#mafia snow duo

[mafiablr-confessions]

Sure, I'll confess my sins

I ship M!Gem and M!Iced

All my Mafiablr mutuals wish I didn't. I can't believe they're a rarepair

.

[obsidianstrawberrymilk]

Random features of my BSD age swap au

Kyouka and Q (Yumeno Kyuusaku) were the equivalent of Double Black, but I haven't figured out what to call them instead. Either way, they were a terrifying duo where between Q's raw destructiveness and Kyouka's stealth, as well as Q's psychological manipulation and Kyouka's resourcefulness and logic, basically no one could beat them. Until Kyouka left anyway

PS Q did not take Kyouka leaving as well as Chuuya took Dazai leaving. There is So Much Bullshit going on there

Atsushi is Oda, RIP. Akutagawa is Ango if he'd been a PM spy in both the government and Mimic

Gin is an Executive

Aya is Ranpo. Fukuzawa is a girldad. She actually has an Ability but has trouble accepting it due to her (now dead) birth father's abuse.

Ranpo and Yosano are the Agency's resident teenagers (14 and 15 respectively). Ranpo is still in his 'everyone is a monster and I'm scared' phase because Fukuzawa hasn't quite managed to get the lie to click; him and 18 year old Dazai bond oddly well over this.

Tachihara was Rimbaud, technically. There's some logic in my head that makes this make sense. Yes, this means Tachigin is Rimlaine in this AU, and Gin is every bit as pathetic as Verlaine is.

Where are actual Rimlaine? ...Good question.

Kenji is Kunikida, technically. Q is not jealous at all (lie)

Higuchi is a Black Lizard commander. Don't ask me how this works.

Kouyou is unfortunately locked in the Port Mafia's basement because Golden Demon is a lot more destructive than Demon Snow was. (She's Q).

Chuuya attacks Dazai on the train (how Kyouka attacks Atsushi) though he's significantly less inclined to blow himself up. Unfortunately for him he winds up blown up anyway.

Mori gets to traumatized even more children - he gets to directly mentor Kyouka and Q, then Dazai, and Yosano.

Does Yosano join the Agency before or after Dazai? Yes.

[blueberrypancakesworld]

A baby's instinct for mother

Franco Barbi x patient/mother! reader

warning : outlast level of dark themes and events, kissing, slightly dom/sub undertones, some groping, comfort, no use of y/n, injury (nosebleed)

Summary: Before the unlikely mother and son duo set up shop in the harbour-side children's playground, they were both nothing more than better rats for the organisation, but if a failed hopeful is to bond with a person it takes a lot of mothers, sacrifice and more than a slap on the bum for the baby to know what it's doing wrong and whether its instincts are right. In this story of how a man-baby found his mum…

info : So the second work for the sweet Franco and his mummy a little origin story you could say so have fun and thanks for all the feedback and support on the first work thanks :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The love of a mother for her child is a bond that is very special, a bond between two people who could hardly be physically closer.

A child who loves its mother because she brought it into the world, the child receives everything from its mother and the mother looks at this little human being with all her love and sees nothing but innocent love and hope.

At least that's how it seemed and that's how it should have been, but some children just can't behave, especially when they get older, forget their education, forget the rules and above all forget that a shotgun has a hard recoil after a shot and almost shattered twelve-year-old Franco's skull.

A little boy back then who hadn't listened, a little boy his father was proud of because he was reliable in the mafia business and bonded until the day Franco learned to love his beloved stepmother, learned to love the pointy end of her high heel, her soft skin that made him feel like a baby again, a bond he never had before she insulted him again.

But it was the kind of thing every child had learned not to do, every child except him, and so he was punched and kicked and the poor idiot left before his father actually killed him.

A mother should always be there for her children but the mother earth gave a fuck about her children and the adults it was an interaction.

The people hated the earth and the earth hated the people but the millions of people hiding on the streets in the dark sleeping in tents or mostly nothing more than cardboard houses was the way it was.

On this earth, the rich with money, power and influence survived and those who didn't have this, who perhaps even had a big heart full of joy and understanding, would end up miserably on the street, on the cold asphalt under a scorching hot sun, under snow and above all rain that brought the cold to your bones in such rain came the flyers and the vans.

A hope for better things and she had got in, really believing once again that there was good on this shitty earth but as the stuffy fabric stretched over her head and she felt the stinging prick of a needle on her neck she knew she would never feel the world again because she was going straight to hell.

It had been like this for weeks, months or years no idea how much time had passed she didn't know why she should either it wasn't necessary the only thing necessary was that in the women's section of this institution.

This freak show they lined up every day to the shrill sound of the loudspeaker and all took their pills, sometimes a few women were picked out and either didn't come back or had their arms and legs full of syringes that had probably been injected over and over.

But even in a place like this where she still seemed to feel the shackles in her wrists and the burning and trembling at night from the ‘drugs’, there still had to be something worse.

,,Where do you think they're taking us?" she had once asked her cellmate at the beginning of this nightmare, a slightly older woman who had already lost an eye and looked haggard, who perhaps had it even worse than she once did, ,,It's hell, child, it can only get better" he had replied before she burst into a resounding laughter that had denied her sleep.

But now that her hands were outstretched in front of her, she looked into the corridor and saw a few familiar and unfamiliar faces beside her, the taste of dusty platsik and a chemical strawberry flavour on her tongue from the pills, she wished herself back in her cell as the guards' hands laid on hers and she was taken away with others.

There was always something worse, and maybe it was the pills, but she walked through the metal doors and corridors more relaxed than she had once felt comfortable.

But as more mothers were brought into the playground a baby awoke on the other side, the smell of warmth almost like a blanket that would wrap around his naked body, the warm body of a mother with soft gentle hands that would hold her but most of all breasts nipples that he could suckle on to get the breast milk he so wanted and needed and would kill for.

,,You can't do all that-that's illegal," she heard another woman moan as her face lay in her hands and tears ran down her cheeks, making some of the others smile or cry, ,,We don't exist anymore, so who should care?” she replied and looked back out of the large cell, trying to memorise the way so as not to go mad herself, even though she knew deep inside that it was useless.

Until she came to the moment when the guards arrived and one woman after another was dragged out in front of her, but none of them had yet returned to strike and defend themselves, her defence was barely effective, however, the grips tightened on her arms and held her firmly as she cried out when a ‘doctor’ rammed a syringe into her chest with a broad yellowish grin of amusement.

Her swearing and threats fell on deaf ears and she fell silent as he threatened another injection. She was simply dragged along, her body aching from the medication or acid or whatever the fucker had given her, burning hot in every vein and artery of her body.

A warmth that didn't seem to leave her and the hatred inside her only increased, yet she could clearly see the colourful door at the end of the corridor, a peeling bay blue with little sturgeons and ducks painted on the door that opened and she was thrown inside.

The floor on which she was thrown was not hard, however, and surprise entered her eyes as she recognised the floor as soft play plates, the things that could be put together like a puzzle as she slowly stood up.

Saw that the wall was covered in old, leafy wallpaper in bright colours, with half and whole decapitated shovel mannequins everywhere and milk bottles here and there, ,,Shall I play nanny now?!" she shouted and only now realised the cameras in the corners watching everyone in the room.

She slowly realised why she was perhaps wearing this ugly simple dress with rips, stains and blood residue, why there were women here who never came back.

Perhaps there was still a worse place after all and she swallowed as she saw the pool of blood on the other side of the room where someone had apparently dismembered and broken a body so badly that only parts could be carried out.

But her question, the questions forming in her mind, she heard a whirring meachnik drive itself forward before the door on the other side slowly opened, the pool of blood hardly mattering anymore, the children's toys seemingly forgotten as she saw this something that was there a few metres away in front of her.

Not a child too grotesque for one but a perfect man could such a thing be a man at all, dressed in a white pinstripe suit with some dirt and blood and torn pieces of fabric, she could very well see the shcnuller hanging around his neck but this spawn didn't seem to care about his own existence instead his eyes settled on hers.

,,You smelled so good, warm and soft just like mum…the other whores just broke but you...you made me want to crawl inside you" came from his lips and she saw him pull a shotgun from behind his back and she took a step back, this whole fucking place could only get worse.

She was well aware of his grotesque gesture and saw the bulge in his pants. Either he had tried to jerk off before he came here or he was just getting so horny and aroused by her fear. He had followed her gaze, however, and his grin, if that was possible, became even wider.

If there was already someone like him, what else was there to come? Raising her hands slightly in an act of appeasement, she backed away again but the stranger continued to approach her, his broad grin telling her that he liked her fear.

,,Mother? I-I can help you find her, maybe-" she tried to convince him to calm down, maybe he was mentally ill, maybe his mother was really walking around here, but this short sigh of relief was interrupted by the shot of his gun as small pointed teeth shot towards her, pain and screams could be heard.

Blood ran down her arm where he had aimed, her already needy dress was even more torn and she had fallen back in fright, tripping over her own legs, hearing the man-child's shrill, satisfied laughter as he slowly came back towards her, ,,But I've already found her warm and soft and bleeding just for me! Come here and give me a kiss and a little more love, I need some relief,!" he shouted back delightedly and suddenly crawled towards her.

Backing away she didn't get far the wall at her back he kept coming towards her and to not go down without a fight she pulled her legs away as best she could so that his grabbing hands couldn't move against them and he pulled her towards him, so he had to get even closer which had to be to her advantage.

,,Just come into my arms and I promise I'll be all convincing and make you feel really good!" he drooled at the words, his tongue licking over his lips and she didn't want to find out how convincing he was, disgusted by his words she would have liked to teach him a lesson.

,,I don't belong to anyone, no one in this fucking place and certainly not to you!" she shouted back, her heart pounding with fear and anger as she lashed out with her leg and kicked him in the face with as much force as she could muster.

Hearing his almost choking sound as he backed away and held his face, she saw that blood was running down between his hands after a moment and his nose must have been affected.

Not knowing if waiting was right at all she hurried up and grabbed his dropped gun which she pointed at him, ,,That's-it's not fair…I just wanted my mum as pretty as you were-had promised me one like you" she heard him sniffle and he looked at her slowly she saw the hurt expression as the blood stained his suit and the dummy lay between his lips and he avoided her gaze almost apologetically.

She now slowly understood what was going on, the experiments, the spirts, the pills, everything was for him for this important man, uncertainty ran through her as she slowly knelt down in front of him and placed the weapon at his feet.

,,You…scared mum so surprised you came here, but you are…a big…boy aren't you? Don't cry I'm here…for you…for now and always" she chose her words carefully, with every motherly phrase her body gave her the feeling of rightness hormones were a miracle as they were always told and she gave him a loving smile almost automatically as she stroked his cheek.

His sniffling and crying slowly lessened as he looked at the gun and seemed to consider before he came closer to her, his hands travelling up her legs but there was trust in her gaze, trust that he seemed to know his limit for today and instead he snuggled up to her, kissing her clothes-covered chest, ,,I'm a good boy," he murmured as she held him, rocking him back and forth a little.

His lips kept trying to find her nipples between kisses, to have his way with her or to drink from her, but the little dress that was still between them prevented this and his almost whimpering was answered by her with a kiss on the forehead, which was probably enough for him. But this feeling of rightness falsely triggered by a man and drugs, a psychopath here all seemed so crazy that this was almost the most normal thing.

But she could also feel his sneaking fingers trying to slip under her dress, almost unintentionally, causing her to slap his hand gently but making the message clear, ,,We'll play later mum's exhausted…do you know where we'll be undisturbed?’ she asked quietly not knowing if the room was bugged and a wide sadistic grin suddenly appeared on his face as his childish persona was seemingly ahead and he broke away from her.

He put the shot to his shoulder before roughly taking her hand and pulling her to her feet, ,,Oh mother let that be my worry your good boy will show the fuckers how well you will be treated…Franco Barbi a pleasure a pure hot pleasure to have you with me" he introduced himself and she took his arm leaning slightly on it as the door opened with what appeared to be a glance from Franco to the cameras.

Maybe it was worth all the pain in the world that she had to suffer in the end, and even if it was just a part of the hormone pills and all that other stuff, he seemed to be the only one who would take care of her, who would really give everything for her and only wanted a mother in return.

If it was just a mum he needed who was she to deny him that she would be the best mum harsh and soft at the same time for her baby, her baby with a shotgun to keep the doctors and all the mess off her back.

A mother's instinct and a baby's instinct always brings two meant for each other together even in a place like the fucking hell they were in and no one would separate the baby from his mother without losing their fucking heads.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

@youre-gonna-see-a-lot-of-me , @homefander , @millie-milkshake

[yarrayora]

Into the Atsushiverse: Snow Queen

AU where Mori took Atsushi as compensation for helping the agency during the Decay of Angels incident, and Atsushi found himself cruelly lashing out with his words to protect himself

While Akutagawa unknowingly became who Chuuya was to Dazai back when they were the most feared duo in Port Mafia: an emotional punching bag (who punched back!) to lash out at and a partner Atsushi could trust his back to

Until one day, Atsushi couldn't take it anymore and killed Mori in self-defense. An incident that dragged Dazai into becoming the boss of the Port Mafia and pretended that it was all part of his plan in order to protect Atsushi from retaliation

part of Into the Atsushiverse AU where Beast Atsushi used The Book to create canon timeline after several failed narratives to come up with proof that his Dazai was a good man all along as an attempt to alleviate his guilt for the things he did under Dazai’s orders.

[thisweekingundamwing]

This Week in Gundam Wing 8-14 January 2023

Here’s the last week’s roundup! January 8th - January 14th!

Remember to give your content creators some love! Be sure to join in on the events at the bottom! And remember to send in any new works you see or make next week!

~Mod Hel

Fanfiction/Ideas/Snippets:

danceswithronin

Requiem for the Sinners https://archiveofourown.org/series/3258501

Pairings: Heero/Duo, minor Duo/OMC, Quatre/Trowa

This series was originally posted and languished, unfinished, on Gundam Wing Addiction. Now the author (Clever Young Thief on GWA) has revived it and begun posting new updates on AO3 under the name danceswithronin! Almost all of the original fic has been transferred over and edited, as well as its prequel Fall from Innocence, and both of them are updating regularly every few days. In addition, the author has expanded the series to a number of other one-shots. As of right now, Fall from Innocence is up to chapter 21 and Requiem for the Sinners is up to chapter 38, but I expect one or both will have updated again before the next content update.

[CW: Requiem begins with the assassination of multiple non-pilot characters. As it is a work in progress, happy endings are not guaranteed.]

Two years after the Endless Waltz, Duo is a representative for the struggling L2 colony cluster while Heero hangs in the shadows as Relena's bodyguard, hiding from his past. But when the civil unrest in the L2 colonies threatens to boil over into civil war, the two pilots suddenly find themselves on opposite sides of the battlefield.

@expewrites​

Snow Like Ash, Snow Like Sugar https://archiveofourown.org/works/44084992

Gen, M/M, Trowa Barton/Quatre Raberba Winner

Trowa Barton, Quatre Raberba Winner, Nichol (Gundam Wing), Heero Yuy, Duo Maxwell

Teen And Up Audiences, No Archive Warnings Apply, Post-Canon, Mobile Suits & Gundams, Mentions of War & Death, Developing Relationship, Friendship/Love, Snow, winter vibes

Cleanup after the Battle of Brussels takes a hard toll. When Quatre suggests a break, it's a chance for Trowa to appreciate winter through new eyes, and find warmth in the bitter cold.

@helmistress​

Advance from Behind https://archiveofourown.org/works/44278162

M/M, Multi, WuFei Chang/Duo Maxwell, Heero Yuy/Duo Maxwell, WuFei Change/Duo Maxwell/Heero Yuy, mentioned Meilan Long/Relena Peacecraft

WuFei Chang, Duo Maxwell, Heero Yuy, Relena Peacecraft, Meilan Long

Mature, No Archive Warnings Apply, GW Holiday Gift Exchange 2022, Pinch-hit, Omegaverse, Mafia AU, lovers of Relena’s purity beware, Pining, sexual themes mentioned

Being an Omega sucked, especially when you knew you were the smartest person in your ‘family’. Smarts didn’t make you an Alpha though, and only Alphas could lead a mafia. WuFei rolled his eyes at the very thought, then turned them back to face the young woman currently on her knees begging his leader to give her a chance.

@miyurinq​

Heart (Ch. 21) https://archiveofourown.org/works/40914714/chapters/111206877

M/M, Trowa Barton/Quatre Raberba Winner

Quatre Raberba Winner, Trowa Barton, Heero Yuy, Duo Maxwell, Chang Wufei

Not Rated, No Archive Warnings Apply, Post-Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz, Minor Violence, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort

All Quatre wants is to help. Even when the war is over, so many people suffer because of the consequences. Helping rebuild is the least he can do. But he seems unlucky, things go wrong all the time and people get hurt.

Trowa hardly recognizes Quatre. He has changed and seems to have problems. He reluctantly tells him about his bad luck, but Trowa doubts that it's just "bad luck" and decides to investigate.

@vegalume

After https://archiveofourown.org/works/44199298

M/M, Duo Maxwell/Heero Yuy, Trowa Barton/Quatre Raberba Winner

Trowa Barton, Duo Maxwell, Chang Wufei, Quatre Raberba Winner, Heero Yuy

Not Rated, No Archive Warnings Apply, Holidays, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, tiny bit of sad-feeling-ness, First Christmas Together, kisses and gifts

Wufei, Quatre and Heero are recalled from their missions and instructed to wait with Trowa and Duo, who were currently on Earth, until it is time for them to resume their missions.

Oh, and it's Christmas 🎄

Arts/Crafts/Photo Manips:

@ghost-proof

https://ghost-proof.tumblr.com/post/705843605972140032/the-season-premiere-of-rupauls-drag-race-had

Duo Maxwell, fanart

@imperviousmelodrama

https://www.tumblr.com/imperviousmelodrama/705927358525358080

Deathscythe, fanart

@noirangetrois​

https://www.tumblr.com/noirangetrois/171815436459/artist-rei

WuFei Chang, fanart by REI

Photosets/Gifsets/Screenshots/Manga Pages:

@fallenwingzero

https://fallenwingzero.tumblr.com/post/706270675613138944/i-love-that-noins-weird-american-western-style?_branch_match_id=1143012942983282777&utm_medium=Share&_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXTyzRKynNTcop0kvOz9VPS8zJSc0rz8xLr0otytc3NzAzAmJzUzNDY0NjC0sTE31jw6qMDLM0MwPzdBMA8LY8bkQAAAA%3D

Noin, Zechs, Naina, official art

Head Canons/Meta:

@fallenwingzero

https://fallenwingzero.tumblr.com/post/706050300179529728/continuing-on-with-my-red-dead-online-duofather?_branch_match_id=1143012942983282777&utm_medium=Share&_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAAwXBiQ2AIAwAwI1ohWDFbcDUJ%2BGRWmPC9N6dqvezAkQ1%2BpaUxWytwB5z5vpd9RgsDQhn9OgQJwreBrILSGDsVJLrPH4lT6OARAAAAA%3D%3D

Red Dead!Duo

Quotes:

@incorrectgundamwingquotes

https://incorrectgundamwingquotes.tumblr.com/post/705921238311305216/kidnappers-over-the-phone-weve-got-your

Kidnappers & Relena

https://incorrectgundamwingquotes.tumblr.com/post/705830682588495872/trowa-remember-bird-watching-goes-both

Trowa & Cathy

Calendar Events:

@gundamzine

Battle Scars and Kitchen Cabinets

Applicatons Open~ https://gundamzine.tumblr.com/post/705258971113619456/applications-are-open-to-apply-fill-in-the

Applications close on January 31st!

@gwcocktailfriday

Cocktail Fridays!

Post responses on Friday, during Happy Hour between 3 & 5 pm in your own timezone.

