#oswald was like a son to fish

[vexahlla]

i am. not normal rn.

[arabriddler]

My unpopular gotham opinion is that while Oswald does have complex motherly feelings towards Fish I genuinely don’t think she sees him as a son. She, for sure, sees that he has complex motherly feelings and she likes to paint herself as a mother as a manipulation trick. She uses the same trick so many times with so many characters even Falcone

that moment they had in the forest? I don’t think she was genuine I just think she knew exactly what to say to get him off her back and to have a potential powerful ally in the future. She’s securing a future for herself and possibly already planning how to take over gotham it’s a shame we never saw her truly be the queen of Gotham.

the thing about fish is that she’s deeply psychologically manipulative. She knows what to say and how to move and she’s physically small and is a woman in a business ruled by men. She knows where her strength lies and she uses it well.

if she acts motherly she already secured Oswald. If she claims that she made him in the same breath she practically owns him, and she did, it was just unfortunate that Jim did what Jim does. It is fascinating to me that she says that she made Oswald when the only canon contribution we saw her do to him is give him a… humbling job and break his leg. Maybe she did see his potential or rather the spirit in him to do more so she kept him under her feet, literally, and tried to block him when he started to crawl out from under it.

I just think they have an interesting dynamic between their characters but it’s less sweet and motherly and more mind games and securing a place in the hierarchy

[writers-wrongs]

I'm begging please yandere gotham oswald cobblepot with a male readers hc

For a queer character there is surprising lack of male reader stuff with him

i think thats bc you can just pretend youre eddie for the experience lmao. but yeah, we need more ozzie content. btw, this is only gonna cover season oneish, mostly bc this man goes through so much and i cant possibly cover it all in one post

yandere!gotham!penguin x male!reader

-you work at fish's club as a waiter, so hes known you for a while. youre one of the only people who treats him with any kindness, the only others being his mother and (sometimes) fish, so he spends most of his free time with you

-he falls for you hard and fast, but he takes a while to recognize it as love. hes been bullied all his life, so he assumes that his feelings for you are just friendship. of course, his mother recognizes her son is in love and gives him a little talk (she assumes its a woman, but her hearts in the right place). once he knows hes in love, he does absolutely nothing with that knowledge

-dont get me wrong, he utterly adores you. youre on his mind constantly. he just doesnt feel like hes important enough to have you yet. why would you ever want a pathetic little umbrella boy? so he stays friends with you, and he starts planning. if he doesnt deserve you now, he'll have to work to earn you

-then the whole "fish tries to have him killed for betraying her" thing happens. and up until he takes over her club, theres not much he can do about you. hes moreso focused on survival at the moment. but when he takes the club, he keeps you around and promotes you to co-owner

-this man spoils you constantly. you want a new suit? he gets you a personal tailor. you say you like a color? the club is covered in it within the week. you say you dont like someone? theyre found dead the next day, and zsasz has a new tally on his arm. anything you want, he takes to the extreme

-aaand now hes fighting for his life again. my poor boy, hes suffered more than jesus and weve only just finished season one. hes now the self-proclaimed king of gotham, and his ego is through the roof. his first act as king? shows up at your doorstep with a bouquet of purple roses and begs you to be his

-if you accept his love, you rule gotham by his side. directly by his side. you two share the throne in the most physical interpretation of the phrase, this man is so clingy. youre never out of his sight for more than an hour, and if you are, all of his men start searching the city for you. oswald practically worships you. to the gotham underworld, youre known as his better half. if someone can convince you to let them live, oswald will listen because thats what his lovebird wants, and what his lovebird wants, he gets

-if you dont, he does his best not to cry. in front of you, that is. he rushes to his mom and sobs for hours. once he calms down, gotham becomes a dark place. no mercy is shown to anyone who messes up, infighting is almost encouraged, and the only rule of the penguin is that youre not to be hurt. people are allowed to affect your life, though. any partners of yours tragically die, youre constantly put into (controlled) danger, your apartment even gets broken into so you dont feel safe at home. if youre not going to embrace oswald willingly, he'll just frighten you into running into his arms

[raphinaloveschaos]

The City Is Poisoned

(Victor Zsasz x Fem!Cobblepot!Reader)

Click the title to go to the masterlist.

Chapter One

It's no news to anyone that Gotham isn't the safest place in the world, far from it. Anyway, I've felt that things have become heavier than normal in the city, more tense.

Maybe it's the recent deaths of Thomas and Martha Wayne. Maybe it's the way my brother Oswald comes home exasperated every night after spending the day working for Fish Mooney, who is a true lady, but has already made it clear that she is an important part of the city's underworld.

Oswald was always a good brother, always close. Despite his physical condition, he always tried to protect me from anything bad that could happen to me and we both take care of our mother. He was always here to have fun and support me.

It was his sudden change and the way he distanced himself that made me realize that something weird was happening at his workplace and consequently, in our city.

At first I thought Oswald was just a helper, until he disappeared and a man and a woman appeared in our apartment. Detectives.

Clearly impatient with any praise my mother had to pay for Oswald, as she stood up to pick up a portrait of him, the detectives whispered to each other something that I couldn't hear from the window where I was leaning, but my mother seemed to hear a buzz.

“What are you…” she tried to ask what it was

“Um…nothing, Mrs. Cobblepot…-” The man interrupts, taking the portrait of my brother that she offered him.

“Kapelput.” My mother corrected the last name and I couldn't hold back the smile.

“Mrs. Kapelput… Do you know anyone who might want to do to your son a harm?”

Upon hearing the detective's question, I move away from the window and walk behind the sofa, facing his partner. My brother is in danger.

“No, I would feel it. A mother feels these things… It's a woman. Some painted slut has him in her clutch.” My mother says and although she is right, that woman and my brother were not involved in the way she thinks. Oswald didn't tell her that he works for Fish Mooney.

“A woman…You think?” The female detective asked.

“I'm sure… So handsome he is, so naive.” The detectives seemed to know that he's not so naive, like I know.

My mother looks at them. “Who are you again?”

***

When my brother returned, covered in bruises and limping more than usual, my worry and curiosity had already taken over me.

“Oswald, if you don’t tell me what the hell happened to you, I’ll tell mom and she’ll beat your ass!”

Not even my failed attempt at humor seemed to shake my brother out of the wave of stress he was in and I watched as he paced back and forth across the room, but I knew that the condition he had would soon cause him to have to lean on something or sit.

“C’mon, Ozzy! You used to tell me everything. What's going on?”

As I walked toward him he stopped moving and looked at the ground, at me and then at the window behind me, but his mind was somewhere other than the aging, gray buildings.

“I’ll get revenge and I won’t involve you in it. Neither you nor mom.”

His gaze seemed darker than usual, as if he had seen or done something he shouldn't have. It scared me, but I tried not to let it show. He was doing what he could to protect us.

My mind raced. Who is he talking about? Is it Mooney? If it is, how would he get her in any way, she's too powerful, too dangerous

“Ozzy, just… promise you'll be safe.”

I wouldn't try to change his mind, it never worked and with the way things are right now it wouldn't end well. I'd rather have him around with family and doing what he had to do than away. Our mother would die without him close. We both know that.

I walked closer to him and took his hand in mine, looking into his eyes. Even though we're seven years apart, we're almost the same height. He squeezes my hand affectionately.

“You're my big bro. I'll always be there for you.”

He gives me a reassuring smile. “I know.”

“Now, get something to eat. There's half of a pizza in the oven. I’ll go get mom from Mrs. Cameron’s.” I open the door and leave him behind to go to the neighbor, who was an old friend of our mother.

***

Ever since it happened, I haven't been able to get out of my head whatever my brother meant by “I'll get revenge.” Thousands of possibilities circulated my mind and I knew that nothing good would come of this whole situation.

To Mom, Oswald may be an innocent angel, but I've heard enough of his angry and sometimes even psychotic rants to know that he's capable of a lot. I love him, but I know he is not innocent.

I just hope I go to sleep and when I wake up I'm not curious enough to try to find out what really happened. Or what will happen.

A/N.: it's short but it's only the begining, so stay tuned! Love y'all!

[nevereverthem]

Gotham : Season 1 Episode 3

Earlier than I thought, here I am watching the third episode of the show.

Honestly, I can't wait to see what happens with Oswald because dude kidnapped a guy to ask for ransom... that he did not get. 🤣😭 I'm still not over the mother not believing it AT ALL.

My silly little crush wants to see Alfred so much! 🙄 I'm also all for having Brucey in his emo phase as I like to call it. I know that's not it, but just the 10 seconds frame of Bruce listening to metal-ish singers while doodling on a piece of paper was 🤌.

Selina is going to save her ass, but that sucks for the other kids though! She is one of the main characters, of course, but the other kids got their ass sent upstate! Don't you forget about that. 🥲

Anyway, here we go.

"There's a war coming..." Aaaaahhhhh! Honestly, starting the episode with Oswald's voice as a 'previously in Gotham' sort of thing, warms my heart. 😌

Gotham's streets... A bus... Oswald Cobblepot in a freaking pullover! Man is gonna be wearing a suit most of the time in the future. Let's enjoy these precious moments of him in casual clothing. 😌 The SMUDGE BLACK MAKEUP!! I know the man's got dark undereyes from exhaustion, but still.

Dude sees : Kids stealing a wallet from someone's back pocket. A cop taking money from an old asian guy. A man stealing a woman's bag. Prostitutes proposing their services to a person in a car... And all that Oswald is thinking is "home, sweet home". 🤣🤣😭😭

Okay, the story starting with a rich guy (Ronald Danzer) who did some shit. He's out on bail and plans on paying for his freedom and sneaking out to escape any problems. Like dude! That is sadly a great representation of how it works in real life too... 🙃

Balloons! And did you see that pig mask!? Foreshadowing I guess!? 😏

Oh MY! Cuffed to a balloon and being pulled up in the air!? That's so cool & terrifying at the same time. 😱

💥 INTRO TITLE 💥

Not the same punch as Oswald stabbing someone in the neck, but we'll settle for it.

Jim! 😍

"No body. We're calling it a murder?" I mean... If the guy went up until there was no oxygen available and died... I suppose it is. 🤷‍♀️ We'll see. Or, if he went that far up and then fell... He probably died from the fall... somewhere. So, it would be a murder.

For once, agreeing with Harvey. The man kinda got "what he deserved". I mean... It's a bit strong... But he probably ruined lots of people's lives so...

Bill Cranston... Switches so fast to being angry to having a hypocritical smile on his face... Dude. X) Okay, so the guy does interviews by beating people down with a little statue? I... 🙃

Hey, that's what I said! Two people killed themselves because Ronald Danzer ruined them...

Oh! Jim bringing up the Mario Pepper case! Ah!

Selina! 😌

Did she really steal Harvey's PEN!? 🤣🤣

Selina "I can see in the dark" Kyle. x) Kitty cat Kat

I don't know why, but Jim and Selina facing eachother with both hands on their own hips just makes me laugh. x)

Selina cuffed to a staircase. Legit... She's using the pen she stole to free herself from the cuffs? Damn! Plus, payoff!

Jim in the sewer. Yuk! Shoes in dirty water.

"Son of a bitch! She was telling the truth." 🤣 (Reminds me of Dean from Supernatural iykyk)

"Oh, Detective!" in Selina's sing-song voice. 🤣🤣 How she throws him back the cuffs in the sewer!

Jim's groan of frustration. 🙄

Fish! Oh no, Lazlo got beaten hard damn. 😮

Fish directly telling Montoya and Allen that Jim killed Oswald. Bitch! 🤣🤣 I mean, great move though. That's technically what happened, although he didn't actually do it. I love when the 'bad guys' tell the truth and it does serve their interests.

"Jim Gordon pulled the trigger, but who gave the order?" Yeay! Mama tryna bring Falcone down!!

"I just want justice for little Oswald." 🤣🤣 I would believe the earth is flat more than that blatant lie! 🤣🤣

Speak of the devil... 🙄

Oswald counting coins... What did he do with the guy he kidnapped? For real, are we ever gonna know? I suppose he killed him, but I would like to get some real answers. 😅

Pocket knife. 😭😭 For food at least...

"Hey, Cobblepot! You're supposed to be dead." Fuck! I wasn't expecting that.

"I'm afraid you have me confused. My name is Dimitri-" Still, the way he talks... 🥵 Plus, did he try to pull off a fake accent? x)

Oh no! Each time Oswald pleads not to be killed is... 😮

"I couldn't stay away. Gotham is my home. It's my destiny. You don't see what's coming. I do. Gotham needs me. I'm its future." Dude sounds like a cult prophet. 🤣😭 He's right though. Foreshadowing at its MAX. x)

Ouch! Achilles tendon! 😮 Killed. By the way, how Oswald manages to get rid of guys who should have physical dominance over him always impresses me.

His teeny-tiny walk! 🐧

"Can I have a tuna sandwich please?" Aw, he can be so soft... when he's been so violent ten seconds before. Bro! 🙃 I love the callback to episode 1. The first time he slits the throat of a stranger to steal his sandwich. The second time, he kills a bad guy, takes his money and actually buys the sandwich. 😌 Can someone draw Ozzie eating a tuna sandwich? 🥹 I just love seeing characters do every day activities. 😌

Waynes' manor! 😍 Okay, I might just like little Brucey ☺️ and crush hard on Alfred. 🙄

Alfred teaching Bruce fencing? Aaww.

"En garde." Aaaahhhh! I know it's the actual term for the sport practice, but each time a character says a french word, I just melt! 🫠 I am french, so just hearing my language makes me somehow proud! And boy... I'm wet. 🤣🤣 Kidding, alright. But it's AWESOME!! Plus, that's Alfred who says it. 🙄🥰

And how is the actor so good at manipulating that cane (used as a replacement for the foil)!? I'm so impressed!

