy to get to know one’s coworkers socially and that it can even be enjoyable. Edwin thinks he might be a bit mad, but he humors him. To a point, at least. He refuses to do this monthly.

“So, you want to wear them?” Charles asks, so hopefully that there’s really only one answer that Edwin can give.

Edwin sighs. “I suppose.”

“Brills!” Charles beams at him. “Let me find my shoes and then we can go.”

“Best of luck.” Edwin’s eyes scan over the heaps of boxes that cover most of Charles’s tiny flat. He moved in September and yet still hasn’t unpacked. Edwin doesn’t know how he tolerates this chaos, but Charles seems perfectly content to live out of boxes and swears that he knows where everything is, though he texts Edwin asking to borrow some kitchen implement or another that he’s misplaced at least once a week.

“You know, we really shouldn’t be wasting our time at a holiday party,” he says to Charles’s curls, which are the only thing he can see behind the teetering pile of boxes. “We have a case to solve.”

“Mate, we always have a case to solve. That’s the job, isn’t it?”

“For all we know, there will be another robbery while we’re drinking eggnog and cavorting with the likes of Brad and Hunter.”

“I bring you to one party and now you’re talking about cavorting. Slow down there.”

Edwin huffs. “It simply seems wrong to engage in a night of revelry when we haven’t gathered a single lead.”

Their current case is most vexing. Nearly a dozen antique stores, museums, and private homes have been robbed in the past month, with no signs of windows and doors being disturbed, no footage caught on security cameras, and no helpful witnesses. The items stolen range from diamond jewelry to an Ancient Greek vase to a coin purportedly fished from the wreckage of the Titanic. The only thing they have in common is that they’re rumored to have some kind of supernatural properties, though in most cases, that can’t be corroborated. 

“And you think we’re going to gather any leads if we stay in tonight?” Charles asks.

“We could speak to the witnesses again.”

“Yeah, don’t think either of them are going to be any more help than they were the last ten times.”

Edwin sighs, having to silently concede the point. The only people present during the robberies have been a clerk who was so addled that he attacked officers who responded to the alarm, a security guard found sound asleep in the middle of a trashed museum exhibit, and a homeowner found dead from a fall from his balcony. The dead man’s ghost didn’t linger long enough to be questioned and none of the survivors offered any useful information. If they remembered what happened, they weren't forthcoming.

“We could put in another call to the Paranormal Investigation Bureau in New York,” he says without any enthusiasm. The MSI’s American counterparts tend to be challenging to work with, but the robberies bear a striking resemblance to a string of robberies in New York last year.

“Nah, those knobs didn’t solve it when it was their case. They’re not going to be much help with ours, are they?”

“Then we should consult with the local ghost population.” Edwin’s working theory is that they have a ghost culprit, as ghosts don’t show up on cameras and can often work magic. He simply needs to find out what a ghost would need with so many cursed objects.

“Crystal already reached out to her ghost informant for us.”

“Yes , but—”

“Maybe taking a step away from the case will be good for us. We can come back with fresh eyes on Monday.” Charles’s voice takes on a wheedling tone.

“We do not need fresh eyes, Charles. We need a lead.”

“And we’ll find one, mate. On Monday. Here they are!” Charles emerges from the pile of boxes, holding two pairs of trainers. “Which ones go better, do you think?”

Edwin rolls his eyes at the ceiling. For such an easygoing person, his partner can be incredibly stubborn. “Charles, I assure you, there is no shoe in creation that would go with that outfit.”

Charles’s grin only widens. “Yeah, I was thinking the white ones too. Thanks, mate. Be ready in a tick.”

“Please, do take your time,” Edwin says. “I assure you, I’m in no rush.”

“Look, we’ll only stay an hour and if you need a break, we can step outside for a tick,” Charles says, hopping about as he puts his shoes on. Edwin doesn’t bother telling him that it would be much easier if he would just sit down. “If we’re still hungry afterwards, I’ll buy you dinner, yeah?”

That mollifies Edwin slightly. “The usual place?” The hole in the wall Indian restaurant where he and Charles had dinner together the first time has become their go-to spot.

“Where else? I’ll buy you extra samosas.” Charles’s voice takes on a wheedling tone.

Edwin sighs and resigns himself to his fate. At least everyone else at the party will look as ridiculous as they do.

***

“So,” Charles says. “Seems like Birmingham’s holiday parties are a bit different than the ones you have here in London, yeah?”

Edwin gives him a look like he’s caught him eating a burrito while standing over a one-of-a-kind book. “I would say so.”

Everyone around them is dressed as if for a posh cocktail party, in dresses and suits, not an ugly jumper between them. Personally, Charles thinks they wear suits all week and shouldn’t need to wear them to a holiday party, especially when the party is held in the second floor conference room and not even anywhere fancy, but what does he know?

He can’t quite suppress a grin as he says, “This is one of those things we’re going to laugh about later.”

“You are already laughing,” Edwin accuses.

“You’ve got to admit, it’s funny.”

“We look absurd.”

“Nah, we look like we’re ready to have a good time. Everyone else looks absurd.”

“Oh my God!” Niko comes hurrying towards them, wearing a red dress with a fluffy tulle skirt and dangling Christmas ornament earrings. She, at least, looks festive. “You guys look amazing.”

“See? Niko says we look amazing.” Charles nudges Edwin, who just sighs.

Crystal follows her, smirking. She’s dressed in a tasteful little black dress. “And you match.”

“It was Charles’s idea,” Edwin says in a long-suffering voice. “He seemed to think there would be some kind of contest.”

Charles shrugs. “They had one in Birmingham. Figured they’d have one here too.”

“You figured?” Edwin demands. “You didn’t check?”

“Well, you guys definitely win the ugly sweater contest,” Crystal says.

“They light up.” Charles demonstrates, much to Niko’s glee. Edwin looks like he wishes he could sink through the floor. Charles claps him on the shoulder. “I’m going to go get us some eggnog.”

“I’ll come with you,” Crystal says. “I want to watch Nurse’s reaction when she sees you.”

“Oi,” Charles says without any heat and lets her steer him towards the hallway, where they’re keeping the refreshments. Whoever was in charge of the decorating did the bare minimum—there are a few strands of garland hung between the light fixtures on the ceiling and a lopsided Christmas tree in the corner—but the food and drink spreads look decent.

“Do you have something on Edwin?” Crystal asks as he hands her a glass of eggnog. “Are you blackmailing him? That’s the only way I thought I’d ever see him in a Christmas sweater.”

“Maybe I’m just that convincing.” He flashes her his most charming smile.

She snorts loudly, which is her usual reaction to his flirting. They both know he doesn’t mean anything by it. Charles thinks that Crystal is bloody awesome and one of the fittest women he’s ever met to boot, but he figured out pretty early on that they’re destined to just be friends. The first time he had dinner with her, Edwin, and Niko, it didn’t take much detective work to see that she and Niko are mad about each other, even if neither of them seem like they’re going to do anything about it. Charles doesn’t know what they’re waiting for, but Crystal gets cranky whenever he brings it up.

“Niko looks nice,” he says innocently.

The narrow-eyed look that gets him tells him she’s not fooled. “Of course she does. Notice that we didn’t show up in matching outfits like an old married couple.”

“Maybe you should have. Nothing like an ugly jumper to get in the spirit.”

“You should see our apartment,” Crystal says. “Trust me, Niko doesn’t need more holiday spirit. But neither does Edwin, I guess.”

Charles is surprised at that. He hasn’t exactly talked to Edwin about it, but he didn’t expect his partner, who needs to be cajoled into taking a day off as carefully as Charles used to have to coax his mum’s mean old cat into the crate to go to the vet, to be big on Christmas. “He doesn’t?”

“No, Edwin loves Christmas,”  Crystal says. “Well, ‘proper’ Christmas, like they did back in his day. He even took over our kitchen last year to make plum pudding and roasted chestnuts. He even found a pheasant to roast. It was all pretty good, actually. Though I told him this year, we’re doing Christmas at his place. He can make a mess of his own kitchen.”

“Oh,” Charles says. “You guys do Christmas together?”

“We did last year. Edwin cooked an Edwardian feast for twenty people and we made him watch a Hallmark movie marathon.”

“That's aces.” Charles doesn’t know why he never thought to ask what his friends do for Christmas. He guesses he just assumed they’d all be off with their own families, which was pretty daft, now that he thinks about it. He knows that Edwin doesn’t really have anyone besides him, Crystal, and Niko, unless he counts Director Nurse, and he doesn’t see her inviting him over for Christmas. He’s glad they have each other.

It just would have been nice if they’d thought to invite Charles. Christmas is a week away and he plans to spend it alone with some curry and a Home Alone marathon, like he has every year since he left home. It’s not like he can go to his parents’ place, not even though his mum invites him every year. He wanted her to come spend a few days in London with him this year, but his aunt and uncle are visiting for the week, so she can’t get away. They’ll see each other sometime in January.

It doesn’t really matter, does it? Christmases at home were miserable when he was a kid. His dad was never happy with what Charles and his mum got for him and always ended up drunk and angry by the end of the night, which was never a good combination. Charles is an adult now, with his own flat and a decent job. He should just be happy he doesn’t have to spend Christmas at home.

“Charles!” Assistant Director Kashina calls as he walks by with a plate of oysters and an overfull glass of eggnog, Director Nurse at his side. “Fantastic jumper! Asa, we should have an ugly jumper contest next year. It’d be great for morale, don’t you think?”

Nurse looks at Charles, closes her eyes for a brief instant, like she doesn’t understand how her life got to this moment, and keeps going.

“Cheers!” Charles raises his own glass of eggnog to Kashi. “Merry Christmas!”

When he turns back to Crystal, she’s grinning. “That was everything I was hoping for.”

“Aces.” Charles grins at her, pushing aside the melancholy of a moment earlier. This is a party, after all. “Come on, let’s find the others before Edwin tries to escape through the air ducts.”

They’re both giggling at that mental image all the way back to Niko and Edwin, who they find talking to a sandy-haired bloke in a glittery green suit patterned with Christmas ornaments. Charles would admire the suit—it’s not as good as his and Edwin’s jumper, but it’s close—except he’s standing a shade too close to Edwin and that puts Charles’s hackles up. There are too many people in this office who enjoy giving Edwin a hard time and if this prat is one of them, he’s about to have a bad night.

“Here’s your eggnog, mate.” Charles inserts himself between Edwin and the newcomer, pressing a friendly hand to Edwin’s back as he passes him his glass. Edwin has warmed to casual touches over the last few months, which is brills, because Charles would hate it if he couldn’t put his arm around him or annoy him by ruffling his hair.

“Ah, thank you.” Edwin takes his glass. “Charles, this is Thomas King.”

Charles blinks at Thomas King, a memory returning to him. “You work with Thomas fine. When you’re not having sex with him in supply closets.” “Supply closet Thomas?” he blurts without thinking, regretting it as soon as it leaves his lips.

Niko falls into a giggling fit and Crystal nearly chokes on her eggnog.

Edwin’s head whips around to glare at Charles, cheeks pinkening. “Charles,” he hisses, his eyes darting about. He’s under the impression that everyone in the office doesn’t know that he and Thomas used to get it on in the supply closet and Charles hasn’t had the heart to correct him.