Here’s the prompt for Friday, January 20th! https://gwcocktailfriday.tumblr.com/post/706415628641320960/cocktail-friday-post-responses-on-friday-january

In need of prompts!

@gwlemonyshenanigans

Lemony Shenanigans 2023! https://gwlemonyshenanigans.tumblr.com/post/705715266075705344/hello-everyone-were-back-d-sign-ups-are-now

@thisweekingundamevents

Events Calendar https://thisweekingundamevents.tumblr.com/post/644080386309275648/events-calendar-update

If you are hosting an event currently, or are planning on one, hit us up with links and dates! We’ll add them to the Calendar and reblog your notices to get the word out!

GW Holiday Gift Exchange 2022

Rules https://thisweekingundamevents.tumblr.com/giftexchange

The full roundup of gifts will be posted on the 21st!

[voodoochili]

My Favorite Albums of 2022

The story of the 2020s–the years keep getting harder, the music keeps getting better. There's nothing I get more pleasure from these days than exploring the vast universe of new music that we are so lucky to be able to access with just a few keystrokes. Keeping up with everything can be overwhelming, but it's so so rewarding.

Here are my favorite albums from a very deep year–there's probably a smaller gap between my #1 and my #25 than ever before. But unranked lists are for cowards!

Check the bottom for the full list and a Spotify playlist with selections from every album.

Onward we go!

10. Fievel Is Glauque - Flaming Swords: Perhaps no album released in 2022 was as jam-packed with seemingly contradictory musical ideas as Flaming Swords. Fievel Is Glauque songwriter/bandleader Zach Phillips aims for sensory overload, cramming complex chords, modal key changes, free jazz freakouts, and hyperactive drum beats into his miniature prog-pop masterpieces. Nearly each one of these 18 songs has a moment of unexpected virtuosity, whether in the composition or the performance. The song that best represents the album’s messy ideal is “Save The Premonition,” a one-minute forty-six second sprint through moments of harmonic inspiration, never settling down for more than a measure at a time.

From my description, it might seem like Flaming Swords is a difficult listen, but though it takes some time to get used to the hyperactivity, these songs are targeted missiles aimed directly towards the pleasure centers of the brain, with sonorous saxophones and liquid keyboards augmenting the dulcet Francophone tones of lead singer Ma Clément. This is pop music filtered through a prism, separating the traditional elements of sound into their essences and reconstituting it into something entirely new.

9. Caracara - New Preoccupations: Philadelphia emo band Caracara isn’t afraid to mine the “embarrassing” sounds of the past in its search for catharsis. If you told the 2005 version of me that one of my favorite albums of 2022 would crib from bands like Snow Patrol or Relient K, I would’ve told you to buzz off before cranking up the volume on “Stay Fly” by Three 6 Mafia. But New Preoccupations won me over with its aching sincerity, its full-throated realization of the melancholy behind mundane moments (“I was listening to the Dirty Projectors in a Volvo by the freeway funeral pyre,” singer Sean Gill exhorts in highlight track “Colorglut”), and some powerhouse performances by the band. Producer (and Memory Music label head) Will Yip keeps things interesting, finding a guitar sound that would’ve fit nicely into WPLJ’s Hot Adult Contemporary lineup in the mid-90s and adding contemporary touches like programmed drums and rolling pianos. My favorite moments on New Preoccupations happen when the band grows tired of midtempo rockers and goes balls to the wall. They bust the door down early on the dissociative anthem “Hyacinth,” and put a bow on the proceedings with the achingly raw “Monoculture”: “I’M FINALLY FREE TO LET GO.”

8. Cash Cobain & Chow Lee - 2 SLIZZY 2 SEXY (Deluxe): 2 Live Crew changed the game in the late 80s by combining the compulsively danceable Miami bass sound with some of the raunchiest songs known to man. Luther Campbell and crew were so gleefully horned-up that they changed America’s copyright laws forever. Nearly 40 years later, NYC duo Cash Cobain and Chow Lee are bravely following in 2 Live Crew’s footsteps, providing a fresh spin on the dominant dance music of their region (in this case, Jersey/Philly club) to further their noble mission to make the horniest music of all time. So yes, Cash and Chow are sex-crazed to the point of obsession, but they’re making some genuinely game-changing shit. Cash is one of the best producers on the planet, a master of flipping a familiar sample into something fresh and unrecognizable. He saves his best beats for himself, from the ethereal and speaker-slamming J. Holiday flip on, um, “JHOLIDAY,” to the audacious Stevie Wonder sample on “SLIZZY LIKE,” to the absolutely beautiful “FREAK OF DI WEEK.” Cash and Chow combine their otherworldly instrumentals with an energy that mirrors teenagers at their first sleepovers after learning all the curse words, bouncing off each other in a competition over who can be the most out-of-pocket (Chow usually wins that competition). Don’t sleep on the deluxe edition, which brings even more brilliant beats and shamelessly lowers the bar X-rated bars even further, inviting some of the best rappers in the Tri-State area to meet them on their libidinous level.

7. Cloakroom - Dissolution Wave: Cloakroom exists on the bleeding edge between shoegaze and stoner metal, overwhelming with punishing soundscapes and entrancing with spectral melodies. Their 2022 album Dissolution Wave is lean and mean, clocking in at 39 minutes (Cloakroom hadn’t previously made an album shorter than 60 minutes), delivering a confident complement of space-age rockers. No album this year was better synthesizing such an intense beauty, its crushing walls of sound enhancing the heartfelt songwriting. On a few songs, including the midtempo “A Force At Play” (featuring keys from Matt Talbott from Cloakroom’s stylistic influence Hum) and the devastating countrified ballad “Doubts,” the band proves that they don’t need fuzz to make a major emotional impact. My favorite headphones album of the year.

6. billy woods - Aethiopes: billy woods is an astonishing wordsmith, crafting bars that can collapse hundreds of years of traumatic history into a single couplet. He’s at his best when he’s shining a light on the grimiest aspects of our society, and our society is grimy enough for multiple albums per year, all of them good, usually created in tandem with a producer. Aethiopes, produced in full by underground hero Preservation, is woods’ grimiest and greatest yet, packed with an array of industrial instrumentals that grind like the gears of a lurching, lumbering, ill-intentioned contraption.

The beat for “Wharves” clinks and clacks like a skeleton playing its own ribcage like a xylophone, a fitting backdrop for woods' story that touches on cannibalistic tribes and the Atlantic slave trade. “Heavy Water” invites Breeze Brewin and El-P to tag team an unbearably tense slice of boom-bap, as woods calls himself “the multiverse Benzino.” “No Hard Feelings” swirls with detuned woodwinds and ethereal synths, sounding like the warmup anthem for a closer on Hell's favorite baseball team, providing a bed for woods to show out in his trademark style–he rhymes with escalating intensity, his booming voice rising along with the music. The tension built in the first three quarters of the album dissipates with the final run of soul-samplers, but those outwardly gorgeous songs contain some of woods’s ugliest bars. From “Remorseless”: “Three rooms filled with Incan treasure/Still strangled the king cause it's now or never/It's a freedom in admitting it's not gonna get better.”

5. Naima Bock - Giant Palm: Naima Bock’s Giant Palm gleams like a greenhouse during golden hour, organic and synthetic elements operating in harmony to create an album unlike any I’ve heard before. The album is a spiritual successor to Mort Garson’s horticultural synth music and Vashti Bunyan’s insular, pastoral ballads, with strains of folk from Brazil and England mixed in for good measure. Created in collaboration with co-producer/arranger Joel Burton, the former Goat Girl bassist’s solo debut is structured like the tree of its title, a variety of frilled fronds emanating from a knotty heart–in this case, everything stems from Bock’s endless wonder at the marvels of our natural world, which she expresses through plaintive, immersive, and unpredictable ballads. Some of my favorite moments: the psychedelically eerie call-and-response that begins “Every Morning”; the whimsically bluesy piano in “Instrumental”; the dissonant waltz that undergirds the haunting “Campervan”; and the beautiful harmonies that adorn the Portuguese-language bossa nova ballad “O Morro,” which ends the album on a nostalgic note.

4. Big Thief - Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You: Big Thief is in a special kind of creative groove right now. Frontwoman Adrienne Lenker has a seemingly bottomless arsenal of amazing songs, and her band has the adventurous mindset, telepathic chemistry, and ace musicianship to execute any of her ideas. The natural next step for a band on this kind of run: dropping a double album to show off the breadth of what they can do. The unwieldily-titled Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You fits that bill, packing in some of their best songs while pushing their sound forward. You want classic Big Thief ballads? They’ve got them, including the immaculate “Change” and plaintive “No Reason.” Prefer the hard-rocking side of the band that they perfected on 2019’s Two Hands? Take “Little Things” or the cathartic “Love Love Love.” They even unveil some new tricks, like the trip-hoppy “Blurred View” and the minimal Magnetic Fields-meets-Springsteen experiment “Wake Me Up To Drive.” My favorites on here, though, channel what the music critic Greil Marcus called “The Old Weird America,” an energy that powers the cosmic hoedown “Spud Infinity,” the slinky and percussive “Time Escaping,” and the joyous, countrified “Red Moon.”

3. Earl Sweatshirt - SICK!: Earl Sweatshirt has been famous since he was sixteen years old, something that must feel particularly strange to the self-professed introvert. On his latest album SICK!, the now-28-year-old rapper seems to open up, inspired by his newfound fatherhood and embracing his role as the leader of a rising wave of left-of-center lyricists. The song sketches that populated 2018’s Some Rap Songs have (mostly) been replaced by fuller statements, its grainy, drumless loops giving way to slicker sounds.

The beats on SICK! are spectacular, from Theravada’s sorrowful and operatic “Tabula Rasa,” to The Alchemist’s menacing and cinematic “Old Friend,” to the multiple soundscapes crafted by Black Noi$e (especially the jazzy closer “Fire In The Hole”). Earl doesn’t rhyme over the instrumentals as much as he inhabits them, his resigned sigh painting contours and filling negative space, and effortlessly unfurling assonant and tangled bars like (from “Tabula Rasa”): “The calcium on my teeth fade/Streets are blazed with the anger complacency and deceit create/Ice sheet break, I couldn't weave weight/All I could say to the times that I couldn't freeze-frame, bleak fate.”

2. Makaya McCraven - In These Times: Producer, drummer, composer, and bandleader Makaya McCraven creates his albums like a mad scientist, laying down hundreds of hours of improvised live sessions and piecing them together to create wholly unique compositions. His music thrives on the moments of brief inspiration that come from a group of brilliant musicians playing together, creating an indelible atmosphere by stretching out and looping sections to form a new groove. Inspired by the legendary output CTI Records in the early ‘70s (home to George Benson, Hubert Laws, Bob James, and many others), McCraven curates a sound that combines the smoother side of fusion with complex, odd-meter rhythms. His percussion work is usually unflashy*, providing a bedrock for his collaborators to express themselves to the fullest. “So Ubuji” finds McCraven laying down a boom-bap style drum pattern as vibraphonist Joel Ross and harpist Brandee Younger elevate the song to the stratosphere, while the tangled polyrhythms of “High Fives” benefits from the virtuosic guitar playing of Jeff Parker. The album climaxes with penultimate track “The Knew Untitled,” a devastating composition that begins with swirling piano-led chaos before guitarist Matt Gold lays down one of the best guitar solos of this young decade. The most transportive and mesmerizing album released in 2022.

*with a notable exception coming on the thrilling “This Place That Place"

1. They Hate Change - Finally, New: They Hate Change (Vonne and Dre, both of whom rap and produce) operate with supreme confidence, creating a singular sonic blend informed, but not defined, by their omnivorous musical influences. Vonne and Dre are both great emcees–Vonne has a style that occupies the unlikely convergence between Big Boi, Ish Butler of Digable Planets/Shabazz Palaces, and Sonny Cheeba of Camp Lo, while Dre's drawling rhymes evoke both E-40 and Pimp C. Though they're clearly in love with hip-hop, the two Tampa natives are equally obsessed with dance music of all stripes, and Finally, New explores the unexpected connections between UK breakbeats and Florida’s club tradition, incorporating notes of Miami bass and Tampa jook alongside UK garage and DnB. The result is an album built for both head-nodding and ass-shaking. It's in constant motion even when it slows down, the two rappers brashly projecting an attitude that makes their flexing hit as hard as their evisceration of societal norms. A key track is “Some Days I Hate My Voice,” a defiant missive from Vonne that explores the nonbinary emcee’s inherent contradictions: “Some days I hate my voice, some days I feel like I'm the Metratron/Some days I'm basic, some days I'm dolled up like pageant debutantе.” I waffled for a long time about what to put at number one. I listened to hundreds of albums this year, and adored many of them, but for the top spot on this year’s list, I decided to just go with the album that sounded the freshest. Bursting with invention and bracing in its fearless experimentation, Finally, New is like nothing I’ve ever heard.

The rest of the list (playlist HERE): 11. 454 - Fast Trax 3 12. Bad Bunny - Un Verano Sin Ti 13. Asake - Mr. Money With The Vibe 14. Duval Timothy - Meeting With A Judas Tree 15. Animal Collective - Time Skiffs 16. DaBoii - Can’t Tame Us 17. The Soft Pink Truth - Is It Going To Get Any Deeper Than This? 18. Obongjayar - Some Nights I Dream Of Doors 19. Sessa - Estrela Acesa 20. Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers 21. Babyface Ray - FACE/MOB 22. Ron Trent - What Do The Stars Say To You 23. Hagan - Textures 24. WizKid - More Love, Less Ego 25. Smino - Luv 4 Rent 26. SZA - SOS 27. Duke Deuce - CRUNKSTAR 28. Alex G - God Save The Animals 29. Cate Le Bon - Pompeii 30. Panda Bear & Sonic Boom - Reset 31. Arctic Monkeys - The Car 32. PLOSIVS - PLOSIVS 33. Real Lies - Lad Ash 34. Rema - Rave & Roses 35. Drakeo The Ruler - Keep The Truth Alive 36. Beth Orton - Weather Alive 37. Tony Shhnow - Reflexions/Plug Motivation 38. Rosalía - MOTOMAMI 39. Beyonce - RENAISSANCE 40. Shabason & Krgovich - At Scaramouche 41. $ilkMoney - I Don’t Give a F*ck About This Rap Sh*t… 42. Quelle Chris - DEATHFAME 43. Dazegxd - vKISS 44. Phelimuncasi - Ama Gogela 45. Dawn Richard & Spencer Zahn - Pigments 46. Björk - Fossora 47. Roedelius & Tim Story - 4 Hands 48. Valee - VACABULAREE 49. NBA YoungBoy - 3800 Degrees 50. Toro Y Moi - MAHAL 51. Ethel Cain - Preacher’s Daughter 52. Brent Faiyaz - WASTELAND 53. Boldy James - Fair Exchange No Robbery (w/ Nicholas Craven)/ Mr. Ten08 (w/ Futurewave) 54. quinn - quinn  55. Rachika Nayar - Heaven Come Crashing 56. Junior Boys - Waiting Game 57. Friendship - Love The Stranger 58. Saba - Few Good Things 59. Silvana Estrada - Marchita 60. Rauw Alejandro - SATURNO 61. Ralfy The Plug - Skateboard P (Deluxe)/Pastor Ralfy 2 (Deluxe) 62. Sudan Archives - Natural Black Prom Queen 63. Kikagaku Moyo - Kumoyo Island 64. Young Slo-Be - Southeast 65. Death’s Dynamic Shroud - Darklife 66. Mr. Fingers - Around The Sun Pt. 1 67. RealYungPhil - Dr. Philvinci 68. CEO Trayle - HH5 69. Lil Poppa - HEAVY IS THE HEAD 70. Los - Kareem From New Orleans, Vol. 2 71. Fred Again - Actual Life 3 72. Gunna - DS4EVER 73. The Comet Is Coming - Hyper-Dimensional Expansion Beam 74. Ka - Language Arts/Woeful Studies 75. The Beths - Experts In A Dying Field

NOTE: This albums list could’ve gone on for at least another 75, and rest assured it would’ve included your favorite album from 2022! But I’ll make a special shout out to albums that just missed the cut: Luna Li, Nu Genea, Tears For Fears, Bartees Strange, Shawny Binladen, Little Simz, Oso Oso, Hikaru Utada, MAVI, BONES, Central Cee, BlueBucksClan, and Jay Worthy, Larry June & LNDN Drugs. Songs from those albums are included in my Spotify playlist.

[fictionkinfessions]

Peck it. I'm doing the ask games all at once.

Did we celebrate Halloween in any way? Yes. My daughter and I did so many duo costumes when she was a wee lass. I'd always let her decide what I dressed up as when she was younger. One year she got me to dress up as DJ Peckneck, which. That one was embarrassing, but hey. I loved Halloween-- Horror movies, taking the grandkids trick-or-treating, costumes? It was PERFECT! I'd always dress up as characters from old murder mystery novels, too-- Usually ones written by Agatha Christie, or whatever her equivalent was in our world.

Nicknames: Ohohoh, I remember those nicknames. Connie from Grooves, Con from my brother, Ducky from the lass... She couldn't speak well enough to say the whole thing, so she just called me Ducky. I went along with it. I'd usually just call them what they were-- pecknecks, lass, or DJ Peckneck, heh. We had the Hat Lass (Grooves called her the little darling), we had Al (Mafia Boss), and we had a few others. I wasn't one for giving nicknames, but Grooves loved to.

Holidays: Well, it was the Snow Festival (Christmas), and whatever Halloween was actually called, there was the Wind Festival and the Spirit Festival in the Alpines... Back in my hometown we had Founder's Day which was really just an excuse for us all to meet in the town square for a great potluck. We celebrated birthdays (Well, not mine, I never really had a real birthday so much as an adoption day), and the parties Grooves threw every year after the Award Ceremony, no matter who won. I'd usually stop by, get a drink, and leave. Never stayed at any of his parties long, found 'em too loud. We were mostly calling them Festivals instead of holidays. I know the Mafia lads had "Landing Day," which was a big fishing celebration with plays and too much fish to count, and Subcon used to have giant parties for birthdays in the royal family. Can't tell you a thing about if the Metro had any events, though. Plenty of different cultures on our planet. plenty of different events, but most everyone celebrated the Snow Festival or some version of it, whatever they called it. Me, I grew up with it being called "Coldest Day" because I lived in a desert.

Wow, lots to say today, eh? It's a good day for a good ramble, I guess. Needed to get some thoughts out there. Still gonna keep looking around my brainspace for any other thoughts that fell off the train of thought.

That's all from your local Conductor (AHIT) today, folks. -[#⏳🍂🐀]

[ancientphantom]

We have a bumper crop of new Phantom literature as we race into summer!

Patricia Peacock und das Phantom in der Oper by Tiffany Crockham is a German-language mystery about a crime-solving duo in period times who are stuck trying to protect a famous Italian diva at the Cairo Opera House who is being ruthlessly targeted, along with the rest of the ensemble, by a mysterious figure haunting the place.

The Voyeur of the Opera: Captive in His Lair by Dulcinea Drakos is a sultry retelling of the original story, with plenty of sex scenes and a focus on which of her two lovers Christine will choose in the end.

Not Alone by A.L. Flagg is a flipped-roles modern-day story in which a young woman named Eden is attacked, leaving her severely scarred and hiding from the world, until she falls in love with a newcomer and must decide whether she can come out of isolation and how to deal with the world that hurt her in the first place. (I’d call it a bit more of a Beauty & the Beast story, but like many publishers, this one claims it’s a “fusion” of that story with the Phantom one.)

Chandelier by Michael Leon is the sequel to his previous book, Phantoms, and carries on the story after Erik’s escape from the opera house, moving to the future of the 22nd century where an aging diva hides secrets from other performers and a young pianist is frightened by the sudden and incredible increase of his peformance skills.