By the way, that scene must have been so much fun for Bruce's actor at the time. 😌

Alfred apologizing to the armor he accidentally hit. 🤣

*Alfred hitting Bruce on the thigh or butt, not sure* "That's gotta hurt." BITCH. 🤣🤣

How did Bruce got the police file of his parents' murder? Okay, he said it wasn't hard. I suppose he just payed them. But how? I don't know if he has access to his money on his own. He's 11. Doesn't he have to get Alfred's authorization or something because he is his legal guardian? Anyway. 🙄

Bruce "If I find a clue, I am" Wayne. 🥲

Jim scrapping mud from his shoes with a paper knife? x)

Montaya straight up asking Jim about him killing Oswald. Not wasting time with innuendos. Effective.

"I didn't kill him." Which is the ACTUAL TRUTH! That's the best part. x) He is both praised and condemned for something that he did not do! I like that SO MUCH! x)

Oswald searching for a job.

"You don't even have the right shoes." Him directly looking down behind at one of the staff's shoes and grinning evilly... Is he planning on killing for SHOES now!? 🙃🙃

By the way "Here, you're on your feet all day." Me, thinking about his bad leg. 🥲

Jim and Harvey arguing about the whole situation of the Waynes' murder...

"For the last time Gordon, let it go."

"Or what? Am I gonna be the next person taken out to the pier to get a bullet in the head?"

AH! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

OSWALD!! You actually really... The shoes. 😭😭

"What size are your shoes?" Blabla "What a coincidence!" 😭😭 His laugh. 😭😭

I CANNOT.

That reinforces the feeling that I have about the fisherman's sandwich scene... That was not Oswald's first murder... Surely not... And if it was... Dude's taking a long way down... 😭🙃

Right now, I'm just thinking about Oswald telling his story to Edward, like the very first steps he took into his villain career... That would be something. 🤣😭

The interview.

Oh, 4 balloons... Who are gonna be the three other supposed-to-be victims then? 🤔

"47$?" - "You're a disgrace to drug dealers." Okay, chuckled a bit. 🙄🙃

Cranston!? OMG, I did not even recognise the guy. 😱 Honestly... I don't really mind... We saw him once... But I don't think he really deserved the balloon thing... Man... That's tough...

Attached by the ankle is worse though.

In the night with a lot less witnesses too!

ALFRED! 😍😍 No, I won't shut up.

Bruce reading the newspaper. Yeah, totally doing that at 11. 🙃

Bruce, GIMME YOUR BREAKFAST! 😋 The lil' flower though. PLEASE!

"What's the new program? Trying to see how long you can go without eating anything? If that's the case I should save myself the trouble of making it." 🔥 DAMN! 🔥 I love how he doesn't miss a moment to shoot! x) By the way, Alfred... You can make breakfast for me. 🙄 Breakfast in bed? Breakfast in your bed... in OUR bed... 🙄

Alfred is trying SO HARD. 🥲😭

Gun holder, the gun, the tie, Jim's gaze straight into the camera aaaahhhh!! 😍 Man's going into battle!

Barbara! 🥰

"[newspaper talk] It says he killed a cop. You're not in danger, are you?" GIRL! Your man is a cop... in GOTHAM. He is in danger every second of his life!

"Everyone has to matter or nobody matters." -Jim Gordon. That did something to my heart. 💔❤️‍🩹

Barbara calling Jim a "hero" because he caught Mario Pepper for the Waynes' murder... That hits hard...

Jim talking about the fact that the balloon man's targets are dirty public figures... And Harvey going "Basically any elected official should stay indoors." is so legit. 😭😭

"Listen, one thing I know is how to find someone." Harvey chatting with prostitutes... I mean, he's not wrong! They can have a lot of informations. Tough job it is! Then he beats a guy down... Typical Harvey. 😅 Stopping to get food. TYPICAL HARVEY! That was the fastest summary of his character. x)

The SHOES. 😭😭 Oswald...

Him realising that he's been hired in a Mob boss owned restaurant! 🤣🤣 His FACE. 🤣🤣 Sorry Ozzie, but you deserve it a bit. "Don Maroni!"

"Great opportunity indeed." Oswald... I can't with him. x)

Harvey got so much informations about the guy they're searching for... Okay, I have to admit that's a damn skill! Respect.

DAMN! Harvey 'woman-handled', thrown around. I appreciate that. Sorry. 🙄

Lazlo being actually worried about Fish is so cute. 🥺

What!? Bitch is getting rid of some girl I didn't understand... AND Lazlo. I... 😭

Barbara. Oh hi Montoya!

Montoya HAS THE KEY!? DAMN!!

OMG yeah, Barbare is smoking... weed I suppose. Okay okay... 🤔

Talking about Jim...

"When we were together I did lie to you." I KNEW IT!! Former lovers! Aaaaahhhh

She's talking about being sober for a year etc... What she did blabla... What did Montoya DO!? 😮

Failed attempt at a kiss. I saw that coming. RIP.

Barbara being with another person (Jim) who might also be lying to her... The pattern is repeating itself... Girl must be feeling so down.

OMG the balloons are gonna pop? It's gonna rain bodies? 😭😭 Imagine you're going about your day and then a dead body falls from the sky... 😨

Totally what happened. The woman who died though. RIP for real... 🙏

A church guy being the third victim? Not surprised... 😅🙃

Maroni talking about Arkham!! I'm so excited!!

Obviously, Oswald listening in the background...

New name : Paolo. He's really trying, but he gets it wrong. x)

He's lying about being Italian on his mother's side, "the side that he claims", but the truth is that he actually does love his mother. Half lies. x)

Maroni just gave him money out of the blue?

The little talk about starting from nothing and making yourself by working hard etc... FORESHADOWING!! 😌

"Gotham is the city of opportunity." Hum... Shouldn't it be 'Gotham is the city of crimes'? x)

"Honestly sir, I didn't hear anything at all." "Atta boy." YES!! That's actually the ONLY way to react when you are asked if you heard ANYTHING! 😌

"Go take care of your mother, Paolo." That would be so sweet... but you know... x)

The walk! I like the fact that even when we just see his upper body, Oswald's actor actually always does the walk! I mean, that's part of the character so you HAVE to do it, but like, you notice it, you actually do notice it, and I love that about him! 🥰🐧

The guy actually hiding in the former juvi facility. Meh, can't be smart about everything. Gotta catch the guy 9 minutes before the end of the episode ya know. x)

Is it a TRAP!? Like for Harvey, or Gordon? 😮

Oops. Harvey's been caught.

Harvey pleading his case to the killer saying that he's thankful, that he's doing them a favor. Great defence. 🤣🤣

Oh my God... The killer's talk though... He's so right... Public figures almost never pay for their crimes... So he did justice himself... I feel that man...

Jim's conflicted because he knows that the man's right...

FUCK!! The whole man's speech!! This is the premise of Jim's morality path... Damn it!

NNNNNOOOO! Harvey cuffing the guy to the balloon was a fucked up move! Jim grabbing the man! Please I hoped he would, but damn he's flying in the air with him now. 😭😭

Jim didn't want to let go and begged (ordered?) Harvey to shoot the balloon instead! THANK GOD! Jim, you're doing so good there. I know you're gonna go somehow dark later, but for now... freaking thank you!

The landing on the top of the pickup must have hurt though. 😅

Falcone!!

OMG Natalia was Falcone's "girl"... 😮 That's the one Fish ordered to get into an "accident". 😭

Arkham again... Damn.

Btw, Fish's makeup. 🤌

Damn. Who's the guy's last target?

Bruce's "He killed people too. That made him a criminal." Okay, let me get this straight. I don't condone murder, but I get the idea that sometime you need to be a bad guy to do good. Imagine if killing that guy now would prevent a hundred innocent people to be killed. Killing is not something right to do, but in that context, you kill one to save the others, you know? What I mean is... It's a tough subject, but if killing one person saves a lot of others... And I mean one actual bad person against kind of good people... and I don't really mean "good people", just people who actually did not do terrible things, you know. I don't even know if I would be capable of doing something like that, but the self righteous belief that killing is bad in every context... I don't think it's true. Anyway.

Alfred with his APRON. 🫠 Make me dinner too. 🥰 Please. 🙄🥰

Alfred witty remarks. x)

Bruce is EATING, finally dude.

Jim, home, must be full of bruises, damn. The man struggles to sit down. He didn't break a bone because it's a tv show, hum. 🙄

Barbara concerned again. 🥲

Seeing Jim's face... It's like he's really been 'moved' by the balloon man's speech. It's like an electroshock. I feel like he's about to tell Barbara about Oswald. 🤔 (he did not, oops)

"I want you to know that you can tell me anything." BRO! She's giving you a chance to come clean. I mean, technically you are clean, but ya know.

"This city's sick. Sick in a way I hadn't realised." For real though. 🙃 Harvey told you in the first episode. 🙃

"Doesn't matter" That's the 'last target'? Disappointing, but I get it. That also genius 'cause basically the guy only had 4 balloons, but there's way more people that would 'need' to be cuffed to it...

Jim's speech on people, justice, the law... 👌

Barbara wants to believes him so bad! Girl's crying!

OOOOHHHH, the knock knock knocking... Tell me... I think I saw that... That's him right? HIM!?

OSWALD!! 🎉 In a SUIT!! I told YOU!! (Btw, did he buy a new suit with the money Maroni gave him ? Or did he take his suit to dry-cleaning to get rid of the blood stains? Just wondering 🤔) He wanted to look good for Jim. 🙄 Let me fantasize. x)

"Hello, James. *huffs* Old friend." AAAAHHHH!!

He's already calling him 'old friend'. 🙃🙃🙃🙃 I guess throwing you into the water, instead of shooting you, makes him somehow closer to a friend than an enemy, but... 🤣🤣😭😭 The AUDACITY!! x)

Jim's face. Oswald's smile. AH!

Jim had a freaking day... and it's not over. 😭

FUCKING HELL. MY GOD. I... AWESOME.

I don't even know what to say... Just... My brain's not working anymore...

[Okay, a tiny bit disappointed that we didn't see Edward this time, but I know there is going to be a lot of him in the future. So that makes up for it.]

1. Alfred did not say "bloody", not even once, in the whole damn episode!! 😮 I'm utterly disappointed!! 😔 But I still like him, of course. 🙄🥰

Late additions, two hours later, when my brain decides to function again :

Like, comment, loose your shit with me... It's your choice!!

2. Barbara will at least be relieved that her boyfriend is NOT a liar (not really yk) nor a murderer. Because here he is : Oswald Cobblepot, flesh and blood!! 😌

3. The fact that Barbara is BI, BI, BI! 🎶

Looking forward to the next episode!! 🫶

[graham-oswald]

full name — graham theodore pendleton-oswald iv

nicknames — teddy, teddy-graham ( by parents/grandparents )

faceclaim — lucien laviscount

gender & pronouns — cis man ( he/him/his )

age — twenty-seven

birthday — 05 / 07 / 1997.

occupation — mayor’s aid at the townhall

neighborhood — cardinal hill, formerly oak gardens

length of time in blue harbor — local, moved for college

i haven't had access to my main computer with photoshop—all icon credit goes to @carestuff— but i wanted to get the ball rolling ! so, here is graham in a short n' condensed description:

the pendleton-oswalds formerly owned one of the largest fishing companies in blue harbor, and it all started off of one tiny fishing boat. they were big ballin' and had it all.

it was passed down from son to son up to graham "gray" theodore pendleton-oswald iii (graham's dad). parental death tw: tragically, gray and his wife, ella, passed away in a road incident when graham was ten.

since graham was too little to become the official heir, the business itself was passed onto a cousin, and left graham and his retired grandmother to fend for themselves.

they had to leave their home in oak gardens and set up a life in cardinal hill.

he went to harvard for his undergrad, and is currently studying for a jd while also working as a mayor's aid.

LOVES all things "vintage" he's got a hefty vinyl collection, is constantly wearing nice suits and leather shoes, and more frequently watches things movies and shows in black & white than technicolor (very much the influence of living with his grandmother).

he still lives with his grandmother, and helps around the house since she's gotten much older.

generally well intentioned, but even if you take away the wealth he still sometimes has a hubris that was instilled from birth.

not a dog or a cat person (a secret third thing called having no pets); loves to cook (his specialty is his mom's pepperpot); has no knowledge of music past like 2007.

there's a full biography in my pinned post if you're interested in learning more!

[thepaintedlady00]

Nightshade

Chapter 15 | Chapter 17

Chapter 16: Little Fish

TW: as always mentions of drinking, smoking and some minor mentions of drug use (current and past), language, mentions of sexual content, some classic catfight material (Tess vs. Simone) a bit of jealous Jake, some kind of heavy topics, I haven't been to New York so please suspend your disbelief while I poorly describe shit, I also do not speak Japanese so the translations all came from Google Translate. I apologize in advance if they're wrong. And this long ass chapter was edited quickly so if there are any mistakes either ignore them or please politely point them out so I can try to go in and fix them. Enjoy y'all! This bitch is 28 pages so stay hydrated and well fed! 😂

Oswald rarely had a quiet moment to himself. One certainly foregoes all notions of such when caring for a family of three misfit orphans. But, in the slightly too dark and slightly too musty storage area behind the bar, Ozzy had a moment to himself. He used the time wisely, slowly looking through the old photo album and giving each picture the remembrance it deserved.

It was all there, every birthday and Christmas and vacation. His whole life. The bits that mattered, anyway.

His worn fingers ran over the picture of him and Jack after his first win in some small-time boxing match. It'd taken a better part of thirty years for the brute to convince him to try boxing. Ozzy trained for only a month before agreeing to the match, one he was positively certain Jack had rigged, just to get it over with. All the punches, all the early mornings, and the wisecracks from the kids were made worth it that night when he won. When the love of his life, a love he thought long lost, kissed him in the middle of the ring and gave him that stupid boxing title.

Oz "The Wizard" Moore. So original.

That joyful feeling that filled his chest at the thought of Jack Harrow was always accompanied by the bitter pain of losing him. The young man he'd met in the alley when they were nothing more than two nineteen-year-olds hiding who they were from the world was extraordinary in every way. Strong, not just in the physical sense but in the mental one too. Jack was every bit the man his father wasn't. 

Ozzy remembered all the times he stumbled on Jack taking a beating from his father. Beatings, he supposed, the older, conventional type of man thought would "cure" his son of habits he disapproved of. Habits like making out with the clueless nineteen-year-old trying to run a business in the building next door. And yet, even after a brutal show of force, Ozzy would find Jack in that alley, waiting for him with a smile.