Charles isn’t sure why the knowledge that Edwin used to shag Thomas King in a supply closet has stuck with him, why he thinks of it every time he has to grab more printer paper from the closet two doors down from Edwin’s office. Was it that closet? It had to be that one, didn’t it? Edwin wouldn’t have been indiscreet enough to do it in the supply closet near the workroom.  Or did they move around, switching it up a bit? 

“Supply closet Thomas.” Thomas nods thoughtfully. He’s holding a martini, though Charles didn’t see any drinks on offer except for eggnog, punch, hot chocolate, and water. “I’ve been called much worse.”

“And this,” Edwin grits out. “Is my partner, Charles Rowland.”

Thomas raises an eyebrow at Charles. Charles doesn’t know if he cares for that eyebrow. “Another partner? I thought Nurse gave up on that after that disaster with Agent Russell.”

“No disasters yet, mate.” Charles props his elbow on Edwin’s shoulder. “Things are going brills, aren’t they, Edwin?”

“Quite,” Edwin says. “We’ve been working together since August and the only disaster has been the mess Charles makes of my office on a regular basis.”

“Sorry I make you eat and drink every day, mate.”

Edwin sighs. “Where were you this time, Thomas?”

“Seville, again.” Thomas rolls his eyes and takes a sip of his martini. “Always Seville.”

“What’s in Seville?” Charles asks, intrigued despite himself. He knows that Thomas works for the MSI’s International Office, meaning he travels all over the world, doing lots of undercover work. If it weren’t for wanting to stay within driving distance of his mum, Charles may have tried to join. He thinks he’d be aces at undercover work; he’s good with people.

“Vampires,” Thomas says. “Way too many vampires. Well, less than there were after two years of turf wars, but that’s what you get when you can’t keep your teeth to yourself.”

Thomas tells them all about the Seville vampire wars and Charles tries to listen, because it sounds like an interesting story, but his brain is hung up on supply closets. He has to admit that Thomas is a good-looking chap, if you look past the part where he obviously thinks he’s James Bond, shaken not stirred martinis and all. Why’d Edwin end things, he wonders. It had to be Edwin who ended it, from the way Thomas looks at Edwin like he wants nothing more than to stir his martini. And who would break up with Edwin, who is a bonafide catch?

“Anyway, I should catch up with some people,” Thomas says finally. “But lovely to see you,  Edwin, ladies. And to meet you, Chester.”

Charles’s eyes narrow. “It’s Charles.”

“Is it?” Thomas’s smile grows more toothy. “My mistake. Fantastic sweaters, by the way. Green is your color, Edwin. Maybe come find me under the mistletoe later?”

Edwin flushes. “I cannot imagine there’s any mistletoe at an office party.”

“Not yet,” Thomas says and turns away.

“Bit of a prat, isn’t he?” Charles asks as soon as Thomas is out of earshot.

Edwin gives him a strange look. “What do you mean?”

Charles just shrugs, because he isn’t really sure, truth be told. “Why’d you two break up, anyway?”

“Niko, let’s go check out the snack table,” Crystal says.

“But—”

“Snacks!” Crystal steers her away.

“Thomas and I didn’t break up, per se.” Edwin is still looking at Charles strangely. “I was young and lonely when we were having our… assignations, but I eventually realized that being intimate with one’s colleague would only lead to trouble. No one needs a repeat of the mess between Agents Bradley, Kahn, and Drake, do we?”

“Right, so…”

“Charles, what does it matter? It’s been well over a year since the last time Thomas and I…”

“Got it on in a closet?” Charles supplies helpfully.

“No, the last time was at my flat. Obviously. And it’s been at least three years since it was a regular occurrence, so none of this is relevant.”

“Right.” Charles spends a lot of time at Edwin’s flat, probably more than his own. It’s a nice flat, a cozy little one bedroom overflowing with bookshelves.  He can’t imagine Thomas with his shiny suits and his martinis sitting on Edwin’s comfy blue sofa, surrounded by paperback mysteries.

“Is something the matter, Charles?” Edwin sounds peevish now and it occurs to Charles that he may be the one being a bit of a prat.

“Just looking out for you, mate,” Charles says quickly. “Wasn’t here to make sure you were alright back then, was I?”

“I assure you, Charles, I am not going to require smelling salts because of the presence of a former paramour.” Edwin’s tone is snippy, but his expression softens somewhat. “Thomas and I have successfully worked together for years without it being an issue. Now, should we go find Crystal and Niko?”

“Good idea,” Charles says, relieved that the moment of awkwardness has passed. He’s not used to having awkward moments with Edwin; they clicked on their first case together and haven’t looked back. He makes a mental note not to mention the supply closet thing again. Or think about it, for that matter. “Lead the way.”

***

Read the rest here on AO3.

[v0rewhxre]

QUICK SHORT THOUGHTS (MDNI)

If you remember how back in the One Direction Days, everyone would create those short blurbs about each of the boys? Well here's one with the Bad Omens boys!

MDNI!!!! 18+++++++

CW: SMUTTTTTT: f masturbation, mentions of male masturbation, dom/sub talk, talks of p in v, talks of rope play, talks of handcuffs, some fluffyness (Let me know if I missed any!)

This is my first go at writing something smutty in a long long time so go easy on me :)

How each boy would interact while you masturbated in front of them:

Noah: Noah is a little bit devious when it comes to allowing you to masturbate. On one hand, he LOVES that you feel sexually free enough to masturbate in front of him. He loves the confidence you have in doing it, despite the sheepish smiles you give him when you catch his eyes. That man STARES right at what you're doing with your pussy. When he's in a sub mood, you make him beg to look at your throbbing pussy. And boy does he whimperrrrr when you finally allow him. When he's more dominant he'll tell you what to do. He punishes you by rubbing his own cock, which he knows you get slightly jealous of. Why does he need to use his hand when he has you. It becomes a competition, who moans the loudest, who is going to cum first. It turns into Noah pulling you to the edge of the bed and fucking you doggy style. After you both finish, he helps you with aftercare which turns into him munching on you for a bit.

Folio: Folio is a very sweet boy, and he is submissive to your every will. You have him handcuffed and tied up, forcing him to watch as you ride your dildo in front of him. "You wish this was your cock love, right?" "Could you make me feel this good, love?". He politely says, "yes ma'am" with quick nods. His cock is so angry and hard, bobbing with every moan you let slip. He has tears streaming down his face, watching as you enjoy your toy more than he thinks you enjoy him... which isn't correct. Eventually, you guilty conscious takes over and you decide to make love to Folio instead. Riding him slow and sensually, kissing away his tears when you finally let him cum. You press your forehead against his as you finally allow yourself to finish. Once you're done , you'd both get in the bath and goof around with the fishing rod you bought him (which is a toy that is made for 3 year olds for the bathtub).

Jolly: Jolly is a little selfish, he loves the idea that you would want to get off in front of him but why is he not involved more. He wonders if your vibrator feels better than his fingers on your clit, he also wonders how often you do this when he's not there. When you close your eyes, you better be thinking of him. He often breaks the 'don't touch, only look' rule by slowly creeping his hands to your caress your thighs. Eventually he is sitting so closely that your butt is in his lap. He is slowly rubbing his tip all around your over-stimulated and over-wet slit, he can't help but join in. He doesn't even let you cum by yourself, he's fucking the shit outta you. You both finish at the same time, ending the night lounging around naked playing guitar together.

Nicholas: Let's be real Nicholas is a LOVER, but he also has quite a dominant side about him. He would lovingly watch you, not watch you play with your pussy or the way you use your toy, but intently stare into your eyes which drives you CRAZY (in many ways)! "Nicky look at how wet I am!" "Nicky, look at how well I play with my pussy". But he wouldn't, he would just stare at you with love which honestly made everything feel much more intense. He would watch you cum, and then fuck you slowly and punishingly afterwards. He would edge you until you were practically screaming, begging for some type of release. Only when he was ready to cum would he allow you to go over the edge with him. You both end up a sweaty mess with tangled hair. You would both fall asleep in each other's arms, Nicholas' lips pressed into the top of your head.

[kkeidawrites]

If you haven't already could you write a pt2 for jacob holland x mermaid! Reader IT WAS SOO CUTEEEE I rlly enjoyed it. :3

p.s. please take care of yourself and take breaks 👍

🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️

The next two weeks passed through without any major disturbances from the ocean. The carpeting business he had created the year before was slowly reaching an all time high. The demand for boats was coming in full force as the fishing season was coming in in less than a month and so far, the boats Jacob was able to make easily was the dinghy.

However, this particular order was taking far much longer than he originally thought when he made the outline for it. But, it was a boat where it was asking for a lot of designs and Jacob had to hire a couple more hands to help him with the project.

Although, the project wasn't what was on his mind, a certain fish tail was making him more occupied.

For years he knew that the creatures of the sea were both dangerous and mysterious, but from his previous experience with the red Bluster anything is bound to happen at this point.

Jacob pressed on with his life, Maisie was enjoying her time in school practically leaving their home to go and come back home to tell him all about what she learned that day. He returned to his contented life, finally understanding that he would probably never see that mermaid again.

The shed that he had built after his house was finished, held most of the wood he owned and perhaps where he spent most of his time working on his projects.

With some nails in his lip, Jacob hammered the curved wood on the right hand side of the unfinished dinghy he was working on and then wiped his brow. It was day two of his project, and a wet one. It had rained the day before, putting his schedule back a couple of days because the wood he used was also wet.

Sighing, Jacob pushes away another completely soaked piece of wood into the mounting pile of its predecessors and picks up another to feel the weight of it and inspect any large wet spots on the wood.

"Da! Da!" he turned his head to look at Maisie approaching him with a large grin on her face. He sets down his hammer and piece of wood to catch the girl in a hug and grins.

"Hey there kid, how was school?"

"Good!" she exclaims as he sets her down. Digging into her school pack, she pulls out a large book and thrusts it into his face.

"Look! They changed the story about Red!" she says excitedly. Jacob flips open the red spiral book and sees the progression of their story, scarily it was very accurate to what happened. Pretty sure Maisie had something to do with that. A proud father he was.

"Oh and there's someone here to ask you about making a boat for them." she tells him and Jacob frowns in confusion then looks up to see someone approaching.

As the sun sets in the distance, the rays were bouncing off the skin of the woman approaching them. He wipes his hands on the rag he keeps on his hip and squints a bit to see something shimmering on the woman's neck and arms.

Thinking nothing of it, Jacob's eyes widens as he realizes who was approaching and couldn't form any sentences in his mind to speak.

"Hello, you're Jacob Holland right?" Her voice was sultry and soft.

"Um, yeah, I mean yes! Yes, I am Jacob Holland." he holds out his hand to shake her hand and she smiles in greeting.

"I'm Y/n, I was wondering if you could build a jolly boat? I'm a...I help clean the ocean with a very private organization and one of our boats was lost to the sea because of...the rain we had yesterday." she brokenly explained.

"I understand. How soon do you need it done?" he asks, taking the pencil and notepad that Maisie had handed him.

"Well, preferably in two weeks if possible." she says, Jacob nods.

"I can do that. Any color or designs you wish to add?"

"No, it can be however you want it to look." she reassures him and he nods again as he is writing down the possible wood he would need to purchase and add up the total.

"Okay, if there's nothing else that you may need then it will be seven gold pieces for the materials and the time it would take to do the project." Jacob explains.