The Phantom of Nob Hill Theater by John Luke Maxwell is a gay romance novel about a retired porn actor, the community theater performance he’s involved in, and someone behind the scenes trying to Stop the Show and/or kill the performers. Of course, it’s very sexy. It’s literally in the theater’s name.

The Lost Melody by Joanna Davidson Politano is a period story about a young pianist who, when her parents die, discovers a strange connection to a woman currently being held in an asylum and struggles with strange letters and unearthly music that seem to follow her everywhere she goes.

In Too Deep by Elaine Runmore is a period rewrite of the original story, in which Christina is a street busker singing for coins in an English port and is being followed by a mysterious dark figure in the shadows who would do anything to hear her voice...

Behind the Mask by MaryAnn Sires is a prequel to her long-running The Phantom’s Lady series, although the prerelease announcement doesn’t give us much to go on as far as what it’s about. We can probably safely guess it’s at least got some backstory for the Phantom and the other main characters, though!

Corruption by Jenika Snow is a modern-day version of the story in which the Phantom character is a hired killer for the Russian mafia and struggles with his love for the innocent young ballerina he knew in childhood, only to kidnap her and keep her hostage when he realizes that she is about to marry someone else.

A Dance with Danger by Marisa Wright is the story of a ballet dancer who, after his legs are crushed and he loses the ability to dance or walk, hides from the rest of the world, only to be dragged back into the light when he meets his brother’s beautiful ballerina fiancee and a power struggle begins to determine which of the brothers she will choose.

We also have three “maybe” options this week, for those who like to intrepidly find out exactly how much Phantom influence there is in a suspicious work:

The Vanishing of Willa Sloan by Andrea Dias is a modern-day story about a girl whose mother vanishes during the COVID-19 pandemic, causing her to search for her until she discovers that her mother’s past as a ballerina in Paris was far from idyllic and that only traveling to Paris will allow her to finally learn the truth.

The Phantom Violinist: Play Like the Devil by Nigel Street has a lot of classic Phantom elements: a haunted, possibly evil violin that plays unbelievable music, a performer who isn’t sure whether their talent is their own or from some outside force, and of course dangerous performances that spiral out of control. However, it’s hard to tell if this is just one of those works that riffs on other evil violin stories (like Lovecraft’s Erich Zann) or whether it actually has a connection to the Phantom’s original story or one of its successors (the 1989 Little/Englund film would make sense...).

Ximphonic Versus: Symphony of the Phantom Knight by Scotlynd Xing Xin-Bedford is... well, to be honest, it’s very hard to tell what it is? It’s set five thousand years in the past in a fantasy universe in which a prince named Addonnis, a superlative singer, travels around with his mentor Concerto only to discover other ambitions when he encounters the princess of the faraway glass kingdom. It’s got a lot of music, haunting, and other Phantom-esque elements, but it offers no previews and I have no earthly clue what else is going on, so good luck to those who find out!

That’s it for this time, but let’s hope June’s offerings are just as exciting!

[xo-cuteplosion-xo]

Unrequited love

I should be working on comfort requests-

Instead, I have two ideas that kept me awake last night cause I apparently like to make Dazai suffer.

Angst (Idk kinda?)

Words: 1491

Unrequited love |Dazai x Reader x Chuuya|

Shadows loomed over the night, coating the starless sky. The light provided by street lamps left the deeper down into the alleyways. Cold winds blew past, ruffling the black mafioso coat, the symbol of death. The familiar crimson dripped from the barrel of the mafioso's gun. As it landed the blood crystallized into beautiful roses, courtesy from his partner. Normally there would be three of them. A devil, a demon, and a god. When the three worked together there wasn’t anything they couldn’t do, alone they were just as strong. The devil, as most people in the underworld called him, placed the gun back on its hold. He looked back at the demon with no expression, only jolting his head to the side. Even in the dim light, they were memorized by the devil. Perhaps that’s why they were the demon. What else could love the devil? A man so cruel he held no mercy, not for his co-workers, his enemies, he had nothing to spare. Some pity him, an executive at such a young age, so heartless and cruel. Surely he was suffering beneath the layers. Of course, that’s what they, the demon, thought.

They were 17 when the demon held a bundle of crystallized flowers. Having dipped them in water and turned the liquid that laid atop the petals into crystals they handed them to the male. Dazai, the devil only rolled his eyes. It wasn’t the first or last time this would happen. How many times had they confessed to the brunette, only to receive silence? Then again, they had never said they loved him. The brunette let them cling to him, much to the ginger's displeasure. The god tended to be the middle between them. Chuuya hated watching his partner's ungrateful attitude. To be honest, he was still shocked Dazai hadn’t tried to ravage the one they called a demon.

The day you, the demon, stood in front of Dazai, just before he’d leave forever, you spoke the three words. Instead of silence, he gave that dark shadowy look. Though only one eye was exposed his message was clear. Even in those dark, deadly eyes that showed no emotion, you could tell before he spoke. “When will you take the hint? I don’t have interest in you, never will." His words were so cold.

You looked down as your heart nearly leaped from its place. You stood and watched him leave to the scene of an explosion. You stood before your knees gave out and you fell. That was the last time you would see him for four years.

Dazai spent every day thinking about that moment, the different paths that you could have walked. To not immerse yourself in the senseless bloodshed for life. Had he said yes could you be here among the Agency laughing like you used to? He heard the new rumors, the things they said about you. A Deity of bloodshed. Nobody saw you and lived to tell the tale. An executioner of the port mafia. A heartless demon who lived only to spread their misery to others. They said your eyes were cold and emotionless. No longer lively and that beautiful trap he had been captured by. They said you never laughed, but when you did it was to mock your victims. The cheerful laugh that used to mix into the few good dreams he had now lay within the nightmares. Some Days he woke up and saw the old him. Other times he would wake up from a nightmare and swear you were there. Looking back at him in the mirror. A look of hate on your face as you blamed him for the monster you are.

The rumor that hurt the most had to be your relationship status. Nobody could confirm it, but hearing that you and Chuuya had become a killer duo killed him. Jealousy, anger, disgust, most of that aimed at himself. Another reason to add to the list of miseries he’s gone through. The others at the agency never noticed the way his mind was starting to unravel as rumors increased. As more and more people began to fear the name he regretted tossing to the side. He had been scared of those words, the three words he still can’t say because he’s afraid of how human they make him. For years, he’s been so distant from humanity. Why did it take him so long to realize that pain in his chest as he declined your confessions? The shattering pain he felt when he walked away was his own heart shattering from a love that could have been. He could only imagine you sitting at the desk laughing away with his coworkers. He could imagine his hands over your eyes as he surprised you.

The worst trick of his eyes was when he could really see you sitting there at the empty desk. When he could hear your laughter. Why did this world have to hate him so much? It’s hated him from the day he was born. He hated living so alone, and he could have had somebody, could have shared the miseries of this world with you but he won’t be able to.

Your first appearance at the agency happened during a meeting. The guild would be a problem only the two agencies combined could conquer. His eyes had spotted you immediately. You looked matured, no longer the demon who was far too kind to wear such a title. You truly looked like he had once. Eyes devoid of all emotion. You held your head high, hands behind your back as you took a right next to Mori. Chuuya stood next to you, and upon seeing Dazai his lips curled into a cruel smirk. He leaned over to whisper into your ear.

The smile your lips curled into mirrored the twisted smirk he would wear when delivering punishments to his underlings. He could only shiver before the two of you shared a brisk kiss. His whole world shattered but he held himself together. He kept his unusually bright smile as the two leaders worked out a deal.

When the two of them showed before Dazai he could only wave to hear your voice. “Listen Dazai, neither of us is pleased about working with you. The faster this is done the less we have to deal with you and your heartless personality.” Dazai had no words, he’d never heard you talk like that before. You were always the one silent or praising his accomplishments.

After the mission when Chuuya passed out from using corruption he reached out to you. “Y/n, what happened to you?” among all the questions amidst his mind that one spilled from his lips first.

“Oh Dazai, you happened. The mafia changes people the same way your… current job does.” you sounded disappointed and disgusted.

Behind that mask, you were crying out. Your heart raced as he stood in front of you. A part of you still wanted to hold him as you had. You learned the hard way feelings only granted you pain. “You know, keeping the act up won’t last that long. I recognize the act. Modeled after how I used to hide away?” The snarl that passed over your lips as you reached to punch him didn’t surprise him.

Though it hurt both of you, it took his taunting words to bring out the emotions swimming under the lock. “I hate you. Get it into your head Dazai! You broke me, you abandoned me, you abandoned us! All for what some stupid friend! I was there longer than him Dazai… I held you after nightmares, I cleaned the wounds after battle. Do you know what hurts more than rejection? Abandonment! I trusted you, we trusted you with everything and you threw it all away like nothing. Do you have any idea how much that hurts? He was some stupid friend you spent less time with, knew for less, sure he didn’t kill, he was perfect, better than me but you didn’t even say goodbye!”

He didn’t get to respond before you carried Chuuya off.

Dazai could only stare at the ground and the stains of blood that lay crystallized from your outburst. You had never been good at holding back. He plucked the grass from the ground holding the frozen crimson in his hand. It didn’t melt in his touch as he looked around for a complete flower. He’d kept everything you gave him, he loved the collection of crimson flowers, real flowers, even rain or snow. Your ability was so beautiful and peaceful, like you had been. However, all he found were shards that could cut through flesh. Cruel like the persona you’d adopted to keep yourself from being hurt. He envied Chuuya, who now lay at the receiving end of your love while he stood within the bubble of hate that iced over your heart.

[mafiablr-confessions]

ONE OF MY MUTUALS SHIPS SNOW DUO.I WANT TO BLOCK THEM SO BADDDDDDDD

.

[princecharmingwinks]

Sterek Fic Rec - December 2020. We made it! It is the final month of this uber crazy year. And what better way to end the year except with....Sterek! Some are Christmas themed, some are not (since I know not everyone celebrates Christmas). I’m really excited to see all the new fics going through for Christmas this year that haven’t been posted yet so I’ll try to reblog as many as I can. Hope whatever you are doing to celebrate (or not) this December is perfect). Onto the list!

You put a Hallmark on my Heart by giantteenwolforgy (1/1 | 3,325 | Teen)

Stiles is funny and smart and kind and is also his daughter's teacher and his boss's son. On the list of people who are off-limits, Stiles has held the top spot for as long as Derek has known him.

Since Derek is Derek, Stiles also happens to rank number one on the list of people Derek is in love with. Seriously. His life is like a bad Hallmark movie.

What They Don't Have by Little_red_2000 (1/1 | 1,340 | General)

Stiles has to find a gift for Derek for Christmas. He chooses himself.

Hallmark Cliché by rieraclaelin (1/1 | 969 | General)

“Daddy, it’s snowing,” Lila said.

“Baby, it doesn’t snow here. You know that,” Stiles said as he looked back over to Lila.

“But it is, it really is! I asked Santa for snow yesterday, and look!” She pulled the curtains away from the window so Stiles could see outside, and what the hell? Those were definitely snow flurries.

Between Dogs and Wolves by artemis69 (1/1 | 25,934 | Teen)

"This is…not four million in cash,” remarks Stilinski.

“Isaac. Did you fail to get my money back and decided to pick up a stripper on the road to bribe me? Because let me make this perfectly clear: this would totally work. Well done.”

Or

The mafia!AU where the Hales owe four million to the Stilinskis, Laura rents Derek (but not as a stripper), Stiles gets a new favorite, Derek gets a new boss, a new puppy and a new family.

Sometimes they break people, but mainly, they just snark at each other.

Ships in the Night by whenshewrites (4/4 | 12,677 | Mature)

Stiles was pretty sure he had a message on his forehead that read “Kidnap Me’ because shit like this kept happening. He was fully prepared to be thrown in cell, hitting the cement floor with a curse and a grunt. But he wasn’t prepared to hear a growl when the door slammed closed. Or feel calloused fingers tug at the blindfold around his eyes.

“Derek?”

People Are Dying, Derek! by nana_banana (1/1 | 1,762 | Teen)

Shit is going down in Beacon Hills, as usual. Our favorite dynamic duo is on the job, but Stiles thinks Derek should be more focused.

Take Another Little Pizza My Heart by distortedreality (1/1 | 3,224 | Teen)

Stiles decides the best way to woo his Dream Guy, aka Manager ‘resting bitch face’ Derek, is through insubordination and food puns. It goes as well as could be expected.

Alpha Mate by TheRealDanniX (1/1 | 8,224 | Mature)

Five times someone notices Stiles being Alpha Mate & Denmaker and one time Stiles notices it.

All I want for Christmas is to Bake Cookies with You by TuppingLiberty (2/2 | 4,830 | Explicit)

Stiles is upset when Scott can't uphold their Christmas tradition of baking cookies. Good thing Derek's to the rescue! Christmas fluff.

The Christmas Cabin by halcyon1993 (1/1 | 6,181 | Explicit)

For Christmas, Derek whisks his mate away to a remote cabin in the mountains. He has it all planned out: snow, hot chocolate, lovemaking in front of a roaring fire…but most importantly, he has a life-changing question to ask.

princecharmingwinks special mentions (I have waited forever to rec this! It is just a glorious piece of work <3 )

A Christmas Surprise by KatieComma (2/2 | 17,563 | Explicit)

Stiles comes home from Stanford for the holidays and shows up on the front step of the newly rebuilt Hale house.

Derek was not expecting him.

Stiles barges in and plans to deck Derek's halls because he's a grinch who doesn't plan to decorate.

Merry Christmas one and all ! Hope your final days of 2020 are filled with many loving memories. Please remember to leave kudos and comments for our fabulous writers. Happy reading!

[stayinurlaneboi]

Fic Recs

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last updated: April 14, 2022

ＢＲＥＡＴＨ ＯＦ ＴＨＥ ＷＩＬＤ

Link

feral gremlin boy

hes touch starved

dating hc with a hylian s/o

Revali

training accidents

shy s/o

he secretly likes his champion scarf hes just tsundere abt it

with a hylian s/o

Link/Sidon

what they would do with their s/o during bad weather

short s/o

Revali/Link/Sidon

they’re drunk an now their s/o has to deal with them

first time living with their s/o

comforting a terrified s/o

having a nightmare where their s/o dies in their arms

Revali/Mipha/Urbosa/Link/Sidon

trying to confess to an oblivious s/o

Linked Universe AU

wild sick fic

linked universe au where link can jump on command

wild accidentally grabs twilights pinecone in his sleep

Misc.

link gives sidon a chance to see his sister again

zelda watching link be feral post ganon

give her a keese

ＧＥＮＳＨＩＮ ＩＭＰＡＣＴ

Zhongli

dating hc

relationship hc ver2

extremely affectionate s/o ver2

pining hc

cuddling hc

him with an s/o as dumb as he is

ink and legacy

half dragon!zhongli hc

they say the first snow is precious

in bed fluff

“i’d feel better if you kissed me”

cheering him up

under the stars

Xiao

relationship hcs

cuddle hc ver2

affection hcs ver2

reader with a cold

short s/o

wishing upon a lantern

lantern rite date gone wrong

protect

sleepy!reader ver2

bein jealous of how his s/o interacts with childe

reader gets sick

nobody knows how you got so close to him

picking flowers and making crowns

dating hcs

a date to the lantern rite goes wrong

xiao’s 3 steps to making ur s/o feel better

s/o goes mia hc

fluffy hc

touchy s/o

sappy s/o

kiss me (mafia au)

welcome back ver2

you can be human too (if only temporarily)

long hair xiao long hair xiao long hair xiao

c’mon fuck me emo boy

admiring his muscles cuz they nice ver2

pining!xiao protecting you from a distance

“you said that these were your favourite right?”

heat of the moment

nightmares

perhaps an adventure wouldnt be so bad

he got fangs

you dont have to if it causes you pain

“where are you going?”

relationship hcs

please not again

Diluc

kisses hc ver2

boyfriend hc

just a moment longer

come back soon

secret kisses

relationship hc (horny at the end, minors look away)

dandelion dreams

bringing drunk diluc home

soft!diluc hc

the heater in you apartment breaks, good thing ur bf is a furnace

caught in the rain

dandelions and sunshine

hearing that his s/o was kia

clingy diluc who likes to be held

lazy mornings

diluc getting a fat goodbye smooch

s/o going mia

relationship hc writer deactivated

Kaeya

dating hc

cuddling hc

domestic mornings

4 times he wants to kiss you and the 1 time he does

brushing their hair

kissing him to sleep

flowers

Childe

about his ring comic

waking up with him

s/o comforting him

s/o goes mia

jealousy drabble

early mornings with him

hes so out classed in liyue its not even funny

dating hc

limerence

ex-boyfie things

the best part of his week includes fighting the traveller and picnics

Albedo

opposites attract

waking up together

sleepy bedo asking you to do his hair

general hc

boyfriend hc

horimiya au

Aether

he smells heavenly to literally everyone

Razor

meeting his pack

Chongyun

his condition starts to act up

Liyue boys

how they'd confess

Duos

relationship hcs ver2

drunk hcs

protective hc

kiss hcs

cuddles

with an s/o that self isolates themselves

confessions

having a bad day and wanting to cuddle

wallet!childe an broke!zhongli comic

waking up with them

hugs

extremely touch starved s/o an head pats

cuddling hc

jealousy hc

comforting s/o after a bad day

clingy s/o

reader who loves the rain

physically affectionate s/o

playing with their s/os hair

lonely without you

comforting reader

do they change around their s/o?

opposites attract

getting kidnapped by the fatui

trying to confess to an oblivious s/o

coming home from a commission injured

gentle kisses

being a whole simp for them

belate birthdays

gentle touches

multis

sweet scenarios

holding hands

baker s/o

tickle fights

when your cold

asking you to sleep over

you fall asleep on them 

you go missing

falling asleep in their arms

you go missing

with an s/o that sleeps everywhere but is insanely strong

comparing hands

with a crush thats very touchy feely

coming home after a long journey

s/o falls asleep on them

booping noses

bad day comforts 

falling asleep in their arms 

home early

reader gets badly hurt

hug hc

how they smooch

how they hug

soulmate aus

you get injured

when you call them by a cute nickname

asking for a hug

what their kisses are like

they snap at you an how they’d apologize

can i wear your clothes?

what they like about you

how they kiss

how they treat you when your sick

whos the father?

making excuses to touch you 

they’re drunk and s/o has to take care of them

with a small s/o

what they do when your cold

saying ily for the first time

first kisses

valentines day

jealousy hc

when someone flirts with their s/o

this is my “i love you”

he falls asleep on your shoulder

as your knight in shining armour 

how they love you

its the little things

how do they kiss you

s/o baking for them

you fall asleep on their chest 1 2

love languages 1

they confess to you 1 2

affections 1 2

memento mori the fic the backstory

yours truly sincerely

Misc.

lumine is v pretty for an absolute gremlin

lumi chops off venti's hair lol

poly!venti/xiao + reader is the chosen one

xiao and traveler have much in common

xiao x lumi hcs

zhongli x lumi + realizing that they like eachother

scaramouche and childe comic

agressive cupid

diluc reacting to windtrace

zhongli hoarding his friends

if genshin was a dating sim

[amenomiko]

Masterlist 2

Updated as of 18 October 2020-

GENERAL TOPICS

Random Thought - Motonari’s Name

Random Thought - MC with Manly Voice

Chat with Friend - Masamune the Accidental Impaler

IkeSen MC vs My OC Reactions

Loli Lords (Picrew)

Facts about OC - Ame Rie’s Fears

ALL LORDS / NINJAS / MONK

IkeSen Lords Play An Online Game

How the Lords Ask for Their First Child

MC Went for a Shopping with Him at a Clothing Store

IkeSen Lords playing SLBP Routes Reaction

IkeSen Lords as Parents

Extra Salty MC

Princess Claims

Linguist MC Gets Angry

First Call After Marriage

He is an Actor That has to Play a Scene of Where the Actress Cried from a Break Up

Paranoid Warlords x Sick MC

Lords as Cinderella Part 2

Lords as Snow White

MC Turned into Half Human x Half Animal

Pregnant MC x Paranoid Warlords

That every scene of Lords reaction when that certain lord of that certain route when he is with MC

Lords and Arcade

Lords as GF and MC as BF

Warlords as teachers, particularly sex education subject.