It was funny how a disgusting alley in New York City could be so… Romantic. It was a space between their two worlds, one tiny sliver of an idea, a hope that the two of them could go against the odds and make it. A dream, one that ended when Jack's parents found him a wife.

Everything between him and Jennifer changed him, yet Oz remained close to Jack. Friends. A simple thing that they'd both convinced themselves they could live with, yet a term they knew wasn't going to change how they really felt. Ozzy had worried at first that the manipulative shrew had taken too much when she left. He worried that Jack, his best friend and the man he still very much loved, would crumble under the loss of his little girl and the threats Jennifer spewed. That wasn't his style, though. It never had been.

Ozzy held back tears as he continued through the pages. He'd spent the last four years trying to carry the grief with a calm mask. He'd lost the love of his life, a love he'd only just regained, and it hurt more than anything he'd ever known. But those kids, his kids, didn't need to lose another parent, so he moved forward, but that bittersweet ache remained.

Pictures were now all that remained of that young man, that stubborn man, that tragic epic of a love with too little time.

After restacking the boxes remaining in the bar's storage, Ozzy held the photo album to his chest and turned off the light, shutting the door behind him and locking it tightly. Dom rounded the corner, shoulders straight and face tense. A sense of uneasy fear washed over him, causing his fingers to curl tighter around the book. "We've got a problem."

*

The sounds of large men stuffing their faces full of the modest breakfast I'd prepared for them gave me a victorious feeling. They groaned and slurped and laughed together as I washed the dishes left from my cooking. It wasn't much of a thank you for the long sleepless nights they dedicated to patrolling my street, but it was all they'd let me get away with.

Ryker shook his head, pointing to the half-devoured pancakes on his plate. "This is the best thing I've ever eaten."

Wit and Ollie nodded in agreement. "I'm gonna miss this."

"Come on," I insisted. "You don't have to pretend you'll miss standing outside my door all night."

"It wasn't so bad," John reassured me, setting his plate in the sink beside me.

"I hate to doubt you guys, but… Is Dom sure everything's over with?" I tucked my hair behind my ear and laughed. "I really don't want any more rocks through my window."

Ryker finished his pancakes and stood, giving me a tight squeeze as he set his things down. "Don't worry. Dom's got it all under control. You know him."

"I do." The relieved sigh that left me alleviated the heavy weight of all that I'd been dealing with. If Dom said it was safe, I believed him. "Thank you, guys. Seriously."

"Like I said, don't worry about it, kid."

Wit was the last to put his dishes in the sink, ruffling my hair as he followed the others out of my apartment and returned to Dom's warehouse. The lack of gruff bikers walking around my apartment was odd, but I was glad it was over. More so, I was glad that nothing truly bad happened. No one was hurt or threatened. No one even saw him. Maybe that meant he'd finally given up… Finally, let me go.

It was an impossible thought. I knew that, knew that it was far too hopeful to ever be a reality. But I clung to it anyway. Like ivy clinging to an old, weighed-down chain link fence, I clung to the hope.

My phone pinged, and a text message from Mr. Hiragana's associates lit up my screen. My employer looks forward to your meeting and wishes to know how many guests we should prepare for.

Scott and I had discussed the meeting a few times since the night Mr. Hiragana had his associate give me the business card. He was ready. More than that, he seemed excited, a rare thing for Scott. Jake, however, bristled at any mention of it. I knew it wasn't intentional but rather a symptom of his trauma, so I never pushed him for a straight answer. The vague "maybe's" and "I'll think about it's" were enough. But now I needed an answer. Two. I replied. I plan on bringing two colleagues from 22West with me.

Excellent, we will make all the necessary preparations. Thank you.

Closing my phone and gathering my things together, I started walking to work, going over possible ways to broach this subject with Jake when the time came. Either way, it was gonna be a hell of a night. I walked past a few cooks smoking in the alley, greeting everyone with smiles and a bit of casual banter before heading inside, where the relaxed feeling of the alley shifted into that of a blood bath.

"You can't keep pulling this shit!" Scott yelled.

Howard stood in front of the pissed-off chef with an emotionless expression. "I understand your frustration, but this situation is hardly my doing."

"Bullshit!"

Howard quieted Scott with a raised hand as he turned to me, straightening his jacket. "Lena." Having only the stiffness of his voice to gauge his mood, I assumed he was stressed. "Our lovely hostess is… Out for the night. I need you to fill in for her."

"Alright," I replied warily. "Is there something else?"

"No." Scott rolled his eyes, aggressively chopping fine slices of meat. Howard sighed, barely glancing at the chef. "There's appropriate attire waiting for you upstairs. I had Will put it in your locker."

The tension didn't ease as I headed toward the stairs with a quiet thanks. Ari and Sasha just finished changing, offering me smiles and kisses as they hurried to the family meal. Inside my locker, a dry cleaning bag hung with an emerald green dress inside.

The soft fine velvet, an expensive feeling material, made me pause. Surely there was some sort of mix-up. I'd seen what the hostesses normally wore, and while they did dress up on important occasions, their attire was never like this. When Will emerged from the door leading to the upper level, I stopped him. "Will! Uh, Howard told me there'd be some clothes for me in my locker, but…" Holding up the dress, I smiled tensely. "This seems like a mistake."

Will shrugged. "That's the bag Howard gave me. I double-checked, and he said that was the outfit he picked."

"Okay," I replied with a chuckle. "Looks like I'm gonna be a bit overdressed then."

It was a beautiful dress, hugging my figure in a flattered way, the long sleeves ending perfectly at my wrists, and the dress stopped just above my knees. The sweetheart neckline was more revealing than I'd expected of a hostess' dress, but it made my breasts look good. Inside a smaller bag was a pair of matching emerald earrings and a long golden necklace with smaller emeralds placed throughout.

Putting in the earrings, I slid off my old shoes and put on the heels provided for me when a light knock echoed from the doorway. Howard smiled, eyes trailing down my body as he nodded approvingly. "You look radiant."

"Thank you," I said, awkwardly holding the necklace. "Is it some kind of special occasion or something?"

"No," he answered. "No special occasion. If you have to, you can consider it an extended apology for my part in your mother's schemes."

"That's hardly necessary, Howard."

Gesturing to the necklace, he smiled softly and sweetly. "May I?"

I handed him the necklace with a slightly awkward shrug. "Sure."

Howard carefully pulled my hair over my shoulder and clasped the necklace around my neck. He stood back and nodded approvingly at the green sight of me nearly reflecting in his glasses. "Perfect. I trust you're feeling confident about hostessing tonight?"

"You know me, Howard," I said with a tight smile. "I'm always feeling confident."

"Of course," he chuckled, squeezing my shoulder. For a minute, he looked like he wanted to say more, opening his mouth only to be interrupted by Simone appearing in the doorway. She drank in the sight of us with a pleased smile. Howard withdrew his hand and nodded to us both. "Have a good service tonight, ladies."

"You too," I replied, turning to reorganize my things in my locker. 

"Howard," Simone practically purred as the manager slid past her.

The locker room fell silent. It'd been a while since Simone and I had spoken more than two words to one another, and I wasn't looking to change that. Silence was safe. It meant there would be less of a chance that I'd dig up more than I already had. I knew what I knew. I knew what a monster Simone was, but Jake didn't. Jake still loved the woman who had raised him, lied to him, and abandoned him. The woman that had used him. It wasn't my place to force him to confront everything she'd done, and I knew better than most what could happen.

Forcing someone to face the worst parts of their life, things so traumatic and life-altering, was like playing with fire. One mistake could burn a house down. Jake had his house, his world, built on Simone. She was the mother he lost, the sister he never had, the one he thought of as his first love. Losing all that, the foundation of his whole life would destroy him. 

Tearing an entire house down was hard, even more so when you have to do it board by board. But I wasn't afraid of a bit of hard work. I'd tug every loose board Jake showed me, and I'd help him rebuild, just like my family had done for me. Starting life over was a pain most people didn't have to live with, and for those that had done it, well, we needed to stick together.

I closed my locker and turned to face her, having decided with a sigh. "Mind if we talk for a second?"

She looked over her shoulder, arching a perfect brow. "I think it's overdue."

"I'm not going to apologize for anything I said,'' I began. "I think you deserved to hear every word. But I realize the strain our animosity is causing Jake, and I care too much about him to make his life harder."

"You have strong opinions of me," Simone replied after a minute of thought and a scoff at the mere uttering that I cared for Jake. Her voice was flat, speaking matter of factly, void of emotion. "And despite how misguided and unfounded they may be, I respect your right to have them. You don't want to be friends, which is fine with me. However, since it seems you have no intention of going anywhere, I agree it'd be best if we weren't enemies."

I could read between the lines. This was a truce but also a warning. She lifted her head, setting her lips in a thin line showing me exactly how unhappy she was having this conversation. Yet, she still did it because it mattered to him. In some very deep and manipulative way, Simone cared about Jake. It wasn't right, this relationship they had. I knew that, but at that moment, for whatever reason, Simone agreed with me. "I have no issue being civil, Simone. As long as we share a mutual interest, I have no intention or interest in trying to undermine you."

"Smart," she admitted, though I could see in her eyes she was seething over my openly admitting I was interested in Jake. "I do hope your opinions of me change, but for now, I suppose all that matters is Jake."

"Seems like we agree then."

"It seems so." She smiled, turning to finish primping. "Thank you for the conversation, little one."

I ground my teeth together at the nickname I now could safely assume she used to try and twist the dull blade left by my mother, but instead of pushing things, I turned and hurried down the stairs to grab some food while I still could. The enthusiastic whistles were instantaneous as Sasah and Ari practically tripped over themselves, trying to get a good feel for the soft fabric now shrouding me in green. Heather complimented the color and the fit, admitting she was slightly jealous that I got such a nice outfit instead of those hideous stripes.

The only person missing was Jake. After the family meal was cleared away and the preparations for the night of service started in full, I assumed Jake was back to keeping a much more loose schedule. Though he wasn’t Howard's favorite by a long shot, he’d likely grown more comfortable falling back into his late arrival as Howard's focus seemed to shift elsewhere. After double-checking the tables and the flower arrangements, I headed toward the hostess stand, determined to get acquainted with the reservation book before service started. 

The tables that had occupied the small square of space to the side of the front door had been rearranged, and the hostess stand had been moved over, now in full view of the large window. I turned to Nicky. “Did this get moved?”

He shrugged. “No clue. Maybe Howard’s trying to use your pretty face to get people interested in coming in for dinner sometime.”

“You’re hilarious, Nick.”

Chuckling to himself, he carried on with his tasks, and I carried on with mine until I felt comfortable with the names of the guests. Hopping behind the bar, I started helping him polish glasses, just looking for something to keep my hands busy while my mind still struggled to come up with a good way to talk to Jake about the meeting. The bartender walked through the doors as if on cue, straightening his tie.

His eyes widened slightly as he took in my appearance. Drawing his bottom lip between his teeth, he leaned against the bar's side, admiring my ass in the dress. “Well, good evening to you too, princess.”

“You’re later than I expected you to be,” I replied casually. “You missed your chance to ogle at the dress properly.”

“It’s not the dress I’m ogling,” Jake smirked, standing beside me, just a hair too close. “You should play hostess more often.”

I tilted my head slightly, sending him a quick doe-eyed stare. “And why’s that?”

“I’ve got a good reputation with hostesses.” He said, eyes drawn to my lips.

My brow quirked as I narrowed my eyes at him. “Didn’t Roslyn say she hated your guts and wished you’d die in your own shit?”

Jake shrugged, reaching over to grab a glass and polish it, finally seeming to realize he was at work. “Roslyn was bitter a hell. Trust me, she didn’t have many complaints before I blew her off.”

“I wonder why?”

“So, the dress,” he said, changing the subject. “Is the Pope coming in for dinner, or are you just trying to impress everyone on your first night being a hostess?”

“Howard insisted I wear it.”

Jake rolled his eyes and scoffed. “What a gentleman.”

"What, you don't like my dress?" I teased, sliding past him back toward the hostess stand.

Jake stayed behind the bar but stood at the far end, watching me closely. "It's a great dress. I just can’t believe Howard’s trying to buy your attention with gifts.”

“It’s just for the night.”

“Yeah, whatever.” He looked at the dress one last time before the night really started. “I still prefer you in red, though."

Rolling my eyes, I arched a brow. "And here I thought you were gonna say something stupid like how you prefer me in nothing at all." 

He hummed, grabbing another glass to polish with a grin, "Hmm, that doesn't sound like me."

Service was a lot less stressful when all I was responsible for was the guests at the door and a few coats. It was also much easier to get distracted being out in the front with Jake all night. Watching him cater to the guests with that gleaming grin and natural charm was like watching an artist at work. It was cheesy and obviously about the tips, but I still couldn’t look away, and neither could the guests. The true show was when he’d roll his sleeves up and give everyone close by a good peek at the growing muscles of his arms. 

Jake caught me staring a few times, sending me a wink or a slow drag of his eyes down my body. It was invigorating, so much so that I shamelessly pictured what it would be like to have him pin me to the hostess stand and finally put those accursed and talented lips on mine. Or, better yet, back on my pussy like he had a few days ago. As always, Jake seemed to be able to tell when my thoughts drifted to less friendshiply things. His eyes darkened, and his smile grew far more smug. He enjoyed showing off and capturing my attention like this, but two could play that game.

I was thankful for the dress at that moment as it allowed me the perfect opportunity to lean forward and instantly draw his gaze to my breasts. They looked soft and supple, but judging by the hungry look in Jake’s eyes and the way he ran his tongue along his lips and teeth, he was disappointed it wasn’t covered in his hickeys. The dress also gave me many opportunities to show off the body Jake seemed to enjoy so much. Lifting my hands over my head, I stretched slightly, and his eyes couldn’t keep themselves from admiring the subtle arch in my back and the curve of my waist. It was too easy but no less fun.