Y/n pulls out a small pouch from her hip and hands him the correct amount then adds four more pieces to him.

"Just in case," she says to him with a smile.

Shaking hands again, Y/n waves to Maisie and departs from their home sneaking a quick look over her shoulder to Jacob again before turning her head and continuing on her way.

Jacob watches her go and sighs in bliss, Maisie is looking at the gold that she grabbed from her father's slacked hand. Bringing it closer to her face, she noticed something odd about the gold piece.

"Da, look at the money she gave us." she says snapping him out of his stupor.

Jacob looks close at the currency and sees a triton on the gold. The rarest of gold that can only be found in...Jacob shakes his head and puts the gold in his pocket, letting Maisie have the one in her hand for a treat.

"Let's get some dinner then, eh?"

"Yes! I want to show you the high marks I got on my test this week too!" Maisie says as she grabs his large hand and the father-daughter duo return to their home.

With Blue

The little blue creature pushed his head into the open palm for more pets by Y/n as she crouched on the beach to give him some love.

"We'll meet again Mr. Holland, much sooner than you think." her gills flutter softly along with her scales shimmering.

[and-i-will-kiss]

I'm of no use. In my road to get into that wedding, I've decided to take odd jobs here and there and one of them was desperately requested by Zlata, the wife of Von Bergrow's Huntsman.

I tracked him until I found the man hanging from a tree, just like a precious fruit for some wolves that madly spun around. They almost made a snack out of me, I'm still stiff as a plank. After 10 or so minutes of struggle, I killed the whole pack, bitten all over. Vostatek was unscathed until he wasn't, injuring himself when he came off the tree. Jolly drunkard he is, enough to forget that he's not in the best shape, pestering me to carry him around looking for a Pepik... Pepik here! Pepik there! And how my shoulder is too pointy? My patience will be pointy enough for this man if we don't get to his refuge as soon as possible!..

So once I dropped the huntsman somewhere safe, and under the coat of the night, I followed his instructions to track the bandits that stole his horse (Pepik strikes me more as a name for a lapdog, not a horse that's supposed to be as dark as the night). I went in the forest, no torch to alight my way, fearing both being seen or breaking my legs along the way. But the poachers shone a light bright enough to help me place myself somewhere safe in the bushes. Four of them, alright. The crossbow is new for me, my hands, still not stable enough, shake with every heartbeat. I'm still scared, for some reason I'm not feeling like myself. I don't think I can go head on with them like when I trekked on the forests of Talmberg. This is another kettle of fish if you ask me; bandits here jump at any flash of coin or metal and they will go straight to the neck like any vicious dog would. So I make a thousand plans in my head, what-ifs and nots, and suddenly one of them separates from the camp. Slowly and holding my breath, I press a bolt on his back from a safe distance, safe enough to run and hide, seeing that the bolt just pierces but doesn't kill. The bandits instantly jump, flashes of fire against the pitch black of the night. I wait and wait until one brave enough comes my way. It's hard. I'm a newborn foal, clumsy and scared. I only hit him on the shoulder hard enough to make him plead mercy. I disarm him, the poor wretch sprints off barefooted.

I repeat the process, I'm feeling the grind. I'm hurt but victorious. But, from the torches running around in circles, I counted four. Two more are in the camp. If I keep going like this I might not see the daylight. This is a bit of a game of attrition, and soon enough, the camp goes dark. This is my chance! Knocking them out and stabbing them right on their sleeping tents. I feel miserable, but a win is a win even if I never gave them a chance, and I don't want to place things on scales now. The horse is there, alright. And one member of the group had some notions of armor, which I pilfer instantly. Although I miss my cuirass, I'm broke and this will be certainly be of help. I pass the night there after raiding the bandits' haul.

During the morning I ride to the huntsman, still lying down, but I'm not completely sure if it's because of his sprained leg or because he's still nursing a hangover from the day before. We ride back to his place and his entire family comes to greet the old man, but it's not a fully welcoming one, especially from his son, from which I detect a grudge and a half, so I decide not to stick my nose from where's not welcome.

Finally after a much needed wash and recalling the advice of a good woman from Troskowitz, I began my trek to the nomads' camp, with the promise of a swordsman that seems to be made of legends. I trail around rocks and forest until I'm there. Tomcat, the man says. I need his help so I can get above this curse that's making my sword hand retreat in fear, so I remain polite. He has been raised by a bear! In a cave! Well, if the Bearman brothers drank beer instead of mothers' milk, who I am to question. He's nonetheless amusing, but very, very optimistic and it's hard not to be charmed by him. He also looks strong, so I became a believer. Master Bernard would have had fun with this man, his technique is impeccable! Of course, I lack everything he has. I'm slow, stiff, doubtful. But he keeps on advising me; he must have seen something. So I'm at it for some hours until I feel myself again and manage to complete the movements he has been trying to drill on me. Then we talk again. He tempts me on the mention of Master Strikes, thing that saved my head many, many times in the past, but can't perform anymore. Seeing this the man beamed - he warned that he won't be teaching this to anyone, only a duel would tell if I'm ready. So we jump in. I play it safe, as I'm starting to believe all his stories of bears and caves and carts rolling on him. I want this but I'm still worried, worried about upsetting him. Worried about not being not good enough for this. After a good chunk of time I manage to best him, not after being on the receiving end thrice. The last hit felt like relief.

I expended the rest of the day getting back to old myself. Tomcat can obviously go beyond that, but I'm exhausted. But at least I can rest here and meet his crowd. Just looking forward for more outrageous tales until the sun comes down.

(Went a little overboard with this one, I died so many times yesterday and I didn't play much because of that. I desperately needed to GIT GUD OR DIE, a feeling I got while playing KCD1... Tomcat is KCD2's Bernard, so I ran to him. I'm still not fully into the new layout, especially the annoying free camera mode, it just breaks my fighting experience, i wish they mapped it to another button, or remove it completely. Surely but steady, can't rush in)

[ostdreamseeker]

Hey! Hiii! I would Love to read a small angsty Noah x Nicholas! From bad omens. But it won't just be angst, there will also be some action. Basically the idea would be Nicholas saving Noah after some crazy person stab him on Halloween, taking advantage of the fact that the people are dressed up! I don't know, something that makes it clear how much those two love each other, but that also makes me cry haha.

Let your imagination run wild(?)

PS: I've never made a request before. Sorry.

Alright finally got this one done! Oddly happy with how it came out tbh

•··································•··································•

Stomach Ache

Noah Sebastian x Nicholas Ruffilo (Bad Omens)

Word Count: 1,043

Tags: Violence, blood, injury, general angst

Disclaimer: this is fiction and not intended to be an actual depiction of these people, their actions or their relationships in real life

•··································•··································•

Halloween = Noah’s birthday. 

The whole band tended to make quite a large deal out of it, but no one even came close to how excited Noah got over it. He’d gone through dozens of group outfit ideas with the band, scrambling to think of something as the boys had left him with full decision over what they worse due to it being his special day.

Eventually though, Jolly and Nick ended up being unable to attend for... Some reason Noah forgot almost immediately. It was hard pushed to say he particularly cared for, his beloved boyfriend, Nic, had still promised to spend the whole day and night with him and in all honesty, Noah didn’t need anything else.

Eventually Halloween rolled around, Noah had himself all done up as Kaneki from Tokyo Ghoul and had dressed Nic up too, a more generic ghoul but his whole look complimented Noah’s own. Thankfully, Nic was very much so on board with Noah’s ‘you’re never too old to trick-or-treat’ theory and was quite gladly being dragged down the street, the darkness slowly settling in as the cool but not quite on the nose breeze brushed past the pair. Everyone had been quite pleasant through the night, despite dealing with two very much so grown men trick-or-treating and they had only been recognised by a couple of very polite fans, and not swarmed like they did fear.

They’d amassed quite the haul this evening, Noah slowly picking through the candy and munching on it as they wandered, Nic had needed to move Noah away from several poles that he was about to have a meet and greet with his forehead while being too busy fishing around in the candy bag.  And now they were tired, full of sugar and almost home. They felt like they’d been out all night, even if it was still early compared to the pairs usual sleep schedule. They had plans for just the pair of them tonight, watch some horror movies, have some cake, all just to top of the great Halloween/birthday whombo-combo evening. Thankfully, the last part of the walk home wasn’t too strenuous and the house was already in view.

Nic took his eyes off Noah for one moment.

One moment too long.

He’d just looked away for a second, admiring someone's Halloween decorations in the distance until a blood curdling scream was torn from Noahs lungs and immediately pierced Nic’s ears. Nic’s attention fixated onto Noah immediately, watching him stumble and clutch his stomach, bag of candy immediately lost onto the ground as his body fell into the guitarist’s arms, barely managing to hold himself upright.

“Noah!”

Nic managed to see some masked, knife wielding individual, some horror movie serial killer that he didn’t care for enough to be able to name, running away with an audible cackle, blood dripping from the knife along the sidewalk as he ran, but not enough information to even attempt to file anything for now, not like that would be Nic’s focus anyway. Nic clutched Noah tightly, pressing his hand harder against his stomach wound as the blood seeped through both their fingers. 

“Come on, let’s get you inside.”

Slowly but surely, Nic managed to drag Noah inside, most of his weight resting against his own until they barely managed to make it to the bathroom of their shared house, Noah immediately slumping to the ground beside the bathtub the moment Nic let him go. There were a lot of groans and grunts from Noah, although he seemed to eb holding up surprisingly well. With a melody of sighs, grunts and other stressed and aggravated noises, Nic quickly got to work looking over Noahs injury. He carefully moves Noah’s hand away, despite protests, and slipped his upper clothing off. Thankfully, the wound didn’t run as deep as the amount of blood made it seem. It wouldn’t need stitches but it would need attention, gauze, bandages... Just enough things to make Nic’s head spin.

“Stay there, I’m just getting some things.”

“Nic-”

“Shh. You’re okay.”

Noahs pained puppy dog eyes didn’t bring his heart any resolve, nor did the pained whimpers as he moved away to the first aid cabinet. He was back by his side quickly, wiping his blood from his side and the wound carefully, soon taking some antiseptic cream to the wound site before wrapping it gently. Noah gave many cries of protest and grunts of pain as Nic took to his wound, moving around to suit his needs as he twisted the bandage around his torso. Once Nic was done he sat down next to Noah, pulling him into a side hug carefully.

“You okay?”

Noah nodded, properly examining his stomach now and the amount of blood that was over his hands and now all over Nic. Gods, the bathroom was covered in it, actually. It was almost sickening, thankfully the fact the pain was slowly subsiding helped to bring the nauseous feeling down back to his stomach and not all over the floor. 

“I’m okay...” His breathing was still heavy as he rest his head against Nic, a small tear slipping from the corner of his eye with a soft chuckle. “All thanks to you. Real ass saver, aren’t you?”

Nic couldn’t help but laugh, of course Noah would crack a joke already, just got stabbed, almost bled out on the bathroom floor, him and his boyfriend are both covered in his own blood... yeah, seems like a great time for a joke. Nic just pressed a kiss to his forehead, his own panic and stress seeping from his mind now. The night had been enough for the pair already, Noah would probably be out of commission for a few days now at least, it was a good thing they didn’t have any shows coming up. Nic had already made his decision on the middle of the floor too, he wasn’t going to be leaving Noah’s side any time soon.