Lords as Memes

AZUCHI CASTLE LORDS

Jealous Warlords with MC who Purposely Flirt with Soldiers due to Insecurity

Reaction to Fan-Girling MC

Sex Ed

Her Birthday (Nobunaga)

KASUGAYAMA CASTLE LORDS / NINJA

MC That Wants to Make the Lord Jealous On Purpose (Part 2)

REQUESTED / CHOSEN LORDS

MC as Mafia Heiress (Nobunaga, Masamune, Mitsuhide, Kenshin)

Unexpected In-Laws (Mitsuhide & Hideyoshi)

MC Never Existed (Ieyasu, Masamune, MItsuhide, Kenshin)

MC that is Gorgeous and Charming (Nobunaga, Ieyasu, Kenshin, Shingen, Sasuke)

MC Doing Yoga (Hideyoshi, Mitsuhide, Shingen, Sasuke)

Forgetful MC (Hideyoshi, Masamune, MItsunari, Kenshin)

MC with Godlike Powers (Nobunaga, Masamune, Hideyoshi, Ieyasu)

Lords Babysit their Children when MC is Sick (Nobunaga, Ieyasu, Mitsuhide, Kenshin)

MC Who Doesn't Know What Is Love (Nobunaga, Mitsuhide, Kenshin, Shingen)

MC Taking Care of Warlords who is Sick / Injured (Masamune, Kenshin, Shingen)

MC in Sexy Nurse Costume (Ieyasu, Mitsuhide, Masamune, Kenshin, Sasuke)

MC that LOVES Sweets (Masamune, Kenshin, Shingen, Yukimura)

Jealous Reactions to Sasuke x MC Closeness (Nobunaga, Yukimura, Kenshin)

Too Innocent It’s Dangerous (Nobunaga, Mitsuhide, Shingen)

KPOP Idol MC (Shingen, Masamune, Ieyasu, Kenshin, Sasuke)

MC that Can Sing Beautifully & Play Instrument (Mitsuhide, Kenshin, Shingen)

Monkey See Monkey Do (Hideyoshi, Nobunaga, Masamune)

Missed Her Birthday (Hideyoshi & Shingen)

His Favorite Character Come to Life (Nobunaga, Masamune, Ieyasu & Sasuke)

Chubby Cheeks (Nobunaga, Mitsuhide, Ieyasu, Kenshin & Yukimura)

HIS / HER REACTIONS (FOR ANY SCENES)

MC Sings Never Enough

Tear Here Label

Hungry In the Middle of the Night

Do You Know That You Look Like My First Husband?

His reaction when she kissed on..

MC + Virgin Killer Sweater

Hug w/o *beep*

Argument

Got Flirted at the Beach

I Want My Waifu

It Comes From Her First

Post-*beep*

Spill

Flipping His Towel

NSFW/SMUT

Even The Strong Ones Could be Swayed Easily (Shingen x MC x Mitsuhide)

She Was Doing an Excellent Job (Masamune x MC x Mitsuhide)

Fair Fill (Nobunaga x MC x Kenshin)

My Pure Wife (Mitsuhide x MC)

Kamasutra (Hideyoshi, Masamune, Ieyasu, Kenshin, Yukimura, Sasuke)

What If... (All)

Mark on that Disguise (Shingen x MC)

New Door...? (Masamune x MC)

Black Widow (Mitsuhide x MC)

Are You That Desperate (Sasuke x MC)

It Was Mutual After all (Ieyasu x MC)

I Don’t Know Myself, Idiot! (Masamune x MC)

What I Like About This (Kennyo x MC)

Chatelaine’s Job is Special Indeed (Nobunaga x MC x Ieyasu)

Pushing you for Good (Mitsuhide x MC)

Perverted and Michievous (Hideyoshi x MC)

Secret Lover (Nobunaga x MC)

To Confess Once Again (Masamune x MC)

Pretend Game (Kenshin x MC)

Never Enough (Shingen x MC)

Their Dirty Thoughts (All x MC)

It’s My Turn (Kenshin x MC)

INCORRECT QUOTES / SHORT CHATS - ALL LORDS (Or Mix of Both)

Sasuke's Class on Verbs

Mitsunari as Teacher Part 2

Mitsunari as Teacher Part 1

Misused Position

Weird Victims

Kindergarten

Every. Lords. Ever

Lords as Cinderella

Beach Part 2

MC Sneezes

INCORRECT QUOTES / SHORT CHATS - AZUCHI

That Usual Duo

Sarcasm at its Best

If They Are Real Siblings

Something in My Eyes

Nightmare

Jungle Trekking

Misunderstood

Hot? I’m Hotter

Ieyasu and His Word of Condolences

How Could Chu

Mosquito Marks

Ieyasu as Modern AU Doctor

Try to Sleep

Mitsunari Papa

Contact Lenses

Beach

Small but Big

Play

Attacked

Where to Eat?

If Only...

Dinner

Ieyasu to Mitsunari, Fantasy vs Reality

Pik Pok Pik Pok (Ieyasu)

Picnic

Road Trip

Sad Face All The Way (Hideyoshi)

Porcupine Nagging Fail (Ieyasu)

Make Him Blush

Where to Sit (Ieyasu & Mitsunari)

Modern AU Doc (Hideyoshi & Mitsunari)

Salgry (Ieyasu)

Azuchi Castle in Summer

Hideyoshi as English Teacher

Don’t Stop (Hideyoshi & Mitsuhide)

Lords and Direction

If Mitsuhide and Ieyasu Combined

Camping

Thanks to the Rice

Pinch of Salt

For The Last Time, I’m NOT A Mom (Hideyoshi)

Beach Part 1

Oppa, I Love You (Masamune)

If Ieyasu is a Kitty (Mitsunari & Ieyasu)

If Mitsuhide and Hideyoshi Combined

Lack of Sugar (Ieyasu & Mitsunari)

Lost Memories (Ieyasu & Mitsunari)

Tripped and Fall, Positively (Ieyasu & Mitsunari)

Post-It Stickers (Ieyasu)

Listen Here You Lil’ Shit (Ieyasu & Mitsunari)

Your D is Big (Mitsuhide)

INCORRECT QUOTES / SHORT CHATS - KASUGAYAMA

Stalking Failed

Bad with Joke

His Ace

Pregnant with Food

Promotion

The Differences

Wild Pokemon

Ba dum tss 2

Here We Go Again

Wake Up Call

Calculation Time of Argument

Ba dum tss 1

Distracted While Cleaning

Shingen as Modern AU Doctor

Shalalala Shingen Fantasy World

Yearly Cleaning

My Jaw Hurts

Deal (Shingen & Yukimura)

Prettyful (Shingen & Kenshin)

Don’t Fall In Love (Sasuke)

Angels Without Wings

Sour Plum (Kenshin)

Code Number

Equation Love (Sasuke & Yukimura)

Echigo Castle in Autumn

Echigo Castle in Spring

Echigo Castle in Winter

Echigo Castle in Summer

My Chest Hurts Lately (Shingen)

Soaaaringgg Flyingggg (Sasuke)

DRABBLES

Carrying Positions (All Lords)

Notice Me, My Lord (Mitsuhide and Kenshin)

Yukimura and MC Who’s Afraid of the Dark

Insignificant (Any Lords x MC)

ONE SHOTS

MC with Traumatic Past (Ieyasu)

I Will Still Choose You (Mitsuhide x MC)

Kiss Kiss (Mitsuhide x MC)

His Everything (Masamune x MC)

[bandaged-writer]

gasoline 02 || dazai

➤ Pairing: Mafia! Dazai x Ability User! Reader

➤ Genre: action, fluff, angst, eventual smut, gore, violence

➤ Warnings: nightmare-ish scenes, minor character death, murder, blood/gore, near death experience

➤ Summary: “How the hell am I supposed to trust the words of a mafioso?” At that, Dazai chuckled. “I don’t lie about these things.”

➤ Word count: 6.1k

➤ Note: this is unedited and not proof-read, we die like men. also, feedback is highly appreciated u.u

➤ previous || next

Pure laughter bounced off the sterile tiles that stretched themselves throughout the entirety of the hospital, the light made beating down on the white tiles and making it seem like they glared at anyone who was daring enough to walk down the hallways of this very building. Naked feet padded along the freshly wiped floor, greeting were thrown from left to right by the two children running around. Numbers instead of a name tag were attached to the hospital robe the two wore.

Nurses, doctors and patients swore that this duo brought some vitality into this heavy place, added some sunshine to a dark job which fought for others‘ life and often lost the battle. These children were more than welcome.

“You’ve got to hurry up [Name] or the nurses won’t have any candy left,“ a girl with short, pitch black hair and grey – almost white – eyes pouted as you struggled to keep up with her pace. The number #2692 was attached to her gown, written in bold numbers. You coughed into your elbow and put your palms on your knees, body slightly bent over as you caught your breath. Two weeks ago, your mother had dragged you to the doctor due to fever, heavy coughing and finding it difficult to breathe; the diagnosis was pneumonia and so, your mother had insisted on transferring you to a hospital. “Sorry, Fuyuko,“ a grin was flashed said girl’s way, her own lips twitching upwards. “You know I’m just starting to recover.“ #7843 was attached to your hospital gown which you had grown to dislike. It was a sad, plain white just like everything else in this place.

Luckily, the nurses were kind and developed a soft spot for Fuyuko and you, always sneaking some candy or leftover dessert from the caféteria. Children weren’t allowed to eat sweets. Sugar would make the dosis of antibiotics useless, the doctors said, but it sounded very sketchy to you. After all, dad also ate gummy bears whenever he got sick, so how true was this statement? How much could you trust them? Maybe, you shouldn’t even think about it.

Dressed in a blue uniform, the nurse handed Fyuko a bag of chips and two small packs of gummy bears. “This will remain our secret, though, okay?,“ she spoke in a hushed voice, her eyes attentive to her surroundings in case a doctor was to come around the corner. The two of you nodded in unison, eyes sparkling with gratitude and the innocence only a child had. “Thank you so much!“

After the small excursion to the nurse, you found yourself sitting on the rooftop of the hospital. The smell of green grass and blooming flowers greeted you, birds tweeted among themselves, singing melodies only mother nature would understand like a language. Bees flew through the air, sun rays caressed your cold cheeks and warmed you up from within your core. Spring was a beautiful season and perhaps your favorite one.

After a long, dead winter, Flora and Fauna came back to life.

Ripping open the bag of chips, Fuyuko sat down on the ground with a dull thud reaching your ears and you followed her example. She gave you a handful of the salty treat, the sound of chips crunching filling your skull which made you wonder why the sound of chewing was so much louder than everything around you. You would have to ask dad about it once you were home again; you didn’t like asking mom for she had..what did people call it, again? A hot temper? Yeah, that was it.

“You know, you never told me what you want to be when you grow up,“ Fuyuko said after wiping some salt off her lips and putting her index finger to her chin in thought. Grey orbs observed your curious gaze, trying to figure out what your dream could be, what would suit you. “Hmm..maybe a vet? Or an actress? Wait no!“ The girl was only taking random guesses without putting any effort into it. “A singer!,“ she exclaimed excitedly and clapped her hands together before she invaded your personal bubble, the tip of her nose almost poking yours. You merely snorted at that and put your hands behind your back, leaning your weight back. “That’s ridiculous, Fuyuko. Besides, you never told me what you want to be, either.“

Suddenly, heat rose to the ravenette’s cheek and tinted her pale skin in a light hue of red like fine dust. Eyes fell to the ground in an almost shy manner, Fuyuko’s entire aura almost seemed scared of what you might say to her answer. After all, she was aiming for a big goal. “Well..I want to become the best surgeon in the world. Even better than my dad.“ A grin adorned Fuyuko’s small face as she shared her vision of a hopefully bright and rosy future before her finger poked you right below your collarbone and above your chest, eyes demanding an answer from you now.

Craning your head back, you gazed up at the snow white clouds passing by above you, hoping that they’d write the answer down for you or send you a sign, a clue, no matter how small it was. You couldn’t remember if you ever had a dream job for the future, nothing had ever piqued your interest nor had you ever been exposed to any job. Dad was always at the office from dusk to dawn, making sure that all the bills could get paid while your mother was at home, taking care of you. You had no idea what your mother worked as, you were scared of asking.

“I think it’s my wish to be happy and loved.“

As soon as your wish was spoken, the world got visibly and audibly distorted. Your surroundings were spinning, rain was poured from the clouds above you and somewhere close by, a thunderstorm was making its way towards your current location. Incoherent words bore into your ears and settled down in your brain, making you clutch your ears and curl in on yourself.

“You need to run.“ It was your father’s begging voice.

“Everything is your fault!“ Your mother’s voice, shouting at you as always.

“You were never loved.“ Was this Dr. Ito? Fuyuko’s dad? You couldn’t tell anymore.

“It would’ve been better if you didn’t exist.“ You didn’t recognize this voice.

You woke up in a cold sweat, hairline drenched and several strands of your locks clinging to your skin. Silent tears ran down your cheeks, your shirt stuck to you like a second skin and your heart felt like it was trying to flee from within your ribcage. Slowly but surely, you took in your surroundings one by one and found comfort in reality.

Sunlight began sliding its way into your room, the clock read six am and nothing was out of the ordinary. Pictures still decorated your walls, the desk remained being a mess from past assignments and the curtains were played with by the wind – you had probably forgotten to properly close the window before you had gone to sleep. Finding tranquility within your own four walls, your heart slowly calmed down and you finally took notice of Yukino’s hand on your shoulder, worry being laced into her delicate face.

“Are you okay? I heard you crying in your sleep,“ the familiarity of her voice made you realize that you had been stuck in a nightmare in the form of a ghost of the past. Never had you ever dreamed about your childhood, never had it ever been that haunting, never had any nightmare made you cry. Perhaps, this was a bad omen – the flowers, yesterday’s confrontation and today’s nightmare. All of these events were too odd, too out of place to be considered unfortunate inconveniences; they were the opposite of serendipity - a zemblanity. „Yeah, I’m good,“ you replied, gaze obviously still shaken and maybe even detached as you worked through the possible meaning of the disaster life presented you on a silver platter like a dessert. „It was just a nightmare.“

Flickering lights, faces of people and the rich green of the trees blurred into one unstable image as your body relaxed into the passenger seat of Yukino’s car. The radio song on the radio, Eight by IU, unfortunately became nothing but buzzing noise in your mind as you still dwelled on the nightmare. A shame really, considering you really liked the song and it was the perfect melody to describe the weather: pleasantly warm with a bit of wind.

Why were you so hung up over a mere nightmare? After all, people dreamed about weird things all the time, some dreams were ridiculous and seemingly held no meaning. Dreams were nothing but a brain’s way to process the events in one’s life - may it be their past or the present. There should be no deeper meaning, and yet, you involuntarily got stuck in a vicious cycle of thoughts upon thoughts which desired to twist your day into a negative one.

“Hey, [Name], we’re here,” Yukino snapped her fingers in front of your face and brought you back to reality within a few moments. A cute pout decorated her face, her dark eyes glowing in the light as she seemed to read your mind. You really couldn’t hide anything from her, could you? “Ah, right, the job interview,” checking your appearance in the rearview mirror, you fixed some wild strands of hair and made sure to look as professional as you could. It was an important job interview which would allow you to finally earn proper money and assist Yukino in paying the bills like you had promised just before you had studied abroad.

Yukino took your hands in hers and a smile graced her face as she looked you straight into the eyes. Maybe this was what sincerity looked like: when one’s eyes were clearer than the ocean with no hidden motives buried beneath pitch black pupils. “Look, I know that your nightmare shook you, but you can’t let it hinder you from bagging this job, got it?” It sounded like she was scolding you much like a mother would when her child had one too many cookies and refused dinner as a result. Cute but to be taken seriously. “You’re more than qualified for this job and deserve it more than anyone else. There’s no way you could possibly fail this,” Yukino’s words were soft and full of trust in your own abilities, a kind of trust you unfortunately didn’t have in yourself. 

“You really always know what to say, don’t you?,” you chuckled to yourself, got out of Yukino’s car and dusted off your jeans, freeing the material of any pollen that might’ve gotten stuck. Receiving her grin as a reassuring reply, your feet confidently carried you to the marketing agency which wanted to desperately hire you.

The interior of the agency was oddly comfortable. Walls were painted in warm tones varying from beige to dark brown, plants decorated the space and gave the entire surroundings the feeling of a huge living room. White and wooden-colored furniture gifted the surroundings a finishing and modern touch.

“Ah, you must be [Name], right?” The lady was probably in her 30s, black hair tied into a neat ponytail and her face covered in light makeup. Her delicate hand reached out to shake yours in a happy greeting, her reddish lips pulled into a professional yet real smile. One could tell she was a genuine person. “Please, follow me.”

And so, you found herself in her bright office, seated in a comfortable, plush chair while the kind lady looked through your resumé another time, her head nodding one or two times. “Miss, your grades are quite impressive and you majored in business, too, I see. This is very good,” at her praise, a nearly sheepish smile graced your features. Truth be told, you hadn’t often received praise since your mother had disappeared when you were 8 and your father died a few years ago due to a car accident. Yukino was the only source of praise and validation. “Thank you so much, miss,” you bowed your head lightly, still smiling. Your life was finally going right.

“May I ask why you decided to study abroad instead of staying here in Yokohama? There are lots of good universities here,” her tone was in no way intrusive, but rather curious - maybe even on a personal level. “Ah, my dad believed the number 20 came along with a bad omen and advised me to discover something new,” there was no way you could tell her the entire truth about a mafia-ish deal, the flowers and the things you had seen the day before. You doubted she would believe you - such things only ever happened in movies, after all. She laughed at that, a pleasant sound, you noticed. “Elders do tend to hold on to such belfies, don’t they? I understand that very well.” The lady put your resumé aside, kind eyes looking at you with joy sparkling in them. You didn’t expect such a kind person to interview you.

“I’m looking forward to working with you, [Name].”

With one less worry weighing on your shoulders, you thanked the lady for her time, assured her you’d work hard and left her office with a proud grin stretching your lips and a confident, happy swing in your hips.

Funny, what such a little, positive event could trigger within a person. It could turn one’s entire day upside-down for the better or worse, but lady luck seemed to be with you today. What a good feeling it was to feel your heart beat as light as a feather.

Yukino was seated on the hood of her car, her sparkling gaze fixated on the entrance of the agency and anxiously waiting for you to come back. She was probably more excited and more optimistic than you could ever be, but that was why she meant so much to you - compared to you, she was like a mitochondria: an entire power house. “You made it, didn’t you?!” The fair-haired woman came running into your arms and greeted you in a tight hug as if you had been gone for years. Happiness radiated off of her like the sun emitted its rays. “Of course, I did!” 

Ushering you into the comfy passenger seat of the car, Yukino suggested a small celebration for your successful interview and that you were finally back home where you belonged. 

“After a year, one might think you would’ve overcome your love for chocolate ice-cream,” stuffing a spoonful of vanilla ice-cream into her mouth, Yukino glared at the icy treat in front of you which was decorated with some strawberries and cherries. Delicious for everyone else but the woman sitting opposite of you. “Hah?! And what about your obsession with vanilla ice-cream? You never change, do you?,” accusingly, you pointed your spoon at Yukino who rolled her eyes in surrender and let out a huff of air. Unfair how you knew your roommate better than the back of your own hand. “Tsk, you win this round. But only because I’m letting you,” Yukino teased with a smirk on her lips and giggling as you gave her a thorough are-you-serious-look. “Whatever makes you sleep at night.”