Eventually, Howard requested I serve the guests at the door a small taster of wine to help sell whatever product it was that he wanted to focus on tonight. I slid behind the bar, Jake watching every step, and reached up to try and grab the bottle I needed, only to find myself too short. My eyes narrowed as I distinctly remembered watching Nicky and Jake grab the bottle from a much lower, more accessible shelf earlier. Then I felt the heat of Jake’s body at my back and realized his goal.

Large hands gripped my hips, holding me steady as I attempted to turn. I had to bite my lower lip as he gently kneaded his skilled fingertips into my flesh, massaging lightly before lifting a hand up. Jake didn’t need to lean into me to reach the bottle, we both knew he was tall enough, but that certainly didn’t stop his shamelessness. I could feel the pronounced half-hard outline of his dick glide against the soft fabric of the dress. The sensation made a shiver run up my spine as a soft, barely audible moan whispered across my skin.

The bottle was placed in my hands, and Jake settled his lips beside my ear, smirking as he whispered. “There you go, princess.”

“I wouldn’t have needed the help if you hadn’t of moved it.” My mouth was dry as I turned to look up at him, chest to chest, faces far too close for “just friends”.

He shrugged. “I blame the dress. Clouding my judgment and whatnot.”

I met his teasing with a smirk of my own. “Judgement? You?”

“I have my moments.” His hands squeezed my hips one last time, sliding along the dress before he winked. “Better get back to work before Howard pitches a fit.” The bottle. The guests. Right. I turned quickly to gather the small testing glasses, but not quickly enough to miss Jake’s praise. “Good girl.”

Fucking. I turned to glare at him as the urge to squeeze my thighs together nearly overtook me. He smirked into the drink he started making as I mumbled some vaguely empty threat about getting him back later. The guests came first, or whatever. As I turned, my eyes locking onto a pair of wide brown ones, I knew there wouldn’t be a chance to continue our game. 

Tess moved to the bar, throwing her purse on top of it in front of Jake, almost causing him to spill the drink he was making. With an angry look, he regarded her. “What the fuck are you doing?”

“It’s been weeks,” she said coldly. “You said you were gonna talk to me, and then you just ghosted me.”

“I’ve been busy.”

Looking around, she shook her head. “Yeah, real busy. So busy you can’t even bother picking up the phone.”

Jake leaned forward. “Get the hell out of here, Tess. We’ll talk about it later.”

“No.”

“Just-”

I saw the blonde hair exit the kitchen before Jake and Tess did, and when Simone’s polite face crafted to get the most tips from her guests fell into a deep and very obvious scowl, I knew everyone in this restaurant was fucked. Her grip on the plates tightened as she slid past the bar in silence. Jake’s demeanor shifted in less than a second. There was no trace of the playfulness and cockiness he had just moments ago, nothing but tense anxiety. “Tess, leave. Now.”

“Why?” She demanded. Stubborn and oblivious. “So you can just blow me off again?”

“Tess-”

“No.” She turned and glared at me. “Is this because of her?”

Jake looked at me, the word he wanted to say almost visible in his eyes. “No.” Yes.

I was frozen, staring at the nonverbal confession that hung between us. A confession that, if ever admitted aloud, would change everything. Simone’s blonde hair broke us both out of the daze as she approached Jake at the bar, acting like she hadn’t seen Tess at all. Acting like even if she had, it didn’t matter. 

“My love,” she started smiling as she leaned on the bar next to Tess. “I need a bottle of Opus for table seven.”

Jake couldn’t move, his eyes slightly wide as they flashed to Tess. “Okay.”

Simone nodded, moving to turn away when she “spotted” Tess. “Oh… Hello Tess.”

“Simone,” Tess replied, voice dripping with bitter anger. 

“It’s good to see you,” Simone continued. “You look well.”

Tess shook her head. “Yeah, getting away from all the drama of this place must agree with me.”

Simone’s smile was thin as she nodded. “That’s good.”

“How are things here?” Tess asked. “I haven’t had much time to catch up with everyone.”

“They’re good,” She replied. “As always.”

“As always?” Tess spared Jake a look. “Guess that means you two are back in bed together right? That is if you ever stopped.”

That was when everything shifted. The simple pleasantries were gone, replaced by anger and hatred I could only assume was held in for too long. Jake moved, quickly rounding the bar to get to Simone’s side just in time for her to laugh in Tess’s face. “You always were so insecure.”

Tess moved to stand. “Insecure? I was right about you and your twisted bullshit!”

“How dare you come here and attack me when you were the one to destroy our friendship.” Simone bit back. “How dare you.”

“All I wanted-”

“All you wanted was something you cannot have!”

“That’s enough,” Jake said, gently nudging Simone.

Tess’s eyes filled with liquid as she desperately wanted to cry but held it in. “It was all your fault. Everything! You just couldn’t stand the thought of being the sad, washed-up waitress you are.”

“How’s Howard?” Was Simone’s reply. “Oh, you wouldn’t know, would you? He was never really interested in you, after all, was he? You were just easy, like always.”

"That's enough," Jake repeated, shoving between Tess and Simone, forcing the blonde to meet his eyes. "Come on, Simone. Just walk away."

She scoffed, an action that made her look more animal than a woman. Her teeth bared, she practically shoved Jake away from her. “Typical.”

He winced as she walked away, seething with anger, but he still moved to follow. Tess grabbed his shoulder, her wide eyes filled with desperation and disbelief. "Seriously, Jake?"

"Get the fuck out of here, Tess," he replied roughly as he pulled himself away from her to follow Simone.

"Fucking…" Tess groaned, grabbing her purse from the bar and turning to leave in a huff.

I followed her out, watching her wipe budding tears away from the corners of her eyes before speaking, "What were you hoping to accomplish with that?"

She glared at me. "Why the fuck do you care?"

"Because that little showdown, confrontation, whatever, just made Jake's night - hell, maybe even his life a lot harder," I replied. "Someone that cares about him wouldn't have done that."

"Stop acting like you know me!" She shouted. "Like you know him!"

"I don't know you, Tess. And based on all I've seen so far, I don't want to. But I do know Jake. I know he still cares about you, and I know how bad you hurt him." I looked inside the window at Howard, ordering the servers to control the damage. "You're young and naive. That's fine. It's understandable, but sooner or later, your sole focus on what you want is gonna drive away the people that care about you."

Tess turned her head too, looking inside the window at the tight smiles and quick, stressed movements of her former coworkers - her friends. "I… I didn't mean for this to happen. I just wanted-"

"You just wanted," I repeated. "I hate to be the one to teach you this lesson, but it's not always about you."

"So what? I'm just supposed to put everyone above myself?"

"It's about balance." I gestured to the bustling street. "That's what this city is, Tess. Balance."

Quickly looking around her, she asked, "How can you just stand there while she uses him?"

The insinuation that I didn't care as much about Jake as she did because I didn't get rid of Simone made me chuckle. "Rome wasn't built in a day. Getting out of unhealthy relationships doesn't happen overnight, either. Goodnight, Tess."

Inside service continued as though nothing happened. The guests ate up the gossip and drank expensive wine laughing about the show. It made my chest burn with old, cruel words I'd bit down on for as long as I could remember. Rich people sucked. They felt so above it all, so much better that they forgot the people they laughed and joked about were real fucking people. That show, as they called it, was someone's life. But, as always, they didn't care. They didn't even pretend to.

"When you have the kind of power money gives you, you don't have to pretend, baby girl."

Nicky handled the bar by himself, while Jake handled Simone. It wasn't easy, but the veteran refused any attempt at helping I offered. Things flowed smoothly from there until Jake returned to the bar. His body language and blank expression told me all I needed to know. The guests didn’t spare him, not bothering to stop talking about the outburst and not bothering to whisper it either. 

Jake’s jaw was tense as he finished the night of service, handing Nicky the tips and moving past with a simple. “I’m getting changed.”

I knew the hostess usually stayed to see the guests off, but my feet moved to follow him regardless. The kitchen was buzzing with the gossip, but no one stopped me to ask about it as I hurried up the stairs just in time to catch Jake punch his locker as hard as possible. I jumped, the metal groaning beneath his fist threatening to swallow me in the past, but I forced myself past it and slowly joined him in the empty locker room. “Hey.”

He looked over his shoulder, moving his fist from the metal and shrugging off the sting of pain I knew he felt. “Hey. Aren’t you supposed to be kissing the guest's asses?”

“Howard can manage that,” I joked lightly. “We both know how adept at ass-kissing he is.”

Jake chuckled, a soft sound that at least gave me - gave us both - a moment of relief. “Yeah, yeah, he is.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“No.” He started tugging at the buttons of his shirt. “There’s nothing to talk about.”

I nodded, averting my eyes to give him some sense of privacy. “Okay, that’s fine. Can I give you a hug, at least?”

He exhaled a shaky breath. “I don’t need one.”

“Who said you did?” I asked, slotting myself against his back. My arms wound around him, and my cheek settled against his bare back. “This is for me.”

With an appreciative chuckle, Jake placed one of his hands over mine. "Well, if it's for you, then I guess I can survive."

We stood like that for a while before I pulled away and let him change. "Tonight was kind of a shit show, wasn't it?"

He turned, eyes appreciating my dress one last time before I moved to change. "It had some highlights."

"So, you gonna call Tess back?"

"No." He fixed his shirt and put his earrings back in. "Told you I wasn't interested in getting back with her."

"I know," I replied. "But does she?"

Jake shook his head and shrugged. "I haven't told her anything besides telling her we'd talk later."

"I think you should." He looked at me with curious eyes. "Talk to her. Who knows, it might do you both some good. You know, closure or whatever."

"Did you get that with Francois?" He asked.

We hadn't spoken about that night. Jake didn't ask about it, and I hadn't brought it up, but clearly, we both remembered the hours he spent with me while I was in a low place. I shook my head. "That's different. I don't… I don't think he and I will ever get that."

Nodding, Jake sighed. "I… Sorry, I shouldn't try to compare. What happened with Tess and I is different from that."

"I get it," I said, shaking off the tinge of hurt that thoughts of Francois still brought me. "That a no to talking to Tess?"

"I'll think about it."

"How's Simone?" I forced myself to ask.

Jake shrugged again. "I got her calmed down, but she still seemed off.

"Are you skipping Ozzy's tonight?" I asked, turning away to change. "You know, to check up on her?"

"No," he said quietly. "She said she wanted some space."

"Yeah, what Tess said was a lot." Part of me lingered on her comment about Simone and Jake getting into bed together. Jealous and painful and not something I wanted to pull to the surface.

Jake, however, didn't need me to ask that question. One look, and he just knew in that way he always did. "It was just her trying to get a rise out of Simone. She and I… It's complicated and messy, but things haven't been like they were, not since before you started working here."

He wouldn't outright confirm they'd slept together - he couldn't - but his vague words brought me some comfort. "Sorry."

"Don't be," he insisted. "It's a good thing. At least, I like to think so."

The loud voices of our coworkers echoed through the stairwell as they clamored up to change and probe Jake for exclusive gossip on Simone and Tess' catfight. I changed while they talked, and Scott eventually joined the group. He still looked upset but wasn't actively cursing anymore. 

As soon as he finished changing, he turned to me, cigarette already between his lips. "We still on for the meeting this week?"

"Yeah," I answered, carefully looking over at Jake. It wasn't an ideal time to talk about whether or not he planned on joining us, but now it looked like it'd have to do.

Scott nodded, glaring at Jake. "You coming?"

"Maybe," the dark-haired, broody bartender replied. 

"Whatever, man."

I waited until everyone funneled out of the locker room before I smiled at Jake. "I told Mr. Hiragana's associate to plan for two extra guests. So, if you are planning on coming, there's a spot for you."

His jaw tensed again as he nodded, looking away from me. "Okay."

"Jake, if this isn't something you're interested in doing," I smiled, stepping in front of him and turning his face toward me. "That's okay."

"Simone-"

"This isn't about her," I said gently, pressing my hand against his chest. "This is about you. What you think. What you want. So, don't make the decision for Simone or Scott, or me. Make it for yourself."

"That's more confusing than you think it is."

"I know." I squeezed his hand and lightly tapped his chest. "I just want you to do what's best for you. To be happy, no matter what you choose."

His eyes softened, and when he nodded, I knew he'd try to think about it without inserting anyone else. "Thanks."

"No problem, sweetie. Now ditch the lemon face and come on, or we'll be late to Ozzy's. I've gotta help with the bar tonight."

*

Jake sat in the booth at Ozzy's, listening to Patrick and Peter plan some exercises for him to try now that he'd started showing some skill in the sport they both loved. Quinn and Ari sat at the bar, and Sasha searched for a man to ensnare for the night. Prue and Will grabbed their drinks from the bar and slid into the empty spot beside him.

His eyes were almost glued to Lena as she worked behind the bar. Jake had watched her do it so much over the past few months, but it never lost the deep, almost sexual appeal. The way she moved, was confident and experienced while maintaining her fun, lovable nature made him so drawn in. Seeing her tits a bit when she leaned over wasn't such a downside, either.

The only thing that seemed different about tonight was the lack of a certain drug dealer's presence. He noted how Lena searched the crowd of his usual crew and how her face fell slightly when she didn't find him there. That made him feel a tiny itch of jealousy, one there from the start but one that hadn't bothered him too much.

A flash of deep blue and sparkling silver caught his eye as a police officer made his way through the crowd with searching eyes. The man was tall and well built with a face women would find conventionally attractive. He reminded Jake of Will. Blonde hair, blue eyes, and a look about him that just screamed goody two shoes. Prue turned her head and smiled widely, making an excited speaking noise as she shot up in the booth and waved to catch his attention. "SAMMY!"

The blonde turned his head, grinning ear to ear at her as he made his way to their table. "Prue bear!" He wasted no time bending across to hug her, signing a simple conversation with the artist before Quinn's familiar laugh caught his attention.

"Sam I Am. Sam I am, oh how I love that Sam I Am!" Quinn said with a wide grin as she engulfed the officer in a tight hug. "It's good to see you, blue eyes."

"You too, Quinny," the blonde man replied.

She pulled back, wiggling her eyebrows. "Can I taze somebody?"

Chuckling, he shook his head. "No. Is Lee around?"

Quinn rolled her eyes and nodded toward the bar. "Course, she's where she always is."