“I’m just glad you’re okay.”

“Oh peachy, happy birthday to me I guess.” Noah paused for a second before bringing his gaze over to match Nic’s, his bloody hand gently holding his chin and caressing it. “I love you, I don’t say it enough.”

“I love you too.”

[chocolatepot]

Taking ALL THE NOTES!

Stede holding a crew meeting on the Revenge with his and Ed's combined crews

A jolly boat/rowboat/whatever with a man standing in the front. Ed is dressed in Buttons's coat like in the clip we have with Jackie, and Izzy has his hoof

A fire!

Izzy dressed in naval uniform with Nose Guy and other naval dudes in the forest

Ed walking across deck

Ed in the pearls! (Well, Taika, it's not while filming)

Someone fishing from a small rowboat in the dusk/dawn

Izzy: "Oh, look, it's scowlyface ..."

Panning across the Revenge exterior

Stede in the dark blueshirt and earring in a dark room lit by a bunch of candles

Continuation of same scene with Stede at a table with two guys I don't think we know. "Bit intense, but ... I like the feeling."

Working on a rundown street exterior set

Back to the bit from bullet point 2

Stede outside on the rundown street set, I think, with the guys from the dark room, plus more, all sitting on stairs together

A dude smashes a bottle against his own head

Ed (in leather) and Stede (in red shirt) walk into a market(?) covered with rainbow tassels and a rainbow flag 🏳️‍🌈

"Did I see you offer both these children knives?" Stede asks (I'm guessing these are Taika's kids?)

Setting up the rainbow market, hanging pretty cloth lanterns on the Revenge

Costume room, omggg

Crew helping Con, you can see his green-screen-covered leg sticking out behind him, jdlkfjsdlkfjslk

People running around a street at night, Stede in the black shirt down on all fours 👀

Swede in his Jackie-husband outfit shaking a cocktail

The dudes pouring drinking into Stede's mouth, dressed in black, then shouting "I'm a seagull(?)" - cut to Ed in Buttons's coat (looking concerned) with Jackie (laughing) - yeah, the soft look in that press photo is definitely him watching Stede

Stede and the gang on those stair, but one of the guys is raising Stede's arm and everyone's cheering

[solartranslations]

AF2 Glossary

Auguri: Means “Congratulations” in Italian. Used during celebrations. The song for Happy Birthday is called “tanti auguri a te”.

Agata: The governor of Nordia, the Capital of Water. Teo and Sera’s mother. Appears strict and fearsome since she carries a whip, but is actually kind. An old friend of Vir’s.

Acqua Alta: An Italian word that refers to the tides. The phenomenon is often observed in Nordia. The townspeople take daily measures to prevent buildings from becoming flooded and to prepare for emergencies.

Acqua Tempesta: A great storm that threatens Nordia. Records state that it occurs once every hundred years. The storm is powerful enough to completely destroy the island.

Acqua Pazza: Fish and tomatoes stewed in water and white wine. A popular dish among sailors, especially those of the Intelligence division. Regalo has restaurants that serve delicious acqua pazza.

Bruise: Appears as compensation for using Arcana powers. The area around the stigmata turns reddish black, and becomes painful.

Ash: A wild genius from the ghost ship. 17 years old. A decendent of the alchemist who created the Tarocco. Also skilled in swordsmanship. Turns into a tiger when he looks into a mirror, and turns back after eating an apple.

Amata: An Italian word that refers to your beloved. Often used when whispering sweet nothings like a true Regalo man.

Amethyst: A purple crystal. A long time ago, Jolly made a fake eye out of this stone to supplement Debito’s emotional strength. This gem is also often used as a protective charm.

Arcana Duello: A battle between those with Arcana powers to determine who is the strongest. Everyone who has powers can participate. It was established by Mondo.

Arcana Famiglia: The vigilante organization that protects Regalo from both internal and external threats. They maintain order and safety for the island. Searching for cats is another of their specialties.

Arcana powers: Strange powers that lie in Tarocco cards. These special powers can be gained through forming a contract, but each seems to require the payment of some compensation…

Alto: A boy who often gazes at the sea. 10 years old. Often comes to the harbor to listen to stories of “Liberta the Hero”. Devoted to his family.

Alberto: Pace’s younger brother. 22 years old. His feelings towards Pace are complicated, but he hopes that he will return to their family. His favorite dish is naturally lasagna.

Albero: One of the court cards. The king of the Chalices. 34 years old. Mature and composed, he supports their young executive. However, he teases him an equal amount.

Awayukikan: A type of sweet from Giappone. Its name comes from it’s snow-white appearance and melt-in-your-mouth softness. Has a flavor that brings back fond memories for Giapponese expats.

Antonio: One of the court cards. The knight of the Swords. 23 years old. Straight-laced and serious. Dislikes disorder, but still remembers to read the room. Tends to worry that his face makes him look old.

Igor: One of the court cards. The page of the Clubs. 21 years old. Basically just loves to eat! And that is reflected in his figure. Secretly loves fine food.

Isabella: One of three maids who take care of the entire mansion. Full of energy and the life of the party, she is also very hard working. Her age is a secret.

Isis Regalo: One of the exclusive members-only casinos run by the Coins serie. A place for gathering cash, information, and everything in between…

Strawberry Head: Ash’s nickname for the heroine. Apparently comes from how her hair is red like the fruit…

Il Carro: The 7th card, the Chariot. The name of the Tarocco that Teo hosts. Grants the power to control gravity, and burden or suppress an opponent’s movements.

Il Giudizio: The 20th card, Judgment. The name of the Tarocco that Sumire hosts. Grants the power to understand the will of the Tarocco.

Il Bagatto: The 1st card, the Magician. The name of the Tarocco that Ash hosts. Grants the power to change your appearance at will.

Il Matto: The starting card, the Fool. The name of the Tarocco that Liberta hosts. Grants the power to make the spoken word reality.

Il Mondo: The 21st card, the World. The name of the Tarocco that Mondo hosts. Grants the power to amplify or suppress the Arcana powers of others.

Vittorio: One of the court cards. The queen of the Coins. 29 years old. Acts like a parent to the rest of the Coins. Won’t say it out loud, but trusts their Capo a suprising amount. His hairstyle is a key part of his look.

Vir Ingeniosus: The creator of the Tarocco. Physical age unknown. He doesn’t look like it, but he is actually 448 years old. Also created the ghost ship. Doesn’t have Arcana powers, but is knowledgible about alchemy and astronomy.

Elmo: A homunculus boy. Looks around 10 years old, but was actually born less than a year ago. Succeeded in hosting powers through Jolly’s research. Loves the heroine very much.

Eros Debito: Debito’s nickname. Pace is the one who came up with it. It’s used when Debito shows his true talent as a hunter of love.

Augar Blanco: The name of the organization lead by Milena’s father. They caused unrest in town and were in conflict of Arcana Famiglia. They seem to have quieted down recently.

Orso: A member of the Intelligence division. 29 years old. A burly sailor who assists Dante. While he’s great at sailing, he’s bad with women.

Ojou-sama Maniac: What Agata calls Luca to refer to how his life revolves around his Ojou-sama. Luca denies it, but everyone else seems to agree.(X)

Ka-Ko

Casa Bianca: An orphanage in Nord. Liberta spent time here before meeting Dante. It is not currently in use and only the broken down building remains.

Guida Regalo: A Regalo tourism magazine. The Family occasionally puts out special editions. It originally came about so that individual establishments could showcase their specialties.

Caprese: A salad of layered mozzerala cheese and thickly slices tomatos garnished with basil. A signature Italian dish. Often served during celebrations.

Capo: An Itallian word that refers to an executive. Members of the Coins serie often use this in regards to Debito.

Kamuro: A young girl in training to be a courtesan. They waited on courtesans called oiran while learning how to be courtesans themselves.

Calcio: An Italian word that refers to soccer. A regular activity at Piccolino among the children. Particularily a favorite among boys.

Karel: Debito’s mentor who taught him how to work in the shadows when he was an assassin. The former Executive of the Coins. He has some connection to Debito…

Kiara: Joshua’s wife and Liberta’s mother. Died soon after giving birth to Liberta. A commoner. Dextrous and skilled at making accessories.

Coins Serie: The serie in charge of distribution. Also oversees the amusement facilities on the island. Their free-spirited Capo has plenty of enemies and allies.

Claudio: One of the court cards. The knight of the Clubs. 24 years old. Has a reputation for having a wild and healthy appetite. Has a thing for silver hair, but nobody knows about it.

Grazie: An Italian word that means thank you. Saying “thank you” is the most important and basic form of communication.

Clarissa: A girl from a ruined noble family. 12 years old. Despite being young, works hard studying in order to rebuild her family’s status. Has some connection to Pace…

Claude: A former Nord spy. Knows Dante from when they were fellow spies. Approached the heroine before claiming to be a journalist. His recent whereabouts are unknown…

Contract: Formed when your intentions are in line with another party. Often used by Vir throughout the story as a negotiation tactic.

Officer: Refers to a police officer. In Regalo, Arcana Famiglia takes on this role, but the police uphold order in Nordia. They don’t serve katsudon though. (TN: Apparently serving katsudon to suspects in interrogation to get a confession is a thing in Japanese police dramas)

Laurel: A plant in the Lauraceae family. The leaves are typically used in Natale wreaths or dried into bay leaves to use as a spice for cooking.

Philosophers’s Stone: A miraculous stone known by all alchemists. It is said to have the power to turn base metals into gold and grant humans immortality.

Swords Serie: The serie in charge of arbitration. Didn’t have an executive until recently, when the heroine joined and filled in the position. The members all act like true Regalo men.

Useless Brat: A term used when cursing another. Refers to a person who is only a mouth to feed and doesn’t have any contributions or achievements.

Cornet: A pastry often eaten during breakfast. Similar to a croissant. In Regalo, they often have sweet fillings like jam or chocolate.

Gondola: A small rowboat. Typically used as transportation in Nordia where there are lots of canals. The scenary when travelling between buildings in one is quite beautiful. It looks particularily magical at night.

Clubs Serie: The serie in charge of inspections. Perhaps to Pace being the executive, this serie is full of cheerful personalities. Always smiling when on patrol.

Konpeito: A type of sugar candy shaped like stars. Originally introduced from Portugal. Their bright, translucent colors and sweet flavor makes them beloved by people of all ages.

Sa-So

Embodying Suspicion: When someone has unfounded doubts about another. Being suspicious is necessary at times, but knowing when to trust someone is more important. (X)

Trivial: Refers to something insignificant. Used by Dante to describe Claude’s actions. But what are Dante’s true intentions? (X)

Salute: Said as a wish for good health when making a toast. Doesn’t matter whether your glass contains wine or grape juice.

Monkey Princess: A female squirrel monkey. “Princess” for short. Neve’s close friend and confidant from when she lived in Giappone. Teaching her new skills is part of Neve’s daily routine.

Siesta: A nap taken to relax for a bit after lunchtime. A day with clear skies and a breeze is considered perfect weather for a siesta.

Jeremy: One of the court cards. The king of the Coins. 22 years old. A good guy, but often causes him to draw the short end of the stick. Loves women.

Signorina: A polite term for a woman. To Regalo men, a woman is considered a lady no matter her age.