From that point on, the conversation varied widely but still found its focus on your year spent abroad. After all, you had gotten home late the night before and Yukino didn’t want to bombard you with questions when you’d been obviously tired. Questions about the language and food seemed to pique Yukino’s interest the most as well as the educational system which she didn’t really understand. Well, it didn’t matter anyway. Yukino had long since graduated and didn’t have to understand foreign school systems.

“Okay that sounds nice and all, but did you meet anyone special?”

Gulping down a fair amount of your ice-cream, you nonchalantly shook your head at your friend’s question. It was a waste of time, would hinder your career, you had always said, but maybe, the reason why you never brought anyone home went deeper than that, “you know I’m not interested.” A bowl of finished ice-cream stood in front of Yukino, strong arms crossed over her chest. Pleased looked different. “Jeez, you’re so boring. I bet there are lots of people willing to date you if you give them the chance.” Dating had never been a high priority in your life; with the entire anxiety about your dad’s deal going on, you didn’t want anyone to get dragged into the mess which was your family. It was too much for someone ordinary, you reasoned or maybe it was a lame excuse.

“Anyways,” you bit into a juicy strawberry and let the sweet taste flood your strawberries. Whoever invented fruits deserved to be kissed. “What did you do to the flowers last year?,” it was innocent curiosity since you had never received or saw a bouquet of orange lilies for your 20th birthday. By the time that day came around, you were already abroad, studying and looking for a job in Yokohama for the day you’d finally return. “I gave them back to a bandaged man. He was very kind,” Yukino recalled the memory of a male brunette, very handsome and charming. “I think he’d totally be your type!”

There was only one bandaged man walking the earth of Yokohama and his name was Dazai Osamu who possessed the annoying ability to nullify any other gift - no matter how powerful it was. Everyone would be rendered to a mere human being in front of him.

Your lips were pulled into a straight line. “No, thanks.”

“Ahh, you’re really no fun, [Name]!,” Yukino whined and craned her head back in defeat.

The rest of the day was spent strolling throughout Yokohama and catching up with one another, a bit of teasing and bickering as always. It felt so normal to be back that it was akin to never having left in the first place and maybe, in a way, you felt guilty for leaving Yukino on her own. Yes, she was a grown woman who could stand her ground, but you could still remember how happy she was when you moved in with her and how sad she was when you announced your department for the duration of an entire year. 

Yukino completed you and you completed Yukino.

“You know, you kind of remind me of my grandma’s wrinkly face with that face mask on,” Yukino snickered with the toothbrush in her mouth and some saliva mixed with toothpaste dribbling down her chin. She swore her relative was like a replica of you; according to Yukino, the two of you shared the same height, same hair color and the habit of Being Done with her. Knocking your hip into Yukino’s to scold her, your eyes narrowed ever so slightly as you spoke the next words with a straight face, “I bet I could beat you with a slipper just as well as your granny can, too.”

She spat the remaining toothpaste into the sink, put the toothbrush aside and flicked your mask-covered forehead which earned Yukino a rare pout of yours. She thought it was cute, though. ��Aaand that’s why you’re single.”

Internally, you wondered why Yukino was so adamant about you finding a partner. Her bugging was like a mosquito haunting you at night, pestering you whenever you laid back down and flew right by your ear. She had never been too interested in your love life, but maybe her sudden interest arose from the fact that you’d been away for quite some time. Whatever it was, you were sure it’d disappear like smoke in no time.

“You really need some sleep. Maybe then you’ll stop annoying me,” taking the face mask off and tossing the remains into the trash can next to the sink, you basked in the way your skin glowed underneath the pleasant lighting the lightbulb provided. Maybe you should date yourself, you silently thought to yourself. “Well, you definitely do need your beauty sleep or else your face will always remain that wrinkly.”

Why were you befriended with her? You forgot.

The full moon illuminated the dark hallway and offered Dazai enough light to see his surroundings clearly, although he probably knew his way around the mafia’s headquarters, knowing the layout like the back of his hand. Soles of leathered shoes remained silent with every step the brunette took, his black coat offering him some warmth which this entire place severely lacked.

He had just come back from analyzing anomalies happening throughout Yokohama; despite summer reaching slowly reaching its peak, snow had been spotted. Witnesses talked about the temperature suddenly dropping to the point they had to turn on their heater, but apparently the cold never stayed for long. After a maximum of half an hour, temperatures would rise again to their original 30 degree celsius. This certainly wasn’t a funny trick by the weather nor caused by global warming. Although Dazai didn’t know who it was, he was absolutely sure that this was the doing of an unknown ability user.

Was this the story Mori told him about when he was around eight years old?

Before Dazai could continue his train of thought, he pushed the doors to Mori’s office open and was greeted by the mafia’s boss. “I’m glad you could make it this fast, Dazai,” Mori’s lips were pulled into a smile which Dazai could find no trust in. This entire man should never be trusted for no one knew anything about his true intentions; it even took Dazai quite a time of thinking to figure out one of Mori’s schemes. “I was about to try out a new suicide method, too..,” the brunette trailed off like he was saddened by Mori hindering from dying during this sweet, humid night.

Mori got up from his chair, hands folded behind his back and lilac eyes gazing upon the city which the mafia looked over during nights such as this particular one. Neo signs flickered in the distance, traffic lights were still active while cars roamed the streets, making it seem like this town never slept. “I need you to pick someone up by the pier,” always so vague.

Brown eyes were empty as they took in Mori’s posture and form; it seemed like he was looking forward to something if the slight smile and the shimmer in Mori’s eyes were anything to go by. “And who exactly might that be?” Usually, simple tasks like these were done by lower-ranking people like Dazai’s friend Odasaku. Maybe said person was dangerous? Or posed a threat to the mafia? In the end, one couldn’t refuse the boss’s order. “I’m sure you remember our lovely encounter with [Name]. She’ll need the help.”

“Why though? Just yesterday, you basically let her off the hook. It’s unusual for you to be so interested in someone,” Dazai was still analyzing Mori’s motive, but maybe it was a better decision to wait for the tale to unfold and then piece it together bit by bit. The suicidal brunette was smart, but not all-knowing. “I’m just bringing some things into motion,” Mori smiled at the younger man before his gaze fell back upon the city, his fingertips slightly pressed up against the huge window as his mind was calculating possible outcomes for the scenario he had created. “Besides..only fire can break ice.”

Orders were orders and so, Dazai leaves the office of his superior without another word. One thing was clear: Mori needed you to get rid of the ice ability user who was responsible for the anomalies, but the unknown variable was how Mori would convince you to join sides with the mafia. Knowing the boss for the majority of his life, Dazai knew that it’d be something to break you with.

How cruel the man was. Towards such a charming lady, as well.

It didn’t take long for Dazai to find a spot along the pier, his eyes gazing at the moon which was reflected onto the surface of the water. His body leaned against the wall of an abandoned warehouse and he couldn’t help but wonder if it just got a bit colder.

Naked feet padded along the wooden floor, your throat was dry and eyes heavy with sleep as you dragged your body to the kitchen like a sack of rice. No, this time you didn’t wake up thanks to a nightmare, but because you felt like you were dying of thirst and the usually full bottle of water by your bed was empty. You had no choice but to leave the comfortable, warm sheets and go out into the dark unknown aka your kitchen.

“The hell..?,” you mumbled and rubbed some sleep from your eyes as you stepped into something wet and..sticky. Maybe it was water? Did Yukino spill it? No, water didn’t stick to your feet like glue and definitely didn’t smell so overwhelmingly disgusting. Letting your gaze drop, your eyes suddenly widened in horror and you clasped a hand over your mouth in shock.

You stood in a puddle of blood and it came from Yukino’s room.

Suddenly, you were wide awake. “Yukino?!,” you yelled and burst through her door. What greeted you looked like a bloodbath in the form of your best friend who was gasping for air, her dark eyes shimmering with fear and pleading you for something that you couldn’t read. Your mind was too clouded with panic to figure out anything.

You dropped to your knees and ignored the painful crack that followed the hard impact, gathering Yukino up into your arms. Her throat had been sliced, the cut was too deep to cauterize it with your ability and then call an ambulance. Besides, the loss of blood was already immense, the red fluid being easily soaked up by your clothes and staining your skin. Yukino’s body was freezing cold, your body almost instinctively dropped her but your heart refused to obey.

“[Name], please, run,” her breathing was heavy and her chest rose and fell irregularly as her lungs craved the air. She coughed up blood, vision getting slowly blurry as her eyes found crying ones. “Shut up, it’s not your time to die!,” you raised your voice through the tears, put your hand on Yukino’s sliced throat and attempted to cauterize the wound, but the bleeding was too strong and destroyed the small crust that was created. Gently, Yukino placed her cold hand on your heated one and removed the bloody limp from the wound, her dark eyes holding contact with you. “Listen, this person will get you, too,” it got hard to speak. “So please, run and live, [Name].”

Hot tears dropped on Yukino’s face as you took her words in and held her close to your body as if it could somehow save her. “Don’t leave me, Yukino,” your voice was smaller than a mouse, barely above your whisper and more fragile than the thinnest glass. The only good thing you ever had in your life was being taken away from you, slipped through your fingers like water. “I’m sorry I have to leave so early,” Yukino spoke softly and although it was an obvious struggle for her, she smiled up at you and brought a bloody hand to your face.

“I promised to always be by your side. Now I’ll have to watch you from afar,” this wasn’t a mere promise but an honest vow you knew she would never break. Not even at the brink of death did Yukino think of herself or showed fear. Instead, she seemed to come to terms with her fate.

“Please, smile for me, [Name]. It’d be nice if your smile was the last thing I’d get to see.”

Hastily, you wiped the tears away and smiled as your heart shattered in your chest. Tears kept coming and moistened the collar of your shirt, stuck to your cheeks and some even dried on Yukino’s bloodied cheeks. You could feel your best friend’s heartbeat gradually slow down, her eyes fluttered shut as soon as you granted her the last wish.

Heavy sobs tore through your throat, shaky hands hugged Yukino’s head to your chest, your mind refused the harsh reality. “I’m sorry,” you said, gently rocking your body back and forth and repeating the phrase like a broken record which didn’t know any other words.

You’d been sitting in your friend’s blood for minutes and apologizing over and over again until something icy whizzed past you, cutting through the skin of your cheek and drawing blood. A gasp slipped your mouth and you turned around and spotted a masked, hooded person standing outside, a dagger made of ice and drenched in Yukino’s blood in their hand.

Everything happened way too fast. The unknown person came dashing through the opened window, grabbed you by the throat and tossed your body into a tree, effectively knocking the air out of your lungs and making splinters dig into your back. “Why did you do this?!,” you screamed at the stranger in front of you but it was the same as talking to a wall: you got no reply. The person opened their palm, ice bullets appearing out of nowhere and it dawned on you that Yukino’s words were true. You were this monster’s next target and probably their main objective for a reason you could only hope to figure out. Several of these bullets sped towards you, but you managed to melt them with a controlled wall of fire building up in front of you.

There was no way you could fight this person in this area. Houses filled with families surrounded you and at this rate, the neighborhood would either be frozen or burned down along with the people. In a panic, your mind decided to let you run towards the pier which wasn’t too far away but would certainly let you fight against whoever was behind that mask. 

Sticks and stones hurt the soles of your feet or banged against your ankles painfully, the lack of air you could inhale hurt your lungs and not to mention the emotional pain of Yukino’s death. Everything hurt you and all you wanted was to break down and cry, but this wasn’t an option when your own life was on the line. 

Somehow, you managed to dodge several attacks and you silently thanked whatever deity was watching over you for letting you reach the pier.

Abruptly you came to a stop, sand squeezing itself between your toes and your skin dyeing the sand in a hue of red. Your eyes scanned the area for a hooded figure lurking within the shadow, but found nothing but ordinary trees, bushes and an owl catching a mouse. Just before you could lull yourself into a false sense of safety, a sharp pain penetrated your abdominal area and cold flooded your veins instantly. “You little..,” the person was faster than you anticipated; the stranger had shown up out of nowhere and only waited for you to make a mistake so they could stab you with a knife made of ice which disappeared into tiny snowflakes.

Silent as always, the unknown person pushed you into the river and left you to drown.

The pain coursing through every fiber of your being was overwhelming, but the wound wasn’t as deep as it might seem, despite the blood loss you experienced. You pressed your hand into the stab wound and let the limb heat up until the heat stopped the bleeding; this was only a temporary solution and would not last very long, however.

The current of the river was strong and pulled you along or even pushed you down several times, making your attempt at getting air seem futile which it was. You were so close to reaching the surface, so close to finally breathe again until your palm hit a thick layer of ice which you couldn’t punch or cut through. It was a truly futile attempt.

Crap, you mentally cursed your luck and the stranger for having thought so far ahead, though it shouldn’t come as a surprise. The predator should always be one step ahead of their prey, after all. Your fist collided with the ice a few times, the lack of air slowly got to you and forcing you inhale nothing but the salty water surrounding you - you had no chance but to hurry up.

It took you several moments to heat up a majority of your body thanks to the much colder water, but soon, the liqiuid began bubbling around you and the layer of ice began cracking. Just a bit more. You pushed your palms flat against the ice and let the limbs catch fire to finally push through the ice which had nearly buried you.

At once, the ice shattered and found its way back into the warm water as snowflakes. 

Exhausted and injured, you dragged your body to the nearest shore where you coughed up a curious mix of water and blood, your wound reopened at the force. You pressed both of your hands to your injury, dried lips parting ever so slightly as you began panting out of pain. The sound of rustling clothes drew your attention and you expected that stranger to show up once again, but instead, you caught sight of a black coat being thrown your way and a pair of shoes.

“Looks like someone did quite the number on you,” Dazai had his arms crossed over his chest as he took in your ruined form. Blood drenched you from head to toe, some water was probably still stuck in your lungs and not to mention that you almost drowned underneath that blanket of ice. “Shut up,” you snap at the brunette and immediately paid the price. Blood pooled in the back of your throat and snuck its way out with the help of an ugly cough. The taste made you cringe, pain made you curl in on yourself.

“You know you could get this treated if you joined the mafia,” Dazai spoke matter of factly and caught the menacing glare of yours before your eyes could fully develop it. You didn’t even have the time to protest. “It seems like we’re both looking for the same person now. Unless you really don’t want to and would rather die,” you honestly weighed your options, mind swaying between a tempting offer and the want to escape this very real nightmare. Helplessness and despair quickly grew where your heart shattered, making a perfect ground for anger to grow in - not towards the brunette in front of you, but towards yourself for being so weak.

You reach for the coat in front of you and tightly tie the article of clothing around your waist to slow down the bleeding, letting Dazai help you up to your feet. One bandaged arm was wrapped around your waist to keep you steady, his free hand pulled your arm across his shoulder. Dazai was warm, you noticed and unconsciously leaned into the man.

“I can’t understand how your beauty almost managed to die unlike me!,” the man whined and a pout found home on his lips. Dazai couldn’t understand how he always managed to fail, yet someone who did not wish for death, and was very beautiful, almost gained that sweet kiss of death he’d been chasing for so long. “What are you? A suicidal dumbass?,” you smirked as Dazai feigned overdramatic hurt over your comment. He was almost..comedic. “I can’t believe a lovely lady came for my neck like that! Unbelievable how such tender lips can spit such venom right into my poor heart!”

As the apparently suicidal man continued his rambling, you couldn’t help but notice how incredibly convenient his appearance was. Your mind quickly came to the conclusion that it was his doing. “Why the hell are you exactly here?,” you questioned sharply, your voice left no room for any playfulness or jokes. It didn’t surprise you when Dazai dropped the theatrical facade of his and switched to a more serious persona within the blink of an eye. He was serious, yet his face looked genuine.

“I know you must think that I planned the death of your friend, but I assure you I was only told to show up at a certain place to save a certain, stunning lady.”

Nevermind, he wasn’t serious.

“How the hell am I supposed to trust the words of a mafioso?”

At that, Dazai chuckled.

“I don’t lie about these things.”

You wonder how much you could trust him and decided to be wary, instead.

[darkdevasofdestruction]

Rose Pink- Giorno Giovanna

Snow White x Vento Aureo 

Cast:

Rose Gold - Reader Prince Charming - Giorno Giovanna Evil Queen - Diavolo Magic Mirror - Doppio Huntsman - Tiziano & Squalo  7 Dwarves - La Squadra Esecuzioni

Once upon a time...

There lived a lovely little Princess named Y/N, although, everyone called her Rose Pink.  Her vain and wicked Father, the King Crimson, Passione’s Mafia Boss, feared that some day, Y/N’s existence will help unveil his own identity to the enemy, and thus, dethrone him from the Don position, which would be less than optimal. So, he dressed his little Princess in rags and forced her to wear a Venetian mask at all times, despite not being allowed to leave the Mansion.

Each day, the delirious Godfather consulted the only person he trusted in this life, his other personality, Doppio, while looking in the Mirror and seeing the face of an innocent boy that resembled his own self.

“Doppio, my dear, sweet Doppio, Who is the most powerful and fit ruler for Passione?”

...and as long as Doppio answered “You are the most powerful one of all”, Rose Pink was safe from the Don’s cruel ruthlessness.

---

And thus, begins our story, once again, on a beautiful day of Spring in the city of Napoli, when Diavolo made his way to the Mirror in his room, scrunching the photograph of himself and his wife, when Rose Pink was still a mere babe, and they were all happy...Yet those times were long gone, for his wife had been murdered just a week after that picture was taken, by none others than the notorious La Squadra Esecuzioni...His very own Hitman Gang that betrayed him and Passione.

Only because that greedy Risotto Nero thought himself fit to be the Godfather! But oh, how ridiculous, for the Mirror NEVER saw him as a great competitor for the role.

“Slave in the Magic Mirror, come from the farthest space. Through wind and darkness, I summon thee. Speak! Let me see thy face!” Diavolo glared at the mirror in front of him with absolute hatred. “What wouldst thou know, my Boss?” the face of the innocent, pink haired boy appeared, his golden eyes wide, like a baby fawn that lost his mother. “Doppio, my dear, sweet Doppio...Who is the most powerful and fit ruler for Passione?” the Don asked in a condescending voice. “Famed is thy power, my Boss, but hold, there is a lovely young lad, I see. The new recruit of another gang, who will discover thy identity, through a little maiden. Rags nor masks can hide her gentle grace, and alas, she will fall in love with him.” Doppio spoke in a worried, almost afraid, voice. “Alas for her and him! Reveal her name, and I shall get rid of her before this stupid little lad will be able to lay his eyes upon her.” he sneered in disgust. “Lips red as rubies, hair as pink as the roses, skin white as snow.” was the only thing Doppio said, but the description was enough for Diavolo to realise who was his demise. “Rose Pink!” he gasped in rage.

That is when he knew he had to act as fast as possible...But what could he do? He couldn’t possibly kill his own daughter with his bare hands...What would his late wife think of that? He would curse him from the grave, and he couldn’t have that.

Oh, but he knew just what to do...Just the right people for the task...

---

Meanwhile, in the Mansion’s garden, there was a little young maiden, whose hair was put up in a messy wet pretty updo, so the cascade of roses wouldn’t get in the way of her cleaning.

She sat on the stairs of the well, scrubbing them with a brush, carefully, so she wouldn’t miss any spot of dirt, while a dozen of doves as white as snowdrops chirped around her graciously.

Y/N was humming beautifully, before getting up, sighing, and moving to the well to clean it up, and tend to the flowers that kept growing on it.

She missed having someone to chat with, since the only people she sometimes had around were Tiziano and Squalo, but even they couldn’t stand around too long for a proper conversation, so she had only animals to turn to for any pleasant company.