Jake watched the blonde man's eyes light up at the sight of Lena wiping down the bar. A bitter taste filled his mouth as his chest tightened with a similarly bitter feeling. The officer straightened his back and smiled at Prue, offering her another quick conversation in sign language. Seeing her friends regard him with fondness only made the feeling worse. Then the man's blue eyes landed on Jake. "Hi, I don't think we've met before."

"We haven't," Jake said almost angrily, earning an arched brow and a knowing smile from Quinn. "I'm Jake."

"Jake," he dumbly repeated, reaching over to offer his hand. "I'm Sam."

He looked at Sam's extended hand and friendly demeanor and quickly decided to offer him neither in return. Jake leaned back in his seat, putting distance between him and the hand offered. Sam only smiled as he shrugged his shoulders and let his hand drop. "It was nice to meet you."

Quinn slapped his shoulder. "Now let's talk about that taser."

As the two of them walked away, Prue shook his shoulder. Her hands moved quickly, his eyes taking in the motion but only catching a few words. When he simply stared at her after she'd finished talking, she nudged Will, who sat up and reluctantly translated. "She's asking what your problem with Sam is."

"I don't have one," he said simply.

Prue rolled her eyes and laughed, signing a word she knew he knew. "Bullshit!"

Will smirked, the sight of it lighting a fire in Jake that hadn't been lit for months. "Got something to say?"

He'd always been someone Jake disliked. His attitude, his hair, and the way he talked and moved through life so unencumbered. Truth be told, Jake knew Will wasn't acting like he was better than everyone. He just was. When Will first started at the restaurant, Simone asked, "Why can't you be more like Will?"

He was honest and hardworking, dependable not only to his employer but to his friends. Will was everything Jake wasn't. Simone knew it, and so did he. So when Will scoffed, it took every ounce of his self-control not to punch him. "You know what," the man laughed. "I do have something to say."

"Let's hear it then," Jake replied, wanting nothing more than for Will to finally dish back the slew of insults and grief he'd given him over the years.

Will didn't do that, though. His eyes narrowed slightly as he asked, "What the hell are you doing?" What? Jake's whole body relaxed with shock at Will's genuine expression. "You and Lena have been doing this whole friendship with benefits bullshit for months now, and it's pretty damn obvious to everyone else you both want it to be more, so what the fuck are you waiting for?"

"Lena's made it pretty clear she doesn't want to be anything more," Jake replied.

"Bullshit," Will said and signed. "She's only saying that because she's worried you've just been playing the long game."

"What?"

"Let me put it this way," he leaned forward. "How many new girls have you fucked?"

"Pretty much all of 'em."

Will nodded. "And how many of those girls do you talk to now?"

Jake sighed. "None."

"If you're serious about her, then show her that." Will's expression never shifted as he offered Jake advice he didn't deserve. "I know you and I have never been friends. And I know better than most what an absolute dick you are, but even you deserve the chance to be happy. More importantly, so does she."

He turned his head, unable or unwilling to continue meeting Will's too-kind gaze. The bar was practically empty now, except for a few drunk patrons and now Sam and Lena.

*

A knock echoed on the bar, followed by a nervous clearing of one's throat. "I, uh… Got a call about a potential drug deal."

Turning away from the shelves of liquor, I smiled. "Well, well, if it isn't Officer Mayfield." Sam blushed, just as adorable and innocent as I remembered him. "You got a warrant?"

"No," he chuckled. "Just going door to door asking if anyone's seen anything suspicious."

"Mmm, so you're just asking to get lied to."

"Basically."

"Well, in that case," I leaned on the bar and smiled. "I haven't seen a thing, Officer."

Sam's eyes drifted slightly to the generous view down my top, his face turning beat red as he cleared his throat and nodded. "Dom isn't here then?"

I shrugged. "I wouldn't know anything about that. I'm just a bartender."

"Just a bartender is definitely not how I'd describe you." That genuine tone I hadn't heard in months made me smile more.

"Is this the part where you say you need to strip-search me?" I teased.

Sam's eyes widened just a fraction as he stuttered over a response before, finally, he chuckled. "It's good to see you, Lee."

"You too, Sammy." I walked around the bar and hugged him tightly, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. "You know I'm gonna have to kick you out now, right?"

"Wouldn't be Ozzy's if a cop didn't get kicked out."

Patting his shoulder, I grabbed an abandoned drink and splashed it in his face. Sam grinned, those blue eyes shining fondly as I pinched his now wet cheek and nodded toward the door. "Don't trip on your way out, pig."

Dom's boys laughed, raising their glasses to me and oinking loudly as Sam passed through the crowd. Still smiling, I moved back behind the bar as Quinn, Jake, and Sasha made their way over for refills. Ozzy stepped out of the office, looking around at the commotion. "What the bloody hell is going on out here?"

"Sam dropped by," I answered.

Oz smiled, nudging my shoulder. "And how is Officer Mayfield?"

I shrugged, opening a beer and passing it to Quinn. "Dunno, we didn't really get to chat much."

"Shame," Ozzy said, tucking hair behind my ear. "Always liked that boy of yours."

Jake's jaw clenched slightly as I passed him a drink. His blue eyes were guarded, hardened by the deep-set scowl on his face. Quinn noticed it, too, and decided to be her naturally bitchy self. "I liked him too, though if you're gonna fool around, I ask that you lock the door so I don't have to see you two get hot and heavy in the bathroom again. I don't think I've ever seen handcuffs used that way."

Rolling my eyes, I shooed Ozzy out of the way. "You're all so funny."

Sasha leaned on the bar, grinning like a cat. "Tiger Bitch! I never would have pegged you for a lover of the law!"

"I fucked a cop Sasha," I replied. "That's hardly 'lover of the law' territory."

"You fucked that cop a lot, though," Quinn added. "At one point, I think we all expected you to get together."

Jake's jaw ticked as he ground his teeth together, taking a stiff drink. "Yeah, well, you're all idiots."

Quinn rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Can we at least talk about what I caught you two doing on Halloween a few years ago?!"

"I'm going out for a smoke," Jake said, pushing off the bar and out the back door.

With an evil, satisfied smile Quinn shrugged. "Wonder what's up his ass tonight."

"You're a bitch." I served the last drinks and left the clean-up to Ian so I could follow Jake. The sound of chains rattling made my eyes narrow as I moved through the back room to find him in front of a punching bag. "I thought you were going for a smoke."

He nodded to the locker room. "Someone's waiting for you."

Shit. I hurried out to the back alley just in time to catch Whisky hissing at Sam before he jumped off the couch and scurried through the open door. Sam chuckled. "Guess the strays still know I'm a dog person."

"Yeah, that's not exactly something they forget."

"Hey," he said quietly, a nervous greeting.

"Hey," I answered with a smile. "Is this a meeting with Officer Mayfield or with Sam?"

"Just Sam," he answered. "I… I wanted to see you. Not for work reasons."

I nodded, joining him on the couch. "I'm glad. You're a good friend, you know, after you overlook the cop shit."

He laughed and looked at me with those pretty eyes. They were lighter than Jake's. A sky instead of an ocean. "I know we agreed not to… You know be together, but I… I've been thinking about you a lot recently."

"Sammy," I sighed. "You know that's not a good idea."

"I know." He looked out at the brick wall again. "Guess I just miss you."

"I miss you too, as my friend."

Sam's cheeks reddened slightly as he gestured to the door. "So, I, uh, met Jake. Is he your…"

"Friend." I replied with a sigh. "A complicated one."

He seemed happy, almost. "You like him."

Rolling my eyes, I sent him a look. "You're just as bad as Quinn."

"Come on, Lee. Obviously, the two of you are more than 'complicated friends'." With a nudge to my shoulder, he smiled. "I'm glad you found something like that."

"You'll find it too. Handsome guy like you is bound to land one hell of a girl."

"Hopefully!" He replied, standing up and opening his arms to one last hug. "See you around?"

"Course you will. I'm hard to miss." As he turned to leave out the alley, I hollered out to him, "Ditch the uniform next time, and I'll buy you a drink!"

He waved. "Got yourself a deal, Lee!"

Back inside the gym, Jake continued to punch the bag in front of him, eyes focused and expression tight. Beside him Whisky sat on top of his jacket, purring softly. Instead of trying to get his attention, I simply joined him on the punching bag next to him with a simple, "You can smoke now."

"Officer douche is gone then?"

"He's hardly a douche, but yeah, he's gone."

There was a pause in his hits as he said, "So, guess I'm not the only one that knows about the couch."

I looked over at him, seeing the unspoken hurt in his eyes. "I've only taken one other person there. And it took Sam years to get that privilege."

I could tell my words made him feel better, but there was still something bothering him. "He seems like a good guy."

"He is."

"Why aren't you with him then?"

I shrugged, throwing a few more punches. "We're just different people. Sex is uncomplicated, but anything more than that would've been a disaster." Jake didn't seem satisfied with my answer. "Sam's sweet. He wants what a lot of good guys want out of life. A meaningful career, a nice house out of the city with the white picket fence… kids."

"And that's not what you want?"

"I like my job, bartending and cooking. It's simple, and I'm good at it." I threw another punch at the bag. "And I love living in the city."

"What about kids?" He finally asked.

I stopped hitting the bag, numbness prickling my fingertips like needles as I dumbly let myself remember that hospital room. Beaten and broken, but finally free. I remembered how clean the air smelt. It was so clean I could practically taste it. My Dad's voice reassuring me that they'd all be back after a good hose down in the bar alley… Dom sitting beside me when the doctor came in.

"No." The word was cold and definite. "That's… I…" With a sigh, I forced my limbs back up, punching the bag once, twice more. "I've never really wanted that."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jake nod. "Understandable. That domestic shits the worst."

A slightly tense but relieving laugh bubbled up out of my throat. "Sounds like you've had a lot of bad experiences with that domestic shit."

"Not really," he replied with a chuckle. "Just figured, given everything…" I understood the pain that he held in the unspoken words. "I doubt I'd be any good at it."

He punched his bag several times, taking that frustration and anger out on the sandbag, signaling this conversation's end. We worked out alongside each other for a few minutes longer before changing and sitting on the old alley sofa as we did most nights. Whisky curled up between us, using Jake's jacket as a blanket, with my head on his shoulder. "You know, just for the record," I began softly. "I think you'd be pretty good at that domestic shit."

Jake made a soft noise, letting his head fall over mine. "I think you would be too."

Like most other nights, Jake walked me back to my apartment, whistling at the sight of an empty doorway. I rolled my eyes at him. "That's right, no more babysitters for this girl!"

"Didn't think Dom was gonna let you outta his sight after the rock."

"Neither did I," I admitted. "But here we are. Safe and sound."

He smiled as we reached my door, wiggling his eyebrows. "Gonna invite me in?"

I playfully shoved him. "Goodnight, loser."

*

There was a chill in the air that made my bones feel heavy inside my body as I made my way through the crowd of people making their way toward the entrance to the Botanical Garden. From the gate, I could see the orange and red leaves of the trees and lines of pumpkins highlighting the coming festive season celebrations. Scott stood to the left of the gate, arms crossed as he waited. Jake wasn't with him.

My heart dropped slightly as I approached. "You heard from Jake?"

"Nope," Scott replied. "Looks like it's just us."

I turned, looking out at the sea of faces, hoping to find him among them. I meant what I told him, but still, I wanted him to want this. We slowly started moving, heading toward the Hill and Pond section of the gardens. With every step I took, I sent out a small, heartfelt wish that Jake would come. That his decision would somehow lead down the same path as me.

*

Jake's leg bounced nervously as he twisted the card between his fingertips. Not like he was new to doing dumb shit, but this… This was stupid. He kept repeating what Lena said, that it didn't matter to her if he decided not to join them, but somehow that just made him more confused. 

Simone would be livid if she found out. When, he corrected. Keeping a secret from her was impossible, especially one like this. Guilt made his chest feel heavy, restricting every breath he tried to pull into his lungs. The last time he did this, Simone was scared… She was heartbroken, thinking he was abandoning her after all she had gone through with Etienne, Tess, and Howard. He couldn't make her feel like that again. 

Jake knew he wasn't abandoning her, but the memory of her raw, vulnerable expression of support was enough. At the expense of the cook's respect for him, he hadn't been able to go through with it then with Scott. Why did he think now would be any different? A soft noise drew his eyes up at the man standing beside him, with long hair and slightly wrinkled skin. He bowed. "Is this seat taken?"

"Knock yourself out," Jake replied, still feeling breathless by the crushing weight of this choice.

The man sat, dark eyes looking at the card in his hands. "Are you a fan of the gardens?"

Jake's brows scrunched together. "What?"

He pointed to the card. "The Hill and Pond garden. A staple of Japanese culture in the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. Are you a fan of this place?"

"Oh," he looked at the card again, shaking his head. "I haven't been."

"Ah, this is your first visit, then?"

This guy was getting kind of annoying. "Yeah."

The man settled in his seat with a smile. "Who is the woman?"

"What?"

"You do not seem the type to enjoy a random trip to a garden," he replied. "I mean no disrespect, of course."

Jake stared at this stranger for a minute before he shook his head again, slightly frustrated that he was even entertaining his questions. Months ago, he would've already told this freak to fuck off. He blamed Lena. Blamed her infectious curiosity and annoying kind-hearted nature. Eventually, he answered, still displeased with the whole situation. "It's not like that. I'm supposed to meet with some people about a business opportunity."

The man nodded. "Ahh, a great blessing."

"Yeah, if I show up."

"Do you not want to?"

"That's not…" He sighed. "I don't know what I want."

The stranger shook his head and held his cane tighter as the bus shifted. "I do not think that is true."

Jake scoffed. "Whatever."

The old man shifted in his seat, looking at Jake with understanding. It caught him off guard for a second. "May I offer you some advice?"

He didn't know what this stranger's deal was. Maybe he was some fake psychic con artist or just crazy, but at this point, Jake figured, what the hell. "Sure."

"It can be dangerous, walking through this life uncertain of where you are heading. Unsteady feet make it easy for others to sway you down paths you do not belong on."

Jake pulled his lips together, nodding along with the nonsense the man spoke. He held in a laugh. "That's vague."