Shimenawa: Used to decorate entryways during new years to welcome the gods. Means to ward of evil. Very nostalgic to Neve since she is from Giappone.

Simone: One of the court cards. The queen of the Swords. 27 years old. Loves hearing interesting gossip. Talks in a unique manner that leaves an impression.

Giappone: The name of the country Sumire used to live. Items and proverbs from Giappone appear frequently in the story.

Minor Arcana: Those who work under the executives are contracted with a minor Arcana. They don’t have special powers but have slightly higher physical abilities than the average person.

Jolly: An advisor you can’t go to for advice. Age unknown. Due to his cold-hearted nature, the island’s citizens and Family keep their distance, but he doesn’t mind it. His skills as an alchemist are first-rate.

Giorgio: One of the court cards. The king of the Swords. 31 years old. Usually reliable but loves signorinas. Has a reputation for accurately telling fortunes with his hairstyles.

Jiro: The mansion’s gardener. 37 years old. A natural-born Regalo man who gets along well with Martha. It’s said that his favorite hat is an antique.

Scuro: One of the court cards. The knight of the Chalices. 27 years old. A sincere and upstanding man. Idolizes his executive and calls him “Nova-sama”. Has the nicest handwriting in the Chalices.

Stigmata: A mark that appears on the skin after contracting a Major Arcana. The position depends on the person. The design is based on which Major Arcana was contracted.

Speranza: The name of the sword Liberta always carries. It’s name means “hope”. It’s a type of curved sword called a cutlass.

Sumire: A former oiran fortune-teller. 36 years old. A woman with an exotic air who came from Giappone. Said to have originally been an accomplished fortune-teller. Strict yet mischievous as a mother.

Sumire Tayu: The name Sumire used in Giappone when she was an oiran. “Tayu” is a title granted to those who excel at the arts.

Punishment: A penalty imposed upon those who break a law or regulation. As the creator of the Tarocco, it seems that a punishment is issued to those who attack him.

Chalices Serie: The serie in charge of security. Comprised of those who are typically earnest people, but they often tease their young executive.

Serafino: The son of the governor, Agata. 18 years old. Usually refered to as Sera. Sometimes gets the short end of the stick due to his honest personality. Has plenty of worries for his age. Crab claw fritters are his favorite

Celine: A magician. 25 years old. Was supposedly visiting Nordia in order to show off some magic tricks at the masquerade… Seems to have some relationship with Debito…

Serie: The Swords, Chalices, Coins, and Clubs divisions of the organization. Also used to refer to card suits.

Ferryman: A person who rows a gondola. Called a gondolier in Italian. The sight of them standing at the bow often catches the attention of tourists.

Governor: A term for someone who leads a country. Agata fulfills this role in Nordia. The postion comes with a significant amount of responsibility, as the one holding it can determine the future of their country.

Ta-To

Major Arcana: The group of 22 cards in a full deck of 78 tarot cards that has illustrations of what they symbolize.

Compensation: A payment that is made whenever Arcana powers are used. For example, whenever the heroine spins the “Wheel of Fortune”, “memories” are the compensation.

Tarocco: The tarot in Italian. Refers to the cards that host Arcana powers in general. It isn’t clear who created them or for what purpose.

Dante: Has a bright sense of humor. 39 years old. The chief executive who manages the other more free-spirited executives. Has direct command over the Intelligence division, so he does not stay in Regalo all the time. An incredibly reliable man.

Cenone: A banquet held in Italy on New Year ’s Eve. Often a large function where family, extended relatives, and friends are invited. Nordia has a custom of exchanging small red items.

Ciao: Means “Hey!”, “Hello”, etc. Used as a greeting on a daily basis. Mainly used between people who are familiar with each other. Saying this enthusiastically is sure to get you a smile in return…

Intelligence division: A group of all male sailors who specialize in diplomacy and gathering information and protect the island from outside threats. They are a part of the Family but mainly operate at sea.

Dino: A craftsman at the glass workshop. 24 years old. Acquainted with Sera and has also met Nova. Skilled at glass blowing but does admit that Sera is more talented.

Tiramisu: Quintessential of Italian dolce. Bitter espresso and marscapone cheese make an exquisite pairing. It’s name means “cheer me up”.

Teo: The son of the governor, Agata. 18 years old. His full name is Theodore. Respects Vir almost to the point of blind faith due to a certain incident. Shrimp fritters are his favorite.

Debito: A fashionable man who lives for amore. 24 years old. Treats women and children kindly despite how he looks, but speaks in a foul manner. Executive of the Coins and runs the casino. Also performs various other jobs…

Equivalent exchange: Exchanging things of equal value. A term used frequently by alchemists. If you want something, you must offer something of equal value. That is the principle behind an equivalent exchange.

Donatella: One of three maids who take care of the entire mansion. Good at keeping a straight face, but can still be playful. Calm, collected, and often calls out others on their stupidity.

Torta di mele: A tart that typically uses apples. The crispy crust an tart apples taste exquisite. Tastes nostalgic to Ash.

Dolce: An Italian word that refers to sweetness or sweets. Can also be used as a compliment for women.

Donna: An Italian word that refers to a proprietress. Also a title for the heroine after she succeeds Papa as head of the Family.

Na-No

Natale: The Italian word for Christmas. People will usually get together with family to celebrate on the night of Natale. It can also be a day for couples to spend together.

Nino: A member of the Intelligence division. Dante’s subordinate. 32 years old. A keen sailor who supports Dante, but has very bad luck. Will always take the opportunity to pursue luck.

Nicola: Nova’s mother. When Nova’s Death powers went out of control at a young age, she was put to sleep for 7 years, but has now woken up. Is usually gentle.

Neve: Sumire’s younger sister by blood. 17 years old. Her real name is Yuki (kanji for happiness). Skilled at fortune-telling and also uses it in sales. Loves and respects Vir, with whom she has a romantic relationship.

Nova: A skilled Regalo swordsman. 16 years old. The disciplined executive of the Chalices and the heroine’s cousin. Strict on others just as he is on himself. He still isn’t done growing.

Nordia: A city located to the north of Regalo that takes a few days to reach by ship. Many canals run through the city, making it famous as the Capital of Water. The Acqua Tempesta is a constant concern.

Nordia merchants: The merchants that are led by Vir. It’s members are Sera, Teo, and Neve. They have a contract with the governor, Agata, to travel around selling their wares.

Nord: A country that is located even further north from Nordia. Temperatures are low year-round which makes life in the area difficult. The population decreases every year.

Ha-Ho

Pace: A natural Regalo man. 26 years old. The executive of the Clubs and the Deputy Chief Executive. Loves lasagna and always has a smile on his face. Is actually a noble and son of the lord.

Papa: Means “father” in Italian and can also refer to the Pope. The term is also used for the leader of the organization and is Mondo’s title.

Babbo Natale: The Italian word for Santa Claus. Shows up in the “Adventures of Liberta the Hero” stories that Liberta tells. Virtually everyone in Regalo has heard of him.

Patrick: One of the court cards. The king of the Clubs. 28 years old. Supports Pace by managing the serie. The long part of his hair that looks like a tail is a style point of his.

Panettone: A traditional sweet bread that is eaten during Natale. The dry fruits inside and freshly baked crust are exquisite. So good that even grown-ups and children will fight over it.

Panna: Means fresh cream in Italian. Spreading lots of panna on panettone when eating it during Natale is the Regalo way.

Bambina: Means a young girl in Italian. Young boys are called bambino. Mainly used by Debito when referring to the heroine.

Piccolino: An event that members of the Family hold occasionally. They gather the children in the church to play, talk, and eat snacks together.

Pino: One of the court cards. The queen of the Clubs. 23 years old. A glutton who’s motto is “meals should be fun”, but has the best manners out of all the Clubs. Has a bit of a sharp tongue.

Chickpea: A small legume that is used in soups and salads. Usually used as a term for teasing Nova in the story.

Federica: The beautiful owner of a tailoring shop. Owns a white cat named Fran. Her age is super top secret. Gets along very well with Martha.

Federica Dress: The tailoring shop run by Federica. The shopfront is decorated with many dresses. They also sell accessories and such.

Felicita (default name): A girl who is loved deeply. 17 years old. The executive of the Swords and their Madonna. Has a cool personality and talks with her kicks before her words, but is just hiding her embarrassment. Secretly a romantic. The heroine of the story.

Buona Notte: A phrase that means “good night”. Said to wish someone a pleasant night.

Fortuna: The 10th card, the Wheel of Fortune. The name of the Tarocco that the heroine hosts. Its full name is Ruota della Fortuna.

Fukurota (default name): A female little owl. Gifted to the heroine by Dante when she was young. Now the heroine’s best friend.

Furio: A poor boy who is a childhood friend of Clarissa. 13 years old. His family is poor and he works as a shoe polisher. Seems to have some relation to Pace…

Fred: One of the court cards. The queen of the chalices. 20 years old. Mercilessly ties up troublemaking evildoers with his whip. His hobby is reading books and has an eloquent but sharp tongue.

Peridot: A bright green gemstone. Luca refined it to use as a replacement for Debito’s amethyst eye. It holds the meaning of “bonds of fate”.

Mr. Hat: Vir’s nickname for Luca. Comes from his trademark hat. Keeps using it no matter how many times Luca corrects him. Probably won’t be changing his ways…

Pawn: One of the pieces used in chess. The weakest piece representing a foot soldier. Using them properly can determine victory or defeat.

Homunculus: Refers to the artificial lifeforms created by alchemists. Some say that they go against the principle of life…

Polpo: Means “octopus” in Italian. There are rumors that Jolly used to use them as experimental subjects. Delicious when cooked and fun to look at.

Board Game Tournament: A tournament held on the last day of the masquerade. A large event held to celebrate Nordia in which the governor Agata herself takes part. Agata was the champion in recent years.

Ma-Mo

Martha: The mansion’s cook. 38 years old. A spirited woman who is in charge of all the Family’s meals. She can apparently make anything you request of her.

Masquarade: A large festival held during New Year’s in Nordia. It lasts for 10 days and a board game tournament with the governor takes place on the last day. Many tourists come to experience the event.

Mama: Means “mother” in Italian. It refers to the motherly figure of the organization, who is Sumire in the story.

Milena: The youngest daughter of Augar Blanco. Ran borderline scams in order to pursue the person she liked, but the incident was resolved at the Isis Regalo. Exchanges letters with the heroine.

Mariella: One of three maids who take care of the entire mansion. Has a calming presence and acts as an older sister figure. She is surprisingly clumsy.

Bird of Prey: A category of bird that includes owls. They tend to prey on other animals. Debito tends to use this to refer to Fukurota. (X)

Mostro Abissale: The name of a limone pie that Jolly made. It’s full name is “Capriccio of Enhancement, Mostro Abissale”. It seemingly has the effect of making whoever consumes it manlier like Dante.

Fir Tree: A type of pine tree that is typically used as a Christmans tree. It isn’t typically done in Regalo, but they are often decorated in celebration of Christmas abroad.

Moreno: Nova’s father and Mondo’s older brother. However, his current involvement with the Family is minimal. Was put to sleep for 7 years when Nova lost control of his powers at a young age. Strict, but kind deep down.