The girl took the rope in her hands and pulled on it, raising the bucket of water, putting it on the edge, before sitting on it as well, looking at the doves around her with a sneaky look.

“Want to know a secret?” she asked the doves, in a sweet, bright voice. “Promise not to tell?” she asked again, making the birds nod, as if they could understand what she was saying.

“We are standing by a wishing well Make a wish into the well That's all you have to do And if you hear it echoing Your wish will soon come true“

Her thrills were heard throughout the garden, in a voice as beautiful as the perfume of the Spring flowers, that would get you drunk from their sweetness.

“I’m wishing-” she began, putting her hand to her ear, approaching the well’s hole. “I’m wishing-” the echo came back to her, in a vibrato tune. “For the one I love...To find me-” the girl went on, smiling as soon as she heard her counterpart. “Today.” her voice went lower, almost as if swooning at the thought. “I’m hoping-” she went on, her eyes closing, as if she was making a wish on a shooting star.  “And I’m dreaming of...The nice things...He’ll say.” Y/N sang, resting her back on one of the well’s stone pillars. “I’m wishing...For the one I love...To find me...Today...!” she gazed at the fluffy clouds above, floating up on the azure sky as she was fantasising about flying up there, of being free, just like the beautiful birds that kept her company, and did some thrills, dueting the little doves.

As she was so deeply absorbed in her fantasies, she didn’t realise that someone climbed the fence of her garden, before his velvety voice, like that of an Opera’s Baritone, echoed through the place.

“Today!” this voice made the girl gasp and jump in her own skin, making her snap her gaze and seeing a young man with long blond hair, emerald green eyes and a pink suit, smiling down at her with a gentle smile, right next to her. “Oh, dear...! You shouldn’t be here! I-I’m not wearing my mask today!” Y/N gasped, hiding her face and running up in her room, before tying up her mask and letting her hair down, she shyly went in the balcony, leaning on it to look down at the beautiful boy. ”Oh, I’m sorry, did I frighten you? No, please, don’t run away!” he reached out his hand towards the pink haired girl, before smiling at her timidness. “Now that I’ve found you, hear what I have to say!”  the blond boy did a little bow, looking up at the beautiful maiden that shined like Spring’s Sun.“One song, I have but one song. One song, only for you!”  he sang, walking towards the balcony, as the same white doves surrounded him. One heart Tenderly beating Ever entreating Constant and true One love That has possessed me One love Thrilling me through

The boy continued his song, making the girl blush furiously at the bold and suave declaration of love from the serenading boy who grinned charmingly at the girl, who extended her hand towards one of the little doves and gave it a small kiss, before letting it fly on the boy’s hand, as it gave him a little kiss on the cheek.

“One song...My heart keeps singing...Of one love...Only for you!” he confessed in his singing, as the girl sighed, obviously head over heels for the young boy. “Oh, but you sing so beautifully, my dear prince! I wish only to be able to spend time with you, but my father forbids me from leaving this place. May I know the name of my dear Prince Charming?” Y/N asked, batting her eyes at the boy. “Giorno Giovanna is my name. May I have the honour of knowing your name as well, my sweet Princess?” he asked, before taking his Stand out and took off one of his Ladybug brooches, making a E/C butterfly, to match Rose Pink’s eyes, sending it flapping towards her, standing in her hair. “My name is Y/N, but people nicknamed me Rose Pink, because of my hair.” she smiled shyly, speaking in the same sweet voice as ever. “I’m so glad to find out the name of such an amazing maiden. Fate must have been kind to me, to be allowed to meet you.” Giorno declared, only to have the girl smile sadly at him. “Is it kindness, or is it cruelty, dear Giorno? If I’m not allowed to even touch your face or hold your hand while strolling through the park?” she asked, before snapping her gaze back to her room, from where she heard a knocking on the door, and her name called out. “Oh, I must leave now, I’m so sorry. I wish to see you again, my Sweet Prince.” she blew him a kiss, before rushing inside, letting the boy sigh, completely in love.

---

Little did the 2 lovers that, at that exact moment, the King Crimson was glaring at the little encounter going on in the court and planning his own daughter’s demise.

No little pest, no matter how dear to his heart, would ever be allowed to lead him to his loss of power and of Passione.

Passione was his, and he was the Godfather.

He will ALWAYS be the Godfather.

“Take her far into the forest, I’m sure you’ll find some secluded glade, where she can pick wildflowers. You both know how stupidly captured in her own mind she gets when she sees them.” Diavolo called Tiziano on the phone, trying his best not to destroy the device in his hands. “Yes, Boss.” Tiziano’s voice called emotionlessly from the other room, while Squalo held the phone to his ear. “And there, my faithful Passione members, you will kill her!” the magenta haired man growled darkly. “But, Boss, the little Princess!” Tiziano gasped in shock, completely surprised at his orders. “SILENCE!” Diavolo screamed into the phone, that the duo he hired could hear, even from their room. “You know the penalty if you fail.” he regained his almost composed voice. “Yes...Boss.” Tiziano bit his lip in fright, looking at his partner, whose expression matched his. “But to make doubly sure you do not fail...Bring back her heart in the chest I provided you on the table in the room you’re at right now.” were the last words the Boss spoke ominously, before hanging up.

---

The next day, hearing that Tiziano and Squalo were allowed to take her on a walk through the forest, she dressed in her prettiest dress, fixed her hair in a beautiful hairstyle and at the end, attached the ladybug brooch from her paramour to her outfit, and at the end, tied her mask to her face, admiring herself in the mirror, doing a little twirl, before skipping happily towards the 2 men.

On the way to the forest, she kept giggling and telling them that she met her Prince, how he gave her the brooch as a gift of love, and how he serenaded to her, like Romeo did for Juliet. The poor men looked at each other nervously, clearly not used to being around such a pure and naive little being, their heart hurting at the thought of having to kill her...And more, carve out her heart in such a brutal way.

Her father was a monster, that’s what the 2 would tell each other, through their eyes.

Seeing the girl happily twirling around in the glade, picking up flowers to make a bouquet, singing and humming around the same song that her prince sang to her... The beauty of being in love, manifested in such an innocent way...

And if her love for the boy wasn’t enough to make their hearts swell in agony, seeing her pick up a baby bird so tenderly, doting on it and helping it fly back to its family...

They had to do it fast, before they would get second thoughts.

Honestly, why were THEY sent to do this, and not some heartless fuckers like Cioccolata and Secco who could do this job without blinking or having any regrets?

When the girl turned her back at them, they started approaching her silently, taking out their weapons, obviously not having the heart to kill her with their Stands, but just as they were about to strike, the girl innocently turned around.

Those innocent and naive E/C orbs that shone in happiness like gems, now swam with tears of panic and sorrow, staring at the 2 men, feeling betrayed and confused.

“Tiziano...Squalo...Why...? Did my father tell you to do this...?” she sobbed, as she backed down slowly, before she found herself glued to a rock about her height. “No...Squalo, I can’t do it...I can’t. I’m so sorry, little Princess, I’m sorry. I can’t do this.” Tiziano shed a tear, clenching his heart, before falling to her knees and gripping the hem of the girl’s dress. “I...I don’t understand. What is going on?” she put her hand on his hair, stroking it soothingly. “Your father is mad, he’s paranoid! He’ll stop at nothing to be Passione’s Boss!” Tiziano cried out, leaning so that her delicate hand would rest on his face. “Tiziano...Are you sure this is okay?” Squalo started scanning the surroundings, so nobody could rat on them. “Yes. It’s for the best that we were hired for it, otherwise those 2 fuckers would have really killed her. Rose Pink, you must run! In the woods, in another city, anywhere, it doesn’t matter, just never come back! You’re not safe here!” Tiziano warned, pushing her towards the forest. “Go now, stop looking back at us! Our skins are at stake too! Run and hide, missy! Make sure King Crimson will never find you!” Squalo yelled after her, making sure she was frightened enough to get the hell out of there. “Squalo...Did we make the right decision?” Tiziano bit his lip, looking at his partner. “The right one in our hearts, yes...Let’s just hope we won’t be the ones with our hearts in a chest next.” Squalo nodded, hugging his beloved. “Then, I have no regrets. Let’s go find some whore and get this mission over with.” Tiziano kissed the orange haired man with much passion, as if he was going to disappear the moment he’d open his eyes.

---

Poor, Poor Rose Pink, she was afraid of the darkness and her mind would play tricks of her at every nook and every crack, at every turn and every sound the forest made, everything around her seemed to be against her, like all the spooky ghosts that she saw in Scooby Doo or other Horror movies.

The forest was cruel to her, she thought, and as soon as all feeling left her body, her body collapsed on the hard ground, and she could only cry and cry, for there was nobody going to save her anymore, and she would see her Prince Charming no more.

Her desperation was short lived, thankfully, for all the critters of the forest were brave enough to approach her, but only one little chipmunk had the spunk to nudge her hand with its little wet nose, which made her gasp in fright, bolting up in a sitting position, only to see tens and tens of little glowy eyes hiding away from her, which is when she realised she was in no immediate danger, for animals were her friends.

“Oh, I’m awfully sorry! I didn’t mean to frighten you! But you don’t know what I’ve been through! And all because I was afraid! I’m so ashamed of the fuss I’ve made, and I apologise if I startled or frightened you. What do you do when things go wrong?” the girl managed to put a smile on her face, her heart no longer shrunk with fear.

To drive away all the fear, she started singing a wholesome song, making all the baby animals run around her, wanting to be pet by her, or merely stay in her presence. When she told them she needed a place to sleep, the little critters told her to sleep in the ground with the bunnies, or in the trees, with the birdies, but of course, she couldn’t do that, so they guided her to a big house in the forest that looked rather nice from outside, but pretty neglected.

As soon as she knocked and received no answer, she stepped inside, turning on the light, realising how much of a dirty mess the whole place is, so she took it upon herself to clean up the whole place, so that if the owner of the house ever came back, they’d find it pristine and would let her stay, at least for a little while.

“Oh, look at this! There’s make up on the fireplace! And a shoe in the bowl! Dear, how could they let cobwebs stay everywhere? And such a huge mountain of dirty dishes in the sink! Awww, I have an idea! Let’s surprise them by cleaning the place! Will you help me out, please?” she clapped her hands, before taking the broom. “You do the dishes, you clean the cobwebs, and I will sweep around!” she told the critters what to do, as she started singing for them.

Next thing they did was wash all the clothes in the washing machine, then hanging them out to dry in the warm Sun.

Rose Pink was so exhausted after all the cleaning up, that she went upstairs, tucked all animals in, kissing them on the forehead, before allowing herself to fall asleep on the biggest bed there.

She had no idea how long she was asleep for, but when she woke up, she saw 7 very tall men towering around her bed, looking down at her with confusion.

“Hello! You must be the owners of the house!” Y/N smiled shyly, doing a little courtesy from the bed. “Who are you and how did you get here?” a curly, blue haired man asked in am aggressive voice. “Don’t be so hostile with a woman, it’s not nice!” the one with purple hair scolded him. “I deeply apologise for inconveniencing you! My name is Y/N, but everyone calls me Rose Pink. I found your house when I was running away and I thought I would ask for shelter...But you weren’t there, but the door was unlocked.” she explained, scratching the back of her neck nervously. “You did clean up the house, so I don’t think we can complain. Pesci, did you forget to lock the door again?” the blond man facepalmed, looking at the one who was about to cry. “I’m sorry, Prosciutto! I was hurrying to the mission and I forgot!” he teared up, hanging his head. “Well, I guess it can’t be helped. Besides, we were lucky that it was this innocent young woman, and not the Boss who found us.” the brown haired man shrugged, looking at the tallest man. “But how do we know she’s really all that innocent and not some spy in disguise?” the shaved man asked. “Let’s ask her and we’ll find out easily if she’s a liar or not. Missy, do you know the identity of the Passione’s Godfather?” the tall, silver haired man looked down at her with an intimidating look in his red eyes. “Passione’s Godfather...? Now that you mention it, Tiziano said about the same thing.” she mumbled, blinking at the man with no fear. “Tiziano...? Isn’t that from The Boss’ Unita Speciale?” the purple haired man gasped in realisation. “Yeah, along with Squalo, Carne, Cioccolata and Secco.” approved the silver haired man. “What do you know about them?” “Uhm...Tiziano and Squalo were the only people I got along with, that went through my house. Cioccolata and Secco were always very creepy and I would lock myself in my room and hide in the wardrobe whenever they’d come over.” she looked down, hugging herself. “But...Tiziano said that Passione’s Boss wants to kill me...He called him King Crimson...But I don’t really know anything...My father never let me leave the house, and I’d always have to wear this mask...Ah! Now that I mention it, I suppose you’re the first people to see my face, apart from my Prince!” she grinned in realisation, as she held her mask in her hands. “Capo, this is bad. She is the Boss’ daughter. If he finds out she’s alive and she’s here...Especially with the situation we’re in...” the man with his hair tied put his hand to his chin, pondering the situation. “If he finds her here, he would kill all of us. He will find out that Tiziano and Squalo failed to kill her, and will do anything in his power to track her down himself. He’s feared by everyone, and y’all saw what he did to Gelato and Sorbet! Who knows what would happen to us?” the shaved man grumbled, looking worried. “No, this is exactly what we need. We can take down the Boss.” the Capo smirked softly. “Very well, you may stay here with us. You can be useful, in a way or another This house has been a mess from beginning to the end, and you got it to look acceptable. Everyone, introduce yourselves.” he ordered, waving his hand at them. “I’m Melone! You can room in with me, if you want! I can do your hair and make up.” the man flipped his hair with a confident smirk. “My name is Prosciutto and this one here is Pesci. Don’t worry, we won’t give you any trouble.” the blond man spoke in a simple, yet soothing voice. “I’m Illusio, and this is Ghiaccio. Don’t stay around him much, he’ll just yell and be annoying.” the man with brown haired explained, which made his friend explode with rage. “Let’s keep this short, it’s already late. That’s Formaggio, and I’m Risotto Nero. Now that introductions are over, do whatever you want.” the man explained, making the girl smile. “Oh, I made some food! It’s on the table in the kitchen, so if you’re hungry, dig in!” she exclaimed, a wide grin on her rosy face. “What an angel! Come on, little Princess, let’s go eat, and then you can make yourself right at home! Tomorrow we can go shopping so you won’t have to stay in the same dress all the time! Tonight you can wear whatever sleepingwear we have around.” Melone dragged the girl to the kitchen, talking and talking about whatever he felt like, as the girl was actually paying attention to him. “The girl stays in my room. If King Crimson finds his way here, she’ll be safest there.” Risotto ordered, and nobody could say another word, despite the poor purple haired man pouting in disappointment.

That same night, as soon as Diavolo was alone in his room, stroking the beautifully embellished chest that held his daughter’s heart inside, he went in front of the Mirror, to ask once again for the fated question.

“Doppio, my dear, sweet Doppio...Who NOW is the most powerful and fit ruler for Passione?” the pink haired man asked his much younger reflection. “Over the 7 jeweled hills, beyond the Mediterranean sea, in the mansion where La Squadra Esecuzioni hides, dwells Rose Pink, the one key to achieve the title of Godfather of Passione.” Doppio’s shy voice spoke out, as if afraid of the outcome of speaking the truth. “Rose Pink lies dead in some ditch in a forest. Tiziano and Squalo brought me proof! Behold her wretched little heart!” Diavolo glared at the mirror, opening the chest, grasping the heart in his hand, before throwing away the container. “Rose Pink still lives, the key for success. ‘Tis the heart of a whore you hold in your hand.” his reflection spoke the truth, biting his lip. “The heart of a whore?! Then I’ve been tricked!” he roared in rage, realising he was betrayed by his own trusted men. “Of course I have to do everything myself! Incompetent fools!” he scrunched up the heart with so much power, that it exploded, splurting blood everywhere on the mirror, on himself and around him.

Filled with so much rage, we went down to his lab, calling Cioccolata to alter his appearance so much that he would resemble a scrawny old man, with crooked teeth, white hair, and a hunchback.

He got a vial of a deathly poison that once breathed in, would make you paralysed, which was the perfect way to kill her, after everything she put him through.

There was a huge problem with this plan, and that was the antidote... The victim of the Sleeping Death can be revived only by Love’s First Kiss... But who the hell would kill a corpse, anyway? Or fall in love with one? For sure, there was no way this plan would fail!

SHE WOULD BE BURIED ALIVE FOR SURE!

---

“Hey, Y/N, you mentioned a prince before, but I’m pretty sure there aren’t any actual princes around. What was that about?” Illusio asked, looking at the girl. “Oh, about that...Well, he was brave enough to jump over the gates of my Mansion’s garden, and sing for me. He didn’t run away when I hid in my room either.” the girl graced a beautiful pink blush, looking down bashfully. “So it‘s a love story! How romantic! Was he the Prince Charming from those kid fairy tales? Was he strong and handsome? Was he super tall?” Melone grinned, holding the girl’s hands in excitement. “There’s nobody like him anywhere at all.” the girl swooned, before getting up and walking next to the said man. “Don’t tell me she’s gonna start singing like in those kid movies!” Ghiacchio dragged his fingers down his face aggressively in aggravation and exasperation. “Shut up, Ghiaccio, nobody likes you!” Formaggio smirked, seeing the man’s anger. “He was sooooo romantic! I could not resist!” she let Melone twirl her around slowly. “Come on, tell us about this mysterious man who stole your heart!” he urged the girl to go on with her story.

Someday my prince will come Someday we'll meet again And away to his castle we'll go To be happy forever I know Someday when spring is here We'll find our love anew And the birds will sing And wedding bells will ring Someday when my dream come true

Y/N sang with all the warm and beautiful emotions she harboured in her heart, so much that the men, looking at her, could see a pair of wings coming from her back, as if she were an angel.

Wait, actually, no! She actually WAS an angel!

“You didn’t tell us you have a Stand, missy.” Risotto raised his eyebrow at her, yet he felt no threat or ill will. “Stand? What’s that?” she looked at the man with a confused puppy expression. “You don’t know what a Stand is? Could it be that you just awakened it?” he pondered thoughtfully. “It could have awakened when Tiziano and Squalo made her run for her life through the forest. Something like that would make sense, especially her heritage.” Prosciutto pointed out, looking at her as if he saw Virgin Mary. “I’m...Not sure I follow.” she frowned in confusion. “See these? These are part of your Stand, which is a power manifested from your power. Of course, I don’t mean a physical one necessarily, since you’re frail as a snowdrop...But I suppose your caring nature would reflect its strength in a rather unique way.” Melone put his hands on her wings, pulling them forward so the girl could see them better. “Oh my! Are they real? How can I touch them? I’m definitely no angel, I’m just a human!” she gasped, looking in awe at her slightly translucent wings that shined a beautiful and divine light. “That’s not really important, I believe. Go rest, we should find out your powers soon enough. It’s late, everyone should go sleep.” Risotto ordered, gesturing for everyone to scatter off. “B-But wait! I still haven’t found out the Prince’s name!” Pesci pouted in disdain. “His name...Such a beautiful and unique way! Giorno Giovanna is the name of my Prince Charming, who shined like the Sun right in front of me! You see this brooch? It was his! He transformed it into a pink butterfly, before he sent it flying to me, which is when it transformed back! Isn’t that soooo beautiful?” she swooned once again, holding the brooch in her hands, looking at it tenderly. “Isn’t that Buccellati’s new recruit?” Formaggio raised his eyebrow, but everyone sent him a look to shut up. “Doesn’t matter for now. Go sleep, all of you.” Risotto got up, guiding the girl back to his room. “Take the bed, I’ll sleep on the couch in the living room. I have some stuff to research, but it won’t bother you.” he said, as he threw the girl some large clothes to dress in, pointing out where the bathroom was so she could change.

Thanking him with a wide grin on her face, she quickly went to change, and when she came back, she saw the silver haired man on the chair, in front of his study desk, researching, while topless.