The man laughed. "Life is often vague. Especially so when you are following the path of another."

"You think I'm not on my own path?"

"I know it," he replied. "I was like you once. Confused. Angry. Uncertain."

"And how'd you figure it out?"

The man touched a small pin on his front coat pocket and smiled. "I had the guidance of a very wise friend."

Jake looked away from him and sighed. "Well, I don't have many of those."

"You have more than you think."

"Do I?" Jake mocked.

The man only smiled at him, rising from his seat as the bus stopped at the gardens. "May I offer another piece of advice before I leave you?"

Jake put his hands up in defeat and sighed. "Sure, why the fuck not?"

"Two kindred souls do not find one another by simple accident." He bowed, the rainbow koi fish pin catching the light. "Kono kaiwa o arigatō."

Jake watched him go, meeting up with a few people in fine black suits that bowed to him as he approached. What the fuck? He stared at the entrance to the gardens, heart hammering in his chest like waves crashing against each other. He felt heavy. Breathless. And it was then, in the midst of an internal storm, that his mind was made up. Seconds before the door closed, Jake got off, walking briefly toward the entrance, each step echoing the one thing his mind and heart could agree on. Lena. 

*

Scott and I sat at a metal table, round with designs of swimming koi fish on the surface. It had to have been custom-built and brought to the location hours prior to the meeting. An array of finely dressed staff stood, perfectly poised around us, ready to fulfill our every request. Scott sniffled the tea they'd placed in front of us both. The fine Japanese porcelain was lined with gorgeous blue designs, cranes and flowers, and fish and trees. It was expensive. A show of good faith that we, as potential partners in business, valued such things of beauty.

It had been years since Mr. Hiragana and I were able to have an actual conversation. So much had happened… So much had changed for both of us. I was looking forward to seeing him outside of the restaurant, in a space where we could talk freely. One fish to another.

As the light October breeze rushed through the trees, I admired our surroundings' beauty. A gorgeous pond of swimming koi was to the right, each ripple glistening in the high sunlight. To the left was a singular path that Mr. Hiragana's associates blocked to ensure this meeting was private. The short cutleaf maples lined the higher ground along the path and shaded the table with their yellowish-reddish leaves and tall winding trunks.

I'd seen trees like them in my time in Japan. While I rarely had time to myself around my mother's scheduling and Tony's "tours", I somehow found time to find gardens to walk through. Aside from hotel bars the gardens were where Mr. Hiragana and I spent most of our short time together. It felt like he was trying to emulate those days walking among the garden flowers and the trees with twisted trunks.

When Mr. Hiragana walked down the path with a gentle smile and his rainbow koi pin, I felt a sense of relief wash over me. He bowed, speaking a calm Japanese greeting, and both Scott and I reciprocated. Gesturing to the table and the spread of finger foods, he joined us. "I hope these small treats have been to your liking while you were waiting."

"I'm not much of a tea fan," Scott began. "But this is decent."

"I am glad. I apologize for my lateness. My bus was delayed."

Scott's eyes narrowed. "You rode the bus here?"

Mr. Hiragana nodded, eyes drifting to the side as another figure turned onto the path. "I quite enjoy it. You never know who you will meet in such a place."

My head turned, and my heart leaped into my throat as Jake stopped next to the table, eyes on Mr. Hiragana. "Son of a bitch."

"Jake." My voice was soft; the incredibly too intimate way his name unconsciously slipped from my tongue made me want to cringe. But, he turned, soft ocean eyes looking at me as he smiled. "You came."

He shrugged, slowly taking the seat next to me. "Figured, what the hell? This could be fun."

I smiled, a warm and intense feeling filling my chest. "I'm glad you came."

"Whatever," Scott replied, looking at Mr. Hiragana. "I wanna get down to business. No more beating around the bush."

Bowing his head, Mr. Hiragana obliged Scott's crass request. "Your food is incredible. Truly art in edible form. I noticed how… Kibishī… Um, strict, the menu is at this 22West."

Scott scoffed. "Yeah, no shit."

“It is an outdated practice, not allowing such creativity to flow. I would see that you receive a more appropriate way to explore your talent.”

“Wait,” Scott leaned forward. “Are you offering me a job?”

Gesturing to one of the associates beside him, Mr. Hiragana placed a folder on the table before us. “Not exactly. I would be more of an investor. This way, you have full control over your menu and budget.”

Scott was the first to look at the paper, his eyes growing wide before he leaned toward Jake and me, showing us the written form indicating just how much Mr. Hiragana was willing to pay for us to start our own business. “Holy shit.”

“Is this for real?”

I looked up at him and bowed. “This is too generous.”

“Nonsense.”

"Why are you doing this?" Jake questioned, an uncertain look on his face.

"A little fish once asked me a question. Simple as it seems, she asked me if I was happy." Tears built in my eyes as Mr. Hiragana smiled at me. "Only then did I realize all that was missing from my life. Because of that little fish and her insatiable questions and bright spirit, I am the man I am today. All of this, my business, my family, it is all because of her." He bowed his head, speaking in Japanese, "A debt I will never be able to repay you, little fish."

"A debt you will never have to repay me," I answered.

Scott and Jake glanced between us, obviously confused, but Scott set the folder back down after a beat. “I’m in. Whatever you want me to do. I’ll do it.”

“I still feel like this is too much,” I replied. “But I would never deny your generosity.”

His eyes shifted to Jake, who looked silently at Mr. Hiragana. “And you? Have you decided what path you wish to be on?”

The response was odd, but Jake seemed to understand as he nodded. “Guess I’m in.”

“Excellent,” Mr. Hiragana said. “I believe you, Ms. Harrow, have a location in mind already.”

“I do,” I answered, slightly surprised he remembered the building I’d spoken of in one of our more recent passing conversations.

“Take your potential partners with you, let them see the place, and then we can discuss the details.” He stood, bowing and taking hold of his cane. “It has been an honor meeting with all of you. I look forward to our future proceedings. Please, take your time and enjoy the park. It is truly a lovely place.”

The three of us sat silently for a minute before Scott asked, “Did that just happen?”

“Yup,” I replied with a laugh. “Well, you guys want to go and check out the place I’ve got in mind now, or did you wanna stick around for a bit.”

“Let’s go.” Scott was on his feet in seconds, already heading down the path toward the exit before Jake and I even blinked.

Jake stood next, quiet and tense, with an expression that made him look like he’d just sucked on a lemon. I nudged him as the two of us followed after an excited Scott. “I am really glad you came.”

He looked over at me and shrugged his shoulder. “It’s not a big deal.”

“Yeah, it is,” I insisted. “And I want you to know that if you decide you’re really in I’ve got your back.”

“I know that,” he said. “That’s not why I’m… confused.”

“I understand.” My fingers brushed against his as we walked. “I just wanted you to know.”

We caught a cab to the older neighborhood where the tall, long, abandoned building sat in a big empty lot. Trash and graffiti littered the area as we approached the fence. Scott looked around, eyes filled with imagination as he truly looked past everything to see what could be. Jake, however, looked unimpressed as he asked, “Where the hell are we?”

As I slid under the busted chain link fence, I shrugged. “It used to be some hotel, but it’s been closed ever since I can remember. It’s not far from Ozzy’s, though, so there’s a perk.”

The doors were busted open, glass crunching beneath our feet as we walked through the large doorways and into the nearly completely gutted space. Patches of missing walls and peeled wallpaper made it hard to grasp the bigger picture, and the exposed wires hanging from the ceiling and ripping up from the remaining walls made it even more difficult to imagine this place ever being up to code. But I could see it. The dream of a beautiful restaurant with a top-of-the-line kitchen. I could see the dream my dad always encouraged me to go for.

"How much is it?" Jake asked, eyes wandering around the space.

"Free, technically."

Scott chuckled, shaking his head. "Bullshit."

"It's already owned," I clarified.

"Then how are we gonna build anything here?"

"My dad bought it," I said, fingers running over the smooth bar top. It was the only finished piece in the building, long and beautiful mahogany. "He was going to give it to me when I finished culinary school. But... Well, neither of those things happened."

Scott gave me a look. "You wanna use it for this? For my restaurant?"

"Our restaurant. I said I wanted in, and I meant it. You and I can run the kitchen, hash out a menu all that. Or I can take the bar if grumpy Jake decides he's not interested." I gave the quiet man a grin. "Either way, it'd be ours. I'd even put your names on all the papers and shit."

Scott scratched his head and looked at Jake. "What do you think?"

"It's a hell of a space," he said quietly as he moved to observe the bar. "Once you look past the… mess."

"It's in a decent part of town, too," Scott added. "Not too close to anything else to make it hidden but not so far away that we'd miss out on city clientele."

"Oh, there's also a huge parking lot around the side, so you could hire valet." Jake raised a brow at me, and I shrugged. "I told you, the place used to be a hotel." Turning, I gestured to the elevator at the room's far end. "Which also reminds me there's space up top for an apartment or two. Elevator still works, or it did last time I checked."

"Penthouse suite?" Scott laughed. "Your old man really thought of everything, didn't he?"

I smiled sadly, tracing over the initials carved into the bar. "Yeah. He was good at that."

"What's the catch?" Jake asked.

"Don't got one," I replied. "Everything's legally in my name."

Scott looked around a new expression of genuine excitement on his face. "I'm not much of an optimist, but this place is perfect."

I smiled. "No complaints?"

"Nah, not from me anyway." He nodded to Jake. "It's him you gotta worry about stepping out."

I looked at Jake. "Complaints, Mr. Grumpypants?"

He didn't reply immediately, eyes scanning the new space like he was trying to find something to make this whole thing not worth it. After a minute, he shook his head and sighed. "Nope."

"Don't sound too enthusiastic about it," I teased, hoping it would draw him out of the cold exterior he'd had all day.

It didn't.

Jake just rolled his eyes, searching his pockets for a pack of cigarettes, placing one between his lips. "So, what now?"

Scott answered before I could. "Now's the part where you're either in or out. I'm in."

"I'm in," I replied, looking at Jake with an expression as understanding as I could convey without words. I wanted him to say yes - I wanted him to join Scott and me in breaking away from 22West, but I wanted him to do what made him happy. "Jake?"

Scott pointed at him. "No pussying out this time."

Blowing a steady plume of smoke out of his mouth, Jake shrugged, clearly trying to appear as casual and bothered as possible. "Eh, what the hell. I'm in."

Holding out my hand, I grinned. "Partners then?"

Scott shook the outstretched hand first. I lifted my other toward Jake, who rolled his eyes but shook it anyway. "Partners."

"You two gotta shake hands."

"I'm not doing that."

"Fuck no."

This was gonna be fun.

*

Dom leaned against the side of the beat-up truck, hastily sucking in his cigarette smoke as he stared at his bike with a scrutinizing gaze. The damn thing was always having some kind of issue, more lately than ever. A part of him, one ruled by frustration, considered getting rid of it, but the other always reminded him why he kept it.

Still, it was a pain in the ass. 

The warehouse door opened, and Fluffy led Lena inside, laughing at the joke she'd told him. Fluffy raised a hand to grab his attention. "Got a visitor, boss!"

"What are you doin' here?" He asked, blowing smoke off to the side to keep it out of her face as she drew closer.

Lena held up a lighter and smiled. "John left this at my apartment."

Dom nodded. "He's been missing that."

"I can imagine the old goat smokes more than you do." She set it down on one of the tool carts. "Haven't seen you at Ozzy's in a few days. Everything alright?"

He smiled a gesture meant to ease the obvious question she avoided like the plague. "Everything's fine. Drug dealer shir, nothin' for you to lose sleep over."

Lena nodded, trying to cover up the deep sigh of relief. "That's good, I guess."

"You off to work?"

"Yeah," she replied, turning to leave. "Have fun with your drug dealer shit, whatever that means."

"Give those rich fuckers hell, kid," he called out to her, the words tasting like ash of his tongue. Dom felt the cigarette butt beginning to burn his chilled fingertips as he remembered the last time he'd uttered a similar farewell.

"Those'll kill you, ya know," she chided, reaching up to pluck the cigarette out of his mouth and quickly snuff it out beneath her foot.

He rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah. Got class today?"

"Yup," she replied, patting her bag. "Shouldn't be gone long, though. That reminds me." She tossed her keys to him. "Take the bike in for me?"

"It givin you trouble again?" He asked, studying the keys.

With a shrug, she hopped down the first step. "You're the mechanic, you tell me."

Dom chuckled, pulling another cigarette from his pack as she headed down the sidewalk. "Hey," he hollered. "Give those nerds hell, Sarah!"

Her green eyes sparkled as she turned and waved at him over her shoulder, blowing her blonde hair out of her eyes. "You got it, big brother!"

Lena turned, her green eyes catching the light as she smiled at him, waving at him over her shoulder. "You got it, Dom!"

The cigarette fell from his slightly shaking hands. Dom stared at the empty doorway for a while after Lena was gone, head clouded with the past. Ryker bumped his shoulder. "You alright, boss?"

"Yeah," Dom replied, though the lie tasted even worse than the memory had. "Let's get back to work."

[guzmapkmn-archive]

hewwo dear please tell us more abt mattwald ,,, how do ryan and oswald make up !!

- @linkclick

OK HI i waited to answer this until after we watched the finale bc i didnt want to spoil anything KJHSDKJGFSHG

BUT OK SO. ryan manages to get to the hospital in time to see oswald try to kill falcone so he pulls a gun on him and goes ‘oswald, you’re my best friend, but I’ll be damned if I’m gonna let you kill my father in front of me’. jim walks in on them and arrests them + butch. when ryan and everyone else are tied up in the warehouse, oswald can tell he's afraid and even tho they're both still pissed at each other he still asks if ryan is ok, so quietly that ryan almost misses it. ryan is like 'what do you care?' but hes too scared to really be angry

since ryan is not only falcones son but its well known in the mob that he works with oswald, fish tells him his death is going to be slow and painful, and since i am a crybaby irl, ryan tries and fails to stop crying. everyone is staring at them which makes it worse. oswald notices and gets SO pissed. when fish kills maroni and everyone escapes, oswald cuts ryan loose and leads him away to make sure he's ok. they kinda frantically apologize, and oswald BEGS ryan to forgive him, hes the best friend oswald has ever had and he doesnt want to lose him, hed give anything to keep him, which means SO MUCH to ryan, that oswald seems to genuinely like him so much to want to keep being friends with him. they do properly talk after the events of the evening, but oswald is forgiven the second he starts fighting to keep his friendship with ryan

[toonsurvival]

My Dream Fanmade ToonTown Series

I want to create a Full on Season of Fan-Made Episodes based on the History of Toontown Rewritten and Toontown Corporate Clash, I like the Idea and the Lore of the Games including the Story and Design.