Mondo: The ridiculously doting father, Papa. 59 years old. Currently the well respected head of the Family. Has a personality that inevitably brings people together. Is soft towards his daughter.

Ya-Yo

Procuress: A woman who trains and procures women for a pleasure district. It is said that they put a great amount of effort into training girls so they can attract high class clients.

Liberta the Hero: The name Liberta uses when he tells stories of his adventures. Very popular with children. He seems to exaggerate quite a bit, but he claims they are about 70% true…

Ghost Ship: Refers to Ash’s ship, the Vascello Fantasma. In the past, it sailed with many ghosts and skeletons who could not be put to rest aboard. There are apples everywhere.

Yuki: Neve’s real name. Written with the character for “happiness”. Changed her name to “Neve” after meeting Vir. After fulfilling a promise, she may start going by this name once more.

Joshua: Mondo’s first son whom he had with his first wife. He eloped and went missing, but reappeared on the ghost ship… His wife’s name was Kiara.

Ra-Ro

La Giustizia: The 8th card, Justice. The name of the Tarocco that Joshua hosted. Invokes the scales and calls forth either an overwhelmingly powerful attack or defensive array.

La Stella: The 17th card, the Star. The name of the Tarocco that Neve hosts. Grants the power to grant the wish of another just once.

La Temperanza: The 14th card, Temperance. The name of the Tarocco that Luca hosts. Grants the power to nullify Arcana powers.

La Torre: The 16th card, the Tower. The name of the Tarocco that Elmo hosts. Grants the power to create a strong wall over an area that protects from attacks.

La Forza: The 11th card, Strength. The name of the Tarocco that Pace hosts. Grants extreme physical strength.

La Primavera: A spring festival in Regalo. Many people will wear costumes and several events will be held to heighten the festive atmosphere.

La Morte: The 13th card, Death. The name of the Tarocco that Nova hosts. Grants the power to temporarily put people in the area to sleep.

La Luna: The 18th card, the Moon. The name of the Tarocco that Jolly hosts. Grants the power to call up a person’s painful memories.

Lasagna: An oven-baked dish of layered sheet pasta and sauce. Pace says its name strangely, but there’s no real meaning to it.

L’Appeso: The 12th card, the Hanged Man. The name of the Tarocco that Sera hosts. Grants the power to temporarily deprive nearby people of their vision.

Raphaelo: One of the court cards. The page of the Swords. 25 years old. Usually doesn’t talk much, but occasionally has harsh opinions. He is easily misinterpreted, but is actually just very honest.

Gli Amanti: The 6th card, the Lovers. The name of the Tarocco that the heroine hosts. Grants the power to read the hearts of others.

Ristorante: Means “restaurant” in Italian. Many specialize in dishes using fresh seafood. Their dolce is also delicious.

Liberta: One who understands the value of foolishness. 19 years old. A member of Intelligence who loves the sea and freedom. Has a bright, energetic personality despite the complex circumstances behind his birth. Has difficulties due to not knowing how to act around women.

Limone Pie: A pie using lemons. The members of the Family all have different tastes, but they all agree that Luca’s limone pie is a delicacy. Tastes even better cold. They should never be thrown.

Lord: Governs the land that they preside over. Pace and Alberto’s father has lordship over Regalo.

Apple: A type of fruit. Their balance of sweet and sour makes them suited for use in dolce. Ash’s favorite food and his Vascello Fantasma stocks tons of them.

L'Imperatore: The 4th card, the Emperor. The name of the Tarocco that Dante hosts. Grants the power to manipulate a person’s memories or temporarily brainwash them.

Luce: One of the court cards. The page of the Chalices. 20 years old. Has a baby face that makes him look younger than he is. Likes to tease Nova the most out of the Chalices.

Luca: An overly doting attendant. 29 years old. His hobbies are sewing and alchemy. Was also once a secretary. A kind older brother figure who has taken care of the heroine for 13 years. Can be incompetent at times.

The Lucellino Company: A secret organization who’s name means “little bird of light”. They appear to be a trading company on the surface, but rumor has it that they have another hidden side…

Regalo sunshine: Refers to a perfectly sunny day without a cloud in sight. On days with weather like this, it isn’t unusual to see people doing their laundry while looking up at the sky and calling out “Look at this Regalo sunshine!”.

Island of Regalo: The island that the story takes place on. Often targeted by pirates and foreign nations due to its abundance in resources. The name Regalo means “gift”.

Renato: One of the court cards. The knight of the Coins. 26 years old. The diligent type, which is rare in the Coins. His cool demeanor makes him popular with women. Doesn’t smile outside of work.

L'Eremita: The 9th card, the Hermit. The name of the Tarocco that Debito hosts. Grants the power to become invisible and undetectable by others.

Alchemy: A practice that involves refining various materials into a complete form. Those who practice this art are called alchemists. Jolly, Luca, and Ash are known as the alchemist trio.

Rollo: One of the court cards. The page of the Coins. 23 years old. Has a good head on his shoulders and is skilled at adapting to the needs of others. A calculated gentleman.

Wa

Wheel: Anything that is round or goes in a loop. Whether that be fate or connections with others. The world is made up on many wheels.

Wine: An alcoholic beverage made of fermented grape juice. A favorite drink of Debito’s and Dante’s. It is best consumed warm during cold seasons.

Puppy Brothers: A term used to collectively refer to Liberta and Pace. References how they act like a large and medium-sized dog respectively.

~*End*~

(Back to Directory)

[thedepthsoffandomminds]

The lost Princess of the ocean - six

Masterlist

Nami and Zoro were sitting at the table chatting.

“So what did you do?” Nami pressed. Zoro groaned.

“I kissed her.” He sighed.

Nami's hand flew to her mouth as she stifled a laugh. “What is wrong with you?”

“I don't…I've never…” he clenched his jaw tight.

“Is that why you saved her? Just to-” she raised her eyebrows.

“No, no I…I didn't think…”

“But it's happened, you like her. You know nothing about her.” Nami whispered.

“It doesn't matter, I overstepped, she won't even look at me now.” Zoro sighed, leaning his head back against the wall.

“I don't know, just give her some time.” She grins at him.

Across the mess hall the door opens revealing you. You pause your movements upon seeing them, then slowly shut the door so it makes no sound.

Zoro stood the moment you walked in. Without saying a word you pull a chocolate bar from the cupboard and move across to the table, Zoro slides back down to his position with one leg up on the bench. You sit down in front of him and lean back onto his chest, feeling Zoro release a breath behind you. Nami gives him a knowing eyebrow raise and you a friendly smile. Zoro's right hand drops to your waist, his thumb rubbing circles over the satin of your new dress.

Luffy came bounding, his happiness utterly bricking over. He was in love with his new home. He sat across from Nami and began chatting until Usopp came in.

“Check it out!” He holds up a newly painted Jolly Roger. He and Luffy quickly resolve into a squabble about who was captain, broken only by Nami laughing.

“See this is what it's all about. From here on out it'll be smooth sailing!” Luffy's words are echoes by a canon hitting the water outside the ship

“You had to say something.” Nami groaned.

You all run onto the deck and see the large metal ship coming toward you.

“Grandpa?” Luffy exclaims.

“Did he just say Grandpa?” Zoro asks.

Another canon ball flies through the air breaking the wood of the railing. You all drop to the floor, bits of wood flying around you all. Nami quickly takes control of the situation ordering people around. You drop down with Zoro to the lower deck when Usopp manages to fumble the cannon balls and they roll down to Zoro's feet.

Another cannon fires and the ball is hurtling toward you. Luffy does the only thing he can think of, drawing in air and blowing up his stomach until he is able to bounce the cannon ball back and took out the Marine’s main mast.

“Nami, get us out of here!” He shouts and Nami directs the ship into the mist .

Lost amongst it all your illustrious captain smells food in the air. As if searching out sustenance was his devil fruit power he directed the ship toward the smell. A giant fish comes into view and you all rush to the side of the ship.

“What's a baratie?” Usopp asks, confused.

“Everyone's going to that fish ship.” Zoro says, one hand in his pocket and the other slung over his swords. You feel that uneasy mess once more, fear stopped you from talking, from admitting you knew this place.

“That smell,” Nami breathes it in, "I think this place is a restaurant.”

“Then I know what we're gonna do next.” Luffy smiles.

“Disguise the ship so the Marines can't find us?” Nami asks.

“Sail back to Syrup Village where it's safe?” Usopp is hopeful.

“Nah. Let's eat!” Luffy slaps his hand on the railing before charging off to get changed.

“That fish better have a bar.” Zoro said following his captain.

You quickly changed into a simple black cotton dress with a red belt that wrapped around you just below your breasts.

“Welcome to Baratie. How can I help you?” The concierge greets you all. You're too busy looking around the decor to pay attention to the conversation. Eventually following the group down to a booth sliding in beside Nami, Zoro on your other side.

“Your waiter will be right with you.” The concierge bows his head and walks away.

There is a kerfuffle not too far away that you keep your eyes off.

“No cause for alarm, folks.” The voice pulls your attention. “Please enjoy your meals.” The blonde walks toward your table.

“Hi, welcome to our shitty restaurant where the only thing worse than the ambience is the food. My name is Sanji. What can I get for you?” His eyes fall on you and you drop yours to the table.

“One of everything, please.” Luffy announced

“Any drinks? One of our signature cocktails

to help you choke down your meal?” Sanji can't help but flick his eyes to you every so often.

“Giving us the hard sell, huh?” Nami jokes.

“Apologies, madam, I didn't see you there.

Would you care for an apéritif to start? We have several rare Micqueot vintages in stock.

Or perhaps you'd like a glass of Umeshu?

You know, something sweet for someone sweet.” He grins.

Usopp interrupts asking for a beer, the others order, beer milk and water.

“And for the… madam?” Sanji looks at you. You glance up to him.

“Just water, please.” You ask quietly.

“It's nice to see you again, Miss.” He says, “and looking much lovelier than ever.” Zoro doesn't hear the hint of sorrow in the waiter’s voice, only the flirtation. He clears his throat and moves closer to you, putting his arm around your shoulders.

“I see, I'll be right back. with your drinks.”

“You know him?” Zoro asks. You gulp, and try to hold back your emotions.

“I…I didn't remember this place.” You whisper, your body tensing again. Zoro shakes his head and leans back against the booth, his arms folded over his chest. You dig your fingernails into the seat cushion. When food arrived you hardly touched your plate, eating just enough to keep you from starving.

“I can't eat another bite but it's so good.” Usopp groaned.

“Oh man, you said it.” Zoro agreed.

“I'm not gonna be hungry for a week.” Nami sighed happily.

“Should we order dessert?” Luffy asked.

“I already got mine.” Zoro said lifting his bottle, you rolled.your eyes.

“That reminds me,” Luffy began, "We should do a toast. Come on. Grab your glasses. To the best crew sailing on the sea and to our victory! Yeah!” He called out.

“No, I'm sorry. What victory exactly?” Nami asked.

“Against the Marines. Our very first battle and we crushed them.”

The argument began and you tried to ignore them all. A voice boomed across the dining hall.

“Who the hell is Monkey D. Luffy?” The forbidding man with a wooden leg growled.

“Here.” He replied too proudly. You braced yourself for what was coming. Luffy had tried to pay for dinner with an IOU which Zeff was not okay with. The head chef dragged Luffy into the kitchen.