The harsh scars and wounds on his torso made her gasp, rushing to his side and touching them gingerly, frowning in sympathy.

“Will you be alright?!” she bit her lip nervously. “They’re old scars, don’t worry. It comes with the job.” he mumbled absent-minded, before he felt a sting, followed by a tickle on his skin, which made him abruptly turn his head to look at the arm on which the girl was touching his skin. “I-I’m sorry, did I hurt you?!” she quickly retracted her hand, only to see the man in front of her wide-eyed. “Did you just heal my wound?” he frowned, examining his arm carefully. “I don’t think I could do that without proper medical supplies.” she replied, not sure of what to say. “Touch this wound right here.” he ordered, but he couldn’t wait for her to be hesitant, so he grasped her hand and put it over the long, deep gash on his chest, staring in awe at it was healing rapidly. “Did...Did I really do that...?” she gasped, taking her hand away gingerly, staring at it in complete shock. “It’s your Stand’s power. No wonder your Stand’s took an angel’s appearance. You quite literally ARE an angel.” was the only thing Risotto could mutter, before he sent the girl to sleep, as he kept making plans all night long.

The following day, Risotto informed the girl that all the Squadra had to leave on their own missions, and they will return by dinner. All of them made sure to warn her to be careful and cautious, since nobody knows what could happen.

The girl was pretty happy to clean the house along with her lovely animal friends, singing and dancing at her heart’s content, dreaming of her Prince. This time, she was in the kitchen, preparing a nice cherry pie, singing about meeting the love of her life once again, before putting it in the oven, when just then, she heard a pretty loud knocking from the door.

She looked at the animals around her in confusion, since she wasn’t expecting anyone, but she looked through the visor of the door and saw a frail, old man, trembling, but with a serene expression on his face.

“Hello, how may I help you, sir?” the girl asked as soon as she opened the door. “I don’t mean to bother you, miss, but, you see...I was passing by and I noticed this beautiful bouquet of flowers at your doorstep...It would be quite a pity if they were to wilt before being admired, don’t you think?” he smiled with a kind, grandpa-like vibe. “Oh, goodness me, you are right! I wonder if they are from the man of my dreams! They are gorgeous!” she took the bouquet from the man’s hands. “Do they smell just as well as they look? I would like to smell them, but...My old age made my smell go away.” he laughed weakly, his smile never faltering. “That’s such a pity! Not being able to smell the beautiful smells of Spring! Well, let’s see for myself then...Ah! I’ve never smelt flowers like these ones before! Oh, how unique!” she gasped, holding the bouquet close to her heart, grinning in happiness. “Yes...How unique indeed...My darling daughter...” the old man’s grin twisted in a frightening, sadistic smirk, which was the last thing the girl saw as she fell to the ground, lifeless. “I DID IT! FINALLY, SHE IS DEAD! This little twerp can’t be used against me anymore!” he laughed like a maniac, the sound echoing throughout the whole mansion as thunders started to be heard from outside.

Unbeknownst to him, the animals that were Rose Pink’s friends somehow managed to  find the whole Squadra AND the Prince and alerted them about the King Crimson.

“Giorno? Why are these animals all trying to get you away from us?” Bruno asked, looking at his friend in confusion and amusement. “...Buccellati...A few days ago, I believe I met the Boss’ daughter, and back then, animals seemed to surround her every second. If my intuition is correct...She may be in danger. I’m sorry, Buccellati, but I have to go save her!” Giorno frowned, feeling restless. “If you’re going, I’m going as well. It will be a great opportunity in more ways than one. Let’s go!” the two ran along with the animals, and as soon as they got in front of an old mansion in the woods, they met La Squadra. “So you’re Giorno Giovanna, aren’t you? You looked just as Rose Pink described you.” Melone glared at him softly. “If you touch even a single strand of her hair...” Giorno glared at them, but Melone shook his head. “We were protecting her from King Crimson...But if we’re correct, that one over there is him. He came from out house. Let’s go kill him.” Risotto explained, and nodding at each other, a temporary truce was formed, for the sake of the girl’s well-being. “You are dead, King Crimson!” Giorno shouted in anger. “Oh, so you are the stupid kid who thought could dethrone me! That useless Mirror kept saying how you will find out my identity through that stupid daughter of mine...But now you can’t! Because she’s dead! I just killed her!” he laughed maniacly, just as before. “Giorno, don’t act rash, he could be lying.” Bruno put his hand on Giorno’s shoulder, and the boy could only nod, despite the burning anger flaring through his veins. “YOU FUCKING COCKROACH! HOW DARE YOU KILL OUR ANGEL?!” Melone shouted in rage, before charging at him blindly, only to get swapped away like a dead fly. “Melone, you idiot, don’t act irrationally!” Ghiaccio yelled at him, helping him get up. “Your stupid Stands, even together, are NOTHING against my King Crimson and Epitaph! YOU CANNOT KILL ME! BOW DOWN BEFORE DON DIAVOLO, THE ONLY GODFATHER PASSIONE WILL EVER HAVE!” his voice rang all throughout the forest. “You wish.” Giorno spoke confidently, ready to strike.

The fight was long and dragged for a long time, making everyone be injured, gravely or not, but in the end, they were victorious, thanks to Giorno’s Requiem Stand, that managed to get Diavolo stuck in a never-ending loop of death.

However, their fears were true, and Diavolo didn’t actually lie when he said he killed the girl. They figured quite easily that the girl’s death was produced by the flowers in her grasp...And yet, as soon as he touched vein, he could feel a pulse, which made him gasp in shock.

“She’s alive? Then, we could still save her somehow?” Pesci gasped in glee. “She’s in a coma, I think, I’m not sure what we could do about it.” Prosciutto frowned, not sure how to solve this mystery. “If we get her to the hospital...?” Illusio’s eyes shifted between everyone. “That could work...But we still can’t be sure it will wake her up in a long time.” Bruno thought deeply. “What luck I have...I fall in love, and this is what happens. I should have known better than to endanger someone, for my own selfish desires...Emotions will only get my dear ones in danger.” Giorno gritted his teeth, before caressing his beloved’s pale face, looking at her with a tender, yet sorrowful expression. “I’m so sorry this had to happen to you...You deserve the world. I love you, Y/N.” he confessed, before leaning down, planting a gentle kiss on her ruby red lips. “That’s enough, let’s rush her to the hospital. The faster we are, the faster they can find a cure to this.” Ghiaccio snapped his fingers, slamming the door open...

However, what nobody was expecting, was to see the girl start stretching her arms, as if she was waking up from a nap, and soon enough, her beautiful E/C eyes fluttered open, and a dazzling smile graced her features.

“My Prince, you’ve come to me once again!” she cheered, throwing her arms around Giorno’s neck, who looked just as shocked as everyone, especially as her Stand’s wings came out, just as radiant and heavenly as before. “I would fly to the space, just to get the stars and put them in your hair, to see you smile. I would get the Sun right here, but you shine even brighter than it. I would go to the end of the World for you.” Giorno smiled softly at her, putting a strand of her hair behind her ear. “I’m gonna cry! This is so beautiful!” Melone tried to stop himself from tearing up, but he was beaten up by Pesci who was sobbing rivers. “Calm down, Pesci, it’s okay.” Prosciutto sighed, patting the man on the back to calm him down, but even so, he was smiling at the pair in front of him. “Do you know if Tiziano and Squalo are still alive...?” the girl asked in a soft voice. “I think so. We killed Carne, and by the time we arrived at your home, Cioccolata and Secco were dead already, but we never found anything about them.” Bruno explained, which made the girl smile. “I’m so glad to hear that! They were the reason why I managed to escape from my father’s grasp.” she explained, as Giorno picked her up bridal style. “I promise we will look for them as soon as we settle down and make everything be peaceful.” he promised, kissing her forehead. “Wait, so now that Y/N is with Giorno...Will they be the new Godfather of Passione?” Formaggio gasped in realisation, which made everyone freeze in shock. “It should be Y/N, but since she didn’t have a clue she was the Mafia Don’s daughter until recently, and would have no idea what to do...But if she marries Giorno Giovanna, who’s the one who defeated Diavolo, I think Passione would flourish like never before.” Melone pointed out with a wide grin. “But what about Capo...? The whole Squadra was exiled and Capo wanted to be the next Don.” Prosciutto asked, unsure of the situation. “Risotto was very kind to allow me to stay in their house, and even told me about my Stand and power! I think that, if it’s okay with all of you, he could be our 2nd in command, and La Squadra can be back in Passione!” the girl clapped her hands together, wishing to find the right decision. “Fine by me.” Risotto nodded, which made the whole Squadra sigh in relief. “La Squadra Esecuzioni will be welcomed back to Passione, Buccellati’s team can become the new Unita Speciale, and we can add Tiziano and Squalo to it, if they’re still alive. Risotto will be Capo Bastone, and I’d like it if Buccellati would be my Consigliere.” Giorno spoke in a firm voice that inspired leadership. “Oh, can Melone be my Consigliere? I would need someone to go shopping with me and help me out with outfits everyday!” her giggle warmed up everyone’s hearts. “Anything for my, my darling.” Giorno nodded, a soft smile gracing his features.

After that, peace was restored in the hearts of all the fellow mafia men, Buccellati’s team became La Unita Speciale; La Squadra Esecuzioni was brought back into Passione, Risotto was no longer bitter with anger over the Boss’ lack of trust in them, and was not Capo Bastone, while Bruno was Consigliere for Giorno and Melone for Rose Pink.

It didn’t take long for the 2 lovers to marry and have a beautiful wedding, where they confessed their undying love for each other.

Everything was well again for everyone in Passione, they were all happy in their own way and no longer had such a terribly dark dread, since their little Angel was watching over them at all times.

As for Giorno and Y/N...

They Lived Happily Ever After.

The End.

[thequeerwitch]

<OLD> Chapter 1: Her Middle Name was Troublemaker

Charlotte Russo: The Lost Angel of Empire Bay 

Vito Scaletta x OC 

EDIT: Hey guys, thanks for supporting this fanfic. I recently updated the outline for this fanfic which adds much more about Charlotte’s backstory and family. This version isn’t going anywhere, but if you’re interested in following Charlotte’s journey then you will have to follow the new storyline. Same story, same characters, but all new details and character interactions between Charlotte and Vito. Hope you enjoy and I hope to see you back for the new story! 

Word count: 6170 

Rating: M 

This program includes violence and dramatizations of real events which may be disturbing to some viewers. Viewer discretion is advised.

Warnings: Rape, abuse, sexual themes, violence, cursing 

Lurking in the shadows of Empire Bay, organized crime families commit heinous acts in attempts to gain control of the city. Alberto Clemente, Frank Vinci, and Carlo Falcone were the kings of Empire Bay. In 1951, the families were thrown in the middle of a crime war thanks to the actions of Vito Scaletta and Joe Barbaro, up and coming mobsters who made a name for themselves during the mob war.

“They made a real name for themselves in the mob world. They were good at what they did, couldn’t ask for one without getting all three.” –Anonymous “John”

But history has erased a key piece in the puzzle, the iconic ‘Scaletta and Barbero’ duo may have in fact been a trio, including Charlotte Russo. But who is this mystery woman? What part did she play in erupting the crime war? And how was she erased from history? Learn how the most influential woman in the mafia who history has completely erased, see how she became the first made woman in the Falcone crime family, and witness how her part in the Empire Bay crime war shaped the way the mafia is run today.

“Charlotte Russo was one of the most influential women in the Mafia. She was the first made woman under the Falcone crime family in Empire Bay, and she assisted in the murder of Carlo Falcone alongside Joe Barbaro and her then boyfriend Vito Scaletta, yet her name is barely mentioned.” –Jonathan Maguire

“Scaletta, Barbaro, and Russo were a team. They held a tight bond that was uncommon in the crime world, and it pains me to see how Russo has been almost entirely erased from the picture.” –Anonymous “Mike”

But how exactly did these three young hotshots get their big break? You’d have to go back to 1942, when the three came together. Scaletta and Barbaro had known each other since childhood and both were hit hard by poverty, while Charlotte Russo grew up under a father with close ties to Frank Vinci. However, her father’s untimely death left the Russo family in desperate need of money. With her mother slowly slipping into depression and no way to contact her older sister, Charlotte was struggling to keep food on the table, let alone pay rent. At the age of 17, Charlotte turned to the Kitten Heel, a sleazy cathouse owned by an even sleazier man named Sidney Penn. Penn worked under Don Alberto Clemente and owned the Empire Bay Cab and Co., a few distilleries, and a few cat houses including The Kitten Heel.

“Sidney Penn had a bit of reputation around our area. If his girls allowed him to violate them, he paid overtime. I remember he seemed to favor Charlotte most of all, and a lot of the other girls thought she was a skank. I didn’t think that, she told me every time how much she hated it, but she was desperate to keep a roof over her head, so she did whatever she could to keep money coming in. I don’t blame her…I never did…” –Margaret Young, previous employer at The Kitten Heel and friend of Charlotte Russo

Charlotte Russo found herself working for Sidney Penn in 1940, but she resigned from The Kitten Heel the following year.

January 1943

I always hated winter. Don’t get me wrong, the snow was beautiful, and the spirit Christmas was always nice, but I hated the cold. Mr. Penn, or “The Fat Man” as the girls called him, was too cheap to buy a proper heating system for the place and it was always too cold to perform properly. The clients like hard nipples, but they don’t like goose bump coated breasts. It’s not like it was our fault, it was our jobs to flaunt our bodies in lingerie. We couldn’t control it when the cathouse was colder than a penguin’s balls, but we still had to work. When the Kitten Heel closed for the night, I went back to the changing room with my friend Margaret. My robe was wrapped tightly to my body in an attempt to cling to any warmth left in my body.

“So, my brother’s coming home for Christmas. He’s bringing his new girlfriend Katie to meet the family,” said Margaret.

“Isn’t she the one from Michigan?” I asked.

“Uhuh,” said Margaret. “It’ll probably feel like summer to her when she gets here.”

I laughed and held the door open for her. I stole a glance down the hall and met the Fat Man’s gaze. He jerked his head towards his office and entered. I sighed. “I’ll be right back, I left something on the stage.”

“Sure,” said Margaret. Her tone told me she didn’t believe me, but I didn’t care. I had to just come clean with him, tell him I was done taking this “overtime.” I knocked on the office door and heard a voice from within grunt, “Come in.”

I entered and kicked the door closed behind me. The Fat Man was leaning against the desk with his arms crossed in front of his chest. “You did well tonight,” he said.

“Thank you Mr. Penn,” I said.

“So, let’s get this over with, shall we?”

He started to unbuckle his belt, but I blurted out, “No.”

He stopped and glared into my eyes. “No?”

I stood up straighter, pulled my shoulders back. “No,” I repeated, firmer this time. “I’m done taking this overtime, I don’t want you to violate my body anymore.”

The Fat Man cocked his head to the side. “I get it. You think because you’re the big shot with the perverts means you can talk back to me. You think you can do your job the way you want to, instead of listening to your employer and doing it the way I want.”

“This has nothing to do with that, I signed up to be violated by them,” I pointed back towards the stage, “Not you.”

The Fat Man stepped up to me and slapped me hard across the face. I doubled down, my hand flew to my cheek. He grabbed my hair and pinned me to the door. “You don’t get it sweetheart, working here means you work for me. If you don’t wanna do your job, I’ll be forced to terminate you.”

I hacked up a mouthful of spit and spat into his eye. His jerked down and his fingers went to his face. “Go ahead, I just gave you another reason to fire me.”

“You little slut,” he slammed my head against the door. “I own you, bitch! You’d better get that straight because there ain’t nothing that’s gonna change it!”

I pushed against his chest and he stumbled back. “Get your hands off of me! I quit, bastard! Do you hear me?”

The Fat Man straightened up and snarled at me. “Nobody talks to me like that, you hear! Nobody! Get your ass over here and apologize!“ He lunged at me and I kicked him hard in the leg, I heard a crack as my heel collided with his shin. My hand twisted around the doorknob and I fled into the hall. The girls from the dressing room looked back at me, but I didn’t have time to acknowledge them. I raced down the hall and to the back door, my heels clicked against the floorboards.

“Get back here you little slut!”

I shoved the door open and raced out to the street, the cold December air stung my cheeks. I bolted across the frozen parking lot and stopped at the sidewalk. If I could make it to the street and stop a car, I could get away. I saw two tiny pinpricks of headlights in the distance. I ran into the street and waved my arms above my head. “Stop!” The car sped closer and closer. I hopped up and down, screaming “Stop!” at the top of my lungs. The car made no attempt to stop. Well, getting run over by a car was probably a better fate than getting beaten to death, plus my mom could probably sue the driver if I died, so I closed my eyes and awaited my fate. The car screeched to a halt just as I hunched over, my hands met with the warm purr of the engine.

I looked up and a young man was getting out of the car. “What the hell lady?”

I looked down the alleyway, the Fat Man was limping over to us, a metal bat gripped in his fist. “You stupid bitch! Where the fuck do you think you’re going?”

I shot back to the man. “You have to help me, he’s going to kill me!”

The man cocked his head to the passenger side. “Get in.”

I ran to the passenger door and threw myself inside. Before I could close the door, the Fat Man grabbed hold of the door and grabbed my arm. I kicked him in the groin and slammed the door on his fingers. As he let go of the car, I kicked him in the head and slammed the door shut. “Step on it!” I shouted over my shoulder. The car tore down the street way above the speed limit. I sat back in the leather seat, my heart pounded against my chest so hard I thought it’d shatter my ribs.

“Who the hell was that?”

I took in a deep breath, a laugh escaping my lips. “That was my boss, and you just witnessed my resignation.”

“From the Kitten Heel?”

“Yep.”

“What’re you doing working at a sleazy place like that?”

“Desperation, mostly.”

“So, you gotta name?”

I looked over at him, and I got a good look at him for the first time. I remember he was tall when he got out of the car, he had a toned body but his clothes hung loosely on him. The clothes looked old, probably hand-me-downs. His eyes were warm, chocolate brown, but hard and calculating, they never left the road. He was olive skinned, leathery, his hands firmly gripped the steering wheel. He had a full head of soft, raven locks. He had a mole on his chin, and full lips.

“Yeah, Charlotte Russo. You?”

“Vito Scaletta. Where are you headed?”

“Little Italy, just across from an old bakery.”

“You live across from Mikey’s?”

“You know the place?”

“Know it? I used to raid the dumpster for scraps with my buddy Joe.”

“I think I remember you. Mikey was a family friend, he gave my dad free bread up until his passing.”

“I’m sorry—about your dad, I mean. I lost my old man too.”

“I’m sorry. So, you live in Little Italy?”

“I live right behind Mikey’s in a tiny apartment upstairs, right through the alley on the side. I can give you a ride over.”

“That’d be great, thank you.” We drove down the block in silence, and when I saw my apartment, I said, “You can drop me off here.” He pulled up to a gray apartment building with a stairwell running up either side to more apartments.

Vito pulled up to the apartment and as I began to get out, he stopped me. “Listen, if you need anything at all, call me.” He handed me a slip of paper with his name and number on it.

“Thanks, I appreciate it.”

He smiled as I got out and closed the door, and I watched as he sped down the street and rounded the corner. I sighed, my breath coming in a puff of mist, and I went upstairs and into the apartment. The blue light of the television flooded onto the stairwell as I opened the door, and I could see my mother’s hand draped over the back of the couch, a liquor bottle abandoned on the floor. I checked that she was asleep before turning off the television, picking up the bottle, and putting it on the counter.

I went to bed for the night and I woke to banging outside. I threw on a robe and slippers and I went out to the porch where my mother was stumbling about with a bucket full of soapy water and mop. Her eyes were red and puffy with dark bags lining the lower lids. From the lower apartment, I heard a gravelly voice shout, “Hey, lady! It’s six o’clock in the morning!”