The Problem is that I don't have the Skills or Experience on how to make a well made story and money to hire people to help make my Dream Come True, I have a few Ideas on what the Characters relationship are and what they Experience also Personality.

I just have not flushed it out yet and finished their backstory and World Building on how the World and Logic Works in that universe.

I want to make sure my future Coworkers are happy with the Rules and Pay i have for them in the Future Once I prepare and gather stuff.

I don’t want to end up being in a Dead Team or Toxic work Environment once I start this Project. I'm not good at Socializing or telling People my Imagine but I will try my Best.

I also want all the NPCs to have their Own Personality and Different LifeStyles with their Unique Personality and including backstory while putting Background Characters either made by me or my Team.

I also want to include Random Strangers in the Toontown Fandom to summit their Toon or Cog Characters so they can be in the Background, this includes Doodles and Fishes.

I was planning to Include Disney Characters in the Series like Goofy, Donald, Mickey, Minni,Oswald, Max basically Goofy’s Son

Clarabelle Cow and The Mcduck Family but… I'm worried that I will get in trouble if I ever put them in the Fanmade Series so…. I might make a Knock Off Versions of them or just scrap them out of the Story Completely and focus on the Main Characters instead.

It’s really hard to collect every single piece of information in Toontown by myself so… i’m also gonna create or ask people to summit Fanmade Toontown Food and Drinks including Product and Fanmade Music. I also want characters to have their own fighting styles so it won’t be boring to watch and it will have fun animations.

All the NPCs and Characters will talk in Dialogue or Pop Bubbles like from the Comics or Games. Only in special Scenes they will have their own Unique Voice, and this Series definitely will have Amazing Music and Theme Songs too 😀.

Also the Cogs will look More Machine Like since Transformer Earth that show… the Characters Look too Damn Human

And i don’t like it, i rather have them take more of a Robotic appearance instead… that what makes them Unique in the First Place, Same thing with the Toons, i want to stick to the original as much as Possible. No Boobs on Toons it looks Uncanny… and the Toons having Human like Legs is a No No.

The Toons will definitely have different body shape and sizes

The Design of the will look similar to the base design like Toontown, Looney Tunes And Animaniacs but mostly Toontown Bases.

Even though the Game is for all ages the Show will be 13 and Up since it will have some Dark Themes And etc. Honestly it depends on how mature the Person is and who they introduce it to.

Problems I need to solve 😩

The problem is I don't have money, and I don't have the skills to make my Dreams come ture

It's gonna take time and a lot of work, plus my family life will sometime make me ditch my Plans and Projects I want to make since I'm Damb Helpful and Useful Everytime they need help with something. It's a curse and a Blessing to be Resourceful and Children like playing with me so much.

....

Even though I am a Bad Influence, since I showed them Horror and they instantly fall in love with that Genera.

Lol, my friends don't trust me to babysit 🙃 their future Kids if they ever get married in the future

Since I will definitely show them Video Games that are meant for Older People like FNAF or Poppy PlayTime, etc.

[heddailler]

Thoughts on how this would play out under the cut

- Takes place mostly in King's Landing (the capital of the seven kingdoms)

- Bruce is the crown prince. His parents get assassinated making him king at a young age. Falcone is the head of a powerful nobel family and hand of the king (the king's main advisor/ second in command) and he basically runs everything. I think we could have an interesting tension between these two.

- Alfred is the commander of the kings guard (knights who protect the king)

-Gordon and Bullock are in the city watch (they're cops)

-I have big plans for Fish. She is a business woman and a brothel owner. She's pretty rich and powerful but not necessarily very respected in this society. At some point she dies, like in s1 of Gotham, and gets brought back through some mysterious magic. Word starts spreading about how she came back to life, and slowly she starts getting really popular with the common people of the city and becomes almost like a religious figure to them. She probably calls out corruption among the rulers. (I think she is still power hungry and self serving, but she has a point)

-Ed starts off training to become a maester ( they are scholars + healers). I'm thinking of taking him in a mad scientist direction, maybe bro is trying to find the key to immortality, maybe he is trying to revive his beloved Kristen (there are no women at maester school but I wanna find some way to include Kristen idk how)

-Oswald already acts like he's in Game of Thrones tbh. He works for Fish, betrays her, becomes her rival etc etc. Also he is the's the illegitimate son of a semi important noble man, but lives with his mother of course

- Ed and Oswald both do something that gets them sent to The Wall to join the Night's watch (the Night's watch protect the realm from ice zombies and other scary stuff. Joining them is a punishment for basically any crime) Oswald for killing Theo Galavan or something similar. Ed for doing some sort of horrible, abomination to the gods, mad scientist shit. And that's how they meet! :D

-Something happens so they can escape before they get to The Wall and they somehow get back to King's Landing (i know these bitches wouldnt survive in the wild please suspend your disbelief) and i think Oswald should somehow meet his dad, like in s2, and get made into a legitimate heir and maybe his dad dies too. With this new standing he can start his political career for real!

-Maybe Ed gets really interested in the Fish Money cult and how she came back to life

-I think Sofia Falcone should be in this. I kinda want a Sofia and Oswald political marriage. I think it would be horrible for everyone involved. Weddings are always a good idea in the game of Thrones world :)

Gotham (2014) Game of Thrones au (its a great idea hear me out)

[julpux]

“Everything I've done in my life, possibly the best thing was turning Oswald Cobblepot into... the Penguin.”

[doctorpandorica]

Pengie looking like his mama

[howl-fantasies]

Hi, I was wondering if Y/N and Zsasz only like to listen to disco or also dance to it? Could you write what they + gotham villains think about dancing?

😁

Hello dear!

I laugh so hard imagining the two at the disco, I had this exact scene in mind :

Now to answer your question, I think they can do both. Victor knows how to groove, (remember the guys Rap scene with Oswald when Ed was stupid 😂). They don't really have the time to dance or go to the disco though. Plus it would be dangerous : too many people, poor visibility, etc. They prefer do it at home, in their flat most of the time because Zsasz would be in a goofy mood after a good kill or torture session. He would go back home and find Y/N doing whatever she's doing with the music turned on.

If the song inspires him he would just walk to her and grab her hand to pull her out of her seat and initiate a dance, oftentimes as ridiculous as the one in Pulp Fiction. 😂

Now for the next part, sorry in advance for the English mistakes, I wrote it on my phone, and English isn't my first language, I'm working on it though.

What do they think about dancing?

VICTOR ZSASZ

For Victor, dancing is something funny to lighten the mood or annoy Y/N, since he's a better dancer. Disco aside, he knows the waltz, because of his past and the galas he had to attend with his parents. He was the one who taught it to Y/N, after Falcone asked him. She wasn't happy let me tell you, and nowadays still enjoy crushing his toes on purpose during Oswald's events, because Zsasz would systematically sneer and make a comment about how tedious it was to teach her how to let the man lead.

.

Y/N

For her, dancing is something she's forced to do. She doesn't like it or dislike it tbh, she just learnt to go with the flow while working with Victor. She accepts to indulge him, just him... and Carmine too, because he's someone she holds dear and she knows how old fashioned he could be during 'Family' events : dancing with Fish and her BeCaUsE tHeY aRe LaDiEs. If she has to dance in an event with a mark she'll do it but won't enjoy it.

.

EDWARD NYGMA / THE RIDDLER

Ed knows classic dances and love dancing in general. First, with Kringle, then with IsabellAAAAH! He's also an old fashioned guy, like Carmine and Oswald on that matter. Riddler also enjoys to dance since he finds it refined and the proof of good education. Since he's a true narcissist, appearances are important and god knows he wants to be see as a man of culture 😌. He can genuinely enjoy it, I'm pretty sure he did dance at some point with Lee and has some fantasies about him waltzing with Oswald, him being the lead of course.

.

OSWALD COBBLEPOT

Do you have a single doubt about his capacity to dance? I mean, you saw who his mother was. Dear Gertrud taught his son everything she knew about waltz and refined dances from all around the world. Oswald loves to dance but only with people he absolutely trust. He feels nostalgia when he's leading, and if he closes his eyes, he could see his dear mother in front of him praising his technique and his good look. Even if he doesn't dance during his events, his guests have to and he sharply scrutinize them. Watching people dance tells you a lot about them too, and Oswald is very good at observing and analyzing : are they naturally confident? Do they know how to cooperate and follow someone's lead? Are they close to the other dancer (if yes how so)? Little gestures or glances can betray a romantic relationship, a secret friendship or animosity.

.

JONATHAN CRANE / SCARECROW

Poor Jonathan. Poor, poor Jonathan. This little fellow is the epitome of stiffness. Terrorizing an entire crowd and swiftly get out before the GCPD comes to get him, he knows how to do it. Coordinate his limbs to produce steps and even worse, doing it while leading another human being is an absolute nightmare. His genius mind can't do it, he analyses too much and can't really just follow the music. He would calculate each step, where it would lead them depending of the speed of the turn he has to make, the length of his and the other person legs, their height... See the struggle? He can't stop thinking, would sweat bullets and probably step on the other's toes. Though, if he's comfortable enough with the other and in a safe place, he would do it if it's what they want. Because he's a cute simp and loves to see the happiness on their face. 🥺 Don't you dare hurt his little fluffy heart or I'll scalp you.

.

JERVIS TETCH

Same as Oswald and Ed, Jervis knows how to dance, like a Sir. And he enjoys it pretty much, in particular the waltz. A great tea party always has a few dances if he has the time and hypnotized enough guests to make them ready to indulge his caprice. Jervis would be a bit sad though since none of them would be his dear Alice, I'm sure he used to dance with her when they were little. But he would also see it as a way to honor her.

He secretly wants to invite Oswald and Ed with their plus one since they share his refined vision of dancing and would with pleasure trap Jim in this very special party to rub their gentlemeness to his face.

.

JEROME VALESKA

Jerome... Uuuuh... Loves to dance, I would say. Does he knows how to? Yes, he knows the waltz. Would he perform it? Not really. Or following his own music. He's capable of imagining a unique and very bloody dance to purely enjoy himself or, waltz with someone and enjoy the utter terror on their face. His way of dancing is dominating. He would look gracious though, in his own twisted way but it would only be to mock good society and make a point : you can dance properly, even follow the rhythm (why not after all), look absolutely proper AND be a ruthless monster, a psychopath and a criminal. Look can be deceiving. Ha-Ha.

.

JEREMIAH VALESKA

If he has to, he would dance. Not like he enjoys it very much but he knows how to move and lead (ask Ecco). It would be a way to obtain something he wants, a tool. Added to his good look, he would use it to charm the other and make them do exactly what he wishes. He also agrees (for once) with his twin : dancing during a gala, mixed into high society, is funny because he could blend in it, looking like a perfect well behaved gentleman but is still lethal under the charming smiles, polite small talks and perfect dancing. And he would not be the one being a total hypocrite, I mean, it's Gotham after all.

--

A/N - I hope it answers your question. And I hope you liked it! 🥰 Have a beautiful day/night and take care!

[clovermarigold]

Daggers and Daffodils Chap.4

Dagur x Reader

Narrator P.O.V

Cold embraced you as you felt the covers pulled off of you. It was one of the few nights you had slept in your own bed. "Up, lass". Your father had already woken Hiccup who was dragging himself to get up. Looking out the window you saw the sky was dark with only a tint sunlight.

"The Berserkers will be arriving likely in a matter of hours, I want you to get dressed and eat" he said once again pulling off the covers, as you had sunken back into them. A muted (F/C) and white trimmed dress was laid out on the desk in the middle of your room as well as an outfit for Hiccup.

"The Berserkers chief, Oswald will be accompanied by his son, Dagur. I want you on your best behavior".

"I don't remember him from last year" Hiccup chimed tiredly while grabbing his outfit from the table.

"This will be his first time visiting, he's a few years older than you, But you should still be able to get along" . At the mention of getting along , you remembered something your father had told you the night prior.

"They won't want to stab us. Right?", earning a raised eyebrow from your father.

"If the treaty signing goes as plan, no" what you didn't know, was that nearly every treaty signing was tensioned filled and on the mere verge of a brawl. For being "allies", many of the Berserkers and Berkians hated one another.

'Lets just hope it doesn't come to that' Stoick said to himself quietly as he exited the room.

Dagur P.O.V

We had been on the ship for just about over a week. "Ugh, the smell of fish is giving me a headache".

"Would you like me to get you some water?" Another berserker asked.

"NO!" he flinched back at that before quickly walking away. "How sad, scared of someone less than half his age. Pity".

"Dagur, stop terrorizing the lad" Father scolded.

"See there" he pointed to the horizon, where I faintly saw what looked to be the silhouette of an island.

"Is that Berk?" I asked, hoping this voyage would soon be over.

"Indeed. Now I want you on your best behavior" I rolled my eyes as he began to go over a list of supposed things I "Was" and "Wasn't" supposed to do. "That means no yelling, no pranks, and being nice". 'Goody' I thought to myself disappointedly.

"Now chief vast has two children, his heir Hiccup and his daughter Y/N. You'll likely be spending most of your time with them".

'oh~' Most of the other children of Berserk had grown to fear me (With reason), so this would be interesting .

"Now every year as a sign of good intension and as a sign of respect we bring gifts for the chief and his family, this year I'd like you to give his children's theirs".

He walked away before I could say anything about how foolish it was, returning with a wooden box.  He began pulling out gifts and explaining who to give them to.

"This is for the boy, Hiccup" he held up a blue and silver shield.