“I need a drink.” Nami sighed.

“Now you're talking!” Zoro followed her and Usopp to the bar leaving you behind. You slowly slid out from the booth, smoothing out your dress.

“Are you okay, Miss?” The blonde man was back. You nod.

“I'm sorry if I made things harder for you earlier. I thought perhaps you were…” he sighs, not finishing his sentence. “You look very pretty this evening.” He finishes.

“Thank you.” You reply.

“It's nice to hear your voice at last.” Sanji smiles gently. You nod once more, your eyes darting around the room, hoping no one else recognised you. Darting from the dining hall you made your way out of the restaurant and sat on a bench on the jetties.

[cptslibrary]

Whumpcember Day 8 - Isolation

Whumpcember Prompt 8 - Isolation Fandom - Peter Pan CW - None

Captain Hook felt the earth shake before he saw the rocks slide behind him. The last thing he saw was Smee’s concerned face before all the light to the small cave was cut off. In the inky darkness, he carefully moved his body, making sure he was still in one piece and unharmed. 

They had been searching for treasure. Peter - the brat - had stolen some off his ship again and flown off to play his favorite game: treasure hunt. Hook despised the brat for thinking his gold was one of Peter’s toys. Peter couldn’t even begin to fathom how much blood had been spilt to fill even one of Hook’s chests. And Hook would never be able to leave the island without it. 

Now though, he had bigger concerns. He bellowed in the cave. “Hello? Can you hear me? Get me out!” But there was no answer. Hook felt around the rocks where the entrance had just been. His hook was only so good at moving the rocks, and many were too heavy to move. He felt briefly lucky to not have been crushed. That quickly turned to despair as he realized that the few men he brought with him would not be enough to move the weight. He would be here for several hours at least. 

He kicked a rock blindly before setting down on the dirt. He felt a hand out against a wall and quickly pulled it back when he felt the damp sponginess against his fingers. Muttering to himself, he crossed his legs and leaned forward. 

As he settled in for a long wait, he became aware of a slight dripping. He paid it no mind. His thoughts were already leagues away, dreaming of capturing Pan. How dare he steal from Hook, and for no good reason. A child’s game. 

It was so easy for Peter. He hated that he could just decide to play games and the rest of the boys on the island would trip over themselves to join him. One could say adults still played games; chess and checkers and cards. But his crew were too simple and too afraid of him to ever entertain the idea. A game of chess, he laughed to himself. With who?

He thought back to his childhood. Alone in a big house, no boys his age to entertain himself with. He read quite often. Once, he had looked for fish in the small creek near the estate, but upon coming back his father had slapped him for getting his shoes dirty. He had never gone back to the creek. 

School had been a little better, but he still felt he was different from most other boys. He did better than most at charming the female staff of the school, who always complimented his hair and how clean and pressed his uniform was. He was not so successful with the male staff and students, who thought he was untrustworthy and prissy. A memory floated to his mind of one boy calling him Slimy Jim to his face. He broke that boy’s nose and was caned soundly for it, but no one dared call him that to his face again. He knew they said it behind his back though.

He only began to be accepted after he proved more than capable at rowing and cricket, and even then he felt a clear divide. He was never included in their weekend activities, and rarely spoken to outside of practice. He didn’t regret stealing those trophies. He never really felt like a member of a team anyway. 

He was always alone. He leaned forward in his seat and cupped his face with his hand. He never felt like he had belonged anywhere, and even as the captain of his own ship it didn’t fill him the way it wanted to. His ship, his treasures, his crew were all just possessions of his, not a community. He could consider Smee his closest companion, but still the jolly man could never understand him. James knew in his heart that he tried.  

He heard the cracking of rocks and quickly broke out of his reverie. The men were pulling through quicker than expected. A small victory for him. Perhaps they weren't completely useless after all. The rocks gave way to beams of light as he was excavated from his tomb. Soon enough, he could hear Smee's voice.

"Cap'n can you hear me? Are you hurt?"

"Smee! I'm fine. Get me out of this blasted cave!"

"On it, Cap'n." Hook was free only a few minutes later.

[mickmundy]

MERMAID BUSHMED??? TELL ME MORE

EEEEE OMFG OKAAAY ;___; <33 WUAAAA IM SO HONORED U WANNA HEAR ABOUT IT OWUGOWUAA OKAYOKAYOKAYOKAY so like. like i said in this post i can think of a couple ways to do it. i like the idea of them both being merfolk because ouwagaaa merfolk lore and nesting and cute flirting rituals and and and and!!!!! buuuut i also love the idea of lonely fisherman sniper being the object of affection of Flirty Mermedic who pines after him from afar....,.,

and i ALSO ALSO like the idea of mersniper being caught by mann co and given to medic to do whatever with (organ harvest.,., uh oh!) and medic unwrapping the tank Excitedly and then being like "HOOH!.,,. oh gott.,., what do we have here!!" but sniper is simply Too Stunning to kill.,., but in all three situations they fall in love.,., so.., that much i Do know..... SKDFKSDKFKSDKF!! but also just quick species notes for them

for sniper i think i'd want his fishy half to be a spotted wobbegong! they're sharks that are docile but still have sharp teeth and hunt from a distance! i think the color palette suits him really well too..!

medic could be so much... but i personally enjoy the idea of him being a blanket octopus! they're very smart, gorgeous and super poisonous... just like medic! HEHE..! (and yes i know tentaspy exists but If You Ask Me spy is more of an eel than an octopus. but i digress)

Bestie Dee @5piecechickendinner (who you should all go follow Immediately!!! EHE) was asking me about it and i wanted to jot down my thoughts here too SO im gonna talk more about the human fisherman snip and mermedic HEHE...

UNDER A CUT LOTS OF BABBBLING BELOW EHE

IF IM KEEPING IT LIKE SIMPLE AND CUTE i think medic would just come across him one time while he's fishing (perhaps they're trying to eat the same fish? heh.. i could make a whole other post just on like. my personal MerLore i'd use but anyway) or he sees him swimming (we'll just say for the sake of this au that sniper has some kind of small corner of the beach To Himself that the public doesn't have access to) or sunning naked (as he's one to do just in general imo) and medic's like "owo! hoo!" and tries to get closer.,., i think once medic catches sniper's eye though (by that i mean just like. a glimpse of his tentacles/"tail") he's like "ohh, you're gorgeous! *A* c'mere, beastie.,"

and medic hesitates and ultimately Goes Away just because he's not sure he can trust sniper not to kill him (sniper Does kill fish after all). sniper looks for "that octopus" every time he goes out into the ocean but no luck.., then some time perhaps medic's curiosity gets the better of him (Of Course) and sniper's out on his boat and medic swims to the edge of it and uses his tentacles to tug on sniper's wrist or rock the boat and sniper hurries and looks over the edge and he can see Something..,, Moving.,, Down There.,., and he sticks his head/upper body under the water and comes nose to nose/forehead to forehead with him.. medic smiles Toothily and bats his eyes at him and is like "Hello.. uwu" and sniper's just like. awestruck and he tries to say something but bubbles come out because underwater HEHE and medic thinks its cute... so medic gently presses his forehead against sniper's and pushes him back so that he's Breathing Air and sniper croaks out a like "hullo.,.," and medic grins..,

i think sniper wouldn't Know that merfolk exist but obviously stories myths etc are fun.,. but now he's like holy crap.,., and he'd told people about this octopus he SWORE he saw and they'd be like "naaah.. get your head outta the water and go live a little!!" but sniper loves his Simple Life by the sea and so he's like >_> no and then he kind of starts entertaining like omg what if it was a mermaid... hah... imagine that. and then when he sees medic nothing can prepare him for him being Real.., and medic's like "(probably in german) my jolly sailor bold!" (<- i think this would be a nickname medic would give him because merfolk know human stories about them and that i think sniper is Not Jolly and medic has overheard sniper grunting and talking to himself while at sea LOL which medic thinks is cute) and sniper's like "huh.,? me....?" as if there's anyone around for like. 1000 square miles SKDFKSD and medic's like "mhmm..,, ywy" and sniper's just like.., speechlessly staring at him and medic's tentacles are creeping up the sides of the boat behind him and while sniper Does look Delicious he won't be dining on this human.., HEH...

However if i was going to.,., say.,.., write a Fic.,., (smirk) i ALSO love the concept of the story being a bit more Deep/Dramatic.... the idea of sniper being a hunter and tracking this Rare Octopus that's said to have killed/slain/sunk ships and he's tracking this Beastie for like. YEARS and finally goes to engage in combat with it and a tentacle ends up smacking him and knocking him out and medic goes to eat him and is like "hmn.,.." pushes his hair back out of his face.., smells him.,., bats his eyes at him.., and medic admires sniper's tenacity and loves how Dangerous he is and decides to spare him., and leaves him floating on his boat and the sea is Deathly Calm and sniper wakes up and is like what happened and he looks over the edge of the boat and sees nothing and he's like no n n nono nono I LOST IT (the Beastie)...... both of them hunting one another obsessed with each other.., he leans his head over the side of the boat and medic's tentacles slither up the side of the boat and sniper notices them and looks to the side and sees.., mermedic..,

and is like Holy SHIT. HOLY SHIT and medic smiles Toothily and medic Lunges at him (much more graceful underwater than sniper is of course) and "breaches" and tosses sniper into his boat and pins him with his body weight and human hands and sniper's like "WH-" and medic smiles and is like "sehr handsome... must we kill each other, sailor bold?" and sniper's just in total shock and medic's smirk widens and sniper goes limp (but rest assured hes Hard) and medic glances over to see sniper's knife and picks it up with one of his tentacles and watches it glisten (shiny) and sniper's just watching him and is like "are you real? is this?? wh.,.," and medic grins and is like "how do you propose we find out? (Flirty)" and sniper's face flushes and medic bares his fangs and giggles and is like "i won't kill you.., but you're breathing entirely too much for my taste.,,." and leans down and kisses him and sniper Immediately Melts and medic smirks and starts humming and his tentacles start sliding up over the boat and up sniper's shirt and sniper nips at medic's mouth and medic giggles and is like "hoo! humans certainly are different," and sniper's like "whats that supposed to mean >:/--" and medic's tentacle slides over sniper's groin and sniper shivers and moans (he is Wet) and mermedic's like "mmn, but clearly not So different! >v>" HEH....

GRAAHHH THRASHES AND GIGGLES.,., i love merperson aus so this is ummmmmm VERY self indulgent.,., *taps my brain* One Hundred Billion merfolk aus alone.,, HEHHEH.,.,.,

[metalfull]

because i can't any longer these days see into myself. i see only murk. murk outside; murk inside.

BASIC  INFORMATION

FULL  NAME:  miodrag  gajić.

MONIKERS  /  NICKNAMES:  milo,  mio.

GENDER  &  PRONOUNS:  cis  man,  he/him/his.

ETHNICITY:  white.

DATE  OF  BIRTH  &  AGE:  november  eleventh,  forty.

ZODIAC  SIGN:  scorpio.

ORIENTATION:  bisexual.  

MARITAL  STATUS:  single,  unmarried.  

OCCUPATION:  capo of assassins for the jolly rogers.  

BACKGROUND

PLACE  OF  BIRTH:  manchester,  united  kingdom.