My mother turned around and slurred, “You fuck off! I’m jus’ tryna keep th’ stairs clean since nobody seems ta care!”

The older gentleman down the stairs made to climb the stairs and said, “You watch your tone lady, or I’ll have you thrown out for—”

I ran down the steps and grabbed my mother’s arm, pulling her up the stairs behind me. “I’m so sorry Mr. De Costa, I promise it won’t happen again.”

He pointed a finger at me, his eyebrows furrowed. “You said that last week, and the week before that! If she doesn’t stop, I’ll call the landlord and tell him all about this, and you’ll both be out on the streets! Ya hear?!”

“Yes sir, I’m so sorry again.”

Mr. De Costa turned down the steps, slipped on the bottom, soapy step, he turned up and narrowed his eyes at me, and he stomped inside.

I went inside, took the bucket of soapy water and poured it down the tub, and I went back to the kitchen. My mother was searching through the cabinets, slamming around and making even more noise than before. “Ma, stop! You’re going to make Mr. De Costa even angrier!”

“Shut up Charlotte, you’re just tryna embarrass me in front of the neighbors!”

“Look at yourself! I’ve told you about a hundred times that you can’t just clean the stairs whenever you want, you make too much noise!”

“That moron of a lan’ lord don’t do his fuckin’ job! This place is a mess, and I’ve already called about the rats again!”

“Ma, there are no rats in this apartment. You’re just drunk again.”

My mother flopped a finger towards the corner and said, “Look! Is’ right there!”

I looked and saw a cockroach by a small hold in the wall, but no rat. I shook my head and said, “You should come and lay down.”

I went to grab her arms, but she shoved me away. “Get your hands off me! I ain’t know handicap! I can walk!”

“I wasn’t saying that—”

She began slamming cupboards again until she found a full bottle of liquor. I took it from her and said, “Ma, you shouldn’t be drinking this early.”

My mother slapped me across the face and ripped the bottle from my hand when I recoiled. She opened it and took a long swig, then slammed it back on the counter. “Don’t you ever try an’ control me, ya hear? Tha’s exactly what your bitch of a sister tried to do, and she ran away cryin’! I won’t have this in my house!”

I straightened up, my cheek still burning. “You know what, fine. If you’re going to continue being irrational and drinking away my hard earned money—”

She scoffed. “What hard earned money? For shakin’ your tits in men’s faces? You stupid whore!”

“I’m done. I’ve had it with your drinking and you constant insults!” I turned and grabbed the slip of paper with Vito’s number on it. I began changing as I called him and told him to come get me, and when I hung up, I began packing a bag of clothes.

My mother sauntered into the room, her bottle of liquor now half empty. “Who was that? Where d’you think you’re going?”

“Anywhere that’s not here.”

“You can’t leave me! I’ll kill myself if you leave!”

“I don’t care. Alessandra didn’t care when—”

“Don’t you ever use that name in my presence, ya hear? She abandoned us!”

I closed my bag, took my change purse, and I shoved past her. “She didn’t leave us mom, she left you.”

“You’re just like your father! You stupid whore!”

I dropped my bag, ripped the bottle of liquor from her hands, and I smashed it against the wall. “You’re a crazy bitch who was never there for me. Why would I want to hang around when all I do is get insulted and punched around?”

Something flashed over my mother’s face and clawed at her features, turning her shocked expression into an evil snarl. “You’ll regret that!” She made to punch me, but I backed out of the way and she sent her fist into the wall. I backed up and grabbed me bag, I grabbed a coat from the closet, and I fled from the apartment, down the stairs, and out to the street. I looked behind me to check if she was following me as I turned into the alley, and I ran into someone. I looked up and met Vito’s gaze. His hands came to my shoulders and he said, “Hey, are you okay?”

As if on que, my mother threw the door open and began screaming at me in Italian, calling me every nasty name in the book. Mr. De Costa came out and shouted, “That’s it! I’m calling the cops! You and your daughter are out of here!”

“Mr. De Costa, you don’t have to worry about me anymore,” I said. “I’m sorry to leave my mother for the cops to scrape up.”

“You come and collect this bitch! I’m not—”

“Hey, who’re you calling a bitch, you stupid idiot?” my mother chimed in.

Vito pulled at my arm. “C’mon, let’s get you out of here.”

I nodded and walked with him down the alley and across to a tiny diner. We each ordered a coffee and talked for a bit.

“So, what happened to that car of yours?”

“Oh, uh…I seem to have misplaced it.”

I chuckled, my eyebrow raising. “You misplaced your car?”

“Yeah, it seems to have disappeared.”

“Y’think is was stolen?” I asked.

“Maybe, but what are the police gonna do?”

“Yeah, good point.” I sipped on my coffee and rubbed my cheek where my mother hit me. “What am I gonna do? I was already worried about getting a new job, but where am I gonna go?”

“Y’know, an apartment just above me opened up. I can see about getting you in there.”

“That’s really sweet Vito, but I don’t know how I’m gonna make rent at the moment.”

He hesitated a moment, the said, “How desperate are you for money?”

I scoffed. “Do I have to remind you where exactly you picked me up from last night?”

“Hypothetically speaking, how willing would you be to, I dunno, break the law?”

“Depends one what laws we’re breaking?”

“Would you be willing to steal?”

“Absolutely.”

“My buddy Joe and I have been in a bit of a rut lately, and we were considering attempting to rob a storefront tonight. You interested?”

I hesitated for a moment, weighing my options, and I finally said, “What percentage would I get?”

Vito Scaletta had invited Charlotte Russo to join him and Joe Barbaro in robbing storefronts. The three worked well together. Barbaro was the muscle, Scaletta was the brains, and Russo was the look out. Russo and Scaletta developed an especially strong bond as lovers, and the trio got along well for a while until Scaletta was arrested. With the choice of jail time or enlistment in the US Army, Scaletta chose to join the army and was assigned to the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment. It would be two years until the three were reunited, and in the meantime, Barbero and Russo took up work with Alberto Clemente.

February 1945

It was warm inside the train station, but it was also muggy. It beat standing out in the snow, but it was uncomfortable as hell. “D’you see him?” I asked.

“No,” said Joe, next to me. “Wait—nevermind, it’s not him.”

I shook my head and stood on my toes. I couldn’t grasp how Joe was so comfortable in his thick coat while standing in here. I had to remove my own coat to avoid heat stroke. I scanned the crowd, looking for Vito to emerge from one of the trains, and I bounced on the balls of my feet with excitement. “He should be here any minute.” My heart raced in my chest, kicking me like a hummingbird’s wings. A train pulled into the station and Joe and I watched as a young man in a tan soldier’s uniform stepped out. I let out a shaky sigh. “That’s him!” Vito spotted Joe and I at the end of the crowd. I raced into the center and met him in a small clearing. Vito dropped his bag and pulled me into his arms, swaying me back and forth and planting kisses along my cheeks and neck. I pulled away and kissed him briefly before Joe broke us up and shook Vito’s hand. “Hey, there’s the soldier boy!” he said.

“How’d you know I’d be here?” asked Vito.

“I got my sources,” said Joe. “C’mon, I know you’re itching to get home but let’s grab some drinks real fast.”

“Sure,” said Vito.

Charlotte Russo assisted in the theft of the federal ration stamps, got Scaletta and Barbaro into a jewelry store to rob it for their wares, and eventually assisted in the murder of Sidney “The Fat Man” Pen. 

“The fat bastard deserved what he got coming to him, he was a disgusting man and everyone at the cathouse hated him. The girls at the cathouse went out and celebrated our unemployment when we heard he’d died. I guess at the time, we assumed Charlotte hadn’t gone with us to celebrate because she was sick. I didn’t think she’d actually had something to do with his death…my god…” –Margaret Young, previous employer at The Kitten Heel and friend of Charlotte Russo

April 1945

Sidney Penn, that fat fuck who violated me and other girls with the excuse of, “overtime.” The minute I laid eyes on him, the vile sense of spite flooded through my veins and I felt my eyebrows furrow into a sickening snarl. The fat bastard whimpered and pleaded, “Please…I gotta wife!”

Henry put the barrel of his gun in Sidney’s mouth. “You should’ve thought about your wife before. Don Clemente sends his regards.”

A single gunshot silenced the bastard’s cries and Henry groaned, he crumpled to the floor, blood pooling around his leg.

My body went hot with rage and I felt as though my mind fled my body. Next to me, Joe said, “You stupid fuck, you’ll be sorry!”

Through tunneled vision, I saw the three of us raise our guns and empty our barrels into the fat man’s head and body. I was only vaguely aware of my surroundings, my whole body felt numb and I couldn’t hear anything, as if my head was submerged in blood. I kept firing, each pull of the trigger unleashing a new layer of pain and anger that I hadn’t realized was rooted within me. Anger that eventually stopped feeling targeted towards the portly corpse before me, anger towards my mother, my sister, and the entirety of Empire Bay. I finally felt a pair of warm hands close around my shoulders, and one slide to my wrist, my hand was still pulling the trigger even though my gun had been long since emptied. My hand began to shake, and suddenly the numbness faded to anguish, my fingers clenched around the grip and I threw the gun at his head.

“Charlotte,” said Vito. “He’s dead now, honey. You’re okay.”

I looked down at my hands, then up to Vito.

He nodded, trying to reassure me, “It’s okay, you’re okay. We need to get Henry to a hospital now, c’mon.”

I could only muster enough energy to nod, and I went and picked up my gun. I looked down at the fat man one last time, and I spat down at him before I turned and followed Joe and Vito out of the distillery.

Vito drove and I got in the passenger seat while Joe stayed with Henry in the back. We sped to the mob doctor just in the nick of time, and we dropped of Joe and Henry. The drive home felt longer than usual, and the silence clawed at my skin and made my squirm.

As we drew nearer to Joe’s apartment, Vito broke the silence. “Y’know what, I don’t really feel like going back home.” When I didn’t respond, he said, “Charlotte?”

“No, neither do I. I need a drink,” I said.

“Me too,” he said, and we drove passed the apartment. We pulled up to a small bar and went inside, we each got a beer and we sat in silence. The alcohol felt nice, and it didn’t taste half bad either. I drank until I could feel the buzz kick in, and then we munched on fried, listening to the music in the jukebox drone on and the chatter of people float around the room.

Vito took a swig from his bottle and sat back in his seat. “How are you feeling?” he asked.

“Better now,” I said.

“Do you wanna talk about what happened?”

I shot a quick glance over my shoulder and said to him, “Not here.”

“Yeah, right,” he said. I began to reach for my wallet but he slapped a bill on the table before I could look inside, he said, “Don’t you dare, put it away,” with a wink. I didn’t have the energy to argue so I just did as he said and left with him. He took my hand as we walked to the car, he opened up the passenger door for me, then we got in and we drove off. He drove up into the richer neighborhood, and we went further until we got to the top of a hill. Vito stopped at the guardrail and turned the engine off. I stared up at the crescent moon, feeling the buzz of alcohol waning on me. I got out of the car and approached the guardrail, and silver light of the moon contrasted the golden lights of the city, and stars twinkled overhead. It wasn’t until I felt Vito’s hands on my shoulders that I realized he’d gotten out of the car. I reached up and squeezed his fingers on one hand, leaving my other arm wrapped around my body. I took a step back into his warm chest and he wrapped his arms around my waist, his chin rested on my shoulder.

“Talk to me doll,” he whispered.

I squeezed my eyes shut and a tears dripped down my cheek. “That was my old manager, Vito, the one from The Kitten Heel. He violated all of his girls, but he took a special liking to me. It was my job; if I didn’t let him take advantage of me, I was fired. That night when you found me, I’d had enough and I told him to go to hell. He wouldn’t take no for an answer, and I ran. I thought that would be the end of it, but…” I paused and wiped a tear from my cheek. “All of that anger, and the fear, and the hatred, it all just surfaced when I saw his ugly face, and I hate to admit how excited I was to see that fate fuck get what he had coming to him. When he shot Henry, I just lost it. It was like everything came up, everything from him to my mother, all of my hatred, I let it out onto him…and I’m scared that I’ll lose myself if I don’t keep that part of me locked away.”

Vito pressed his lips to my temple. He came around to stand in front of me, the silver light of the moon cut across his features and darkened half of his body in shadows. He raised his hand and gently caressed my cheek. “It’s okay, he can’t hurt you or anyone else now. And I know you, Charlotte. I know that you’re one of the strongest people I’ve had the pleasure of knowing. When you get down to it, you’ve got a good heart.”

I scoffed. “A good heart? Neither of us are saints, Vito.”

“No, but I know that’s what you’re afraid of. You’re not about to let go of your humanity, you still have a lot of heart. It’s how I know I’m still human. At the end of the day, I love you, I love my ma and my sister, and I love Joe. We all have each other, and that’s all that matters.”

I smiled and wrapped my arms around his waist. I pressed my head into his chest and listened to heart, his strong arms encased me in his warmth and his soft lips grounded me. I raised my head and met his lips, and heat sprouted in the pit of my stomach. A passionate warmth ignited in my heart, and I lit his fire with mine. We parted and I pressed my forehead against his. He said, “You’re too good for me Charlotte, and I love you.”

“I love you too, Vito.”

Shortly after the murder of Sidney Pen, Vito Scaletta was arrested for the theft and distribution of federal ration stamps and sentenced to ten years in Hartmann Federal Penitentiary. While Joe Barbaro moved on to do bigger schemes, it’s unknown what happened to Russo between the time Scaletta was imprisoned and when he was released.

“The thing about this case is that Russo was never prosecuted for assisting in the distribution of the gas stamps. It’s as if Scaletta took the fall for her.”  –Jonathan Maguire 

“I was there when Henry Tomasino gave Charlotte and Vito the assignment. She didn’t go to get the stamps, but she helped distribute them when we found out we only had about an hour to get them all out. She took half and distributed them across the east and north side of the city, while Vito went across the southern and western side of Empire Bay. But if you wanna know what I think happened, I think Scaletta and Tomasino did something to give her extra protection. ”  –Anonymous “Mike” 

June 1945

Vito came out and sat across from me, a thin chain-link cage separating us. His hair was shaved down nearly to the head, only a thin layer of stubble covered his scalp, and he wore a blue jumpsuit. He smiled as he saw me and he sat down.

“Hi Vito,” I said.

“Hey doll. How’re things in the free world?”

“They’re rather dull without you. I miss you.”

“I miss you too,” he said. “How’s Joe?”

“I haven’t talked to him in awhile.” I looked around and then leaned closer. I said in the faintest whisper, “I just can’t bring myself to do the things we used to do. ‘They’ won’t give me any big jobs to do and it’s starting to get tiring doing the same small jobs. I know if you were here, you’d be able to get me better work.” I leaned back and smiled at him. “So how’re things inside?”

“It’s different, and it’s lousy.”

“Well, that’s what you get for committing a felony,” I teased with a wink.

“Don’t lecture me, Frankie already did that a few weeks ago…” he trailed off, his eyes narrowing toward his hands.

“Vito, I heard about your mother. I’m so sorry. I’ve been checking in on your sister ever since. She and her new husband, Eric, they’re doing well. She told me to send her love.”

“About that Charlotte…” He looked into my eyes, a pained look set into his face. “Y’know with Frankie going off and a finding husband to settle down with, it got me thinking about us.”

My heart raced, a smile spread across my face. “I’ve been thinking about us too.”

“You know I love you,” he said.

“I know, I love you too.”

“You know I want to make you happy.”

I nodded. “You always do, just by being here.” He’s going to say it, he wants to marry me when he gets out.

He swallowed hard. “But we’ll be separated for a long time Charlotte.”

“I’ll always be here to visit you though. I can always check in and see you.”

“I know, but I think you should try and, y’know, settle down with someone nice.”

My heart stopped for a moment. “W-What?”

“A guy like me can’t make you happy from here. You still have time to live a normal life. You can find a man who’ll love you just as much if not more than I love you, and he’ll spoil you with gifts and give you children. He could make you happy, and give you a better life than I could.”

Tears prickled behind my eyelids. “Vito, I can’t! Wh-Why would you say that?”

“Charlotte, I love you so much. But they say that if you love something, you have to set it free. You still have an opportunity to turn your life around. You can live a normal life.”

“But I don’t want a normal life, I want you.”

“Charlotte, I still have nine years here. By then you could have a family, a husband and kids. You have an internal clock that’s ticking.”

“You don’t understand, I want that with you! I can wait for you, I can get a decent job right now and save up money, and when you get out we can start over. I’ll do anything, just don’t do this, please!”

“You don’t have to do any of that for me. If you want to do one thing for me, I just want you to have a good life. Just do that for me.”

We stared into each other’s eyes for a long moment until a guard came to take him away. Vito and I both stood at the same time and I put my hand against the cage. “I love you Vito.”

He placed his hand on top of mine and curled his fingers around mine. “I love you too.”

The guards took him back and I was left staring at the cage. My heart sank out of my body and as I left the penitentiary, I left it there with Vito. I got in my car and sat at the steering wheel. My fingers hovered over the key, but the tears flowed down my face before I could start the car. I sat at the steering wheel sobbing into my sleeves for god knows how long. When I finally composed myself, I dried my eyes on some spare napkins and I drove back home. I dug through my closet and found my old show dresses and lingerie. My fingers coiled around the lace, wrinkling the fabric into my fists.

A week later I had a job at The Blissful Angel, one of the nicer cat houses in town. It was much larger than The Kitten Heel with a long stage and a small band to play music. It was all I knew how to do other than rob storefronts, and I couldn’t bring myself to go back to that life without him. To my pleasure, I found Margaret was working there as well. She filled me in that The Kitten Heel had closed down a few weeks prior, said the Fat Man had a massive heart attack and his wife sold the place to get whatever money she could. I pretended to believe it, she didn’t need to know I had a part in his death. Having Margaret with me helped me transition back into the old life. I stayed with her for a few weeks, then got an apartment on my own. It was easier going back to my old ways with a familiar face.

A few months after I got the job at The Blissful Angel, I saw a familiar face come into the house. Joe and a few others stumbled in, clearly already tipsy, and Joe beckoned me over. We went into one of the back rooms, but thankfully he didn’t want that from me.

“Where the hell have you been kid?” he asked. “Ever since Vito got the can, you’ve been real distant lately.”

“I know, I’m sorry,” I murmured.

“What happened? I went to visit him a few days ago and he said you two’d gotten into a fight, that you hadn’t visited him since.”

“Please Joe, I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Like hell you’re not. I thought you were my friend!” I gasped and covered my eyes to catch my tears. He shook his head. “Sorry, I’m sorry, I’m really frustrated right now with this.”

I pressed my lips together, breathing slowly to prevent myself from crying and ruining my makeup. “He told me to move on from him, that I should think about settling down with a nice man and living a normal life. I can’t do that Joe, Vito is my whole life. You and him are my best friends.”

“Then don’t. I can get you hooked up with my new boss. I’m working with Carlo Falcone now. We can get you a good position.”

I shook my head. “No, I can’t go back to that life. For now, I’m just trying to scrape together whatever I can.”

“Are you going somewhere?”

“I’m gonna try to get out of here.��

“Where’re you gonna go?”

“I dunno, I haven’t thought about it. Maybe I’ll track down my sister, Alessandra, but I’m gonna go as far as money will take me.”

“Hey, you don’t have to do that. I can hook you up with my boss, we’ll get you some good work.”

“Just…just forget about me Joe. Forget you ever knew me.”

“Charlotte,” he began.

“Joe, please.”

He furrowed his eyebrows. “Fine. You want to break up our team, I won’t stop you.” As he left, I sat on the bed with my face in my hands. I took in deep breaths as the wave of anguish passed, and not a tear was shed. I sat up with my head high and my eyebrows furrowed. As I stood, I straightened out my dress, I put on my most seductive face, and I stepped out of the private room and onto the stage for my number.