"And this is for the girl, Y/N" a dagger (hehe), leather wrapped handle and a small green gem at the bottom, and in the middle of the handle was the berserkers crest( a Skrill).

'lovely' I roll my eyes as he walks away.

P.O.V Narrator

A large crowd of Vikings gathered at the docks, some baring gifts, others with grim faces and fingers twitching for their axes.

Stoick inhaled deeply as the Berserkers ships came to a halt. 'Odin, let this end without any broken bones' he thought to himself.

"Presenting! Chief of the Berserkers Oswald the Agreeable!"

You watched as a black haired man exited onto the dock. He was tall, not quite as tall as your father, but tall none the less. He had three black tattoo's from the side of his head covering a portion of the right of his face.

"Stoick!""Oswald" the two men clasped arms and greeted each other.

"I trust there was no trouble getting here?" asked Stoick.

"None at all" after answering to your father you saw him look over to you and Hiccup.

"So this is young dragon slayer" a grin broke out on his face as he kneeled down to face him. His large frame towered over you, regardless of him bending over.

"Hello" you inwardly screamed at yourself for how meek it sounded.

"Their taller than I remember" he said standing to walk towards your father, much to your relief. As he walked away you noticed a movement in the corner of your eye. It was a gingered haired boy on the ship, he looked to be a few years older than you and Hiccup. You flinched as suddenly you both made eye contact, he had large green eyes that seemingly didn't blink as you stared at one another.

"Is that chief Oswald's son?" Hiccup leaned to ask you. You shrugged in response tearing your eyes away from him, much to his chagrin.

"Dagur! Come greet our hosts" Oswald called, the ginger boy quickly coming to his side.

"Dagur, I'd like to introduce you to the chief of Berk, Stoick the vast". Stoick held his hand out to the boy, to which they shook hands.

"Welcome Dagur" He greeted, then turning to face you and Hiccup. "These are my children, Hiccup, and Y/N". Hiccup nodded his head in greeting refusing to make eye contact as he fiddled with his sleeve. This did not seem to please Dagur as his face fell to a scowl.

"Hello" You greeted holding out your hand to the young Berserker. His eyes stayed on your hand for a few seconds before he shook it in turn. It lasted a second too long and resulted in an awkward situation where neither of you had any idea of what to say, and his eyes trained on you made you feel uncomfortable.

"So. Your the one who killed a dragon" Dagur finally spoke, his eyes blinking after what felt like an eternity.

"yes" the memory of the terror filled your brain as your finger traced the hilt of your dagger out of habit. This seemed to have mistranslated with Dagur as he took a step back fingers ghosting over his own. In turn hostility between the two tribes seemed to thicken, other Vikings and Berserkers ghosting over weapons' of their own.

"Ahem" Oswald coughed gaining Dagur's attention, nodding his head towards the ship.

Dagur groaned quietly in annoyance as he quickly grabbed  a chest from the ship.

"The Berserker tribe would like to bestow gifts of gratitude to celebrate this joyous occasion of peace and yada yada" He said all to quickly trailing off near the end, gaining a small snicker out of you.

Your snicker seemed to once again gain his attention as a familiar pink dust spread across his face. It was in no way as bright as Hiccup's or Snotlout's, but enough to be noticeable.

He reached into the chest pulling out a blue and silver shield, it was smaller than the average shield, he held it out to Hiccup who nervously took it in his arms after a few moments with a quiet thank you. the shield was  made to fit that of a young child, yet it still seemed uncomfortably large in Hiccups noodly arms.

Dagur reached back into the chest pulling out something wrapped in cloth. Holding it out in front of you. Unwrapping the bundle there was a leather wrapped dagger, with a green gem on the hilt, and an unfamiliar dragon imbedded in the blade.

"What do we say lass" your father said pushing you lightly on the back, "Thank you".

A large smile erupted onto the Dagur's face, his lips were tilted and his pupils narrowed. You flinched slightly at the deranged expression, keeping your reaction to a minimum in front of the crowd. Hiccup however audibly reacted, a small yelp escaping him. This made dagur's smile drop, falling into a deadly glare.

'This is gonna be harder than I thought'

[nirikeehan]

happy friday and dadwc!! for cullen/thalia, a prompt from the dictionary of obscure sorrows list: "anecdoche n. a conversation in which everyone is talking but nobody is listening." ??

Oh, I loved this prompt, thank you!!

A little while ago @inquisimer gave me the seed of an idea about an AU where Cullen is hired as a private templar for Thalia instead of the Trevelyans sending her to the Ostwick Circle. This was the perfect opportunity to try it out and unleash all my headcanon about Thalia's terrible family on the world.

For @dadrunkwriting

WC: 1399

---

“Rutherford,” said Bann Oswald Trevelyan upon their introduction. “That’s an interesting name for a Fereldan.”

He spoke the word Fereldan the way one might say a nug. Cullen could tell he was fishing; perhaps his surname connected to some obscure or fallen line of nobility, one that the bann had simply never heard of. 

“I grew up near a river,” Cullen explained lightly. “A grandfather some generations back was named Ruther, so I’m told. People paid him to ferry them across.”

“Ah. I see. Ruther’s Ford, yes.” The disappointment was evident in Bann Trevelyan’s face, but he offered a hand to shake regardless. “Welcome to Ostwick.”

He retired to his study shortly thereafter, but the Lady Florence herself gave Cullen a tour of the manor. As it was the height of summer, the family would be spending the next few months at the country estate — to escape the choking heat that permeated Ostwick proper this time of year. “It’s those damnable city walls,” Lady Florence complained. “There’s just no circulation of air in the entire city.” 

Cullen thought, but did not say, that perhaps the ancient Ostwickans had a different opinion of their now-famed double walls, as they were the only force that had been able to repel the Qunari invaders. As advised by his Knight-Commander, he nodded along and kept his mouth shut. 

He could not complain about the accommodations. As Lady Florence led him down the corridors, showing off gargantuan room after gargantuan room, it became difficult to keep track of them all — the parlor, the downstairs study, not to be confused with the Bann’s private one, the main library (implying there were others?), the conservatory, the billiard room, and on and on. Each had tall, sunny windows that looked out upon the sprawling grounds, and beyond that, the cliffs and the sparkling sea. While Cullen had long ago grown used to the splendor of Chantry architecture, the Templars’ living quarters were much more austere than this. Even though he would be considered one of the household staff, this was by far the most extravagant place he’d ever stepped foot in. 

 As they roamed the hallways, Lady Florence spoke at length about her children: their son, Micah, heir to House Trevelyan, was apparently an accomplished fencer. Cullen heard so much about the beauty and grace of Laela, the eldest daughter, it made him vaguely uncomfortable. And Charlotte, of which her parents were so proud, was not living at home, having gone to study to become a Chantry sister. 

The names flew by Cullen with little consequence; none of them were the person he was hired to protect. 

Florence lapsed into silence after speaking of child number three, leaving Cullen feeling disquieted. He had expected some explanation of his duties, but once they had passed the kitchens and reached the servants’ staircase, Florence merely ground to a halt like a failing clockwork automaton.

“Follow me upstairs,” she added brightly, wringing her hands, “and I’ll show you to your room!”

Cullen hesitated. “Of course,” he said, because one did not question the intention of his betters, especially not if he was in their employ. Following her up the narrow staircase, with as much politeness as he could muster,  he asked, “And when may I meet the Lady Thalia?”

Florence froze on the landing. “Dinner,” she said, the iciness to her tone unmistakable. “You’ll see her tonight at dinner.” 

—

Lady Thalia did not appear at dinner. This seemed to bother no one but Cullen.

The dining hall was wood-paneled with a high ceiling, and looked out onto the sea as the sun sank toward the horizon. Golden light filled the room, lending it an ethereal glow. Cullen knew he should savor a chance to dine with the Trevelyans, as it was a gesture of generosity. Yet he kept glancing at the place set for his charge, and felt increasingly apprehensive the longer it remained empty. 

In the meantime, he studied the other family members. Micah had a long face, carrot-colored hair, and an air of self-importance Cullen had come to expect from the aristocracy. Lady Laela had inherited her mother’s blond tresses, done up and secured behind a gauzy veil. The look was apparently all the rage in Ostwick this season, he recalled from the carriage ride through the city. Laela was quite pretty, with lively green eyes that glanced his way too often to be an accident. That she had been seated directly adjacent to Cullen was also difficult to ignore. 

“Ser Cullen, as a templar you must have the most fascinating stories,” said Laela. 

“Ah, it’s a less glamorous profession than it sounds,” Cullen said, trying to remember which utensil was the salad fork. “May I ask, when will your sister be joining us?” 

Ignoring the question, Micah cut in. “Have you ever been on a hunt, ser?” 

“A hunt?” Cullen wondered if the Trevelyan siblings wanted him to regale them with tales of tracking down apostates, which was grim dinner fare. “I’m not sure what you mean, my lord.” 

“Boar,” Micah intoned slowly, as if Cullen might not understand the common tongue. “Or perhaps stags. Fennecs?” 

“Oh, er. No. Can’t say that I have.” 

“A pity. It’s good hunting in these seaside forests.” Micah swirled the wine in his glass. “I could take you, if you’re inclined.” 

“I’m more concerned with my duties to the Lady Thalia,” Cullen said, trying to steer the conversation back on course. “Is she often late to table like this?”

Laela waved dismissively with a soft, manicured hand. “Oh, who knows what that one gets up to?”

“A templar might like to learn,” Cullen said, praying to Andraste to save his patience. “It is what I’ve been hired to do.”

By the look Laela gave him, one might suspect Cullen had relieved himself into her cold cucumber soup. “Mother. Mother, our new templar would like to know where Thalia is.” 

Lady Florence, who had been droning on to her husband about paint swatches for the guest wing renovation, looked up sharply. “Must we ruin dinner with such an unflattering tone, darling?”

“I’m just saying. He wants to know.”

“He— er, I,” Cullen said, clearing his throat, “am only asking out of concern, for Lady Thalia and the rest of the household. As you may know, it is often perilous to leave a mage alone for long stretches of time.” Especially one who did not have the benefit of a Circle education. 

Four pairs of eyes swiveled to him, each gaze more withering than the last. 

“Are you suggesting, Ser Cullen,” Bann Oswald hissed, “that my daughter is a danger to herself and others?” 

Yes, Cullen wanted to say, that’s exactly what I’m suggesting. This was his third private assignment, an arrangement common enough for families like the Trevelyans, who could afford to pay for such services. What these families did not know was that the Templar Order’s top priority was not to coddle their magically inclined relative — it was to ensure the safety of the society around that person. As Knight-Commander Greagoir had told Cullen when he took this position: his goal should always be to convince the mages they were better off in a Circle. Things had gone smoothly enough with the first two, but neither previous family had shone such obtuseness as this pack of noble fools. 

“Of course not,” Cullen forced himself to say. “My lord.” 

“Good. See to it such an unfortunate insinuation never passes your lips again.” Oswald turned to the roast pheasant on his plate and muttered, “Fereldans. Always so crass.” 

Cullen white-knuckled the polished silver fork in his hand and willed himself to calm down. Losing his temper would do no good here — it was Thalia he needed to deal with, not her vile family. 

A great crash sounded from upstairs, startling a dinner roll from his hand. His gaze darted about in alarm, but the Trevelyans didn’t even look up.

“Well,” said Laela, taking a sip of wine, “she’s at it again.” 

Cullen had had enough. None too gently, he demanded, “What exactly is she ‘at’?”

“Ser Cullen, it seems your opportunity has arisen. Be a dear and go see what Thalia’s got herself into this time.” Lady Florence’s voice dripped with saccharine venom. “And please make sure she’s dressed properly for dinner.” 

Cullen had never left a table so quickly in his life.

[graham-oswald]

"to be quite honest, i don't have any idea how to play either," he admitted, his shoulders coming up in a nonchalant shrug. even with his wealthy upbringing, he couldn't tell the difference between croquet and bocce ball. they all involved colorful, small balls that got scored for points in one way or another. all graham knew was that one involved a mallet and the other did not. "i just know that every tuesday is bocce ball in the afternoons and knitting circle in the evenings, with a break in between for an early dinner. then every wednesday is board games with that same group of friends. i came back to blue harbor for her, but she seems to keep busy all on her own. i think she keeps me around as her personal chef, housekeeper, and jeopardy! co-watcher."

"great, well, it's lovely to meet you ziana," for added effect, and maybe just to keep his hands busy, he underlined her name to punctuate his words. graham had to laugh at her attempt to say his name five times fast, but it wasn't laughing at her, he found humor in the overall ridiculousness of his full name spoken by someone else's tongue. "that's why i just go by 'graham' these days. my father went by 'gray,' and my grandfather went by 'theodore,' and my great-grandfather was also a 'graham.'" the pendleton-oswald's had a long line of sons. with only the original graham theodore pendleton-oswald having more than one child to carry on the lineage. although graham called the pendleton-oswald's who took over the fishing business his cousins, they were really his second cousins from his great aunt's side of the family.

"oh, you live out there?" graham cleared his throat, suddenly feeling quite rude for writing off oak gardens as a whole. "if you don't mind my asking, what do you do for a living?" he knew that the neighbors of oak gardens tended to hold highfalutin positions such as company executives, former professional athletes, and the like. such impressive occupations always caught graham's attention.

It was endearing to hear that he had been keeping tabs on his grandmother, knowing what her schedule was and the like. It reminded Ziana that she needed to check in on her own grandmother more...not her grandfather though, he did enough checking in—more like spying—on Ziana. "I don't think I've ever been taught how to play that, seen it...is it hard?" It was a genuine question, mind wandering to images of the game itself from what she had seen when she was younger.

"Yes, exactly," she nodded along as he pronounced it, following up with a bit of laughter at him giving her his full name. "What a sophisticated name...hold on wait, let me see..." she cleared her throat, starting to say his name repeatedly but only getting to the third time of saying it before she tripped over her own words. "Wow...you're right, that's definitely difficult." she laughed a little again before tapping her fingers against the desk. "Honestly, I've heard quite a few end up going there, enjoying their break from the regular snooty image they have to keep." Which hey, they had every right to want to escape that. "Well lucky me it seems, I have full access to those gates. I have a place out there."