RESIDENCES:  one  (1)  single  bedroom  apartment  in  a  high-rise.  floor  to  ceiling  windows,  a  kitchenette-living  room  combo,  a  large  bedroom,  one  bathroom  with  full  amenities.  

RELIGIOUS  VIEWS:  raised  eastern  orthodox,  lapsed.

EDUCATION:  no  higher  education,  got  his  general  certificate  of  education  from  finishing  out  year  thirteen.

LANGUAGES  SPOKEN:  english,  serbian,  fluent  levantine  arabic, semi fluent spanish, russian, german.

FAMILY:

twin  sibling:  miljana,  nonbinary,  they/them.

younger  brother:  mihailo,  cis  man,  he/him.

mother:  alive, low contact.

father:  deceased.            

APPEARANCE

FACECLAIM:  robert  pattinson.

HAIR  COLOUR:  blonde.

EYE  COLOUR:  cool  brown,  sectoral  heterochromia  in  left  eye  where  it  is  partially  green.

HEIGHT:  1.95m,  six  foot  four.

BUILD:  muscled  and  tall,  a  proverbial  brick  wall.

SPEECH  STYLE:  deep,  gravelly  voice—has  a  very  identifiable  manchester  accent,  uses  both  manc  and  military  slang  frequently.  

RECOGNIZABLE  MARKINGS:  extensive  facial  scarring  from  deployment,  depicted  in  this  diagram.  

PERSONALITY

TROPES:  tall,  dark  and  handsome,  the  quiet  one,  the  lancer,  death  seeker,  tragic  keepsake,  i  just  want  to  be  normal,  hidden  depths,  broken  ace,  the  stoic,  shell-shocked  veteran,  warrior  poet,  berserk  button,  dark  and  troubled  past.

MBTI:  intp  —  intps  are  quiet,  reserved,  and  thoughtful.  as  introverts,  they  prefer  to  socialize  with  a  small  group  of  close  friends  with  whom  they  share  common  interests  and  connections.

ENNEAGRAM:  5w6  —  enneagram  5w6  strength  comes  from  their  purposeful  way  of  living.  as  they  are  always  looking  for  meaningful  things  to  do,  they  acquire  knowledge  in  different  areas  and  know  when  and  how  to  apply  it.  they  are  curious  and  goal-oriented,  so  they  master  new  areas  of  expertise

TEMPERAMENT:  the  phlegmatic-choleric  will  have  a  firm,  stoic  expression  and  will  rarely  smile.  they  are  calm,  steady,  and  persevering.  they  can  be  very  blunt,  stubborn,  and  sarcastic.

POSITIVE  TRAITS:  impartial,  detail-orientated,  prudent,  adaptable,  resourceful,  observant,  resilient.  

NEGATIVE  TRAITS:  detached,  controlling,  brutal,  cynical,  harsh  self-critic,  impatient,  isolating.

HABITS:  organizes  things  by  colour,  holds  his  thigh  while  sitting  to  stop  his  knee  from  bouncing,  goes  for  a  walk  (at  least)  twice  a  day,  always  drinks  his  coffee  cold.

HOBBIES:  collects,  labels  and  presses  botanicals,  fishing,  spars  as  often  as  possible,  practices  multiple  different  martial  arts  (krav  maga,  taekwondo,  jiu  jitsu,  ect).

USUAL  DEMEANOR:  quiet,  has  a  sharp,  dark  sense  of  humour,  incredibly  hard  to  read  as  a  result  of  his  inexpressive  nature.  

HEALTH

PHYSICAL  AILMENTS:  n/a.

NEUROLOGICAL  CONDITION:  ptsd,  anxiety.

PHOBIAS:  claustrophobia.  (severely)

ALLERGIES:  n/a.

SLEEPING  HABITS:  irregular  sleep  schedule,  typically  due  to  jet  lag.  stays  up  late,  wakes  up  early,  struggles  to  get  his  full  eight  hours  at  home  because  of  nightmares.  

SOCIABILITY:  borderline  asocial  when  with  strangers,  becomes  softer,  more  likely  to  joke  around  and  be  verbal  around  close  friends.

ADDICTIONS:  smokes.  doesn’t  drink frequently.  no  other  substance  abuse  issues.

BIOGRAPHY

tw for abuse mention, drug addiction, violence, ect.

a  childhood  of  brutality—his  mother  closes  her  eyes  when  she  hears  footsteps  on  the  floors  of  the  dingy  flat  in  midtown  manchester.  she  holds  her  breath  when  she  hears  fists  meet  flesh.  she  cries  alone  after  she  soothes  the  bruises  her  children  earned  for  laughing  too  loud,  for  playing  too  much,  for  living  in  a  way  that  intersected  too  much  with  their  father’s  inflicted  misery.  

tiptoe  over  broken  needles,  broken  bottles,  crushed  furniture.  fleas  jump  from  wrist  to  wrist  between  the  elder  siblings,  the  twins.  they  share  everything—clothes,  toys,  food,  even  their  suffering.  miodrag  catches  a  cold,  miljana  catches  it  too.  they  both  hold  their  breath  hoping  not  to  sneeze  too  loudly  in  their  own  home.  

when  mihailo  is  born,  they  are  ten  and  things  change.  their  mother  kicks  their  father  out  once  and  for  all.  they  move  into  a  smaller  flat,  mio  and  jana  help  raise  their  younger  brother.  they  baby  him,  though  they  will  never  be  as  close  to  him  as  their  mother  is.  her  unspoiled  son,  her  child  that  their  father  hadn’t  broken.

dysfunction  carves  a  fickle  beast  from  him.  miodrag  enlists  the  second  he  can,  craving  the  stability,  the  routine,  the  absence  of  autonomy.  he  finds  himself  swaddled  by  the  training,  by  the  suffering  that  builds  him  back  up  from  a  tall,  underfed  teenager  to  a  strong,  disciplined  workhorse  of  a  young  man.  he  had  always  been  a  good  fighter,  sure,  but  things  changed  when  he  was  given  a  sense  of  purpose.  

he  comes  back  from  each  deployment  more  subdued,  finds  he  cannot  readjust  to  peace  the  same  way  again,  finds  himself  uncomfortable  with  how  quiet  the  world  is  when  he  isn’t  home.  his  bed  is  too  comfortable  to  sleep  in—he  barely  sleeps  at  all,  in  fact.

mihailo  is  the  reason  he  stays  in  the  end,  a  year  and  a  half,  the  longest  gap  since  he  enlisted.  desperate  for  connection,  the  youngest  child  had  sought  out  their  father  and  found  himself  churning  in  the  drains  of  full  addiction  as  a  result.  miodrag,  miljana,  encircle  each  wrist  and  pull  on  their  brother,  both  halting  their  respective  lives  to  help  him  recover.  he  hates  them  for  it,  at  first.  when  their  father  dies,  he  relapses.  the  cycle  renews.  he  hates  them  for  it.  he  hates  them.  he  hates  them  until  he  can  no  longer  hate  them.  

miodrag  takes  up  a  job  bagging  groceries  in  the  meantime.  peacetime  itches  at  him  like  mites  from  his  childhood  bedroom.  it’s  not  until  he  dives  for  cover  when  a  platter  of  cans  falls  during  one  of  his  shifts  that  he  realizes  how  cutthroat  coping  by  warfare  can  actually  be.  he  sees  a  therapist  for  some  time,  doesn’t  find  it  helpful,  stops  when  he  comes  off  leave.  when  mihailo  is  sober.  

it’s  not  until  he’s  thirty  that  the  suffering  calcifies,  crystallizes,  blooms  out  like  a  sordid  plant. when  a  teammate  tries  to  rouse  him  from  a  particularly  exquisite  nightmare  and  he  simply  snaps.  the  resulting  beatdown  is  of  brutal  proportions,  and  when  he  begins  to  come  down  from  the  panic,  the  terror,  a  new  problem  arises.  he  slips  away  into  the  night,  going  awol.

it  turns  out,  there  is  only  so  many  times  you  can  break  a  man’s  skull  with  your  bare  hands  before  he  dies.  the  manhunt  is  lazy—sas  are  desperate  to  cover  up  the  fact  that  one  of  their  men  went  rogue.  he  is  able  to  slip  through  the  cracks,  unseen.  

his  career  pursuits  are  limited  now.  thirty-one  and  roaming  from  one  violent  job  to  the  next  until  the  jolly rogers  pick  him  up.  he’s  efficient,  military  trained,  only  periodically  neurotic.  he  is  a  useful  tool  for  the  organization  to  utilize,  and  miodrag  likes  the  idea  of  knowing  where  he  stands,  of  a  regimented  life.

[mae-we-post-poems]

Going to the Picnic

Julius C. Wright

1

There is a large crowd of young folks

Hurrying down the road;

They are going to have a picnic now,

And spread the news abroad.

2

They are wearing beautiful bouquets,

And carrying bright tin dippers;

New straw hats are waiving high,

And patent leather slippers.

3

Their hats are made of fine chiffon,

And decorated too.

There will be plenty of goodies

For your friends and for you.

4

They will have a big barbecue.

And a lot of other stuff.

They are going to eat and drink

Till everybody puff.

5

They will have cakes and candy by the heaps,

And ice cream pressed in cake;

Peanuts parched fresh and hot,

And a lot of fine milk shakes.

6

They will have fish croquets by the bushels,

And cocoanut jumbles too;

They are going to feed their friends and foes

And have enough for you.

7

They are going to have a big dance

And have a jolly time.

They want to show their handsome looks

Because they look so fine.

8

One barrel or two of lemonade,

Mixed all through with ice;

Lemons cut and thrown therein

Gee! it’s awful nice.

9

Of all the fun and jolities,

And all the places of rest,

Just go to an old picnic ground;

They tell me that’s the best.

[libidomechanica]

To they hands wheres no othere lookd, those spen-bough

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than and signific above     delity. Filled sense, and each straight, know haile, a hand shook on’t     been deepe in Blood, God’s for

hear times after pressing dong, and     true loveless-thou all her with apple, worne Neptune day the     eyelids anyway, quelly

half but a space taughts and their     scordialogue every for though thin the days. Heroes—this banted     of a manners of

yourse then was hear away i star     what us powerfumes at world, oh, yet not my     limitage; the thines, to

battle while the way; rough the     crossinger thou shore heard; what I see that dream take my slight, makes     heau’ns into a hung spreade,

white, for each our gaudy Mary     age in frostering; For is her break my window of reading     from nations them alone,

and next? To pleast and girl, had     nae winds to raze is not there saw in a dead stourned to     die, the perfect says when

to you the me tide so. She to     lairing sun on Julia’s hard vegetable wings thy stay, one     eyes that fished in the feare,

once John Murra! For Love, took delight     meek grow could raine; natural. I dread as a contemn, nor     led on and I weeds and

has gross, huge Ammon the halcyon.     My vexed monk, with the bitch’d exceede, and a flutterly     of dew, her age’s breat

greaterspouse, give minute. Two or     as she dare succession: and into a man, and should tear     seven in these but if

the like every seem along the     e’en the shrined full saying and blisse pardourse about at     age’s scept he house, or

vers do to solemn jollies: bright,     we art all last—my parter lives us. Who long warmth one     as Egyptian her much

heath heads, thou a plain one stay, my     books he, what’s eyes he doth the hour betray’r, and to the power     bed by Luther’s vine!